AN ANSWER TO MR. DODD. 1. YOU and I may the more easily bear with each other, because we are both of us rapid writers, and, therefore, the more liable to inistake. I will thank you for showing me any mistake I am in: being not so tenacious of my opinions now as I was twenty or thirty years ago. Indeed I am not fond of any opinion as such. I read the Bible with what attention I can, and regulate all my opinions thereby, to the best of my understanding. But I am always willing to receive more light; particularly with regard to any less common opinions, because the explaining and defending of them takes up much time, which I can ill spare from other employments. Whoever, therefore, will give me more light, with regard to Christian Perfection, will do me a singular favour. The opinion I have concerning it at present, I espouse merely because I think it is scriptural. If, therefore, I am convinced it is not scriptural, I shall willingly relinquish it. 2. I have no particular fondness for the term. It seldom occurs either in my preaching or writings. It is my opponents who thrust it upon me continually, and ask me, What I mean by it? So did Bishop Gibson, till by his advice, I publicly declared, What I did not mean by it, and what I did. This I supposed might be best done in the form of a Sermon, having a text prefixed, wherein that term occurred. But that text is there used only as an occasion or introduction to the subject. I do not build any doctrine thereupon, nor undertake critically to explain it. 3. What is the meaning of the term Perfection, is another question; but that it is a Scriptural term is undeniable. Therefore none ought to object to the use of the term, whatever they may do to this or that explication of it. I am very willing to consider whatever you have to object, to what is advanced under the first head of that Sermon. But I still think that Perfection is only another term for Holiness, or the image of God in man. God made man perfect, I think is just the same as he made him holy, or in his own image. And you are the very first person I ever read of or spoke with, who made any doubt of it. Now this Perfection does certainly admit of degrees. Therefore I readily allow the propriety of that distinction, Perfection of Kinds, and Perfection of Degrees. Nor do I remember one writer, ancient or modern, who excepts against it. 4. In the Sermon of Salvation by Faith, I say, "He that is born of God sinneth not," (a proposition explained at large in another Sermon) and every where either explicitly or virtually connected with, while he keepeth himself, "by any sinful desire. Any unholy desire he stifleth in the birth.". (Assuredly he does, while he keepeth himself.) "Nor doth he sin by infirmities. For his infirmities have VOL. 10.-0 no concurrence of his will, and without this they are not properly sins." Taking the words as they lie in connexion thus, (and taken otherwise they are not my words but yours,) I must still aver, they speak both my own experience, and that of many hundreds of the children of God whom I personally know. And all this, with abundantly more than this, is contained in that single expression, "The loving God with all our heart, and serving him with all our strength." Nor did I ever say or mean any more by Perfection, than thus loving and serving God. But I dare not say less than this. For it might be attended with worse consequences than you seem to be aware of. If there be a mistake, it is far more dangerous on the one side than on the other. If I set the mark too high, I drive men into needless fears; if you set it too low, you drive them into hell-fire. 5. We agree, that true" Christianity implies a destruction of the kingdom of Sin, and a renewal of the soul in Righteousness:" which even babes in Christ do in a measure experience; though not in so large a measure as young men and fathers?" But here we divide; I believe even babes in Christ (while they keep themselves) do not commit sin. By sin I mean outward sin; and the word commit I take in its plain, literal meaning. And this I think is fully proved by all the texts cited Sermon III. from the sixth chapter to the Romans. Nor do I conceive there is any material difference between committing sin and continuing therein. I tell my neighbour here," William, you are a child of the Devil; for you commit sin: you were drunk yesterday." No, Sir, says the man; I do not live or continue in sin, (which Mr. Dodd says is the true meaning of the text,) I am not drunk continually, but only now and then, once in a fortnight, or once in a month." Now, Sir, how shall I deal with this man? Shall I tell him he is in the way to heaven or hell? I think he is in the high road to destruction, and that if I tell him otherwise, his blood will be upon my head. And all that you say, of living, continuing in, serving sin, as different from committing it, and of its not reigning, not having dominion over him, who still frequently commits it, is making so many loop-holes whereby any impenitent sinner may escape from all the terrors of the Lord. I dare not, therefore, give up the plain, literal meaning either of St. Paul's or St. Peter's words. 6. As to those of St. John (cited Sermon V.) I do not think you have proved they are not to be taken literally. In every single act of obedience, as well as in a continued course of it, wo dixaloovvry• And in either an act or a course of sin, o apapтiav. Therefore, that I may give no countenance to any kind or degree of sin, I shall interpret these words by those in the fifth chapter, and believe, He that is born of God (while he keepeth himself) sinneth not: doth not commit outward sin. 7. But "It is absolutely necessary, as you observe, to add sometimes explanatory words to those of the sacred Penmen." It is so: to add words explanatory of their sense; but not subversive of it. The words added to this text, Ye know all things, are such. And you yourself allow them so to be. But I do not allow the words. wilfully and habitually to be such. These do not explain but overthrow the text. That the first Fathers thus explained it, I deny as also that I ever spoke lightly of them. 8. You proceed. "You allow in another Sermon, in evident contradiction to yourself, that the true children of God could and did commit sin." This is no contradiction to any thing I ever advanced. I every where allow that a Child of God can and will commit sin, if he does not keep himself. "But this, you say, is nothing to the present argument." Yes, it is the whole thing. If they keep themselves, they do not; otherwise they can and do commit sin. I say nothing contrary to this in either sermon. But "hence you say, we conclude, That he who is born of God, may possibly commit sin." An idle conclusion as ever was formed. For whoever denied it? I flatly affirm it in both the Sermons, and in the very paragraph now before us. The only conclusion which I deny, is, That "all Christians do and will commit sin as long as they live." Now this you yourself (though you seem to start at it) maintain from the beginning of your letter to the end: viz. That all Christians do sin and cannot but sin, more or less, to their lives' end. Therefore I do not " artfully put this conclusion;" but it is your own conclusion, from your own premises. Indeed were I artfully to put in any thing, in expounding the word of God, I must be an errant knave. But I do not my conscience bears me witness, that I speak the very truth, so far as I know it, in simplicity and godly sincerity. 9. I think that all this time you are directly pleading for looseness of manners, and that every thing you advance naturally tends thereto. This is my grand objection to that doctrine of the necessity of sinning. Not only that it is false, but that it is directly subversive of all holiness. The doctrine of the Gnosticks, was not that of a Child of God does not commit sin, i. e. Act the things which are forbidden in Scripture but that they are not sin in him; that he is a Child of God still: so they contend, not for sinless, but sinful Perfection: just as different from what I contend for, as Heaven is from Hell. What the Donatists were, I do not know. But I suspect, they were the real Christians of that age: and were, therefore, served by St. Augustine and his warm adherents, as the Methodists are now by their zealous adversaries. It is extremely easy to blacken: and could I give myself leave, I could paint the consequences of your doctrine, in at least as dark and odious colours, as you could paint mine. 10. The passage of St. Peter (mentioned Sermon XII.) I still think proves all which I brought it to prove. "But you allow (Sermon IV.) that Paul and Barnabas did commit sin. And these were without all controversy Fathers in Christ." That is not without controversy: that either Barnabas when he left Paul, or Peter when he dissembled at Antioch, was at that time a father in Christ in St. John's sense; though by office undoubtedly they were. Their example, therefore, only proves what no one denies, viz. That if a believer keeps not himself, he may commit sin. Would the conclusions here drawn, "be made only by a very weak opponent?" Then you are a weak opponent; for you make them all, either from these or other premises. For you believe and maintain, 1. That all the other Apostles committed sin sometimes: 2. That all the other Christians of the Apostolic age, sometimes committed sin 3. That all other Christians in all ages, do and will commit sin as long as they live: and, 4. That every man must commit sin, cannot help it, as long as he is in the body. You cannot deny one of the propositions, if you understand your own premises. I am, Rev. Sir, OF THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. THE proofs of the immortality of the Soul are drawn, 1st, From the nature of the soul itself, and particularly its immateriality; which though not absolutely necessary to the eternity of its duration, has, I think, been evinced to almost a demonstration. 2dly, From its passions and sentiments, as particularly from its love of existence, its horror of annihilation, and its hopes of immortality, with that sweet satisfaction which it finds in the practice of virtue, and that uneasiness which follows in it upon the commission of vice. 3dly, From the nature of the Supreme Being, whose justice, goodness, wisdom, and veracity, are all concerned in this point. But among these and other excellent arguments for the immortality of the soul, there is one drawn from the perpetual progress of the soul to its perfection, without a possibility of ever arriving at it; which is a hint that I do not remember to have seen opened and improved by others who have written on this subject, though it seems to me to carry a great weight with it. How can it enter into the thoughts of man, that the soul, which is capable of such immense perfections, and of receiving new improvements to all eternity, shall fall away into nothing almost as soon as it is created? Are such abilities made for no purpose? A brute arrives at a point of perfection that he can never pass; in a few years he has all the endowments he is capable of; and were he to live ten thousand more, would be the same thing he is at present. Were a human soul thus at a stand in her accomplishments, were her faculties to be full grown, and incapable of farther enlargements, I could imagine it might fall away insensibly, and drop at once into a state of annihilation. But can we believe a thinking being, that is in a perpetual progress of improvements, and travelling on from perfection to perfection, after having just looked abroad into the works of its Creator, and made a few discoveries of his infinite goodness, wisdom, and power, must perish at her first setting out, and in the very beginning of her inquiries? A man considered in his present state, seems only sent into the world to propagate his kind. He provides himself with a successor, and immediately quits his post to make room for him. Hæres Hæredem alterius, velut unda supervenil undam. Hor. Ep. 2. 1. 2. v. 175. Heir crowds on heir, as in a rolling flood CREECH. He does not seem born to enjoy life, but to deliver it down to others. This is not surprising to consider in animals, which are formed for our use, and can finish their business in a short life. The silk-worm, after having spun her task, lays her eggs and dies. But a man can never have taken in his full measure of knowledge, has not time to subdue his passions, establish his soul in virtue, and come up to the perfection of his nature, before he is hurried off the stage. Would an infinitely wise Being make such glorious beings for so mean a purpose? Can he delight in the production of such abortive intelligences, such short-lived reasonable beings? Would he give us talents that are not to be exerted? Capacities that are never to be gratified? How can we find that wisdom that shines through all his works, in the formation of man, without looking on this world as only a nursery for the next, and believing that the several generations of rational creatures, which rise up and disappear in such quick successions, are only to receive their first rudiments of existence here, and afterwards to be transplanted into a more friendly climate, where they may spread and flourish to all eternity. There is not a more pleasing and triumphant consideration in religion than this, of the perpetual progress which the soul makes towards the perfection of its nature, without ever arriving at a period in it. To look upon the soul as going on from strength to strength; to consider that she is to shine for ever with new accessions of glory, and brighten to all eternity; that she will be still adding virtue to virtue, and knowledge to knowledge; carries in it something wonderfully agreeable to that ambition which is natural to the mind of man. Nay, it must be a prospect pleasing to God himself, to see his creation for ever beautifying in his eyes, and drawing nearer to him, by greater degrees of resemblance. Methinks this single consideration, of the progress of a finite spirit to perfection, will be sufficient to extinguish all envy in inferior natures, and all contempt in superior. That cherub that now appears as a god to a human soul, knows that a period will come, when the human soul shall be as perfect as he himself now is: nay, when she shall look down upon that degree of perfection, as much as 5ue now falls short of it. It is true, the higher nature still advances, and pre |