nor embarassed with so many strong fears of assenting to the mere inventions of men, instead of divine doctrine; but I should have humbly and immediately accepted thy words, so far as it was possible for me to understand them as the only rule of my faith. Or, hadst thou been pleased to express and include this proposition in the several scattered parts of thy book, from whence my reason and conscience might with ease find out, and with certainty infer this doctrine, I should have joyfully employ ed all my reasoning powers, with their utmost skill and activity, to have found out this inference, and ingrafted it into my soul. But how can such weak creatures (men) ever take in so strange, so difficult, and so abstruse a doctrine as this, in the explication and defence whereof, multitudes of men, even men of learning and piety, have lost themselves in infinite subtleties of dispute, and endless mazes of darkness ?

Thou art witness, O my God, with what diligence, with what constancy and care, I have read and searched thy holy word, how early and late, by night and by day,I have been making these enquiries. How fervently have I been seeking thee on my bended knees, and directing my humble addresses to thee, to enlighten my darkness, and to shew me the meaning of thy word, that I may learn what I must believe, and what I must practice with regard to this doctrine, in order to please thee, and obtain eternal life.

I humbly call thee to witness, O my God, what a holy jealousy I ever wear about my heart, lest I should do the slightest dishonor to thy supreme Majesty, in any of my enquiries or determinations. Thou seest what a religious fear, and what a tender solicitude I maintain on my soul, lest I should think or speak any thing to diminish the grandeurs and honors of thy Son Jesus, my dear mediator, to whom I owe my everlasting hopes. Thou knowest how much afraid I am of speaking one word, which may be construed into a neglect of thy blessed Spirit. Guard all the motions of my mind, O almighty God, against every thing that borders upon these dangers. Forbid my thoughts to indulge, and forbid my pen to write one word, that should sink those grand ideas which belong to thyself, or to thy Son, or thy holy Spirit. Forbid it, O my God, that ever I should be so unhappy as to unglorify my Father, my Savior, or my Sanctifier, in any of my sentiments or expressions concerning them.

Blessed and faithful God, am I not truly sensible of my own darkness and weakness, my dangerous prejudices on every side, and my utter insufficiency for my own conduct? Wilt thou leave such a poor creature bewildered among a thousand perplexities, which are raised by various opinions and contrivances of men to explain thy divine truth ?

Help me, heavenly Father, for I am quite tired and weary of these human explainings, so various and uncertain. When wilt thou explain it to me thyself, O my God, by the secret and certain dictates of thy Spirit, according to the intimations of thy word? nor let any pride of reason, nor any affectation of novelty, nor any criminal bias whatsoever, turn my heart aside from hearkening to these divine dictates of thy word, and thy Spirit. Suffer not any of my native corruptions, nor the vanity of my imaginations to cast a mist over my eyes, while I am searching after the knowledge of thy mind and will, for my eternal salvation.

1 entreat, O most merciful Father, that thou wilt not suffer the remnant of my short life to be wasted in such endless wanderings, in quest of thee or thy Son Jesus, as a great part of my days have been; but let my sincere endeavors to know thee, in all the ways whereby thou hast discovered thyself in thy word, be crowned with such success, that my soul being es tablished in every needful truth by thy holy Spirit, I may spend my remaining life according to the rules of thy gospel, and may with all the holy and happy creation ascribe glory and honor, wisdom and power to thee, who sittest upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.

N. B. The address of which the above are extracts was prefixed by Dr. Watts to some pieces he had written in the Trinitarian controversy, which his executors did not judge necessary to publish.-Some of the sentiments which it contains, are different from those he entertained at an earlier period of his life.

REV. SIR,

Weymouth, Feb. 20th, 1815.

YOUR communication of the 3d instant, I received, a few days since, and have read it repeatedly, with attention, and hope not altogether in vain. Seldom have I read any document which has more deeply impressed my mind with the humiliating truth that we are not exactly what we should be, considered as men, as christians, and particularly as christian ministers. This is a subject for lamentation, and I trust we both feel it to be so in relation to ourselves. Sensible of delinqueney in respect both to God and man, do we not find frequent occasion, to implore the divine forgiveness; and to ask of our fellow men the exercise of that charity towards us, which hides or passes over a multitude of faults ? And are not existing circumstances sometimes such as to make it our duty to administer reproof to each other, with a spirit of meekness and wisdem; and, in the discharge of this friendly though unpleasant duty," to speak the truth in love." However in relation to some other subjects we may disagree, with respect to these, it is presumed, that we harmonize in sentiment. If, then, we know these things, happy are we if we do them. " This, indeed, we profess to do. But how nearly our practice corresponds with our profession, we may not be the most correct judges. We each think the other erroneous in opinion and blameable in conduct; and that there is too much reason for this, neither of us, I presume, will be likely to question. But while we attach blame to each other, it is very possible, and indeed highly probable, that we are too blisd, and too partial to our own faults.

These suggestious, sir, are partly the result of the attention which I have given to your extraordinary, but I am willing to believe, friendly letter. Viewing it as having been written with a fraternal and benevolent design, I offer you my sincere and grateful acknowledgments. But viewing it as containing several things incorrect and exceptionable, christian fidelity seems to require that I should particularly notice them. In doing this it will be my object to act, as well the friendly, as the faithful part. I hope not to irritate, but as a "beloved" brother, I am constrained "to warn you.'

In the last paragraph, but one, of your letter, you observe,"It is solely on account of the ground you have taken with relation to Christ and to the Holy Spirit, that I have been constrained to suspend exchanges with you." It is with no small satisfaction, sir, that I find the "difficulties subsisting between us" are reduced to so narrow a compass, and especially as I had apprehended you viewed my sentiments in relation to sin and human creeds as grossly erroneous and heretical. If I understand the import of the above quotation, you do not think me an errorist in sentiment with respect to these subjects, nor with respect to the character of the one God, even the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have a right at least to con clude that you do not consider me fundamentally, or in any high degree erroneous, respecting these or any other theological sentiments, excepting those which relate to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.-If I really understand you, as I most sincerely hope I do, I cannot think that "we so widely differ" in sentiment as you seem to imagine; nor can I believe, when you better understand the "difference, that you will be so confident as you now seem to be, "that I have embraced most dangerous and destructive errors, "-errors which are "subversive of the gospel of Christ," and which "tend to drown men in destruction and perdition. "

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The point being thus happily settled, that no dividing difference in sentiment between us exists, with respect to the character of God even the Father,I must conclude that we harmonize, or nearly harmonize in sentiment with relation to "the Holy Spirit. Do you believe, sir, that the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God is self-existent, eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscent, infinite in holiness, in truth, in goodness? I am persuaded that you do believe this. But you cannot more firmly believe it than I do. In what then does the important difference between us, with respect to the Holy Spirit, consist? If in any degree we differ in opinion on this subject, the difference I am persuaded is very inconsiderable; nor is it unlikely that it consists wholly, or almost wholly in words.-In this connection I would further observe, that I do not consider the Holy Spirit as a being distinct from the one God; nor, unless I am under a great mistake, do you believe this. What then, let me ask, is the great and very dangerous error into which, in your estimation, I have fallen respecting the character of the Holy Spirit? I would rather ask, is there any thing in what I believe, or in what I do not believe with respect to this subject, in which you can reasonably discover either dinger or heresy? Here, sir, permit me to remind you, that you have explicitly declared, that you have not misrepresented my sentiments, either to your own people, or to any others." Nor do I accuse you of having done it. But if you have made any representation

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which clashes with my sentiments, as above stated, you have most grossly misrepresented them. To your own conscience I appeal for decision.

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How widely we differ in sentiment with relation to Christ," I do not certainly know. The difference may be very considerable. If a Trinitarian, agreeably to the doctrine of the Trinity as stated in the Assembly's Catechism, you be lieve that Jesus Christ in his lowest character, as you express it, is properly a man consisting of a "true body and reasonable soul; "who was created and born about eighteen centuries past. Here, I acknowledge, that I do not agree with you in sentiment. I consider Jesus Christ as possessing no character which is lower than that implied in his being "God's fellow," and the brightness of the "Fathers glory and the express image of his person; or than that which is implied in any other name or title ascribed to him in the Bible. I believe also, that in this character he existed "in the beginning with God," even before the foundation of the world. Excepting as to his body, I believe that no lower character than that above stated is to be ascribed to Christ the Lord of glory. I believe also, that the only living and true God, even the Father, is in the most intimate manner, united to this same Lord Jesus Christ, insomuch that it is proper to speak of them as one; not however as one person or being, but as one in consent, affection, design, and pursuit. You believe also, if I understand you, that the One God, or the independent Jehovah is, in the most intimate manner, united to Jesus Christ, in what you call his lowest character; that is, to a real and proper man. This, then, as I understand the subject, is the difference between us-that person or being called Christ, to whom I consider the One God as united, is unspeakably greater, more excellent and illustrious, than that Christ to whom you consider the One God as united.-In other words,Christ,in what you consider his lowest nature,is unspeakably inferior as to existence, and excellence, and glory of character, to the Christ, to whom I consider the One God as united. This statement, I consider strictly correct. Nor do I think you can reasonably deny that it is so. You will say, however, that I have not stated the whole truth; because you believe that Christ, in his highest character, is, the Supreme Deity."-I readily admit, that this is your representation of the subject. But whether our sentiments on this point are really discordant, I am not a little doubtful. Indeed I strongly suspect that the only difference in our sentiments respecting what you call the highest character of Christ, is rather seeming than real; that it consists rather in words or mode of representationthan in ideas. -Do you not believe that there is but one "Supreme Deity " That you do indeed believe this, you will not I presume deny.

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