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LETTER, &c.

My dear Friends,

New-York, Nov. 1, 1740.

AST night and this morning I read your queries and fcruples. Whether they were compiled by churchmembers, or minifters of the prefbyterian perfuafion, I shall not take upon me to determine. I think I may fay with David, though on another occafion, "Joab's hand is in this." If your minifters were really the authors, and you only their representatives, they have not acted fimply. They had better have spoken out. I fhould as readily have anfwered them as you. Solomon fays, " He that hateth reproof, is brutish." And if I know any thing of my own heart, I should think myself obliged to any one that convinces me of an error, either in principle or practice. I therefore affure you, that I do not find the least refentment stirring in my soul against those (whoever they be) that proposed the queries, or against the reverend prefbytery that advised you to fend them to me in a public manner: no, I rejoice in it; because it gives me an opportu→ nity of doing what my friends know I have for fome time propofed, the correcting fome paffages in my printed fermons. I think it no dishonour, to retract fome expreffions that formerly dropped from my pen, before God was pleased to give me a more clear knowledge of the doctrines of grace. St. Austin, I think, did so before me. The LORD's dealing with me was somewhat out of the common way. I can say, to the honour of rich free distinguishing grace, that I received the Spirit of adoption before I had converfed with one man, or read a fingle book, on the doctrine of "Free juftification by the imputed righteousness of JESUS CHRIST." No wonder then, that I was not fo clear in fome points at my firft setting out in the miniftry. Our LORD was pleased to enlighten me

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by degrees; and I defire your prayers, that his grace may fhine more and more in my heart, till it breaks forth into fect day.

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But to come to the exceptionable paffages in my fermons. You blame me for faying,

Vol. II. page 17. "That Adam was adorned with all the perfections of the Deity." It is a wrong expreffion: I would correct it thus: "All the moral communicable perfections of the Deity." Again, "Man was the perfection of the moral and material world: let it ftand thus: "The perfection of all the vifible world."

Vol. II. page 22 and 23. by the tears of a fincere repentance, joined with faith in the blood of JESUS CHRIST." This is falfe divinity: I would now alter it thus: "Recovers his former peace, by renewing his acts of faith on the perfect righteoufnefs of JESUS CHRIST." Vol. I. page 79. "And which alone can render any of our actions acceptable in God's fight." It should be, " And without which, any of our actions cannot be acceptable in GOD's fight."

"Washes the guilt of fin away

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Vol. I. page 16. "Who vainly depend on their own righteousness, and not on the righteoufnefs of JESUS CHRIST, imputed to, and inherent in them, as neceffary for their eternal falvation." To avoid all miftakes, I would exprefs myfelf in this manner, "Who have neither CHRIST's righteoufnefs imputed to them, for their justification in the fight, nor holiness wrought in their fouls as the confequence of that, in order to make them meet for the enjoyment of GOD."

Vol. I. page 7. For, "To qualify us for being savingly in CHRIST," read, "To qualify us for living eternally with CHRIST."

The feeming contradiction in my fermon, Vol. II. p. 128. compared with p. 137. I think may be reconciled by that paffage of the Apostle, "After you believed, you were fealed by the Spirit of promife." Your arguing on this head, p. 21. fection vii. I think is not fo clear. Might you not as reasonably have blamed JESUS CHRIST for faying to a dead man, “ Lazarus, come forth?" However, instead of quickening Spirit, vol. II. p. 137. let it be read," fanctifying Spirit."

Vol. II. p. 33.

"The man CHRIST JESUS is fpiritually formed in your hearts." I would alter it thus, "That CHRIST is formed within you."

Vol. I. p. 53.

"The many fouls that are nourished weekly by the spiritual body and blood of JESUS CHRIST by your means. Let it be altered for these words," Nourished weekly at the LORD's fupper by your means.

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I fee no reafon to alter my explanation of the words, Baptizing them into the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft;" and, "CHRIST fpiritually conceived in the heart of Eve" I mean no more by these expreffions than the Apoftle, when he fays, "Know ye not that CHRIST is in unless you be reprobates?" And again, "No one can call CHRIST, Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft." And again, "We are made partakers of a divine nature." Vol. II. p. 128. thefe words [in the Lord's prayer] may be left out: though, if the word name fignifies God's attributes, according to your own confeffion, why may it not fignify his effence? What are GOD's attributes but GOD himself?

Vol. I. p. 14. After, "effential ones too," infert, "if perfons are capable of performing them."

These, if I mistake not, are all the paffages in my fermons, which you object against. And now to convince you, that I am not afhamed to own my faults, I can inform you of other paffages as juftly exceptionable. In my sermon on justification, I feem to affert univerfal redemption, which I now absolutely deny. In my almost christian, I talk of works procuring us fo high a crown. In my fermon on the marks of the new-birth, I fay, "We fhall endure to the end, if we continue fo. Thefe, and perhaps fome other paffages, though capable of a candid interpretation, I now diflike; and in the next edition of my fermons, God willing, I propose to alter them. In the mean while, I fhall be thankful to any that will point out my errors; and I promise, by divine affistance, they shall have no reason to say, “That I am one who hates to be reformed." "Let the righteous fmite me, it fhall be a kindness; and let reprove me, and it shall be an excellent oil, which fhall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities."

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As for your infinuating, that I countenance Mr. Wesley in his errors, it is no fuch thing. I prefaced Halyburton's Memoirs before I faw what Mr. Wesley had written; and fince I have seen it, have more than once faid, "If I had known what Mr. Wesley had written, I would not have prefaced Halyburton at all. I do not understand Mr. Wefley in his interpretation of these words, " He that is born again of GOD, finneth not; and therefore have torn off that part of his preface, out of feveral of those books which I have given away lately, and have acquainted him in what I think in this particular he errs, by fundry letters.

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You wrong me, if you think I am an Antinomian. For when I say," GOD made no second covenant with Adam,” I mean no more than this: "GOD made no second covenant with Adam in his own perfon in behalf of his pofterity; nor did man's acceptance in the fight of GOD, after the fall, depend, either wholly or in part, on his works, as before the fall." Whoever reads the author of The Whole Duty of Man, will find he thinks otherwife; and I believe your friends in Scotland will not thank you for defending that book, as you feemingly have done in your late queries.

Your objections, concerning my favourable opinion of fome particular quakers that I have converfed with; and also about fome particular promises, which I think have been made me, you may find fatisfied in my "Answer to the Bishop of London's laft Paftoral Letter," and in a "Letter to the Bishop of Gloucefter."

I am no friend to casting lots; but I believe, on extraordinary occafions, when things can be determined no other way, GOD, if appealed to, and waited on by prayer and fafting, will answer by lot now, as well as formerly.

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Do not condemn me for preaching extempore, and for faying, I am helped often immediately in that exercife; when thousands can prove, as well as myself, that it has been fo. Neither fhould you cenfure me as one that would lay afide reading. I am of Bifhop Sander fon's mind: Study without prayer, is atheifm; prayer without ftudy, prefumption." Blame not me, for the warmth of fome of my adherents, as you call them. One of your minifters knows, how fharply I rebuked one of them for his warmth, at Forks-Manor. I am for loving as brethren, and with all would copy after the lowly JESUS.

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