TO À GENTLEMAN, UPON A Variety of SEASONABLE and IMPORTANT SUBJECTS in RELIGION. By JONATHAN DICKINSON, A. M. k THE THIRD EDITION. To write the fame Things to you, to me indeed is not EDINBURG H: Printed by R. FLEMING, and fold by YAIR and M.DCC.LVII. I THE PUBLISHER TO THE REA DE R. Nitead of attempting to give any Character of the pious Author of the following Letters, whose true Worth was well known in America, we fhall give our Readers the two following Paragraphs, which were published foon after his Death; and only add, that we hope this Edition will be found more correct than any of the former two that have gone before it. CHARACTER of Mr. DICKINSON late Prefident of the College of New-Jersey. Extracted from the Reverend Mr. FoxCROFT of Boften, his Preface to Mr. DICKINSON'S fecond Vindication of God's Sovereign free Grace, printed at Boston, 1748. Y ET I must be allowed to drop a Tear over my deceaft Friend, endeared to me by a long Acquaintance, and on the most valuable Accounts, as a Scholar, a Chriftian, and a Divine of the first Rank, in thefe Parts of the World. His Realon. ableness of Christianity, his Scripture Bishop, bis Scripture Doctrine, his Familiar Letters, hine among bis Works that praise him in the Gates, and A 2 embalm embalm his Memory. He had a Soulform'd for Enquiry, Penetration, accurate Judgment, and difintereffed Attachment to Truth. With a natural Turn for Controversy, he had a happy Government of his Pafions, and abhorred the perverfe Difputings fo common to Men of corrupt Minds: Nor did he, as is too cuftomary with those of an argumentative Genius, fuffer the Eagerness of Contention to extinguish the Fervours of Devotion, or of Brotherly-Love-In his Example he was truly a Credit to his Profeffion; by good Works adorning the Doctrine of Grace, he was fo zealous an Advocate for.--He had generous Sentiments with Regard to Freedom of Enquiry and private Judgment in Matters of Confcience and Salvation, detefling all Perfecution and Impofitions in Religion, and not approving Subfcription to human Tefts of Orthodoxy. Yet nevertheless, as one fet for the Defence of the Gospel, he boldly confronted what he took to be Error, and knew not how to fit an idle Spectator, when he apprehended an Affault made on the Chriftian Faith. He could not bear the Thoughts of being found either a Traitor to the Caufe of Chrift, or a Coward in it. Whenever he faw it openly invaded, or fecretly undermined, he food ready to appear in its Defence, without confulting his Eafe or his Credit. As Bigotry and Party-Rage, Malevolence, Calumny and Cenfure, too frequently mingling with religious Difputes, were his Abhorrence, fo he was an Enemy to temporifing Diffimulation, blind Charity, politic Silence, and that falfe Moderation which facrifices divine Revelations to human Friendships, and under Colour of Peace and Candur, gives up important Points of Gofpel Doctrine to every Opposer, but still is confiftent with difcovering a Malignity towards others that appear warm Defenders and conftant Alerters of thofe Evangelical Truths. From |