puters of this world, a spirit which favours ftrongly of pride, hatred and malice, and which often induces them to have recourse to unfair and unworthy artifices in order to gain a victory.

Some perfons think that in these publications I have attacked too many long-established errors, and that it would have been more prudent to have attempted one thing at once, and to have proceeded gradually and gently. But it fhould be confidered,' that there are in the world perfons in every poffible ftate of mind with refpect to these things; fo that what will stagger fome is calculated to make the ftrongest and beft impreffion upon others. Since, therefore, every thing that is published from the prefs must be diftributed promifcuously, we can only take care that what we write be calculated to do good in general; and fince a nice calculation of this kind is exceedingly difficult, it appears to me to be the best, upon the whole, for every person to endeavour to establish what appears to himself to be the whole truth, and not to trouble himself about any confequences. The gofpel-fower muft caft his feed promifcuoufly on all kinds of ground, hoping that in fome it may yield a good increase, though he muft lay his account with its being loft, and even worse than loft upon others.

I also think it an objection to the flow and cautious proceeding which fome perfons recommend, that the evidence of any truth is exhibited

to the most advantage in connection with the whole fyftem to which it belongs. Nor would I conclude that because the minds of many are staggered by bold and undisguised representations of truth, this mode of proceeding is, upon the whole, lefs effectual. In many cafes it may be the only method of gaining a fufficient degree of attention to a subject; and when this only is done, a great point is gained. The horror with which an offenfive fentiment is viewed at first may wear off by degrees, and a cool examination fucceed. What could give more offence, even to good minds, than the manner in which Luther, and other reformers, attacked the church of Rome? Any perfon would have imagined, a priori, that it could only offend and irritate. We must wait a confiderable time before we can form a judgment of the number of converts that any perfon makes.

I cannot help expreffing my furprize that fo many perfons, and especially of the clergy of the eftablifhed church, fhould profefs themfelves Arminians, rejecting the Calvinistic doctrines of election and reprobation, and yet entertain fuch a horror of Arianifm, or Socinianifm, contending with the greatest earneftnefs for the divinity of Chrift, and atonement for fin by his death; when it appears to me, that the literal interpretation of the language of feripture (which is almoft all that can be pleaded in favour of any of thofe opinions) is even more fa

vourable

vourable to the former than to the latter, as, I fhould think, muft appear to any person who will attend to those which I have quoted in this treatise. I know that I have found much more difficulty in my attempts to explain them. I confider it, however, as an undoubted fign of the progress of juft thinking in matters of religion, that the standard of orthodoxy is fo much lower at present than it has been in former times.

Time was, and, though I am not old, I well remember the time, when Arminians would have been reckoned no better than Socinians by those who were reputed the orthodox of their day; and yet with what rage have fome of these orthodox-writers, attacked a brother-heretic? How would the manes of those old champions smile to fee us fall out by the way, when they were confident that we must all come to the fame place of torment at laft; and the furious zeal of thofe veterans was far more plaufible and refpectable, than that of the modern pretenders to orthodoxy?

There is fomething striking and confiftent in the genuine Supralapfarian fyftem, of the eternally deftined fall of man, an infinite penalty incurred by one, and, by the imputation of his fin, affecting all, and an infinite atonement adequate to it made by an infinite being; by which means a fmall remnant of the human race are neceffarily faved, while all the reft of mankind, including new-born chil

dren,

dren, unbelieving jews, mahometans and heathens, arminians and baxterians, arians and focinians, without diftinction (as deftitute either of faith, or the right faith) are configned to everlasting torments with the devil and his angels; from whence results glory to a God, who, in all this dreadful fcheme, is supposed to have fought nothing else.

These are the tremendous doctrines which have over-awed mankind for fo many centuries; and, compared with this, all the modern qualified, intermediate fyftems are crude, incoherent, and contemptible things. My antagonists may cavil at election and reprobation, or any other single article in the well-compacted fyftem, but every part is neceffary to the whole; and if one ftone be pushed out of its place, the whole building tumbles to the ground. And when, in confequence of their illjudged attempts to alter, patch, and repair, they have brought things to this catastrophe, there will. be nothing left but the fimple belief, that the merciful parent of the universe, who never meant any thing but the happiness of his creatures, fent his well-beloved fon, the man, Christ Jefus, to reclaim men from their wickednefs, and to teach them the way of righteoufnefs; affuring them, for their encouragement, of the free and unbought pardon of their fins, and promifing a life of endless happiness to all that receive and obey the gospel, by repenting

of

of their fins, and bringing forth fruits mect for repentance.

This is the effence of what is called focinianifm; and though this fimple doctrine may, on account of its excellence and fimplicity, be a ftumblingblock to fome, and foolishness to others, I believe it to be the fum and fubftance of the gospel of Jefus Chrift, and the wisdom and power of God.

Formidable as the greatest adversary of the truth may be, I make no doubt but that, by the help of reason, and the fword of the spirit, which is the word of God, it will be finally overcome. And whenever the holy apoftles and prophets fhall rejoice at the fall of this laft part of myftical Babylon, Rev. xviii. 20; happy will they be who may join the chorus, as having employed their efforts, however feeble, with those who, in this great caufe, fight under the banners of the lamb, and who are called, and chofen, and faithful; Rev. xvii. 14.