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paffage of his fermon which he has thought fit to criticise upon, and cenfure in fuch a fcornful man

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And if it is really fo, this, of itself, is fufficient to fhew the difference between his extraordinary scheme of principles and the apoftolic gofpel; the former being accompanied with a temper of mind quite oppofite to the fpirit of the latter, which taught men, not to hate and reproach, but to honour and esteem thofe that fear the Lord, particularly minifters of the gospel, for their work's Jake; 1 Thes. v. 12, 13. If the word reve rend could admit no other fenfe but that in which it is used when applied to the divine Majefty, of whom it is faid, holy and reverend is his name; to give that title to any mortal would certainly be both impious and blafphemous: but if it indicates only fome degree of refpect, honour and efteem, due to minifters of the gofpel for their office and work's fake; and indeed as it is commonly used and applied to them it can import no more; I think we may affirm, that the letterwriter fhews himself to be, not only fomewhat nice, but really whimfical, in afferting that thofe who admit the title of reverend fhew an inclination to share more or lefs of the worship due to him whom we praise, faying, holy and re-verend is his name.

To compare it with the arrogant and blafphemous title commonly given to the Pope by the members of the Anti-chriftian church, as if thefe titles were used in the fame fenfe, and of a like import, is invidious ; and his infinuation, p. 121, 122, of his letters, that the words of our Lord to the young man in the gofpel, Matt. xix. 17. do fimply condemn the giving the epithet of good to any creature, is founded on an ignorant, or perhaps wilful miftake of the true fcope and meaning of the paffage. For it is plain, that our Lord had no intention, by thefe words, fimply to condemn a giving the epithet of good to any dependent being, but rather to reprove and check a flattering humour, which perhaps had prompted the young man to give

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And indeed it may be queftioned, if any writer ever went a greater length in wrefting, contradicting and blafpheming divine truths revealed in the Scripture, without throwing off the mask and directly impugning the authority of the Sacred Oracles, than Palamon has done.

As it would be needlefs to purfue this author through all the tiresome and intricate paths of error in which he endeavours to intangle his unwary reader, we must content ourselves with giving only a few hints, that perhaps may be of ufe for detecting fome of the more palpable abfurdities and grofs abominations which ly concealed in his writings, fo as frequently to elude the obfervation of the fimple and inattentive; and therefore we fhall here finish our remarks on this article.

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him that title; or to inftruct him concerning his owndivinity, and remind him of the important truth; that there is none originally and effentially good, but one; that is, God though the term may also warrantably be applied to creatures in an inferior and fubordinate fenfe, as it really is in feveral places of Scripture; 2 Sam. xviii. 27. Pfal. cxii. 5. Luke xxiii. 50. Acts xi. 24. Rom. v. 7.

Now, fince Palamon allows, that it is as unlawful to apply the epithet of good, as to give the title of reverend, to any creature, the charge of an impious and blafphemous ufurpation of the divine prerogative, is, what the infpired penmen of facred writ must be equally obnoxious to, with those who either give, or allow the title of reverend to be given to men in facred office.

One thing we frankly yield to the letter-writer, namely, that REVEREND SIR is no lefs obnoxious to reprehenfion than GOOD MASTER; though, the truth is, as appears from what has been already observed, the fimple and common ufe of neither the one nor the other of these epithets, is, in the leaft, unlawful or liable to reprehenfion.

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ARTICLE VI.

HERE is no need of any internal, fupernatural work of the Spirit of God upon the fouls and hearts of men for difcovering and fubduing that corruption which is naturally in every man, and reigns in every unregenerate finner; but if they only hearken to the voice of God in the confcience, and admit the fimple truth revealed in the gospel, it is all that is neceffary for thofe purposes.

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REMARKS.

HOSE who will take the trouble to read the letters on Theron and Afpafis, and narrowly examine the account which the author gives of what he calls regeneration, or the new birth; especially if they, at the fame time, confider the reproaches, and bitter invectives, which he every where throws out against those whom he calls the popular preachers, for teaching the neceffity of an internal work of the Spirit of God upon the hearts and confciences of men, in order to convince them of fin, fubdue their natural corruption, and fanctify their fouls; together with his profane fcoffing at the work of the Holy Ghoft in conviction, converfion, regeneration and fanctification; will find that

have not at all mitreprefented, or difguifed his doctrine and fentiments on this head, but laid before the reader what must be acknowledged to be the fcope and fubftance of a great part of his reafoning against the doctrine taught by all found Proteftant

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divines concerning the points above-mentioned. And it is evident, that the chief reason why he inveighs with fo much warmth againft his antagonists, is, because their fentiments are wholly repugnant to his own profane and impious notions concerning these matters.

He does not merely blame thofe teachers for want of caution, inaccuracy, or any mistakes in defcribing the internal work of the Holy Ghost upon the fouls of men, but for afferting, that any fuch thing is neceffary. It is not the abuse of what has been taught concerning it that offends him but it is the thing itself that he fhews so much fpite against.

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That part of the Chriftian doctrine which relates to the gracious work of the divine Spirit upon the hearts of believers, in their effectual calling and converfion, is, no doubt, liable to be mistaken and mifimproved. And we have reafon to think, it has been frequently abufed by men, for gratifying their natural pride and cherishing their falfe hopes of heaven and everlafting happinefs; while they have refted their hope of falvation upon fome motions, feelings, impreffions and. impulfes within their own breafts; and thus put them in the room of Chrift, and his righteoufnefs, exhibited in the word and promifes of the gofpel. Had Palamon only made it his bufinefs to detect, and warn his readers against this, or the like dangerous and foul-ruining abuses of that doctrine, it might have been of service to fome, and a mean of keeping them from that hurtful fnare which Satan and their own proud hearts are very apt to draw them into.

But, inftead of ufing his endeavours this way, he has laid a far more dangerous fnare for the fouls of those into whofe hands his performance VOL. I.

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may come, by attempting to perfuade them, that there is no fuch thing to be experienced, expected or defired, as an inward work of the Spirit of God upon their hearts; yea, that one who is prefently allowing, and hardening himself in the prac tice of all manner of wickedness, may commence a true believer, and, be juftified, if he only admits the truth of what is recorded in the New Testament concerning the death and refurrection of Chrift; though, in the mean time, his love to fin and refolution to perfevere in the practice of it, are as ftrong as ever. If this is not a doctrine that opens a door for all kinds of licentiousness, and tends to harden finners in a course of impiety and wickedness, I know not what can be faid to do fo.

Perhaps the devil himself could never have invented an engine more effectual for fupporting, and promoting all the interefts of his kingdom in the world, and in the hearts of men, than this, especially as it is improved by the letter-writer, must be acknowledged to be. It is fo far from being, like the true apoftolic gospel, a doctrine which is according to godliness, that it has a manifeft tendency to banish all ferious religion and godliness, out of the world, and expofe those with whom the least appearance of any fuch thing is to be found, to the utmoft contempt.

But as the fubftance of this article has been. already confidered and examined, here I fhall only. prefent the reader with a few extracts from the letters on Theron and Afpafio, and leave the unpre judiced to judge, whether I have done the author any injury in affirming, that the strange fcheme of doctrine which he has thought fit to recommend to the public, wholly excludes any fpecial

* 1 Tim. vi. 3.

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