fion to take the leaft thought about the ftate of their own fouls, and eternal falvation; but may be as profitably employed in gratifying the lufts of the flesh, or committing the moft horrid crimes, as in reading and hearing the word of God, or in performing any religious exercise. I believe every intelligent reader will readily agree with me in affirming, that one who teaches any doctrine that has fuch a manifeft tendency to encourage men in the practice of wickednefs and impiety, must certainly be influenced by that wicked spirit whofe known character it is, that he was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. None but he who prompted our firft parents to defpife the divine threatning, could thus teach men to disobey the divine commands. If it is intimated, that he who teaches men to break the leaft command of God, fhall be excluded the kingdom of heaven; what fhall we think of one who, in effect, teaches them to break all the divine commands at once? His guilt muft certainly be very great; and it is to be feared that, without repentance, his doom will be proportionable. Yet every one who carefully peruses the letters on Theron and Afpafio, will eafily perceive, that almoft all the author's affertions and reafonings have a tendency to encourage the neglect and contempt of the divine law, of all divine ordinances and religious duties, except when he teaches men to lay a foundation for the certain hope of the remiffion of their fins, and eternal falvation, in the way of painful defire and fear, or by repeated acts of charity and felf-denied obedience: which is as inconfiftent with what would feem to be the other leading part of his fcheme, as the whole is with the Scriptures or the true apoftolic gospel. It is probable Palaman will urge, that fince it is taken for granted, that, previous to faith in Chrift, men can perform no good works, nor do any thing that is well-pleafing or acceptable to God; and that divine grace ftill acts fovereignly, without regarding any perfonal merit, or any good qualifications in the objects thereof; it must be extremely abfurd to exhort men to perform duties, or ufe means of any kind, with a view to the falvation of their fouls, till they believe, and receive that new inftinct, which he tells us, is produced by the faving truth admitted into the confcience. But this Gentleman ought to confider, that the question here is not, What men can do? but, what they ought to do? It is not, what improvement they actually make of the means of grace, or the directions and exhortations he speaks of, while they remain under the dominion of fin, and the power of fpiritual pride? but, what improvement they ought to make of them? If it is their duty to confider their ways, to examine the state of their fouls, to believe the teftimony of God, his record concerning his Son, revealed in the gofpel; read and hear the word; pray over it, and meditate upon it; and ufe every other mean of divine appointment for bringing men to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jefus; this is fufficient to juftify minifters of the gospel in calling and exhorting men to thefe feveral exercifes, and enforcing the exhortation with all thofe motives and arguments which the word of God fuggefts, as proper to engage the attention, work upon the hope and fear, and every other affection of the rational mind. And if it is allowed, as I think it muft be, that God requires the feveral duties above-mentioned of all the hearers of the gofpel, they are certainly un der P der an obligation to ufe their utmoft endeavours, and employ all the active powers both of body and mind, towards the performance of them. They cannot, we grant, do any of them acceptably, nor indeed properly speaking, do any thing towards the right performance of them, without the fpecial operation of divine grace upon their hearts; and therefore, while under the power of natural corruption, do ftill fin; yea can do nothing but fin, in all their attempts and endeavours to perform them, But as their inability to yield obedience to the divine commands can never free them from the obligation of the divine law, it is equally certain, that a wilful omiffion of duty is à more heinous fin, than the performance of it, though only in a natural, carnal, and sinful manner. And therefore though men may find caufe to bewail their performing duties in a finful way, in the way of feeking to establish a righteoufnefs of their own and recommend themfelves to the divine favour, which was never, and will: never be required of any of mankind; yet they never have reason to repent of any care, pains, or diligence beftowed, in doing the duties themfelves; or to conclude, that the performance of them was needlefs. Yea we make no fcruple to affirm, that the people of God have, on the contrary, often had, reafon to blefs his name, that ever they were excited to ufe the means of his appointment with fome kind of activity and diligence even before their converfion because though of themfelves they could do nothing but abuse their privileges, and enhance their guilt, by any pains they took this way; yet their being kept in the ufe of appointed means, was, in his infinite wifdom, made fubfervient to their converfion and falvation. This, I think, is fufficient to difcover the folly of that mean fophiftry by which the letter-writer thinks he has undeniably proved the abfurdity of the popular doctrine, as he terms it, concerning those active operations which it fuppofes to be neceffary, by virtue of the divine command binding upon those who are as yet deftitute of faith in Chrift, as well as others, and often preparatory to true converfion. The whole of his reafoning on this head is built upon a falfe fuppofition of his own; namely, that his opponents, and all who urge a diligent ufe of the means of grace upon unbelieving finners, put them upon doing fomething toward their own juftification, or that will make them deferving objects of faving grace; than which there can be nothing more falfe. On this fuppofition, it must be allowed, his method of arguing would be juft; because it would cer tainly be abfurd to exhort men to do many things, or any thing, toward acceptance with God, or for intitling them to the benefits of the divine righteoufnels; and yet tell them, that all that ever they did, or can do, with that view, is to no purpose. But can men be warrantably exhorted to perform religious duties, and diligently ufe the means of grace upon no other confideration than this, that by doing fo they are in a fair way of contributing fomething toward their juftification before God; or, at leaft, that thus they may fome way recommend themselves to his favour? If Palamon could prove this, he would gain his point. If not, it must be owned, that all he says against orthodox preachers of the gospel, whofe doctrine in relation to this point he has thought fit to attack, is groundless, and extremely impertinent. It is enough to keep them in countenance, when they confider, that all the fcurrilous reproaches which this Gentleman, in the height of his pride, has been pleased to throw out against them, fall equally equally upon the penmen of Sacred Writ; upon Mofes and the prophets, our bleffed Lord, and his infpired apoftles. And there is no reafon to doubt, but God will feasonably vindicate the honour of his own name by stopping the mouths of fuch Tiars and blafphemers, as endeavour to fully it, by wrefting, perverting, and pouring contempt upor his word. The fubftance of what the author of the letters has to object to his principal antagonists, namely, Mr. Bofton, Erfkines, Guthry, Marshall, &c. refpe&ting the duty of unconverted finners, is, that they exhort them to the diligent ufe of all the means of divine appointment by which God ordinarily brings his people to the faving knowledge of himself; and encourage them to perfevere in fuch a courfe, by fuggefting, that it is poffible, yea probable, that it may fucceed; or that it may be, and there is fome ground to hope, that the Lord will be gracious, and To far honour his own inftitutions, as to blefs and make them effectual for their converfion and falvation. These and the like exhortations and encouragements, Palaman often tells us, can have no other tendency than to gratify their pride. Yea according to him it is extremely abfurd to exhort unbelievers to pray, read and hear the word, or perform any other duty, in hopes of reaping any fpiritual benefit thereby. If it is fo indeed, then certainly the apoftle Peter was in a very great mistake, when he exhorted Simon Magus to repent of his wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of his beart might be forgiven him, while he was yet in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity This one text, I apprehend, afforded Mr. Boston fufficient warrant to addrefs unconverted finners in Acts viii. 22, 23. the |