ed, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; and he is the propitiation of our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John ii. 1, 2. And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews saith," But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man." Heb. ii. 9. And all who believe in, and obey him, will partake of the benefit of his death and suffering; "But the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." Psal. ix. 16.

Thus it was in my mind, and hath been for some years, to show to the presbyterian, independent, or baptist people, or any other, who hold the doctrine of particular personal election or reprobation, the weakness of some of (what they call) their proofs, for this (as I take it) corrupt and dangerous doctrine of theirs, and the misapplication of those texts of scripture, which they advance to maintain their absurd notion, of souls being fore-ordained to damnation eternally, whether they do good or evil, and that it is so determined before we are born into the world. Oh! that those people might come to true repentance, and lay hold of the universal love of God to eternal life, through the living faith of Jesus Christ our Lord, in the tender bowels of whose love to all, are those lines written, and in great love and good will they are invited to search the scriptures, and to see whether the whole scope of them do not show the contrary to what they hold in relation to personal reprobation to destruction, fore-ordained before we are born, or have done either good or evil; there not being one text to be found to prove that doctrine: but there are abundance which set forth the love, mercy, and goodness of God to mankind; only two of which I shall add hereunto, viz. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Gen. vi. 5, 6.

"And Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord, and entered and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them, even to the least of them. And God saw their works, that they returned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them, and he did it not." Jonah iii. 3, 4, 5. 10. I heartily desire that these two texts may be duly considered and weighed ; therein the mercy, loving kindness, and long forbearance of God, being so clearly and fully manifested, that I think it may be sufficient to convince every unprejudiced mind of the error of believing in that principle of the absolute predestination of the Almighty of any part of mankind to destruction.

T. CHALKLEY.

A

LETTER

ΤΟ

COTTON MATHER

IN

NEW-ENGLAND.

Having received a courteous letter from Cotton Mather, ane of the greatest preachers among the people of New-England; he being in community with the national church there, and having preached a sermon concerning the power and excellence of Christ within, recommending the people thereunto, and commending our society therein; but differing from us in some particulars, which particulars I was concerned to answer, as followeth, viz.

Frankfort, 20th of the 3rd Mo. 1726

Courteous Friend, C. M.

THINE, dated November 30th, 1725, I received a few days ago, I having been visiting the people along the sea-shore in the Jerseys, (in the love of Christ, hoping to bring some to him) among whom, in a general way, the gospel which I had to preach in his name, found acceptance, for which I was truly thankful. And though I had no earthly consideration for so doing, yet I had that inward satisfaction, that I thought I would not exchange or part with it for the bishop of Rome or Canterbury's revenue: and at my return I received thy friendly letter, which I was glad of, and that mine to thee found that acceptance, so as to answer my request.

And whereas thou sayest thy aim and hope hath been to persuade us who call ourselves friends, (we profess

ing ourselves friends to all people) that our superior stress should be upon the grand point of Christ inward; we having found, by experience, living and blessed experience, the great benefit and comfort of his sweet and glorious presence, by the manifestation of his power, spirit, and grace, in and to our souls, we cannot do otherwise than lay the greatest stress thereon, our benefit therein, and thereby, being not easily expressed, so as to be understood by the carnal mind, or those who are in a state of degeneration; Christ within was, is, and ever will be the hope of the sanctified soul's glory, though a mystery hid from ages of the unregenerate people, or from those who are in the reprobation; Know ye not yourselves that Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates," as saith the apostle Paul. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Col. i. 2.

From the above I would not be understood as though I believed Christ is no where but in the people; neither did I ever understand any of our friends so, though we have been often misrepresented on that head.

And as to the ceremony of the hat, and the plural language to single persons, I thus answer thee, that many of us left that way of salutation and speaking, through strong conviction, accompanied with these reasons:

1st. It being a respect we pay to Almighty God, "He being our head, is honoured by uncovering our heads," (as saith the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. xi. 4.) we think, for that reason, it is not right to uncover our heads to men; but that to give one another our hands, in an inward and hearty respect, is better.

2d. We read in the holy scriptures, that Mordecai could not bow to Haman for conscience sake, Esther iii. 4, and I think it may be safely concluded, that he did not take off his hat, or uncover his head, though he was in danger to have suffered for it. And,

3d. The three children of God walked in the pres ence of the great king of Babylon (and those present with him) with their hats on; and they stood the king's fury, and the fire, though seven times hotter than usual, with their hats on, as related. Dan. iii. 21.