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AS PASIO

VINDICATE D,

AND THE

SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE

O F

IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

DEFENDED,

In ELEVEN LETTERS from Mr. HERVEY to Mr. JOHN WESLEY, in answer to that Gentleman's Remarks on THERON and ASPASIO. With Mr. WESLEY'S LETTER prefixed.

TO WHICH IS ANNEXED, A DEFENCE of THERON and ASPASIO, against the Objections contained in Mr. SANDEMAN'S Letters on Theron and Afpafio. With Mr. HERVEY'S Letters to the Author prefixed.

I marvel, that ye are fo foon removed from him that called you into the grace of Chrift, unto another gospel: which is not another: but there be fome that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Chrift. Gal. i. 6, 7.

GLASGOW,

PRINTED BY J. AND M. ROBERTSON. MDCCXCII,

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ASPASIO VINDICATED.

PREFACE.

The winner to a piece, which was firft fent him from the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, by way of private letter, containing fome remarks which that gentleman had made on reading Theron and Afpafio. When my brother had read it over, he thought it beft to be filent, as it contained nothing "which could materially affect his judgement in regard to the work it cenfured: for this reafon, as Nwell as for peace fake, he laid it by him unanswered.-Mr. Wefley then published a pamphlet, which he entitled A prefervative against unfettled notions in religion; in which he printed the above-mentioned letter.

HE following letters were written by my late

This my brother looked upon as a fummons to the bar of the Public; and upon this occafion, in a letter to a friend, dated June 23. 1758, writes as follows:

["My dear friend,

"I little thought, when I put Mr. Welley's ma"nufcript into your hand, that I fhould fee it in "print fo foon. I took very little notice of it, and "let it lie by me feveral months, without giving it "an attentive confideration *. It seemed to me fo

* Afterwards he read it again, and gave it, what he calls in the beginning of the first letter, 'A careful perusal.'

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palpably weak, dealing only in pofitive affertions "and pofitive denials, that I could not imagine he "would adventure it into the world, without very. great alterations. But it is now come abroad, just " as you received it, in a two fhillings pamphlet, "entitled, 4 prefervative against unfettled notions in religion. Of this pamphlet what he has wrote against me, makes only a small part. Now then "the question is, Whether I fall attempt to an"fwer it? Give me your opinion, as you have giv"en me your affiftance; and · may the Father of "mercies give you increafe of knowledge and ut"terance, of peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft."]

Between this and the October following, my brother began the letters contained in this volume, of which he thus fpeaks in another letter to his friend, dated October 24. 1758.

["My dear friend,

you

"Let me repeat my thanks, for the trouble "have taken, and for the affistance, you have given "me, in relation to my controverfý with Mr. Wef"ley. He is fo unfair in his quotations, and fo' "magifterial in his manner, that I find it no small "difficulty, to preferve the decency of the gentle"man, and the meeknefs of the Chriftian, in my "intended answer. May our divine Mafter aid me "in both thefe inftances, or else not fuffer me to write at all."]

When, in the December following, I was fent for to Wefton, in the very laft period of my brother's long illness,—I asked him (the evening before he died)" what he would have done with the let"ters to Mr. Wesley, whether he would have them "published after his death?"-He anfwered-" By "no means, because he had only transcribed about "half of them fair for the prefs; but as the cor"rections and alterations of the latter part were "moftly in short-hand, it would be difficult to un

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"derstand them, especially as fome of the fhort❝ hand was entirely his own, and others could not "make it out; therefore," he faid, as it is not a " finifhed piece, I defire you will think no more a"bout it."916 C. 2 18 221 D

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As these were his last orders concerning these letters, I thought it right to obey them; and therefore I withstood the repeated folicitations of many of his friends, who wanted to have them printed; alledging the fervice they might be of to allay the groundless prejudices, which the Prefervative might occafion in the minds of many, against my brother's other writings, as well as the utility of them in general, as they contained fo masterly a defence of the truth as it is in Jesus.

But, notwithstanding the regard I had for the perfons who folicited the publication, I could not be perfuaded to print the letters; and they never had appeared in public with my confent, had not a furreptitious edition of them lately made its way from the prefs, and was I not under a firm perfuafion that will be followed by more.

As this is the cafe, I think it my duty to the memory of my late brother, to fend forth as correct an edition as I poffibly can; for as to that which has appeared (from what editor I know not), it is fo faulty and incorrect, that but little judgement can be formed from it, of the propriety and force of my brother's answers to Mr. Welley.

As to the unfairnefs of publishing my brother's letters without my confent, and the injuftice to his memory, in fending so mangled a performance out 'under his name, they are too apparent to need any 'proof: and though the editor, as I have been informed, gave away the whole impreffion, so that, it is plain, lucre was not the motive of his proceeding, and I would charitably hope he did it with a view of benefiting his readers; yet it is fo like do

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