⚫ing evil that good may come,' as, in my opinion, to be quite unjustifiable.

However, as the only way now left to remedy in fome fort what has been done, and to prevent a further impofition on the public, from worfe motives than actuated this publisher, I have called a friend to my affiftance; and, by this means, prefent the reader with as perfect a copy of these letters, as can poffibly be made out from the original manuscript now in my hands.

That the reader may judge more clearly of the ftate of the controversy between my late brother and Mr. Welley, I have thought it right to fubjoin Mr. Welley's letter, word for word, as it ftands in the Prefervative.

A LETTER to the Rev. Mr.

DEAR SIR,

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Oa. 15. 1756. Confiderable time fince, I fent you a few hafty thoughts which occurred to me on reading the dialogues between Theron and Afpafio. I have not been favoured with any answer. Yet, upon another and a more careful perufal of them, I could not but fet down fome obvious reflections, which I would rather have communicated before those Dialogues were published.

In the first dialogue, there are feveral just and ftrong obfervations, which may be of ufe to every ferious reader. In the fecond, is not the defcription often too laboured, the language too stiff, and affected? Yet the reflections on the creation (in the gift and following pages, vol. I.) make abundant amends for this. (I cite the pages according to the Dublin Edition, having wrote the rough draught of what follows in Ireland *. *.)

*The pages in this Edition, refer to the Edition of THERON

P. 61. Is Juftification more or less, than God's pardoning and accepting a finner through the merits of Chrift? That God herein "reckons the righteousness and obedience which Chrift performed as our own;" I allow, if by that ambiguous expreffion, you mean only, as you here explain it yourfelf, they are as effectual for obtaining our falvation, as if they were our own perfonal qualifications." P. 63.

P. 66. "We are not folicitous, as to any particular fet of phrafes. Only let men be humbled, as repenting criminals, at Chrift's feet; let them rely, as devoted penfioners, on his merits; and they are undoubtedly in the way to a blissful immortality.' Then for Chrift's fake, and for the fake of the immortal fouls which he has purchased with his blood, do not difpute for that particular phrafe, the impu ted righteousness of Chrift. It is not fcriptural; it is not neceffary. Men who fcruple to use, men who never heard the expreffion, may yet " be humbled, as repenting criminals, at his feet, and rely, as devoted penfioners, on his merits." But it has done immenfe hurt. I have had abundant proof, that the frequent ufe of this unneceffary phrase, inftead of "furthering men's progrefs in vital ho linefs," has made them fatisfied without any holinefs at all; yea, and encouraged them to work all uncleanness with greediness.

P. 68. "To afcribe pardon to Chrift's paffive, eternal life to his active righteousness, is fanciful rather than judicious. His univerfal obedience, from his birth to his death, is the one foundation of my hope."

This is unquestionably right. But if it be, there

and ASPASIO, printed in two vols. Duodecimo, by J. and M. ROBERTSON, Glasgow, 1790. The reader will eafily fee, that Mr. Welley has, in most cafes, quoted very unfairly.

is no manner of need, to make the imputation of his active righteoufnefs, a feparate and laboured head of difcourfe. O that you had been content with this plain scriptural account, and fpared fome of the dialogues and letters that follow!

The third and fourth dialogues contain an admirable illuftration and confirmation of the great doctrine of Chrift's fatisfaction. Yet even here I obferve a few paffages, which are liable to fome exception.

P. 78. "Satisfaction was made to the divine law." I do not remember any fuch expreflion in fcripture. This way of fpeaking of the law as a perfon injured and to be fatisfied, feems hardly defenfible.

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P. 101. "The death of Chrift procured the pardon and acceptance of believers, even before he came in the flesh." Yea, and ever fince. In this we all agree. And why should we contend for any thing more?

P.

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158. "All the benefits of the new covenant are the purchase of his blood." Surely they are. And after this has been fully proved, where is the need, where is the ufe, of contending fo ftrenuoufly for the imputation of his righteousness, as is done in the fifth and fixth dialogues?

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P. 174. "If he was our fubftitute as to penal fufferings, why not as to juflifying obedience?" The former is exprefly afferted in fcripture. The latter is not exprefly afferted there.

P. 186. « As fin and mifery have abounded through the first Adam, mercy and grace have much more abounded through the fecond. So that none can have any reafon to complain." No, not if the fecond Adam died for all. Otherwife, all for whom he did not die, have great reason to complain. For they inevitably fall by the firft Adam, without any help from the fecond.

P. 190. "The whole world of believers" is an expreffion which never occurs in scripture: nor has it any countenance there: the world, in the infpired writings, being conftantly taken either in an univerfal or in a bad sense: either for the whole of mankind, or for that part of them who know not God.

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P. 191. "In the Lord fhall all the house of Ifrael be justified.” It ought unquestionably to be rendered," By or through the Lord" this argument, therefore, proves nothing. "Ye are complete in him." The words, literally rendered, are, Ye are filled with him. And the whole, paffage, as any, unpre judifed reader may obferve, relates to fanctification, not justification.

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P. 192, "They are, accepted for. Christ's fake; this is juftification through imputed righteousness." That remains to be proved. Many allow the former, who cannot allow the latter.

Ibid. Ther. Ifee no occafion for such nice di ftinctions and metaphyfical fubtilties.

Afp. You oblige us to make ufe of them, by confounding these very different ideas, that is, Christ's active and paffive righteoufnefs."

I answer, We do not confound these but neither do we feparate them. Nor have we any authority from scripture, for, either thinking or speaking of the one feparate. from the other. And this whole. debate on one of them feparate from the other, is a mere metaphyfical fubtilty.

P. 193. "The righteousness which juftifies us, is already wrought out."-A crude, unfcriptural expreffion; "It was fet on foot, carried on, compleated.", O vain philofophy! the plain truth is, Chrift lived, and tafted death for every inan. And through the merits of his life and death, every believer is justified.

P: 195, "Whoever perverts fo glorious a doctrine,

fhews he never believed." Not fo. They who turn back as a dog to the vomit, had once escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of Chrift.

P. 195. "The goodness of God leadeth to repentance." This is unquestionably true. But the nice, metaphyfical doctrine of imputed righteousness, leads not to repentance, but to licentiousness.

P. 196. "The believer cannot but add to his faith, works of righteoufnefs." During his first love, this is often true. But it is not true afterwards, as we know and feel by melancholy experience.

P. 198. "We no longer obey, in order to lay the foundation for our final acceptance." No: that foundation is already laid in the merits of Christ. Yet we obey, in order to our final acceptance thro' his merits. And in this fenfe, by obeying, we lay a good foundation that we may attain eternal life.

Ibid. "We eftablish the law: we provide for its honour, by the perfect obedience of Chrift." Can you poffibly think St. Paul meant this? That fuch a thought ever entered into his mind? The plain meaning is, We establish both the true fenfe, and the effectual practice of it: we provide for its being both understood and practifed in its full extent.

P. 199. "On thofe who reject the atonement, just feverity." Was it ever poffible for them not to reject it? If not, how is it juft, to caft them into a lake of fire, for not doing what it was impoffible they should do? Would it be just (make it your own cafe) to caft you into hell, for not touching heaven with your hand?

P. 202. 203. "Juftification is complete the first moment we believe, and is incapable of augmentation." Not fo there may be as many degrees in the favour, as in the image of God.

P. 239. 240. "St. Paul often mentions a righteoufnefs imputed:" (not a righteousness; never once; but fimply righteousness.) What can this be, but the