with a view to fupplant the other. Shall we not dispute for imputed righteousness,—though the words are a grand peculiarity of the fcriptures, and the thing the very fpirit. and effence of the gofpel? Not difpute for that which is better to us finners than all worlds, better than our hearts could wish, or our thoughts conceive; which in fhort is the beft, the nobleft, the completeft gift, that GOD himself can bestow?

When fuch a gift, and fuch a righteoufnefs is the fubject of difputation, we must not give place, no, not for an hour; we must maintain its matchlefs excellency, fo long as we have any breath, or any being. We must fay, in direct oppofition to your fervent but unadvised zeal, " For CHRIST'S fake," let us contend earnestly for imputed righteousness; because it is the brightest jewel in his mediatorial crown. "For the fake of immortal fouls," let us hold faft and hold forth this precious truth; because it yields the strongest confolation to the guilty confcience, and furnishes the most endearing, as well as the most prevailing, inducement to universal obedience.

"To ascribe pardon to CHRIST'S paffive, eter"nal life to his active obedience, is fanciful rather "than judicious."-The remark is juft; not fo the quotation; Afpafio is fomewhat disfigured by your diftortion of his features; he limps a little, by your dislocation of a limb. There is, in his language, guard enough to check every attempt, either to diffolve the union, or fever the co-agency, of the different parts of our LORD'S righteousness.

But let us give Afpafio a fair hearing. Thus he expreffes himself, "To divide them (the active and "paffive righteousness) into detached portions, in"dependent on each other, seems to be fanciful ra"ther than judicious."-To divide into detached portions, is more than to diftinguish between the

one and the other. The latter Afpaño practifes, the former he difavows. "Independent of each o"ther,”—do these words ftand- for nothing? Have they no meaning, that here you fhew them no regard, and never recollect them throughout your whole epiftle? Had you honoured them with any degree of notice, several of your objections must have been precluded; and if the more candid reader pleases to bear them in memory, feveral of your objections will, at the very firft view, fall to the ground. Besides, the person who tells us, the cafe feems to be fo, is not fo peremptory, as he who roundly affirms it to be fo; the former is all that Afpafio has advanced. Though I am willing that you fhould correct his ftyle, yet I muft beg of you, Sir, not to make him quite so pofitive; let him have the fatisfaction of being modeft,, even where he has the misfortune, in your opinion at leaft, to be er

roneous.

"CHRIST'S univerfal obedience, from his birth. "to his death, is the one foundation of my hope," fays Afpafio.. To which you affent, and with a laudable vehemence, reply, "This is unquestionably

right." I wifh, Sir, you would ponder your words before you speak, at least before you print, that there may be fomething fixed and certain, on which we may depend, and by which you will abide. One would think, after this acknowledgement, pronounced with fuch an air of folemnity, you could never fo far forget yourself, as to open your mouth against the obedience, the univerfal obedience of CHRIST, which furely muft include both what he wrought, and what he suffered. You confefs it to be your foundation, the foundation of your hope, the only foundation of your hope; can you then, without the most amazing inconfiftency, either with to fecrete the doctrine, or offer to discountenance the expreffion?

"There is no manner of need to make the imputation of CHRIST'S active righteousness a fe"parate head of difcourfe." No manner of need, even though you declare, that this active righteoufnefs, together with the expiatory death, is the only foundation of your hope! Can you think it poffible to treat of fuch a topic too particularly, too distinctly, too minutely?-Afpafio has fhewn the need, or affigned the reafon, for this method of handling the fubject; because it sets the fulness of our LORD'S merit in the cleareft light, and gives the completest honour to GOD'S holy law. Have you alledged any thing to difprove, or fo much as to invalidate his plea? Ought not this to have been done before your affertion can be valid, or even decent?

Befides, are there not perfons in the world, who fondly imagine, that if they can but have pardon through CHRIST, they fhall by their own doings fecure eternal life? When fuch perfons are in danger of overlooking the active obedience of the REDEEMER, why should you not, for their fakes, allow us to make the imputation of his righteousness "a feparate head of discourse?" That, feeing the tranfcendent perfection of CHRIST'S work, they may ceafe from confiding in their own *; left it be faid to them another day, I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works,' that for the grand pur. pofe of juftification they shall not profit thee +.'

We must therefore take leave to dwell upon the active righteoufnefs of our LORD; we must difplay its perfection, in oppofition to all the vain pretenfions of human qualifications, endeavours, or attainments; we must demonstrate, that as the hea vens are higher than the earth, so is this divine obedience higher than all the works of the children of men; yea, so transcendent in itself, and abfo+ If. lvii. 12.

*Heb. iv. 10.

1

lutely perfect, as to be incapable of any augmentation. All the good deeds of all the faints, could they be added to it, would not increase, in any degree, its juftifying efficacy; it is like all the other works of GOD, concerning which we are told, nothing can be added to them.' This brings to my remembrance a most beautiful and fublime reprefentation, which you must have read in the evangelical prophet; Every valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and hill fhall be made low, and the crooked fhall be made ftraight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh fall fee it together.' Here mountains are demolished, valleys are elevated, and the earth is levelled into a fpacious plain, on purpofe to accomplish what Mr. Wefley fuppofes unneceffary; on purpose to give the most clear, full, ftriking view of the great REDEEMER, of his wonderful perfon, and glorious work; that he alone may be diftinguished and exalted; may walk majestic and confpicuous through the midft of mankind, as being fingly and completely fufficient for the recovery of finners. That all flesh, not Jews only, but Gentiles alfo; not men of reputation only, but the meanest of mortals, the most infamous of wretches, may together fee his glory; may on equal ground, without any pre-eminence of one above another, contemplate and partake of his precious death and perfect righteoufnefs, which are the one object of divine complacency, and the fovereign glory of the LORD REDEEMER. According to the import of this magnificent piece of imagery, all the differences that fubfift between one man and another are abolifhed; nothing but CHRIST and his complete work are propofed, as the caufe of juftification and the ground of hope. Faith beholds nothing but the divine JESUS; it never inquires, What have I done? what have I fuffered? but what has that

moft illuftrious perfonage done, and what fuffered? What has JEHOVAH manifefted in our nature, wrought for the benefit and redemption of finners? -Faith is never weary of viewing or reviewing ei ther the active or paffive obedience of IMMANUEL. Faith will declare, that neither of thefe points can be set forth in too strong or too recommending a light. Faith is ever defiring to see more and more of the SAVIOUR'S worthinefs, that the foul may rejoice in his excellency, and be filled with all his fulness.

May you, dear Sir, abound in this faith, and live under fuch views of GOD our SAVIOUR; then I flatter myself you will be diffatisfied with your prefent opinion, and not be difgufted at the freedom of fpeech, ufed by

Yours, &c.

I

REV. SIR,

LETTER II.

Am particularly pleafed at my entrance on this epiftie, because it prefents me with a view of Mr. Wesley in very good humour. Instead of rebuking, he commends. He puts off the frown of cenfure, for the fmile of approbation. I hope to follow the amiable example; to approve and ap plaud, where-ever opportunity offers, and truth per mits. And though I fhall be fometimes obliged to oppofe or refute; yet I fhall do both with all the tenderness and lenity, which may confift with a proper vindication of the truth.

"The third and fourth dialogues contain an ad-"mirable illustration and confirmation of the great "doctrine of CHRIST'S fatisfaction."-This is ge nerously acknowledged. Yet even here it fo unhap