commanded. Yea, it is what God has forbidden in every text in the bible which forbids lying. So that, if the covenant to be sealed in baptism and the Lord's supper, is the covenant of grace, as you allow it is, then those who know they have no grace, are forbidden to seal it, by every text in the bible which forbids lying. And therefore, that command, do this in remembrance of me, is beyond all doubt, a command which respects believers, and them only; agreeable to the publicly professed belief of the church of Scotland, and the churches in New-England, held forth in their public formulas. Indeed it is the duty, the indispensable duty of every one to whom the Gospel comes, and their highest interest, to comply with the covenant of grace, and that on the very first invitation. As soon as the glad tidings come to our ears, come, for all things are now ready, whosoever will let him come; we ought not to delay a moment, we ought not to make one excuse, we ought not to feel the least reluctance: no, rather on the contrary, we ought, with Peter's hearers, to receive the word gladly, that same day, and to make a public profession and join with the church the first opportunity. Mat. xiii. 44.-And to neglect this, is a sin so great and aggravated, as to expose the neglecters to be given up to God in this world; Luke xiv. 24. and to be cast off for ever in the world to come. Mark xvi. 16. So that your mouth is stopped, and you stand guilty before God. But, to return to a consideration of your visible standing. Pray, sir, was you esteemed a church-member, in full communion, in the town where you lived before you moved into this parish?

P. No, sir, by no body. I never looked upon myself to be a church-member, in this sense of the phrase. I never meant to join with the church, nor did the minister or the church mean to receive me as a church-member, and accordingly, I never met with the church when they had church meetings upon church business. I never staid when the church was desired to stay, as they sometimes were, after worship on sabbaths, and at other times. 1 never voted when the church were called to give in their vote in any matter whatsoever. Nor had I any right to go to the Lord's table without making a public profession over again, and

thereby joining with the church, as the common phrase was. No such thing was allowed where I was brought up. So that I did not think myself a church-member before I moved into this parish, nor was I esteemed and used as a churchmember. Yea, it never entered into my heart, to pretend any such thing, till my New-London patron taught me to say so, and to put in these high claims, and to deny my old principles, and contradict myself, and finally, even to deny my own name, and pretend to be another man. And since then I have felt "BRAVELY," and have looked down upon you with great contempt.

M. The more men mock God in religion, the more proud, haughty, and insolent, are they apt to be towards their fellow men. A religion begun in ignorance like yours, and carried on and perfected in this shocking manner, if it may do to live with, yet will not do to die by.

P. Be this as it may; yet to say as you do, "better do nothing than lie," tends to increase the number of prayerless persons, and prayerless families, to put an end to all means, and in the end to overthrow all religion. p. 20.

M. Doth not God himself say, Eccl. v. 5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay; i. e. in other words, "better do nothing than lie." And will you condemn the Holy One of Israel? Either give up the bible, or abide by its sacred maxims. Besides, there is a difference between covenanting transactions and common means. And accordingly, Christ ordered his ministers to preach the Gospel to every creature; but he did not order them to baptise VETY creature. For,

Graceless sinners may hear the Gospel preached, may hear all the truths and duties of it explained, proved, and urged; and may attend, yea, may be very attentive, and meditate on them day and night, till they are pricked at the heart : they may forsake vain and vicious company, become sober, serious, deeply distressed about their eternal welfare. They may spend much time in secret prayer, (and an awakened sinner cannot fail to do it,) and frequently spend whole days in fasting and prayer, as Mr. Brainerd used to do, under his ter rors, when he was unconverted; pray read his life: I say,

graceless sinners may do all this, without making any profession of godliness. Yea, they may do all this, and yet in all profess that they have no grace, no love to God in their hearts, but are dead in sin.

which I preached tend Look from the reformaEngland, Scotland, and

You insinuate, that the doctrines to licentiousness. I appeal to facts. tion down to this day; look through Ireland; look through the British colonies in America, and through our West-India islands: and put the question; when and where, and among whom, has there been, or is there now the greatest strictness maintained, and the most constant, diligent, and painful attendance on means? Either, among Calvinists, who heartily agree with the Westminster confession of faith and catechisms, and where these doctrines are taught privately, and preached publicly? or, among Pelagians, Arminians, and Semi-Arminians, who are constantly teaching and preaching in another strain? While the assembly of divines sat at Westminster, composing the formulas, which I am now vindicating, London, that great city, was full of sermons, and prayers, and strictness: but since these doctrines have been laid aside, and contrary doctrines introduced, they are become very licentious and debauched. The more you flatter the sinner, the further will he run from God and all good. But tell him the truth, pierce him to the heart, and he will begin to cry, What shall I do to be saved?

P. But can an unconverted sinner say the Lord's prayer, and speak true? i. e. can he profess to God, that he hath all those holy and pious affections in his heart, which our Saviour designed those words to express? p. 12.

M. I also will ask you one question; answer me; and then I will answer you. Is not the man, who thus says the Lord's prayer, entitled to pardon and eternal life?

P. No doubt he is. For, our Saviour says, If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you, with a design to explain in what sense he meant that petition should be made, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And besides, in the same sermon, he expressly declares, that every one that asketh, receiveth.

M. It therefore follows, that no unconverted man ever

said that prayer, in that sense, unless you will own, what seems to be a necessary consequence of the scheme you are pleading for, that some unconverted men are entitled to pardon and eternal life; which is so contrary to the most plain and express declarations of Scripture, (John iii. 18. 36. Gal. iii. 10.) that as yet, you have not ventured to own it.

Thousands, no doubt, have after a sort said the Lord's prayer, who have fallen short of eternal life. For the papists say the Lord's prayer oftener than protestants do, ten to one, and for every Pater-Noster they count a bead. And while sinners are secure in sin, such kind of praying, i. e. using words without any meaning, will quiet their consciences. For they now think they have done their duty. For without the law sin was dead and so I was alive without the law once. But no sooner do they fall under deep convictions, but that they find something else to do. Pray read Mr. Brainerd's life, and there you may see how an awakened sinner feels, and how he prays.

:

P. Thus far, sir, I have acted the part of a disputant. I have passed over nothing in the New-Haven letter that is new and to the purpose. For this letter-writer has not said one word for my old beloved scheme, the half-way. Now therefore, I beg leave to assume the friendly, honest character, which I sustained in my first visit. For let others do as they will, I am resolved to be an honest man. Wherefore, to sum up the whole,

1. I believe, that there is but one covenant, of which baptism and the Lord's supper are seals. And that he that is qualified to offer his children in baptism, is equally qualified for the Lord's table. And therefore, that the half-way practice is not according to Scripture.

2. I believe, that any man who seals any covenant doth, in and by the act of sealing, declare his compliance with that covenant which he seals: because this is the import of the act of sealing.

3. I believe, that it is of the nature of lying, to seal a covenant, with which I do not now, and never did, comply in my heart; but rather habitually and constantly reject. Therefore, 56

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4. I believe, that a man who knows he has no grace, cannot seal the covenant of grace, honestly and with a good conscience.

5. I believe, that the only point which needs to be settled, in order to setttle the whole controversy, is this, viz. Are baptism and the Lord's supper seals of the covenant of grace, or of a graceless covenant?

6. I believe, that there are but two covenants between God and man, called in Scripture language, the law of works and the law of faith, but commonly called the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace. And that the doctrine of an external covenant, distinct from the covenant of grace, is not from heaven, but of men. Thus, sir, you have my creed.

M. Sir, I hope the time will soon come, when you and all my other parishioners, through the country, will well understand the controversy, and be able to judge for yourselves what is truth and what is not so. In the mean time, remember, my friend, that he that knoweth his master's will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. Behold, now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation; therefore to-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart. Every moment in which you continue practically to renounce your baptism, by rejecting Christ Jesus and his Gospel, you hang over hell, ready to sink under the curse of the divine law, into eternal burnings. For he that believeth not is condemned already. Wherefore, repent and believe the Gospel.

Some seem to think that baptism alone makes a man a Christian, and brings him really into the covenant of grace, so as that he is no longer under the covenant of works, as the unbaptised are. But the apostle Paul did not think so. For he, speaking to the baptised Galatians, among whom he feared there were some who were self-righteous, Christless sinners, he says, Gal. iii. 10. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. "As many," be they circumcised, and baptised too, "as are of the works of the law," as depend on their own works for justification in the sight of God," are under the curse," even they are under the curse ; for it is writen, Cursed is every one, &c. But if baptism delivers men from the covenant of works, they cannot any one of