making Chrift a Minister of Sin, Gal. ii. 17. If this was not the Cafe, fuch Objections would not have been stated and anfwered as we find recorded in the Paffages referred to, as well as in other Parts of the Apoftolic Writings. There were not wanting those who charged Them with representing the Deity as unjuft, cruel, and partial, as appears from Rom. iii. 5, 7. and ix. 14, 19. and their Doctrine was fo liable to Perversion and Abuse, that many wrefted it to their own Deftruction, 2 Pet. iii. 16, and turned the Grace of GoD into Lafciviousness, Jude 4. Nay their great Mafter himself was looked upon as a Blafphemer, a Deceiver, and as poffeffed with a Devil;-and because he told fome of his Self-righteous Hearers fome very humbling Truths, both as to their Principles and Practices, and infifted that the Harlots and Publicans would enter into the Kingdom of GOD before them, they ftigmatized him as a Friend to Licencioufness, a Wine-bibber and Glutton, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners

Now

* He was once in particular in Danger of his Life, for a Sermon which He preached in the Synagogue at Nazareth, Luke iv. 16, &c. It may not be amifs to take Notice of the Part of that Sermon which gave the Offence. Our Lord took his Text from Is. lxi. 1, 2. and when he began His Difcourfe, the Hearers were well fatisfied with what he faid: They all bare Him Witness (Ver. 22.) and wondered at the gracious Words which proceeded out of His Mouth. But when He came, in the Application of his Subject, to give fome broad Hints that GOD's Grace is his own, and, as fuch, he beftows it as He will-whenand to whom He will, but always fo as to confound human Pride, and lay all fuppofed Merit and Self-preference lower than the Duft; that therefore He did not difpenfe His Miracles by private Respects, but according to the Appointment of His heavenly Father. This favoured fo

much

Now as I do verily believe that CHRIST and his Apostles rightly understood the Gospel, though their Oppofers did not, and that they rightly preached it, though their Enemies blafphemed it, and their pretended Friends abused and perverted it, and as thefe Signs followed their Doctrine and Preaching, I rather fufpect that where these Things are not in fome Degree at least, there the true Gospel is not, but fome *patched-up, mungrel Syftem, which, under a Shew of not being liable to Perversion and Abufe, has gained no fmall Reputation in the World, and even become the fashionable Religion.

But there is an alarming Objection to this, which meets us at the Entrance of the Epifle to the Galatians

much of what is now called Calvinism, and especially as it was held forth in two famous Examples which applied close to the Point, that Self-righteoufnefs and Free-will, which had laid quiet before in the Breafts of the Auditory, were now rouzed to Fury, and-all they in the Synagogue, when they heard THESE THINGS, were filled with Wrath, and rofe up and thrust Him out of the City, and led Him unto the Brow of the Hill (whereon their City was built) that they might caft Him down Headlong, Ver. 28, 29.

I might obferve too, that our Lord was perfectly underftood in making Himself equal with God, John v. 18. or making Himself GOD, John xx. 33. For this He was accused of Blafphemy, and at laft put to Death. Vid. Matt. xxvi. 64, 65, 66.

* We are not, as many narnλévoiles tòv Xóyo, tỡ ☺sẽ, corrupting the Word of God, faith the Apoftle, 2 Cor. ii. 17. where the Word nannévoles is very fignificant. It properly denotes the villainous Practice amongft Vintners, of adulterating their Wines with unwholfome Mixtures, or lowering them with Water, to promote their Gain. Hence it is, with the moft ftriking Propriety, applied to thofe, who, for worldly Ends or felfifh Purpofes, adulterate the Gofpel with human Reafonings and Imagina

tions.

latians, Chap. i. 8, 9. Paul was fo attached to his Syftem, which, by the Way, he affures us he learnt from Jefus Chrift himself, that he declares. in the most peremptory Manner-If we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed: And left this Sentiment should be overlooked, or not duly confidered, it is again inforced-As I said before, so say I now again, that if any preach unto you any other Gospel than that ye bave received, let him be accurfed.

Now let thofe who preach a Gofpel which is not liable to Perverfion and Abufe, confider well of this, and if they can answer the following Argument, they may fecurely rail at what they term Calvinistical Doctrines, as being liable to Perversion and Abuse, when theirs are not.

The Gospel which Paul preached was liable to be perverted, abufed, and wrefted to Men's Destruction.

But the Gospel which we preach is not liable to be perverted, abufed, and wrested to Men's Deftruction.

Ergo, the Gospel which we preach, is not the fame with that which Paul preached.

I don't know a more unfair Way of attacking a Body of People, than by imputing the Faults of Individuals to the whole: I fancy, if this were allowable, that the heartieft Friends to Arminianifm, would not find their Principles long teneable, and yet this is the Way in which they affail the Tenets of Calvinifm: As if Hypocrites were not the Growth of every Soil, and Evil-doers the Difgrace of all Profeffions. But yet, if this Matter were put to

the

the Trial, if a Search-Warrant were granted, and all the Thieves, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, and Housebreakers, which, to the Scandal of Government, fo infeft this Country, were brought to a Bar to declare their Sentiments, (if they can be fupposed to have any of the religious Kind) I am confident that they would ten to one appear on the Arminian Side of the Queftion, they would be very Patriots in the Caufe of Free-will, they would contend for its full Swing, till it rewarded them in Kind, on that useful and instructive Edifice, which ftands as a Monument of the Dignity of Man-of the Rectitude of the buman Will-as well as a Memento of its happy Emancipation from those Shackles and Fetters of Corruption, which the Calvinists suppose it to be under.

However, let what will be faid against the Calvinists, though they follow Calvin, as they think he followed the Scriptures, with regard to Freewill, Predeftination, and Grace-yet they never follow Arius and Socinus into a Rejection of the everbleffed TRINITY IN UNITY, nor deny the SELFEXISTENT GODHEAD OF JESUS CHRIST, or the PERSONALITY AND DIVINITY of the HOLY GHOST. -Nor do they follow Pelagius into a Denial of the utter Ruin of Man by the Fall. This cannot be faid of our later Arminians, "who have carried "Things much farther than Arminius himself, (fays Mr. Broughton in his Bibliotheca HiftoricoSacra)" and fome of them have come very near Socinianifm, they look on the Trinity as not neceffary to Salvation, and they generally avoid the "Term, Satisfaction of Christ—they contend for a general Toleration of all that profess the Chriftian "Religion."

86

In

In whofe Shop the prefent Animofity against the Liturgy and Articles was forged, is very evident. We may venture to acquit the Calvinists of having the leaft Share in it, and may fuppofe, without the least Uncharitableness, that the Petition to Parliament, for Relief from Subfcriptions, would never have had its Existence, if Arminianifm had not prefided at the Feathers Tavern. Arminians, if true to their Principles, must be Enemies to many doctrinal Points in the Articles; Calvinifts, if true to their Principles, are Friends, hearty Friends, to

ALL.

As to the Persons of the Affociators, I don't know that I am acquainted with one of them, nor do I know a fingle Name amongst all those which may appear to the Affociation Bond; yet it is impoffible for any Body of the least Discernment, to read their Manifefto of September 15, 1771, without feeing that their Principles are replete with Enmity to the grand Doctrines of our Establishment, as fet forth in the Liturgy and Articles. However, an Under-taking that feems to profefs itfelf to be for the Illumination, Inftruction, and Good of Mankind, fhould at least have attempted its own Recommendation, by honestly unfolding the particular Matters, which need the proposed Interpofition of the Legislature, the Doctrines objected to should have been named exprefsly, and the Affociators particular Objections minutely and diftin&tly stated to the public Eye. This would have been fair and candid. At prefent we are only fuppofed to know that there are a Set of Vipers in the Bofom of the Church, who, in the Shape of Clergymen, would gnaw out her Vitals; that thefe (together with other Persons difaffected to the Truth the teaches) have fent forth a moft indecent and fcandalous Libel against her Liturgy and

M