fo: to impart happiness to his creatures, is his grand end herein." Barely to demonftrate his fovereignty," is a principle of action fit for the great Turk, not the most high God. P. 332. "God hath pleasure in the profperity of his fervants. He is a boundlefs ocean of good." Nay, that ocean is far from boundless, if it wholly paffes by nine-tenths of mankind. P. 334. "You cannot fuppofe God would enter into a fresh covenant with a rebel." I both fuppofe and know he did. "God made the new covenant with Chrift, and charged him with the performance of the conditions." I deny both thefe affertions, which are the central point wherein Calvinism and Antinomianism meet. "I have made a covenant with my chofen."-Namely, with David my fervant. So God himself explains it. P. 358. "He will wafh you in the blood which atones, and inveft you with the righteoufnefs which juftifies." Why fhould you thus continually put afunder, what God has joined? P. 474 "God himself at the laft day pronounces them righteous, because they are interefted in the obedience of the Redeemer." Rather, because they are washed in his blood,and renewed by his Spirit. Upon the whole, I cannot but wifh, that the plan of thefe dialogues had been executed in a different manner. Most of the grand truths of Christianity are herein both explained and proved with great ftrength and clearness. Why was any thing intermixed, which could prevent any ferious Chriftian's recommending them to all mankind? any thing which must neceffarily render them exceptionable, to so many thousands of the children of God? In practical writings I ftudiously abstain from the very fhadow of controverfy. Nay, even in controverfial, I do not knowingly write one line, to which any but my opponent would object. For opinions fhall I destroy the work of God? then am I a bigot indeed. Much more, if I would not drop any mode of expreffion, rather than offend either Jew or Gentile, or the church of God. I am, With great fincerity, Your affectionate brother and servant, J. W. I have but one thing more to add, which is, concerning the feafonableness of the following publication. It may, perhaps, be thought a needlefs revival of a difpute, which happened long ago, and which is now probably forgotten. In answer to which, I can affure the reader, that the above is printed from an edition of the Prefervative, now on fale at the Foundery. The feafonableness of this publication is therefore apparent; for though my brother died December 25. 1758, the controverfy did by no means die with him, but ftill fubfifts in the daily publication and fale of the Prefervative, which also comes with a special * recommendation from Mr. Wesley, into the hands of all his preachers, to be by them firft "carefully read, then to be recommended and explained to the feveral focieties where they labour." So that the controverfy is, in the most effectual manner, daily and hourly kept alive by Mr. Wefley himfelf. This proves very fufficiently the feafonableness, and, as things have happened, the expediency, of the prefent appearance of the following letters in public. How pertinent an anfwer they contain to Mr. Wefley's objections, is now to be left to the confideration of the candid reader. Miles-Lane, December 5. 1764. W. HERVEY. * See the last paragraph of a tract, entitled, Reafons again a feparation from the church of England. Printed alfo in the Prefervative, p. 237. Received the letter you mention, containing remarks on the dialogues between Theron and Afpafio. As, after a careful perufal, I faw very little reason to alter my fentiments, I laid afide your epiftle without returning an answer, in hopes that my filence (which it seems you mistook for obstinacy) would most emphatically speak my advice; which, had it been expreffed more plainly, would have been delivered in the apoftle's words, That ye ftudy,' or make it your ambition, to be quiet *? Since you have, by printing these remarks, fummoned me, though reluctant, to the bar of the public, it fhould feem, that I ought not to difcredit the truth once delivered to the faints,' by a timid filence; and I am the more willing to answer for 1 Thef. iv. tr. 120tiμciodaι a beautiful word, rich with meaning, and not adequately tranfiated by 'Make it your ambition,' ftill re inadequately by our common verfion. myself, as I have now the privilege of an unprejudiced judge, and an impartial jury.-If my defence fhould be loft on my opponent, it may possibly make fome useful impreffions on the court, and candid audience. However, I will not abfolutely defpair of convincing Mr. Wefley himself, because it is written, Give admonition to a wife man, and he will yet be wiser *On fome very momentous and interesting points, I may probably be a little more copious than the ftrict laws of argument demand, in order to exhibit some of the great truths of the gospel, in fo clear a light, that he may run who readeth them;' in fo amiable and inviting a light, that the believer may rejoice in them, and the finner may long for them. For fuch digreffions, I promise myself an eafy pardon, both from yourfelf and the reader. Thus you open the debate; "In the fecond dia"logue, is not the defcription often too laboured, "the language too stiff and affected?" I must confefs, Sir, this animadverfion feems to be as juft, as the praife which you have here and elsewhere beftowed, appears to be lavish: the former, if not more pleafing, may be no lefs ferviceable than the latter. For both, I acknowledge myself your debtor; and if ever I attempt any thing more in the capacity of an author, I will be fure to keep my eye fixed on the caution you have given. I am forry that the next words bring on a complaint, so close to my acknowledgement. "You cite, "the pages according to the Dublin edition, having "wrote the rough draught of what follows in Ire "land." But fhould you not, in complaifance to your readers on this fide the water, have referred to the pages of the English edition? For want of * Prov. ix. 9. The original phrafe is only 1 Give, which may fignify, Give admonition, as well as (what our verfion has fuppofed) infruction. fuch reference, there is hardly diftinction enough, in fome places, to know which are your words, and which are Afpafio's.--Should you not alfo, in juftice to the author, before you tranfcribed the rough draught for the prefs, have confulted the last edition of his work? Which you well knew was not the copy, from which the Irish impreffion was take en, yet might reasonably suppose to be the leaft in accurate. When I read your next paragraph, I am ftruck with reverence, I am afhamed and almost astonished, at the littleness of the preceeding obfervations. Stiffness of style, and a thousand such trifles, what are they all compared with juflification before the infi nite and immortal GOD? This is a fubject that commands our most awful regard, a blefling that fhould engage our whole attention. As this is the grand article to come under our confideration, I would defire to maintain an inceffent dependence on the divine SPIRIT, that my thoughts may be influenced, and my pen guided by the wifdom which cometh from above; that I may neither pervert the truth, by any erroneous reprefentations, nor difhonour it by an unchriftian temper. It would be easy to make use of bitter fatire, and difdainful irosy, the contemptuous fneer, or the indignant frown.And indeed, Sir, you have laid yourself open to every attack of this kind: but these are not the weapons of a Christian's warfare. -Non defenforibus iftis. We are to give a reason of the hope that is in us, with meekness and fear;' meeknefs, with regard to those who interrogate or oppose us; fear, with regard to HIM, whofe caufe we plead, and whofe eye is ever upon us. "Is juftification," you fay, " or lefs, than GOD'S pardoning and accepting a "finner, through the merits of CHRIST?" I fome more |