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I. An HISTORICAL ESSAY on the danger of parting
Faith and Works.

II. Salvation by the covenant of grace, A DISCOURSE
preached in the parish church of Madeley, April
18, and May 9, 1773.

III. A SCRIPTURAL ESSAY on the astonishing re-
wardableness of works, according to the covenant
of grace.

IV. An ESSAY ON TRUTH, Or, A rational Vindica-
tion of the doctrine of salvation by Faith, with a
dedicatory Epifle to the Right Hon. the Countess
of Huntingdon.

The armour of righteousness on the right hand, and on the left,

2 Cor. vi. 7.

By the Author of the CHECKS to ANTINOMIANISM.

SHREWSBURY:

Printed by J. EDDOWES: and fold at the Foundery, and by

J. BUCKLAND, in Pater-nofter-Row, London; by T. MILLS
in Bath; and S. ARIS in Birmingham. 1774.

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SOON WILL BE PUBLISHED,

Zelotes and Honeftus reconciled:

O R,

The Second Part of an Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism :

BEING BOTH

SCRIPTURE-SCALES

To weigh the gold of gofpel-truth:

AND A

DOCTRINAL CONCORDANCE

To reconcile and balance a multitude of oppofite fcriptures, to prove the gofpel-marriage of Freegrace and Free-will, and reftore primitive harmony to the

Gospel of the day.

Si non eft Dei gratia, quomodo falvat mundum? Si non eft liberum arbitrium, quomodo judicat mundum. Aug: Ep. 46.

7 March 1930

PREFACE.

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HE first piece of this Check was defigned for a preface to the Difcourfe that follows it; but as it fwelled far beyond my intention, I prefent it to the Reader under the name of An historical Effay; which makes way for the tracts that follow.

II. With refpect to the Difcourfe, I muft mention what engages me to publish it. In 1771 I faw the propofitions called the Minutes. Their author invited me to "review the whole affair." I did fo; and foon found, that I had "leaned too much towards Calvinifm," which, after mature confideration, appeared to me exactly to coincide with Speculative antinomianifm; and the fame year I publicly acknowledged my error in these words:

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"But whence fprings this almoft general antino"mianifm of our congregations? Shall I conceal the "fore because it fefters in my own breaft? Shall I be "partial? No: in the name of Him, who is no refpecter of perfons, I will confefs MY fin, and that "of many of my brethren, &c. Is not the antino"mianifm of hearers fomented by that of preachers? "Does it not become as to take the greateft part of "the blame upon ourselves, according to the old

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adage, Like priest like people? Is it furprising that "fome of us fhould have an antinomian audience? "Do we not make or keep it fo? When did we preach fuch a practical fermon, as that of our Lord on the mount? or write fuch clafe lewers, as the epiftles of St, John?" Second Check, p. 64, 65, to the end of the paragraph.

46

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When I had thus openly confeffed, that I was involved in the guilt of many of my brethren, and that I had fo leaned towards Speculative, as not to have made a proper ftand against practical antinomianifm; who could have thought, that one of my moft formi

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dable opponents would have attempted to fcreen his mistakes, behind fome paffages of a manufcript fermon, which I preached twelve years ago; and of which, by fome means or other, he has got a copy?

I am very far however from recanting that old difcourse. I ftill think, the doctrine it contains excellent in the main, and very proper to be enforced [tho' in a more guarded manner] in a congregation of hearers violently prejudiced against the first gofpel-axiom. Therefore, out of regard for the grand, leading truth of chriftianity, and in compliance with Mr. H-1's earneft intreaty, [Fin. Stroke, p. 45,] I fend my fermon into the world, upon the following reasonable conditions: (1) That I fhall be allowed to publish it, as I preached it a year ago in my church; namely, with additions in brackets, to make it at once a fuller check to pharifaifm, and a finifhing check to antinomianism; (2) That the largest addition fhall be in favour of free grace: (3) That no body fhall accuse me of forgery, for thus adding my prefent light to that which I had formerly; and for thus bringing out of my little treasure of experience things new and old: (4) That the prefs fhall not groan with the charge of difingenuity, if I throw into notes fome unguarded expreffions, which I formerly ufed without fcruple, and which my more enlightened confcience does not fuffer me to ufe at prefent: (5) That my opponent's call to print my fermon, will procure me the pardon of the public, for prefenting them with a plain, blunt difcourfe, compofed for an audience chiefly made up of colliers and ruftics: And lastly, that as I understand english a little better than I did twelve years ago, I fhall be permitted to rectify a few french idioms, which I find in my old manufcript; and to connect my thoughts a little more like an Englishman, where I can do it without the leaft mifreprefentation of the fenfe,

If thefe conditions appear unreasonable to those, who will have heaven itfelf without any condition, abolish the distinction between my old fermon, and the additions that guard or strengthen it; and refer

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