. ring the reader to the title page, I publifh my difcourfe III. With regard to the SCRIPTURAL ESSAY upon IV. The ESSAY ON TRUTH Will, I hope, reconcile judicious moralifts to the doctrine of falvation by faith, and confiderate folifidians to the doctrine of falvation by the works of faith; reafon and fcripture concurring to fhow the conftant dependance of works upon faith; and the wonderful agreement of the doctrine of present falvation by TRUE faith, with the doctrine of eternal falvation by GOOD works. I hope, that I do not diffent, in my obfervations upon faith, either from our Church, or approved gofpel-minifters. In their highest definitions of that grace, they confider it only according to the fulness of the christian difpenfation; but my fubject has obliged me to confider it alfo according to the difpenfations of John the Baptift, Mofes, and Noah. Believers, under thefe inferior difpenfations, have not always affurance; nor is the affurance they fometimes have fo bright as that of adult christians, Mat. xi. 11. But undoubtedly affurance is infeparably connected with the faith of the chriftian difpenfation, which was not fully opened, till My old fermon was preached on Sunday April 18, 1762, and not till Chrift opened his glorious baptifm on the day of pentecoft, and till his fpiritual kingdom was fet up with power in the heart of his people. No body therefore can truly believe, according to this difpenfation, without being immediately conscious both of the forgiveness of fins, and of peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft. This is a moft important truth, derided indeed by fallen churchmen, and denied by Laodicean Diffenters; but of late years gloriously revived by Mr. Welley and the minifters connected with him : — A truth this, which cannot be too ftrongly, and yet too warily infifted upon in our lukewarm and fpeculative age: And as I would not obfcure it for the world, I particularly intreat the reader to mind the last erratum; without omitting the laft but one, which guards the doctrine of initial falvation by abfolute free grace.. I do not defire to provoke my able Opponents; but I must own, I should be glad to reap the benefit of my Checks, either by finding an increafe of religious fobriety and mutual forbearance among thofe, who make a peculiar profeffion of faith in Chrift; or by feeing, my mistakes [if I am miftaken] brought to light, that I might no longer recommend them as gofpel-truths. With this view only, I humbly intreat my brethren and fathers in the church, to point out by fcripture or argument the doctrinal errors, that may have crept into the Equal Check. But if, upon clofe examination, they fhould find, that it holds forth the two gofpel-axioms in due conjunction, and marks out. the evangelical mean with strict impartiality; I hope, the moderate and judicious, in the Calviniftic and anti-Calvinistic party, will fo far unite upon this plan, as to keep on terms of reciprocal toleration, and brotherly kindness together; rifing with redoubled indignation, not one against another, but against thofe peits of the religious world, prejudice and bigotry, the genuine parents of implacable fanaticifm, and bloody perfecution. Madeley, May 21, 1774, CON Believe and obey, the fum of the gospel Primary and fecondary causes of final fal- Į 108. vation fees, and Gallios Bible-believers properly join faith and works, in doctrine and practice The idle works of fuperftition prevailed. before the reformation Luther restored the doctrine of faith to its fplendor · inadvertently introduced, and then oppofed antinomianifm Calvin, and the fynod of Dort, added to his mistake The Remonftrants and Quakers bore their into one The mischief done by pharifaism -by antinomianifm How antinomianifm opposes practical christianity Good is done only by the pure gospel 6 What engaged the author to guard his 26 fermon The The fubftance of the fermon in Baxter's In what fenfe we are faved merely by Chrift The doctrine of original merit and derived An account of the covenant of works -of the everlafting gospel The difference between the two covenants A mistake that leads good men into anti- The doctrine of the atonement by Chriff's A No falvation but by the covenant of grace The honour of the Redeemer and of free The mixt way of falvation by the works of the law, and by faith, is exploded- The author does not point out that way An account of external good works Preaching against the proper merit of good Why we are to do good works CONTENT S. The author's teftimony against the pha- The pernicioufnefs of that doctrine ix Page 73 74 Believers afcribe their falvation to Chrift's } 87 grace Chrift afcribes it to their works of faith How difficult it is to do justice to faith and works How heaven can be the reward of the works of faith; and yet the gift of God thro' Chrift An enumeration of the works, to which } 93 96 100 101 104 105 108 The full effect of the primary causes of our In what fenfe the obedience of faith does, A fcriptural account of diftinguishing grace Free grace fufpends many of her bleffings upon our free performances |