correct in his statement respecting the conversion of the gentleman alluded to, whom I have heard relate how that blessed experience was effected upon his own soul, much to my satisfaction; and very consistently with the word of God, so far as I am capable of judging. But, as this glorious work of divine power and matchless grace was not by my instrumentality, I therefore disclaim the honour. If, however, any of my poor epistles have been a means of confirming the Lord's work, either in his soul or in others, so that the bowels of the saints have been in any degree refreshed, I am truly thankful, and bless the Lord for his great condescension; and so far, perhaps, I am not without substantial testimony, even at Gr-m.

QUOT." But when Mr. G- -g came down last summer, he and the reverend Divine, by their persuasion, twist you about like a nose of wax, and make a tool of you to answer their purpose."-p. 9.

ANSW. Last summer, it is true, I was at Grantham for about a week; though I am totally ignorant of using any means, either personally or in conjunction with a reverend Divine, to twist Mr. B―n about like Ba nose of wax, or to attempt to make a tool of him to answer any purpose. What purpose could we have to answer? None, that I know of; and I will add, none that the author of the "Tidings" knows any thing of. If so, then, who is a tool? Why the author of the false charge. He it is that has a purpose to answer in publishing falsehood to the world, and it is he that must be accountable for the consequences. Reader, his charge is false. I challenge contradiction, and set the

author of the slander at defiance to establish his bold assertion.

QUOT." Well may you be in confusion, when yourself (Mr. Bn), Mr. Gg, and the reverend Divine, carry every thing with an high and arbitrary hand, as lords of the heritage. But the apostle saith, Be ye not many masters, lest ye receive the greater condemnation.'-James iii. 1." p. 11.

ANSW. I utterly disclaim having had any hand whatever in the management or direction of affairs at Grantham Chapel; neither have I in any one instance (to the best of my recollection) been asked my opinion relative to any arrangement whatever respecting that place; therefore, so far as I am conjointly spoken of with others, as carrying every thing with an high and arbitrary hand, as lords of the heritage, the charge is unjust, and the author of it bears false witness against his neighbour. Exod. xx. 16. And the same apostle that says, "Be not many masters, lest ye receive the greater condemnation," saith also, " If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." James i. 26. Let our author meditate upon it in his leisure moments.

QUOT.-"Can you believe, courteous reader, that after Mr. Thomas Barston, the Rev. Mr. Raby, and Mr. Goulding, had sat in council, debated and settled this weighty point—that I was no longer to be admitted into the pulpit at Grantham, months before the date of Mr. Barston's letter-that Mr. Thomas Barston did not know how to act? From all hypocrisy and deceit, good God, deliver me! and from all such hypocrital professors!"-pp. 11, 12. ·

ANSW.-Can you believe, courteous reader, that Mr. Thomas Barston, the Rev. Mr. Raby, and Mr. Goulding, never at any time sat in council, nor debated, nor ever held any consultation whatever, relative to Mr. Oxenham's being no longer admitted into the pulpit at Grantham? Of a truth, however, they never did. Therefore it could not be months before the date of Mr. Barston's letter, as our author affirms with absolute certainty. No, I can assure the reader, he was never the subject of conversation amongst us; we are therefore indebted to the author for divulging this wonderful secret, the offspring of his own brain!

QUOT." When you have done this, (viz. got some great divines from Gray's-inn-lane to keep the people quiet and peaceable, if possible,) there may be some for the Burgesses of the town; more for the Chamberlain of the city; some Gouldilians, fewer Rabyites, less Barstonians, and a few real Christians, who are grieved at heart for the wickedness of the rulers."-p. 14.

ANSW. If we had no preachers at Gray's-inn-lane possessing a better principle than the Author of the "Tidings" has evinced in his Letter, I should be ashamed of them indeed. But, blessed be God, our eyes can see our teachers; we can distinguish in some measure between a mere pretender and one called of God, as was Aaron; and we know the Shepherd's voice from that of strangers, which is the reason we have never solicited assistance from the Author of the Tidings;" wanting no such teachers, but rather to obtain men of truth. And I bless the Lord for enabling me firmly to believe (and the faith of my worthy colleague agrees with mine) that we have never denied the pulpit

66

at Providence Chapel to one that ought to have preached there, nor admitted one that ought to have been excluded; which is a great comfort to our minds in the situation we have providentially been placed in. But our Author affects to be humorous in this last quotation, by dividing us into five classes, and has done me the honour of placing me at the head of a sect or party, only he will not admit me to be over any but hypocrites; which at first rather damped my rising importance; but, on considering the remark, and presuming it is only in consequence of being contrasted with himself and the few Christians that remain over and above the division he has been pleased to make, I recovered from the panic, and encouraged myself under the idea that, if it is 'like priest like people,' (as the scripture avers) then I am satisfied we shall not suffer greatly by the comparison. But these "few Christians are grieved for the wickedness of the rulers." Being no ruler, and having nothing to do at Grantham in Chapel affairs, of course I am not included in their wickedness. It is a disingenuous meanness in this Author to make such bold charges without a single proof in support of them; substantial proof he ought to produce, or who can believe what he so boldly asserts? Indeed it is an invariable maxim with me, that, when a person is proved false in one thing, he is not to be trusted in any thing he writes or speaks.

The five persons mentioned, and their adherents, being all set down short of real Christianity, would have grieved me, had the assertion been made by almost any other person than Mr. Oxenham, from whom I cannot conceive any reflection as dishonourable. I differ very much in opinion from him, that there are a few

Christians at Grantham who are grieved at heart for the wickedness of their rulers. And it would be well if the charge did not affect the pulpit more than

the pew.

QUOT." But, Christian reader, this was not the real cause (why he was shut out of the pulpit at Grantham); and you, Sir, to whom I now address these sheets, may not be rightly informed, nor can my reader guess; but I will inform him. As soon as it was rumoured that the poor old mangler was coming again to preach in London, many rejoiced; and at the time appointed the chapel was crowded to excess; many could not gain admittance; whilst the old chapel, where the great Mr. Gg is ruler, was so thin that a little child might count them. This so stirred up the envy of this great man, that shortly after he comes to Grantham; as a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, he soon leavened Mr. Barston; and, with the assistance of the Rev. Mr. Raby, prevailed on him to shut me out of the pulpit at Grantham. "Thus envy slays the silly one; neither truth, nor usefulness, nor reputation, can stand here:"" for who is able to stand before envy?" Prov. xxvii. 4. What, has this been the work of the great Mr. G▬▬g and his colleagues? Yes. And my dear friend Mr. Barston has been led away by them." Oh, my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united."-p. 27.

ANSW. The reading of this may possibly have made a serious impression upon the minds of my friends, to my prejudice; for, if this charge be true, it would at once prove that I have taken great pains to prejudice people's minds against Mr. Thomas Oxenham, and have been the principal instrument in effecting his dismissal from preaching any more at Grantham: in consequence of which my friends could not do less than