doubt in the world is my place and duty to do, that I believe I ever have done, and that I am fixed I ever will do, the Lord being my helper.

I make not the fubject of this letter a fubject of conversation with any one whatever, out of my own houfe; nor with all in it. This matter, at prefent however, lies between me and you alone, before our God.

I wish you to take a little time to ponder this ferious, very ferious bufinefs. Do not answer in a hurry; read, and read again; think, and think again, before you write, or speak once. You had better let a week pafs before you either write, or speak to me on the fubject. And I had rather you would converse with me than write to me; unless you quite prefer the latter to the former mode of anfwer.

Now, Sir, let me beg of you to be earnest with God in prayer to fhew whether I am right, and you wrong, or you right, and I wrong (for one is fundamentally, and not fpeculatively) and to pray the prayer for yourself at home, as well as read it in the church for others. That it may please thee to illuminate all Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons, with true knowledge and understanding of thy word; and that both by their preaching and living they may fet it forth, and fhew it accordingly."

I must

I must add, that I fend you this because I am concerned, and not unconcerned for your foul, and its falvation, for the people, and their falvation. Did I difregard you, and them, I would let you alone. I know, and God knows, how I write this Letter; may you know, and he know how you receive it!

THE REV. MR. BLICK's ANSWER,

TO THE

REV. MR. RILAND's SECOND LETTER.

February 12, 1791.

REV. SIR,

HAVING confidered your letter again and

again, I am indeed both furprized and grieved at not only the feeming, but the direct and absolute charge you have brought against me,-furprized at the unexpectedness of it, and grieved that any minister of God fhould bring fo heavy and folemn a charge against another upon fo flight, or rather I should say upon no foundation at all. Befides, I find, though in your last addrefs toward the

close,

clofe, you fay, the fubject of it lies between you and me alone and before our God, yet, that I am arraigned before the tribunal of other judges, for in your first letter you fay "many perfons," and in the former part of your laft more than once, we all "well remember." I am therefore the more forry, that others alfo fhould charge me upon fo unjuft grounds with breaking the folemn promife, I made in the presence of God at my ordination. However, Sir, I will only add, that as my belief in the doctrines of the Holy Scriptures, and in fuch as are profeffed by the church of England, has been from ferious and mature confideration long fixed, and as neither inclination leads me, nor the time allotted to the avocations neceffary for the fupport of my family allows me, to enter into any theological controverfies, I will therefore reply in as few words as poffible to your long letter. You first charge me with having fpoken fo in favour of "the light of nature, of reason, of man's capability "to teach him his duty, and of his power to do it, as "that of confequence, the teaching of God's spirit, the "direction of God's word, and the influence of God's

grace, were unavoidably rendered needlefs." This, Sir, notwithstanding you, or any one may imagine you remember fo well, as "not poffibly to be mif"taken, if coinmon words exprefs common sense," I yet beg leave pofitively to deny. I only declared

clared that the existence of a God was manifest by the light of nature and of reason, and that men judging according to the law engraven in their hearts of the knowledge of good and evil, and then performing that law or will of God to the best of their power, were beft able to judge of any doctrines, whether they were from God or not. And for this I appeal to the text. Again, what you obferve about my declaration with respect to fects, or parties, or mysterious points is equally void of foundation. My words were, for I have now revised my fermon, that "at the great and folemn day of de"cifion before the tribunal of God, the queftion will "not be, were you of this fect or of that, were you "of this persuasion or of that, but what good have

you done? What life have you led? Have you "lived according to the best of your knowledge? "Have you lived a holy virtuous life? Have you

performed the moral duties according to your "faith? For these are the grand important points."

To prove this, I only refer to the very first sentence of the liturgy; to Chrift's whole fermon on the mount, and to his description of the last judgment in the latter part of the xxv. chap. of St. Matthew. For I, Sir, am not fo uncharitable as to condemn every one out of the pale of my own church, nor fo prefuming as to fay that any one will be condemned for thinking differently from my

felf.

felf. I further added indeed, that "doctrines contrary to these weighter matters of the law, were "as clouds without water, and as ftubble carried "about by the winds.' And that whoever substi"tuted forms or ceremonies, an over pretended fanctity, or a mere talking about religion in the "stead of that folid piety and virtue,—in the stead "of that faith in the merits of Christ, which pro"duces righteoufnefs, temperance, and charity, de"livered doctrines pernicious and everfive of the сс very foundation of christianity."

In confequence, Sir, the whole of your letter, and of your charges being founded on erroneous principles, I wave entering into any further difcuffion. Indeed, Sir, as it does not become a Curate to enter into controversy with his Rector, and as I am really debarred from allowing time for that purpose, I beg you will believe that my hope of falvation is alone founded in the faith in Chrift Jefus, according as it is set forth in the Scriptures and in the church of England, and that I truft I never did, nor ever fhall hold doctrines contrary thereto. I beg you will believe that I give ample credit to the good intention and good wishes of your heart for me and my foul's welfare, and I decline any further correspondence or conversation upon this fubject, for fear offence should arise, and for the fake of peace.

If,