apprehend, only an explanation of what our Lord had faid in the first; yet I did not stifle, fupprefs, or conceal it, fuppofing it to be against me, as the Reverend Dr Stebbing has very unkindly and unjustly represented, or at leaft infinuated I have done. However, as I have, in the foregoing Differtation, shewed what I apprehended to be the sense and meaning of our Lord in his answer to the young man's third queftion; fo, I hope, I have hereby taken away the ground of Dr Stebbing's complaint, or rather accufation against me; and have alfo farther made good the above propofi-. tion, viz. that Chrift requires, and recommends a conformity of mind and life to that rule of action that is founded in the reason of things; and makes or declares that compliance. to be the fole ground of divine acceptance, and the only way to life eternal. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

From what I have offered, my readers may fee, that though it may be a man's duty, under fome circumstances, to fell what he hath and give it to the poor; yet it is not every man's duty, under all circumftances; nor has Chrift made this the ground of our acceptance with God; which yet he must have done, for this text to be pertinently urged against me. And, as to discipleship, I farther obferve, that though to be a difciple of Chrift, by being appointed, and fent forth to preach the Gospel to the world, in like manner as the twelve were, requires a man's quitting his worldly

affairs,

affairs, his devoting himself wholly to the work of the Gofpel, and his going up and down the world preaching it freely to all without diftinction; yet to be Chrift's difciple in like manner as Dr Stebbing profeffes himself to be, does not require this; or if it does, then, furely, the Doctor's conduct, as a difciple of Chrift, is very prepofterous; who has not on ly added to thofe worldly advantages which arife to him from his two Livings in Norfolk, and his being Preacher at Grays-Inn, what arifes to him from the Archdeaconry of Wilts; but he is also adding what arifes from the Chancellorship of the Diocefe of Sarum; and which worldly advantages, no doubt, he ftands difpofed to double, or treble, if he has, or shall have, intereft enough to answer that purpose. Good God! Is this felling all, and giving it to the poor? Is this taking up the Crofs, and going out into the world, without purse, and without fcrip, not having two coats, preaching the Gospel freely to all? Or, is it not rather, as the Prophet expreffes it, (Isaiah v. 8.) adding houfe to houfe, and field to field? Or, like pulling down barns and building greater? Or, is it not like the horse-leech, which cries give, give, and is never fatisfied? And, if felling all and giving it to the poor, be, at all times and under all circumstances, neceffary to constitute a disciple of Chrift; then, tho' Chriftians are thick fown, in this part of the world, yet they are very thin fprung up, seeing among that numberless multitude who have by their

T 2

fponfors

1

fponfors renounced the world at the font, where they were received into the flock of Chrift, few, very few, have ever had this mark of discipleship upon them: and then, the extravagancies of our prefent Methodists may well be admitted as parts of Chriftianity, which yet Dr Stebbing and others of our dignified Clergy have thought fit to oppose. Though, by the way, it is not altogether unusual for fome of our Reverend Doctors of Divinity to be both for and against a thing, juft as the point in view renders it expedient for them to be either. Thus, upon an occafion, and to ferve a turn, fuch as the waging war with Mr Whitefield, or with any other perfon or party who go farther lengths in Enthusiasm or Superftition than the prefent ftandard of Orthodoxy will admit, upon fuch occafion these gentlemen are ready to call into their aid reaJon and common fenfe, and to plead for the use of these even in matters of religion; whereas upon other occafions, and when other, and perhaps contrary, purposes are to be ferved, then, the use of reafon and common sense in matters of religion is not to be admitted, but these are to be exploded as carnal and unhallowed things.

That new circumstances and new relations introduce new obligations and new duties, is true; but then, this makes nothing against me, because those new duties and obligations naturally flow from thofe new circumstances and relations, and as fuch are founded in the reason of

things;

things; and therefore, what Dr Stebbing has urged on the subject is void of argument. However, as the knowing what is the true fenfe and meaning of our Lord, in the text under confideration, is a matter of importance to Chriftians; and as Dr Stebbing has been pleased to introduce the fubject, and has drawn, or rather forced me into an examination of it: so I hope he will carefully and attentively confider what I have offered upon it. And, I think, it behoves him either publickly to acknowledge that I have done juftice to the text, or else fhew plainly to the world that I have not. Though, perhaps, the Doctor may think fuch fair practifing as this is more fuitable to his mere Heathen, who has nothing but an honest upright heart, and a virtuous life to ground his expectation of God's favour and future happinefs upon; than to an orthodox Divine who has the doctrines of atonement, propitiation, and the like, to be the authors of his hope.

Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged, that Dr Stebbing is a great man *, and very much.

my

*See a marginal note added to Dr Stebbing's Charge, where the Doctor fays, that the author has not proved a point in a tract which the Doctor acknowledges he has not read; and the reafon upon which this judgment of the Doctor's is grounded, is, that men greater than the author have not proved it. The author does not enter into the question whether Dr Stebbing's reasoning in the prefent cafe is conclufive, or not; but only observes, that as he (the author) does not put his abilities in competition with the abilities of any man; fo he hopes to meet with other kind of ufage from all other men of understanding, and that he shall not be condemned without being heard.

now;

my fuperior; who, if I may be allowed to use the fimilitude, has been trained in arms, has been a man of war from his youth up until and therefore, his befpeaking victory is not to be wondered at. Yea, with regard to John viii. 24. he seems to claim the triumphs of conqueft. For, if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your fins. Though I do not understand Greek, yet, I think, I may venture to say, that the word which our Tranf lators have rendered [fhall] would with much greater propriety have been rendered [will] and then the text ftands thus. For, if ye believe not that I am he, ye will die in your fins. Our Lord, in this paffage, did not take upon him to denounce the judgment of damnation upon the wicked Jews, for their not believing him to be the Meffiab; but only fhewed them what would be the confequence of fuch infidelity. For, if they would not be prevailed upon to believe that he was the Chrift, then there was no reason to expect that they would attend to his message, which called them to repentance and amendment of life. And therefore, seeing without this faith they would not repent and amend, which is the only ground of God's mercy to finners, the confequence is clear, they would die in their fins; not the fin of infidelity, but the fins they had been antecedently guilty of; or they would fuffer the punishment due for them. Let not he who girds on his armour boaft, as he who puts it off

I am