1 soon abandoned, as tedious, from the prolixity of your effufions; as unprofitable, from their wildness; as impracticable, from their indiftinction. Your fundamental principles are, in my judgement, fo effentially erroneous, your whole conception of the Gospel so absolutely incompatible with the undisputed conduct and with the unequivocal dictates of CHRIST himself, as to render such a specific discussion of your fentiments an undertaking of inextricable and hopeless perplexity. Every avenue to conviction, by which fuch arguments, as have been deemed effectual with rational enquirers, might be expected to approach, is obstructed by fantastical prepoffeffions, by vifionary feelings, by an experimental perception of truth, not explicable on the known elements of vulgar reafoning, and only intelligible to the happy illuminated devotee ; Φωναντα συνετοίσιν ες Δε το παν, ἑρμηνεων Χατίζει. Your ear alone the myftic founds can gain: Among this vulgar herd of unenlightened fluggish catechumens I profess my name also. -Suffer us, therefore, in the prosecution of this this fubject, to adopt a method of argumentation better fuited to our fcantier knowledge and our grofs conceptions: and, if we prove at once mistaken and prefumptuous, let your fuperior illuminations, with charitable interpofition, reprefs our arrogance, and confute our errors. I. My first object, then, shall be an attempt to delineate fome striking features of genuine Christianity, according to my notion of that pure, fublime, and fimple inftitution: not by a deduction from imaginary theories, but from indifputable premises; namely, 1. The conduct and character of our Saviour himself: and, 2. From his precepts, At this equitable arbitration, yourself, I truft, will feel no inclination to demur. II. I shall take the liberty of bringing the queftion home to your own "life and bo"fom." I fhall venture to examine your public conduct in the crucible of these criterions: well well aware at the fame time, from the multiplicity and critical nature of the topics, which fo comprehenfive an excurfion will involve, of the delicacy and danger of my project from the baffled malignity of a despairing and flagitious faction; who have riveted their power against the public voice by the most extenfive bribery, and malignant calumnies; who are prepared to hazard their own lives with the fortunes of royalty and the conftitution in an attempt to maintain their stations by the anarchy of military defpotism. I. 1. I fhall attempt a delineation of the fincere Christian gospel by a few capital ftrokes from the practice of our Lord himfelf. You will readily allow me, that his example is propounded in the scriptures as a model of imitation for all his followers. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: (Mat. xi. 29.) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Chrift Jefus (Philipp. ii. 5.) Chrift also fuffered for us; leaving us an example, that ye should' follow his steps: (1 Pet. ii. 21.) He, that faith be abideth in him, ought himself also fo to walk, even |