LETTERS ΤΟ A PREDESTINARIAN. LETTER I. MY GOOD BROTHER, I FIND that you are one of the Predesti narians of these latter days. You are assured of your own salvation, and look with pity on us poor, unlearned, Christians, who are left behind, and dare not think so highly of ourselves as you do. We take the whole word of God, as the rule of our faith and obedience : you take a part of it; and that part you interpret, in such a way of your own, as to endanger all the rest. We are taught, as plainly as words can teach us, to make our calling and election sure. But why should we do so, if our election, like your's, is sure already? If you can once bring yourself to think that you stand, you are safe; whereas the Apostle lets me know, that I am, from that moment, in danger; and accordingly bids me take heed lest I fall. But no sins can make you fall; because God is so partial, that, in favour to you and some others, he distinguishes between the sin and the sinner, and sees not the one for the sake of the other whereas I am told, that the soul that sinneth, it shall die; and that there is tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, without distinction of persons. How strange is it, that you and I should find in the same scripture two such different religions! What will unbelievers say? Will they not say, that we are both mad? I am as well assured that I shall be saved as you are; but I am not assured on your principles. You will be saved in preference to others: I humbly hope to be saved even as others. I am no where taught in the Scripture, nor have I any private revelation of it, that my Christian baptism gave me any privilege, which baptism does not give to other Christians. I am assured, and I believe it, that God is no respecter of persons; whereas, with you, he is nothing else. So the Jews thought; and that they themselves were the persons respected. As such, they justified themselves, and and despised all others, as sinners of the Gentiles; which opinion led them to their ruin. I never met with any persuasion nearer to theirs than your's doth. which comes But here you Jews hated will say, you are no Jew. The Jesus Christ; but you love him. lieve what you say. you say. But do But do you love him in sincerity? Have you no reserves? Perhaps you have neither seen nor heard, and will not believe me, but will rather be angry with me, when I tell you, that the contempt, which was formerly shown to the person of Jesus Christ, is now shown to his Church, which is his body; and that, as his own death was the beginning of Christianity, so the death of his Church. will be the end of it. When I speak of his Church, I mean that ark which is now on the waves of this troublesome world, towards a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; I mean that Church in the wilderness which is now travelling to the Land of Promise; containing many enemies within the camp, and having many more without, who are all waiting for its destruction, and boasting that it is near at hand. Your way of proving your election is also very weak, and will bear no examination. For what testimony have I but your own word; while your works (as we ignorant people understand them) speak a very different language? But you add, that it must be true because you feel it; and you say this ought to suffice. But it will not suffice; for it is the very witness which I am warned not to take; because, as it comes from yourself, it is not true; (see John v. 8). and it opens a door to all manner of imposture and delusion. For if I am to believe what one man says of himself, why am I not to believe another? Some better rule, therefore, is wanting; and our Saviour himself tells me, that there must be a second witness, and that this must be the witness of God, in some shape or other unless, therefore, a man can produce it, I am not bound to believe him. I shall still think, that the man, who is his own witness, is a false man, whether I can detect him or not. Here, neighbour, I have got you upon new ground, which, perhaps, you never saw before. But study your Bible better than you have done, and you will find that I am right, and that there is more error, and more sorts of error (in the world) than you have hitherto been aware of. You and your companions think that the Gospel is in a very flourishing state; but I see and |