Cornelius, are accepted, it is only because they follow the general justification above mentioned, (which is possibly what St. Paul calls the "free gift that comes upon all men to justification of life," Rom. v, 18,) and because they proceed FROM "the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit," they are not therefore done BEFORE that grace and inspiration, as are the works which the article condemns.

FOURTH OBJECTION. "But all that is not of faith is sin, and without faith it is impossible to please God.""

ANSWER. True: therefore, "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Cornelius had undoubtedly this faith, and a degree of it is found in all sincere heathens. For Christ, the Light of men, visits all, though in a variety of degrees and dispensations. He said to the carnal Jews that believed not on him, "Yet a little while the light is with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of the light." All the heathens that are saved are then saved by a lively faith in Jesus, "the Light of the world ;" or to use our Lord's own words, by "believing in the light" of their dispensation, before the day of their visitation is past, before total "darkness comes upon them," even the night when "no man can work."

FIFTH OBJECTION. "But if heathens can be saved without the Gospel, what need is there of the Christian dispensation?"

ANSWER, (1.) None of them were ever saved without a beam of the internal light of the Gospel, which is preached "in ɛv every creature under heaven," Col. i, 23. (2.) The argument may be retorted. If sinners could be saved under the patriarchal dispensation, what need was there of the Mosaic? If under the Mosaic, what need of John's baptism? If under the baptism of John, what need of Christianity? Or to answer by a comparison: If we see our way by starlight, what need is there of moonshine? If by moonshine, what need of the dawn of day? If by the dawn of day, what need of the rising sun? The brightness of Divine dispensations, like the light of the righteous, "shines more and more unto the perfect day." And though a heathen may be saved in his low dispensation, and attain unto a low degree of glory, which the apostle compares to the shining of a star, ("for in my Father's house," says Christ, "there are many mansions,”) yet it is an unspeakable advantage to be saved from the darkness attending his uncomfortable dispensation, into the full enjoyment of the "life and immortality brought to light by the explicit Gospel." Well might then the angel say to Cornelius, who was already accepted according to his dispensation, that Peter should tell him words whereby he should be saved;" saved from the weakness, darkness, bondage, and tormenting fears attending his present state, into that blessed state of light, comfort, liberty, power, and glorious joy, where "he that is feeble is as David, and the house of David as God, or as the angel of the Lord."

Having thus briefly answered the objections that are advanced against St. Peter's and Mr. Wesley's doctrine, proceed we to the third query, in the review of the whole affair.

"III. Is this the same with, he that is sincere? Nearly, if not quite."

In the name of charity where is the error of this answer? Where the shadow of heresy? Do you suppose by-he that is sincere, Mr. Wesley means "a carnal, unawakened wretch who boasts of his imaginary sincerity?" No, sir, he means "one who, in God's account, and not barely in his own, sincerely and uprightly follows the light of his dispensation." Now, if you expose Mr. Wesley as guilty of heresy, for using this word once, what protests will you enter against St. Paul for using it over and over? How will you blame him for desiring the Ephesians, (according to the beautiful reading of our margin,) to "be sincere in love!" aλnesuovies ev ayarn. Or, for wishing nothing greater to his dear Philippians, than that they might be "sincere in the day of Christ!" O, sir, to fear, and much more, to love the Lord" in sincerity," is a great and rare thing! Eph. vi, 24. We find every where too much of the "old leaven of malice," and too little of "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," 1 Cor. v, 8. Think not therefore that Mr. Wesley betrays the cause of God, because he thinks that "to be sincere," and to "fear God and work righteousness," are expressions nearly, if not quite synonymous.

But you do not perhaps find fault with Mr. Wesley for setting accepted heathens too low, but too high, by giving them the character of being sincere. For you know that our translators render the Hebrew word on sometimes" sincere," at other times "upright, undefiled," and most commonly "perfect." As in these sentences, "Noah was a perfect man, Job was a perfect man," &c. May not then Mr. Wesley secretly bring in his abominable doctrine of PERFECTION, under the less frightful expression of sincerity? Of this more by and by.

In the meantime, I shall close my vindication of the second and third query by the sentiments of two unquestionable Protestants on the present subject. The one is Mr. Henry, in his comment on St. Peter's words: "God," says he, "never did, nor ever will reject an honest Gentile who fears God, and worships him, and works righteousness; that is, is just and charitable toward all men, who lives up to the light he has, in a sincere devotion and regular conversation. Wherever God finds an upright man, he will be found an upright God, Psalm xviii, 25. And those that have not the knowledge of Christ, and therefore cannot have an explicit regard to him, may yet receive grace for his sake, 'to fear God and work righteousness;' and wherever God gives grace to do so, as he did to Cornelius, he will, through Christ, accept the work of his own hands." Here, sir, you have the very doctrine of Mr. Wesley quite down to the heretical word sincere.

The other divine, sir, is yourself. You tell us in your sermon on the same text, that "we cannot but admire and adore God's universal tenderness and pity for every people and nation under heaven, in that 'he willeth not the death of any single sinner,' but accepteth every one into Gospel covenant with him, who feareth him and worketh righteousness,' according to the light imparted to him."

Now, sir, where is the difference between your orthodoxy and Mr. Wesley's heresy? He asserts, God accepts "him that fears God and corks righteousness according to the light he has." Mr. Henry says,

"him that lives up to the light he has :" and you, sir, "him who feareth God and worketh righteousness according to the light imparted to him." If Mr. Wesley must share the fate of Shadrach for his heresy, I doubt Mr. Henry will have that of Meshech, and you, of Abednego; for you are all three in the same honourable condemnation.

But Mr. Wesley, foreseeing that some will be offended at St. Peter's evangelical declaration concerning the acceptance of sincere heathens who work righteousness, proposes and answers the following objection :

"IV. Is not this salvation by works? Not by the merit of works, but by works as a condition."

In the former part of this answer Mr. Wesley freely grants all you can require to guard the Gospel against the Popish doctrine of making satisfaction for sin, and meriting salvation by works: for he maintains, that, though God accepts the heathen who work righteousness, yet it is not through the merit of his works, but solely through that of Christ. Is not this the very doctrine of our Church, in her eleventh article, which treats of justification? "We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works, or deservings." Does not the opposition of the two sentences, and the explanatory word deservings, evidently show that "works meet for repentance" are not excluded from being in the sinner that comes to be justified, but from having any merit or worth to purchase his justification?

Our Church expresses herself more fully on this head in the homily on salvation, to which the article refers. "St. Paul," says she, "declares nothing [necessary] on the behalf of man concerning his justification, but only a true and lively faith; and yet [observe] that faith does not shut out repentance, hope, love, [of desire when we are coming, love of delight when we are come,] dread, and the fear of God to be joined with it in every man that is justified; but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying: so that though they be all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not altogether." This is agreeable to St. Peter's doctrine, maintained by Mr. Wesley. Only "faith in Christ" for CHRISTIANS, and "faith in the light of their dispensation" for HEATHENS, is necessary in order to acceptance. But though FAITH ONLY justifies, yet it is never alone; for "repentance, hope, love of desire, and the fear of God," necessarily accompany this faith if it is true and living. Our Church, therefore, is not at all against works proceeding from, or accompanying faith in all its stages. She grants, that whether FAITH seeks or finds its object, whether it longs for, or embraces it, it is still a lively, active, and working grace. She is only against the vain conceit that WORKS have any hand in meriting justification or purchasing salvation, which is what Mr. Wesley likewise opposes.

If you say, that "his heresy does not consist in exploding the merit of works in point of salvation, but in using that legal expression, salvation by works as a condition;" I answer, that as I would not contend for the word trinity, because it is not in the Bible; no, nor yet for the word perfection, though it is there; neither would I contend for the expression, salvation by works, as a condition: but the thing

Mr. Wesley means by it is there in a hundred different turns and modes of expression. Therefore it is highly worth contending for: and sc much the more, as it is, next to the doctrine of the atonement, the most important part of "the faith once delivered unto the saints."

Any candid person acquainted with Mr. Wesley's principles, (and for such only the Minutes were written,) cannot but see that he meant absolutely nothing but what our Saviour means in these and like scriptures; namely, that salvation is suspended on a variety of things which divines call by various names, and which Mr. Wesley, with a majority of them, chooses to call conditions. "Except ye repent, ye shall all perish. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ve shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Here repentance and conversion are conditions of eternal salvation. "If ye believe not, ye shall die in your sins; for this is the work of God, [the work that God requires and approves,] that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Here the work of faith is the condition. "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life," and "may enter in through the gates of the city." And here it is doing God's commandments.

St. Paul, the evangelical Paul, says the same thing in a variety of expressions: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him be anathema." If love, the noblest work of the heart, does not take place, the fearful curse will:-"If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die;" but "if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Spiritual mortification is here the condition. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Here holiness is the condition. "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor thieves, nor revilers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." Here ceasing from fornication, drunkenness, &c, is the same condition.

St. John is in the same condemnation as Mr. Wesley, for he declares, "There shall in no wise enter into the New Jerusalem any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." Here the condition is, not working abomination, &c. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer," and "ye know that no murderer hath eternal life." Here the condition is, ceasing from hatred, the murder of the heart.

St. Peter is equally deep in the heresy. In a variety of expressions he describes the misery and fatal latter end of those "who escape the pollution of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and are again entangled therein," through the non-performance of this condition, "If ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”

As for St. James, I need not quote him. You know that, when Luther was in his heat, he could have found it in his heart to tear this precious epistle from among the sacred books, and burn it as an epistle of straw. He thought the author of it was an enemy to free grace, an abettor of Popish tenets, an antichrist. It is true, the scales of prejudice fell at last from his eyes; but, alas! it was not till he had seen the Antinomian boar lay waste the Lord's flourishing vineyard all over Protestant Germany. Then was he glad to draw against him St. James's despised sword; and I shall be happily mistaken, sir, if

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you are not obliged one day to make use of the heretical Minutes, as he did of the epistle of straw.

If any still urge, "I do not love the word condition;" I reply, it is no wonder; since thousands so hate the thing that they even choose to go to hell rather than perform it. But let an old worthy divine, approved by all but Dr. Crisp's disciples, tell you what we mean by condition. "An antecedent condition," says Mr. Flavel, in his Discourse of Errors, " signifies no more than an act of ours; which, though it be neither perfect in any degree, nor in the least meritorious of the benefit conferred, nor performed in our own natural strength; is yet, according to the constitution of the covenant required of us, in order to the blessings consequent thereupon, by virtue of the promise: an? consequently, benefits and mercies granted in this order are, and must be, suspended by the donor, till it be performed." Such a condition we affirm faith to be, with all that faith necessarily implies.

When Dr. Crisp, in the last century, represented all the sober Puritan divines as legal, they answered, "The covenant, though conditional, is a dispensation of grace. There is grace in giving ability to perform the condition, as well as in bestowing the benefits. God's enjoining the one in order to the other makes not the benefit to be less of grace; but it is a display of God's wisdom, in conferring the benefit suitable to the nature and condition of men in this life, who are here in a state of trial; yea, the conditions are but a meetness to receive the blessings."

"The reason," added they, "why we use the word condition, is, because it best suits with man's relation to God, in his present dealings with us as his subjects on trial for eternity. Christ, as a priest, has merited all: but, as a priestly king, he dispenseth all; he enjoins the conditions in order to the benefits, and makes the benefits motives to our compliance with the conditions. He treats with men as his subjects, whom he will now rule, and hereafter judge. Now, what word is so proper to express the duties as enjoined means of benefit, as the word conditions? The word conditions is of the same nature as terms of the Gospel. There are few authors of note, even of any persuasion, that scruple using this word in our sense; as Ames, Twisse, Rutherford, Hooker, Norton, Preston, Owen, synod of NewEngland, the assembly of divines, &c. And none have reason to scruple it, except such as think we are justified before we are born.". See Gospel Truth Vindicated," by Williams, against Dr. Crisp.

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If all the Protestant divines who have directly or indirectly represented REPENTANCE and FAITH as conditions of present salvation; and HOLINESS OF HEART AND LIFE as conditions of eternal glory, as things sine quibus non, without which salvation and glory neither can nor will follow. If all those divines, I say, are guilty of heresy, ninety-nine out of a hundred are heretics, and none of them deeper in the heresy than yourself.

In your Sermons, page 39, clearing yourself of the slander that "you do not preach up, recommend, and insist on the necessity of good works;" you add, "I not only preach this or that part of the moral law, but I preach the whole moral law; and I tell you plainly, that if you do not perform the whole will of God, you cannot be finally saved."