we repeat, unless summarily, the arguments formerly advanced, in favour of the right succession of a Christian ministry: or those exposing the vitiation of the sacraments and other offices, when performed by the lay preachers of Methodism*. Our present concern is mainly with the principles peculiar to the Wesleyans, or common to all the members in the Methodist community. The points to be examined are, 1. Justification, that is, remission of sins and acceptableness before God, through faith only: 2. The new birth, or instantaneous, perceptible, involuntary, indefectible conversion: 3. The witness of the Spirit; or assurance of reconciliation to God: and, 4. Christian perfection.

How far are these doctrines consonant to Scripture?

1. If, by the doctrine of justification through faith only, the Methodists mean to affirm, that he who relies on faith in Christ, rests on the only true foundation, in opposition to those who put their trust in any measure of good works, as sufficient to procure salvation, the opinion is orthodox; it is the belief of the Church of England; and God forbid that we should con

*During the civil wars, the Independents corrupted the text, Acts, vi. 3, in order to give the people a right to choose their own pastors. "Look out seven men, whom ye (instead of we) may appoint over this business." For this forgery the printer received £1500.

tradict or impugn it. But if it be asserted, as it is, that there can be a justifying faith, totally independent of works, as evidences of its genuineness; this principle is inconsistent with the Articles of the English church; since the 12th expressly affirms, that although works cannot of themselves put away sins, yet they do spring necessarily out of a true and lively faith; insomuch, that by them, a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by its fruits. What is this to say, but that, if works be not present, there is no true and lively faith? And that Article is clearly conformable to Scripture; since "God created us in Jesus Christ, unto good works," Eph. ii. 10;-since "Christ died to purify unto himself a people zealous of good works," Tit. ii. 14;-since we must be doers of the word, and not hearers only; and since every one will be rendered unto according to his deeds, whether they have been good or evil, Rom. ii. 6. Consult, on this head, the whole Epistle of St. James; where faith, if it have not works, is said to be dead, being alone; and Galatians, the 5th chapter and 6th verse, which pronounces, that in Christ Jesus, nothing availeth, but faith which worketh by love.

That we do not overcharge the Methodist interpretation of faith, is apparent from the words of Wesley himself. "The moment," said he, "that I am confident, that Christ

VOL. III.

died for my sins, that moment I am justified." Now, it is certain, that sanctification must accompany justification; for we are told, Heb. xii. 14, that "without holiness no man shall see God:" that repentance precedes a saving faith; Mark, i. 15, "repent ye, and believe the Gospel:" and that fruits meet for repentance, are necessary as tests of its genuineness, Matt. iii. 8. When we are called to make our election sure, and to work out our own salvation, it is evident that election and salvation depend, in some measure, on our own conduct. If justification, then, be stated as being solely the gift of God, independent of any effort of our own, these texts are unmeaning, and the moral agency of man is destroyed.

The Methodists fail to advert to the distinction between first and final justification: our first is the mere act of God's favour; and takes place on our baptism or regeneration: our final justification, our acquittal at the day of doom, depends on our walking worthy of our vocation; on our making our calling and election sure. Coloss. i. 12, 13, 14; Rom. v. 18; ii. 6, 7, 8; Coloss. i. 10; 1 Cor. ii. 4-16. It is evident, from the whole tenour of the Epistles, that they who have received the former justification, are in danger of losing the latter, through their own perverseness. A curse and solemn admonitions are set before the elect and the justified.

Sometimes, however, a slight and passing allowance is made, that faith must be evidenced by fruits; for, as some author has well observed, if the sectarists should dare to pronounce morality superfluous, the civil magistrate would interfere, to check so dangerous a system. By keeping, however, morality in the back ground, and giving a bold relief to faith, by saying a great deal about faith, and very little about works, much mischief is achieved. This false interpretation of faith is very artfully supported by the production of garbled passages, of clauses separated from their context, or even from the sentence to which they belong, which, if honestly produced, would exhibit a very different meaning. How often, to cite only a single instance, do we hear the quotation, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.' By turning to the whole verse, however, we find it run thus: "If we walk in the light, &c. the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." And that we may not mistake the meaning of the phrase, walking in the light, the same Evangelist writes, "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness, even until now."

And even among those who admit the indispensableness of works, the most pernicious errors prevail, in regard to the nature and degree of the moral services demanded. In place

of the true vintage of the Christian virtues, they display a specious luxuriance of wild grapes. Some, content with outward and demonstrative works, with decency and sobriety, with attendance on the worship of the conventicle, and with extraordinary zeal in conversion, continue enslaved to a worldly mind; addicted to over-reaching and equivocating, if not to open falsehood and dishonesty. Censorious

ness, impure thoughts, malice, peevishness, and the other less scandalous offences, often remain unchecked in the characters of such devotees. Others, misinterpreting the scriptural term, "love," by which faith is said to work, centre the effects of their faith, in lavish and self-impoverishing donations to missionary societies, to funds for converting Jews, and to other religious institutions. "These ye ought to do,

and not to leave the other undone."

The Church of England denies that good works are valuable, when considered as merit in man. She avers that they are necessary as evidences of justifying faith. She affirms, that when St. Paul speaks of faith saving without works, he alludes either to ceremonial works, or to moral works preceding faith, and independent of it; and that when St. James mentions faith saving by works, he refers to works which follow faith and are its fruits.

It is much to be feared, that many preachers