The Reafon is, whatever may be the Motive for their profeffed Regard, they have for many Years paft, and do unto this Day, manifeft great Ignorance, if not great Enmity, in refpect of the Principles which form'd and influenced Mr. Hervey's Faith and Practice; and on which he ventured his eternal Concerns; Stigmatizing, or, I should rather fay, honouring them, with the fame Kind of Reproaches as the ancient Oppofers of Christianity caft upon our Lord and his Difciples. Perhaps it may awaken the Attention of fome to enquire of the unerring Oracles, What is Truth? when they find by thefe Letters, that there is no Dependance to be placed elsewhere; and that thofe in whom they have trufted as fpiritual Guides, applaud, or cenfure, with very little fudgment, or with a worse Defign.

After all, I am not fo fanguine in my Expectation, as to think that by this, or any other Method, the defpifed Truth of the Gospel will prevail with many, against the Stream of the reputed Devout and highly Efteemed of this World. We must remember the Treatment which our Lord and his Difciples met with, and as the World is not better now than it was in thofe Days, we have little Reason to expect better Success.

Mr. Hervey began to find he had been in a Miftake in this Refpect, and would have publickly acknowledged as much, had he lived but a few Months longer. He began to be acquainted with that true Grace of God, which is contrary to the Course of this World in its devouteft Form, for upwards of twelve Years before our Correfpondence commenced. He was willing to recommend it to their Confideration, and (if poffible) make it appear lovely to their View. He dreffed it up with all the Beauties of Eloquence, and all the winning Arts of Perfuafion. He concealed whatever he thought might give his Readers Difguft, and even entreated his

Friend to conceal their Correfpondence for the prefent, left the Power of Prejudice (raised by his profeffed Friends) fhould prevent them from looking into his Books: And all this in Hopes to prevail, and give the defpifed Gospel of Jefus a recommending Appearance in their Eyes. But alas! he died before he had accomplished this Defign, and perhaps had he lived to the Age of Methulaleh he would never have brought it to pass. So that we can only look upon this, as his fervent Defire, that the important Truth, in which he had found all he wanted, fhould be as great a Blessing to others, as it had been to him. He gained a Return of Compliment for his favourable Sentiments and kind Behaviour, but it was in vain for him to expect to prevail any farther.

His Notion was, as he himself expreffes it, that "the Taste of the prefent Age is fomewhat like the "Humour of Children, their Milk must be fugared, "their Wine fpiced, and their neceffary Food garnished "with Flowers and enriched with Sweetmeats." His Defire that what he called his principal Point might be, if poffible, made thus palatable, engaged him in feveral Correfpondencies fuited to the Embellishment of his Works; his Superiority as a Writer, caused many to covet an Acquaintance and Friendship with him; and his tender and complaifant Behaviour, even to those who differed, gave fome of them Hopes of prevailing with him, or by him, to advance their own various and oppofite Sentiments. Filled with thefe Hopes, their Behaviour towards him was accordingly respectful; which, together with his retired Situation in Life, prevented him in a great Measure from difcerning their Enmity to his Principles. Taking it for granted they meant as they fpake, he judged them aiming to promote the fame important Caufe. Had this been Fact, they would have ftill merited the Regard he paid them; their profeffed Zeal would have been commendable, had it

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been fubfervient to the true Grace of God for which he pleaded; but bears as different an Afpect when their Enmity and Oppofition thereto is difcovered; even as Paul's most hardened Wickedness, was to the Piety and Zeal of his pharifaic State.

No fooner was he dead than Confultations were on Foot, tending to bury his Principles as well as him. His private Letters were publickly advertized for, in order to be printed; which, by the Ufe made of them, feems not done with any Defign to establish the Truths he contended for, but to pick out if poffible, fomething to their. Difadvantage. And, what is fill more unworthy, to eRablish their own Characters in fuch Attempts on the Encomiums he had at one Time or other bestowed on them, for want of feeing them properly; for want of knowing that their ruling Principle was a fixed Enmity to that Gospel which was his fole Delight. Befides this, feveral Reports were spread detrimental, to the important Truth he had fo contended for.. And knowing that all and every of them, could be fully disproved by Mr. Hervey's own Hand-writing, I counted it my Duty to print the Defence, and to publifh the Letters to the Author, to authenticate it with Mr. Hervey's Approbation. Tho' I was apprehenfive at the fame Time it might carry the Appearance of Oftentation, to fuch as did not know what was in Hand, and fo could not be fenfible that the Support of the important Truth, which shines thro' all his Works, depended in fome Meafure on the Publication of thefe Letters.

Notwithstanding all this, the Perfons concerned in the Publication of Two Volumes under the Title of The Letters of the late Rev. Mr. James Hervey, have exerted themselves with uncommon Boldness, in disfiguring his Principles; and, at the Jame Time, introduce their own. This is evidently manifeft in the Poftfcript annexed to this Defence.

In thefe Volumes they have infinuated that the Author of the Defence of Theron and Afpafio was "on the Antinomian Side of the Question, and that Mr. "Hervey by no Means approved of his Sentiments." Upon this there immediately appeared in the Gazetteer, Aug. 22d, and London Chronicle, Aug. 26th, a Letter to the Editor and Publishers of thefe Volumes, fignifying the hocking Appearance of Slander and Detraction in Volumes under the Name of a Man fo averfe to fuch Proceedings; and proving, from Mr. Hervey's own Words, the most apparent Falsehood in their Allertions; there being no Letter in the whole Two Volumes, fo expreffive of Sameness of Sentiment, as the Letters to the Author of the Defence of Theron and Afpafio, and concluding with thefe Words, "the fecret "Stabs that are given to Characters, by modern Pre"tenders to Piety, would make a Court of Justice "blush. And I am perfwaded the real Friends to "Mr. Hervey's Memory, or Writings, will not be "pleafed to find his Name made fubfervient to fuch bafe "Purposes." The Proceedings are a little more open, in the Gentleman's Magazine for Auguft; where we are told, that Mr. Hervey himself is by no Means free "of the Charge of ftretching the Principles of Calvin "into Antinomianifm," p. 379. It is very evident Mr. Hervey concerned himself with no Calvinistical or Arminian Difputes. In Letter xvii. Vol. II. Speaking of Mr. Wy's Conduct, he says, " I am fome

times apprehenfive that he would draw me into a "Difpute about particular Redemption; I know he can fay ftartling and horrid Things on this Subject; "and this, perhaps, might be the most effectual Method "to prejudice People against my principal Point."

As to the Charge of Antinomianifm, unless the particular Errors are pointed out, (which may as well be

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done without the Affifiance of reproachful Names) it is no more than a very vague uncertain Sound, made ufe of by fome Leaders in the various Claffes of religious People as a political Bugbear, whereby they dif guife and disfigure the Party they intend to reproach *.

It

* When these religious Politicians have raised an Alarm, beware of the Antinomians! the ignorant Multitude are upon the Enquiry to know, what this dreadful Thing called Antinomianifm is; they are told a hundred Bugbear Tales of Monsters in human Shape: When they enquire farther who are Antinomians, meaning who are the Perfons fo abandoned as to hold fuch dreadful Opinions or Practices, they have nothing more to do, than to place the Name upon whom they please; and it follows of Course, by this artful Shift, that the credulous and deceived Multitude, believe the Perfons fo pointed out, to be guilty of whatever has been charged under that Name. Were it not for this Piece of Artifice, they might perhaps be obliged honeftly and fairly, to point out the particular Errors of those they diflike and accufe; and in fo doing might manifeft, that they themselves know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Mr. Hervey has very properly exhibited fuch vain Declaimers in the following Note:

"This puts me in Mind of what Theodorus replied "to Philocles, who was often infinuating that he preach"ed licentious Doctrine, because he enlarged, with "peculiar Affiduity, upon Faith in JESUS CHRIST,

and frequently chofe fuch Texts as, Believe in the "Lord Jefus, and thou shall be faved.

"I preach Salvation by JESUS CHRIST; and give me leave to afk, whether you know, what Salvation "by CHRIST means? Philocles paufed; he begun to "blush; would have eluded the Queftion, and declined "an Answer. No, faid Theodorus, you must permit me to infift upon a Reply. Because, if it be a right

66 one,