our Lord fays, He is the Bread of God come down from Heaven to give Life to the World, and that except we eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink bis Blood, we have no Life in us.

This Objection of Palamon's is fuch a fine spun Cobweb of Criticism, that he seems to have catched himself in it while he was endeavouring to entangle us. "Is it poffible (fays he) after what we "have seen, for any one to maintain, that these "People look for Acceptance with God only thro "the Sacrifice of Chrift, once offered for the Sins "of many?" p. 450.

Now to look for Acceptance with God only thro' the Sacrifice of Chrift, is the very Thing we plead for, and he has been oppofing. His Argument has been, "The Sacrifice of Chrift is fufficient of

itself. To appropriate, or to look for Acceptance "with God on that Account, is evidently to do

fomething towards our Juftification; this is to "fet up in its Stead another Sacrifice of their own preparing and offering."

"He

Inftructor? And when I ask the Question, Wherewith fhall God be pleafed? He anfwers, I am pleafed in my Son. When I enquire further, How I fhall know my own Interest herein? He tells me, He gives me eternal Life in Him; and fo makes we welcome to call it my own without more. Is it not the Height of Difaffection to this, to fay, I will call it my own upon fome other Account; but not because he either bids me, ar gives it to me?

"He who maintains that we are justified only "by Faith, and at the fame Time affirms with

Afpafio, "That Faith is a Work exerted by "the human Mind," undoubtedly maintains, "if he has any Meaning to his Words, that we are "juftified by a Work exerted by the human "Mind." p. 483.

May not Afpafio as readily retort, He who maintains that we are juftified only by Faith, and at the fame Time affirms with Palamon, "That Faith " is a Principle of Life and Action," undoubtedly maintains, if he has any Meaning to his Words, that we are justified by a Principle of Life and Action? The Answer that retrieves him out of this Difficulty, will also serve us. See Remark on p.

406, p. 155.

I have now confidered all that I apprehend we are concerned with in Mr. Sandeman's Performance, not with a Design to manifeft his Blemishes, or to defend Afpafio's; but to preserve the important Truth he contended for, from the Objections arifing through evident Mistakes and Mifreprefentations. Not pleading for a Manner of Believing, either Active or Paffive; but pleading against the private Interpretation of those divine Declarations, which are the Sinners only Ground of immediate Truft and Confidence in that fufficient Righteoufnefs. It is no Pleasure to me to find a People to whom my Heart inclines on Account of their appearing

pearing Attachment to this Sufficiency of Christ, at the fame Time, fo inclined to explain away thofe divine Declarations, and tell us, that "God

may, if he pleases, have Mercy upon me," is all the Conclufion that the Guilty and Destitute can draw from what God has revealed. Now in this Cafe, are we not to take heed, left under the Notion of purer Faith we depart from Trusting in the living God (to a labouring in painful Defire and Fear) through an evil Heart of Unbelief? And as there is a natural Propenfity in Man to Self-dependance, is there not a proportionate Averseness in him to truft on the bare Declarations of the divine Word? And may not this be the Source of those pharifaic Attempts Mr. Sandeman has so justly detected, of the Objections that stand between us; and alfo of thofe laboured Inventions of others, to make out that Men are faved by Christ in a Way of natural neceffary Connection; hereby, at once, setting afide the divine Sovereignty, Declarations, Promises, or Truft therein. I fhall only add, that if what we have pleaded for is (without Mifrepresentation) proved a Contradiction to the Sufficiency of the finished Work of Chrift, then, and not til then, I shall see a Neceffity for understanding the Scriptures on this Subject in another Light than I do at prefent, and shall make my public Acknowledgment accordingly.

A Far

A Farther

DEFENCE

OF

THERON and AS PASIO,

Against the

Objections contained in the LETTERS and DIALOGUES of Mr. Jofeph Bellamy, Minifter at Bethlem in New England.

MR

R. Bellamy fuppofes Theron is arrived at New England, and is there become diftreffed, converfes with Paulinus, is convinced of the Errors of Afpafio's Doctrine, and is at last converted according to the Doctrine of Paulinus, or rather Saulinus *.

The firft Dialogue treats of Love to God. It being a leading Principle with Afpafio, that the Love of God manifested in Chrift Jesus, begets evangelical Love and Obedience in all who dif

cover

Under the fictitious Name Paulinus Mr. Bellamy includes himself, as judging he maintains the fame Doctrine that Paul preached. As he appears to me an Oppofer of Paul's Gofpel, I cannot allow him the Name Paulinus, and therefore I rather use his proper Name Bellamy.

cover it. Mr. Bellamy aims at razing this Foundation, by afferting, that we are to love God for his own Loveliness; by which he means a Love abftracted from all Confiderations of our Happiness or Mifery, from all Confiderations which imply Self-Love. But is there But is there any fuch Lovelinefs conceivable by us? Is any Action, Disposition, or Tendency, beautiful or lovely, but as it tends to procure Happiness to others, and manifefts an Oppofition to whatever would obstruct or prevent it?

The Loveliness of God, as far as we can conceive of it, is his being the chiefest Good, his Difpofition to make his Creatures happy, and his infinite Oppofition to what is contrary to that Happiness. If Mr. Bellamy doubts of this, let him endeavour to give us fome Idea of the Loveliness of God, without any Idea of his Goodness *; let him give us an Idea of his Goodness, separate from a Dif

*What we call lovely or beautiful, what is amiable in God's Juftice, Holiness, Sovereign Authority, All-feeing Eye, his Decrees, Commands, Judgments and Doings, all manifeft his Glory as the greatest Good or Happiness of the whole; and oppofing whatever is contrary thereto. As we cannot reasonably conceive otherwise of God, even tho' many of his Ways are paft our Understanding, fo we cannot but efteem Him the chiefeft Good, and the Fountain of all that is Good. Could we admit the Thought of him otherwife, we might dread his Power to make us miferable, but could not think him amiable.