well as preach, the Lord, from the leaft unto the great eft Even by that Token, I am merciful to thy Unrighteousness: Thy Sins I remember no more!

III. . I have hitherto spoken more immediately to thofe, who profefs themselves Members of the Church of England. But inasmuch as I am a Debtor also to those who do not, my Defign is now to apply to them alfo; and briefly to fhew, wherein (I fear) they are feverally inconsistent with their own Principles.

I begin with those who are at the smallest Distance: from us, whether they are term'd Prefbyterians or Independents; Of whom in general I cannot but have a widely different Opinion, from that I entertain'd fome Years ago: As having fince then converfed with many among them, in whom the Root of the Matter is unde niably found; and who labour to keep a Confcience void of Offence both toward GOD and toward Man. I cannot therefore doubt, but every Serious Man, of either one or the other Denomination, does utterly condemn all that Inward as well as Outward Unholiness, which has been above described.

But do you, as a People, avoid what you condemn ? Are no Whoremongers or Adulterers found among you ? No Children disobedient to their Parents? No Servants that are flothful or careless? That anfever again? That do not honour their Maffers as is meet in the Lord? Are there none among you that cenfure or Speak Evil of the Ruler of their People? Are there no Drunkards, no Gluttons, no Luxurious Men, no regular Epicures, none whofe Belly is their God, who, as their Fortune permits, fare jumptuously every Day? Have you no Difhoneft Dealers, no Unfair Traders, no Ufurers or Extortioners? Have you no Liars, either for Gain, or for Good Manners, fo called? Are you clear of Ceremony and Compliment? Alas, you are fenfible, in most, if not all thefe Refpects, you have now fmall Preheminence over us.

How much more fenfible muft you be of this, if you do not rest on the Surface, but enquire into the Bottom of Religion, the Religion of the Heart? For,

⚫ what

what inward Unholinefs, what evil Tempers are among us, which have not a Place among you alfo ? You likewife bewail that Ignorance of GoD, that Want of Faith and of the Love of GoD and Man, that inward Idolatry of various kinds, that Pride, Ambition and Vanity, which rule in the Hearts even of those who still have the Form of Godliness. You lament before GoD, the deep Covetoufnefs that eats fo many Souls as doth a Gangrene; and perhaps are fometimes ready to cry out, Help, Lord, for there is fcarce one godly Man left: Lay to thine Hand; for the Faithful are minifh'd from the Children of Men!

2. And yet you retain the Truth that is after Godlinefs, at least, as to the Substance of it. You own what is laid down in Scripture, both touching the Nature and Condition of Juftification and Salvation. And with Regard to the Author of Faith and Salvation, you have always avowed, even in the Face of your Enemies, That it is GOD which worketh in us, both to will and to do, of his good Pleafure: That it is his Spirit alone who teacheth us all things, all we know of the deep things of GOD: That every true Believer has an Unction from the Holy One, to lead him into all neceffary Truth: That because we are Sons, GOD fendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts, crying Abba, Father; and that this Spirit beareth Witnefs with our Spirit, that we are the Children of GOD.

How is it then, my Brethren (fo I can call you now, although I could not have done it heretofore ;) how is it, that the generality of you alfo are fallen from your Stedfaftnefs? In the Times of Perfecution ye flood as a Rock, tho' all the Waves and Storms went over you. But who can bear Eafe and Fulness of Bread! How are you changed, fince thefe came upon you! Do not many of you now (practically I mean) put fomething elfe, in the Room of Faith that worketh by Love? Do not fome of you suppose, that Gravity and Compofednefs of Behaviour, are the main Parts of Chriftianity? Efpecially, provided they neither fwear, nor take the Name of GoD in vain. Do

not

not others imagine, that to abftain from idle Songs, and thofe Fashionable Diverfions commonly used by Perfons of their Fortune, is almost the Whole of Religion? To which if they add Family Prayer and a ftrict Observation of the Sabbath, then doubtless all is well! Nay, my Brethren, this is well, fo far as it goes: But how little a Way does it go toward Chritianity? All these things, you cannot but fee, are merely External; whereas Chriflianity is an Inward Thing; without which the moft beautiful Outward Form is lighter than Vanity.

but

Do not others of you reft in Convictions? Or Good Defires? Alas, what do these avail? A Man may be convinced he is fick, yea deeply convinced, and yet never recover. He may defire Food, yea with earneft Defire, and nevertheless perifh with Hunger. And thus I may be convinced I am a Sinner this will not justify me before GOD. And I may defare Salvation (perhaps by Fits and Starts for many Years) and yet be loft for ever. Come close then to the Point, and keep to your Principles. Have you receiv'd the Holy Ghoft? The Spirit which is of GOD, and is bestowed by him on all Believers, that iwe may know the Things which are freely given to us of GOD? The Time is fhort. Do you experience now that Unction from the Holy One? Without which, you confefs Outward Religion, whether negative or pofitive, is nothing. Nay, and Inward Conviction of our Wants is nothing, unless thofe Wants are in fact fupplied. Good Defires alfo are nothing, unless we actually attain what we are stirr'd up to defire. For ftill, if any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, whatever he defires, he is none of his. O my Brother, beware you ftop not fhort! Beware you never accountyourself a Chriftian, no, not in the loweft Degree, till God hath fent forth the Spirit of Chrift into your Heart, and that Spirit bear witness with your Spirit, you are a Child of GOD.

that

3. One Step farther from us, are you who are called (tho' not by your own Choice) Anabaptifts. The Smallness of your Number, compared to that either

of

of the Prefbyterians, or thofe of the Church, makes it eafier for you to have an exact Knowledge of the Behaviour of all your Members, and to put away from among you every one that walketh not according to the Doctrine you have received.

more.

But is this done? Do all your Members adorn the Gofpel? Are they all Holy as he which hath called us is Holy? I fear not. I have known fome Inftances to the contrary; and doubtless you know many There are Unholy, Outwardly Unholy Men, in your Congregations alfo; Men that profane either the Name or the Day of the Lord; that do not honour their Natural or Civil Parents; that know not how to poffefs their Bodies in Sanctification and Honour; that are intemperate either in Meat or Drink, gluttonous, fenfual, luxurious; that variously offend againft Juftice, Mercy or Truth, in their Intercourfe with their Neighbour, and do not walk by that Royal Law, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy felf.

But how is this confiftent with your leading Principles That no Man ought to be admitted to Bap"tifm, till he has that Repentance whereby we for"fake Sin, and living Faith in God through "Chrift?"

For if no Man ought to be admitted into a Church or Congregation, who has not actual Faith and Repentance, then neither ought any who has them not, to continue in any Congregation. And confequently, an open Sinner cannot remain among you, unless you practically renounce your main Principle.

4. I refer it to your own serious Confideration, whether one Reason, why unholy Men are ftill fuffered to remain among you, may not be this; That many of you have unawares put Opinion, in the room of Faith and Repentance? But how fatal a Mistake is this? Suppofing your Opinion to be true, yet a True Opinion concerning Repentance is wholly different from the thing itself. And you may have a True Opinion concerning Faith all your Life, and yet die an Unbeliever.

Suppofing

Suppofing therefore the Opinion of Particular Redemption true, yet how little does it avail toward Salvation? Nay, were we to fuppofe, That none can be faved who do not hold it, it does not follow, that all will be faved who do. So that if the one prov'd a Man to be in ever fo bad a State, the other would not prove him to be in a Good one. And confequently, whofoever leans on this Opinion, leans on the Staff of a broken Reed.

Would to Gon that ye would mind this one thing, To make your own Calling and Election fure! That every one of you (leaving the rest of the World to him that made it) wou'd himself repent, and believe the Gospel! Not repent alone (for then you know only the Baptifm of John) but believe and be baptized with the Holy Ghoft and with Fire. Are you ftill a Stran ger to that Inward Baptifm, wherewith all true Believers are baptized? May the Lord conftrain you to cry out, How am I firaiten'd till it be accomplish'd! Even till the Love of GoD inflame your Heart, and confume all your vile Affections. Be not content with any thing less than this! It is this Loving Faith alone which opens our Way into the General Church of the First-born, whofe Names are written in Heaven! Which giveth us to enter in within the Veil, where Jefus our Fore-runner is gone before us!

5. There is a fill wider Difference in fome Points, between us, and the People ufually term'd Quakers. But not in these Points. You, as well as we, condemn all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men; all those Works of the Devil which were recited above, and all thofe Tempers from which they fpring,

You agree, That we are all to be taught of GOD; and to be led by his Spirit: That the Spirit alone reweals all Truth, and inspires all Holiness: That by his Infpiration Men attain perfect Love, the Love which purifies them as he is pure: And that thro' this Knowledge and Love of GoD, they have Power to do always fuch things as please him; to worship God, a Spirit, according to his own Will, that is, in Spirit and in Truth.