POSTSCRIPT.

As I have cleared my conscience, with respect to antinomianism, a subject which, at this time, appears to me of the last importance, I should be glad to employ my leisure hours in writing on subjects more suitable to my taste and private edification: it is by no means my design to obtrude my sentiments upon my Calvinian, any more than upon my Arminian, brethren. I sincerely wish peace to both, upon the terms of mutual forbearance: Veniam petimusque, damusque vicissim. Should, therefore, a fourth publication call for a fourth Check, if I can help it, it shall be short. I shall just thank my antagonist for his deserved reproofs, or point out his capital mistakes, and quote the pages in the "three Checks" where his objections are already answered. But if his performance is merely Calvinistical, I shall take the liberty of referring him to the Rev. Mr. Sellon's "imbecile performance," which, I apprehend, every unprejudiced person, who has courage to see and read for himself, will find strong enough to refute the strongest arguments of Elisha Coles and the synod of Dort.

Before I lay by my pen, I beg leave to address a moment the true believers who espouse Calvin's sentiments. Think not, honoured brethren, that I have no eyes to see the eminent services which many of you render to the church of Christ; no heart to bless God for the Christian graces which shine in your exemplary conduct; no pen to testify, that, by letting your light shine before men, you adorn the gospel of God our Saviour, as many of your predecessors have done before you. I am not only persuaded that your opinions are consistent with a genuine conversion, but, I take heaven to witness, how much I prefer a Calvinist who loves God, to a remonstrant who does not. Yes, although I value Christ infinitely above Calvin, and St. James above that good, well-meaning man, Dr. Crisp, I had a thousand times rather be doctrinally mistaken with the latter, than practically deluded with

those who speak well of St. James's perfect law of liberty. and yet remain lukewarm Laodiceans in heart, and perhaps gross antinomians in conduct.

This I observe, to do your piety justice, and prevent the men of this world, into whose hands these sheets may fall, from "falsely accusing your good conversation in Christ,” and confounding you with practical antinomians; some of whose dangerous notions you inadvertently countenance. If I have, therefore, taken the liberty of exposing your favourite mistakes, do me the justice to believe that it was not to pour contempt upon your respectable persons; but to set your peculiarities in such a light, as might either engage you to renounce them, or check the forwardness with which some have lately recommended them as the only doctrines of grace, and the pure gospel of Jesus Christ; unkindly representing their remonstrant brethren as enemies to free grace, and abettors of a dreadful heresy.

If you think that I have exceeded in my "Checks" the bounds which brotherly love prescribes to a controversial writer, permit me to remind you and myself that we are parties, and therefore peculiarly liable to think the worst of each other's intentions and performances. By our respective publications we have appealed to the serious world let us not then take the matter out of their hands; and while we leave to our merciful God the judging of our spirits, let us leave our serious readers to judge of our arguments, and pass sentence upon the manner in which they are proposed.

And you, my remonstrant brethren, who attentively look at our controversial engagement, while a Geneva anti-Calvinist solicits an interest in your prayers for meekness of wisdom, permit him to offer you some seasonable advices, which he wants to inculcate upon his own mind also.

1. More than ever let us confirm our love towards our Calvinist brethren. If our arguments gall them, let us not envenom the sore by maliciously triumphing over them. Nothing is more likely to provoke their displeasure, and drive them from what we believe to be the truth. If

we, that immediately "bear the burden and heat of" this controversial “day," are obliged to cut; help us to act the part of friendly opponents, by directly pouring into the wound the healing balsam of brotherly love; and if you see us carried beyond the bounds of moderation, instantly admonish us, and check our Checks. Your whispers will go farther than the clamours of our opponents. The former, we know, must proceed from truth; but we are apt to suspect that the latter spring from partiality, or a mere stratagem not uncommon in controversial wars. Witness the clamours of the Jews and those of the Ephesians, when the one saw that their idol-temple, the other, that great Diana, was in danger.

2. Do not rejoice in the mistakes of our opponents, but in the detection of error. Desire not that we, but that truth, may prevail. Let us not only be willing that our brethren should win the day, if they have truth on their side; but let us make it matter of solemn, earnest, and constant prayer. While we decry confined, shackled grace, obtruded upon us as free grace; let not bigotry confine our affections, and shackle our hearts. Nothing would be more absurd than to fall into Calvinian narrowness of spirit, while we oppose Calvin's narrow system. If we admit the temper, we might as well be quite consistent, and at once embrace the doctrine. The best method of recommending God's universal love to mankind, is to love all men universally. If absolute reprobation has no place in our principles, let it have none in our affections. If we believe that all share in the divine mercy. let all be interested in our brotherly kindness. Should such practical demonstrations of universal love second our scriptural arguments for it, by God's blessing bigotry would soon return to Rome, and narrow grace fly back to Geneva.

3. Let us strictly observe the rules of decency and kindness, taking care not to treat, upon any provocation, any of our opponents in the same manner that they have treated Mr. Wesley. The men of the world hint sometimes that he is a papist, and a Jesuit; but good, mistaken men have gone much farther in the present controversy.

They have published to the world, that they "do verily believe his principles are too rotten for even a papist to rest upon; that it may be supposed popery is about the midway between protestantism and him; that he wades through the quagmires of Pelagianism, deals in inconsistencies, manifest contradictions, and strange prevarications ; that if a contrast was drawn from his various assertions upon the doctrine of sinless perfection, a little piece might extend into a folio volume; and that they are more than ever convinced of his prevaricating disposition." Not satisfied with going to a Benedictine monk in Paris for help against his dreadful heresy, they have wittily extracted an argument ad hominem, from the comfortable dish of tea which he drinks with Mrs. Wesley: and, to complete the demonstration of their respect for that grey-headed laborious minister of Christ, they have brought him upon the stage of the controversy in a dress of their own contriving, and made him declare to the world, that whenever he and fifty-three of his fellow-labourers say one thing, they mean quite another. And what has he done to deserve this usage at their hands? Which of them has he treated unjustly or unkindly? Even in the course of this controversy, has he injured any man? May he not say to this hour, Tu pugnas: ego vapulo tantum? Let us avoid this warmth, my brethren; remembering that personal reflections will never pass for convincing arguments with the judicious and humane.

I have endeavoured to follow this advice with regard to Dr. Crisp nevertheless, lest you should rank him with practical antinomians, I once more gladly profess my belief that he was a good man; and desire that none of you would condemn all his sermons, much less his character, on account of his unguarded antinomian propositions refuted by Williams and Baxter, some of which I have taken the liberty to produce in the preceding Checks. As there are a few things exceptionable in good Bishop Hopkins, so there are many things admirable in Dr. Crisp's works and as the glorious truths advanced by the former should not make you receive his Calvinian mistakes as gospel, so the illegal tenets of the latter should by no

means make you reject his evangelical sayings as antinomianism. 66 Prove," therefore, "all things;" and "hold fast that which is good," though it should be advanced by the warmest of our opponents: but whatever unadvised step their zeal for what they believe to be the truth makes them take, "put ye on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, long-suffering, forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."

4. If you would help us to remove the prejudices of our brethren, not only grant with a good grace, but strongly insist upon, the great truths for which they make so noble a stand. Steadily assert with them, that the scraps of morality and formality, by which pharisees and deists pretend to merit the divine favour, are only filthy rags in the sight of a holy God; and that no righteousness is current in heaven, but the "righteousness which is of God by faith." If they have set their heart upon calling it "the imputed righteousness of Christ," though the expression is not strictly scriptural, let it pass; but give them to understand, that, as divine imputation of righteousness is a most glorious reality,* so human imputation is a most delusive dream; and that of this sort is undoubtedly the Calvinian imputation of righteousness to a man who actually defiles his neighbour's bed, and betrays innocent blood. A dangerous contrivance this! not less subversive of common heathenish morality, than of St. James's "pure and undefiled religion."

God's imputation of righteousness is always according to truth. As all sinful men actually partake of Adam's sinful nature, by the defiling seed of his corruption, before God accounts them guilty together with him; so all righteous men partake of Christ's holy nature by the seed of divine grace, before God accounts them righteous together with Christ. This dictate of reason is confirmed by scripture." Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform; and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness; and it shall be imputed to us, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus from the dead." Rom. iv. 21, &c. From this passage it is evident that faith, which unites to Christ and purifies the heart, is previous to God's imputation of righteousness, although not to Dr. Crisp's imputation, which, by a little mistake of only five to six thousand years, he dates from "before the foundation of the world." One is sadly out, either the good doctor, o the great apostle.