fallen, and cheerfully animates the dejected. Like undaunted Caleb, he spirits up the fearful; and like valiant Joshua, he leads them to the conquest of Canaan, and goes on from conquering to conquer.

And suppose he "went on even unto perfection," and "took the kingdom of heaven by violent" faith, and humble, patient, importunate prayer; would you call him a filthy ragman, and insinuate, that he had only done a dung-work? O sir, if you can so publicly call good works "dross," "dung," and "filthy rags," and (what is worse still) assert, that the Holy Ghost in the scriptures authorizes you so to do; who will wonder to see you represent the doctrine of Christian perfection as a pernicious popish heresy, which turns men "into temporary monsters?" Would you be consistent, if you did not rise against it with the collected might of credulous uncharitableness, and barefaced antinomianism? For,

What is, after all, the perfection that Mr. Wesley contends for? Nothing but two "good works," productive of ten thousand more; or, if you please, two large 'filthy rags," in which ten thousand other " filthy rags" are wrapped, that is, "loving God with all our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves." It is nothing but "perfect love, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us," making us "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, always zealous of good works," always the reverse of the easy elect, who, by means of Calvin's contrivance, are "all fair and undefiled," while they wallow in the adulterer's mire, and the murderer's gore. Or, in other terms, it is nothing but Christ, through the Holy Spirit, "dwelling in our hearts by faith," and making us always "zealous of good works.” Now if good works are "dross," "dung," and "filthy rags;" it is evident, that perfection is a rich mine of "dross;” a heap of "dung," as immense as that which Hercules got out of Augeas's stables; and a vast storehouse of "filthy rags," spun by "proud justiciars," as cobwebs are by venomous spiders.

In this wrong view of Christian perfection, I no more wonder to see multitudes of careless professors agree, like

Pilate and Herod, to destroy it out of the earth; nor am I surprised to hear even good, mistaken people cry out, "Down with it! Down with it!" While I complain of their want of candour, I commend their well-meant zeal, and wish it may flame out against objects worthy of their detestation; against perfection itself, suppose it is what they imagine. Yes, if it is a "mine of dross," let them drown it; I give my consent; but let them do it with floods of scripture and argument. If it is a dunghill in the church, let them carry it out, and permit even the swine, which come from "wallowing in the mire," to shake themselves upon it: I will not say it is improper. If it is a repository of "filthy rags," more infectious than those which convey the jail-distemper or the plague; let them agree to set fire to it, and burn it down to the ground; but let them do it with "fire from the altar," and not with tongues set on fire" of prejudice or malice.

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But if Christian perfection is next to angelic perfection, the brightest and richest jewel, which Christ purchased for us by his blood; if it is the internal kingdom of God ruling over all; if it is Christ fully formed in our hearts, the full hope of glory; if it is the fulfilment of the promise of the Father, that is, "the Holy Ghost given unto us," to make us abound "in righteousness, peace, and joy, through believing;" and, in a word, if it is the Shekinah, filling the Lord's human temples with glory; is it right, sir, to despise it as some do, or to expose it as you have so frequently done?

Should you apologize for your conduct by saying, "I have only treated your perfection, as you have treated our finished salvation, and our imputed righteousness:" I reply: The case is widely different. I hope I have made it appear, that you have not one single text in all the Bible to prove, that a bloody adulterer (in flagrante delicto) stands complete in mputed righteousness; and that the salvation of idolatrous and incestuous apostates, who now work out their damnation with both hands, is actually finished, in the full extent of the expression. The whole stream of God's word runs counter to these "antinomian dotages." Nor are they less repugnant to conscience and

common sense, than to the law and the prophets. But you cannot find one word in all the scriptures, against the pure love of God and our neighbour, against perfect love, which is all the perfection we encourage believers to press after. The law and the gospel, the Old and the New Testament, are equally for it. All who are " filled with the Spirit" sweetly experience it. A heathen, that fears God and regards man, could not speak evil of it, but through misapprehension. And even while, through the amazing force of prejudice, you write against it with so much severity, it recommends itself to your own reason and conscience. Are you not then, dear sir, under a mistake, when you think, you may take the same liberty with God's undeniable truth, which I have taken with Dr. Crisp's indefensible error?

Permit me to state the case more fully still. Mr. Wesley cries to believers, "It is your privilege so to believe in Christ, and receive the Spirit, as to 'love God with all your hearts, and your neighbours as yourselves.'" And you say to them, "Mr. Wesley is blinder than a papist : regard not his heretical words. Your salvation is finished. Whatever lengths you go in sin, you are as sure of heaven as if you were already there. It is your privilege to commit adultery, murder, and incest, not only without fearing that the Lord will be displeased with you; but conscious that, black as ye are in yourselves by the actual commission of these crimes, through Christ's comeliness put upon you, God can address each of you with, Thou art all fair, my love, my undefiled; there is no spot in thee!"" (Five letters, page 28.) Now, sir, are not you a partial judge, when, by way of retaliation, you serve the holy doctrine maintained by Mr. Wesley, as I have served the unholy tenet propagated by Calvin and yourself?

Think you really, that because a judge, after a fair trial, justly condemns a notorious robber to be hanged; another judge, to retaliate, has a right to quarter a good man after a mock trial, or rather without any trial at all? And do you suppose, that because Jehu deservedly made the "house of Baal" a draught-house; or because Josiah burned dead men's bones upon the unhallowed "altar in Bethel," to

render it detestable to idolaters; Antiochus had a right to turn the "the temple of the Lord" into a sty, and to pollute the "altar of incense" by burning "dung and filthy rags" upon it, that true worshippers might abominate the offering of the Lord, and loathe the holy of holies? Thus, however, have you, inadvertently I hope, treated good works and Christian perfection, which are ten thousand times more sacred and precious in the sight of God, than "the holy" and "the most holy place" in the temple of Jerusalem.

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you

And now, dear sir, please to look at the preceding list of good works, which adorn the Christian's breast, or blazon his shining character; and tell us if there is one which, upon second thoughts, you object against as a nuisance; one which you would put away like "dross;" one which would have carried out of his apartment as dung," or removed from his pious breast as a "filthy rag." Methinks I hear you answer, "Not one may they all abound more and more in my heart and life! in the hearts and lives of all God's people!" Methinks that all the church militant and triumphant cry out, "Amen!" A divine power accompanies their general exclamation. The veil of prejudice begins to rend. Your honest heart relents. You acknowledge, that Calvinism has deceived you. You retract your unguarded expressions. The Spirit of holiness, whom you have grieved, returns. The heavenly light shines. The antinomian charm is broken. "Dross" is turned into fine gold; "dung" into savoury meat, which every believer loveth next to the "bread of life;" and "filthy rags" into the "fine linen, white and clean," which is the "righteousness of the saints," and "the robe made white in the blood of the Lamb." Far from pouring contempt, through voluntary humility, upon this precious garment, you give praise to God, and in humble triumph put it on together with the Lord Jesus Christ.

"walk with Christ in white,

Paris, and the convent of

In that glorious dress you and in love with Mr. Wesley. Benedictine monks, disappear. The "new Jerusalem, and the tabernacle of God come down from heaven"

"Leaving the things that are behind," you solemnly hasten unto "the day of the Lord." "Following peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord," you daily perfect it in the fear of the Lord. You feel the amazing difference there is between a real and an imaginary imputation of righteousness. You tear away, with an holy indignation, the pillow of " finished salvation" from under the head of Laodicean backsliders, who sleep in sin; and of bloody murderers, who defile their neighbour's bed. You set fire to the fatal canopy, under which you have inadvertently taught them to fancy, that the holy and righteous God calls them, "My love! my undefiled!" even while they wallow in the poisonous mire of the most atrocious wickedness. And, to undo the harm you have done, or remove the offence you have given, by your letters, you show yourself reconciled to St. James's pure religion; you openly give Mr. Wesley the right hand of fellowship, and gladly help him to provoke believers to uninterrupted "love, and good works," that is, to Christian perfection.

Such is the delightful prospect which my imagination discovers through the clouds of our controversy; and such are the pleasing hopes, that sometimes soothe my polemical toil, and even now make me subscribe myself with an additional pleasure,

Honoured and dear sir,

Your affectionate brother and obedient servant, in
the bonds of a pure gospel,

J. FLETCHER.

LETTER IX.

TO MR. ROWLAND HILL.

HONOURED AND DEAR SIR,

YOUR uncommon zeal for God, so far as it is guided by knowledge, entitling you to the peculiar love and reverence of all that fear the Lord; I should be wanting in respect to you, if I took no notice of the arguments with which