go to "his own place," in consequence of his condemnation by the evidence of wicked works.

Thus, honoured sir, by fixing my plain engine, "common sense," upon the immovable point which you have granted me, that is, St. James's justification by works, I hope I have not only removed the rock of offence from off Mr. Wesley's anti-Crispian propositions, but heaved also your great Diana, and her brother Apollo, (I mean unconditional election, and absolute reprobation,) from off the basis of orthodoxy, on which you suppose they stand firm as the pillars of heaven. May the God of pure, impartial love, whom they have so long indirectly traduced, as a God of blind dotage to hundreds, and implacable wrath to millions, of his creatures in the very same circumstances,the God whom those "gracious" doctrines have represented as fond Eli, and grim Apollyon,-may He, I say, arise, for his name's sake, and touch the Geneva Colossus with his own omnipotent finger! so shall it in a moment fall from the amazing height of reverence to which Calvin, the Synod of Dort, and Elisha Coles have raised it; and its undeceived votaries shall perceive, they had no more reason to call Geneva impositions "the doctrines of grace,” than good Aaron and the mistaken Israelites, to give the tremendous name of Jehovah to the ridiculous idol which they had devoutly set up in the absence of legal Moses; so, giving glory to God, they shall confess, that the robe of their image, with which some so officiously cover impenitent adulterers and murderers, is no more like the true wedding garment, than the imaginary appearances of armed men in the clouds are like the multitude of the heavenly host.

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While you try to defend this robe, and I to tear it off the back of antinomian Jezebel, let us not neglect "putting off the old man, putting on Christ Jesus ;" and “walking in him" as St. Paul, or with him" as Enoch, "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness" imparted to the "saints," when "Christ is formed in their hearts by faith," and imputed to them, so long as they "walk" in their measure "as he also walked." That, notwithstanding our warm controversy, we may

"walk in love" with each other, and all the people of

God, is the prayer of,

Honoured and dear sir,

Your obedient and devoted servant in

St. James's gospel,

JOHN FLETCHER.

LETTER VII.

TO RICHARD HILL, ESQ.

HONOURED AND DEAR SIR,

THE fourth letter of your Review you produce, as “a full and particular answer" to what I have advanced against Dr. Crisp's scheme of "finished salvation," and "finished damnation." But, to my great surprise, you pass in profound silence over my strongest arguments. Had I been in your place, I would have paid some regard to my word, printed in capitals in my title-page: I would have tried to prove, that, upon the Doctor's scheme, St. Paul might, consistently with wisdom, exhort the Philippians, " to work out their " [finished] "salvation with fear and trembling.” And if I could not have made it appear, that our Lord has finished his work as an interposing Mediator, a teaching Prophet, and a ruling King; I would either have given up the point, or endeavoured to show, that he has finished it at least as a Priest.

:

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But even this you could not do, without setting aside two important parts of his priestly office for the same Jesus, who offered up himself as the true paschal lamb, is now exalted at the right hand of God, to "bless" us as our Melchisedec, and "make intercession for us as our Aaron; saying daily concerning a multitude of barren figtrees in his vineyard, "Let them alone this year also, till I shall dig about them: and if they bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut them down." Now, if he daily carries on his own personal work of salvation, not only as a Prophet and a King, but also as a Mediator

and a Priest; common sense dictates, that his "personal work" is no more finished than our own; and that the doctrine of "finished salvation" is founded upon a heap of palpable mistakes, if by that expression you mean any thing more than a "finished atonement."

But, overlooking these insurmountable difficulties, you open your "full and particular answer," by saying, pages 62, 63, "Finished salvation is the grand fortress, against which all your artillery is played, and at which your heavy bombs of bitter sneer and cutting sarcasm are thrown. Yet this very expression, in its full extent, I undertake to vindicate; and in so doing shall fly to the sword of the Spirit: and, the Lord enabling me to wield it aright, I doubt not but I shall put to flight the armies of the aliens." Let us now see how you manage your sword, put us to flight, and establish finished salvation.

1. Page 63, "When the Lord of glory gave up the ghost, he cried, 'It is finished.' And what was finished? Not merely his life; but the work which was given him to do. And what was this work, but the salvation of his people? One would have imagined, that the Lord's own use of this expression might have silenced every cavil."

The Lord's own use of this contested expression, "finished salvation!" Pray, dear sir, where does he use it? Certainly not in the two passages you quote, “I have finished the work thou gavest me to do" previously to my entering upon my passion; and, "It is finished:" that is, All the prophecies relative to what I was to do, teach, and suffer before my death, are accomplished. Those scriptures do not in the least refer to the work of "salvation" on our part; nor do they even take in the most important branches of "salvation's" work on Christ's part. To assert it, is to take a bold stride into Socinianism, and maintain, it was not needful to our salvation that Christ should" die," and "rise again." For when he said, "I have finished the work thou gavest me to do," he was not yet entered upon his passion: nor had he "died for our sins," much less was he yet "risen for

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our justification," when he said upon the cross, "It is finished." To suppose, then, that salvation's work on Christ's part was finished," not only before his resurrection, but also before his death, is to set aside some of his most important works; in direct opposition to the scriptures, which testify, that "he died, the just for the unjust;" and affirm, that "if he is not raised, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins." Thus, sir, you have so unhappily begun to "wield your sword," as to cut down, at the first stroke, the two grand articles of the Christian faith,—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

II. Page 33. To mend the matter, you have recourse to the mysterious doctrine of the decrees; and because "all events are present unto God, and were so from eternity to eternity," you affirm that "the glorification of the elect is as much finished as their predestination." By the same rule of Geneva logic, I may say, that because God has decreed, the world "shall melt with fervent heat," the general conflagration is as much finished as the deluge. Were ever more strange assertions obtruded upon mankind?

If this illustration does not convince you of your mistake, I turn the tables, and make your blood run cold with the dreadful counterpart of your own proposition. "The damnation of the non-elect," born or unborn, "is as much finished as their predestination." And are these the "good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people?" And is this the comfortable "gospel of free grace," which we are to "preach to every creature?" Alas! my dear sir, you wield your sword so unskilfully, as absolutely to cut down all hopes and possibility of mercy for millions of your fellow-creatures; even for all the poor reprobates on the left side of the ship, who, "from eternity to eternity," were irresistibly enclosed in the net of" finished damnation."

III. Page 63. To support your unscriptural assertion, you produce Rom. viii. 30: "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Indeed, sir, the apostle no more meant to insinuate by these VOL. II.

E

words, that David was "justified" and "glorified," when he wallowed in the filth of adultery and murder; than that Judas was 66 condemned" and "damned," when he "left all to follow Christ." He only lays before us an account of the method, which God follows in the eternal salvation of obedient, persevering believers; who are the persons that, as such, he "predestinated" to life, “according to his foreknowledge," and "the counsel of his holy will.” These "he called," but not these alone. When they "made their calling sure," by "believing in the light" of their dispensation, these "he also justified." And when they made their justification sure, by "adding to their faith virtue," &c., these "he also glorified;" for the souls of departed saints are actually "glorified" in Abraham's bosom; and living saints are not only called" and "justified," but also in part "glorified;" for, "by the Spirit of glory and of God, which rests upon them, they are changed into the divine image from glory to glory;" yea, they are already "all-glorious within."

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How much more reasonable and scriptural is this sense of the apostle's words, than that you fix upon them, by which you would make us believe, that, on one hand, Solomon's "salvation" (including his "justification" and "glorification") was "finished," "in the full extent of the expression," when he worshipped the abomination of the Zidonians, and gloried in his shame: while, on the other hand, Demas's "damnation" was finished," when he was St. Paul's zealous "companion in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ!" O sir, have you not here also inadvertently used "the sword of the Spirit," to oppose "the mind of the Spirit," and make way for barefaced antinomianism? You proceed :—

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IV. Page 63. "The same apostle, in his epistle to the Ephesians, speaking to believers, addresses them as already (virtually) seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.'" Hence you infer, that their "salvation was finished," "in the full extent of the expression." But your conclusion is not just; for the apostle, instead of supposing their salvation finished, exhorts them not to steal, not to get drunk with wine, and "not to give place