against the wild rocks of superstition and enthusiasm; and frequently do it with such force, that they make shipwreck of the faith, and have little of godliness left, except a few broken pieces of its form.

Numbers, to shun that fatal error, steer quite a contrary course: supposing them selves guided by the compass of reason, when they only follow that of prejudice, with equal violence they dash their speculative brains against the opposite rocks of Deism and Pro faneness, and fondly congratulate themselves on escaping the shallows of fanaticim, whilst the leaky bark of their hopes is ready to sink, and that of their morals is perhaps sunk already. Thus, both equally overlook sober, rational, heart-felt piety, that lies between those wide and dangerous extremes.

To point out the happy medium which they have missed, and call them back to the narrow path, where Reason and Revelation walk hand in hand, is the design of these sheets. May the Father of Lights so shine upon the Reader's mind, that he may clearly discover Truth, and nothwithstanding the severity of her aspect, prefer her to the most soothing Error!

If the Reader is one of those who affect to be the warm votaries of Reason, he is intreated to be a close-thinker, as well as a freethinker; and with careful attention to consider Reason's dictates, before he concludes that they agree with his favourite sentiments. He has, no doubt, too much candour not to grant so equitable a request; too much justice, to set aside Matter of Fact; and too much good sense, to disregard an Appeal to Common Sense.

Should he incline to the opposite extreme, and cry down our rational powers; he is desired to remember, Right Reason, which is that which I appeal to, is a ray of the light that enlightens every man who comes into the world; and a beam of the eternal Logos, the glorious Sun of righteousness.

God, far from blaming a proper use of the noble faculty, by which we are chiefly distinguished from brutes, graciously invites us to the exercise of it: "Come, now," says he, "and let us reason together." Jesus commends the unjust steward, for reasoning better upon his wrong, than the children of light, upon their right principles. Samuel desires the Israelites to "stand still, that he may reason with them before the Lord." St. Peter charges believers "to give an answer to every one that asketh them a reason of their hope.' And St. Paul, who reasoned so conclusively himself, intimates, that wick ed men are unreasonable; and declares, that a total dedication of ourselves to God is our reasonable service. And while he challenges the vain disputers of this world, who would make jests pass for proofs, invectives for arguments, and sophistry for reason, he charges Titus to use, not merely sound speech but, (as the original also means,) "Sound Reason, that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed.”

Let us then, following his advice and example, pay a due regard both to Reason and Revelation. So shall we according to his candid direction, break the shackles of prejudice; prove all things, and, by divine grace, hold fast that which is good.

FIRST PART.

helpless and miserable, why is he perpetually invited to secure the assistance and consola tions of the Holy Spirit? And, in a word, if he is not born in sin, why is a new birth so absolutely necessary, that Christ declares, with the most solemn asseverations, without it no man can see the kingdom of God?

This doctrine, then, being of such importance, that genuine christianity stands or falls with it; it may be proper to state it at large. And as this cannot be done in stronger and plainer words, than those of the sacred Writers, and our pious Reformers; I beg leave to collect them, and present the reader with a picture of our natural estate, drawn in full length by those ancient and masterly hands.

I. Moses, who informs us that God created man in his own image and after his likeness,

physician; but they that are sick," Luke v. 31. He declares, that "men love darkness rather than light," That "the world hates them," and that "its works are evil," John iii. 16, and xv. 18 and vii. 7. He directs us all to pray for the pardon of sin, as being evil, and owing ten thousand talents to our heavenly Creditor, Matt. vi. 12. vii. 11; xviii. 24. And he assures us, that "the things which defile the man come from within:" and that, "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:" and, in a word, all moral Evil. Mark vii. 21; Matt. xv. 19.

Some, indeed, confine what the scriptures say of the depravity of human hearts, to the abandoned Heathens, and persecuting Jews; as if the professors of Morality and Christianity were not concerned in the dreadful charge. But the Apostle, when speaking of all mankind in their unregenerate state, justly infers, that "Destruction and misery are in their ways." And lest the self-righteous moralists should flatter themselves, that this alarming declaration doth not regard them, that "the Scripture concludes all under sin; that there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" and that the moral law denounces a general curse against its violaters, "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God," Rom. iii. 9, 23, vi. 19. Eph. ii. 2.

If this assertion seem severe, let some of the best men that ever lived, decide the point; not by the experience of immoral persons; but by their own. "I abhor myself," says Job, "and repent in dust and ashes," Job xlii. 6. "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity," says David, "and in sin did my mother conceive me," Ps. li. 5, "Woe is me, for I am undone," says Isaiah, "because I am a man of unclean lips," Isa vi. 5. "I know," says St. Paul, that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing," Rom. vii. 18. "We ourselves," says he, to Titus, "were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy; hateful and hating one another," Tit. iii. 3. And speak ing of himself, and the Christians at Ephesus, he leaves upon record this memorable sentence, "We were by nature the children of wrath even as others," Eph. ii. 3. Such humbling thoughts have the best men entertained both of their natural estate, and of themselves!

But as no one is a more proper person to appeal to, in this matter, than this learned Apostle, who, by continually conversing with Jews, Heathens, and Christians in his travels, had such an opportunity of knowing mankind; let us hear him sum up the suffrages

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of his inspired brethren: "What then," says he, "are we better than they?" Better than the immoral Pagans, and hypocritical Jews, described in the two preceding chapters ? "No, in no wise." And he proves it by observing, 1. The Universality of human corruption; "all are under sin, as it is written, There is none righteous, no not one." 2. The Extent of it in individuals, as it affects the whole man, especially his mind; "There is none that understandeth" the things of God. His affections. "There is none that seeketh after God." And his actions, "They are all gone out of the way" of duty. "There is none that doeth good, no not one;" For "all have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh, and of the mind.-3. The Out. breakings of this corruption through all the parts of the body. Their throat, their lips, their mouth, their feet, their eyes, and all their members, are together become unprofitable, and instruments of unrighteousness. As for their tongue, says St. James, it "is a world of iniquity, it defileth the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell." And lastly, its Malignity and Virulence: It is loathsome as an open sepulchre, terrible as one who runs to shed blood, and mortal as the poison of asps.

If a man is thus corrupt and guilty, he must be liable to condign punishment. Therefore, as the Prophets and Apostles agree with our Lord, in their dismal descriptions of this depravity; so they harmonize with him, in the alarming accounts of his danger. Till he fly to the Redeemer as a condemned malefactor, and secure an interest in the salvation provided for the lost, they represent him as on the brink of ruin.

They inform us, that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven," not only against some atrocious crimes, but against all unrighteousness of men," Rom. i. 18. That every transgression and disobedience, shall receive a just recompence of reward, Heb. ii. 2. That "the soul that sinneth shall die," because "the wages of sin is death," Ezek. xviii. 4. Rom. vi. 23. They declare, that "they are cursed, who do err from God's commandments:" that "cursed is the man, whose heart departeth from the Lord.” That "cursed is every one who continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them :" that "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all." And that, as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law," Psalm cxix. 21. Jer, xvii. 5. Gal. iii. 10. James ii. 10. Rom. ii. 12.

They intreat us to turn, lest we should be found with the many, in the broad way to destruction, Ezek. xviii, 23. Matt. vii. 13

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They affectionately inform us, that "it is fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. That our God is a consuming fire to the unregenerate that indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, hang over every soul of man who doeth evil; that the Lord shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them, who know him not, and obey not the gospel: that the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God: that they shall be punished with eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. And that they all shall be damned, who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness," Heb. x. 31, and xii. 29. Rom. ii. 9. 2 Thess. i. 8, and ii. 12. Psa. ix, 17.

Nor does our Lord, who is both the Fountain and Pattern of true charity, speak a different language. He bids us, "fear him, who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Luke xii. 5. He solemnly charges us to oppose corrupt nature with the utmost resolution, lest we be cast into hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mark ix. 43. With tenderness he informs us, that whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou fool! shall be in danger of hell-fire; that not only the wicked, but the unprofitable servant, shall be cast into outer darkness, where there shall be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth: and that he himself, far from conniving at sin, will fix the doom of all impenitent sinners, by this dreadful sentence, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," Matt. v. 22, and xxv. 30, 41.

II. I flatter myself, that the doctrine, which we are able to try by the touch-stone of Reason, has been already sufficiently established from Scripture. Nevertheless, that the Reader may have the fullest view of so momentous a subject, I shall yet present him with a recapitulation of the whole, in the words of our pious Reformers, taken out of the Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy of the Church of England. The Ninth Article thus describes our depravity and danger. "Original, or birth-sin, is the fault, and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation."

The Thirty-fifth article gives sanction to the Homilies in the following words: "The book of Homilies contain a good and wholesome doctrine, and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches, by Ministers, diligently and distinctly, that they may be

understood by the people." Let us then see how they set forth the good and wholesome, though lamentable and humbling doctrine of our lost estate.

The title of the Second Homily is, "A Sermon of the misery of mankind, and of his condemnation to death everlasting by his sin." In the close of it, the contents are summed up in these words: "We have heard how evil we are of ourselves; how of ourselves, and by ourselves, we have no goodness, help, or salvation, But on the contrary, sin, damnation, and death everlasting.'

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Our Church is uniform in her woeful accounts of man's misery. Hear her in the First Homily for Whitsuntide: "Man of his own nature (since the fall,) is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naught, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of good. ness in him, without any virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds."

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In the Homily on the Nativity, she speaks thus: "He (disobedient man) was cursed and abhorred. Instead of the image of God, he was now become the image of the devil, the bond-slave of hell: altogether spotted and defiled, he seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin; and therefore, by the just judgment of God, he was condemned to everlasting death. Thus in Adam, all men became universally mortal, having in themselves nothing+ but everlasting damnation of body and soul."

The same doctrine is delivered with the same plainness in the second part of the Homily on the Passion: Adam died the death, that is, became mortal, lost the favour of God, and was cast out of paradise, being no longer a citizen of heaven, but a fire-brand of hell, and a bond slave of the devil. And St. Paul bears witness, that by Adam's offence, death came upon all men to condemnation, who became plain reprobates and cast a-ways, being perpetually damned to the everlasting pains of hell fire.

Agreeable to this, we are taught in the Second part of the Homily on Repentance, that "part of that virtue consists in an unfeigned acknowledgment of our sins to God, whom, by them, we have so grievously offended, that if he should deal with us

Prejudiced persons, who instead of considering the from the whole will be offended here, as if our Church entire system of truth, run away with a part detached "damned every body." But, the candid Reader will easily observe, that, instead of dooming any one to destruction, she only declares, that the Saviour finds all would eternally remain, were it not for the compassionmen in a state of condemnation and misery, where they ate equity of our gracious God, which does not permit him to sentence to a consciousness of eternal torments,

any one of his creatures, for a sin, of which they never were personally guilty; and of which, consequently, they can never have any consciousness.

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She begins her Baptismal Office by reminding us, that "all men are conceived and born in sin." She teaches in her Catechism, that, we are by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath." She confesses in the Collect before the general thanksgiving, that we are tied and bound with the chain of our sins," and intreats God to "let the pitifulness of his great mercy loose us" and in her Suffrages, she beseeches him to "have mercy upon us, to spare us, and make speed to save us," a language that can suit none but condemned sinners.

Duly sensible of our extreme danger, till we have secured an interest in Christ, at the Grave she supplicates the "most holy God, not to deliver us into the bitter pains of eternal death;" and in the Litany she beseeches our Lord Jesus Christ, "by his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, to deliver us from his wrath and everlasting damnation." Thus is our church every where consistent with herself, and with the oracles of God, in representing us as corrupt, condemned creatures in Adam; till we are penitent, absolved believers in Jesus Christ.

The doctrine to be demonstrated in this treatise, being thus fully stated, in the consentaneous words of the sacred Writers and our pious Reformers, I shall close this part by an appeal to the Reader's candour and com mon sense. If such are the sentiments of our Church, are those Churchmen reason❤ able, who intimate, that all the maintainers of them, are either her open or secret enemies? And may they rank with modest humble christians, who, instead of the selfabasing scripture doctrine here laid down, boldly substitute pompous, pharisaic descriptions of the present dignity and rectitude of human nature? Without waiting for the obvious answer, I pass to the first class of arguments, on which the truth of this mortifying doctrine is established.

SECOND PART.

As no man is bound to believe what is contrary to Common Sense; if the above stated doctrine appears irrational, Scriptures,

Some, to extricate themselves at once, set the Bible aside, as full of incredible assertions. Others, with more modesty, plead that the Scriptures have been frequently misunderstood, and are so in the present case. They put grammar, criticism, and common sense to the rack, to whew, that, when the inspired writers say, the human heart is desperately wicked, they mean that it is extremely good; or, at least, like blank paper, ready to receive either the characters of virtue or vice. With respect to the testimony of our Reformers, they would have you to understand, that in this enlightened age, we must leave their harsh, uncharitable sentiments to the old Puritans, and the present Methodists.

That such objectors may subscribe as a solemn trath, what they have hitherto rejected as a dangerous error; and that humbled sinners may see the propriety of a heartfelt repentance, and the absolute need of an almighty Redeemer; they are here presented with some proofs of our depravity, taken from the astonishing severity of God's dispensations towards mankind.

AXIOM.

If we consider the supreme BEING, as creating a world for the manisfestation of his glory, the display of his perfections, and the communication of his happiness to an intell gent creature, whom he would attach to himself by the strongest ties of gratitude and love; we at once perceive, that he never could form this earth, and man in their present disordered, deplorable condition. It is not so absurd to suppose the meridian sun productive of darkness, as to imagine that infinite Goodness ever produced any kind or degree of evil.

Infinite Holiness and Wisdom having assisted Infinite Goodness, to draw the ori ginal plan of the world; it could not but be entirely worthy of its glorious Author, absoIutely free from every moral defilement, and natural disorder. Nor could infinite Power possibly be at a loss, to execute what the other divine attributes had contrived.. Therefore, unless we embrace the senseless opinion of the Materialists, who deny the being of a God; or admit the ridiculous creed of the Manichees, who adore two gods, the one the gracious author of all the good, and the other the mischievous principle of all the evil in the world; we must conclude with Moses, that " every thing which God made was at first, very good;" or, in other words, that order and beauty, harmony and happiness, were stamped upon every part of the creation