2. I know it is faid, That the preacher, notwithstand ing thefe defects, is orthodox; and that he made found declarations for the truth before the judicatories. But, in my humble opinion, let his after declarations, when in hazard of cenfure, be never fo found, yet the forefaid omiffions in a printed fermon are fo very culpable, and fuch a bad example to ftudents of divinity in one that is their teacher, that the fermon ought to have been dif approven, the preacher admonished, all preachers warned against fuch a Chriftless way of preaching, and a warm recommendation given them to obferve the 7th act of Affembly 1736 concerning Evangelical preaching; Nay, the prefbytery of Glafgow deferved thanks for the pains they had taken to enquire into that fermon in obedience to the faid act of Affembly, which injoins all preachers to have a special regard and eye to Chrift in all their fermons, and prefbyteries to fee that they do it. Oh how worthlefs, lifelefs, faplefs and fruitlefs, must all our preachings and prayers be, if precious Chrift be left out of them! Mr Leechman's fermon is one instance, among many, to fhew how too well grounded thofe fears are, which are expreffed in the Testimony, that the faid act of Affembly is but little regarded, and that the numbers are increafing of those who preach moral duties without relation to Chrift, through whofe ftrength all our duties are to be performed, and through whofe righteoufnefs they must be accepted. And, alas! it feems to portend little good to this poor church, when men fo little verfant in the Chriflian mediatory scheme, or fo unaccustomed to evangelical preaching and teaching, are made profeffors of divinity, and entrusted with the education of young men for the holy miniftry. Neither doth it bode well, when men, affoon as they acquire fome title to a Profeffor's chair by the choice of a patron, or of laicks of any fort, do ftraightway demit their pastoral charge, and push on their own translation to the chair, without any call or concurrence from the church. As that was not the practice of former times, fo it looks too like the difallowed practice of thofe Prophets who ran before they were fent, Jer. xxiii. 21. A running,

running, alas! that greatly abounds in this day! May the Lord in mercy put a stop to it!

Another thing I must here notice; there is fomething dropt in the Testimony, in favours of the 7th act of Affembly 1722, relating to the Marrow, &c. which act I fee is heavily charged by the Affociate Prefbytery in their act concerning the doctrine of grace, which I had not occafion to read before the Testimony was sent to the prefs. I have now again read over the Affembly's act, and upon fecond thoughts I fhall not fay it is fo well worded as could be wifhed, or that the word 'caufality is fit to be used in afferting the neceffity of holiness to falvation: but I truly believe the meaning of Afsembly 1722 was found, and their intention good, viz. to difapprove every opinion or expreffion that tended any way to flacken our obligation to the study of holiness; and the brethren have not just ground for their harfh cenfure of that Affembly, because of their faying, in explaining the neceffity of of holinefs for obtaining everlafting happiness, that "it is to be meant only of obe taining the enjoyment and poffeffion of happiness, and not of the right and title to it ;" and that it is dangerous to affert that holy obedience is not a federal or conditional mean, nor has any kind of cafuality in order to the obtaining of glory, as it seems to exclude all ufefulness and influence of holy obedience, in order of means towards the poffeffion of heaven." This laft clause of the Affembly's words doth plainly limit the fenfe in which they difapprove the forefaid affertion, viz, in fo far as they feem to exclude the usefulness of holinefs in order of means to falvation. Yet the brethren, without noticing that explanatory claufe, do in their act concerning the doctrine of grace, published this year, declare that the Affembly 1722, by their faid 7th act, have opened a wide door to Arminian and Socinian errors to overflow the church and land. It is furprising that this heavy charge against that Affembly has lien dormant for 22 years, until the most part of that Affembly are in their graves; and that they did not openly complain of it at paffing the act, but fubmitted and lived quietly in the communion of the church for many VOL. IV. 3 R

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years hereafter. It is uncharitable to charge that Affembly with holding opinions contrary to the doctrine of grace, when, in the very act they attack, the Affembly profeffes a clofe adherence to our standards with respect to the doctrine of grace. And, from their own words, we have all reafon to conclude they really did fo, and that they held that " Believers have complete falvation and happiness, both as to the title to it and poffeffion of it, only through Chrift and his purchase; and that their holine's here, which is a part of their begun falvation, is alfo a part of Chrift's purchase, as well as eternal glory; feeing it is Chrift that recovers the loft image of God to us, and restores that which he took not away." And that they held, " that no believer hath any thing in himself, or of his own doing, to reft upon or glory in; but that he owes all to Chrift, who has obtained the whole of our falvation, and every part and degree. of it, by his blood and merit." That they held all this, is evident from feveral places of the faid act of Affembly 1722, wherein they affert, according to our ftandards, that, "God in the covenant of grace freely offers to a finner life and falvation by Jefus Chrift, and promifes and gives his holy Spirit to all the elect, to make them able and willing to believe and give holy obedience. Alfo they affert, That God juftifies us freely, not for any thing wrought in us or done by us, but for Chrift's fake alone: not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience, to us as our righteoufnefs but by imputing the obedience and fatisfaction of Chrift unto us only. That our repentance doth not make any fatisfaction for fin, nor is any cause of the pardon thereof: That our best works cannot any way merit eternal life: that it is a precious gofpel truth, that believers are free from the law as it is a covenant of works, fo as thereby they are neither juftified nor condemned," &c.

From thefe and feveral other expreflions of Affembly 1722, we may juftly conclude, that their meaning in the expreffions quarrelled was found, and that they intended no hurt to the doctrine of grace: that they did not mean that a believer's holinefs hath any cafual in fluence

fluence or virtue to purchase heaven; but that it is neceffary in order of means (as they fpeak) towards the poffeffion of it; in regard that God requires holiness in every believer, as the means of preparing and making him meet for poffeffing heaven. So that the Affembly's fenfe is plainly this, That as Chrift's righteousness is neceffary in the way of merit and purchase for obtaining the 'believer's right and title to heaven, fo holiness in a believer (which alfo Chrift hath purchased) is neceffary in the way of preparation and meetnefs for qualifying him for the poffeffion of heaven. Now, we fee, it is God himself that makes it so neceffary, by fixing an infeparable connection betwixt holiness and happinefs, declaring, Heb. xii. 14, that " without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord." Wherefore, that our brethren after all this fhould pafs fuch a fevere cenfure against the Affembly's doctrine, as opening a wide door for Arminian and Socinian errors, is very unjuft, and unbecoming the duty of children to their mother. And it is yet more fo, for them to affert (as they do in the fame place, p. 41. without any proof for it) that Arminian and Socinian errrors have actually overflown this church like a flood; whereas they may fee a late act of Affembly, as well as older acts, condemning all Arminian and Socinian errors, viz. act 7th Affembly 1736. Had they charged fome members of the church with fuch errors, the fault had been lefs; but to affert that a flood of Arminian and Socinian errors do overflow the church herself, as if all were covered with them, is a charge moft terrible and fhocking! I fcarce have any words to answer to it, except to regret that any of the reverend and dear brethren, whom I muft, ftill regard, fhould allow themselves to go on in fuch a Latitudinarian way of fpeaking and calumniating their brethren. Some may think to excufe themselves, that it is from zeal for a good caufe, and a defign to promote the interest of Chrift, that they fpeak fo reproachfully of other minif ters: but let fuch remember what Job faid to his three friends when they took the fame course, Job xiii. 7. "Will you fpeak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him " After all, however ill-grounded this charge

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be, yet, feeing it comes from a body of men within the land, the church is called to take fome course to vindicate herfelf and her doctrine, though it were no more but to maintain her credit among foreign churches. Surely fuch a bold charge from our brethren, with other confiderations, fhould at length roufe us, and prevail with the General Affembly to fall in with the defire of many minifters and prefbyteries, to give a teftimony against thefe errors which abound in the land, to declare their abhorrence of them, and to give warning to all the minifters, preachers, and members of this church, to guard carefully against them, and against every appearance, or approach of error.

There is not room here to notice any other thing in the brethren's act concerning the doctrine of grace, in which though there be many precious truths, yet there are also fome affertions too loofe, unguarded, and even. bordering too near the doctrine called Antinomian; which fhould be carefully avoided, as well as that called Neonomian. But, notwithstanding of all these uncharitable fallies, unguarded affertions, and extravagant heights, which our brethrens defire to support their intereft against the established church may drive them to at prefent; there is ground to expect, that, after calm and cool thinking, they will not approve themselves in these things, but will come at length to a more charitable temper, and fhew regard to others whom they fee to be found in the faith, and zealous for the doctrine of grace as well as themselves. And confidering our brethrens great refolution, and their zeal for the purity of doctrine, I would fain hope God will yet honour them to be useful for maintaining his truths, and make them a witneffing remnant for Calvinift principles, and the doctrine of grace, against all kinds of Pelagian and Arminian errors, which this backfliding age feem too much inclined to fall in with. Upon which account I still with well to them.

There is alfo joined with the forefaid act, another act for renewing the covenants national and folemn league, with a new covenaut of the brethrens framing, in which fome things might be noticed: not that I quarrel the

duty