attempted to be fhewn that ferious, orthodox Chriftians have been exceeded by the advocates for Socinianism in morality and practical Religion. On the contrary it is allowed by Dr. Priestley, that "a great number of Unitarians are without much practical Religion, and have a greater conformity to the world apparent in them, than there is in others."* Orthodox Chriftians have, to say the leaft then, all that you have, to recommend them to the Divine favour, if their great "Foundation" fhould fail them. Should he whom they worfhip, as their Lord and their God, be found to be no more than Man, they have only to anfwer for the additional fin of idolatry, to the commiffion of which there is confeffedly fuch temptation given in God's word, that if any offence is lefs aggravated than another, it would be this. Even in committing this fin, they might, upon your fyftem, which is here fuppofed to be the true one, and which makes repentance and fincere obedience the meritorious condition of pardon, ftrongly hope for forgiveness; fince they have repented and fincerely obeyed the Gofpel. And then their re * Difcourfes on various subje&s, page 100. 11 pentance and obedience would do as much for them as yours would do for you. But if you be found wrong, you are wrong not by excess but by defect. You have nothing that will fupply the place of Chrift's facrifice for fin: nothing that will redeem your guilty fouls, and make atonement to God for them. To all your other fins (not one of them blotted out from the Book of God's remembrance) will be added that of "having troden under foot the Son of God," fo far as he is the Son of God, "of having counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith" you might have been "fanctified” from all your fins, "an unholy" inefficacious "thing," σε "and of having "done despite to the fpirit of Grace." Who then is the rational, enlightened Man? Every humble and unprejudiced Reader, will, I have little doubt, see, that neither all Scripture nor all Reafon, is on your fide. To guard fuch perfons from being impofed upon and feduced, is the principal object I have in view, in writing this. I fcarcely can indulge a hope of fucceeding with any of your body, in bringing them back "to the acknow ledgement of the Truth." Minds fo given to change, fo elated with felf-fufficiency, are ill prepared to liften to arguments and proof, in favor *Heb. x. 29. of principles which they glory in having renounc ed. It may be "you would have little honour to lofe,"*fhould you be brought to abjure your prefent views and return to the Doctrines you oppofe; but you would, if honeft men, have the declaration to make, that at a time when you were moft confident of your being right, you have been found to be moft fatally wrong, and this to perfons afpiring to the high-founding titles of "rational Men and Philofophers" would be a humbling confeffion, whether their hands minifter to their neceffities," † or their writings occupy an elevated rank amongst the productions of Genius and Learning. Should you be induced to offer any thing further to the Public, in fupport of your principles and conduct, as Diffenters, as Baptifts, or as Socinians, I fhall only confider myself called upon to notice it provided you do not, as most of your predeceffors in the controversy have done, when expelled from one pofition, rally in another, but keep the ground you already occupy, and fairly meet the arguments which have been advanced, in defence of the Doctrines you oppofe. Any thing fhort of an attempt at a full refutation of what I have advanced, under the Several conftituent parts of the subjects at iffue be tween us, will be treated with filent difregard. Should fuch an attempt be made, we may alfo expect, in vindication of your late Publication, that you will have the goodneis to favor the world with your authority for faying "that Infant Baptism is but a tradition of men :" You will fhew that there is not only no direct, or conftructive command in Scripture for Infants to be baptized; no evidence of their having been baptized; but also that there is fome pofitive injunction that they should not be baptized; some fatisfactory proof that they were not baptized by the Apostles and first Christians: After fucceeding in this, you will further inform us, when this corruption first infinuated itself into the Church, and you will account for its obtaining at fo early a period as that in which we have undeniable proof that it was in ufe, without oppofition, without complaint, without notice. I am, &c. FINIS W, Blanchard, Printer, York |