len state, we can never perform. Under the second covenant, this obedience to the law of innocence paid by and in our surety, Christ Jesus, when we are united to him, by faith of the operation of God, is accepted as our own; For as our sins were transferred upon the Redeemer's guiltless head, so his merits are brought home to our guilty souls, by the powerful operati on of divine grace, through faith; and be ing thus complete in Christ, with respect to the fulfilling of the first covenant, we can rejoice in God, &c.-I say with res pect to the fulfilling of the first covenant, to guard against the error of thousands, who vainly imagine, that Christ has fulfilled the terms of the second covenant for us."

In page 42 speaking of a convinced sin. ner, he says, "This conviction and sense of guilt make the sinner come travelling and heavy laden to Christ, earnestly claiming the rest which he offers to weary souls. Matt. xi. 28. This rest the mourner seeks till the same spirit that had convinced him of sin, convinces also of righteous, ness, John xvi. 8, that is, shews him the all-sufficiency of the Saviour's righteousness; to swallow up his former sins and unrighteousness; and the infinite value of

Christ's meritorious death, to atone for his past unholy life; enabling him to believe with the heart, and consequently to feelthat he has an interest in the redeemer's blood and righteousness."

Here every man, who is not blinded by prejudice, must see, in these quotations, the identical sentiments of my letters. The active as well as passive obedience of the redeemer are both held forth, and the virtue of each assigned. But should it be asked; "Does Mr. Fletcher, any where expressly mention the active and passive obedience of Christ and say that these are imputed to us?" Yes, he does so, in the most direct terms, in page 45. his words are: "Having thus given you an account of both covenants, and laid before you the condition or term of each, namely, for the first, a sinless and uninterrupted obedience to all the commands of the lawperformed by ourselves; and for the second, a lively faith in Christby which faith the virtue of Christ's active and passive obedience to the law-being imputed to us,

&c.

After this, that pious and judicious divine proceeds to show, how consentaneous these doctrines are to the articles, homilies, &c. of the church of England, of which

he, as well as myself, was ordained a minister and then speaks of the beautiful order and exquisite harmony, in which the scheme of salvation, through Christ, is placed by the gospel, in page 62. "The merits and sufferings of Christ," says he, "are the only meritorious cause of our salvation; faith is the only instrumental cause -in the day of conversion. It receives Christ and salvation as the hand of a beggar receives an alms :-and good works are the declarative cause. This Christ alone properly merits, faith alone properly apprehends, and good works alone properly evidence salvation.

I have persued the business of quotation even to a tedious length, that I might as far as possible, remove all prejudices and obstructions out of the way, that if any thing good and worthy of acceptation be contained in what I have written, or shall write, my readers may freely receive the benefit. I could not have pitched on any two divines more proper to answer such a purpose. Baxter was justly esteemed one of the greatest divines, as well as the best of casuists, in his day. By his labours in doctrine, he laid such a foundation of religion, and sowed such seeds of piety, among his flock in Raderminser, as, perhaps, will spring

.

up and bear fruit as long as the sun and moon shall endure; and his voluminous writings have been abundantly owned and blessed to the conviction, conversion, and edification of thousands, both in Europe and America. As for Fletcher, his great piety and many useful publications, to rescue the pure and holy gospel, from antinonian dotages, have deservedly rendered his works and memory dear to every friend of pure and undefiled religion, and all who wish to know and do all the will of God on earth as angels do in heaven.

I shall conclude with my fervent prayer to Almighty God, that while we admire the divinity and embrace the sentiments of these great ministers, as held forth in the preceeding quotations, we may not forgetto imitate their peity, zeal and devotion.

I am your's, &c.

Most respectfully,

D. JARRATT.

P. S. I think it may be useful to add one quotation more which is taken from the sixth volume of Mr. Fletcher's works, page 216. Here he tells us that, "Con founding what God has divided, and divi

ding what the God of truth has joined, are the two capital stratagems of the god of error: the prince of peace compassionately tempers the doctrines of justice by the doctrines of grace, and instead of the law of innocence [which he has kept and made honourable for us]" mark well these last words, "the law of innocence which he" i. e. Christ the prince of peace, has kept and made honourable for us," "has substituted his own evangelical law of repentance, faith, &c."

LETTER II.

Of GOSPEL HOLINESS.

DEAR SIR,

February 16, 1792.

BY Gospel Holiness which some term Christian Perfection, I mean that maturity of grace and universal conformity to the holy will and image of God, which every believer is enjoined to press after, and which fathers in Christ do actually attain under the gospel dispensation. Or, in