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cause is cheerfully committed to your decision. All that I propose, at present, is to review some of the most plausible reasonings of these zealous and confident polemics; to point out a few of their more gross and palpable mistakes; and to show the candid reader how far he can rely on the statements of persons who discover so little acquaintance with more than one side of the controversy; and at the same time allow themselves to speak as if they engrossed all knowledge, and as if wisdom would die

with them.

These Letters, my brethren, as well as the former series, are intended solely for your use. They are occasioned, indeed, by the strictures of the gentlemen whose names are mentioned in the title page; but I have not thought proper to address those gentlemen directly. With them I have no personal dispute. Though they have intruded into our Church for the purpose of attacking me in the peaceable discharge of my pastoral duties, I have still no disposition to do more than to act on the defensive. But to refute their cavils, to repel their unfounded and injurious charges, to lay open the weakness of their cause, and to expose their want of information on this subject, is a duty which I owe to you. This duty I will attempt to discharge; and in the execution of it, I hope you will follow me patiently.

LETTER II.

Comparative stress laid on Ecclesiastical Order by Presbyterians and High-Churchmen. The doctrine of the fure-Divino Presbyterians briefly

stated.

CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

Two of the gentlemen whose attacks I am called upon to repel, accuse me of misrepresenting the high-toned Episcopal doctrine which they avow, and endeavour to maintain. They impute to me a desire to excite prejudices against them, by insinuating, that they exclude all but Episcopalians from salvation. Mr. How, in particular, brings forward and urges this accusation with great zeal. I utterly deny the charge. I never intended to convey such an insinuation; and am persuaded that my Letters do not contain a single sentence which can be fairly construed as expressing it.

But I have asserted, that such Episcopalians as agree with these writers, exclude us from the covenanted mercy of God, and declare us to be destitute of all interest in the promises of salvation. I have asserted, that they pronounce us to be out of the church of Christ, and aliens from the covenant of grace. I have asserted, that, while they express a

charitable hope that such of us as depart from the Episcopal church from "involuntary ignorance or error," will find mercy; they uniformly consider and represent this mercy as extended to Presbyterians, in the same manner, and on the same principles, as to the heathen; that is, not in virtue of any covenant engagement, or explicit promise; but on the footing of general, unpledged mercy. I have said this, and this only; and all this, they have themselves, in effect, avowed, repeated, and gloried in with a zeal worthy of a better cause.

But these gentlemen insist, that however high and offensive their claims may be considered, we, on our part, advance claims as high and as offensive as theirs; and, therefore, on our own principles, have no right to complain. They urge this argument with much confidence, and seem to regard it as a triumphant answer to the charge of unscriptural assumption. Mr. How expresses himself thus: Episcopalians lay no more stress on "external order than does the society to which you

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belong. Who could have supposed it possible, "after seeing you through several pages, declaim"ing against the monstrous pretensions of your "opponents, that they carry external order precise"ly as far as your own Confession of Faith, and not a tittle further." p. 16. Again he says, "You inveigh bitterly against your Episcopal neigh"bours, for asserting the exclusive validity of Epis

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copal ordination. But you equally assert the ex❝clusive validity of Presbyterial ordination; tell

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"ing us, that, without such ordination, there can "be no ministry; without a ministry, no church;

and without a church, no covenanted title to sal"vation. In addition to all this, you assert the di"vine institution of Presbyterial government, in all "its parts, excluding its habitual violators, cases of "unavoidable ignorance or involuntary error ex"cepted, from the kingdom of heaven. If the "Episcopal doctrine is of a nature nearly allied to "the claim of Papal infallibility, your doctrine "must be the claim of Papal infallibility itself." p. 117. Nay, he asserts, that Presbyterians carry their ideas of the importance of external order much further than Episcopalians. p. 22, 23. “I 66 proceed to observe that Presbyterians go much "further than Episcopalians in their ideas of ex"ternal order. Thus, not contented with making "Presbyterial ordination essential to the existence "of the church, and to all covenanted title to sal"vation, they tell us that Presbyterial government "is, in all its parts, sketched out in scripture; that "it is the duty of all Christians to conform to it; "and that, in refusing or neglecting to do so, "they incur great guilt. The plan of ruling el"ders and deacons, with mere temporal func"tions; the whole system of church sessions, "Presbyterial assemblies, Synodical assemblies, "and General assemblies, they say, is prescribed "in the word of God. In fact, it is impossible "to carry external order further than these men "carry it. See the language which they hold!

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Presbyterial government, in church sessions, "Presbyterial assemblies, Synodical assemblies, "and General assemblies, is established by the "Apostles, and is the law of God's house. All are "bound to conform to it. Habitual disobedience to any of the divine commands will exclude from "the kingdom of heaven. Thus all but Presbyte"rians are consigned to perdition. And what re"lief do they give? Why, simply, that there are "sins of ignorance and infirmity which may consist "with a gracious state. So that our opponents not "only make Presbyterial ordination essential to the "existence of the church, but they represent obe"dience to their particular mode of ecclesiastical "government as a condition of salvation: placing "all who reject it on the ground of the general mercy which, it is hoped, God will extend to per"sons labouring under unavoidable, or involuntary, And is not this sir, the exact ground on "which those who depart from the Episcopal consti"tution of the priesthood, are placed by the very "men against whom you so bitterly inveigh ?" This is such a favourite topic of declamation with Mr. How, that he can scarcely get through a single page, without directly or indirectly recurring to it. His coadjutors seem to be never better pleased than when joining in the same strain. And truly it wants nothing to render it a very plausible argument, but the single circumstance of having some foundation in fact. Of this, I am compelled to say, it is totally destitute.

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