displease the one by addressing the other. Whatsoever is truly and properly God is the object of divine worship. And that Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God, are truly, really, and properly God, is as clearly revealed in the scriptures as that the Father is so. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our heavenly Father, and the communion of the Spirit of all grace, be with thee, and with all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth, both now and for evermore, is the prayer of, dear son, Yours in Christ Jesus, W. H. S. S TO MR. BRITTON. SIR, THE God of all grace neither applauds nor approves of that conceited wisdom which will make a man an offender for a word, and lie in wait for him that reproves in the gate. But it seems that I have offended more than once; in your pulpit, and likewise from the press. One great offence from your pulpit was, bidding sinners, convicted of unbelief, to ask faith of God. But the greatest offence seems to be taken from two passages in my two sermons lately published on The Loss and Restoration of the Image of God in Man. God's image of Adam, and all his soul's adorning, was owing to the indwelling of the Holy Ghost; and when that sweetest of all comforters took his leave, all was gone,' Page 52. The other passage is, 'When Adam lost his native righteousness, the entrance of guilt opened his eyes, and he saw that he was naked, for the Holy Spirit with all his adorning left him,' Page 114. At these capital offences you have stormed and raged for many months, belabouring poor Adam at a sad rate. 'Adam,' you say, never had grace; Adam was a good and an upright natural man; Adam never had the Spirit of God; Adam never was a spiritual man; Adam was a natural man; and this you will defend as long as you have breath,' &c. And your audience has caught the same flame, 'Huntington has quite missed the mark; he has now done for himself; he has cut himself all to pieces in this book; he is inconsistent with himself,' &c. All this may be true, for I am no more perfect than Mr. Britton. About my first offence you might have disputed with me before I left Downham; and about the other you might have written in a friendly manner to me, and I would most willingly have informed you what support I have for my arguments. But this would not answer the end of unprovoked envy; you chose to do it publicly; and the more heterodox you could make me, of course the more orthodox you must appear; and by beating out my taper add additional flame to your own lamp. You have likewise invited another to assist you, who has published a twopenny volume of poetry, in which he has inserted many things about Adam, as though they were taken from my sermons, which were never in them. In this I am not the plaintiff, but the defendant. You have publicly attacked me from your pulpit, and I now send you this public answer, that you may have an opportunity of displaying your wisdom, and of fulfilling your promise, to oppose me, in my opinions of Adam, as long as you have breath, |