Page images
PDF
EPUB

himself, "I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin [that is, habitually continues in the love and practice of it,] is the servant of sin."

Answ. But Christ makes his elect free from that service, and such are free indeed. But, if the authors of this book have no more experience than their gentle reader, who is a captive to sin; no more power than their blessed disciple, who cannot throw off the iron yoke; no more holiness than what their created faith has wrought in them; no other bond of union, no other sword to cut them off from the old stock, than this new-made faith; they are on the old stock, and under a terrible master, to this day; for these are not the things that accompany salvation, nor any thing like them. These are nothing but chimeras of a disordered brain; there is nothing of this to be found in the Bible, nor in the experience of God's children.

Reader, when our opponents have given me another job of this kind, I will, if time permit, delineate this treatise a little more; and set their self-contradictions against each other, page against page, that thou mayest have a short and concise view of the productions of vain janglers, and of the judgment that appears in their goings. And of this, reader, be assured, that, if any good treasure ever flows into thee, or from thee; if any real good works are ever performed by thee; if ever thou art at a certainty with respect to thy state, and at a point in thy doctrine; thou must have a

stronger bond of union than these authors hold forth; a better faith than they teach; a better hope than they exhibit; more grace in heart than they in shew; better holiness than they can feign; be more mighty in deeds than they in words; have a better spirit than they can counterfeit, and be a better saint than they can describe; or thou wilt be empty in heart, and barren in life, to the day of thy death! So I conclude, and so thou mayest affirm.

EXCOMMUNICATION,

AND THE

DUTY OF ALL MEN TO BELIEVE,

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.

IN A

LETTER TO MR. RYLAND, JUNIOR.

OCCASIONED BY A

LETTER OF EXCOMMUNICATION

SENT TO

MR. ADAMS,

MINE HOST, AT NORTHAMPTON.

FOR THE LORD IS A GOD OF KNOWLEDGE, AND BY HIM ACTIONS ARE

WEIGHED, 1 SAM. ii. 3.

.

MR. RYLAND'S LETTER TO MR. ADAMS.

MR. ADAMS,

As we sincerely wish to meet you in the kingdom of heaven, even if we should never more meet in fellowship together on earth, we earnestly entreat you to attend seriously and impartially to the considerations we shall now lay before you. We will frankly avow the principles of our conduct towards you. Do, sir, examine if it may not possibly be found that you have given us sufficient cause to censure your spirit and behaviour, and that your conduct has obliged us to proceed against you contrary to our real inclinations.

As you profess, in general terms, to acknowledge that no man is infallible, that all men are totally depraved by nature, and that the best of men are very imperfect; you, consequently, cannot deny, that you yourself are liable to mistake; to act in a wrong spirit; to sin against God and man; and that you may be seduced by the artifices of Satan, and the deceitfulness of your own heart, into things that are really evil. Do, therefore, we beseech you, examine yourself rigorously

« PreviousContinue »