justly propofed to us as an example, to excite us to be as fervent as we can; and may be justly alleged in our defence, when our warm and paffionate addreffes to God in our calamities, are condemned as fuperftitious folly. My lord, must nothing be an example, but what we can exactly come up to? How then can the life of our Saviour, which was entirely free from fin, be an example to us? How could it be faid in Scripture, "Be ye holy, "for I am holy?" Can any one be holy as God is?

My lord, one might properly urge the practice of the primitive christians, who parted with all they had for the fupport of their indigent brethren, as an argument for charity, without defigning to oblige people to part with all they have: and he that should in answer to fuch an argument, tell the world, that charity is only a calm undisturbed good-will to all mankind, would just as much fet forth the true doctrine of charity, as he that defines prayer to be a calm and undisturbed addrefs to heaven, for no other reafon, but because no certain degrees of fervour or affection are neceffarily required to constitute devotion. My lord, has charity nothing to do with the diftribution of alms, because no certain allowance is fixed? Why then must prayer have nothing to do with heat and fervency, because no fixed degrees of it are neceffary?

Therefore, my lord, as I would define charity to be a pious diftribution of fo much of our goods to the poor as is fuitable to our circumstances, fo I would define prayer an address to heaven, enlivened with fuch degrees of fervour and intenseness as our natural temper, influenced with a true fenfe of God, could beget

in us.

Your lordship fays, you only defire to strike at the root of superftitious folly, and establish prayer in its room; and this is to be effected by making our addreffes calm and undisturbed; by which we are to understand, a freedom from heat and paffion, as your lordship explains it, by an application to yourself.

If, therefore, any one should happen to be fo disturbed at his fins, as to offer a broken and contrite heart to God, inftead of one calm and undisturbed, or, like holy David, his foul fhould be a-thirst for God, or pant after him, as the hart panteth after the water-brooks, this would not be prayer, but fuperftitious folly.

My lord, calmness of temper, as it fignifiés a power over our paffions, is a happy circumftance of a rational nature, but no

farther when the object is well chofen, there is no danger in the purfuit.

The calmnefs your lordship hath described, is fit for a philofo pher, in his study, who is folving mathematical problems. But if he should come abroad into the world, thus entirely empty of all paffion, he would live to as much purpose as if he had left his understanding behind him.

What a fine fubject, my lord, would fuch a one make, who when he heard of plots, invafions, and rebellions, would continue as calm and undisturbed as when he was comparing lines and figures: fuch a calm fubject would scarce be taken for any great loyalist.

Your lordship in other places, hath recommended an open and undisguised zeal *, and told us such things as ought to alarm the coldeft heart t. Sure, my lord, this is fomething more than calm. and undisturbed and will your lordship, who hath expreffed fo much concern for this ornament and defence of human underftanding, perfuade us to part with the least degree of it upon any

account?

I am, my lord, (with all the refpect that is due to your lordship's station and character)

Your most humble and obedient Servant,

WILLIAM LAW.

*Serm. 5 Nov. p. 5.

Serm. p. 14.

1

IN ANSWER TO THE OBJECTIONS THAT HAVE
BEEN MADE AGAINST HIS FORMER LETTER.

BY WILLIAM LAW, M. A.

MR. LAW's SECOND LETTER

TO THE

BISHOP OF BANGOR.

MY LORD,

A

JUST concern for truth, and the first principles of the Chriftian religion, was the only motive that engaged me in the examination of your lordship's doctrines in a former letter to your lordship. And the fame motive, I hope, will be thought a fufficient apology for my prefuming to give your lordship the trouble of a fecond letter.

Amongst the vain contemptible things whereof your lordship would create an abhorrence in the laity, are, "the trifles and niceties of authoritative benedictions, abfolutions, excommunications." Again, you fay, that " to expect the grace of God from any hands but his own, is to affront him--t." And "that all depends upon God and ourfelves; that human benedictions, human absolutions, human excommunications, have nothing to do with the favour of God .'

It is evident from these maxims, (for your lordship afferts them as fuch) that whatever inftitutions are obferved in any Chriftian fociety, upon this fuppofition, that thereby grace is conferred through human hands, or by the miniftry of the clergy, fuch inftitutions ought to be condemned, and are condemned by your lordship, as trifling, useless, and affronting to God.

There is an inftitution, my lord, in the yet eftablished church of England, which we call confirmation: it is founded upon the

* Preservative, p. 98.

+ P. 89.

P. 101.