SINCE it has pleaſed God to give me a true Knowledge of the Doctrines of Grace, I have frequently thought, that next to the Falling away of the Clergy from the Principles of the Reformation, the Books which are in our Church, founded on the Arminian Scheme, have been the chief Cauſe that ſo many of our own Communion in particular, have built their Hopes of Salvation on a falſe Bottom. The Authors not only led the People Captive in their own Life-time, but alſo after their Death, like Simon Magus, for a long Seaſon have bewitched the People with their Sorceries, I mean their ſeemingly devout, but at the Bottom, Anti-Chriſtian Compoſitions. — The only Way therefore, to open People's Eyes, I think is this, to ſhew them, that the Writings, which for ſome Years paſt have been ſo much admired, are directly contrary to the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt; for this Reaſon I thought it my Duty to bear a publick Teſtimony againſt the Writings of Archbiſhop Tillotſon: — And upon the ſame Account, think it my Duty, to point out the fundamental Error of an Author, as much admired and read by the more common, as the Archbiſhop by the more learned and polite Sort of People.

I know you are impatient to hear who this can be: If you will promiſe me not to be angry, I'll tell you. — It is that much admired Book called The whole Duty of Man. — Methinks I ſee you ſurprized at the very mentioning of it; but remember, I deſired you not to be angry. — And if you will throw aſide Prejudice, and are ſincerely deſirous to know and do the divine Will, I am perſwaded we ſhall both be of one Mind concerning this Book, e'er you lay this Letter down out of your Hand.

But, before I ſhew you its Error, to convince you of my Impartiality, I confeſs that the Devotions of that Book were once of Service to me. — And I believe have been uſeful to many others. — The Book in general is calculated to civilize, but I am perſwaded, it never was a Means of Converting a ſingle Soul. — I have juſt been looking over the Index and General Titles at the End of it, and cannot find the Word Regeneration ſo much as once mentioned. — And indeed, the whole Treatiſe is built on ſuch a falſe Foundation, as not only proves the Author to be no real Chriſtian at Heart, but alſo, that he had not ſo much as a Head Knowledge of the true Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt. To prove this, I need only refer you to Part of the Preface.— Of the Neceſſity of Caring for the Soul (Paragraph 17) wherein the Author, talking of the ſecond Covenant, ſpeaks thus. — This ſecond Covenant, ſays he, was made with Adam, and us in him, preſently after his Fall, and is briefly contain'd in theſe Words, Gen. iii. 15. where God declares, that the Seed of the Woman ſhall break the Serpent's Head; And this was made up, as the firſt was, of ſome Mercies to be afforded by God, and ſome Duties to be performed by us. Who, that is any way enlightened, cannot but ſee the falſe Divinity and fundamental Errors of this Paſſage? For, how can it be proved, that the ſecond Covenant was made with Adam, or that God ever entered into any Covenant at all with Man, after he had broken the Firſt? It is true, God the Father, did enter into a Covenant (and that from all Eternity) with the Second Adam, the God-Man, Chriſt Jeſus, in our ſtead. — But it cannot be proved, that he made any Second Covenant at all with Adam himſelf or any of his Poſterity.— But ſays our Author, He did make a ſecond Covenant with Adam, and us in him, preſently after his Fall, and it is briefly contained in theſe Words, where God declares, that the Seed of the Woman ſhall bruiſe the Serpent's Head. — But I would aſk where any Covenant is contained in theſe Words, and how it is made up, as the firſt was, of ſome Mercies to be afforded by God, and ſome Duties to be perform'd by us? Here is a free Gift and Promiſe of Salvation made to Adam, but no Covenant. Here is not a Word of any Condition mentioned. — No, it was the Free Gift of God in Chriſt.— Adam was now in a State of Condemnation: He was ſo far from being deſirous of entering into Covenant with, that he fled from God, and was not ſo much as truly convicted of his Sin, as will evidently appear from the Context.— For both he and his Wife laid the Fault, not upon themſelves, but on one another, and on the Serpent. The Woman which thou gaveſt me (therein tacitly reflecting upon God for giving him that Woman) ſhe gave me, ſays Adam, and I did eat. The Serpent beguiled me, ſays the Woman, and I did eat. — Here appears no true Senſe of Sin at all. — And to ſhew they had no Notion of a Saviour, we are told, they ſewed Fig Leaves together, inſtead of applying to God, to cover their Nakedneſs,and afterwards fled from God, when they heard the Voice of the Lord God walking among the Trees of the Garden. — Here then opens that Myſtery of Godlineſs, God manifeſted in the Fleſh. Notwithſtanding our firſt Parents had broken the Covenant and had their Hearts hardened, yet out of the Riches of his Free Grace, God had provided a Remedy from all Eternity, and now reveals it in Time. — The Seed of the Woman, i. e. Jeſus Chriſt (who in all probability was ſpiritually conceived that Inſtant in the Heart of Eve) ſhall bruiſe the Serpent's Head, i.e. by his Obedience and Death, ſhall ſatisfy divine Juſtice, fulfil the moral Law in Man's Stead, and thereby deliver him from the Power of the Devil.— Here are no Terms mentioned on Man's Part at all: And ſuppoſing there had been a Covenant made with Man, and it had been made up, as the Firſt was, of ſome Mercies to be afforded by God, and ſome Duties to be performed by us, Alas, we are of all Creatures the moſt miſerable; for then we are not under Grace but under the Law. — And if Adam could not keep the firſt Covenant, tho' in perfect Innocence, how can we, who hate God by Nature, and whoſe Thoughts are only Evil continually, keep a Second, like unto it? Is not this putting Man into a moſt unhappy Condition, and making his poor imperfect Obedience the Cauſe, why Jeſus Chriſt is merciful unto him? And if ſo, how is Boaſting excluded in the great Work of our Redemption, as the Scriptures every where affirm? And how can Eternal Life be the Free Gift of God thro' Jeſus Chriſt our Lord? But this is agreeable enough to the Divinity of this Author, who in the 21ſt Paragraph of this Preface, ſays, — The third Thing Chriſt was to do for us, was to enable us, or give us Strength, to do what he requires of us. This he doth, Firſt, by taking off from the Hardneſs of the Law given to Adam, which was never to commit the leaſt Sin, upon Pain of Damnation, and requiring of us only an holy and hearty Endeavour to do what we are able, and where we fail, accepting of ſincere Repentance. Now I would fain know, where God has taken off from the Hardneſs of the Law given unto Adam, and required of us only an holy and hearty Endeavour to do what we are able, and where we fail, accepting of a ſincere Repentance? This is all as falſe, as God is true. The whole Law is as much in force againſt us, as it was againſt Adam, before we believed in Chriſt. God has been ſo far from taking off from the Hardneſs of the Law, given to Adam, That Jeſus Chriſt declares, That he came not to deſtroy, but to fulfil it. And until convinced of the Obligation we lie under, to obey the whole moral Law, in Thought, Word, and Deed, how can we ſee the Neceſſity of the Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt.—God's Law was honourable. Jeſus Chriſt fulfilled it in our Stead; and upon Account of that Righteouſneſs, imputed to us, and received by Faith, and not on our hearty Endeavour or Repentance, are we accepted by him. What is there, in our hearty Endeavour or Repentance, to recommend us to the Favour of God, or to render them worthy of being joined with the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt? as tho' that was not ſufficient of itſelf. — Our beſt Actions are but ſplendida peccata, Glittering Sins. — I cannot pray, ſays the pious Biſhop Beveridge, but I ſin; I cannot hear, or preach a Sermon, but I ſin; I cannot give an Alms, or receive the Sacrament, but I ſin; nay, I cannot confeſs my Sins, but my very Confeſſions are ſtill Aggravations of them; my Repentings need to be repented of, my Tears want waſhing, and the very Waſhing of my Tears needs ſtill to be waſhed over again, with the Blood of my Redeemer.

Jeſus Chriſt, the Lord, is our whole Righteouſneſs. We are to go to him as poor Sinners;—beg Salvation of him, as his Free Gift, and intreat him to give us a Living Faith, whereby that Righteouſneſs may be applyed to our Hearts; and then that Faith, if true, will work by Love. But before this Faith, we cannot be ſaid to have an actual Intereſt in the Benefits of Chriſt's Purchaſe. This the Author of the Whole Duty of Man, was wholly ignorant of, otherwiſe he would not have laid ſuch a Foundation. And if the Foundation be ſo bad, judge you then, how wretchedly weak the Superſtructure muſt be. It would take up more Time than I can at preſent ſpare, to point out all the Miſtakes of the whole Book. — I will only refer you to what this Author ſays about Recreations, Sunday 9th. Sect. 7. wherein he ſeems not only to allow of Gaming, by ſaying, If we play at any Game, but directs us when we do, to let the End of our Doing it, be meerly to recreate our ſelves. — I thought the Glory of God, and not ſelf-pleaſing, had been the Scope to which all Chriſtians ought to be directed. I ſuppoſe, from this Paſſage, a Man, whom I reproved lately on the Road, for Gaming in the Chriſtmas Holy Days, grounded his Authority for ſo doing.—He told me, The whole Duty of Man ſaid he might do ſo.—And, indeed, I believe he is not the Firſt, by Thouſands, who has been miſerably deceived by this much applauded Book: And therefore, I thought myſelf obliged to write this Letter; you may make what Uſe you will of it. I care not if the Contents are publiſhed upon the Houſe Top: Nay, I think it your Duty, if convinced yourſelf, to endeavour to convince others: For there's no Hopes of bringing People to a right Knowledge of the Goſpel, till their favourite, tho' erroneous, Authors, are diſcountenanced and laid aſide. — Before I ſee England, I hope I ſhall hear, that my Dear Friends in the Miniſtry, both in Preaching and Printing, have ſeconded my Teſtimony.—Future Ages, as well as the preſent, will be much beholden to them for it. —Their Declarations will ſtand as Records, that God did not leave himſelf without Witneſs, even in the worſt of Times: Other Goſpel Miniſters will be encouraged thereby, and Thouſands, nay, Ten Thouſands preſerved from Infection, which otherwiſe perhaps, they may not be able to avoid: —However, whether they ſecond me or not, by the Help of my God, both abroad and at home (if it be the divine Will I ſhould ſee England again) I will perſevere in bearing a more explicite and particular Teſtimony, againſt the falſe Writings of our admired Rabbies. Do you and my other Friends watch over me. Reprove me ſharply, whenever you perceive my Spirit any way imbittered.—Pray that I may be as meek as a Lamb, but as bold as a Lion; and then, whatever befalls me, for ſpeaking as I ought to ſpeak, thro' divine Grace, will be cheerfully ſubmitted to, by