I NEED make no Apology for troubling your Lord­ship with this. As your Lordship was pleased to make me the chief Subject Matter of your last Pastoral Letter, I think it my Duty to answer it in the best Manner I can.

Your Lordship is to be highly commended, for the Care you have taken in Watching over the Souls of those who are committed to your Lordship's Charge— Luke-warmness and Enthusiasm are the two Rocks, against which even well-meaning People are in dan­ger of splitting. All ought to be Thankful to that Pilot, who will teach them to steer a safe and middle Course.—I would gladly hope, that a Zeal for God in the Discharge of your Duty, and a hearty Concern for the Safety of Souls moved your Lordship to write.— These are the Principles, I trust, which now excite me to direct this Answer to your Lordship. And, blessed be God, that I can write with somewhat of that Love and Meekness which becomes a Disciple of Jesus Christ, and with all that Humility and Reve­rence, which is due from a Presbyter to a Bishop of the Church of God.

Lukewarmness and Enthusiasm, my Lord, are cer­tainly the Bane of true Christianity. I thank your Lordship again for your kind Cautions against them. The only Q [...]ery is, ‘Whether there was any Oc­casion for your Lordship's warning the People of your Diocess against running into either of these Ex­tremes, upon account of any Thing I have either spoken or wrote?’ Your Lordship thinks there was, [Page 4] and you quote Passages out of my Journal to prove it; if it can be proved, I will ask publick Pardon, both of your Lordship and Them with all my Heart.

As for your Cautions against Lukewarmness, I am not much concerned in them. You do not seem to point at me in particular; unless it is where your Lordship, (Page 10) informs your People. That a diligent Attendance on the Duties of the Station where­in Providence has placed them, is in the strictest Sense, the serving of God. None but those who condemn me unheard, can justly charge me with affirming to the contrary.

However, I beg Leave to observe, that your Lord­ship, (Page 8) calls that a very imperfect State of Christianity, which is no State of Christianity at all. St. Paul writing to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. Chap. 13. v. 5. says, Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith, Prove your own selves. And that they might have a certain Rule, whereby to judge whether they were in the Faith, truly so called, or not, immediately adds, Know ye not your ownselves how that Christ Jesus is in you, except ye be Reprobates? So that ac­cording to St. Paul's Rule, ‘He that finds, he has hitherto contented himself with a bare bodily At­tendance upon the Publick Worship of God, and following his daily Employment on other Days, and with abstaining from the more gross and notorious Acts of Sin, and from doing any Hurt or Injury to his Neighbour, and has rested finally upon these as the Whole of that Christianity requires of him,’ is so far from being in a very imperfect State, as your Lordship is pleased to affirm, (Page 8) that he is in no Stae of Christianity at all. No, my Lord, he is a Reprobate, i. e. one who at present is out of a State of Salvation, nor can he ever have any Assurance that he is in a State of Salvation, till he Knows that Jesus Christ is in Him, by the Indwelling of his Holy Spirit. If I have mistaken your Lordship's Expression, I will freely beg your Pardon.

[Page 5]Another Thing, My Lord, to me seems darkly ex­pressed in (Page 8) (Oh! let not your Lordship be angry, for indeed I will endeavour to speak with all Gentleness and Humility) Your Lordship's Words are these, Nor need they any other Evidence besides those Good Dispositions they find in their Hearts, that the Holy Spirit of God co-operates with their honest En­deavours to subdue Sin and grow in Goodness. If by Good Dispositions, your Lordship only means Good Inclinations or Desires, I deny That to be a sufficient Evidence, that the Spirit of God co-operates with their honest Endeavours to subdue Sin and grow in Goodness. For there is a great Difference between Good Desires and Good Habits. Many have One, who never attain to the Other. Many have good Desires to subdue Sin, and yet resting in those good Desires, Sin has always had Dominion over them. A Person sick of a Fever may desire to be in Health, but that Desire is not Health itself. In like Manner many have good Dispositions or Desires to be Good, but that is not Goodness it self. And consequently Men need more Evidence than good Dispositions, to prove to themselves or others, ‘That the Holy Spirit of God co operates with their ho­nest Endeavours to subdue Sin.’ If by Good Dispo­sitions, your Lordship means Good Habits wrought in the Heart by the Spirit of God, such as Peace, Love, Joy, Long-suffering, Goodness, Truth, &c. I then a­gree a Man needs no other Evidence. For these are the proper and genuine Fruits of the Spirit itself.

Your Lordship immediately adds, ‘Nor that, per­severing in their Course, and praying to God for his Assistance, and relying upon the Merrits of Christ for the Pardon of all such Sins, Failings, and Im­perfections, as are more or less unavoidable in this mortal State.’ I beg leave to ask your Lordship, whether this does not favour too much of the common Divinity, viz. That we are to do something for our­selves; or, in other Words, that we have partly a Righteousness of our own, and that Jesus Christ is to make UP the Deficiencies of that Righteousness? [Page 6] What else can your Lordship Mean, by saying ‘That we must rely on the Merrits of Christ, for the Par­don of all such Sins as are more or less unavoidable in this mortal State?’ Did Jesus Christ come into the World, My Lord, only to save us from the Guilt of such Sins as are more or less unavoidable in this mor­tal State? The Scriptures every where affirm, That Man hath no Righteousness of his own: That there is none Righteous, no not one: That all Our Righte­ousness is as filthy Rags; and that Jesus Christ died not only to save us from the Guilt of all such Sins, Failings and Infirmites, as are more or less unavoida­ble in this mortal State, but from all willful Sins, and also from that original Corruption, which every Man naturally engendred of the Off-spring of Adam, brings into the World with him. I hope I have not misun­derstood or overstrained your Lordship's Expression.

I come now to your Lordship's Caution against En­thusiasm. For that I suppose your Lordship intended more particularly against me.

And here, my Lord, I beg leave to observe, That, in my Opinion, your Lordship has by no Means been clear enough in your Definition of the Word Enthu­siasm.

According to the fair Rules of Writing, was it not first Incumbent on your Lordship to shew, that the Word Enthusiast had a good as well as bad Meaning: That it signifies no more than a Person in God, and consequently every Christian, in the proper Sense of the Word, is an Enthusiast? For St. Peter writes, That to us are given exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these we might be Partakers of the divine Nature.

And our Church says, If we receive the Sacrament worthily, we are one with Christ and Christ with us, we dwell in Christ and Christ in us. For which she has sufficient Warrant from our Lord's Prayer, John 17.20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their Word. Ver. 21. That they all may be one, as thou [Page 7] Father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. Ver. 23. I in them and they in me, that they may be made perfect in one. Ver. 26. That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them and I in them.

But indeed your Lordship's Definition of Enthu­siasm, when examined, does not convey any ill Idea at all. ‘Enthusiasm is a strong Perswasion on the Mind, that they are guided in an extraordinary Manner, by immediate Impulses and Impressions of the Spirit of God.’ Had your Lordship said, a strong, but Groundless, Perswasion, that they are guided in an extraordinary Manner, it would have been to your Lordship's Purpose. But to affirm, with­out any Restriction, that a strong Perswasion that we are guided in an extraordinary Manner by immediate Impulses, is Enthusiasm in the worst Sense of the Word, when your Lordship yourself says, (Page 54) ‘There is no doubt but God, when he pleases, can work upon the Minds of Men by extraordinary In­fluences,’ to me seems a little inconsistent.

Your Lordship proceeds thus. ‘And this is owing chiefly to the Want of distinguishing aright between the ordinary and extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit. The extraordinary Operations were those by which the Apostles and Others, who were entrusted with the first Propagation of the Gospel, were enabled to work Miracles, and speak with Tongues in Testimony, that their Mission and Doc­trine were from God.’

I suppose, by extraordinary Operations, your Lord­ship means the same as being guided in an extraordi­nary Manner just above. And if so, according to your Lordship's own Definition, I am no Enthusiast. For I never did pretend to these extraordinary Opera­tions of working Miracles of speaking with Tongues, in Testimony that my Mission and Doctrine were from God; I only lay claim to the ordinary Gifts and In­fluences of the Spirit, which your Lordship. (Page 20) says, 'Still continue.' And what Need was there [Page 8] then, my Lord, that the People of your Diocese should be Cautioned against Enthusiasm on my Ac­count?

But your Lordship farther adds, the ordinary Gifts, However real and certain in themselves, are no other­wise discernable than by their Fruits and Effects. Had your Lordship said, No otherwise discernable to others than by their Fruits and Effects, it would have been right. But if your Lordship means they are no otherwise discernable to ourselves, in my Opinion it is wrong: For it is possible, my Lord, for a Person to feel and discern these ordinary Gifts and Influences of the Spirit in himself, when there is no Opportu­nity of discovering them to others. For Instance, on Supposition that your Lordship was assisted by the blessed Spirit in writing your Pastoral Letter—might not your Lordship be sensible of an inward Joy and Complacency, wrought by that self same Spirit, which was not then discernable to others? So likewise it is possible for another to feel Joy in the Holy Ghost, with the rest of his Fruits, which at that Time may not be discernable to others; and which they who have never experienced the like may not believe, though a Man declare it unto them. I hope, my Lord, these Reasonings carry with them their own Evidence.

But to proceed, (Page 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.) your Lordship has taken Pains to collect several Pas­sages out of the publick Liturgy, to prove the Doc­trine of Regeneration or our New-Birth, to be the Doctrine of the Church of England. Your Reason for so doing, appears (Page 25) ‘to arm your Peo­ple against any Suggestions, as if our Church were regardless of the Doctrine of Regeneration and New-Birth, as if there were Need for any Member of it to seek elsewhere for a more Spiritual Service.’ If this, my Lord, was intended to arm your People against any such Suggestions made by me; indeed your Lordship does not do me Justice. As your Lord­ship, I find, has done me the Honour to peruse my third Journal, your Lordship may remember this Ob­servation, [Page 9] (Page 39) that, after I had baptized an Adult, I proved the Necessity of the New-Birth, from the Office of our Church.

In my Sermon upon the Indwelling of the Spirit of God, which I have made bold to send your Lordship with this Letter, you will find I have quoted the Ex­pressions of our own Church Offices, to prove the Doctrine of the New-Birth, as your Lordship does in your Pastoral Letter. My constant Way of preaching is, first, to prove my Propositions by Scripture, and then to illustrate them by the Articles and Collects of the Church of England. Those that have heard me, can Witness, how often I have exhorted them to be constant at the publick Service of the Church. I at­tend on it my self, and would read the Publick Liturgy every Day, if your Lordships Clergy would give me Leave. What further Satisfaction can your Lordship require, that I do not suggest to your Lorship's Peo­ple, ‘as if our Church were regardless of the Doctrine of Regeneration and New-Birth, and as if there were Need for any Member of it, to seek elsewhere for a more Spiritual Service?’

In the following Paragraph, your Lordship has the same Insinuation, as though I wanted to introduce Ex­tempore Prayer, and to lay aside the publick Liturgy of our Church. For after your Lordship had been speaking against Praying by the Spirit, and af­firming that the Scripture no where tells us, that Prayer is the single Work of the Spirit, your Lord­ship says to your People, You have great Reason to be thankful to God for a publick Service prepared to your Hands. My Lord, I never said to the Contrary. But does not your Lordship seem to insinuate at the same Time, that we are not to depend on the Spirit of God to enable us to pray Extempore, either in Publick or Private? That Prayer is not the single Work of the Spirit, without any Co-operation of our own, I readily confess. But that the Spirit of God does assist true Christians to pray Extempore now, as well as formerly, is undeniable if the Scriptures be [Page 10] true. For what says the Apostle? We know not what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self helpeth our Infirmities, and maketh Intercession for us with Groanings, that cannot be uttered. And this is founded upon a general Promise made to all Gods People. Zacharias 12.10, I will pour upon the House of David, and upon the Inhabitants of Jeru­salem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication. And I believe, my Lord, we may appeal to the Experience of all true Christians, whether or no they did not find the Spirit of Supplication, or a Power of Praying without a Form, encrease in Proprotion to the encrease of God's Grace or Holy Spirit in their Hearts. This is all, my Lord, that I pretend to: And where is the Impropriety of this, when your Lordship confesses in the same Page, that the Spirit of God does parti­cularly assist us, in a due Performance of Religious Offices?

Farther, as your Lordship seems to deny the imme­diate Assistance of the Holy Spirit in our particular Addresses at the Throne of Grace, so your Lordship seems to deny it also in our particular Actions. ‘In like Manner, your Lordship says, we are firmly perswaded in general, that we live under the graci­ous Influence of God's Holy Spirit, and that he both excites and enables us to do Good. But that this or that Thought or Action is an Effect of the sole Motion or immediate Impulse of the Spirit, without any Co-operation of our own Mind.’ My Lord, whoever affirmed, that there was no Co-operation of our own Minds, together with the Impulse of the Spi­rit of God? Your Lordship adds, ‘Or that the Holy Spirit, and our natural Conceptions, do respectively contribute to this or that Thought or Actions, in such a Measure or to such a Degree; these are Things we dare not say.’ Indeed, my Lord, I dare say them. For if there be any such Thing as a particular Providence, why may we not expect particular Direc­tions from God's Holy Spirit in particular Cases? Does not our Church, my Lord, teach us to pray, that [Page 11] God's Holy Spirit may in all Things direct and rule our Hearts? But your Lordship says, We dare not say this, because our Saviour has told us, that we know no more of the working of the Spirit, than we know of the Wind, from whence it commeth or whither it goeth. Neither need we know any more of them; but you must allow, that we know as much. Cannot your Lordship feel the Wind then? Does not your Lord­ship know when it makes any Impression upon your Body? So easy it is for a Spiritual Man to know when the Holy Spirit makes an Impression upon his Soul. Without acknowledging this, all the Expressions of being led by the Spirit, walking by the Spirit, and such like, must be only so many Words without any real Meaning. Your Lordship acknowledges, that the Holy Spirit does act in general, and why not in the particular Actions of our Lives also? For can the One be without the Other? Does it not frequently happen my Lord, that the Comfort and Happiness of our whole Lives depend on one particular Action? And where then, my Lord, is the Absurdity of saying, that the Holy Spirit may, even in the minutest Circum­stance, direct and rule our Hearts? I have been the more particular, my Lord, on this Part of your Lord­ship's Letter, because if this be proved, many of your Lordship's Objections against my Journals will fall to the Ground.

Page 27. Your Lordship has the following Para­graph. ‘God forbid that in this profane and dege­nerate Age, every thing that has an Appearance of Piety and devotion, should not be considered in the most favourable Light that it is capable of. But at the same Time, it is surely very proper, that Men should be called upon for some reasonable Evidence of a Divine Commission.’

I take it for granted, that I am one of those Men whom your Lordship thinks should be called upon for some reasonable Evidence of a Divine Commission.

But, my Lord, what reasonable Evidence does your Lordship require? Did I not receive Letters dimissory [Page 12] from your Lordship's own Hands to be ordained Priest? Did I not, when ordained Deacon affirm, That I was inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, to take upon me that Office and Ministration? Did not my Lord of Gloucester, when he ordained me Priest, say unto me, Receive thou the Holy Ghost, now committed unto thee by the Imposition of our Hands, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost? And is not this, my Lord, a reasonable Evidence that I act by a Divine Commission? If this be not true, must not all those whom your Lordship, or the other Bishops ordain, act only by a human Commis­sion? Nay, (to use the Words of Bishop Burnet in his Pastoral Letter) Must not they who are ordained Lie not only unto Man but unto God, by saying, They are inwardly moved by the Holy Spirit?

If your Lordship in any wise disputes my acting by a Divine Commission, you disclaim your own Divine Right and Authority; nor can you possibly avoid the Dilemma, of either allowing my Divine Commission, or denying your own. After your Lordship has insi­nuated a Demand for the Evidences of my Divine Commission, immediately follows these Words, When they tell us of extraordinary Communications they have with God.

If by extraordinary Communications, your Lord­ship means the extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit, as working Miracles, and speaking with Tongues; your Lordship may assure yourself, I never pretend to any Such Thing.—If, by extraordinary Communications, your Lordship means more Assistances and Comforts from God at some Times than I have at others, (which is all I mean by extraordinary Communications) I own the Charge. And what is there, my Lord, extraordinary in that?

Again, your Lordship says, (Page 28) When they talk in the Language of those who have a special and immediate Mission from God.

And does your Lordship, and the rest of the Bishops, ordain any without obliging them first to [Page 13] give good Proofs, that they have a Special Call or Immediate Mission from God to the Work of the Mi­nistry? If ever you so do, my Lord, do not your Lord­ship lay Hands too suddenly upon Men?

(Page 29.) Your Lordship writes thus.—When they profess to think and act under the Immediate Guideance of a Divine Inspiration.

And does not your Lordship think and act by the same Rule? Why otherwise does your Lordship Pray when you administer the Holy Communion, that God would cleanse the Thoughts of our Hearts by the Inspiration of his Holy Spirit.

(Page 31) Your Lordship says, When they speak of their Preaching and Expounding, and the Effects of them, as the sole Work of a Divine Power.

And would your Lordship have me ascribe any thing in the least to myself?

The Good that is done upon Earth, doth not God do it Himself? Does not the Apostle say, Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God? And where then, my Lord, is the Absurdity of ascribing the Ef­fects of Expounding and Preaching to the sole Work of a Divine Power?

Again, (Page 33) When they boast of sudden and surprizing Effects as wrought by the Holy Ghost, in Consequence of their Preaching.

Where, my Lord, is the Enthusiasm of such a Pre­tension? Has your Lordship been a Preacher in the Church of England, for so many Years, and have you never seen any sudden or surprising Effects consequent upon your Lordships Preaching? Was this my Case, should I not have Reason to doubt, my Lord, whe­ther I had any more than a bare human Commission? Or might I not take up the Prophet's Lamentation, Oh my Leaness, my Leaness! My Lord, the Gospel, like its Author, is the same Yesterday, to Day and forever; and, if preached as it ought to be, will prick Numbers to the Heart, and extort the Cry of the trembling Goaler, What must I do to be saved? as [Page 14] surely Now, as it did Seventeen Hundred Years ago.

These then are the sudden and surprizing Effects, my Lord, I always desire to have, and heartily pray God your Lordship and all your Clergy may always see such Effects in Consequence of their Preaching.

(Page 34) When they claim the Spirit of Prophecy.

What I have said about my Success, God has been pleased to fiulfil already. What I have said about Sufferings, they who without Cause are my Enemies, are fulfilling daily. And as for the Promises menti­oned in my Journal, I freely own there are some Par­ticular Promises which God has so strongly impressed and does still impress on my Heart, that I verily believe they will be fulfilled.

(Page 35.) When they speak of themselves in the Language, and under the Character of Apostles of Christ, and even of Christ himself.

If I am not to speak in an Apostolical Language, why did my Lord of Gloucester give me an Apostolical Commission, Whose Sins thou dost forgive, they are for­given; and whose Sins thou dost retain, they are re­tained. And I hope, my Lord, using the Words which Jesus Christ used, is not taking upon me the Character of Christ.

(Page 36.) When they profess to plant and propo­gate a New Gospel, as unknown to the generality of Ministers and People in a Christian Country.

'Tis true, my Lord, in one Sense, mine is a New-Gospel, and always will be Unknown to the genera­lity of Ministers and People, even in a Christian Country, if your Lordship's Clergy follow your Lord­ship's Directions. For what says your Lordship (Page 46.) I hope that when Ministers 'Preach to you of Justification by Faith alone, which is asserted in the strongest Manner by our Church, they explain it in such a Manner as to leave no doubt upon your Mind, whe­ther good Works are a necessary Condition of your be­ing justified in the Sight of God.

[Page 15]But pray, my Lord, where has the Scripture made good Works a Necessary Condition of our being justi­fied in the Sight of God? St. Paul says, By Grace ye are saved, thro' Faith, not of Works, and that least any Man should boast; for Eternal Life is the Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Your Lord­ship exhorts your Clergy to preach Justification by Faith alone, and quotes the 11th Article of our Church, which tells us, we are justified by Faith only, and not for our own Works or Deservings. ^§ At the same time your Lordship bids them, explain it in such a Man­ner as to leave no Doubt upon their Minds, whether good Works are a necessary Condition of their being justified in the sight of God. Your Lordship, in my Opinion, could not well be guilty of a greater incon­sistency. This, my Lord, is truly a New Gospel. I am sure it is not what the Apostles Preached; and it is as contrary to [...]e Doctrine of the Church of En­gland, and the wh [...]e Tenour of the Gospel, as Light is contrary to Darkness. Had your Lordship insisted on your Clergy's preaching up good Works as a neces­sary Fruit and Consequence, instead of a necessary Condition of our being justified, your Lordship would have used your Authority aright. For we are com­manded to shew forth or declare to others, that we have a True Faith by our Works. And the 12th Article of our Church says, that Good Works follow after Justification; and how then, my Lord, are they a necessary Condition of our Justification? No, my Lord, Salvation (if the Gospel be true) is the free Gift of God through Jesus Christ. Faith is the Means whereby that Salvation is applied to our Hearts, and good Works are the necessary Fruits and Proof of that Faith.

This, my Lord, is the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, This is the Doctrine of the Church of England, and it is because the generality of the Clergy of the Church of England do not Preach this Doctrine, that I am [Page 16] resolved, God being my Helper, to continue instant in Season and out of Season, to declare IT unto all Men, let the Consequence, as to my own private Per­son, be what they will.

As for your Lordships's blaiming me for rashly cen­suring the Clergy for their Practice, none are con­cerned but my Indolent, Earthly-minded, Pleasure-taking Brethren, (Page 39.) And surely your Lord­ship will not stand up in their Defence. No—I hope your Lordship will not fail to rebuke Them sharply. And as for your Lordship's Suspicions, (Page 50.)— (For your Lordship's Sake I would not mention them) I hope my Life and Doctrine will always prove them to be Groundless.

Would Time permit, I could now proceed to satisfy your Lordship more particularly about the Case of Mr. Benjamin Seward; but as that is done in a Letter sent to my Lord of Gloucester, and published in my last Journal; and as I am now to embark in a few Hours, I hope your Lordship will excuse me, if I only add my hearty Prayers for your Lordship's tem­poral and eternal Welfare, and subscribe my self,