:

that their system had been wrong in any one particular. I am very glad to hear that you have got into conversation with any individual among them. It is not easy to get it with them upon Christian topics; and I beg you will not indulge your disposition to silence and loneliness; but while he is willing to speak upon his views of the faith and hope of the gospel, be as communicative of yours: and who knows what simple word the Lord may bless for breaking to pieces all the ungodly shackles of his system? We have been extraordinarily busy here for some time past in personal communication with various professors, who used to keep us at arm's length: and we have the joy of finding one and another added to our body; among them one of the parish clergymen of Dublin, and several who were till very lately keen Baptists, but now look with abhorrence at their Baptist principles-as I rather hope you will by and by. When I say several, do not mistake me: all our additions, in the extraordinary stir and ferment there has been within the last few months, are I suppose within fifteen. (But that is a wonderful number with such a contemptible set as we are.) I do not mean to enter on the subject at present. Indeed I have neither time nor room and you will shortly (I hope) see our leading views in this and other matters in the piece I have sent to press. But meanwhile I would suggest to your consideration the following simple questions:-1. Whether you have not ever professed from your infancy to believe the apostolic testimony concerning Jesus of Nazareth? 2. Whether it was not upon taking that profession on them for the first time that men were baptised of old? in short, whether it did not in every recorded instance mark the commencement of the Christian profession of the person baptised? 3. Whether you have a single precedent, or a single precept in scripture, for the baptism of any whose Christian profession has been hereditary, like yours and mine, and Timothy's, and multitudes of others in the apostolic days, even all that were born to the first proselytes after their own conversion? 4. Whether any child can be brought up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord (Ephes. vi. 4,) without being considered by its believing parent, during all that course, as a disciple of the Lord? If your faith be as simple as in general I hope it is, I should recommend these questions to your serious reflection. If it be not, I should wish to confine our communications to other topics. If you answer the first question in the negative, I should desire to learn what you mean by your present Christian profession. If you answer the fourth in the affirmative, I should wish to know what you think of the religious training of an adult who is not considered a believer of the gospel. The whole matter, indeed, is so plain, when viewed in the light of the simple truth, that I should not wonder if your next letter announced that you were no longer a Baptist-without our having any argument upon the subject. And, indeed, this would give me great joy; for I must always view the profession of a thorough Baptist with great suspicion-without knowing any thing more of him than that he is a thorough Baptist. At the same time, I own that I have often wondered that all the conscientious and thinking professors who do not know the one truth are not Baptists.

Yet why should I wonder how they get over it, when the Glasites, with all their professed regard to scripture, are content with their infant sprinkling as baptism? Your interpretation of Acts xix. 5, I think very wild and forced-that kind of jumping through scripture, to which I should always prefer acknowledging that I did not understand the passage. To give you my views of that passage would occupy too much space. They are stated in the larger of my pieces on Baptism, some copies of which I am pretty sure lie at Mr. D's, in Glasgow. But I have not one of them myself.

I am curious to ask you, whether your business in the Excise connects you with the administration or the taking of oaths? Much as I am pleased with all your letters in general, there is one bitter bad sentence in your second; and so inconsistent with the rest of your views, that I stared with surprise when I met it. I just quote it, and leave it to the observation of your better mind. "Can we glory over them? No, in no wise." (So far good.) "Can a

sentiment or feeling at variance with that answer exist in the mind of a Christian?" I imagine that I see you, at this moment, staring at the wickedness of your own question. But, after all, if you deliberately repeat it, or do not abhor it,-I can only say with a sigh, that we have quite mistaken one another's meaning; and would let you into a secret, that there is no sentiment or feeling so diabolically ungodly as not to exist in my mind-that my own heart in all its movements is as proud as Lucifer's, and substantially denies that God is; and that I never expect or desire any other sentiment or feeling from it till I die: and yet that the consciousness of all this does not disturb my peace and confidence towards God a tittle. Blessed be His glorious name for ever! But indeed, my dear friend, I do not suspect you at present of meaning any thing else than I mean, in spite of that wicked question. Yet I repeat it, that I am sure we mean quite different things, unless you now see its wickedness. The feeling from which that question came was one of those fleshly feelings, all of which (in the believer and unbeliever alike) are proud in their most humble form, and Atheistic in their most devout.

There are only about seven walking together as yet in London— hardly enough to walk together in all Christian ordinances, according to the Glasite plan. The letters that are coming out will make me still viler than I am in their eyes: yet I hope some of them will give them a reading. I must have done. The more I look at your letters, the more I think I do know you, and the more I love you for the truth's sake. The good Lord ever keep you liable to the reproach you mention, of looking only at the one thing-the sinner's hope!

LVIII.

TO THE SAME.

June 11th, 1819.

MY DEAR FRIEND,- How glorious that gospel that warrants a creature, altogether sinful, to commit all his ways for life and death to the gracious ordering of the living God! My time has been and is much occupied; and before the arrival of your letter to Mr. C, I had postponed writing to you till Mr. D's return to Glasgow, but that letter shews me that I must not longer delay. You are impatient for my letters on primitive Christianity. It has been strangely delayed by the printer, but will be out the beginning of next week. I shall be anxious, indeed, to hear your sentiments after you have read it. I have forborn to enter on the question of baptism with you, in the prospect of your seeing what I have to offer on the subject in that publication. My vain flesh would suggest that with your professed views of the truth you could not resist what I say. But I know that you will, if you are let. There is one who can thrash the mountains with a straw. His will be the work and the glory if the little piece be made profitable to any of his people : though in spite of the conviction of that truth, my own heart would fain rob him of the glory and lift up itself against him. You are doubtful whether D and you understood each other. I am sure he did not understand you. Any man who thinks himself improved in his own character, and no longer altogether wicked and ungodly, must be aside from the truth. I quite agree with you as to the general suitableness of confirming such statements from the word of God. But I wrote to the Bereans, not so much to prove to them what is truth, as to ascertain by a brief declaration of sentiment, whether we were of a mind or not. The apostle uses the expression "his flesh," as synonymous with himself, (Rom. vii. 18.) and gives such an account of it as does not look like any improvement: and in Gal. v. 17. he plainly describes it as wicked as the devil, for worse cannot be said of the mind of Satan, than that it is contrary to the spirit of God and all expectation of any change in it he puts down in Rom. viii. 7. Compare 1 Cor. xv. 10. (NOT 1) and Gal. ii. 20. All the texts that Mr. K. thinks inconsistent with the idea, really establish it when rightly understood, i. e. when seen in the light of the glorious Gospel. I am sure there is no unity of meaning between him and me: nor should I ever think of talking to him (while he is of his present mind) about the principles of Christian fellowship in the churches of the saints. Yet I can easily conceive that there may be disciples entangled in that connexion, and I am glad to hear that my letter has been answered, as that will tend to counteract Mr. D.'s effort to smother it. But how disingenuous of them, after writing to us in Dublin, and receiving our reply, not to communicate to us any thing they have to say against our sentiments.-I know that, on the

point alluded to, the Glasites seem much more scriptural in their view and they commonly speak a blessed language about the Gospel, as suited to the relief of creatures so totally and desperately wicked in themselves. But then comes the leaven in their system, corrupting and dishonouring the glorious Gospel, under the idea of guarding it, as if it alone could afford a sinner nothing but a precarious and uncertain hope, without being sufficient to give him assured confidence, and filial boldness, before God. This system, wherever it is indeed received, must as effectually turn aside the person from the hope of the Gospel, as the Berean confidence about their character as believers. Indeed the language I have heard from some Glasites in prayer, makes me uncertain how far they do not, in their system, approve of the desire, and wish for some improvement in their own hearts. Yet I must maintain that any such desire can spring only from the flesh while I own that my flesh is continually prompting it. I must hasten to a close. You alluded to some circumstances of trial in your family. Do they continue? Was it sickness? or what was it? What blessed pregnancy of meaning is there in the words" how much rather shall we be IN SUBJECTION to the Father of spirits and live?" And what madness of wicked rebellion does it mark in our own hearts, that would ever be ready to take our concerns out of his own blessed hands! And what but the unchangeable display of his mercy, reigning through righteousness towards creatures so unchangeably stubborn and rebellious in themselves, ever produces the new mind which says, "Thy will be done?" The one mind in fact is altogether good, and nothing evil comes from it, for it is not ours, but the mind of the spirit of God-the spirit of the Truth, and the life in Christ Jesus: the other mind is altogether evil, and nothing but evil proceeds from it; for it is our own. "Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him, let the children of Zion be joyful in their King."-If I live a little longer, it is not unlikely that I shall see you. My heart embraces you for the truth's sake: and I am not discouraged by your present firmness in your baptism, from looking to the Lord for full union with you. I see, from the short observation you made, where your error lies. After you have read what I offer in my pamphlet, proceed vigorously and plainly to oppose me, wherever you think me wrong. But do not defer writing till you get the work. You may communicate any part of this to Mr. K.

LIX.

TO THE SAME.

June 21, 1819.

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,-On receiving your note, (for I shall not count it a letter) I was quite vexed with myself for having said a word on the subject of my ailments. I have been considerably better since, and quite agree with you, that it may be the Lord's design to leave me here longer than I generally contemplate. We may well leave all that with him, and rest in the certainty that his cause on earth shall suffer no loss by my death, whenever it takes place. He will raise up and qualify instruments for all the work in which he sees fit to employ them in his church: and further than he sees fit to work by us, we can do nothing. What blessed weight in the words, "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory!" And in the view of this truth, how suitable to his people, at all times, the admonition given to Ahaz-"Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted." If we had faith as a grain of mustard-seed!

I am glad to hear that you are likely soon to meet Mr. S. I think you and he will understand each other on the great Truth: but I would apprize you that, in an attempt which he lately made to walk with a few in Glasgow, I think he has taken it up on false principles -more in the way of gratification to his taste, than under the authority of the divine word, and in the view of every thing in the fellowship of a Christian church being divinely ordered, so that there is no room for continued diversity of mind or practice. He, at present, differs with me upon some ordinances, but would fain compromise the difference. Yet this is so inconsistent with his other professed sentiments, that I am looking for the appearance of better things in him. From his disappointment among the Glasites, he seems at present to abandon the idea of a full return of disciples to Apostolic rule. Yet, where that idea is abandoned, their fellowship cannot be maintained upon scriptural principles. Indeed, the idea at once impeaches the divine sufficiency, or unchangeable authority of the Scriptures. You may be curious to know something more about us here. We are a most contemptible set to profess to be the church of Christ in London ;-only seven compose the body, but they seem united in the glorious truth. Yesterday we had to put away a woman, who plainly understood not the profession of faith on which she had been received. You will at present be sorry to hear that my hosts, and another member, are apostates from the Red Cross-street body. Yet, whatever you may think of their abandonment of baptism, you will be pleased to hear that it was their perception of the falsehood of the faith, held in the R. C. street body, that first decided them against it. The adversary is awfully working in this country, in spreading lofty