7. I understand that a minister of the Spirit, who preaches up and enforces the kingdom of God, obtains a good report both from heaven and earth. "For the kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; for he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men."

8. I think that the saints deliverance from the law is expressed in terms as strong as words can make them, that we may be joyful in, and thankful for, our glorious liberty by Christ; for it is said that we are become dead to the law, Rom. vii. 4; redeemed from the law, Gal. iii. 13; delivered from the law, Rom. vii. 6; and not under the law, Rom. vi. 14. And that the new covenant hath made the law old, and that it is done away, and abolished, 2 Cor. iii. 11, 13.

9. I understand that setting the law before believers as the rule of life is the only way to keep them in death, and at a distance from Christ, and from union and communion with him. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God," Rom. vii. 4.

10. I believe that there is a continual communication or flowing of grace by the Spirit from the fulness that is in Christ to all believers, insomuch that they are watered every moment,

and kept night and day, Isai. xxvii. 3. And that driving them from the law to Christ, and enforcing an union with him, is the only way to keep saints alive, warm, comfortable, grateful to God, or fruitful to his glory. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit."

11. I believe that all law-men, falsely so called, or ministers of the letter, cannot see this union, much less feel and enjoy it; but, being habitually flogged and driven by a legal conscience and the letter of the law, they know of no other springs or motions but slavish fear, nor of any allurements but the applause of men; and therefore they conclude that every one that is delivered from the law, and influenced by the grace and operations of a spirit of love, of power, and of a sound mind, which breaks both the yoke of the law and the yoke of priestcraft, that this drives men to antinomianism. Hence they charge such with loose and licentious living. But the Son of God says, No, it is not so. "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit," Luke vi. 43. And he adds, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit," Matt. vii. 18.

12. I believe in my heart that I am redeemed, and delivered from the curse of the law, by the application of the atoning blood of Christ, sprinkled on my conscience by the Holy Spirit of God; and that, by the imputation of Christ's obedience

to the law for me as my surety, and being placed to my account, I am delivered from the galling yoke of precept, Do, and live. This is what I firmly believe; this I have long experienced, felt, and enjoyed; and, was I to deviate from this, I should preach lies, and preach what I do not believe; and, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

13. I believe that none of those who have written against me, calling me an antinomian, ever performed one good work themselves in all their lives, being wholly destitute of a good root, and their performances destitute of the real properties of a good work. Good fruits must be fruits of the Spirit, and spring from union with the living vine: they must be done in the exercise of faith, and under the constraints of experienced love. But men destitute of the Spirit must be in the flesh; and they that are in the flesh cannot please God, Rom. viii. 8.

And,

They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God," Rom. ix. 8. And, if not united to Christ, what can they do? "Without me ye can do nothing." And, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Nor will any man love God till he is pardoned. Where much is forgiven, the same loveth much, Luke vii. 47. And without charity a man is nothing, 1 Cor. xiii. 2. And, if the workman be nothing, his works are worse than nothing. But no one, that has put his pen to paper in order to vilify me, ever did, nor ever could, describe either the

Spirit's work, the forgiveness of his own sins, genuine faith in Christ, union with him, or the sweet constraints of pardoning love. Every one of them were and are dead in trespasses and sins, and all their performances as dead as themselves.

14. The most Holy Spirit of God is to guide us into all truth; and I firmly believe that he has for many years condescended to teach, lead, and guide me; and many of his sweet lessons and delightful influences have I been made sensible of, and have much rejoiced and delighted in. But, among all the lessons that I have received for these thirty years from him, that of setting the moral law before the believer in Christ, as his rule of life, is not to be found, although he guides the children of God into all truth; but tells us that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, John i. 17. Yea, he tells me that even he himself, the spirit of all grace, and the spirit of all truth, came by Christ Jesus, and not by the law, or from the law. God ministers not the spirit by the works of the law.

15. I do not find, in all my Bible, that any of these law-men ever obtained a good report, either of God or of good men; or that they ever were acceptable to God, or approved of his saints. They are called ministers of the letter, which killeth, 2 Cor. iii. 6; citizens of this country, Luke xv. 15; that is, citizens of Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children, Gal. iv. 25; subverters of souls, Acts xv. 24;

vain janglers, that know neither what they say nor whereof they affirm, 1 Tim. i. 6; blind guides with the old veil upon their hearts, 2 Cor. iii. 15; blind watchmen, Isai. lvi. 10; shepherds that cannot understand, Isai. lvi. 11; seducers deceiving, and being deceived, 2 Tim. iii. 13; perverters of the gospel of Christ, Gal. i. 7; spies upon gospel liberty, to bring others into bondage, Gal. ii. 4; partial dealers, which have not kept God's ways, but have been partial in the law, Mal. ii. 9; dumb dogs that cannot bark, Isai. Ivi. 10; deceitful workers and ministers of Satan, 2 Cor. xi. 14. These are the best titles that the Holy Spirit gives to these law-men or letterpreachers, who are destitute of the Holy Spirit of God.

16. No sort of professors are blamed more for hypocrisy than these law-men; they never feel, nor live up to, what they preach to others. "For neither they themselves who are circumcised, keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh,” Gal. vi. 13. Thus poor Stephen's accusers and murderers, who stoned him to death, are charged with disobedience to that law for which they were contending. "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it," Acts vii. 53. But these men, having guilt and enmity continually working in their hearts, keep their conscience in perpetual turmoil, always at strife and never at peace, conscience accusing and