Ё THE FINISHING STROKE: CONTAINING SOME STRICTURES ON THE REV. MR. FLETCHER'S PAMPHLET, ENTITLED, LOGICA GENEVENSIS, A FOURTH CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM, Nothing fo much abates the Courage of a Chriftian, as to call W. HARRIS, No 70, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and MDCCLXXIII, 130. e. 142 ADVERTISEMENT. Immediately after reading Mr. Fletcher's Logica Genevenfis, perceiving that neceffity, as well as friends, called upon me to take fome notice of that pamphlet, (notwithstanding the refolution I had formed of being filent). I thought to write to him in a ferious expoftulatory way, but upon a fecond perusal of that part of his book where he pleads in fuch powerful terms for the use of mild irony, I thought it was better to parley with him now and then with his own weapons, which muft plead my excuse to the pious, but more phlegmatic reader for any little ftrokes of fatire, which may appear throughout my piece. Reverend Sir WH January 2, 1773. HEN I have been travelling, I have often feen the following words written upon a board, and stuck upon a sign-poft, "GOOD ENTERTAINMENT FOR MAN AND HORSE." And yet it is a general obfervation that the board promises, what the house seldom furnishes-A poor pilgrim is tra velling Zion-ward, he jogs on; he cafts an eye over your table of contents, and your prefatorial addrefs to all Calvinifts to walk in and refresh themfelves. He fays to himself furely I fhall here find every thing which I can wifh or defire, after all these profeffions of love and candor; and no doubt but each letter I read will fully anfwer the contents which are prefixed to it. Being fadly wearied, and perhaps heavy laden into the bargain, in he goes, expecting good meat, drink and lodging, but is much difappointed to find that there is nothing for him to feed upon but cold frozen meat, and a few dry crusts; nothing to drink but muddled water; and nothing to reft on but an hard matrafs without a covering. And if he wants any thing for his horfe, the poor beast must e'en be contented with bay and stubble. But not to dwell any longer on allegories, I proceed to inform you that laft Saturday and not before, I received your Logica Genevenis, or fourth check to Antinomianifm; and am truly forry to find, that neither the fpirit of the piece, nor the doctrine it contains, are a jot better than what appeared in the former checks. Still all who hold and preach the proteftant doctrines of election and perfeverance, finished falvation, and imputed righteoufnefs, are held forth as ftorming the new Jerufalem, as cutting the way through law and gospel, before an adulterer, in fla 1 B grante grante delicto, as proftituting God's holy word, fighting the battles of the rankeft antinomians, and doing the the devil's work. And why this? Truly because we firmly believe, and unanimously affert that the blood of Jefus Chrift cleanfeth from all fin, and that if any man fin we have an advocate with the Father Jefus Chrift the righteous; and that this advocacy prevails, and that the covenant of grace ftandeth fure in behalf of the elect, under every trial, ftate, and circumftance they can poffibly be in: and because we cannot admit the contrary doctrine without at once undermining both law and gofpel. For the law is certainly undermined by fuppofing that any breach of it whatever is not attended with the curfe of God, according to thofe words of the apoftle curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. And the gofpel is certainly undermined by fuppofing that there is provision made in it for fome fins, and not for others. But because fome few extraordinary inftances of the foul falls and backflidings of God's children are recorded in fcripture by way of encouragement to the lifting up of the fallen, and by way of caution and warning to thofe who ftand, do therefore the Calvinistic doctrines as held by our reformers neceffarily lead to ungodliness? Or is the experience of David, Lot and Solomon, that of all thofe who abide by thofe doctrines? On the contrary, I believe this is not the cafe with one in ten thoufand. And yet if I faw any fuch poor wanderer brought to a fenfe of his backflidings, I would without fcruple tell him that the good fhepherd was ftill as ready to receive him as if he had never departed from him, and that his merciful high priest ever liveth to make interceffion for him. But why fo many mangled quotations from Flavel and others upon the neceffity of perfonal holinefs? Why do you again and again bring up the old ftale objections of all the unconverted clergy who are continually making a noife about works, works, and perhaps perhaps doing nothing all the while but the works of darkness. You know well, Sir, that these idle cavils were brought against our Lord and his apoftles by the fcribes and pharifees; that they were brought against the reformers by the papifts, and that they were often brought against you when you preached more like a minifter of the church of England than you do at present. You know in your own confcience that we deteft and abhor that damnable doctrine and pofition of real antinomians let us fin that grace may abound, and that we conftantly affirm that all who live and die in the practice of any one allowed fin, and who do not follow after inward holiness and conformity to the image of Chrift, fhall affuredly be damned for ever, whatever their doctrinal notions or opinions may be. Therefore for the Lord's fake, Sir, (as you will not for ours) think of the characters you have injured, and let the laborious, exemplary lives of hundreds who now smart under your lash, move you to recall the fevere and unkind things you have faid of them. But methinks I hear you again, repeat that "You do not mean to level any of your words against your pious Calvinistic brethren." But who are these? Certainly they do not occupy any of "OUR MOST CELEBRATED PULPITS," fince the minifters who preach in these, are condemned without exception as fuch “ as fuch "pleaders for fin, that they fay more for it than against it, and handle no texts of fcripture without diftorting and violating them to make "them grateful to the antinomian palates of their hearers, yea they fing the fyren fong of finished "falvation, rock the cradle of carnal fecurity, make "their hearers afraid of the practice of good works " left they should work out their damnation instead of their falvation. Thefe celebrated minifters (if your description of them be a true one,) tell their congregations that Mofes, that fuperannuated lega"lift is buried, and that they have nothing to do "with the law, that God's commandments are needlefs, impracticable fanctions; and therefore they .. B 2 |