greatly please themselves, exclaiming, that we tread a christian virtues under our feet, and require nothing of christians but faith; because we teach that faith alone justifieth; whereas, by this speech we never incant to exclude either hope or charity, from being always joined, as inseparable mates with faith, in the man that is justified; or works from being added, as necessary duties, required at the hands of every justified man: but to shew, that faith is the only hand, which putteth on Christ unto justification; and Christ the only garment, which being so put on, covereth the shame of our defiled natures, hideth the imperfections of our works, preserveth us blameless in the sight of God, before whom, otherwise, the weakness of our faith were cause sufficient to make us culpable, yea, to shut us from the kingdom of heaven, where nothing, that is not absolute, can enter."

Had I at this time met with such passages in the writings of the Dissenters, or any of those modern pub

lications, which, under the brand of methodistical, are condemned without reading, or perused with invincible prejudice, I should not have thought them worth regard, but should have rejected them, as wild enthusiasm. But I knew, that Hooker was deemed perfectly orthodox, and a standard. writer, by the prelates of the church in his own days. I learned from his dispute with Mr. Travers, that he was put upon his defence, for making concessions in this matter to the church of Rome, which the zealous Protestants did not think warrantable; that he was judged by the more rigid, too lax in his doctrine, by none too rigid: 1 had never heard, that it had been insinuated, that he was tinctured with enthusiasm; and the solidity of his judgment, and acuteness of his reasoning faculties, needed no voucher to the attentive reader. His opinion therefore carried great weight with it; made me suspect the truth of my former sentiments, and put me upon serious inquiries, and deep meditation upon this subject, accom

panied with earnest prayers for the teaching and direction of the Lord therein. The result was, that after many objections, and doubts, and much examination of the word of God, in a few months I began to accede to Mr. Hooker's sentiments, And at the present my opinion, in this respect, as far as I know, coincides with these passages of this eminent author, and is supported and vindicated with the same arguments: he, therefore who would prove our doctrine of justification by faith alone to be an error, will do well to answer, in the first place, these quotations from Mr. Hook

er.

And indeed, as far as I can understand him, there is scarce any doctrine, which, with no inconsiderable offence, I now preach, that is not as evidently contained in his writings, as in my sermons! Witness particularly his "Dis. course of the certainty, and perpetuity of faith in the elect, in which the doc trine of the final perseverance of true believers, as far as seems worth contending for, is expressly taught and

maintained. And he closes it with this noble triumph of full assurance, as resulting from that comfortable doctrine in the hearts of confirmed, and experienced christians; (page 532,) "I know in whom I have believed; I am not ignorant, whose precious blood has been shed for me; I have a shepherd full of kindness, full of care, full of power, unto him I commit myself. His own finger hath engraven this sentence in the tables of my heart; Satan bath desired to winnow thee as wheat, but I have prayed, that thy faith fail not; therefore the assurance of my hope I will labor to keep, as a jewel unto the end, and by labor through the gracious mediation of his prayers, I shall keep it." With such words in my mouth, and such assurance in my heart, I wish to live, and hope to die.

The insertion of these quotations from this old author, I hope will need no apology: many have not his works, and these extracts are worthy of their perusal others, for these specimens, may be prevailed on to read, what

perhaps, hath hitherto been an unnoticed book in their studies. Especially I recommend to those, who admire him, as the champion of their external order and discipline of the church, and such, as willingly allow him the honor of being distinguished by the epithet, of Judicious; that they would attentively read, and impartially consider his doctrine. This would put an effectual stop to those declamations, that either ignorantly or maliciously are made against those very doctrines, as novel inventions, which have just now been explained and defended, in Mr. Hooker's own words. For my own part, though I acknowledge, that he advances many things, I should be unwilling to subscribe to ; yet I heartily bless God, that at this time I read him; the first material alteration, that took place in my views of the gospel, being in conse quence thereof.

One more quotation I shall produce, and so take my leave of him. (Page 552,) addressing himself unto the pastors, who are appointed to feed the