in the church; but the word of the God of all such grace. We are to be neither law-makers for the wicked, nor breakers of divine law for the saints. Divine favour does not exempt from scripture obligations, but qualifies for them, and brings the soul within the household commands and precedents given in the word of God for his believing church and people obediently to observe. Our Lord was as much the beloved of heaven, and in that character, had as great a claim to be excused from the commands and orders of the written word of God, as any regenerated soul can have, but he never pleaded an exemption because he was the Son of God; but on the contrary, said, "Honour to whom honour is due. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer; that the scriptures might be fulfilled." And he did that at Jordan which his professed followers can now speak of in the most reproachful manner. And in those days, when any point of argument came in the way, the enquiry used to be, "What saith the scriptures ?" but now your argument goes to say, "What would you like best? What plan do you adopt? Come which way you please; the child is not to be denied a folly, because it is a child, and it is to have all its own way, disregarding the Father's word, according to its own self-willed convenience, although the Father's honours be trampled in the dust." The unregenerate are no where in God's word required to walk in those ordinances of God, which are peculiarly given to his called and believing people, because they are dead in sins, and their hearts are not gospel-wise right before God: but according to your idea, the regenerated are to be excused, because they are blessed with regeneration grace unto eternal life. This will just suit carnal and presuming professors, because it is an argument only to get rid of the Bible-obligations of practical obedience to the written word, which are enjoined on all that are called to be saints, and who name the name of Jesus. What the Lord did for his Old Testament people was, that they might observe his statutes and keep his laws. Ps. cv. 45. But your argument is, that New Testament saints, since the New Testament pattern of the will of God has been practically drawn out, and plainly written down by inspired authority, are to be excused by what the Lord in his goodness

hath done for them; so that instead of leading to, divine favour is to exempt from gospel obedience by the written word; while on the contrary, it is such favour only that qualifies for and obligates to such obedience. This is recommending a liberty to neglect the written word of God, as of little importance, compared to the studied convenience of believers, because grace abounds. This may sound very sweet, and many there are who are fond of such sweet things; but to eat much of such honey is not good (Pro. xxv. 27), because it is contrary to the very Spirit of God's word, which saith, "A son honoureth his father, and a servant, his master; if I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of Hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name." Mal. i. 6. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John xiv. 15. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Chap. xv. 14. "This is the love of God, that ye keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John v. 3. They are a yoke, but to the obedient spirit they are easy. Matt. xi. 29, 30. When constrained by the love of Christ, we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 2 Cor. xiii. 8. And we contend that the New Testament truth of God to us is, what is written, in the plain sense in which command and example are practised out. And we consider it a daring imposition, although from the greatest of men, for any one now to put a meaning upon our Lord's commission and example to his apostles, which they themselves never named, hinted at, or practised out, in whole or in part, in any shape whatever recorded.

If you will bring the authority of scripture with you, for communion at the Lord's table without baptism, on a personal profession of faith in Christ, I do hereby solemly engage, that with timely notice from you, I will call our friends together, and hold a communion, and you shall freely commune with us, and all that you like to bring with you of your sentiment. Therefore do not

accuse us, but convict us, and come, as hereby invited, and confound us with the truth of God's holy word; and if you do not do this, we shall, from the time these papers come under your notice, hold your opposition and your charge on us of being schismatical, and of our

thruting the Lord's redeemed, in that public contempt their own textless futility will justly deserve. And if you can bring scripture to prove even that the thing was ever apostolically thought of and contemplated as allowable at any time, although not then decided; but so as that if the apostles now lived upon the earth they would practise it, even with such proof, we will allow any communion you please for twelve months, taking the whole length of that time prayerfully to consider how, with all good conscience, in the truth towards God we are then in future to act. And be assured of this, that we would then have mixed, open, or antibaptismal communion, if it could possibly be had with truth; and that especially, because of the respectability it would gather into our connexion-the reproach it would save us from which we now have to bear for the truth's sake-and also for the drag it would bring into our net (Hab. i. 16); for many parsons have now found out that that certainly is the right patrition side of the ship, and take that side accordingly, whatever be truth's side.

3. "Because they have not been immersed in cold water."

Ah, that is the difficult point! Believers' baptism exclusively is right enough, and is clear enough written, but the water is cold; it is despised-it is no way respectable and accomodating to proud flesh and blood; and although the scripture letters of it are weighty and powerful, its bodily presence is weak, and its speech is contemptible, as God's servant Paul was. 1 Cor. x. 10. And this is enough to make the water cold, and to keep it so. But who warmed the waters of Jordan-the much water of Enon-and the waters in the wilderness for the Eunuch? The waters were as cold to the natives of that climate literally, as they are in any other climate to the natives; but carnal invention in religious profession, religious pride, and indifference to the pure word of God as the only rule of right, are since that grown so warm, that baptismal waters with religious professors, are now become so much more cold in the proportion than then! If believers' baptism was merely for persons to gracefully lounge on any easy couch, and be sprinkled with something that they like best of sweet odour; and communion was for persons to stand up to the waist in cold water, and so take the elements, we

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should very soon have as many more baptists than communicants, as we now have of communicants more than baptists: if even there were then seven times as much written in the holy word of God on communion as there now is, and but one-seventh written on baptism that there now is. I would not speak in this way, if undeniable evidence did not bear me out, in the face of the very contrary proportion written in the sacred word for the two ordinances. And your speaking so reproachfully of believers' baptism, is not speaking against me, but against the only recorded order of the word of God on that subject. For we have frequent accounts therein of believers being baptized, when communion at the table is not even hinted at; and no account is given us of any other persons but believers being intentionally baptized, or of any coming to the table who were not first so baptized.

These things I tell you openly before the public, and it is for you to contradict them, if you can, with the word of truth, or go on reproaching the word of God, the Lord himself who was baptized in the river of Jordan, and us for adhering to the fair reading and only recorded order of the scriptures-just as long as you can find pleasure in so doing, my brother. If there were an instance or two recorded, where any person or people did come to the table of communion, without being first baptized, on their own personal profession of faith in Christ, it would suit your taste much better no doubt; but we ought not to be blamed because it is not so, nor because we cannot make it so for you, nor because we cannot allow that it is so for your convenience, when it is not so, nor because we are content with the matter as it is written, and to act exclusively by that rule, and the evident common sense that is uniformly conveyed by what is written-nor because we contend that what is contrary to what is written, is wrong-nor for our considering that to be altogether of the flesh, and without authority from God, that is without sacred text, until by the word of God we are proved wrong in so doing. While we act in the name of the Lord, in belief of the scriptures as we closely read them, and until it be proved. that we have mistaken them, and are condemned by them, we shall laugh at reproach, and believe (2 Tim. iii. 16), adhere to (Phil, iv. 9), and take the encourage

ment of (1 Peter iii. 13). not fearing that we shall thereby feel, see, speak, or do any harm, in our own souls, to any one on earth, or before the God of the whole earth. Acts xxviii. 5, 6, 21. Phil. ii. 15.

FIFTH. "You call it strict, I call it schismatical communion, because you, not we, keep away the children from their Elder Brother's table, unless they conform to your rules, I say your rules; for since the national debt is to be paid by one of us, I will pay it twice, if you will find me scripture text which saith, or seem to say, Let men and women first be dipped, and so let them eat of the bread, and drink of the cup."

1. Your calling us schismatical is an old popish opprobrium, now and then raked out from among the bats and cobwebs of college cloisters, by the true sons of secular churches, for difference of sentiment only, without once proving, or being able to prove it to be for a difference from the truth. We are so accustomed with our dear Master, and his apostles, to be called by bad names, that we are quite indifferent to it; as they are only terms that are found in the vocabulary of human prejudice, and not in the book of God against But this does shew us, that whatever friendship you may express towards us, you inwardly esteem us as schismatics!

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2. We keep no brother from the Lord's table, but we invite them to come according to the word of God, as I have invited you to come, in whatever way the text of God's word authorizes. And if it be now counted a sin to stand fast by that, and to walk by that rule, in its recorded doctrines and ordinances, we must still be reckoned vile, moving on as the not many mighty, not many'noble, not many wise men after the flesh; and as the hated of all men for the truth's sake, in its own order. For we must consider, that all our contest lies in this whether divine text, and the only known and recorded order thereof, are absolute law, to be steadfastly regarded always; or whether human caprice and studied convenience, are to give laws, and constitute rules of obedience in the church of God? We oppose the latter, and are blamed; but prove the former to be wrong, or that we have not the former with us, and we will submit, and resign in both ordinances. Something no doubt you will do in reply to this, and we shall