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it with fincerity, and the inward discoveries Chrift makes to the understanding of the faithful by his light and good fpirit. This exceeds the other evidences, if the heart be honeft. The Gofpel is irrefiftible, when the Spirit of God moves upon the minds of chriftians. When the divine power, dif penfed through Chrift, affifts and ftrengthens us to do good, and to eschew evil, then chriftianity appcars a religion worthy of God, and in itfelf the most reafonable. The compleat falvation deferves our ready acceptation. That religion must charm a a reasonable world, which not only reftores the worship of the one true Ged, and exhibits, in a perfect plan those rules of moral rectitude, whereby the conduct of men fhould be governed, and their future happinefs fecured; but, by its blefed fpirit, informs our judgments, influences our wills, rectifies and fubdues our paffions, turns the biafs of our minds from the objects and pleasures of fenfe, and fixes them the Jupreme good. Moft glorious furely is fuch a golpel.

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But does not this operation of the Spirit, (I faid) which you make the principal evidence for chriftianity, debafe human nature, and make man too weak, too helpless and depending a being? If voluntary good agency depends on fupernatural influence

and enlivening aid, does not this make us mere patients, and if we are not moral agents, that is, have not a power of chufing or refufing, of doing or avoiding, either good or evil, can there be any human virtue? Can we in such case approve or disapprove our

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felves to God. To me it feems that man was created to perform things natural, rational, and fpiritual, and has an ability to act within the reach of his agency, as his duty requires. I think the moral fitness of things is a rule of action to conduct our actions by, and that the great advantage of revelation confifts in its heavenly moral lef fons, and the certainty of that future judg ment and retribution, which has a powerful influence upon a rational mind, and ftrongly inclines a reasonable being to fave his foul, by fo acting in this world, as to avoid everlasting mifery, and enfure the favour of God, and eternal happiness in another world. This appears to me more confiftent with the nature and the truth of things. It is more to the honour of human nature, if I mistake not, and gives more glory to God.

To this Mrs. Price answered, that as fhe was fenfible of the fhortness of her own understanding, and believed the faculties of the human mind in general were weak and deficient, fhe could not fee any thing unreasonable in fuppofing the

thing formed depended on, and was fubject to the Creator that made it. It cannot be abfurd furely to fay, that fo weak and helpless a being as man, depends intirely on God. Where in the nature of things can we fix a ftandard of certainty in understanding, and ftability in practice, but in the fountain of truth, and all perfection?

But to our better comprehending this matter, let us take a view of primitive Christian religion.-Chriftianity is a divine inftitution, by which God declares himself reconciled to mankind for the fake of his beloved son, the Lord Jefus Chrift, on condition of repentance, amendment of life, and perfeverance in a state of boliness; and that we might be able to perform the things required of us, he offers the affiftance of his good fpirit. This laft offer, in a proper fenfe, is falvation; for according to his mercy, he faved us, by the wafbing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft. By grace are ye faved thro faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. We find, then, that there are two parts in the Chriftian religion: one, external and hiftorical; the other, internal and experimental. The first comprehends what is no more to be repeated, tho' the effects are lafting and permanent, to wit, the life and good works of Jefus, his miracles, death and refurrection; which declare him spotless virtue,

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perfect obedience, and the fon of God with power:- And in the fecond part, we have that ftanding experience of a divine help, which converts and fupports a fpiritual life: It is true, both the parts have a near relation, and in conjunction produce the good ends of religion. The fecond is the effect of the first. Redemption from the power of fin, sanctification, and juftification, are bleffings wrought in us by the good Spirit of him, who without us did many glorious things, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works: And, that they who live, fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him that died for them and rofe again. But, it is in the fecond part that the excellence of our holy religion confifts. We have no ability of ourselves to take off our minds from the things that are evil, and engage them in the work of religion and godlinefs. This is the gift of God. It is a continued miracle that cleanses that polluted fountain the heart, and therefore I call this experience the principal evidence of the Chriftian religion. It is the glory of chriftianity, and renders it the perfection of all religions.

That chriftianity (I replied) is the perfection of all religions, is granted; but that we have no ability to fave our fouls without a fupernatural operation on them, this is what I ftill have fome doubt of. A careful examination

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nation of the fubject, produces fome hard objections, and therefore, madam, I will lay difficulties before my tural understanding may remove them, if it be poffible. I will be fhort on the article, for many words would only darken it.

In the first place, then, as to man's inability to live a religious life, and practice the precepts of the gospel, it must be the effect of the human compofition, or the effect of the agency of the ferpent. If the former, it is chargeable upon the author of the compofition; if the latter, upon the agent

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which acts upon it. Man could not be culpable, I think, for a bad life, in either cafe. -If my nature be weakness itself-or the ferpent is fuperior to me what good can be required of me? can the fupreme reason call for brick, where there are no materials to make it with? will you fay, yes; because he gives fupernatural ability to perform. But then, can this be called man's action? It is the action of the author by his miferable creature, man: and in fuch case, may we not say, that tho' commands are given to man to obey revealed laws, yet the obedience is performed by God?

In the next place, as man in his natural capacity, and all his natural powers, are the work of God, and as truly derived from him as any fupernatural powers can be, it follows,

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