founded upon the doctrines or tenets of Christianity. Should the author, unadvisedly or ignorantly, have subjected himself to a charge of this nature, the only apology he has to offer is, that it has not been intentional, and has arisen from not having those opportunities to correct his error which others have, whose particular duties or habits have been to study theological subjects more deeply and closely than his avocations in life will permit him, from the necessary attention he is obliged to give to secular affairs. Should an apology be wanting, he has to hope the above will be deemed a good and sufficient ground for its acceptance; but at the same time he has to declare, that his greatest attention has been given, and the greatest caution used, not to venture to broach any principle or tenet, except such as he conceives he is most fully supported and borne out in by the infallible authority of Scripture; being convinced a real Christian can have no other standard, as the only sure and certain guide to bring him to truth; and by that standard, and that standard only, he relies, he shall be able to stand, and firmly establish and make

good the ground he has dared to travel over. He cannot refrain from adverting to one particular tenet that he has ventured to bring forward, differing from a very general opinion, which cannot be denied has prevailed very generally for many ages; but any opinion that is erroneous, cannot be made right from time, prescription will not prevail in theology however it may in law. The tenet alluded to is, whether faith necessarily produces good works? or whether they invariably spring from faith? which must be deemed of the greatest and deepest importance in the Christian religion, and particularly as to a rightful knowledge of a most interesting part of Christianity, the doctrine of faith. It must be acknowledged, there has been a very general admission by theologians, that faith produces good works; those who have not admitted the principle to its fullest extent, have touched lightly upon the subject, such as the subject, such as noticing the aptitude there may be in faith to produce good works*; that faith may exist without works; "that there is no necessary con

See Hammond's Practical Catechism, p. 48.

+ Bishop Tomline's Ref. p. 119.

nexion between faith, or belief, and good works*." But the principle that faith produces good works, it is conceived, has been generally assumed from the statements in Scripture of many great things done by or through faith, from whence it has been concluded, that faith effected these things as a cause, and not by her instrumentality. It is believed, the principle has not been brought forward in a regular mode of discussion. This point must be considered of great consequence and importance, particularly in the question of justification by faith only and could the principle be established, that faith necessarily produces good works, it would give great strength to the argument in favour of the tenet of justification by faith alone; but if faith is shewn, and scripturally proved not to possess the power, and does not necessarily produce good works, the argument must, if supportable, assume a different course than it has already done, from losing the support it has heretofore had from an assumed fact, which, upon examination, had

Bishop Tomline's Ref. p. 130.

no ground to stand upon; and such, the author assures himself, will be the case, when the authorities of Scripture are duly examined.

The author's first intention was only to have endeavoured to correct, what he has always conceived a great error in theology, that of justification, either primarily or finally, taking place in this life; but in the prosecution of such intention he found the principle or tenet of justification by faith only, or alone, so closely connected, and as it were interwoven into the subject of justification, particularly in this life, that it necessarily required the two principles or tenets should be fully discussed together, there being such a mutuality in their bearings and purposes as almost to have a dependence upon each other; and as a definition of justifying faith became necessary, and which has a close connexion with the tenets of justification by faith only, it was thereupon deemed adviseable to discuss the latter subject under that head. And as a further and most irresistible inducement for doing this, the author has

lately seen, for the purpose of furthering and propagating the tenet of justification by faith only, widely and profusely disseminated principles, tending, as he conceives, to the subversion of all moral actions, of virtuous and religious feeling, and has even heard from the pulpit of the Church of England expressions, in the plainest language and most unqualified. manner, to the following effect, that "no act or work of man would aid or contribute in the remotest degree, or have any effect with God in his justification; and that his righteous deeds would avail or profit him nothing with respect to Christ." Such language must be negatively a condemnation of all good and righteous works, and the discouragement thereby necessarily produced must obstruct and prevent their execution. Can any man, with the least common feeling of Christianity and religion in his soul, resist, and not embrace every opportunity to stem the torrent of such most alarming, dangerous, mischievous, and fatal principles, which strike at the root of all goodness, virtue, and religion, and undermine the most consoling, comforting, and cheering feeling which the