that I have heard of the Father, I have made

Quot. We find in David a most striking example of evangelical repentance and godly sorrow on the account of sin. He was a sinner, but he was no antinomian.

Answ. Here my amazement ceases; or, rather, to use Maria's words, it greatly increases. I never knew, till now, that the name, antinomian, meant a saint that never fell. David was a sinner, but no antinomian. I thought that, by the name antinomian, Maria intended to have represented me as one of the worst of sinners, which is the sole cause of my offence at the name; knowing, in my own conscience, that I have laboured hard through numberless temptations that have befallen me in the way, to shun the paths of the destroyer. But a sinner and an antinomian are two things; then I have no objection to the name.

Quot. Faith is the grand bond of union between Christ and his people.

Answ. This is one of Maria's experimental truths: which, by the by, is an arrant lie. The elect were united to Christ from eternity, before ever faith was upon earth, and will be in union with him in heaven to all eternity, when faith will be no more. I proved this to be a lie in my last answer, and Maria must have the face of a devil to publish it the second time; but she cannot deliver her soul from the works of her father, nor say, Is there not a lie in my hand?

Quot. So that those who live and die without being made partakers of vital faith, it is evident, never were united to Christ any other way.

Answ. This is half truth, and half lies. They that live and die without real faith shall perish. But all the elect were united to Christ, not by faith, but by another way; namely, by the bond of God's everlasting love to them in Christ Jesus; so that the bond of union is God the Father's love to us, not our faith in the Saviour.

Quot. In the fulness of time he unites those to himself, by implanting in their hearts vital faith, as a divine abiding, holy principle, by which they are cut off from their old stock, and are ingrafted into the new and living Vine.

Answ. Christ takes into union his people, by implanting in their hearts vital faith. Faith cuts them off from the old stock, and faith unites to the living Vine. Here are three lies. God, by lovingkindness, not faith, draws us to Christ, and calls us to the fellowship of his Son. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word, and not faith, cuts us from the old stock; and the Spirit of love, not faith, unites us to the living Vine.

Quot. On this grand union, which is faith, doth all sanctification, and communion, and walking with God, depend,

Answ. This is another lie, Sanctification, by the decree of God from eternity, and by the death of Christ on the cross, and by the reception and operations of the Spirit, does not depend upon

faith; for faith is not that first and grand cause on which sanctification depends, but faith depends upon that, and is the effect and fruit of it.

Quot. It is God the Holy Ghost who alone can create this faith.

Answ. Real faith is produced under the operations of the Spirit, and is therefore called a fruit of his; but, as to Maria's created faith, I read nothing of that. It was made at Enfield; for I am sure, that God had never any hand in making such a creature.

Quot. It is impossible for a dead sinner; that is, a dead man in sin; to give himself spiritual life, that is, divine faith.

Answ. I read of Christ living in Paul, and of Paul's living by the faith of Christ; but there is a difference between Christ, who is the life, and faith, by which we live on Christ, Christ is the bread, faith is the hand; man's hands are not his life, but bread; men live not upon their hands, which God makes, but upon loaves of bread, which the bakers make.

Thou seest, reader, the drift and end aimed at in this mystery of iniquity, in this composition of lies and deception; it is to bring the child of God under the unbearable yoke of the law, and into the spirit of bondage: for the law is represented as the only rule of right and wrong, as the only law that requires obedience. No obedience is mentioned in her whole piece but obedience to God, or to Christ, under the moral law, as the only rule of life,

walk, and conduct. The devil, that set these authors to work, has blinded their eyes, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shines not unto them. God has hid their heart from understanding, and therefore he shall not exalt them; and Satan, who sets these blind hypocrites on, knows how prone weak believers are to seek heaven by the works of the law; because, such a poor soul thinks it is making God some amends for past faults. Hence the wise man says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." This way is not the broad way, or way of sin, for no man thinks that to be the way to heaven; conscience will not allow of such a thought: the way to heaven, by the works of the law, is the way that seems right. Hence some blind guides, who are called gospel preachers, cry out, If we are not under the law, what are we to obey? What is the rule of obedience? What, doth the believer yield no obedience? What, live as we list?' This is their ignorance; this their carnal logick, and their damnable deceptions: this is the very doctrine of the Judaising teachers, who followed Paul, and subverted the Galatians. They had begun in the Spirit, and then they aimed to be made perfect by the flesh. The Galatians' perfection by the law, and Maria's conduct by her rule, are synonymous terms, and mean one and the same thing. But what doth God call this turning to the law, for perfection or sanctification? he calls it disobedience. And what does he

call their conformity to the law? he calls it foolishness: O foolish Galatians! And what name does he give the spirit of these seducers? that of witchcraft: Who hath bewitched you? Maria's experimental truths are nothing but witchcraft; and, if there is life in that muscle, I hope to kill her by the sword of the Spirit; for God hath said, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." "O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"

"The

But, perhaps, my reader will say, what does Paul mean by obeying the truth? Answer. Grace and truth are set in opposition to the law. law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Truth signifies the covenant of life and peace, which is sometimes called a commandment as it is written; "And ye shall know, that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." Now, reader, observe, here is, in the first place, a