STRICTURES

ON

SANDEMANIANISM, &c.

LETTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

My Dear Friend,

I HAVE been told more than once that my not answering the piece written some years since, by Mr. A. M'Lean, has been considered as a proof that I felt it unanswerable. But if so, I must have felt the productions of many other opponents unanswerable, as well as his; for I have seldom had the last word in a controversy. The truth is, I was not greatly inclined to answer Mr. M. I felt disgusted with the illiberality of his repeatedly arraigning my motives, his accusing me of intentional misrepresentation, and his insinuating as though I could "take either side of a question, as I found occasion." I contented myself, therefore, with writing a small tract, called The Great Question Answered; in which, while complying with the desire of a friend, I endeavoured to state my views without controversy; and as Mr. M. had given a caricature description of what my principles would amount to, if applied in the form of an address to the unconverted, I determined to reduce them to that form; hoping also that, with the blessing of God, they might prove of some use to the parties addressed.

Whether it was owing to this tract, or not, I have reason to believe that the friends of religion who attended to the subject, did

me justice at the time, and that even those who favoured Mr. M.'s side of the question, thought he must have mistaken the drift of my reasoning, as well as have imputed motives to me of which I was innocent.

Whatever Mr. M. may think of me, I do not consider him as capable of either intentional misrepresentation, or taking either side of the question as he may find occasion. That my principles are misrepresented by him, and that in a great number of instances, I could easily prove: but the opinion that I have of his character leads me to impute it to misunderstanding, and not to design.

I am not conscious of any unbrotherly feeling towards Mr. M. In resuming the subject, however, after such a lapse of time, I have no mind to write a particular answer to his performance, though I may frequently notice his arguments. It is in consequence of observing the nature and tendency of the system, that I undertake to examine it. Such an examination will not only be more agreeable to my own feelings, but more edifying to the reader, than either an attack on an individual opponent, or a defence of myself against him.

In calling the sentiments I oppose Sandemanianism, I mean nothing invidious. The principles taught by Messrs. Glass and Sandeman, about half a century ago, did certainly give a new turn and character to almost every thing pertaining to the religion of Christ, as must appear to any one who reads and understands their publications. In the north it is the former of these authors who gives name to the denomination: with us it is the latter, as being most known by his writings.

I have denominated Sandemanianism a system; because it not ouly, as I have said, affects the whole of Christianity, but induces all who embrace it to separate from other Christians. Mr. Sandeman manifestly desired that the societies which were connected with him should be unconnected with all others, and that they should be considered as the only true churches of Christ. Such a view of things amounts to more than a difference on a few points of doctrine; it is a distinct species of religion, and requires for distinction's sake, to have a name, and till some other is found by which it can be designated, it must be called after that of its author.

It is not my design to censure Sandemanianism in the gross. There are many things in the system which, in my judgment, are worthy of serious attention. If Mr. Sandeman, and his followers, had only taught that faith has revealed truth for its object, or that which is true antecedently to its being believed, and whether it be believed or not; that the finished work of Christ, exclusive of every act, exercise, or thought of the human mind, is that for the sake of which a sinner is justified before God; that no qualifications of any kind are necessary to warrant our believing in him ; and that the first scriptural consolation received by the believer arises from the gospel, and not from reflecting on the feelings of his own mind towards it; they would have deserved well of the church of Christ.

Whether those against whom Mr. S. inveighs, under the name of popular preachers, were so averse to these principles as he has represented them, is another question. I have no doubt, however, but they, and many other preachers and writers of the present times, stand corrected by him and by other writers who have adopted his principles.

Mr. Ecking remarks on some passages in Mr. Boston's Fourfold State, with much propriety, particularly on such language as the following: "Do what you can; and it may be while you are doing what you can for yourselves, God will do for you what you cannot." Again: "Let us believe as we can, in obedience to God's command, and while we are doing so, although the act be at the beginning but natural, yet, in the very act, promised and purchased grace strikes in and turns it into a super-natural act of believing."* From other parts of Mr. Boston's work, it appears that he did not consider grace as promised to any of the works of the unregenerate; but allowing him, by "promised grace," in this passage, to mean that which was promised to Christ on behalf of those who were given him by the Father, yet the language is unscriptural and dangerous, as giving the sinner to understand that his inability is something that excuses him, and that in doing what he can while in enmity to God he obeys the divine command, and is at least in a more hopeful way of obtaining supernatural grace.

The Apostles exhorted sinners to repent and believe the gospel, and to nothing short of it; making no account of their inability. If we follow their example, God may honour their own ordinances by accompanying them with his Holy Spirit; but as to any thing being done in concurrence with the endeavours of the unregenerate, we have no such idea held out to us in the oracles of God.

It is God's ordinary method, indeed, prior to his bestowing that supernatural grace which enables a sinner to repent and believe the gospel, by various means to awaken him to reflection, and to the serious consideration of his condition as a transgressor of the divine law. Such convictions may last for a considerable time, and may issue in true conversion; but they may not: and so long as the gospel-way of salvation is rejected, or neglected, in favour of some self-righteous scheme, there is nothing truly good in them. They are as the noise, and the shaking of the dry bones, but not the breath of life. They are the means by which God prepares the mind for a welcome reception of the gospel; but they contain no advance towards Christ on the part of the sinner. He is not nearer the kingdom of heaven, nor less in danger of the wrath to come, than when he was at ease in his sins. Nay, notwithstanding the outward reformation which such convictions ordinarily produce, he is not, upon the whole, a less sinner in the sight of God than he was before. On the contrary, "He who continues under all this light, and contrary to the plain dictates and pressing painful convictions of his own conscience, obstinately to oppose and reject Jesus Christ, is, on the account of this his impenitence and obstinacy under this clear light and conviction of conscience, (whatever alteration or reformation has taken place in him in other respects,) more guilty, vile, and odious in God's sight than he was before."*

For a minister to withhold the invitations of the gospel till he perceives the sinner sufficiently, as he thinks, convinced of sin, and then to bring them forward as something to which he is entitled, holding up his convictions and distress of mind as signs of grace, and persuading him, on this ground, to think himself one of God's elect, and warranted to believe in Christ, as doing worse

* Hopkins's True State of the Unregenerate, p. 6.

than nothing. The comfort which the apostles presented to awakened sinners, consisted purely in the exhibition of Christ, and the invitations to believe in him. Neither the company addressed by Peter, nor the Philipian jailor, were encouraged from any thing in the state of their own minds, though each were deeply impressed, but from the gospel only. The preachers might and would take encouragement on perceiving them to be pricked in their hearts, and might hope for a good issue; but it had been at their peril to encourage them to hope for mercy any otherwise than as believing in the Son of God.

The Hyper-calvinists, who set aside the invitations of the gospel to the unregenerate, abound in these things. They are aware that the scriptures do invite sinners of some sort to believe in Christ; but then they conceive them to be sensible sinners only. It is thus that the terms hunger, thirst, labour, heavy-laden, &c. as used in the scripture invitations, are considered as denoting spiritual desire, as marking out the persons who are entitled to come to Christ. The Gospel invitations should be addressed to sinners as the subjects of those wants and desires which it is adapted to satisfy, such as the thirst for happiness, peace, rest, &c. is no more than might be expected. It had been strange if living waters had been presented to them who in no sense were thirsty, or rest to them who were in no sense weary and heavy-laden: but it does not follow that this thirst and this weariness is spiritual. On the contrary, they who are invited to buy and eat without money and without price, are supposed to be "spending their money for that which is not bread;" are admonished as "wicked" men to forsake their way; and invited to return to the Lord under a promise of abundant pardon, on their so returning. The "heavy-laden” also, are supposed as yet not to have come to Christ, nor taken his yoke, nor learned his spirit; and surely it could not be the design of Christ to persuade them to think well of their state, seeing he constantly teaches us that till a sinner come to him, or believe in him, he is under the curse, It is also observable that the promise of rest is not made to them as heavy-laden, but as coming to Christ with their burdens. There is no proof that all who were pricked in their hearts under Peter's sermon, and who inquired, What