as the State of the falfe Church, whilft the truè Church of JESUS CHRIST, his genuine and faithful Followers, are to be a little, despised Flock: A Sect every where Spoken against: In the World it is to bave Tribulation, till the expected happy Period, when it fhall be the FATHER's good Pleafure to give them THE KINGDOM.

Let not then the low Eftate of our Intereft, as to the prefent World, at all frighten or difcourage you, Sir, from cafting in your Lot amongst us. The World paffeth away, and all its Glories and Pomp will foon vanifh like a Dream before the defcending Son of God, whom we ftedfaftly expect.-And then to be found faithful; and to have ftuck with unfbaken LOYALTY to the ONLY Lawgiver, Lord, and King of the Church.-To have denied ourselves any worldly Honours, Preferments or Profits out of Confcience towards Him. To have been feparated from Mens Company, call out and reproach'd, becaufe we would not make a Sacrifice of our Vir tue and Integrity to the Applaufe of the Many, or the Favour of the Great.-Will yield divine Comfort, and procure immortal Honours in the everlafting Kingdom of GOD. Pardon me, Sir, if I am here acting a little out of Character, and feem to invade your Office: For I am extremely ambitious of en gaging fo ingenious. a Gentleman amongst us.

Thefe, Sir, are the Profpects with which Diffenters fupport themselves under all their Difadvantages with regard to the prefent World. They remember WHOSE Difciples and Followers they are-wHo it is that hath faid, IN VAIN do they worship me, teaching for Doctrine the COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.Who hath strictly charg'd them to call NO MAN upon Earth MASTER, becaufe ONE only is their MASTER, even CHRIST. And, finally, WHO it is that hath promised, that if any Man fhall forfake House, or Brethren, or Siflers, or Children, or Lands,

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for bis Name's Sake: be shall receive an hundred fold and fhall inherit EVERLASTING LIFE.

I now conclude, Sir, by befeeching you very carefully to remember, that the Controverly betwixt us depends abfolutely and entirely upon the Decifion of this fingle Point.-Is there any OTHER Lawgiver or King in the Church of God, to whofe Authority and Command, as to Things of Religion, CHRISTIANS are bound to fubmit, BESIDES JESUS CHRIST? Or is there, not ?-If there be no other Lawgiver befides JESUS CHRIST, no other King, no other Authority to whofe Decrees in Point of Doctrine, and to whole Injunctions in Point of Worship, CHRISTIANS are obliged, and ought to fubmit: then the DISSENTERS, in every impartial Judgment, will be, must be justified: then They act right then They ought to be commended, and will furely be rewarded for adhering loyally and firmly to the ONE only KING and LORD of the Church: And for faithfully Oppofing the Claims of any OTHER Power; and for Refufing Obedience to the Injuctions of any OTHER Lawgiver; and the Decifions of any OTHER Judge; who hath made other Articles of Faith, other Terms of Communion, other Rites of Worship, BESIDES and ABOVE those which CHRIST himfelf has made.

For to illuftrate the Cafe.-If any foreign Prince shall pretend to make Laws, and prescribe Rules of Action to the People of thefe Realms, and thall exact Obedience to his Injunctions from the Subje&s of King GEORGE; I ask, does not your Allegiance to HIM, your ONLY Sovereign, require and oblige you to make your Proteft against any fuch Laws, and to refufe your Obedience to them? But is not the Church a Province in which CHRIST ALONE is King, as much as thefe Realms are the Dominions ONLY of King GEORGE? If any human Potentate then shall rife up in the Church, and fhall

claim

claim Authority and Dominion over the Confciences of CHRIST's Subjects; Authority as to Things of Faith, to decree what He hath not decreed; and Dominion as to Things of Worship, to appoint Rites and Inftitutions which He hath not appointed; I ask you, Sir, does not your Allegiance to CHRIST, you ONLY Sovereign, require and oblige you to enter your Proteft against tuch ufurp'd Authority, and to refufe your Obedience to it?

This, Sir, repeat it, because I earnestly intreat your peculiar Attention to it, is the effential and important Point upon which the Controverfy betwixt us entirely turns. If you can prove, that there is ANOTHER Lawgiver, ANOTHER Judge, AN OTHER King in the Church, befides JESUS CHRIST, to whole Authority we are to fubmit in Things of Religion; and that the King and Parliament of these Realms are this Lawgiver, and this Judge; you will then at once gain your Point; and by that fingle Blow you will entirely overthrow the diffenting Intereft and Churches. We will immediately become your Converts; and flock into the Eftablish'd Church.

But if you cannot prove this Point; you then yield the Caufe to us; you then, in effect, own us juftified before the World; and you leave us to indulge the rational and reviving Hope of being acknowledg'd' by our great LAWGIVER, at his Return into the World, as his loyal and obedient Subjects; of being advanced to peculiar Honours and Dignities in his Kingdom, as we have here fuffer'd on Account of our Duty and Allegiance to him; and of receiving from our JUDGE, before Angels and Men, that Sentence of Applaufe-Well done, GOOD and FAITHFUL Servants, enter ye into the Joy of your LORD.

I have only to add, Sir, that this PrincipleThat CHRIST is the only Lawgiver and King in his Church; and that no Man, no Body of Men upon Earth, have any Authority to make Laws,

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or to prescribe Things in Religion, which fhall oblige the Confciences of his Subjects; is the grand, the only Principle, upon which the UNITY, the PuRITY, and the PEACE of the Chriftian Church can poffible fubfift. Take away this, and you let in endless Discords and Corruptions into it: You fplit it into Parties : You make CHRISTIAINTY one Thing, in one Country; a quite different, in another. In England you make it wear an Epifcopal Form: In Scotland, a Presbyterian In France, a Popish In Denmark, a Lutheran: In Pruffia, a Calvinift: In Ruffia, a Grecian, &c.— -But ought thefe Things to be fo? Is CHRIST divided? Is this the UNITY of his one beautiful, well-compacted Body? Can these be all genuine apoftolic CHRISTIANITY?-Rather, are either of them fo?-When the Powers of this World take upon them authorstatively to interpret and preferibe in Things of Religion, which are CHRIST's Kingdom and Province, they act beyond their Sphere: They invade the Throne of another Prince: The certain Confequence of which is Confufions, Separations; the Unity of the Church is broken, the Rights of Chriftians violated, a Gate open'd for innumerable Superftitions and Inventions to enter, and mingle with the pure Doctrines of CHRIST; and hence neceffarily flow Schifms, Emulations, Contentions, and every evil Work.-

I befeech you, Sir, by the Mercies of God; and for the Honour of CHIRSTIANITY; and by the Allegiance you owe your ONLY. Lawgiver JESUS CHRIST, to weigh thefe Things in an impartial and unbiafs'd Mind. May his Spirit of TRUTH judge betwixt us upon the Point, and teach us his Will! To his In fluence I commend you, Sir, and am,

With great Sincerity,

Your very Humble Servant,

A DISSENTER.

POSTSCRIPT,

Containing Remarks on the Defence of your Three Letters.

T

OHE above Letter being fent to the Prefs before your Defence, &c. was advertised; its Publication was ftaid, till I had feen what Occafion it might give, either to retract or fupport what was offer'd in my first Letter. You feem moved at its pretending to be an Answer to your three Letters, when fo fmall a Part of them is confider'd therein: And with Airs quite fuitable to the Caufe you are pleading, ecclefiaftical Authority, give me to understand, that your taking any notice of this Performance is to be confider'd as a Condefcenfion to which you were not obliged, and which I had no Right to expect from you. But, pray recollect What was the avow'd Defign and Purport of your Letters? Was it not to refute the great and popular Objections of the Diffenters, and to bring me over to your Church? But upon reading your Letters, I found you had fcarce touch'd upon the principal Objection which kept me from your Church, Church, Was it not then my Part to ftate the Objection to you, and fet it in its full Light? As unask'd, you had taken on you to be my Inftructor in this Affair; had I not a Right to lay my Difficulty before you, and to demand your Solution of it? What, muft I confine myself to the Pleas which you had feen fit to cook up for the Diffenters; and if I prefume to offer others, will you magisterially call them Ramblings,