gift

Tappan Presb. Assor. 2-9-1933

INTRODUCTORY ESSAY.

A

THE Author of the following work has been long known and esteemed in the church of Christ, as one of the ablest defenders of divine truth. He was settled as Minister at Bethlem, in New England, North America; and although more than half a century of years have passed away, since he was "gathered to his fathers," his name and his works are still held in grateful remembrance by his successors in the American churches. His well known Treatise on the "Nature of True Religion," was occasioned by the prevalence, in New-England at the time, of Arminianism on the one side, and of Antinomianism on the other; and it was introduced to the public, under the powerful patronage of the celebrated President Edwards; who, in his preface to the work states, that he had known the Author for many years,

and that he esteemed him very highly as an able Minister of the New Testament. David Brainerd also, the well known and deservedly revered Missionary to the American Indians, makes frequent mention of Mr. Bellamy in his Journal, and records many pleasing instances of Christian conference and fellowship with him. He who was such an intimate friend of Jonathan Edwards and David Brainerd, and so honourably noticed by them, could be no common man. Indeed, we have only to look into his writings to convince us that his understanding possessed a masculine vigour; that his mind was acute and perspicacious in no ordinary degree; that his views of Scriptural truth were enlarged and profound; and that his heart was deeply imbued with the love of truth and zeal for the interests of holiness.

Dr. Bellamy's design in the following work is, to confute the erroneous idea of faith as held forth in some of the writings of Hervey and Marshall, and other popular divines of the day. By these writers it was maintained that the Gospel offer amounted to an absolute deed of gift on the part of God to sinners as such, and they

insisted on every individual whom they addressed, giving credit to the simple matter of fact, that Christ and all the blessings of salvation are his ; or in other words that Christ died for him in particular. Those who held this opinion, did not indeed maintain the favourite doctrine of some modern writers and preachers, that pardon is absolutely universal; but they held a principle which naturally leads to this. They acknowledged that no one is pardoned until he believes; and yet they taught that it was the duty of every one to believe that he is pardoned-that an act of amnesty has been passed in his favour--and that Christ and all spiritual blessings are his. Although this was not true of the individual before he believed; yet, said they, in the very act of believing, it became true. Now it must be obvious to the most superficial inspection, that there is an absurdity in maintaining that our believing that which in itself is false to be true, can convert falsehood into truth; and therefore we must either renounce this idea of faith as inconsistent and unscriptural, or go at once into the

doctrine of universal pardon. If one individual is entitled by a simple act of credence to say, Christ is mine; surely every individual has precisely the same right. The gospel presents the same aspect to every one, and it addresses its offers indiscriminately to all. If therefore I am required to believe-not that Christ is able and willing to save all that come unto him by faith-but that he is absolutely mine already, and by a direct and immediate act of God's Sovereign grace; must not my neighbour be bound to believe the very same thing? And where is the limit to be laid down? Universal pardon follows by a most fair and legitimate consequence; and the abettors of this doctrine are just the legal and consistent advocates of the other. Dr. Bellamy, however, goes to the root of the error; and shows the absolute inanity of the whole scheme.

It is a favourite plea of the Erskinists, that their doctrine is just that of the Reformers, and of very many approved fathers and doctors of the Protestant church. I cannot conceive a piece of