!REFACE To Orthodoxy and Clarity united. ALMOST every one of these essays was written above twenty years ago, and some of "'them, ; more than thirty. The author finds reason to offer his sincere acknowledgments and thanks to Almighty God, who has preserved him, even, to this day, in the same sentiments and principles of christian faith and love, amidst the numerous follies and errors of the times. One of these papers, indeed, found its way into the world, the very year is which it was written; the very design of it was to exem- plify the title of this book, and it has been often since solicited to be printed again: But it was delayed, for many years; till the author had formed a collection of papers, of this sort, large enough to compose a mo. deratevolmue ; and the readerwill be sufficiently informed, of the present reason of this publication, by a mere explaining of the words ofthe title, Orthodoxy and Charity united. By the word orthodoxy, the author means all thosechristian doctrines, which were generally approved in the last age, so far as he knows at least, by almost all the protestant dissenters in the nation ; even those great doctrines, on which the refbrmation from the church of Rome was built ; andthey con- tinued so, all the time these essays were writing, and long before, in the . general good esteemof the churches, as being conformableto the instructions ofChrist and his apostles- It is needness, in this place, toreckon them all up, particularly, but, ingeneral, they were such as these: 1. By the fall of the first man, he, together with his posterity, lost their innocence and their immortality, their bodies were subjected to dis- eases and death, their natural inclinations were perverted from that which is good, and there was a strange prevailing bias in human nature, even from its infancy, to that which is evil. -2. In order to their recovery from this ruin, there is not only a necessity of the pardon of their sin's, and reconciliation of their persons to God, but there is need also that their sinful natures be healed, and renewed by sanctifying.grace, in order to restore mento virtue and piety, that is, to the love of God and their fellow-. creatures. -3. The Son of God, who, in the language of scripture, is one with the Father, came down f om heaven to take flesh, and therein to fulfil the duties of the law, and give an - example of perfect holiness : And then he was appointed to suffer death as a sacrifice and atonement for the sins of men, that mankind might thereby obtain pardon and the favour of God. -4. There is a necessity, also, that sinners should heartily repent of their sins, return to God and be renewed to the principles and temper of holiness, in order to their complete recovery to eternal life and happiness.-5. Besides this repentance and returning to God, it is also required, that they believe in the' name of Jesus Christ, their Saviour, or trust in him, with a humble expectation of the favour of God, through him : And, it is through this faith, they are to be justified and accepted of God. -6. They are also obliged to obey the law of God, as far as this feeble and imperfect state admitsof, during their whole life, and still to grow
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