QUESTION Xi. 121' fore and receive it for the rule of their faith, acknowledge to be certain." To this I reply, Reply I. What poòr food would this be for hungry end Thirsty souls to be treated with nothing else in a christian church, but the mere inculcation of moral duties, or the narration of christian controversies. What support coulda weary and heavy laden sinner, bowed down and broken with a sense of guilt, obtain from such a discourse ? Must a poor perishing creature, undèr the fears of the wrath of God, have no relief given it from a just and full explicationof the sacrifice of Christ, be- cause the Socinian does not believe it? And must a weak chris- tian, conflicting long with sins and temptations, have no encou- ragement from the doctrine of inward effectual grace, lest the Arminian take offence at it ? Is this that way of preaching that Christ has ordained to save guilty and impotent creatures, by a deep sense of the true and only relief, or a mere dubious pro- posal of it ? 'H. Besides, how can a minister answer it to God, or his own conscience, if be sees errors in matters of importance growing amongst men, perhaps in his own church too, and does not attempt to prevent or refute them by his best interpretation of the word of God ? Is he not set for the defence and con- firmation of the gospel; Phil. i. 17. Is he not bound to main- tain sound doctrine, and to teach no other; 1 Tim. i, 3. Must not he contend earnestly for thefaith once delivered to the saints; Jude verse 3. How narrow is the work of a gospel minister, and how much less useful is his labour or hisoffice, if hebe for- bid this service to Christ, and the church? There were some little points of controversy, in the apostles' days, about the lawfulness of meats, &c. which if they were never determined, would not be destructive to christianity; concerning these, the apostleat some seasons directs to keep our faith, or opinion, to ourselves; Rom. xiv. 22. Yet at other times he bids Timothy preach his own sense of them, and declare for christian liberty, and the free use of food. 1 Tim. iv. 6. If thou put the bre- thren in mind of these things, thou shalt be agood minister of Jesus Christ, &c. Now can we think that Timothy should pub- licly give his sense in such circumstantial things, and yet not give it in the most important matters ofthe satisfaction and atonement of Christ, and the doctrines of the efficacious sanctifying grace of the Spirit? Read 2 Tim. ii. 14, 15, 18, 23, &c. Tit. i. 9, 10, 13. and chapter ii. I, 2. and judge if the apostle requires, or even indulges those young preachers to propose important doctrines in such a doubtful way, as may minister questions, and gender strifes; and in such an indifferent manner, as though it was nomatter which opinion his hearers embraced: Surely this wouldbe theway to keep men ever learning, and never coming to asettledknowledge of the truth.
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