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F. has in several controversies, suffered his antagonist to have the last word; and when he has thought proper to write, he has always been so slow in printing, that he has seldom answered any considerable work in the same year. From the time of Mr. M'Lean's pamphlet making its appearance, his hands have been so full of more important business, as scarcely to afford him the opportunity to read, much less to answer that performance.

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Whether Mr. F. intends to make any reply, is best known to himself. I know however, that several of his friends have endeavoured to dissuade him from it.-(1) From an apprehension that such disquisitions, united with his other labours, may be injurious to his health.(2) Because of the illiberality of his opponent, in having interspersed his performance with a number of insinuations, that Mr. F. had knowingly and wilfully misrepresented him. Such intimations become neither the christian nor the man they tend also to divert the reader's attention from truth, and to interest it in what is merely personal. Were I disposed, I am sure that I could make out the charge of wilful misrepresentation against Mr. M. in as many instances and on as good grounds, as those which he has preferred against Mr. F.: But I would scorn the attempt. Whatever mis-statements either of them may have given of each others sentiments, and however difficult it may be to account for them on fair grounds, I am persuaded that neither the one nor the other is capable of doing it knowingly and wilfully; and a writer that will maintain the contrary, whatever be his talents, is unworthy of an answer.-(3) Because of the vast quantity of misconstrued and distorted meaning put upon his words, which will require to be set right; and which is a task not a little irksome both to the writer and the reader, and which few men who can better employ their time would wish to undertake.*

* It was not till seven or eight years afterwards, that Mr. Faller produced his admirable Strictures on Sandemanianism, in reply to Mr. M'Lean. ED.

REVIEW OF MR. SCOTT'S TREATISE ON FAITH.

The Warrant and Nature of Faith considered, with some References to the various Controversies on this subject. By the Rev. THOMAS

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THE design of this treatise, if we rightly comprehend it, is to discuss various important points, advanced in Mr. Booth's "Glad Tidings to perishing sinners." We are happy in perceiving that both these respectable writers agree, as to the complete warrant which every sinner who hears the gospel has to believe in Christ for the salvation of his soul, antecedent to all holy qualifications or dispositions whatever; a truth which leaves all unbelievers without excuse; which points out the way of peace to awakened sinners, and affords a plain direction to gospel ministers to invite their auditors, without distinction, to a participation of eternal life.

This important truth, though plentifully taught in the holy scriptures, and generally, if not universally, embraced by the reformers, puritans, and nonconformists, has been much opposed in the present century. Those writers who have laboured to set aside the gospel offer, as inconsistent with the doctrines of grace, have with it explained away the free invitations of the gospel, as they respect the unregenerate; considering them as addressed only to sinners made sensible of their sin, and thirsting after spiritual blessings; and contending that no other descriptions of men have any warrant to embrace them. This notion Mr. Booth has successfully combated, proving, beyond all just contradiction, that the invitations of the gospel are addressed to sinners as sinners.

There are several important particulars however, in which Mr. Booth and Mr. Scott disagree, and which are

well worthy the attention of those who wish for clear and accurate views of evangelical truth. Mr. Booth is partial to the term warrant, and seems to have studiously kept the idea of obligation out of sight. Mr. Scott, on the other hand, undertakes to prove that faith in Christ is the duty of all who hear the gospel, and observes, that no warrant seems to be required for obedience to a plain commandment. Considering faith however as implying an all-important benefit, he admits the propriety of the enquiry, What warrant a sinner has for expecting it from his offended God. In this view, he observes, "the term warrant signifies a ground of encouragement, authorising an application, and giving sufficient reason to expect success; insomuch that he who applies in the prescribed manner, cannot be rejected consistently with the truth of the holy scriptures." Such a ground of encouragement, Mr Scott allows to exist in the word of God, irrespective of all holy dispositions whatsoever.

But Mr. Booth not only denies the necessity of a change of heart to warrant our believing, but explodes the idea of its being necessary to the act of believing itself; or as he defines it, of relying on Christ for salvation; contending also that prior to his justification, the sinner performs no good act, but is an enemy to God. Mr. Scott takes the opposite ground, maintaining that no man ever believed in Christ while under the dominion of sin; that saving faith is the effect of regeneration, or the renewal of an unholy creature to a right spirit; and that those who work not, but believe in him who justifieth the ungodly,' are not persons who are inactive, but who "cease to work in respect of justification;" not enemies of God, but having transgressed his law, are rendered for ever incapable of being justified by any thing done by themselves; or in any other character than that of ungodly, to whom mercy is shown merely out of regard to the righteousness of him in whom they believe.

To establish these positions, Mr. Scott confines his attention to one leading point, which makes up the body

of his performance; namely, that faith is not a mere act of the understanding, but a holy exercise of the heart. Our author seems to have apprehended, that if this idea could be established, his work would be done, and to have reasoned on some such principles as the following.-If faith itself be a spiritual exercise, it must be the effect of regeneration; as no sinner, while an enemy to God, can be induced by any influence, human or divine, to perform that which is spiritually good. Farther: if faith be a holy exercise, and presede justification, the sinner when he is justified, though, being a transgressor of the law, he be in the account of the judge of all, 'ungodly,' yet is not actually at enmity with God; inasmuch as every degree of holy exercise must be inconsistent with such a state of mind.

In the discussion of this leading point-which after all we incline to think Mr. Booth does not deny, though he may have advanced things inconsistent with it-Mr. Scott goes over a great variety of topics, and examines various passages of scripture, which had been produced on the other side. The most forcible of his arguments appear to be the following.—Our Lord assures us, that no man can come to him, except he is taught of God, drawn of the Father, and has heard and learned of him. And has this teaching, drawing, hearing and learning, he enquires, nothing holy in its nature? Faith in Christ is not only the source of all the obedience which follows after it, but is itself an act of obedience. But all obedience is the expression of love, and is never performed by an unrenewed heart, not even by divine influence. Unbelief arises from an evil heart, which 'loveth darkness rather than light:" faith therefore, which is its opposite, arises from the love of light rather than darkness. As unbelief is attributed to voluntary blindness, so faith is ascribed to a holy illumination, to 'light shining into the heart,' which gives it a holy bias. Regeneration is assigned as the reason why some believed in Christ, while others received him not. Of their believing on his name, this is given as the cause;

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'they were born, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' Faith in Christ is the effect and evidence of regeneration. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.' That this is the sense of the passage is evident from similar phraseology being used of other effects and evidences of regeneration by the same writer, and in the same epistle. 'Every one that loveth is born of God-Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.' Repentance is constantly represented as previous to forgiveness, and consequently to justification, of which forgiveness is a branch; it is also generally mentioned as preseding faith in Christ, and in some instances as influential on it. 'Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Repent and believe the gospel. If peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Ye repented not that ye might believe.'

Mr. Booth pleads that the word of God is the means of regeneration, and the seed or principle of spiritual life. Mr. Scott replies, not by denying either of these positions, but by suggesting that we cannot explain the manner in which God uses the word in regeneration, any more than that in which animals and vegetables are produced according to the course of nature. And though the word of God be the seed from whence the fruits of grace arise, yet must the ground be made good ere it will be received, so as to become productive.

Mr. Booth alleges the case of the Prodigal, as favouring his idea of there being nothing good in a man prior and in order to believing. Mr. Scott replies, "And did our Lord in this parable represent the returning sinner as driven merely by distress to seek deliverance from God? What did he then mean by the expression, when he came to himself?' Is it not evident, that from that time he possessed a right mind; and are not all his expressions those of sorrow and humiliation for sin, and of deep selfabasement?"

Mr. Booth suggests that the Publican, in the parable,

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