I answer, 1. The height to which we carry christianity (as was but now observed) is this, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself. 2. The enemy of christianity cannot find his account, in our carrying it to this height. 3. You will not say on reflection, that christianity, even in this height, is practicable by very few, or rather by none: You yourself will confess, this is a rule (as God designed it should) for all stations, and all conditions.
Query the third. “Whether, in particular, the carrying the doctrine of justification by faith alone to such a height, as not to allow that a sincere and careful observance of moral duties is so much as a condition of our acceptance with God, and of our being justified in his sight: Whether this, I say, does not naturally lead people to a disregard of those duties, and a low esteem of them; or rather to think them no part of the christian religion?”
I trust justification by faith alone, has been so explained above, as to secure, not only a high esteem, but also a careful and sincere observance of all moral duties.
4. Query the fourth. “Whether a due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid by good men in a serious and composed way, does not answer the true ends of devotion, and is not a better evidence of the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, than those sudden agonies, roarings, screamings, tremblings, droppings down, ravings, and madnesses, into which their hearers have been cast?”
I must answer this [♦]query likewise part by part.
[♦] “querry” replaced with “query”
Q. 1. Whether a due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid in a serious and composed way, by good [i. e. well meaning] men, does not answer the true ends of devotion?
A. I suppose by devotion you mean public worship; by the true ends of it, the love of God and man: and by a due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid in a serious and composed way, the going as often as we have opportunity to our parish church, and to the sacrament there administred. If so, the question is, “Whether this attendance on those offices, does not produce the love of God and man?” I answer, sometimes it does; and sometimes it does not. I myself thus attended them for many years; and yet am conscious to myself, that during that whole time, I had no more of the love of God than a stone. And I know many hundreds, perhaps thousands of serious persons, who are ready to testify the same thing.
Q. 2. But is not this a better evidence of the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, than those sudden agonies?
A. All these persons, as well as I, can testify also, that this is no evidence at all of the co-operation of the Holy Spirit. For some years I attended these public offices, because I would not be punished for non-attendance. And many of these attended them, because their parents did before them, or because they would not lose their character. Many more, because they confounded the means with the end, and fancied this opus operatum would bring them to heaven. How many thousands are now under this strong delusion? Beware, you bring not their blood on your own head?