Christ, does all sanctification, and communion, and walking with God, depend.

Answ. All sanctification, which is God's setting his elect apart in eternity; and Christ's offering up himself upon the cross, by which offering

he for ever perfected them that are sanctified; all depends upon Maria's bond, hand, and sword, if we can but believe. For my part, I know it is a damnable lie. But we must go on.

Quot. It is God the Holy Ghost who alone can create this faith in the soul of a sinner.

Answ. Maria's bond, hand, and sword, is at last turned into a creature. None but the Spirit can create this faith; so that it is not the sinner that is created anew, but faith is created in him; and then it turns to a sword, and then to a hand, and at last to a bond. Reader, have a little patience with me while I pursue these orthodox divines, and discover their folly, lest thou be misled by them. Wisdom tells thee, that some sort of women have ways that are moveable, so that thou canst not know them: I am sure I do not, but yet I know that this woman is not right.

Quot. For, as it is impossible for a dead man to give himself natural life: so it is equally impossible for a dead sinner, that is, a man dead in sin, to give himself spiritual life; that is, divine faith.

Answ. Maria's bond, hand, sword, and creature, are now termed spiritual life, for spiritual life is divine faith; so that this created faith is divinity

itself. We do not live by faith on Christ, who is our life; nor does Christ live in us, according to this, but created faith is spiritual life in us. Now, reader, we shall differ from all that we have said before.

Quot. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word.

Answ. In the former quotation faith was created in us, but now it is created out of us, and comes into us by hearing the word. Now, reader, we must take another turn; and where you may find us next I know not; but you may depend upon it that we shall be somewhere stumbling upon the dark mountains.

Quot. Page 59. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit; and when the Holy Ghost takes this noble sword into his mighty hand, he makes it quick and powerful, cutting down all opposition, and fully efficacious to the conviction, conversion, sanctification, and consolation, of his people.

Answ. Now we see that Maria's bond, hand, creature, and spiritual life, have nothing to do with cutting the sinner off from his old stock; for it is all done by the word of God, and not by faith created in us by the Spirit. In this last quotation Maria's hand has nothing to do, for thus run the words: The Spirit makes this sword quick and powerful, cutting down all opposition, and fully efficacious. That is, the sword is fully efficacious to the conviction, conversion, sanctification, and

consolation, of his people. The sword that wounds, heals: convictions, sanctifications, and consolations, all come from the same sword. The Holy Spirit handles the sword, but holiness and consolation come by the sword. Faith makes no application in this business.

Quot. The sword of Scanderbeg the Great did wonders; but it was only when it was exercised by the mighty arm of Scanderbeg.

Answ. The sword that this book talks about does greater works than that of Scanderbeg; his sword was used to kill, but this sword brings sanctification and consolation. How does the Almighty blind, confound, confuse, and discover, these empty novices, by letting them expose their confusion to the church and the world; and yet holds them in such blindness, as to permit them to call their self-contradictions, and palpable lies, a confutation of error; and unmasking of antinomianism!

As for me, I do not know that any body can justly charge me with preaching to encourage sin, or say I have lived as an example of licentiousness, or been in any sense behind-hand in promoting and in shewing a pattern of good works; if I have, let them testify against me.

Quot. They that are overwhelmed with distress, and sometimes conclude that they have no right to rejoice in the liberty of the gospel, that they are not the Lord's freemen, but still slaves to sin and Satan, still under the reigning power of

sin, and, consequently, not partakers of Christ's salvation. Now, lest any of these, whose hearts the Lord would not have made sad,

Answ. If they are overwhelmed with distress, and slaves to sin and Satan, and under the reigning power of sin, they have no more right to rejoice in the liberty of the gospel than Satan has, who is reserved in chains of darkness. The sinner here described is overcome by Satan; and of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage: if he is, and binds himself to be a slave to sin and Satan, he is free from righteousness. His members are not yielded as instruments of righteousness, nor is he, nor can he be, a servant of righteousness; he is holden with the cords of his sin, and Satan has the mastery over him. In this quotation, a slave to sin and Satan is allowed to have a right to rejoice in the liberty of the gospel; a sinner overwhelmed with distress, and under the dominion of sin, yet the Lord would not have his heart made sad. This is, I think, rank antinomianism; for it is encouraging rash presumption, encouraging a slave to the devil to rejoice in the liberty of the gospel.

Quot. Now, lest any of these should be made sad by any thing contained in this treatise.

Answ. There is no fear of any real sadness of heart ensuing upon the perusal of this treatise; for there is no more force, power, or edge to this sword, than there is to an eider-down quilt; it is calculated for nothing else but to bolster up and

to harden hypocrites in their hypocrisy. As to God's people, no soul, that ever was enlightened and quickened by the Lord, would give it a second reading, nor even house-room, unless it be admitted into the water-closet.

Quot. I would wish to observe, that whereever sin is hated, not only in its consequences and punishment, but in its nature and practice; where it is struggled with, fought against, prayed against, watched against, and groaned under, it hath no dominion.

Answ. Is a sinner's hating, struggling, fighting, watching, and groaning, of any avail in subduing the power of sin? Do the scriptures ever muster such a band of pismires as these to destroy the works of the devil? Here is no blood of atonement, no shield of faith, no sin-subduing and superabounding grace. Sin has no dominion, saith this book, because it is fought against, watched against, prayed against, and groaned under. If groaned under, it must lie heavy upon the sinner; and will, till God's strength be made perfect in his weakness, and all-sufficient grace be communicated to him. Satan reaps no small advantage from such books as these: he that esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood, who drove the mad Gadarene from his chains, will never refuse the challenge of this fighting sinner, nor start at his groans. If my reader will now observe, we shall find that this precious soul, whom the Lord would not have made sad, who has a right to