temptation, a thing against which they daily pray? And is it not presumption, to trust themselves in the company of so many agreeable gentleman, who, if they be honest, must infallibly endeavour to seduce them from their first faith? The divine grace is no where promised to those who sin wilfully: and surely, it is to tempt God’s providence, to expect to come off harmless, where we know he has in general made no way to escape. My Lord, “you _know_ your strength, and I know mine: neither our own, but given.” Nothing with me has such fascinating charms as good company; and nothing sooner would seduce me from my principles. Feeling myself, therefore, too weak to say, that it is positively out of the power of any of your friends to persuade me out of the means of salvation, or to defraud me of the all-sufficient merits and atonement of my adored Redeemer, I must in prudence, and in conscience, decline your Lordship’s invitation. I am perfectly aware that there are some chosen, favoured persons, who seem to possess much greater fortitude and spiritual strength, than I can boast, or than I judge, the bulk of mankind can pretend to; doubtless, (for charity compels us so to determine) they have by some revealed means, secured a more than ordinary measure of grace, and so can safely make a bolder flight in the thickest of this world’s temptations and trials; else, might we ignorantly ask, what concord hath a mitre with a meeting-house? Why should a clergyman of the Church, be unequally yoked with a lovely sister of the conventicle? But upon these heads, my Lord, I refer you to a certain officer of the society. Perhaps, he can resolve us how a clergyman of the church, can attend the meeting-house, without danger to his principles, or gross indecorum towards the church, and its spiritual superior. He perhaps, can shew us too, how a clergyman of the church, can securely, and without breach of trust, take his pupils to hear the harangues of those who daily revile her. This to common understandings, does not appear to be the likely way “to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to God’s word,” which every clergyman at his ordination solemnly promises to do. It wants some clearing up. I am sure I have no such extraordinary grace, as to justify me in any such dangerous experiments; and therefore, I dare not expose myself to such temptations, as I see persons more spoken of for piety, practice every day. In short, my Lord, I confess my great fear, that frequent communication with those whom we both consider as corrupt concerning the faith, would in the end defile the purity of my own; and therefore, without presumption, I cannot join myself to your Bible Society.