One paragraph more I will be at the pains to transcribe. “You insinuate, that the sacraments are only requisite to the well-being of a visible church: Whereas the church declares, that the due administration of them, is an essential _property thereof_. I suppose you hinted this to gratify your loving disciples the Quakers.” This is flat and plain. Here is a fact positively averred: and a reason also assigned for it. Now do you take yourself to be a man of candor, I had almost said, of common honesty? My very words in the place referred to, are, “A visible church is a company of faithful people. This is the essence of it. And the _properties thereof_ are, That the pure word of God be preached therein, and the sacraments duly administered.” 7. Before I take my leave, I cannot but recommend to you that advice of a wise and good man, “Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes Error a fault, and truth discourtesy.” I am grieved at your extreme warmth: You are in a thorough ill-humour from the very beginning of your book to the end. This cannot hurt _me_. But it may _yourself_. And it does not at all help your cause. If you denounce against me all the curses from _Genesis_ to the _Revelation_, they will not amount to one argument. I am willing (so far as I know myself) to be reproved either by you or any other. But whatever you do let it be done in love, in patience, in meekness of wisdom. V. 1. With regard to the author of faith and salvation, abundance of objections have been made: It being a current opinion, that “Christians are not now to receive the Holy Ghost.” Accordingly, whenever we speak of the Spirit of God, of his operations on the souls of men, of his _revealing_ unto us the things of God, or _inspiring_ us with good desires or tempers: whenever we mention the _feeling_ his mighty power, _working in us_, according to his good pleasure: The general answer we have to expect is, “This is rank _enthusiasm_. So it was with the apostles and first christians. But only _enthusiasts_ pretend to this now.” Thus all the scriptures, abundance of which might be produced, are set aside at one stroke. And whoever cites them, as _belonging to all Christians_, is set down for an _enthusiast_. The first tract I have seen, wrote expresly on this head, is remarkably intitled, “The operations of the Holy Spirit _imperceptible_, and how men may _know_, when they are under the guidance and influence of the Spirit.” You begin, “As we have some among us who pretend, to a more than ordinary guidance by the Spirit――(indeed I do not: I pretend to no other guidance, than is ordinarily given to all Christians) it may not be improper to discourse, on the operation of God’s Holy Spirit.”―――― “To this end be thou pleased, O gracious fountain of truth, to assist me with thy heavenly direction in speaking of thee.”