Jews, viz. Pharisees, Sadducees, &c. have rendered it impossible that they could corrupt them, as well as the animosities which have ever since prevailed between the Jews and Christians, so that neither of them could vitiate these sacred oracles, without being shamefully detected. Had the Jews attempted to corrupt these sacred books, it would certainly have been in those passages in which the fearful wickedness of their nation is described, and Jesus Christ magnified and honoured; but in none of them do we find the least mark of concealment or corruption. That they should be corrupted among Christians, is equally incredible: such was the multitude of copies, hearers, readers, and even sects, among them, that it is impossible they should ever have succeeded. Through the errors of transcribers, &c. the comparer of a multitude of copies cannot fail to find a number of translations. See Brown's View of Religion.

“Question. What proofs have you that man was at first created righteous and holy?'

"Answer.-(1st) Universal tradition; for all nations have supposed mankind to have once been in a holy and happy state."

"(2d) The nature of things; for it seems very improbable that so holy and so good a God should have formed mankind, in the original constitution of their nature, in so corrupt and sinful a state."

66 6 (3d) The natural resemblance men have to God in the spirituality, intelligence, and immortality of their souls.-Gen. ix. 6. James iii. 9. "(4th) The express declarations of seripture: Eeel. vii. 29. Gen. i. 26, 27. Colos. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 24.'

"These will now serve you for further meditating on, as well as the subject of natural and moral inability; your opinion of which I shall expect in your next letter. If you can, I would advise you to get Mosely's Piece, or read attentively the pieces in the Magazine; one of them is a letter from Dr. Watts.— I told Mr. Hordle about your present prospects; I did not see any occasion to secret it, as Mr. W. knows it, and so many others: he is pleased on the account of it. He will be in London, if spared and well, on Wednesday the 24th instant, but do not think he will be there long enough to preach, for he is going much further, and will be away for a month, at which time we expect a supply from Hoxton: we shall have a student come down and stay. all the time; which of them it will be I do not know. I have spoken to Mr. H. about Brown's View of Religion, and he says it is quite at your service : I shall enclose it, and hope you will read it attentively through-be sure you read the address to students, at the beginning; when you have done with it, (he will not mind your keeping it a month or more) send it by coach. In it you will find a whole body of divinity in a very little compass. The part on the light and law of nature is very excellent. He was a most eminent man, and mighty in the scriptures: may you and I be like him. I am glad to hear the good news you give me of your brother; I hope it will appear to be the work of grace upon his soul, and that he may really be converted. I like your plan of having a prayer meeting much may you all experience the blessings you pray for.

"As to drawing landscapes and plans you know I never was any hand at it, nor do I think of doing any thing in it; if I do, you shall have it. Perhaps I may give Samuel a note. You cannot receive this until Tuesday morning, although written on Saturday, because of the coach, so that I shall have time enough between now and then for thinking if there be any thing else to send. Wishing you every spiritual and temporal blessing, I remain your affectionate, though unworthy, friend, "THOMAS SPENCER."

"How wonderfully has Providence appeared for you and for me. This time twelvemonth beheld us both buried in a glove-shop-buried, did I say I recall the word, for we then enjoyed what we do not now, mutual conversation, and each other's company. Let us hope that the time may come when we shall again enjoy that. I am very glad that you succeeded so well as you did in your sermon before the committee; take encouragement from that circumstance to trust God for all your future discourses. The Sabbath day, August 17, though I found that I could not conveniently omit any one of the services, yet I assure you I did not forget your request. I cannot say that I think it is right (especially in me) to omit public worship for private devotion. And if I had done it, my conduct

would in all probability have been more inspeeted about it than I should wish. I have not seen the rules of Hoxton Academy; I do not think Mr. H. has them; should like to see them much; hope you will send them next time. I am fully persuaded of the propriety, nay, duty, of your joining yourself to a church, which now I hope you have done § but for my own part, I must confess I have excuses for not doing it; and what church could I join now? Perhaps you say, Mr. Hordle's. I answer, there is no church I should so like to be a member of as his; but do you see a propriety in my being a member here, when I do not expect to be here any longer than Christmas? There could not in my view have been a more suitable pastor for you than Mr. B. I hope you will find his people as suitable as himself. I approve too of your attending the prayer meeting at his place of a morning, and hope you find that convenient. May you have precious opportunities in the chapel, at the Lord's table, and at the prayer meeting. You praise my verses too much. Indeed they were only the hasty productions of a few moments, and I have no copy of them, for I only wrote them on a slate, and then copied them on the letter. However, I am glad you receive them as a token of our regard and growing affection for each other.* I would advise you by all means to be very friendly with the young men, those with whom you can consistently be so. I mean the more

* Those who may be anxious to see these verses inserted in the Memoirs, are referred to page 13, for the reasons of their omission.

pious, and those whom you feel most disposed to associate with. There are, no doubt, a variety of tempers, dispositions and ways in the academy, and it is there, I dare say, as in other places, some good and some bad. I do not wonder at your finding study to be wearisome and laborious. Solomon found it so. Eccl. xii. 12. Others find it so. I sometimes find it so, but I am persuaded it will not be always so with you; and you should recollect that it is so different from what you have lately been engaged in, that I should wonder if it did not appear strange to you. But I should like to know what you are studying that is so difficult; is it Latin, Greek, English, Hebrew, or what? Now I do long to be there for the sake of your company as much as you wish me there. O, how charming it would be for us to study together. How cheerfully would I give you every instruction in my power. How willingly would I forego my own studies for the sake of improving the mind of a dear friend!Such a time may come, and that's all I know of it; for, as to when it will be, I confess I know no more than you do. This only I know, that I shall leave Mr. Hordle at Christmas, and shall then see you, my father, mother, &c. who, I know, will be pleased to see me ; but whether I shall come again to Mr. Hordle's or not, I believe nobody knows. I think that it is more likely that you should know before me, for Mr. Wilson and the committee have the management of it. I have one request to make to you which I hope you will grant, and that is that you write to my father at Hertford to tell him where you now are, &c. I know he will be very glad to hear