1785 July 21 My dear Madam   Your letter (received yesterday) must be answered immediately. Not that I apprehend any worse consequences, than your being in some perplexity for a season. I wish to shorten that season if in my power. It is written of such as you, If they drink of any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. [1]   I remember little of Bellamy’s letters, but that I saw them when they were first published. [2] I doubt not but he is a good man, though I think rather nice [3] and curious and too speculative. Some divines have microscopic eyes, and can discover holes and pits, in what to plain common readers appears a smooth surface – but then they cannot take a comprehensive view with equal advantage, so as to see the grand effect and result of the Gospel, as a whole, bringing peace to the soul, inspiring gratitude and devotedness to God, and benevolence to man. They are too much taken up with partial views, deal in little details, niceties and distinctions. I bless the Lord that the New Testament is written for plain folks, and that we may be saved without knowing a word of many distinctions and niceties which occur in other books. There are doubtless some things in Theron and Aspasio which require a grain of allowance. But take the work as a whole, and it has been greatly useful. [4] Mr Hervey like most writers had his favourite point, and while he was eagerly intent upon it, he sometimes overlooked other matters which should have been noticed, but his writings have been much owned of the Lord, and in my opinion Mr Bellamy (though I believe he meant well likewise) was capable of employing his pen to better purpose, than by writing against him.   But I cannot pass so favourable a judgement on Mr Sandeman, alias Palemon. [5] For the sake of a friend of mine who was entangled and hurt by his writings, I read them carefully over twice; it is now many years since, I cannot recollect much of the particulars, but I still remember, and believe I shall never forget, the general impression Palemon’s letters made upon my mind. My poor friend was deeply poisoned by them, he lost all the honour and comfort of his profession for many years. The Lord was at length pleased to restore him. And it was a singular mercy. For these letters my Dear Madam made terrible havoc in the professing world, and many apparently tall and flourishing cedars in the Lord’s garden, were brought low by them and fell to rise no more. They were effectually cured of leaning too much to frames and feelings – but alas they gradually lost all feeling, and turned out mere ranters.   I am now glad, Madam, that you are pleased to express so favourable an opinion of my judgement; and I am bound in conscience, to avail myself to the utmost of my influence over you. I make no scruple of advising you, to shun Palemon, as you would shun a pestilence. I know no writings more dangerous and ensnaring than his. And I think few men, who have taken upon them to talk or write of the Gospel of Christ, have discovered less of the Spirit of a Christian than he.   The principal source of the errors which have troubled the Church, has been an attempt to separate those things which God has joined together. The fabric of Christianity is supported by two main pillars. The one is the perfect work of Christ without us, all that he did and suffered on our behalf when he was upon earth. In this sense salvation is already complete. The other is, his work by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. In this sense, salvation is not so much as begun, till we believe – and then its beginning is faint, its progress gradual, like the advance from the dawn to the day, or of the corn, from the grain to the blade, the ear, and the ripe corn on the stalk. Palemon says many excellent things on the first part, but it is in order to depreciate and disparage the second. He writes well sometimes on the atonement, but the religion of the heart which alone deserves the name of religion, is the subject of his invective and scorn. If there was not so much truth in his book, his errors would not be so mischievous. If a person attempted to poison your family, perhaps he might not succeed by putting a lump of arsenic upon a shelf. It might possibly be there long unnoticed and without effect – no he would rather attempt to put it in your food, to strew it upon the meat, or infuse it in the soup, then whoever tasted the one, must partake of the other. Thus some speak well of Christ (who then can suspect them?), and when they thus gain a favourable hearing, they treat all that we include in the word experience with contempt, and [ ] purpose they avail themselves of every unguarded expression, which good people have dropped [in] the simplicity of their hearts, to drive their hearers and readers into a contrary extreme. If I had opportunity of reading over Palemon with you, I should hope to convince you from many passages, that notwithstanding his zeal against Pharisaism, he is himself a Pharisee of the first order. Only he does not place his righteousness in frames and feelings, in prayers and alms givings, but in a nice scheme of lifeless notions, which may be received and admired upon his plan, and yet leave the heart unchanged, and under the power of pride, self-conceit, disdain, and every evil temper.   As I hinted before, I believe the Lord has taught you too much of the life and power of religion, for you to be in danger of being essentially hurt by Palemon’s Antinomian scheme, otherwise I should be very sorry his book had come in your way. You are really a better judge of the truth, then many whom your humility and self-diffidence might lead you to regard. Take the title, Madam, judge for yourself, consult the feelings of your heart, examine the nature, and the effects of that blessedness you have often spoken of. Must all this be given up to please Palemon? God forbid. You have possibly at times laid too much stress upon frames and feelings in connection with your hopes of acceptance, and so have I. But still gracious frames, and spiritual feelings, are highly valuable in their proper place. And though it be true in the sense that we can do nothing of ourselves yet when our eyes are opened we have much to do, if the Scripture be our rule – we are to watch and run and strive and fight; we must be not hearers only but doers of the word. Yea even those who are not yet enlightened, are bound and commanded to wait on the Lord in his appointed means of grace, and if they refuse, their ruin will be upon their own heads.   I have been out all day, and hardly know what I have written, but I could not be easy without sending some sort of answer. I shall long to hear from you again. Busy as I am everything must stand still, to give you every satisfaction in my power, when you are pleased to consult me on points of importance in which I may hope my judgement or advice, may be useful.   Our house is much as usual. I believe when I wrote last Mrs Newton was ill. She was confined eight or nine weeks, but she is now about again. We join in sincere respects to you and Mr Gardiner.   I am Your affectionate and obliged John Newton   Hoxton 21 July 85   Mrs Gardiner near Sleaford Lincolnshire   [written on the back: 'first letter', not clarifued] Endnotes:    [1] Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. [2] Joseph Bellamy, Letters and dialogues, between Theron, Paulinus, & Aspasio. Upon the nature of love to God, faith in Christ, and assurance of a title to eternal life: With some remarks on the sentiments of the Rev. Messrs. Hervey and Marshal [sic], on these subjects (London: 1761). [3] ‘nice’ meant ‘exact’ [4] James Hervey (1714 - 1758), rector of Weston Favell and Collingtree, published  Theron and Aspasio, or a series of Letters uponthe most important and interesting Subjects in 1755. His first book, published 1745-6, was Meditations and Contemplations. [5] Robert Sandeman (1718-1771), Letters on Theron and Aspasio (Edinburgh: 1757). This criticised James Hervey’s publication, Theron and Aspasio. In 1763 a ‘Hearer of the Apostles’ published A review of the controversy betwixt Palemon and Aspasio, referring to Sandeman and Hervey. Acknowledgements: Morgan Museum and Library MA 733.27

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