conduct to Christians in all
ages and all conditions of the world, and that its prophecies are not of
private interpretation, nor its texts designed to be bandied about as
the watch-words of party, to inflame disagreement into enmity, or to
smite down our opponents with the spiritual staff of misapplied
scripture. A docile mind alone is wanting to such an understanding of
the sacred volume as will make us wise unto salvation; but many are the
gifts which a Christian teacher requires, and diligent should be his
labour before he attempts to guide others, especially when controversy
pushes morality from the pulpit, and the auditory are made judges of
metaphysical theology, not hearers of the commandments."

Davies, who was at first silenced by his astonishment at perceiving Dr.
Beaumont's native dignity and superiority in no wise abated by
misfortunes, soon recalled his natural allies, ignorance and insolence,
to interrupt these admonitions, plainly telling him, that since he did
not know his offences, he would inform him that he had too much
neglected the duty of preaching, giving but one sermon on the Sabbath,
and starving his flock by the formalities of written prayers and verbal
catechisms. He had also in his sermons confined himself to legal
preaching, not sufficiently attending to the inner man, and sometimes
not telling how we were to be saved. Moreover, he had spoken too
favourably of the Papists, contenting himself with calling them erring
brethren, whereas he ought, as a good Protestant, to have delivered all
the bloody race to Tophet, whose children they were. He further held
gross errors, such as that salvation was offered to all mankind, that it
was possible for the elect to sin, and that we were not mere machines
acted on by grace, but possessed the liberty of free-will, by which we
might resist or co-operate with the Spirit.

"My Brethren and Friends," said Dr. Beaumont, turning to his
parishioners, who listened in ignorant astonishment to these charges,
"Dear charge, from whom violence now separates me, but to whom I will
hope to be again restored--as ye value your immortal souls, imprint on
your minds this solemn truth, 'Not the hearers but the doers of the law
shall be justified.' Ye will now probably have your attention fixed on
needless, difficult, and unedifying questions, which our limited
faculties cannot in this life clearly understand; but remember that in
discussing them ye are exposed to those g