I shall only make a few remarks upon your sermon, entitled _Free-Grace_. And before I enter upon the discourse itself, give me leave to take a little notice of what, in your preface, you term an indispensible obligation, to make it public to all the world. I must own, that I always thought you were quite mistaken upon that head. The case (you know) stands thus: When you was at _Bristol_, I think you received a letter from a private hand, charging you with not preaching the gospel, because you did not preach up election. Upon this you drew a lot: the answer was “_preach and print_.” I have often questioned, as I do now, whether in so doing, you did not tempt the LORD. A due exercise of religious prudence, without a lot, would have directed you in that matter. Besides, I never heard that you enquired of GOD, whether or not election was a gospel doctrine? But I fear, taking it for granted, it was not, you only enquired, whether you should be silent, or preach and print against it? However this be, the lot came out “_preach and print_;” accordingly you preached and printed against election. At my desire, you suppressed the publishing the sermon whilst I was in _England_; but soon sent it into the world after my departure. O that you had kept it in! However, if that sermon was printed in answer to a lot, I am apt to think, one reason, why GOD should so suffer you to be deceived, was, that hereby a special obligation might be laid upon me, faithfully to declare the scripture doctrine of election, that thus the LORD might give me a fresh opportunity of seeing what was in my heart, and whether I would be true to his cause or not; as you could not but grant, he did once before, by giving you such another lot at _Deal_. The morning I sailed from _Deal_ for _Gibraltar_, you arrived from _Georgia_. Instead of giving me an opportunity to converse with you, though the ship was not far off the shore; you drew a lot, and immediately set forwards to _London_. You left a letter behind you, in which were words to this effect. “When I saw GOD, by the wind which was carrying you out, brought me in, I asked counsel of GOD. His answer you have enclosed.” This was a piece of paper, in which were written these words. “Let him return to _London_.”
When I received this, I was somewhat surprized. Here was a good man telling me, he had cast a lot, and that GOD would have me return to _London_. On the other hand, I knew my call was to _Georgia_, and that I had taken leave of _London_, and could not justly go from the soldiers, who were committed to my charge. I betook myself with a friend to prayer. That passage in the first book of _Kings_, chapter 13. was powerfully impressed upon my soul, where we are told, “That the Prophet was slain by a lion, that was tempted to go back, (contrary to GOD’s express order) upon another Prophet’s telling him GOD would have him do so.” I wrote you word, that I could not return to _London_. We sailed immediately. Some months after, I received a letter from you at _Georgia_, wherein you wrote words to this effect. “Though GOD never before gave me a wrong lot, yet, perhaps, he suffered me to have such a lot at that time, to try what was in your heart.” I should never have published this private transaction to the world, did not the glory of GOD call me to it. It is plain you had a wrong lot given you here, and justly, because you tempted GOD in drawing one. And thus I believe it is in the present case. And if so, let not the children of GOD, who are mine and your intimate friends, and also advocates for _universal redemption_, think that doctrine true, because you preached it up in compliance with a lot given out from GOD.
This, I think, may serve as an answer to that part of the preface, to your printed sermon, wherein you say, “nothing but the strongest conviction, not only that what is here advanced is the truth as it is in JESUS, but also that I am indispensibly obliged to declare this truth to all the world.” That you believe what you have written to be truth, and that you honestly aim at GOD’s glory in writing, I do not in the least doubt. But then, honoured Sir, I cannot but think you have been much mistaken, in imagining that your tempting GOD, by calling a lot in the manner you did, could lay you under an _indispensible obligation_ to any action, much less to publish your sermon against the doctrine of _predestination to life_.