Letter to Friend in London Showing Error of Book Entitled The Whole Duty of Man

A Letter from the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, to a Friend in London, showing the Fundamental Error of a Book, entitled , The Whole Duty of Man.

SINCE it has pleased God to give me a true Knowledge of the Doctrines of Grace, I have frequently thought, that next to the falling away of the Clergy from the Principles of the Reformation, the Books which are in our Church founded on the Arminian Scheme, have been the chief Cause why so many of our own Communion in particular, have built their Hopes of Salvation on a false Bottom. The Authors not only led the People Captive in their own Life Time, but also after their Death, like Simon Magus , for a long Season have bewitched the People with their Sorceries; I mean their seemingly devout, but at the Bottom Anti-Christian, Compositions.

The only Way therefore, to open People's Eyes, I think is this: To show them that the Writings which for some Years past, have been so much admired, are directly contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for this Reason, I thought it my Duty, to bear a public Testimony against the Writings of Archbishop Tillotson▪ And upon the same Account, think it my Duty▪ to point out the Fundamental Error of an Author as much admired and read by the more common, as the Archbishop by the more learned and polite, sort of People.

I know you are impatient to hear, who this can be: If you will promise me not to be angry, I will tell you; it is that much admired Book called the WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. Methinks, I see you surprised at the very mentioning of it. But remember, I desired you not to be angry; and if you will throw aside Prejudice, and are sincerely desirons to know and do the divine Will, I am persuaded we shall be both of one Mind concerning this Book, are you lay this Letter down out of your Hand.

But before I show you its Error, to convince you of my Impartiality, I confess, that the Devotions of that Book, were once of Service to me: And I believe have been useful to many others. The Book in general, is calculated to civilize , but I am persuaded it never was a Means of converting one single Soul. I have just been looking over the Index and general Titles at the End of it, and cannot find the Word Regeneration so much as once mentioned; and indeed the whole Treatise is built on such a false Foundation, as not only proves the Author to be no real Christian at Heart▪ But also, that he had not so much as a Head-Knowledge of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ . To prove this, I need only refer you to part of the Preface, Of the Necessity of caring for the Soul, (17th Paragraph) wherein the Author talking of the second Covenant, speaks thus: This second Covenant, says he, was made with Adam and us in him, presently after his Fall, and is briefly contained in those Words, Gen. 3d, 15th, where God declares, that the Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's Head; and this was made up as the First was, of some Mercies to be afforded by God, and some Duties to be performed by us. Who, that is any Way enlightened, cannot see the false Divinity and Fundamental Errors of this Passage? For how can it be proved, that the second Covenant was made with Adam ; or that God ever entered into any Covenant at all, with Man after he had broken the First? It is true, he did enter into a Covenant, (and that from all Eternity,) with the second Adam▪ the God-Man Christ Jesus , in our Stead. But it cannot be proved that he made any second Covenant at all with Adam himself, or any of his Posterity. But says our Author;

But I would ask, where any Covenant is contained in these Words? And, how it is made up as the first was, of some Mercies to be afforded by God, and some Duties to be performed by us? Here is a free Gift and Promise of Salvation made to Adam , but no Covenant, not a Word of any Condition mentioned. No, it was the free Gift of God in Christ. Adam was now in a State of Condemnation, he was so far from being desirous of entering into Covenant with, that he fled from, God, and was not so much as truly convicted of his Sin; as will evidently appear from the Context. For, both he and his Wife laid the Fault not upon themselves , but one another and the Serpent . The Woman which thou gavest me , (therein tacitly reflecting upon God, for giving him that Woman,) she gave me , says Adam, and I did eat . Here appears no true Sense of Sin at all: and to show they had no Notion of a Savior, we are told they sewed Fig Leaves together, instead of applying to God, to cover their Nakedness; and afterwards fled from God, when they heard the Voice of the Lord God walking among the Trees in the Garden. Here then opens the Mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the Flesh. Notwithstanding our first Parents had broken the Covenant, and had their Hearts hardened; yet, out of the Riches of his free Grace, God had provided a Remedy from all Eternity, and now reveals it in Time. The Seed of this Woman, i. e. Jesus Christ, (who in all Probability was spiritually conceived that Instant in the Heart of Eve ) shall bruise the Serpent's Head, i. e. by his Obedience and Death, shall satisfy divine Justice, fulfill the moral Law in Man's Stead, and thereby deliver him from the Power of the Devil. Here are no Terms mentioned, on Man's Part at all. And supposing there had been a Covenant made with Man, 'And it had been made up as the first was, of some Mercies to be afforded by God, and some Duties to be performed by us: Alas, we are of all Creatures the most miserable; for then we are not under Grace, but under the Law . And if Adam could not keep the first Covenant, though' in perfect Innocence; how can we, who hate God by Nature, and whose Thoughts are only evil continually, keep a second like unto it? Is not this putting Man into a most unhappy Condition, and making his poor imperfect Obedience the Cause why Jesus Christ is merciful unto him? and if so, how is boasting excluded in the great Work of our Redemption, as the Scriptures everywhere affirm? And how can Eternal Life be the free Gift of God, thro' Jesus Christ our Lord? But this is agreeable enough to the Divinity of this Author, who in the Twenty-first Paragraph of his Preface says; The Third Thing that Christ was to do for us, was, to enable us, or give us Strength, to do what God requires of us. This he doth, first by taking off from the Hardness of the Law given to Adam ,which was, never to commit the least Sin upon Pain of Damnation, and requiring of us only an holy and hearty Endeavor to do what we are able, and where we fail accepting of sincere Repentance . Now, I would fain know, where God has taken off from the Hardness of the Law given unto Adam ? And required of us only an holy and hearty Endeavor to do what we are able? And, when we fail, accepting of sincere Repentance? This is all as false, as God is true; the whole Law is as much, in Force against us , as it was against Adam , before we are found in Christ . God has been so far from taking off from the Hardness of the Law given to Adam , that Jesus Christ declares, that he came not to destroy, but to fulfil it. And, until convinced of the Obligation we lie under to obey the whole moral Law, in Thought, Word, and Deed, how can we see the Necessity of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ? God's Law was honorable, Jesus Christ fulfilled it in our Stead, and upon Account of that Righteousness imputed to us, and not on our hearty Endeavors or Repentance, are we accepted by him. What is there in our hearty Endeavor or Repentance, to recommend us to the Favor of God, or render them worthy or being joined with the Righteousness of Christ , as though' that was not sufficient in itself ? Our best 〈◊〉 are but Splendida peccata, glittering Sins. I cannot pray , says the pious Bishop Beveridge, but I Sin; I cannot hear or preach a Sermon, but I Sin; I cannot give an Alms, or receive the Sacrament, but I Sin; Nay, I cannot confess my Sins, but my very Confessions are still Aggravations to them: my Repentings need to be repented of; my Tears want washing, and the very washing of my Tears, need still to be washed over again with the Blood of my Redeemer , Jesus Christ, The Lord is our whole Righteousness, we are to go to him as poor Sinners. Beg Salvation of him as his free Gift , and entreat him to give us a living Faith, whereby that Righteousness may be applied to our Hearts; and then that Faith, if true, will work by Love. This, the Author of the WHOLE DUTY OF MAN, was wholly ignorant of, otherwise he would not have laid such a Foundation: and if the Foundation be so bad, judge you how wretchedly weak, the Surperstructure must be. It would take more Time than I can at present spare, to point out all the Mistakes of the whole Book: I will only refer you to what this Author says about Recreations, Sunday, 19th, Sec. 7th wherein he seems not only to allow of Gaming, by saying, if we play at any Game , but directs us when we do it, to let the End of our doing it be merely to recreate ourselves . I thought the Glory of God, and not self-pleasing , had been the Principle from which all Christians ought to act. I suppose from this Passage, a Man whom I reproved lately on the Road, for Gaming in the Christmas Holy-Days , grounded his Authority for so doing: He told me, the Whole Duty of Man said, he might do so And indeed I believe he is not the first by thousands, who have been miserably deceived, by this much applauded Book: And therefore I thought myself obliged to write this Letter. You may make what Use you will of it. I care not if the Contents are published upon the House Top. Nay, I think it your Duty, if convinced yourself, to endeavor to convince others; for there's no Hopes of bringing People to a right Knowledge of the Gospel, till their Favorite, though' erroneous, Authors are discountenanc'd and laid aside. Before I see England , I hope I shall hear that my dear Friends in the Ministry, both in preaching and printing have seconded my Testimony. Future Ages as well as the present, will be much beholden to them for it. Their Declarations will stand as Records that God did not leave himself without Witness, even in the Worst of times. Other Gospel Ministers will be much encouraged thereby; and thousands, nay, ten thousands preferved from Infection, which other 〈◊〉 perhaps they may not be able avoid. However, whether they second me or not, by the Help of my God, both abroad and at Home, (if it be the Divine Will I should see England again) I will persevere in bearing a more explicit and particular Testimony against the false Writings of our admired Rabbies . Do you and my other Friends watch over me; reprove me sharply whenever you perceive my Spirit embitter'd. Pray that I may be as meek as a Lamb, and as bold as a Lion; and then whatever befalls me for speaking as I ought to speak, through divine Grace shall be cheerfully submitted to by