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"That all perfons whofe names are inferted in their respective lifts, were on the first day of January 1765 really prifoners in the gaol of [inferting the name of the prifon] and at the fuits of the perfons therein mentioned ; and fuch as have been committed, or furrendered themfelves fince A the ift of January 1765 (except those removed to other prifons, &c.) and that none of fuch prifoners, to their knowledge or privity, have, with defign to take any benefit from any act of parliament for relief of infolvent debtors, furrendered themselves, or have been committed to the faid prifon, or got their names en- B tered as prifoners in the books, or have refided out of the said prifon or its rules."

The oath to be taken by the other goalers throughout the kingdom is to the fame effect, except what relates to the liberty of the rules. The oaths are to be adminif tered by the juftices in the court, and entered and fubfcribed at the bottom of each C lift; which lift is to be kept by the clerk of the peace; and copies of them are to be delivered in to be fixed up in the pri fons, and on the gates thereof.

Perfons inferted in the lifts, being prisofoners, without a fraudulent intention, on 1 Jan. 1765, conforming to the regulations of this act, shall be discharged.

Prifoners in cuftody at the time of paffing this act, who were arrefted for debt on or before 1 Jan. 1765, and held to bail, and furrendered themselves on or before 12 Feb. 1765, on conforming to the regulations of this a fhall be discharged.

Juftices, upon the petition of the prifoner, and his delivering a fchedule of his eftate, are to iffue their warrant for bringing the prisoner to the quarter-feflions, &c. with the warrant of detainer, and copy of the writ, &c. which warrant the gaoler, &c. is to obey,

The schedule of the prifoner's eftate to be tranfmitted to the clerk of the peace for the inspection of the creditors,

Prifoners intending to petition for their difcharge, are to give previous notice thereof thrice in the Gazette, and other news papers; containing the name, trade, and occupation, and trvo last places of their a bode, and the prison wherein confined, and of their intention to take the benefit of this aƐt, and mentioning fuch notice in each Gazette or news-paper, to be the firft, second, or third notice, according to the time of publishing each of fuch no

tices.

Two-pence each time, and no more, is to be paid for inserting fuch notices. First notice to be inferted thirty days, and the laft ten days before the quarter feffions, c. Such prifoner being brought into court, due publication of the notices required being proved, &c. is to deliver in a schedule of his eftate, debts, and creditors, which he is to take an oath, contains all tho

goods, effects, eftates, &c. he is poffeffed of, interested in, or intitled to, except wearing apparel, bedding, working tools, and utenfils, in the whole not exceeding the value of 10!.

The schedule and oath to be fubfcribed in the court, and lodged with the clerk of the peace, for the examination of the creditors.

The court, if required by the creditor, may adminifter an oath to the gaoler, or any other perfon, touching any of the matters prefcribed to be fworn to.

The prifoner's oath not being difproved, the court is to discharge him, upon paying a fee of is. to the gaoler. An order for which thail indemnity the gaoler for the efcape.

The eftate and effects of the prifoner, upon his discharge, are to veft in the clerk of the peace, who is to make over the fame to the affignees, named by the court, for which he is to be paid 25, and no more.

Affignees are impowered to fue and execute any truft or power in the prifoner's behalf, and give difcharges. They are alfo to get in, with all speed, the eftate and effects of the prifoner, and make fale, within two months, of the prisoner's real eftate, in manner agreed upon at a meetDing of the creditors fummoned for that purpose; and make a dividend within three months; firft making up their accounts, and verifying the fame upon oath.

Thirty days notice are to be given of making any dividends, and none to receive any share thereof but fuch as fhall prove their debts. Debts entered, to be exami gned into and determined by the court,

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The furplus of the prifoner's eftale, after fatisfying all claims thereon, is to go w the prifoner.

No fuit in equity is to be commenced, but by confent of the majority in value of the creditors. The clerk of the peace to exhibit to the creditor, or his attorney,

upon payment of 1. the fchedule of the prifoner's eftate and effects; An attefted copy thereof is to be granted, which shall be evidence in all courts. The clerk of the peace refusing to produce fuch schedule, or to deliver a copy there f, or taking exorbitant fees for the fame, forfeits 10l. and treble cofts; one moiety to the profecutor, and the other to the poor of the parish.

Affignees of copyhold and customary eftates to compound with the lord of the manor, and to be admitted tenants thereupon.

The prifoner's, G. right and intereft only to be affected by this act.

Effects on the premiffes, where rent is due, are to be transferred to the landlord, and not made over to the affignees, unless they hall agree to fatisfy the landlord.

All mortgages, ftatutes, recognizances, and judgments, are to take place, preferable to claims of an inferior nature. A pow.

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A power is vefted in the prifoner of leafing lands, &c. to veft in the affignees.

The acting gaoler at the time of delivering the lifts fall only be liable to be (worn.

The court, if required by a creditor op. pofing the prifoner's difcharge, is to adminifter an oath to the gaoler that there is no fraud or collufion practifed by him or any other perfon whatever, but that he produced to the court a true copy of the caufe of fuch detainer or commitment.

If fuch perfon shall not have been the gaoler on Jan. 1, 1765, &c. then another oath is to be administered to him. The court, if required by a creditor, may fummon the person who acted as gaoler on Jan. 1, 1765, or fince, and examine him touching the commitment and continu ance in cuftody of the prifoner.

Any gaoler difobeying the warrant or order of the court, &c. forleits 100l. with treble cofts.

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Debtors who were beyond the feas on C Jan. 1, 1765, furrendering themselves, may take the benefit of this act upon the fame terms as other prifoners; excepting fuck particulars wherein the cafes both differ.

The fugitive's oath contains a declaration that he was actually abroad on the first day of January 1765, and the rest of it touching the furrendering up his effects, is the fame as that of other prifoners beforementioned.

The gaoler and printer of the Gazette, or other news paper, not complying with the regulations of this act, forfeit 100l. to the prifoners, with treble cofts of fuits.

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One E

Any gaoler convicted of perjury forfeits 500l. with full cofts of fuit, &c. moiety to go to the informer, and the other towards fatisfying the debts of the credi

tors.

The clerk of the peace refusing the pri foner a copy of his discharge, or taking exorbitant fees for the fame, or for affigning over the prifoner's eftate and effects, forfeits 20l. to the prisoner,

Any prifoner convicted of perjury to fuffer as a felon.

Perfons difcharged by this act, not liable to arreft for debts, &c. contracted before Jan. 1, 1765.

ney or effects, excluded the benefit of this a&t.

Gaoler to permit the speaking in private to prifoners, whofe names are inferted in the lift, or Gazette, &c, and the examining the original books of entries, &c, on penalty of 40%, with cofts of fuit.

Any prifoner's future eftate and effecs, notwithstanding his personal discharge, liable to creditors; wearing apparel, bedding, and working tools, &c, not exceed ing iol. value excepted.

Any creditor may fue for the recovery of debt due at the time of the prifoner's dfcharge, but not hold the prifoner to sper cial bail, nor take his perfon, wearing åpparel, bedding, or tools, in judgment; and no advantage is to be taken of the caufe of action not accruing within three years, nor of the itatute of limitation, except fuch fuit did not accrue within three years after fuch prifoner's discharge.

The difcharge of a prifoner no acquittal of the co-partner or fuieties.

Any gaoler making falte entries in the prifon book, or lift, torfeits 500/. with treble cofts, over and above all other pe. nalties for fuch fraud.

Any prifoner refusing to declare the abode, &c. of the perfon at whofe fuit he is detained, or to come to the creditor in the lodge; is excluded the benefit of this act.

Justices for the counties of York and Lincoln, to meet at the county gaols, &c. for difcharge of prifoners.

Thole who are prifoners for their fees, or other demands of the gaoler or officer, to be difcharged.

Debtors to the crown, and prifoners who owe above 1000l, to one perfon, unJefs the creditors content, are excluded the benefit of this act,

Any creditor oppoting a prifoner's difcharge, to allow him 3s. 6d. per week, on nonpayment of which prifoner to be difcharged, which discharges are to be obtain-` Fed by August 1, 1767.

Juftices, theriffs, and gaolers, may plead this act to any action of elcape, or fuit brought against them, and recover treble G

cofts.

Perfons difcharged may plead generally &c. to all actions or judgments brought against them before Jan. 1, 1765, &c. and in other fuits may plead in discharge of their perfons from execution.

Plaintiff may reply generally, &c, but if nonfuited is to pay treble cofts.

Bankrupts not obtaining their certificates in due time, are excluded from the benefit of this act.

Attornies embezzling, &c. clients mo.

Perfons feifed of an eftate tail, claiming the benefit of this act, are to deliver up the fame to the creditors.

Affignees may apply for further examination of prifoner, touching the discovery of his effects, &c. and juftices may fend for and examine the prifoner accordingly.

Any prifoner refufing to appear, or to anfwer upon oath, may be committed.

Twenty pounds per Cent, allowed on difcovering, within 12 months, any part of the prifoner's estate not returned in the schedule.

A difcharge obtained fraudulently, void. Perfons concealing any estate or effects H of the prifoner, forfeit 100l. and double value, with treble costs of fuit.

Affignees, with confent of the majority in value of the creditors, may compound for debts due to the prifoner's eftate; and

may

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may fubmit any difpute relating thereto to arbitration; or otherwife may settle and agree the fame as they fhall think fit.

Affignees may be petitioned against for infufficiency, fraud, mifmanagement, or other misbehaviour; the court thereupon is to fummon the parties, and make fuch orders therein as they fhall think fit.

Where mutual credit has been given, the balance to be stated and allowed.

Those who are prifoners upon process out of the courts of confcience, to have the benefit of this act.

Quakers affirmation to be taken in lieu of an oath.

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it would be needlefs ever to ask for pardon, for we cannot do it before we believe the Gospel, and when we do believe it it is too late to afk, becaufe we were pardoned before. And if any man fin, as we all of us daily do, we must never look to God for pardon in the name of Chrift, but only believe the Gofpel to be true, and that there is forgivenefs with God through the atonement, because any thing more than a bare belief of the truth is not proper in order to obtain pardon. Thus, neither at firft converfion, nor through the course of our lives, have we any occation, nor ought we to look up to God in the name of Chrift,

Perfons who took the benefit of the act B and pray to have our debts forgiven. Acof 1 George III. excluded.

This act not to extend to Scotland.

DEAR SIR,

Iwritings (teer zon, Irinced the remark

'N my first letter concerning MrSandiman's

cording to Mr Sandiman, we must only be. lieve the Gospel to be true, and in this belief we are to be perfectly paffive, without any act, exertion, or exercife of the buman mind, for he grants that pardon at first converfion, and afterwards is to be obtained in the fame way.

able resemblance between the leading fentiments of his Letters on Theron and Afpafio, C A very mistaken view of the Gospel led and thofe of the author of Chriftianity not Mr Sandiman to this wrong notion of Faith. founded on argument. But I now beg leave His view of the Gofpel is this, That there is to add a few remarks on fuch of Mr San- forgiveness with God for impenitent finners ibro diman's reprefentations of divine truth as the atonement, to be difpenfed by God according his own followers have confidered of the to bis fovereign pleasure in a jovereign_way; highest importance, and have therefore which admits of no more than a paffive betreated with the most profund veneration. lief of this truth, and leaves no room for any act, exertion, or exercise of the human mind. On the contrary, it is evident that the Gofpel reveals God as ready to be reconciled to all that come to him in the name of Chrift; fo that our believing the Gospel to be true will not fave us, except we come to God in the name of Chrift. And fince it is certain that there is no fuch thing as forgivenefs with God for impenitent finners, while they remain fuch, therefore is Mr Sandiman's view of the Gofpel very falle

Mr Sandiman will admit no other idea D into his definition of faving Faith, but a bare belief of the bare truth. This appears to me not to come up to the obvious meaning of thofe Scriptures which evidently intimate a dependance upon Chrift as a Mediator. To come to God by and through Cbrift, and in his name, is not only to befieve him to be the Mediator between God E and Man, but alfo to make ufe of him, and to be affected towards him, as the Mediator, in all our approaches to God. But Mr Sandiman pleads, that coming to Cbrift, or coming to God in the name of Cbrift, is the fruit of Faith, and not Faith itfelf. I readily allow it is the fruit of believing the Gospel to be true; for the New F Teftament comprehends this belief, and thofe fruits of it, in faving Faith; as no finner can be juftified by this belief without this fruit. When our Lord decla.ed, Te will not come unto me that ye might have life, he could not poffibly mean, that the G bare belief of his being the Meffiah gave a ritie to eternal life without coming to him, for then there would have been no need to come to Chrift that they might have life. Our Lord would not have directed his difciples to afk all things of the Father in his name; nor have taught us daily to pray, forgive us our debts, if pardon is not to be obtained by fuch praying: But if pardon is had by a bare belief of the truth, then we are not in the belief of the truth, when we ask for pardon in the name of Chrift, because we were pardoned before we asked; and thus (Gent, Mug, JUNE 1765.)

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Let us fuppofe the following cafe relating to a monarch who was juftly admired as the father of his people, yet had been in the greatest danger of affaffination from one of his moft obliged fubje&s; but the traitor was apprehended, condemned to die, and brought forth to execution. Let us alfo fuppofe that this monarch's only fon made his appearance at the place of execution a few moments before the criminal was to fuffer, while a crowd of spectators were crying out against the traitor, Away with fuch a fellow from the earth, be is not fit to live. In this critical juncture, and after commanding ûlence, fuppofe the prince fhould declare his higheft approbation of the law by which the traitor was condem ned to die, and alio, that he himself had offered fuch a ranfom for his life as his royal father had graciously accepted: And then, turning to the traitor, fhould say to him, Thou gurity curetch, repent row of thy rwickedness, and on thy knees ofk pardon of thy injured jovereign, in my name, ard thy fins fail be bletted out. Would not the whole audi

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ence clearly understand the meaning of fuch
ǎ declaration? Neither the traitor's re-
pentance, nor his asking pardon of his fo-
vereign in the prince's name, could in the
leaft counter-balance his crime, or pay a
raníom for his life; But the prince's me- A
diation, ransom, and declaration are the
fole foundation of the traitor's hope, and
emboldened by these he fails at the feet of
his fovereign, and, with a penitent heart,
looks up to him for pardon in the prince's
hame. In this way he is forgiven entirely
on the prince's account. On the other
hand, fuppofe this deteftable traitor should
refufe to fall on his knees at the feet of in- B
jured majesty, and to afk pardon in the
prince's name, certainly his merely be-
lieving that in this way his pardon might
be obtained, would not entitle him to par
don, but rather render him the most inex-
cufable of all men.

C

In like manner, if an Ifraelite, bitten with A fiery ferpent, believed that whofoever looked up to the brazen serpent should be healed, but, not defiring a cure, fhould he refufe to look up; his belief would not heal him: Or, if Peter's heaters, when pricked in the heart to think that they had murthered the Meiab, had refuted to repent and be baptized in the name of Jefus Chrift, as they were exhorted to do, their believing that he was the Meffiah, and that there D was forgivenefs with God through his name, would not have entitled them to pardon: And therefore a bare belief of the bare truth is not the whole of what is included in the fcripture notion of justifying Faith. But, fays Mr Sandiman, if more than a bare perfuafion of the truth be admitted as requifite to Juftification, the whole of Chriftianity is overthrown. To which it may be E an(wered, that Peter made repentance requifite, A. ii. 38. iii. tg. But, fays Mr Saud man, the fincere penitent may be faved without any Cbrift, or atonement at all. No, Peter not only faid repent, but also be bapțiJed in the name of Jefus Chrift for the remiffion off; and confequently affirmed, that bere is no other name whereby we must be saved. Peter's penitents, therefore, could only be faved in the name of Cbrif.

But to fay that repentance is before forgiveness, overthrows the whole Gospel in Mr Sandiman's view. 'Tis true it overthrows Mr Sandiman's gospel wholly, viz. That there is forgiveness with God through the atonement for impenitent finners, while they remain fuch, before any act, exertion, or exercife of the mind. Thus, in his zeal against a felf-righteous fpirit, he dares not allow Faith to be an act, left it should be made a juftifying righteoufnels. But may not a feif righteous heart make a righteousness of a paffive as well as of an active Faith, and be as prout of his paffiveness as the Pharife was of his fafting twice in the weck.

Was this Paul's manner of ham.

bling a proud felf-righteous heart! No,

he fet forth the divine law in all its purity, and with all its curfes. He never hints at a diftinction between active and paffive, as having any tendency to humble a proud heart: But viewing ourfelves in the light of the divine law will give us our true character, and fhew us what we deferve at the hand of our Judge, and how much we need Chrift and free grace. It was Paul's maxim, The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Chrift. There is no poffibility of feeing our need of Chrift but by the law. For to do honour to the law, as holy, juft, and good, was the defign of Chrifi's mediation, and, without which, his mediation would not have been neceffary to the falvation of finners; and, by the law, the moft holy and active faint needs Chrift as much as the chief of finners.

Contrary to Paul, Mr Sandiman ftrangely afferts, That there is a law given by which a finner may be juftified in the fight of God on the foot of bis own virtue, fhort of finless perfection, and without any need of Chrift's atonement, even on condition of fincere repentance. This he thinks to prove from Ezekiel xviii. & xxxiii, Whereas every pious Jew knew, that let his repentance be ever fo fincere, yet, actording to the whole tenor of the Mofaic difpenfation, without fbedding of blood there could be no remiffien, Deut. xxvii. 26. Heb. ix. 22. But Mr Sandiman committed this grofs blunder in fupport of his leading defign, viz. That there is forgiveness with God thro Cbrift for impenitent finners, while they remain fucb, before any act, exertion, or exercife of their minds whatsoever, and confequently before repentance. He fays, a paffive belief of this quiets the guilty conscience, begets bope, and fa lays a foundation for love. For fuppofing a penitent finner may be juftified on the foot of his own goodnefs, without any respect to Cbrift and his atonement, then Cbrift and his atonement can only be neceffary for impenitent finners. Thus Mr Sandiman's main point is proved; confequently the only defign of Chrift's death must be to procure pardon for impenitent finners, while they remain fuch. For, according to Mr Sandiman's fcheme, if ever finners are brought to repentance, they may be juftified on the foot of their own goodness, without any need of Chrift and his atonement. Therefore Mr Sandiman's good man is never brought to repentance, but all bis goodness confifis in love to that which first rehieved bim, and not in love to God's law, without which there can be no true repentance. For the fame reafon Mr Sandiman can by no means allow that the 119th Pfalm gives the true character of David, or is applicable to any other good man, beA cause it abounds with fuch expreffions of love to God's law. He fays, it must be applied to Chrif; forgetting that the Pfalmift there fays, before I was afflicted I sent afiray, which is a full proof that Chrift, who ne

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ver went aftray, is not the perfon fpoken of in that Pfalm.

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23. When we read of fome exercising repentance in a sense of previous forgiveness, Placing repentance before forgiveness, is it fhews that repentance, instead of ceaf fetting pardon, fays Mr Sandiman, as bigh ing, is always increafed by a fenfe of forabove the reach of one whofe confcience is arvake, giveness; but we never read of any whofe as the perfection required by the law itself, It fins are forgiven while they continue impemuft coft as much labour to come within the nitent. Believing on bim that juftifies the unreach of it, as to conform my beart to the law of godly, implies a cordial acknowledging God. Of all corruptions of the Gofpel ibis is A that we are ungodly, which an impenitent the most dangerous. But dangerous as he finner never does. Dauid was a true penithinks it, the Gofpel was thus corrupted tent, and pardoned after repentance. P by Chrift and his apoftles, who always xxxii. 3, 5: Though repentance arifes taught that repentance is before forgiveness, from love to God, yet both repentance and and if he is for any easier way to Heaven love to God are before forgiveness. Cbrif than Cbriß and his apoftles taught, it is no commanded repentance and forgiveness good fign. to be preached in his name to a finful guilty world, and this order is not to be inverted. We are not juftified by Faith alone, but by Chrift's righteouinefs alone, as that only which qualifies for divine favour, A dead faith is always alone, without apy one Chriftian grace; byt a living Faith im plies repentance, and true repentance implies living Faith. No man ever was, of ever will be forgiven till he is first brought to true repentance, All definitions of Faith, which leave out repentance and converfiop, are definitions of a faith by which no man ever was or ever will be justified. In vain does Mr Sandimanfum up his whole fcheme in Faith, Hope, and Charity; for Dhis Faith is a belief that there is forgige nefs with God through the atonement for impeni tent finners, subile they continue fuch, which is falfe. A belief of this falfity is the foundation of his hope of forgiveness: And this falfe hope, this hope built on falfhood, is the foundation of his love. The whole of his religion confifls in love to that which reElieves bim, that is, in love to the doctrine of forgiveness; that is, in love to this doctrine, that there is forgivenefs with God through the atonement, for impenitent finners, while they remain fuch; that is, in love to a falfhood.

If we are invited to a feaft by a neighbour, the invitation gives us a good right to go: And if God invites us to repent, return, and be reconciled to him, through Jefus Chrift, and to accept him as the por tion of our fouls, as the heavenly feaft, it gives us good right to do fo, even as good a right as the Ifraelites had to take and eat C the manna which lay around their tents, But all these invitations give us no right to believe that our fins are pardoned, and that God is reconciled to us, while we remain impenitent, and refufe to come to the feaft to which we are invited, and eyen defpife and hate it. Had God express, ly declared, "If you will believe your fins "are forgiven, they fhall be forgiven, "Impenitent as you are, I offer you par"don as your own, only believe I offer it, " and that this offer makes it yours. I "pray and befeech you to believe and ap "ply it to yourself, impenitent as you are, "and you fhall never be disappointed." Had God declared thus it had been another cafe; but there is not one tittle in the Bible that looks like this; on the contrary, God has exprefly declared, Except ye repent ye shall all perifb. Repent and be converted that your fins may be blotted out.

Though the three thousand were convinced that Jefus was the Meffiah, which pricked them to the heart with a fenfe of F their guilt, yet this was not a faving Faith; for, if fo, they had a right to baptifm before they repented: but Peter calls upen them to repent first before baptifm: Nor did he baptife any but those who appeared to receive his word gladly. That kind of Faith, therefore, which was before, and without repentance, as in Peter's judgment it did not entitle to baptifm, fo neither to pardon and falvation. For it was an ac knowledged point, in the Apoftolic age, that the faith which entitles to falvation, entitles alfo to baptifm. viii. 37.

Repentance is before forgiveness, be

Mr Sandiman, imagining that there is forgiveness with God through the atonement for impenitent finners, while they remain fuch, denies that finners should be called upon to repent and be converted that their fins may be blotted out, or to come, for all things are ready. He would bave preachers only endeavour to bold forth evidence to convince finners that there is forgiveness with God for impenitent finners while they remain fuch. G He fays, a paffive belief of this begets hope of pardon; and this bope begets love to this doctrine which relieves us; and in this love, he fays, all godliness confifts. And thus, as ro act, exercife, or exertion of the human mind is requifite in order to pardon on his fcheme, fo the finner is to be called to ro

Laufe Repentance is effential to Faith. Re- Hact, exercise, or exertion whatsoever

pentance is implied in believing the Gospel with all the heart, Axx. 23. 2 Tim. ii. 25. Repentance is implied in looking to God for pardon in the name of Chrift, Rom. 7.6, 8. Pf. xxxii. Mart, yi. 12. John xvi.

Thus he entirely excludes the call of the
Gofpel; and as the external call of the
Gofpel is left out of his fcheme, fo alfo is
the internal call; and a paffive belief that

the

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