Robert Hall, Leicester, to F. A. Cox, Cambridge, 26 April 1807.

26. April. 1807 –

Dear Sir

         I thank you for your kind and affecionate letter. It gives me great pleasure to hear of your success at Cambridge, information of which is conveyed to me from all quarters. I pray God it may be long continued and greatly increased. I wish it were in my power to give you any advice on the subjects you propose worthy your attention, but this I am persuaded I cannot do. The lukewarmness of a part, the greater part of the congregatio, with respect to vital religion, was matter of great grief to me when I was at Cambridge, nor do I know any method of remedying it. I have always feared that some of my best friends there personally considered had the form of religion, which they were in a great measure destitute of the power of it. With respect to the excuses that this class are ready to make for neglecting private meetings it might not be amiss to urge them to enquire whence the indisposition to devote a small portion of their time to religious exercises arises? If it springs from a sincere inclination of heart from devotional exercises or from a preference to the world it affords a most melancholy indication of the state of the mind. If it is simply a most pitiful apology for declining such services that they are not commended by the letter of the new testament; whoever says this virtually declares that he would never give any time to religion unless he was compelled. The new testament is sparing in its injunctions of essential or instrumental duties. But does it not warn in a most awful manner against the lovel of the world, enjoin [the] power of spirit, deadness to the present state, & the directing of all our actions solely to the glory of God. How these dispositions and principles can consist, with an habitual reluctance to all social exercises of religion except such as are absolutely & universally enjoined, I am at a loss to determine. If the real source & spring of the neglect of devotional exercises whether social or private, be an inward estrangement from God and attachment to the world, the pattern by which it is accepted & be justified only enhances its guilt. –

         With respect to the doctrine of election I would state ^it^ in scripture that terms, and obviate the arminianism interpretation by reasoning that men as men are [?] to be chosen to [?], to be conformable to the image of his son & not on a foresight of their faith or obedience, as '[?] that the distinction betwixt true believers & others is often expressly ascribable to God – Thou hast hid these things to you it is given not only to believe, &c – As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. As the doctrine of election however occupies but a small part of the new testament revelation, it shd not in my opinion be made a prominent point in the christian ministry. It is well to reserve it for the contemplation of Christians, as matter of humiliation & of awful joy, but in addressing an audience on the general topic of religion, it is best perhaps to speak in a guarded spirit, and large invitations shd not be cramped & fettered by the scrupulosity of systems. The [[medium bounds?] by Baxter and Howe is in my opinion far the most elegible on these subjects. On the other subject you mention, I perceive an [?] to [?] the mind of a minister, fr a subject so awful and systerious, what remains for us but to use the language of scripture, without attempting to enter into any [?] point or daring to form what appears to be its [?] – a faithful exhibition of the scripture declaration on this subject must be adapted, under a divine blesssing to produce the most awful and solitary efforts. With respect to books, it would be presumption in me to give you advice. Your own [?] and good sense will [?] to the best authors.

         To visit my friends at Cambridge would give me much pleasure, but I dare not venture on that that step at present: what I have suffered in that country, none can conceive. I must be careful not to revive the impression. Give my kind love to all who may enquire after me: you may tell them, I am [] preaching. With best wishes for your [?] I am Dear Sir

                     Yours affecte & sincerely,

                                             R. Hall

Address: Rev. Francis Coxe  | Cambridge

Postmark: Leicester

Text: Robert Hall Folder, RG 1111, American Baptist Historical Society Archives, Atlanta. The above letter has numerous problems in transcribing, mainly from the quality of the MS and Hall's difficult hand.