Address To The Clergy

A Humble, Earnest, and Affectionate Address to the Clergy, by William Law, was written in 1761 and taken to press only a few days before Law's death. The book, which is primarily a theological work, discusses the "most essential" facets of Christian doctrine—namely that all believers come to complete dependence upon and obedience to the Spirit of God. Nothing other than this, Law explains, is required by the law, and nothing short of this can be effectual in redeeming humans from sin. He addresses his work to the clergy because of their crucial role in instructing other believers, saying, "whatever is essential to Christian salvation, if either neglected, overlooked, or mistaken by them [the clergy], is of the saddest consequence both to themselves and the churches in which they minister." William Law was passionate in this, his final work--passionate about the absolute power of God's Spirit and the fundamentals at the heart of Christian belief.