!

into the real and exact meaning of Mr. Locke ;) that it is an abfolute mifreprefentation of the doctrine of the Scriptures Themselves. The Scriptures do not inform us, that God at first thought, that mankind could be perfectly obedient to the Law of Right Action, but afterwards found they could not: What they reveal to us is, that all the Dif penfations of God to Man were known unto God before man was created; and, that knowing mankind would in fact very greatly tranfgrefs against the Law of Right Action, God did from the beginning defign to judge all mankind at the laft, by the merciful terms of fincere, though imperfect obedience; and moreover to beftow fuch a reward upon the fincerely obedient, as even pèrfect obedience itfelf could not have given us any right to claim.

In this limited sense, and in this only, is it revealed in the Scriptures, that the Law of Faith and Sincere Obedience, is fubftituted in the ftead of Perfect Obedience. And furely fuch a Subftitution as this; if indeed it may be properly ftiled any Substitution at all; is not only confiftent with, but a moft glorious difplay of, both the wisdom and the goodnefs of God. Of his good

nefs, fince it exhibits God conferring on mankind fuch a reward for imperfect obedience, as we could have laid no claim to had our obedience been complete. And of his wifdom it is furely as ftrong a proof; fince inftead of being calculated to encrease our difobedience to the Law of Right Action; as the Author would infinuate; its evident defign, and natural effect is, by preventing prefumption on the one hand, and defpair on the other; by enforcing every particular of Right Action in the pureft and most perfect manner; and by engaging, at the fame time, every principle of gratitude and duty, and all our hopes

and

and fears, on the fide of Right Action; to bring us to a greater degree of virtue, than we fhould otherwise have practifed; and thus at last to a more complete ftate of happiness than could otherwife have been bestowed upon us.

r

When therefore the Author fays, "It appears "to me extremely dangerous to admit, that God * has substituted any thing in the room of virtue, . or right action; or that he will accept of any "atonement befides repentance and amend"ment ";" He puts a fuppofition, which we have seen is contradictory to the Doctrine of the New Teftament; fince there we are exprefsly taught, we shall not be accepted of God without repentance; which, in the Gospel notion of it, always includes amendment. Not to add, that our amendment is, properly speaking, no atonement for our tranfgreffions; and that it is utterly out of our own power to make any atonement at all for them. As indeed, what can be more obvious, than that no one but the Law-giver Himfelf, can appoint an atonement for the tranfgreffion of hist Law? We will therefore gladly join with the Author, and fay, "If, in any System, instead of

piety towards God, of justice, charity, and uni"verfal benevolence to mankind; which is the "Religion of Nature; the Belief of certain "propofitions is fubftituted; fuch a religion can"not be reasonable, nor fit to be embraced by "Rational Beings; whatever authorities from "men or books may be brought to fupport it "." It is with pleasure we join with the Author fo far; but then we must go a step further, than I am afraid he may be willing to follow, and add; that neither the Old Teftament nor the New, delivers any account of such a substitution as this;

: P. 311.

s P.

313.

nay

nay, that the moral precepts of the New appear utterly inconsistent with any fuch fubftitution as the Author here fuppofes; and confequently, that no objection can be drawn from hence, to the propriety of our being required to believe in CHRIST, as the New Teftament itself really requires us.

t

In return therefore to the Author's queftion,"How far a man may venture to deviate from perfect righteousness; or what errors a Right "Belief, and Saving Faith, will atone for ?"-In return to this question, as far as concerns the Gospel itself; let him understand first; That our Faith, or Belief, how right foever it may be, cannot atone for any of our offences; because it is not in our own power to make any atonement for them. And Secondly, That it is fo far from being the cafe, that a Right Believer in CHRIST may, on account of that Belief, venture to deviate farther, than a Right Believer in Natural Religion; that he is much more culpable if he deviates so far. Right Reafon will not authorise the One, nor will Christianity the Other, in deviating one ftep defignedly; nor does the New Testament teach us, that Belief in CHRIST is an atonement for any fuch deviation; or even any atonement at all: but, on the contrary, that upon our repentance; which in the Gofpel always fignifies reformation; our forfaken offences will be forgiven, and the inestimable bleffings of Chriftian Salvation be moreover conferred upon us, by the perfectly free, unmerited grace, or favour of God, through CHRIST.

If therefore the Believer in CHRIST "trufts "too much to his Faith, and too little to his "Virtue;" which the Author is pleafed to fuppofe he may "; the cause of this error muft lie in

t P. 311.

■ Ibid.

himself,

himself, and not in the Gofpel. The advantage of the Chriftian does by no means confift in this; That the Gospel does not require him to be fo good a man, as Natural Religion requires the Deift to be; but that while it clearly requires him to be as good as he can be, and points out. his duty with the utmoft purity and perfection; it fupplies him likewife with fuch additional means and motives for the practice of all virtue, as are able to make him, and ought therefore to make him, a better man; by revealing an exprefs promise from God, to confer upon all fuch as believe in CHRIST, and fincerely, though imperfectly obey his Laws, that eternal happiness of which Natural Religion, or our own Reason, could not give us any, even the least assurance; and which no Revelation before that of CHRIST did explicitly reveal. An advantage, furely, well worth the Author's most serious confideration, when he compares the fituation of the Deift, or the Heathen, with that of the Difciple of CHRIST.

And when the infinite goodness of God has led him to fend JESUS CHRIST into the world, to reveal to us the pureft Precepts of all virtue and true Religion, and to fet before us the most perfect Example; When of his own pure love for mankind, and from his original benevolent defign to pardon their offences upon their real amendment, he has appointed the voluntary Death of CHRIST to be an atonement for the offences of all thofe who fincerely repent; that is, to be the chofen Medium through which his infinite Wisdom and Goodness fees fit to forgive them; When, in confequence of this, he has explicitly declared, what we could not otherwife have known, that through CHRIST he will reward our fincere though imperfect obedience, if accompanied by repentance and amendment, with a ftate of eternal happiness,

to which we could not have had any natural claim, even if we had never tranfgreffed; And when finally he has furnished JESUS CHRIST, who declared all this, with fuch infallible proofs of Divine Authority, as to make all the established Laws of the Creation give way at his Command;

What can be more proper, what more reasonable, than to require; that we fhould seriously and candidly lay this evidence to heart; confefs the Divine Authority of Him, who we find was undoubtedly accompanied with it; believe all the Declarations he has made; devoutly receive that Plan of our Redemption which he has delivered; and expect our final happiness, through his Mediation, only upon our compliance with thofe conditions he has laid down;-a Rational Belief in Him, as our Mediator and Redeemer, and fincere though imperfect Obedience to all his Commands?

SECT. XIX.

Several of the Author's occafional Miftakes and Inconfiftencies pointed out.

TH

HERE are many particulars occurring in our Author's Work which need fome little obfervation, but which it would have broke too much into the argument to have confidered as we went along: We will here therefore throw them together, and give them a fhort notice.

It is a fundamental principle with the Author, that Myfteries are unintelligible, and that no part of the New Teftament, except its Moral Precept s alone, is to be regarded as authorised by CHRIST. Yet he quotes and praises a paffage from St. Paul,

W

w P. 127, 128.