3. The Son of God, who in the Language of Scripture is one with the Father, came down from Heaven to take Flesh, and therein to fulfil the Duties of the Law, and give an Example of perfect Holinefs: And then he was appointed to fuffer Death as a Sacrifice and Atonement for the Sins of Men, that Mankind might thereby obtain Pardon and the Favour of God.

4. There is a Neceffity alfo that Sinners fhould heartily repent of their Sins, return to God, and be renew'd to the Principles and Temper of Holiness, in order to their complete Recovery to Eternal Life and Happiness.

5. Befides this Repentance and Returning to God, it is alfo required that they believe in the Name of Jefus Chrift their Saviour, or trust in him with a humble Expectation of the Favour of God through him: And 'tis through this Faith they are to be justified and accepted of God.

6. They are also obliged to obey the Law of God, as far as this feeble and imperfect State admits of, during their whole Life, and ftill to grow up towards Perfection therein.

7. When fuch Perfons die, their Souls are convey'd to a State of Peace and Reft in the Prefence of God, till the great Day of the Refurrection, when their Bodies fhall rife again from the Dead, and the whole Perfon, Body and Soul, be made happy for ever in the Favour and Prefence of God their Maker.

Thefe Doctrines were generally profefs'd at the time of the Reformation, by Proteftants abroad and at home, and these are the Sett of Principles which have been usually called Orthodoxy or right Sentiments.

Now it has unhappily fallen out, that many of those who have received and profefs'd these important Doctrines, have differ'd alfo in many lef fer Points, fuch as the Logical Relations of fome of thefe Doctrines to

one another, that is, Whether Faith or Works be Conditions or Confequents of their Fuftification and Acceptance; what is the effential Difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace, or the Law and the Gospel, &c. as well as in feveral particular Practices of divine Worship, fuch as Ceremonies, Veftures, impofed Forms of Prayer, &c. and they have fo far quarrelled about thefe Things as too much to neglect and abandon that Chriftian Love and Charity they ought to have maintained, according to their general Acknowledgement of the great and neceflary Truths and Rules of Chriftianity, and hereby they have in many Inftances loft that Duty and Character of good Chriftians, (viz.) to Love one another.

Now fince these unhappy and uncharitable Practices, even amongst fome good Men, have prevail'd even to this Day, it is the Design of these Elays to endeavour the Recovery of

these

these Perfons, who unite in these Principles, to charitable Sentiments and Practices towards one another.

Here it will be very natural to enquire, Where is there found amongst all thefe Elays, any Attempt to reconcile thofe to the Chriftian Love and Charity of others, who while they profefs the Chriftian Religion, yet oppose, renounce or deny the great Doctrines of the atoning Sacrifice of Chrift, or his Propitiation for Sin by his Death?

All the Answer that can be given is this: The Author would gladly have done it, that the whole Book might be of a Piece, and every Page might overflow with Love, if he could, after the turning over his New Testament, have met with any evident Inftances, or Examples, any plain Rules or Requirements of fuch Chriftian Charity expreffed towards Perfons of this Character in all the facred Writings.

But the Language of Scripture gives no Encouragement to fuch a Charity; for this Doctrine is not any where number'd among the doubtful Difputables of our Religion, the lef fer Things of Chriftianity, fuch as Meats and Drinks, and Obfervation of Days, and outward Forms of Worfhip; but it is fpoken of as a matter of far higher Importance, and I think feems to be neceffary to conftitute Christianity itself.

This Doctrine contains in it the highest and the kindeft Defign toward Men, for which our bleffed Saviour came down from Heaven; 'twas for this very Reafon he came into this World, (viz.) to give his Life a Ranfom for Sinners, Matth. xx. 28. and 'tis repeated in Mark x. 45. So that those who depart from and renounce this Article, renounce the kindeft Design of the Coming and the Death of Chrift, and they feem, by the Words of the holy Writings, to be exposed to another fort of Sentence,

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