At laft he triumphantly concludes with refpect to "the Doctrine of Chrift's Satisfaction, or the Neceffity of his Death, as a Propitiation for Sin, and the principal Ground of our Accept

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ance with God, he has faid enough to fubvert "and deftroy this Hypothefis, under all the Ap"pearances and Constructions of it, among the "feveral Schematifts and Faith Mongers *"

BUT if Example is all the faving Virtue of Chrift dying for the Sins of the World, What a miferable fhort Scheme of Salvation and Redemption is this? Every Mother's Son of the many paft, prefent, or future Generations of Men who have, do, or fhall not learn and copy this falutiferous Example, are loft and undone; Sincerity in doing their best to please God in the Circumftances they are placed under, can stand them in no ftead. Is this ftingy Representation of God's Wisdom, Goodnefs, and Love of the World, reafoning rightly upon either of them, or depreciating and reproaching all and every of them in a shameful Manner? The Deiftical Projects of Salvation ufed to be more liberal to the Goodness of God at leaft; What is the Meaning then of this fudden Alteration, for the worse, in our prefent Projector? Though nothing can be plainer from innumerable Places that he means nothing by the Death of Christ, but as an Example, Martyr or Witness to the Truth, yet, excluding all other Benefits of his Death and Paffion, he has the Affurance to infult and deride the rich Favour and fuperabounding Love of God to Mankind, in that Difpenfation of efus Chrift, in whom we have Redemption through

bis Blood, even the Forgiveness of Sins, according to the Riches of his Grace; his Explanation of which Words are," In or by whom, i. e. by Jesus "Chrift, in confequence of his perfect Obedi "ence unto Death, we are redeem'd or delivered "from the Dominion and Condemnation of Sin, "by the rich Favour and fuperabounding Love "of God, as manifested to Mankind by his Son "Chrift in the Gospel *" And to make it the more impoffible for any other Benefit to derive upon Mankind, he afferts very roundly, "That all that was done or fuffered by him was "neceffary to himself, and upon his own Ac"count +" In defiance of the Scripture Ac count, which never once intimates that he died for himself, or on his own Account, but always, and every where expreffes it, that he died for us, the Just for the Unjuft, &c. by way of Atonement, Propitiation, &c.

In order to contravene this commonly received Doctrine, and undermine the general Hope and Faith of Chriftians, he proceeds by two Methods, first, by changing and refolving the literal Meaning of Scriptural Expreffions into a figurative foreign Senfe: Secondly, by offering at fome Reasons, fuch as they are.

I. HE maintains that Propitiation, Atonement, Purcbafe, Ranfom, Price of Redemption, &c. are all figurative Expreffions, Metaphors, and Allegories +. But furely all Mankind must allow in all ferious Writings, that the literal Senfe is the most obvious, and the first that prefents, and ought

* Page 123, 124. + Page 153, 154161, 229. and other Places.

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therefore

therefore conftantly to be receiv'd and maintain'd in Interpretation as true and undoubted, unless very good Reafons appear to the contrary, fuch as are allowed by all wife Men to decide between, and give the Preference to the Letter, or the Figure. But in fuch Writings the former always keeps its Place of the latter, unless there is fome Contradiction implied to the Attributes of God, natural or moral; to the eternal Diftinction of Good and Evil; or the Nature of Things: If nothing of this is the Cafe (and that it is not the Cafe, will be feen under the Head of his Reafons) then the literal Senfe is intitled to an univerfal Reception, not only because of its first common prefumptive Right of being the true Defign of the Writer, but because, in equity alfo, there is no exception as to its being disagreeable to any other Truth.

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WITH respect to this unfair Socinian Liberty of interpreting Scripture, the Words of that great Reafoner Archbishop Tillotson, are remarkable," There is no end of Wit and Fancy, "which can turn any thing any way, and can make whatever they please to be the Meaning of any Book, though never fo contrary to the plain Design of it, and to that Senfe, which "at the first Hearing and reading of it, is ❝ obvious to every Man's common Senfe *" He had before call'd it violent, ftrained, wonderful and incredible, and adds prefently after, "That no Doctrine whatsoever can have any Foundation in any Book, if this Liberty [of Figure and Allegory] be allowed.

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Tillotson's Works, Folio, Vol. I. Page 421.

Is it not a very hard Cafe with Scripture? That this Author, who by his affumed Privilege of double Intender in interpreting the Old Teftament*, can readily make any thing of Scripture, and as he affirms the literal Senfe abfurd, and the allegorical the only rational one +; and as the famous Author of the Grounds, &c. on the contrary affirms, the allegorical figurative Interpretation to be the abfurd Senfe; both thefe Evidences (deep Reasoners as they would be esteemed) agree in one common Defign, 'tis true, againft Chriftianity, but then the Witnefes should agree a little better together, and not contradict one another, before any Credit fhould be given to either of them. But as this fingular Evidence against it, neither fhews Wit, nor Confiftency, in bungling and jumbling the literal Fact and Metaphor together, those Quakers must be allowed to outftrip him in both, who carry the Metaphor throughout, making both the Death and Refurrection of Chrift to be no more than allegorical. He is very liberal with his dignifying Appellation Enthufiaft, upon thofe Chriftians who embrace the literal Senfe, but he ought to confider, whether the general diftinguifh'd Characteristick of an Enthufiaft from a fober Thinker, is not taken from his Affectation and Addictednefs in turning the plain literal Senfe of Divine Scripture into Figure and Allegory; not being contented to be acted by Religion, and fubmit to the plain Meaning of Words, but he muft needs actuate Religion, and impose a new Senfe, that he may ftrike out a new Religion; how far this fits our Author is left to others to give their Opinion.

* Page 249.

+ Page 157.

BESIDES

BESIDES it is literally true and plain, that if the Sentiment of Chrift dying as a Martyr to the Truth of his Doctrine, or the figurative Evafion of his dying a Sacrifice, Propitiation and Atonement had obtain'd in the apoftolical Times, how could it be truly alledged with regard to Jew and Greek; that his Death was a ftumbling Block to one, and foolishness to the

other?

II. HE offers at fome Reafons in fupport of his Opinion, which I might proceed to confider with refpect to what he fays, that the Death of Chrift as an Atonement or Propitiation in the proper Senfe" is abfurd, impoffible, and contrary to the Nature of God, to the Nature of Man, and to the neceffary Reason, and moral Fit"nefs of Things." But I may be excufed from answering in this Place, having fo copioufly done it in the two preceding Volumes. Wherein is fhewn the most perfect Harmony between Rectoral Juftice and Mercy, and all the Divine Attributes and Perfections; how much they are all adorned, illustrated, and recommended to the Love, Fear, and Adoration of Mankind; where it appears, that Remiffion of the Penalty upon fufficient Satisfaction (if he will have it called fo) is an Act of Juftice, in a different and truer Senfe than he represents *, it being the Performance of a Promise to those who embrace the Covenant, and claim the Justice of Promife, without any need of mentioning Equivalents, and, at the fame time, though in a different Refpect, is an Act of Grace, by preferring that Method of

Page 148, 149.

forgiving,