the fame Method, as it follows, and that is by Faith; that Juftification confifts in Remiffion of Sins, or which is the fame thing in other Words, not imputing them. That the Remiffion of Sins was the very end of Chrift's Blood being fhed; that both Jew and Gentile are justified by bis Blood, and have Peace made for them by the Blood of his Crofs. Thefe, with other equivolent Expreffions, are fuch known Maxims and Characteristicks of the Gofpel laid down and contended for by this Apoftle, as the Religion of the Means for carrying on Repentance and De→→ votion toward God, for fober, righteous, and godly living, that they occur to every Reader. Abraham was juftified, and had his Sins remite ted, by an active Faith in God's Promife, believing in Him of his Seed who fhould come after, in whom all Nations of the Earth were to be blessed, have their Sins forgiven, or not imputed. Socrates feeking God, God, panting after Revelation, and doing his best to please him, may be juftified, and his Tranfgreffions cover'd by the Blood of his unknown Redeemer; but it is to be fear'd, our Modern Moral Philofopher runs great hazard of being condemn'd by that Lord and Judge, in whofe Name, and through whofe Blood Remiffion of Sins and eternal Life are only given, declar'd, and granted of God in the Letter and plain Meaning of thofe Scriptures in his hands? for his fpurning, notwithstanding all real Sacrifice, intelligible Propitiation; obvious Atonement in the fhedding thereof; and for his em bracing, and teaching nothing more than the Exemplar of it, expunging every thing else, and thereby endeavouring to pervert, degrade, and fuperfede the common Faith in Chrift as a true

2

Saviour,

Saviour, Mediator of Redemption and Intercef fion for the World; bringing him even down to the Level of Socrates, and making him a Friend to Mankind în no higher Degree above him, than in being a more perfect Example in performing the Moral Law of Righteoufnefs with greater exactnefs.

5. ANOTHER main Reafon of his wild Opinion, excentrick both to Reafon and Scripture, is, the Procefs at the Day of Judgment, "That God in the last Day will reward every. "Man according to his Works, or according to the "Deeds done in the Body, whether they have been

morally good or well."* This Conceffion that God is no refpecter of Perfons, but in every Nation and Age, he that feareth him and worketh Righteoufnefs fhall be accepted of him, whether he has lived under the Gofpel or not, he makes the Bafis of his Debate; and the

great Rule of Judgment which God will pro"ceed upon with all Mankind in the laft Days, "he conftitutes a certain infallible Criterion, "whereby to diftinguish between Superstition "and Religion, or which is the fame Thing, "between true and falfe Religion." But it is, not, neither can it be any Question, Whether the Religion of the End, the Moral Law, or Religion of Nature, is true Religion or not, all are agreed in it; the fole Doubt, the whole Debate and Subject of Inquiry is therefore concerning the Religion of the Means, which is the True and the Falfe, and how, and wherein one differs from the other. Now the Criterion of that, can only be taken from the Tendency, or Repug

• Page 146.

+ Page 198.

C 4

nancy

:

nancy of the Means in Queftion, for promoting or hindering the other. Why the final Judg ment proceeds upon the Religion of the End, See the Index of my Book Judgment. I have Thewn that Proceeding does not fuperfede, but fuppofes the Religion of the Means, feeing the Head of all of the Means is then the fudge, and the Judge alfo of the Knowledge and Revelation of them all the World over. But what fignifies erecting a Tribunal upon the Means, when the End is unaccomplish'd by the Know, ledge of them? That would be only encreafing Damnation which is deep enough without it, but for not receiving the Means, the Belief of Himself including in it all the reft, where of fered, and as he offers to Belief, in order to that End, the fame Judge we know elsewhere, awards Damnation; where the End happens to be performed by fome few, without the ex plicit Knowledge of the best Means, diligently feeking to please God in their Opportunities, and with the Sincerity of their Hearts, there to omit mention of the Means, is to add to the Glory of the Performer; fo that it feems fuperfluous either way to bring them to Account. The Means are fuppofed to have fo great a Love to the End (to be fure, the Head of the Means overflows with it) that it is generously above their Notice, where, and whenever the End is found to be purfued and practiced equally beneath their Notice, when it is not.. But is it not very remarkable, that feeing our Author makes the whole Means, and all the Virtue of Chrift to confift in his Example, that That neither should ever be mentioned at the laft Day. What then does he gain by these Nega-. tive kind of Arguments? It makes juft as

and

much

much against him, as for him. If it is a Moral Good or Evil to be brought to Account, for fol. lowing or not following his Example, it certainly is fo for not receiving him in other Refpects, and both upon the fame equal Footing, of being literally and plainly fet forth in Holy Scripture, But I am forry to fee after all, our confident Author, fo confiderable a Moral Philofopher, as he appears in his own Eyes, to be afraid of his real Judge at the Last Day, as to conceal and fecrete him. For he makes God himself to be the Judge at that Day, whereas it is notorious to all that ever heard of the Gospel, that Chrift will then be Judge, and that all Judg ment is committed to him and I pray God, that his Book under Confideration, may not be one of his Works, for which he fhall be called to

account.

*

6. QUR learned Author has another fpecie fick Reafon for his fpecial Determination of the Cafe, and that is becaufe Sacrifice, Atonement, Propitiation, is all Cheat, and Impasture, Priestcraft, and Judaism, to produce all that might be collated upon this Head, would be the fame Thing as to cite one Quarter at least of his Book. This is certainly going to the Bottom of Matters, and blowing up all Revelation at once, provided his Authority, his new.coin'd never heard of Hiftory, and contradictory Rea foning, may be admitted into Creeds and Articles against all Authority, all true Hiftory, and all folid Reasoning to the contrary, His general Outcry is, that the Jewish Sacrifices are an aftonishing Inftitution, a Myftery of Prieft

Page 439.'

4

craft;

craft; that Propitiation, Atonement, was all a Trick and Cheat of Priests*, a grofs Impofition upon the Common Senfe and Understandings of the People †, that the Ifraelites, both Prophets and Priests were Egyptianiz'd ‡, imbibed falfe Principles from Egypt, and the People retain'd the conftitutional Character of that Priestly enslaved Nation . That the Origin of Sacrifice was from Prieftcraft there, and likewife of Miracles **. That the Ifraelites took all Op portunity of revolting to Idolatry, by reason their national eftablifh'd Worship was fo prodigioufly Expenfive, and their Clergy, or Priefts, and Levites, fuch abfolute Mafters of their Proper-ty tt, that Jofeph was the firft that made the Priesthood independent, and hereditary, and enflaved the Nation #

1

As to this laft falfity there is fuch an effectual Confutation in the Weekly Mifcellany, that he might have been afham'd to repeat it in a Book come out fince, and take no Notice of the folid Arguments produced against it; with respect to the reft, it is all imaginary, repugnant to all History, and unfupported by any Thing but his own confident Affirmation, or, as this Deponent, living fo many thousand Years after, farther faith upon his own Knowledge. We fee with what intent this Author receives, and compli ments Revelation, in order to deride and mock it, juft as our Saviour was formerly acknowledged a King for no other Purpose. But if a few of the many Inconfiftencies of this Evidence

*Page 127.

Page 255, 6. # Page 239. Paper.

+ Page 156 Page 257, 254 **Page 238, 241. ++ Page 129. 4 See December 4, 1736, and a preceding

are