Is there not hereby a new and fenfible Honour done both to the Mercy and the Juftice of God the univerfal Governor, arifing from this Contrivance of his Wifdom, to punish Sin on fuch a Surety, and yet to fave finful Creatures, both which could hardly have been glorified any other way? for if the Penalties had been fully executed on the Sinner, Mercy would have loft its Honours; or if the Sinner had been pardon'd without an Atonement, the Juftice and Authority of God the Governor, would feem to have been too much neglected and difhonour'd. Thus this Doctrine of Atonement is fo far from diminishing the Honour of the Attributes of God, that it highly exalts them.

As to the fecond Doctrine, (viz.) the Influences of the Spirit of God to fanctify our Nature, what is there more agreeable to Reason than this? When God faw the weakness of his Creature Man fince the Fall, to change his own Nature into Holinefs, and to fulfil his Duty, how agreeable is it to our best Apprehenfions of the Mercy of God, to fuppofe that he would afford fome divine Aids to those who seek them? that he would gracioufly affift the feeble Endeavours of his Creatures to repent of Sin, and to spend their Lives in Obedience to their Maker, and that by the Operations of his own Spirit; and that by this Spirit of his he would enable

weak

weak Creatures to overcome their powerful Temptations?

But I am very brief in thefe Enquiries, becaufe the Objections against these Doctrines have been often and abundantly fatisfy'd in Answers that have been given to Socinian Writers in former and later Times. Since therefore there is no neceffary Reason that requires us to conftrue these fcriptural Expreffions into Tropes and Figures, Why fhould we not understand the divine Defcriptions of these Bleffings of the Gospel in their own most evident and proper Senfe? Why fhould not Agrippa understand them as we do in their plain Meaning, fince I am perfuaded Agrippa wants them as much as we ? Why does he not humbly receive them, and live upon them as the Favours of a condefcending God? Or let him boldly declare, that he does not want them, and therefore he cannot believe them.

Query X.

A

ND now the very last Enquiry I fhall put to Agrippa and his Friends, is this, which I mention'd before in my Difcourfe, When you turn thefe peculiar Glories and Bleffings of the Gospel into Tropes and Figures, what is it you aim at, or expect to gain by it? What is the Advantage pretended or hoped for by all this Force upon the Scripture, but by ftripping the Religion of Chrift of its pecu

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liar Honours, to make it appear more like the Religion of Nature, both to ourselves and our Infidel Acquaintance? But give me leave to ask in the Name of God, Why are we fo much ashamed of these peculiar and fupernatural Glories of the Gofpel, which were fent from Heaven as the choiceft Bleffings to a wretched World? Muft all the reveal'd Doctrines of God and his Son be brought down to the Relish and Gust of Infidels, before we who call ourselves Chriftians dare to believe them? Is there no Truth of God to be credited unless it fquare with their Opinions? Why fhould we be fo follicitous to avoid the Difpleafure of those who deny and ridicule thefe Articles of Faith, which are the obvious and. facred Meaning of the Words of Scripture, and which are given us to be the Life of our Souls? Why are we fo fond to please and flatter those Men who deny the plain and exprefs Doctrines of the New Teftament, and destroy - the most natural Senfe and Defign of the two Sacraments, the two only Ceremonies of the Chriftian Religion? Why fo zealous and foolish to compliment the profefs'd Adverfaries of Christ and his bleffed Gospel at 'fo dear a rate, as to part with the noblest Favours of Heaven to humour and please them?

To conclude, if these were Doctrines or Propofitions only mention'd occafionally, and but once or twice in the Bible; if they

were

were only taught in Emblems and Metaphors and dark Prophecies; if they were only hinted in the warm and pathetic Parts of Scripture, and never mention'd in those Places where the Doctrines of Christianity were profeffedly taught; if they were preached only by one Apostle, or only written in one part of an Epiftle if they were fuch Doctrines as stood contrary to the Nature of God or the Reason of Man; if they receiv'd no Teftimony or Support from the former Revelations of God, or from other Parts of the divine Difpenfations towards Men, an honeft and studious Man might be ready to fufpect, whether the Words which exprefs them ought to be conftrued in the literal Senfe; or at least, whether they were Articles of any Importance in Chriftianity. But when this Scheme of Truth is fpoken of by Christ himself as far as was proper in his Life-time, and that both in Parables and in plain Language; when it is plainly taught by Peter and John as well as Paul, and that not only in one part of their Writings, but in almost every Place where the great Doctrines of Christianity are defignedly taught, and where fuch Truths might properly be inserted; when their Epiftles are full of this Language wherefoever they fpeak of the great and important Doctrines of the Gofpel, or of the practical Ufes of them; when it is foretold by the ancient Prophets, prefiguE 6

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red in the chief Ceremonies of the antient Church, and held forth in the Sacraments of the New Teftament; I fay, when I put all thefe things together, and others which I have mentioned as Proofs of thefe two eminent Articles of Chriftianity, I am so overpower'd with Evidence concerning the true and plain Meaning of the Language of Scripture, that I am ready to wonder how it is poffible for any Man of Reason in the fincere exercise of it, to read the New Teftament, and not fee there thefe great Articles of the Atonement for our Sins by the Blood of Chrift, and the Sanctification of our Hearts by the Holy Spirit.

I would therefore intreat Agrippa and his Friends to confider once again, whether they may not be mistaken in their ftrange Interpretations of the Word of God. I would intreat them once again to read the Gofpels and Epiftles with an honeft Heart and without Prejudice or Byafs from their former Opinions. And with their Studies let them join their earnest Supplications to the great God to guard them from Error, and lead them into all Truth; and at the fame time let them maintain a pious Refolution to fubject their Belief and Confcience to every thing that fhall appear to be the plain Meaning of God in his Word: He giveth Wifdom to them that ask it; he giveth to those who are good in his fight, Wisdom, Underftanding,