Unitarian. But as to the term merits, great as the merits of Christ are with respect to us, great as are his claims upon our gratitude, I dare not appeal to them as merits towards God and as a reason why God should extend His pardoning mercy to me: for the Christian's Lord and Master taught no such appeal, the language is unscriptural, and the plain meaning of it not less so. It represents God as pardoning sins and granting us spiritual mercies for the sake of or in consideration of what Christ did and suffered for us. If any truth be clear, it surely is that God pardoneth sin and granteth us eternal blessings for His own mercy's sake, out of His tender mercy and compassion to the frail children of mortality: and, though it is through Christ that we receive the assurance of forgiveness on Divine authority, and though we owe our possession of blessed and consoling hope to his death, yet we have no reason from the Scriptures to believe that God pardoneth our sin, because Christ died, but because, through his work and Gospel, we are brought into a fit state for pardon, being thereby led to repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.-Some (especially those accustomed to the language of the Liturgy, and of orthodoxy generally) may deem these nice distinctions: and so they are, but they are very important ones. On the one hand, God is represented as pardoning sins, out of His own essential mercy, and sending forth Jesus Christ as the Messenger and Minister of His love and grace, to give us the glad tidings of salvation, and to convey and assure to us the covenant of pardon and eternal life: and on the other, God is represented as pardoning sins in consideration of the interposition and mediation of another being, and for his sake. If the Gospel declared this latter, then should we have nothing to do but to

1

receive it as Divine truth: but as it does not, the lover of Scriptural truth should avoid, and set his face against such representations, as tending to lead away from the sole, original Source of light, peace, and blessedness; giving wrong views of His character and dealings to mankind; leading to inferences dishonourable to Him and contradictory to the Scriptures, as though He would not have pardoned the truly penitent without the interposition and mediation of Christ, and as though that interposition and mediation were of service to us individually, independent of the effect which his work and Gospel produced on our hearts and lives. And, I would add, those who love the Liturgy of the Church of England for itself, and for what they believe its accordance with the Scriptures, will do well to use their exertions and influence to reduce it altogether to that sole and sacred standard of faith and worship: when that is done, we shall no more hear of such expressions as through the merits of Jesus Christ', and 'for the sake of Christ Jesus', but simply (according to the scriptural language of the Church Catechism) of the mercy and goodness of our heavenly Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ', or, in the name of Christ Jesus.' 'Whatsoever ye do', says the apostle, 'in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ'; owning his authority, in accordance with his spirit and principles, and in obedience to his commands.

I have more than once had occasion to remark during this course of Lectures, that those expressions in the Scriptures which may seem at first view to favour the doctrines of orthodoxy, contain in their context something which shews the too common inferences from them to be unfounded. And in like manner, in the Church Liturgy, the unscriptural, bewildering, and misleading

expression through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord', is found in such connexion that those who use it have most commonly, I apprehend, either no idea at all of its meaning, or one modified by the just and scriptural language connected with it. E. g., the prayer (in the Visitation of the Sick) for persons troubled in mind or in conscience', which ends as I have just stated, is addressed to the Father of mercies and the God of all comforts'; and thus proceeds, in language of the most impressive and rational devotion; 'But, O merciful God, who hast written thy holy Word for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of thy Holy Scriptures, might have hope; give him a right understanding of himself, and of thy threats and promises; that he may neither cast away his confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee.' Again I say, Would to God that all were thus !

APPENDIX, No. 2.

SCHEME OF THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS WHICH HAVE

BEEN ENTERTAINED ON THE SUBJECT OF REDEMP-
TION BY JESUS CHRIST.

N. B. The Editor is mainly answerable for the list of Authors added to this scheme. It is only intended as an approximation to the truth. There are few who hold any single opinion, on this subject, without being in part influenced by others: and even those who have adopted a distinct hypothesis, often make use of language which savours of a different one. Amid so great a variety and uncertainty of opinion on this question, Christians should surely learn charity towards each other; and not set up any hypothesis as the condition

of salvation, or of church fellowship. All will be accepted who believe that 'Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners',

and whose faith worketh by love.'

3. Law
and

Satisfaction. 3. Porteus.

Honour.

}

Legal

́4. Propitiatory Atonement. A lower form 4. Prince?

of No. 1.

5. Expiatory Atonement. A lower form 5. West, Gilbert,

of Nos. 2 and 3.

Abbott, Means.

6. Vicarious Substitution. Much the same 6. J. P. Smith,
as the foregoing.

7. Intercessory Mediation. That God
forgives sins and grants eternal
life, in consequence of what Christ
did and suffered.

Conybeare.

7.

Butler, Price,

Locke, Taylor,

and some of the

Polish Socinians.

8. Instituted Sacrifice, or Piacular Atone- 8. Ritchie, Tomkins,

13. Exemplary Martyrdom; preparatory | 13. Priestley,
to the Resurrection and Exalt- Wright.
ation.

APPENDIX, No. 3.

A LIST OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ATONEMENT.

Archbishop Magee's Discourses and Dissertations on Atonement and Sacrifice.

Dr. J. Pye Smith's Four Discourses on the Sacrifice and Priesthood of Jesus Christ. 1842.

Letters to Dr. J. Pye Smith, on the above: by G. Vance Smith. 1843.

The Christian Atonement: by J. Gilbert. 1836. The Scripture Doctrine of Atonement: by Dr. West. 1836.

On the Extent of the Atonement; by the Rev. T. W. Jenkyn. 1837.

Dr. Wardlaw on the Atonement. 1843.

Butler's Analogy.

Locke's Reasonableness of Christianity.

Dr. Price's Sermons on Christian Doctrine.

Abbott's Works.

Jesus the Mercy Seat: by J. C. Means. 1838.
Priestley's Works.

Wright's Free Grace of God; or the Anti-Satisfactionist.

The Atoning Sacrifice, a Display of Love, not of Wrath: by Noah Worcester, D. D. 1830.

Professor Ware's Discourses on the Offices and Character of Jesus Christ.

1831.