most extenfive benevolence to perfect innocence, and by becoming obedient to death, even the death of the crofs, was moft meritorious, and was entitled to the highest honour, and most distinguished reward, his reward might be our deliverance from the bonds of fin and death, and the refloration of immortality. This reward was worthy of the giver, and tended to the advancement and spread of virtue. It was likewife moft acceptable to the receiver. It no way interfered with right and truth. It was in all refpects most proper and suitable. These are my fentiments of Redemption. This appears to me to be the truth on the most attentive and impartial examination I have been capable of making.

To this, perhaps, fome people may reply, that though these notions are, for the most part juft, and in the cafe of redemption, in particular, as innocence and punishment are inconfiftent and incompatible ideas, that it was not poffible Chrift's oblation of himself could be more than a figurative facrifice, in respect of translation of guilt, commutation of perfons, and vicarious infliction; though a real facrifice in the fense of intending by the oblation to procure the favour of God, and the indemnity of finners: yet, as the author appears to be a Socinian, his account is liable to objections. For, though the Socinians acknowledge the truth and neceffity of the re

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velation

velation of the gospel, yet, in the opinion of fome great divines, they interpret it in fuch a manner, as no unprejudiced perfon, who has read the fcriptures, with any attention, nor any fenfible heathen, who should read them, can poffibly believe. They make our Redeemer a man, and by this doctrine reflect the greatest dishonour on christianity, and its Divine Author.

This is a hard charge. The Socinians are by thefe divines defcribed as people who read the fcriptures with prejudice, and without attention; men more fenfelefs than the Heathens, and as wicked too; for, in the highest degree, they dishonour Chrift Jefus and his religion. Aftonishing affertion! It puts me in mind of an imputation of the celebrated Waterland in his fecond charge; -" What atheism chiefly aims at, is, to fit loose from prefent restraints and future reckonings; and thefe two purposes may be competently ferved by deifm, which is a more refined kind of atheifm.-Groundless and ridiculous calumny. True and proper deifm is a fincere belief of the existence of a God, and of an impartial diftribution of rewards and punishments in another world, and a practice that naturally refults from, and is confonant to fuch belief; and if atheism aims to fit loose from reftraints and reckonings, then of confequence, deifm is the grand barrier to the purposes of atheism. The true

Deift

Deift is fo far from breaking through restraints, that he makes it the great bufinefs of his life to difcharge the obligations be is under, because he believes in God, and perceives the equity and reasonableness of duties, restraints, and future reckonings. The affertion therefore demonitrates the prejudice of Dr. Waterland, in relation to the Deifts.

And the cafe is the fame in refpect of the charge against the Socinians. It is the divines that are prejudiced againft them; and not the Socinians in ftudying the New Testament. It is the grand purpose of our lives to worship, God, and form our religious notions according to the inftructions of divine wisdom. We examine the facred writings, with the utmost defire, and moft ardent prayer, that we may be rightly informed in the trueft fenfe of the holy authors of thofe divine books; and it appears to our plain understandings, after the moft honeft labour, and wishes to heaven for a clear conception of holy things, that the Father is the fupreme God, that is, the first and chief Being, and Agent; the firft and chief Governor; the Fountain of Being, Agency, and authority: that the Chriftian Meffiah, the Man Chrift Fefus, was fent into the world to bear witness to the truth, and preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, that kingdom of God which is within you, faith the Lord, Luke xvii. 21. not a kingdom of Monks, a facerdotal' empire of power, proR 4.

pofitions,

pofitions, and ceremonies. He came to call finners to repentance and amendment of life, to teach them the law of love, and affure mankind of grace and mercy and everlafting glory, if they kept the commandments, and were obedient to the laws of heaven; laws of righteousness, peace, giving no offence, and unanimity in the worship of the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift: but that, if they did not repent, and cease to be hurtful and injurious; if they did not open their eyes, and turn from darkness to light, from the power of fatan unto God, and put on fuch an agreeable and useful temper and behaviour, as would render them a bleffing in the creation, they would be numbered among the curfed, and perish everlaftingly, for want of real goodnefs and a general fincerity of heart. This the Socinians think is what Chrift proposed and recommended, as the only and the fure way. to God's favour, through the worthiness of the Lamb that was flain. We fay this is pure religion. It is true, original christianity, and if the glorious defign of our Lord is answered by his miracles and preaching, by his death, his refurrection, his afcenfion, and by the grace of the holy, bleffed, and fanctifying Spirit, it could reflect no difhonour on christianity, and its divine author, if our Redeemer was a meer If by the affiftance of God Almighty, a mere man performed the whole work of our

man.

4.

redemption,

redemption, all we had to do was to be thankful for the mighty bleffing. The love of God in this way had been equally ineftimable. The worth of Jefus would be still invaluable.

But it is not the opinion of the Socinians that Chrift was a mere man. It is plain from this affertion, that the Rev. Dr. Heathcote, (in his Remarks on free and candid Difquifitions) knows nothing of them: the account they give of Jefus Chrift, is very different. They fay, he was a moft glorious agent united to a human body, and fo far from being a mere man, that he was fuperior to angels. He was the next in character to the neceffarily exifting Being. He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his perfon: he has an excellency transcendent, and to the life represents what is infinitely great and perfect.

If they do not allow that he made the worlds, or had an eternal generation; if they fay, he had no existence till he was formed by the power of God in the womb, and affert this eminency is proper to the Man Chrift Jefus yet they are far from affirming he was therefore a mere man: no; they believe he was decreed to be as great and glorious as poffible, and that God made the world for him; that he was made the image of the invisible perfon of the Father; an image the moft

express