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the predeftination to eternal life without regard to good works, advanced by Austin, prevailed in the weft, chiefly through the authority of his name; it was never received in the eastern church, and was - much controverted, and held with various modifications, in the western. Alfo together with this doctrine of grace, the divines of the roman-catholic church held the doctrine of human merit, founded on the right use of the grace of God to man. And the present doctrines of grace, original fin, and predestination, were never maintained in their full extent 'till after the reformation by Luther, who was a friar of the order of Austin, had been much attached to his doctrines, and made great ufe of them in oppofing the popish doctrines of indulgence, founded on that of merit.

III. A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE OF

ATONEMENT.

THE doctrine of atonement, or of the neceffity of fatisfaction being made to the justice of God by the death of Chrift, in order to his remitting the fins of men, arose from an abuse of the figurative language of fcripture, as the doctrine of tranfubftantiation also did. But for feveral centuries these figurative expreffions were understood and applied in a manner very different from what they now are.

It was granted by fome pretty early writers, that we were bought (or redeemed) with a price; but

then,

then, as we had been the flaves of fin, and were redeemed by God, who ranfomed us by the death of his fon, it was maintained 'till after the time of Auftin (the principal author of all the rigid doctrines that are now called Calvinist) that the price of our redemption was paid not to God, but by God to the devil, in whofe power we were. Of this opinion was Austin himself, who wrote largely on the subject in his treatise on the doctrine of the trinity. It was long after his time before we find any traces of its being generally thought that the price of redemption was paid to the o ffended justice of God and the prefent doctrine of atonement, founded on the idea of the abfolute neceffity of an infinite fatisfaction being made by one infinite being for offences of an infinite magnitude, as committed against another infinite being, is fubfequent to the reformation. This doctrine was advanced by the reformers in the course of their controverfy with the papists, about the doctrine of human merit, works of penance, and the power of granting indulgences. Now can it be supposed that a doctrine of so much importance, as this is always represented to be, fhould have been unknown so many ages?

Thus all these boasted ancient doctrines are in fact of late date, either having arisen from the principles of heathen philofophy, or having been started and extended in the courfe of controverfy, one falfe pofition making another neceffary for its fupport;

and

and an air of awful and deep mystery has been no fmall recommendation of them to many of the more ignorant.

The doctrine of the trinity, having been one of the earliest corruptions of chriftianity, will probably be one of the last to be completely eradicated. But the time, I truft, is faft-approaching, when, by means of the zeal of truly enlightened and good men in this great caufe, this fundamental error, which gives fuch great and just cause of offence to jews and mahometans, will be removed, and all that has been built upon it will fall to the ground.

THE CONCLUSION.

My chriftian brethren, if the reading of this addrefs give rife to any doubts or fcruples in your minds, with refpect to fome doctrines which you have been used to confider as true and fundamental in the chriftian religion, inquire farther; and if you be fatisfud that you have hitherto been mistaken, dare to avow the truth, and act confiftently with it. Dread the confequences of joining with an enlightened mind, in the idolatrous worship of any creature, though enjoined by any human authority; remembering the words of Chrift, Thou shalt worfhip the Lord thy God, and him only halt thou ferve. Matt. iv. 10. and also that awful voice from heaven respecting all antichriftian corruptions of the gospel in myftical Babylon; Come out of her, my

people,

people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev. xviii. 4.

Think not to avail yourfelves of the wretched equivocation of many divines, who imagine that they may fafely afcribe all divine honours to Jefus Chrift, on account of his union with the Father, when they believe no more of his proper divinity than profeffed arians or focinians. By this artifice they fecure the reputation of orthodoxy; but let them confider the value of the purchafe, and the price they give for it. To mere worldly confiderations, to the praise of men, or filthy lucre, they facrifice that integrity, for the lofs of which worlds cannot compenfate.

The publisher of these tracts does not conceal his name through the fear of any thing that men can fay of him, or do to him, but merely to give what he has written a better chance of being read without prejudice. What he has done is out of a fincere good-will and compaffion to the multitude, who believe they know not what, or why, and what is of more confequence, who know not what Spirit they are of; but instead of speaking the truth in love, miftake bitterness and rancour for a zeal for God and his truth, and alfo for the fake of a better fort of people, who are unhappily drawn into the fame. delufions.

Confidering the deference which the common people always pay to the judgment of men of learn

ing, there can be little doubt but that, if those perfons who, having studied this fubject, have been convinced that Chrift is not God, and ought not to be worshipped as God, had openly avowed their opinion, and had had recourfe to no mean fubterfuge or equivocation, this fundamental article of true and rational christianity had long ago been the prevailing belief; and our religion appearing more worthy of its divine author, there would have been, at this time, fewer unbelievers in all chriftian countries, and many more converts made to it from other religions. And, compared with this glorious advantage, what has been gained by all the arts and fophiftry of minifters, who have concealed their real meaning under ambiguous expreffions, left, as they pretend, they should too much shock the prejudices of their hearers?

That fome regard fhould be paid to the prejudices of the weak is allowed; but let not this lead men to criminal diffimulation, or extend to things of fo much importance as this, refpecting the unity of God. In this cafe, let us keep at the greatest distance from every thing that is difingenuous; let the truth be fpoken in the moft explicit manner, and let the confequences be left to the power of truth, and the God of truth. Befides, it is impoffible that while men retain depraved and unworthy notions of God, their devotion fhould be fuch as God requires; fo that this pretended tenderness

injures

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