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And now, before I conclude the chapter, I must again disclaim all personal animosity against the Socinians. There exists not one of their communion, whom I would not serve to the utmost of my power, in all things lawful. Moreover, if Socinianism be the doctrine of the gospel, I pray God that it may prevail universally. For my own part, so soon as I shall see convincing arguments in favour of it, I pledge myself that moment to espouse it. But as all the arguments which I have hitherto read in its defence, have, beyond all other things, tended to confirm me in the trinitarian faith; so I can scarcely think that there is any chance of my conversion. I was once dissatisfied with my faith; dissatisfied, that is, as not thinking it firm enough. Since having read the new translation of the Testament; Unitarianism, the Doctrine of the gospel,' "* and other books of the same sort, my belief of the Church of England doctrines is be

interpreted, is that continually used throughout the gospel, in reference to God the Father to express his grace; sée Luke 2, 40. Acts 11, 23; 13, 43: 14, 26; 15, 40; 20, 24; &c. &c. &c. "With all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Cor. 1, 2. "Are called by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" the Socinians say; and in the former instance of prayer addressed to Christ, Acts 9, 21, they say, "who call themselves after this name in Jerusalem, &c." Let us keep in mind that the verb rendered "call upon" is the same which is employed in reference to Siephen, calling upon God;" and again in Acts 2, 21-" whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord," &c. ; as also Rom. 10, 13" for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

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*The more I read Socinian Authors, the more I become convinced, that Socinianism is the result of a determination to try how ingeniously it is possible to confound right and wrong. What, for instance, but a resolve to try this experiment, could induce the Rev. L. C. to tell us, that the words " my Lord, and my God," addressed by Thomas to our Saviour, are intended merely as a confession that the apostle now first became convinced that Jesus was Christ; when the Rev. Gentleman must know that Peter had long before, in the name of the disciples, con. fessed" now we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ ?" What had induced Thomas to follow his Master's hard fortunes to the last, if he had not believed our Saviour's repeated declarations, that he was the Messiah-in other words, if he had thought him a liar ?

come as firm, as I formerly prayed that it might be, on which ever side the truth lay. And having myself experienced so salutary an effect from the books in question, I feel bound in conscience, and christian benevo. lence, to recommend them to the perusal of all others who have never yet read them.

OF

CHAPTER IX.

On the Atonement. "

F the mode in which God exists, we know from the light of nature absolutely nothing. He may, for aught we can discover to the contrary, live in ten thousand distinct natures, uniting to form one harmonious whole, in the same mysterious way in which the human soul and body unite to form one man ; or he may exist an uniform undivided essence; there is no original probability, or improbability either way. If God have never enlightened us on this subject, we must for ever grope in the dark we may speculate indeed, and some may happen to speculate nearer the truth than others; but after all, they can only speculate. Here all the sources

of knowledge are shut up from us; we obviously cannot gain it by intuition; as little can we draw it from experience or testimony; and of that which we are totally ignorant of, nothing can be affirmed or denied.* God may, as I have said, for aught we know, exist in ten thousand distinct natures: this supposition is as ra

When I say that nothing can be denied, I would of course,be understood to mean, not any thing which involves neither a contradiction, nor an absurdity.

tional as any other, and has nothing in it more wonderful than man's double nature. The Almighty might, for aught we can discover, as an infinitely benevolent being, will to undergo a temporary suffering, in all these natures, rather than that creatures condemned to eternal suffering by the immutable laws of perfect order and justice, (laws which himself had imposed as absolutely necessary to the well-being of the universe, and which if violated for one, must be violated for all) he might, I say, choose rather to take this necessary suffering on himself, than that his creatures should undergo it.

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To suppose this, only requires us to believe God benevolent in a degree exceeding any thing, that a being less than God could be; it only requires us to suppose him as perfect in benevolence, as he is in all his other attributes. We cannot certainly decide that it is so, but if we grant what I have endeavoured to prove, viz. that the justice, the mercy, the consistency of our Maker, alike require us to suppose all sinners condemned by laws, not to be reversed without an expiation made for their sins; we must confess that all men stand thus condemned; and then the question is, whether it be more consistent with the character of an all-gracious God to let man incur the punishment; or by a self willed sacrifice to deliver him from it. If there be any one thing in the conduct of men towards each other which excites our admiration, love, and confidence more than all others, it is the willing sacrifice of life on the part of one man, or some men, to save the lives of another man, or other men. If there be any man to whom we pay willing honour, and ready obeisance, it is such an one. We speak of the sacrifice which he makes as godlike, noble, exalted. We speak of such generosity, as being almost more than human. Far from degrading him who thus offers himself, the sacrifice raises him to a height which he could no otherwise have attained. In like manner, if there be any thing which could raise God in the estimation of his creatures beyond all other things; which could create

for him more exquisite love in them than any thing else could create; it would be, that a being so great, so perfect, so glorious, should make some willing sacrifice for their sakes. And the greater the demerit of those for whom this sacrifice is made, the greater the merit of him who makes the sacrifice. There be perhaps amongst the insignificant race of mortals, some who would sacrifice themselves for their fellow men, beings as good, perhaps better than themselves, and for them we can scarcely find any expressions of praise, short of worship and adoration, too strong. How must we laud and magnify the eternal God, who" existed before all worlds," blessed for evermore," "6 by whom all things were made both in heaven and in earth;" how, I say, must we praise such a being, if he, for the sake of us sinners have made some sacrifice!

*

God

To God all things are possible that do not involve a contradiction: he might suffer without any degradation to his dignity-nay, we have seen that his dignity could not be lessened by suffering in the cause of mercy. OF the degree of suffering necessary to expiate the sins of a whole world, we know nothing. On that head we must always be in the dark; nor would any advantage result from better information. I have already endeavoured to prove the divine nature of Jesus Christ. If I have suc

ceeded in doing so, I have, I think, done much towards establishing the doctrine of atonement; for we can scarcely suppose that a Divine Being should even partially suffer, either merely to prove the truth of what he taught; or merely to confirm and stimulate his disciples; all which ends might as well have been effected by his visible ascension into heaven, without the suffering of death.” As

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die," says St. Paul : "yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Rom. 5, 7 and 8.

little can we suppose that "the Lamb," to whom jointly with the Father, the multitude fell down and offered

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blessing, and honour, and glory, and power," should have quitted "the glory which" he had with the Father "before the world was," to teach men how to die. Nor, if that had been the sole thing intended by his death, would the end aimed at have been well answered; for the extreme dread expressed by our Saviour of his approaching dissolution, was little calculated to encourage those about him. The bloody sweat, his prayer, if it "be possible oh Father let this cup pass from me, nevertheless but for this end," (i. e. but to undergo this extreme suffering, necessary to effect the expiation, I descended to effect) "came I," were little likely to give his followers courage. There was no great display of heroism in his conduct; nothing which could make those about him think that death in a good cause is merely a spasm, which all but cowards despise; nothing that could invite them readily to submit to the same sacrifice. His death was agonized, full of torture; nature paused to contemplate a sight so new, so afflictive; the same groan that accomplished the redemption of a sinful world, and terminated the sufferings of its self-devoted Saviour, convulsed the elements, and rent the veil of the temple asunder.

When I think of the extreme dread of anticipated death which our Saviour expressed, I confess that, accounting of him as a mere man, and condemned to sufferings merely human, my veneration for him is not extreme. The Grecian and Roman philosophers would have laughed at his fears; his own disciples afterwards on the same occasion displayed more constancy; ten thousand Christian martyrs since that day have braved death in every shape, and borne the extremest tortures without a groan.

*

But when I think of the "man Jesus" as a divine being, self condemned to undergo that degree of suffering

Tha: the apostles should have published these fears, is an amazingly strong proof of their (the apostles) integrity.

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