1 And in illuftration and vindication of the divine wisdom in the mediatorial scheme of man's redemption, and the glorious method of falvation by Jefus Chrift; that it difplays the harmony of those perfections of the divine nature, which feem moft oppofite in their tendency and afpect against finners, fets in the cleareft view God's difpleafure against fin, and at the fame time opening a way for the moft extenfive exercife of mercy to finners; yea, and inhancing both the juftice and the mercy, more than if there was no atonement required; and also a surprizing and affecting demonftration of the inviolable regard God hath to the righteous sanction of his law, and his concern for the honour of his government; that this is the most effectual means to awaken the finner to a juft fenfe of what he hath deserved, and doth at the fame time yield him the ftrongeft fupport and encouragement, under the moft afflicting fenfe of his guilt and danger, and carries with it the most powerful motives to perfuade him to be reconciled unto God, and influence him to a willing obedience for the time to come * Dr. Clarke calls it that wonderful compofition of juftice and mercy, which men and angels muft for ever adore, but can never fufficiently praife and celebrate †. With respect to pofitive inftitutions, which fome have as it were created as infignificant, and others have laid too great ftrefs on; bishop Hoadley has given us a plain fcriptural account of, viz. That when the great author of our holy religion publickly declared what were the doctrines upon which he would build his church and kingdom, he inftituted two apt and fignificant ordinances to be obferved in his Jefus Chrift the Mediator, by Tomkins, p. 157. Dr. Chandler's Sermon at the Ordination of Mr. Wright. And the Effay on the Credibility of the Gospel annexed, by an unknown Hand. Dr. Clarke's Sermon on the Sufferings of Chrift. Leechman's Wisdom of God in the Gofpel-Revelation. church. church. One was baptifm, that rite or ceremony by which the members thereof fhould profefs their faith in, and discipleship to Chrift. The other injunction was, that his church and people fhould ftatedly, in communion and fellowship with each other, eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of the author and finisher of their faith; and in this they were to continue, in order to fhew forth and keep up the remembrance of his life and death till he come *. And when the fcriptures are properly regarded as our rule, we shall find they exhibit to our minds, befides the principles of natural religion, only a few evangelical doctrines and precepts, which are wifely adapted to improve our fentiments of God, give us a juft idea of his difpenfation of grace and truth by Jefus Christ, and tending to cultivate that rectitude of mind and life, which may in fome measure fit us for the happiness therein promifed. And it is acknowledged by all proteftant Chriftians, that the fcriptures, more especially the writings of the New Teftament, contain a plain perfect rule of faith and practice, in oppofition to the neceffity of a living infallible guide, and the authoritative impofition of creeds and articles of faith. Hence that immemorable prelate before mentioned afferts, The church of Chrift is the kingdom of Chrift; he is King in his own kingdom; he is fole lawgiver to his fubjects,. and fole judge in matters relating to falvation; his laws and fanctions are plainly fixed. Their faith was once delivered by him; the conditions of their happinefs was once laid down by him; the nature of God's worship was once declared by him; and it is eafy to judge, whether of the two is moft becoming a fubject. of the kingdom of Chrift, that is, a member of his church, to feek all thofe particulars in thofe plain, * Bp Hoadley's Plain Account. + Hoadley's Nature of the Kingd. and Church of Chrift, p. 30. fhort declarations of their King and lawgiver himself, or to hunt after them through the infinite contradictions, the numberlefs perplexities, the endless difputes of weak men in feveral ages, till the enquirer himself is loft in the labyrinth, and perhaps fits down in defpair or infidelity. If Chrift be our King, let us fhew ourselves fubjects to him alone, in the great affair of conscience and eternal falvation, and, without fear of man's judgment, live and act as becomes thofe who wait for the appearance of an all-knowing and impartial judge, even that King whofe kingdom is not of this world. Much to the fame purpofe, in oppofition to the pretended authority and infallibility of the church of Rome, and her boafted tradition, Dr. Chandler fays, "we have no full and certain account of the doctrine taught by Chrift and his Apoftles but from the records of the New Teftament; and as these contain the whole revelation of the gofpel, all that we are to believe and practife as Chriftians, it is an undeniable confequence, that we can no otherwife demonftrate our fubjection and fidelity to Chrift, as Lord and lawgiver in his church, than by our care in acquainting ourselves with the facred records of truth, and religiously adhering to them, as the only rule and ftandard of our faith and worship*; the adhering to which is an effential note of the Chriftian church +. This therefore is the only true antiquity, to which as Chriftians we are to appeal 1. The church of God, the true church of Chrift, is built entirely upon the scriptures. The Chriftian church is properly reprefented as one body, or a fociety, incorporate by the charter of the gofpel under Jefus Chrift, as fupreme head and governor §. For, as Mr. Leavefly fays, Chrift and his Apoftles, by preaching and delivering * Dr. Chandler's Notes of the Church, p. 13, † 15, the the gospel truth, and by warning us against falfe and deceitful workers, call all men every where to adhere to the truth as it is in Jefus *. The Bible, then, or the Old and New Teftament, is acknowledged by all Proteftants, as the canon, the rule, the only rule of faith and practice. I fhall close the whole with that remarkable paragraph of Chillingworth, which whoever hears or reads, as the language of one converted from Popery by the study of the fcriptures, cannot help being greatly pleafed with it. Addreffing himself to a writer of the Romish church, he thus pleads the Proteftant cause, "Know then, Sir, that when I fay the religion of Protestants is in truth to be preferred before yours; as on the one fide, I do not understand by your religion the doctrine of Bellarmine or Baronius, or any other private man amongst you; nor the doctrine of the Sorbonne or of the Jefuits, or of the Dominicans, or of any other particular company or fociety amongst you; but that wherein you all agree or profess to agree, the doctrine of the council of Trent; fo accordingly on the other fide, by the religion of Proteftants, I do not understand the doctrine of Luther or Calvin, or Melancton, nor the confeffion of Augsburg or Geneva, nor the catechism of Heidelberg, nor the articles of the church of England; no, nor the harmony of Proteftant creeds and confeffions; but that wherein they all agree, and which they all fubfcribe with one accord, as the undoubted perfect rule of their faith and actions, that is, the Bible. The Bible, I say the Bible only, is the religion of Proteftants, whatsoever else they believe belides it: and the plain, irrefragable, and indubitable confequences of it, well may they hold as matters of opinion, but as matter of faith and religion, neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it • Leavefly on Reformation, p. 36. themselves. C 4 themselves, nor require the belief of it of others, without moft high and fchifmatical prefumption. I, for my part, after á long, and (as I verily believe and hope) impartial fearch of the true way to eternal hap-. pinefs, do profefs plainly that I cannot find any reft for the fole of my foot, but upon this rock only. I fee plainly, and with mine own eyes, that there are Popes against Popes, councils against councils, fome fathers against others, the fame fathers against themselves, a confent of fathers of one age against a confent of fathers of another age, the church of one age against the church of another age. Traditive interpretations of fcripture are pretended; but there are few or none to be found. No tradition but only of fcripture cant derive itself from the fountain, but may be plainly proved to be brought in, in fuch an age after Chrift, or that fuch an age it was not in a word, there is no fufficient certainty but of fcripture only for any confidering man to build upon. This, therefore, and this only, I have reafon to believe, this I will profefs, according to this I will live, and for this, if there be occafion, I will not only willingly, but even gladly, lofe my life; though I fhould be forry that Christians fhould take it from me. Propofe me any thing out of this book, and require whether I believe or no, and feem it never fo incomprehenfible to human reafon, I will fubfcribe it with hand and heart, as knowing no demonftration can be ftronger than this, God hath faid fo, therefore is it true. In other things, I will take no man's liberty of judging from him, neither fhall any man take mine from me. I will think no man the worfe man, nor the worfe Chriftian, I will love no man the lefs, for differing in opinion from me; and what measure I mete to others, I expect from them again. I am fully affured that God does not, and therefore men ought not to require any more of any man than this: To believe the fcripture to be God's word, |