CHAP. with his being the Son of God, and not the Father himself. IX. 2. As these are Means, and no more than Means, Prudence will inftruct us that all their Efficacy and Value as to ourselves, confifts in their Application to, and Production of their defigned End; and till that End is obtain❜d, they have more of a condemning, than a faving Profeffion towards us. Faith without Works is dead, and Knowledge in all Mysteries, without Charity, nothing worth; Faith without Works, in the eloquent Allufion of the Apostle, is the fame infolent infolvent Abfurdity, as feeding the Bellies, and cloathing the Backs of the Poor with Words only. 3. As these Means are indifpenfably neceffary (where they are promulg'd) for that End; Prudence will accordingly apply them with all Dili gence and Gratitude; not daring to make the leaft Alteration, or hoping for any Acceptance with God in contemning his Will and Wisdom in appointing them fo exprefly for that End, and to our own Good. And the fame Prudence will convince us, that as private Reason is the Judge and Measure of the Circumstances of private Service of God in thofe Means, fo fublick Difcretion ought to be the Judge and Meafure of the Circumftances of the publick Worfhip and Service of Him. And as indifferent. Things in that Worship, are the fole Object of Magistracy and Authority, whenever it thinks fit to interpofe and recommend, wherefoever nothing does creep in as a Sin and Tranfgreffion of the general Law of Decency, Order, and Edification, never to ufe, or ftretch Liberty, in cafe of IX. doubtful Interpretation, to the Prejudice and Di- CHAP. minution of Government and Obedience, thofe great Bleffings and Prefervatives of Society. THESE few prudential Obfervations will ferve to rescue the Scriptures from thofe puzzling Obfcurities our Author purposely throws upon them, in fo many Pages of his Book, in order to render them an useless Rule of Religion. He us'd to fhew some seeming refpect to Chriftianity with regard to its Morality, and pretend to value it as a Republication of the Law of Nature, and acknowledge our Saviour as a Prophet and Teacher; yet, according to his accustomed Inconfiftency, he endeavours to pull down what he himself built, and destroy not only one, but every Part of that admirable Restorative of the Corruption of human Nature: A further Confirmation this, that the true and only Reafon of his, and others of his way of thinking, declaring War against it, is nothing else but the Goodness of its Morals, and that Aid to, and Improvement of our diforderly Nature, which the old Philofophers languifh'd after, but these Men abhor; which is however giving in an Enemy's Teftimony to the Truth of it; that they who do Evil hate the Light, neither come to it, left their Deeds fhould be reproved, John iii. 20. THESE few Obfervations, I fay, with 1. The additional Care of duly obferving, in all connected Difcourfes, the Context, in the Scope of the Words, the Coherence and Connexion of the Parts of the Difcourfe, with the Defign of the Author, which is a never-failing Key to the true Senfe and Meaning of his Words. CHAP. IX. 2. ALWAYS interpreting figurative, by plainer Expreffions, relating to the fame Subject, where they are to be found; and where they are not fo expounded by other Texts, extending the Figure, or proverbial Expreffion, or Parable, no farther than the precife Point of that Figure or Illuftration it was adapted to. 3. ALWAYS understanding (for there can be no Inconfiftency in Truth, nor any Lye come of it) literal Expreffions fo, as to contradict no one Attribute of God, whether natural or moral, that is plainly known to belong to him; nor any eternal Diftinction between Good and Evil in Morality, 4. RESOLVING upon doing the Will of God, putting on the becoming Love of the Truth; and laying afide all Paffion, Prejudice, and difagreeing Intereft, arifing from Filthiness, Superfluity of Naughtiness, and worldly Lufts. 5. PRAYER for the Affiftance of the Holy Spirit, who delights to encourage Enquiries into the Senfe of things, of his own inditing. In the Help of this mentioned improving Prudence, all well-difpofed Chriftians will receive with Meeknefs the ingrafted Word, not as it is the Word of Men, but as it is in Truth the Word of God; a plain clear Rule of Faith and Manners in all the Neceffaries of Salvation, which was its primary Design to make us wife in. And fecondly in all other instructive, corrective, and accomplishing Parts, wherewith it would perfect and adorn our Knowledge and Practice; and exalt and confummate us in the higheft Glory and Felicity appointed IX. appointed unto Mortals. Or, in the Words of CHAP. that great Searcher after Truth, Mr. Locke, "Therein are contain'd the Words of eternal "Life. It has God for its Author; Salvation "for its End; and Truth, without any Mixture "of Error, for its Matter *." Or, in the Phrase of 2 Esd. xiv. 47. In them is the Spring of UnderStanding, the Fountain of Wisdom, and the Stream of Knowledge. *His Letter to the Reverend Mr. King, P. 345. Collection of Pieces. CHAP. CHAP. X. Of the PRIESTLY Office of our MEDIATOR upon Earth. N treating upon this most important Subject how God was in Chrift reconciling the World to himself, according to the amiable Truth as it is in Jefus, I will 1. Shew what is not the Method Mankind is to depend upon. 2. What is the Method laid down in Scripture for obtaining Salvation, or which is the fame Thing, Remiffion of Sins and eternal Life. UNDER the firft Head I will fhew that where the Gospel is promulg'd, neither the Republication of the Law of Nature, nor the Example of Chrift fuffering Death, as a bare Teftimony to God's reconcilable Difpofition to penitent Sinners, nor Repentance grounded upon the prefumptive Goodnefs of God, were intended to be relied upon: Nor are any of them, or all together, fufficient to fupport the Hopes of any nominal Chriftian, and therefore ought to be rectified as dangerous Miftakes. 1. NOT the Republication of the Law of Nature, which our Author makes the Sum total of Chriftianity; becaufe, that fhews us from whence we are fallen, and points out the End of our |