Short of what is written; or not fufficiently confidering and appealing likewife to the true Nature, moral, State, and Conflitution of Things, knowable to the Reason of Man; the true Christianity, the most wife and admirable Religion of the Mediator Jefus Christ, is very much enervated of late, greatly diffipated and diftanc'd from its true Intention, and generally fruftrated of its beft Effect and Comfort; but always has been rejected by the Deifts from a Livelinefs of Wit, Carelessness of Temper, Want of Reading, and Confideration, according to the Character given by a fuppofed Deift of King Charles II. "As to "the King's Religion, it was more Deifm than Popery; which he owed more to the Livelinefs of his Parts, and Careleffness of his Temper than either to Reading, or much Confide"ration *"

FOR the better remedying and preventing this great Evil, the Charge and Advice of a moft judicious Prelate, is particularly wife, and conftantly neceffary. "Though it is true, "that one End of Chrift's coming, was, to cor "rect the falfe Gloffes and Interpretations of "the moral Law, and, in Confequence there"of, one End of his inftituting a Ministry "must be, to prevent the Return of thofe

દુર

Abuses, by keeping up in the Minds of Men a true Notion of natural Religion, and a juft Sense of their Obligations to the Perfor"mance of moral Duties; yet it is also true, that the main End of his coming, was to "establish

* Buckingham's Works. T. II. page 75.

" establish a new Covenant with Mankind, ❝ founded upon new Terms and new Pro"mifes; to fhew us a new way of obtaining "Forgiveness of Sins, and Reconciliation to "God, and eternal Happiness; and to prescribe "Rules of greater Purity and Holiness, by "way of greater Degrees of Happiness and "Glory. Thefe (that is, the feveral Branches "of what we may call the MEDIATORIAL SCHEME, with feveral Duties annex'd to, "and refulting from each Branch) are, with"out doubt, the main Ingredient of the Gof"pel-State; thofe by which Christianity stands "diftinguish'd from all other Religions, and "Chriftians are raised to far higher Hopes, "and far greater Degrees of Purity and Per"fection *.

IN Purfuance of this Plan the Author of these Sheets upon this his late Undertaking, judging it the best Inqueft that can be propofed, and the only true Scent that can be followed after true Religion, has endeavoured, at this needful Seafon, to erect the Criterion, and difplay the folid Argument for correcting what is falfe, and establishing what is true, in appeal both to Reason, and Scripture; which are both in perfect Harmony, Concord, and Co-incidence, with refpect to this true Religion. And fo clofe is the Alliance between Natural Religion and Christianity, and fo ftrong the Ratification and Accomplishment, that every

Edmund Bishop of Lincoln's Charge at his primary Vifitation, 1717. page 13, 14. This Paflage reprinted. See the great Work of Redemption, Preface, page 5. Printed for Roberts, 1735. Argument

Argument against the laft in its true uncor rupted State, though shifted never fo many Ways, concludes against the firft alfo; and whatever offers to deftroy and undermine one, has the fame vile Intention upon the other. Forafmuch as Chriftianity is the fole true Means for bringing the other to Perfection. Falfe Wif dom will ever be forward in fhewing its Inconfiftency in creating a Mifunderstanding between them, with as little real Concern for the End, as for the Means; whilft true Wifdom that comes down from above, will diftinguish itfelf in rightly valuing, and affiduoufly applying the one to the other.

A

AND because the modern Deifts are exceffively jealous of, and vehemently oppofe every thing that looks like arbitrary, or mere Will in Religion; rightly enough imagining, that there neither is, nor can be any Criterion fix'd for finding out an arbitrary Will of God; and that the understanding and unfolding Things of that Nature, has no more to do with human Reason, than Sounds has to do with our Eyes, or Colours with our Ears; it may be juftly and rally concluded by all Chriftians, that ChriAianity will never appear to Them to be that true Religion, or reafonable Service, till its peculiar, inftituted Parts are fhewn to be likewife laid in Reafon, and grounded in the Nature of Things, wifely and purposely appointed for repairing and fortifying our moral and obedient Powers, to make them more recipient of the Likenefs, and Bleffing of God..

gene

THIS

THIS will inconteftably appear with refpect to the Two Sacraments, Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper; that they are additional perfonal Securities, and Progreffes in our Attachment to the Mediator of the New Covenant; enter'd, and often recogniz'd, for the more folemn recruiting Repentance and Prayer, the natural languishing Religion of the Means, with all the Vigor and Efficacy, Confolation and Zeal, that are requifite for carrying on the Religion of the End, or natural Religion, to due Perfection. For, as the Difpenfation of the Mediator is granted and difplayed by way of Covenant, fome external Rites were requifite, fome folemn Actions became neceffary to be required on the Part of the Mediator of it, both for religiously initiating into, and continually preferving a religious Communication with that Mediator; and for recognizing that Covenant, and remembring the Mediator of it in a folemn Manner, as often as the frail Condition of Human Obedience requires: How frivolous and thoughtlefs, without the leaft Ground, or Grievance, are the Outcries of thofe Oppofers in Converfation, and Writing? Unless it is a' Grievance to be tied too ftrictly, and in good earneft, to perform the Religion of Nature, their fo much pretended Glory and Boast, by any new acquired Engagement or Covenant, and that often recognized and reflected upon in the most folemn Manner and Seafon; and both morally operating: firft binding; and then roufing, inftigating and obliging the

T

infenfible Confcience, and the forgetful Honour of the Gentleman to be true to his Promife and Engagement, for doing what is every way his Intereft, as well as Duty to do and perform, with all Sincerity. Befides anfwering their Objections, the true Notion of thofe Sacraments. may be the more feasonable in the midst of fo many different Opinions and Difputes: And if the Deift cannot but approve of them in their true Ufe and Purpofe, every body elfe will delight in the fame, with the greater Satisfaction to the Reason of his own Mind.

AND if that Complaint of increafing, instead of leffening the Number of Deifts by the Weaknefs of fome Attacks upon Infidelity, is punctually endeavour'd to be obviated, by going deeply and thoroughly to the Root of the Evil, in the enfuing Treatife; the learned Readers will have the greater Reason to connive at leffer Faults; and if others, perchance, meet with any valuable, unheeded Truths, which ferve to rectify Mifapprehenfions and Mistakes both in Natural Religion, and Christianity, to thank God for making the Author (fenfible as he is of his own Infirmities) the happy Inftrument of putting him in mind of them. To whofe Blef fing the Perufal of what follows is committed.

SEE the Reason of altering the inward running Title, Deifm Delineated, in the Appendix, p.7Inftead of a Catalogue of their Names, the few Subfcribers are defired to accept of Thanks for their Encouragement.

THO' this Edition contains Seven Sheets more than the firft, it is afforded at the fame Price, for the Good of the Publick. CHAP.