DISCOURSES AND ESSAYS ON Several Subjects, Relating chief to the Controversies of these Times: Especially with the SOCINIANS, DEISTS, ENTHUSIASTS, and SCEPTICS.  
By JA. BVERDSELL, M. A. Fellow of Brase-nose College. Oxon.  
OXFORD, Printed by Leon: Lichfield, 1700.   

To the Right Reverend Father in God, WILLIAM, Lord Bishop of Worcester, Lord Almoner to the KING.  
My Lord,  
NEver any Pieces more wanted so great a Name, as your Lordships, to cover their faults, if the Composition of them is surveyed, nor more deserved it, if the Nobility of their Subjects is considered, than these Essays, which now beg your Lordship's Protection. If the Management of them resembled the Matter they are employed about▪ they might appeal to your Lordship's Judgement, as a Critic, not fly to your Goodness, as a Patron▪ But as I am conscious of the numberless defects of these Discourses, so am I equally sensible that your Lordship's Writings and Worth have gained you such a settled Esteem amongst all Persons,▪ whose Esteem is valuable, that if it is possible to guard an ill Writer from his just Doom, your Lordship's Character may ensure him. And certainly if any faulty Performances carry their excuses along with them, these may lay claim to Pardon, since they are wholly designed to promote Truth, Virtue, and Piety, how defective soever they are on other regards. Even the Imperfections of them may perhaps be useful, as Nature serves herself of the most contemptible Means to bring about wonderful Ends; for by not appearing such, as so good Themes would suggest to Persons of excellent Parts, they may provoke them to draw their more artful Rens in so just a Cause, and to substitute better Discourses in their places, and to rescue these illustrious Subjects from so rude Hands as mine, by employing their successful Wits in defending them. It will be Felicity enough for me, if I can so far contribute towards producing a good Writer, as to be his Foil, and to show that in others, which I cannot make myself.  
I hope these Exercitations will not be looked on as quite useless, tho' something of the same kind with most of them, has advantageously appeared in several Languages. For some of the Arguments, I think, are not absolutely old, and tho' their Matter is sometimes so, yet the Form or Dress is always new. It may often be as hard to trace from whence the Materials were taken, as in a Wine-Vessel, to show from what Grape each drop of Wine was pressed.  
In one or two of these Discourses I have had Authors of note in foreign Languages in my view, which are so well known, that it is superfluous to name them. This, I fancy, needs no Apology, since a Critic, as excellent, as severe, has made it allowable above a thousand Years ago, where he affirms, That the using the Works of other Learned Men for our Patterns, and to govern our Inventions by, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Longin. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 11. p. 57 Edit. Langbaine.  is no more stealth, than one's taking the Manners, the Pictures, or any other Pieces of Work done by another, for our Models to copy after.  
If the Opinions which I oppose, are rather those of ancient, than modern Writers, it is because I look upon those to have greater strength than these, and in divers places the latter to have only transcribed the former; tho' neither are our modern Writers passed by without consideration.  
If I differ from great Men in some Punctilios, I believe it is generally where I can produce others of equal remark, of my Sentiments; and I desire to express my Dissent with all imaginable deference and regard, and to pay the utmost Honour to those admirable Personages, whom I am so bold as to contradict. Notwithstanding which I am very willing to submit all to riper Judgements, declaring that I make these Attempts public, more with a desire to invite others to inform me, than with the presumption of informing others. If your Lordship had seen these small Tracts before they went to the Press, as you have done since they came from it, when you were pleased to encourage me to address them to your Lordship, they might have come abroad much more correct, more worthy your Lordship's Patronage.  
As to the time of giving these Essays light, it cannot be ill chosen, when our Established Religion is attacked by Sceptics, Deists, and others of that Rank: and therefore, as in a public Invasion, every person is commissioned to put himself into a posture of Defense; and if the dumb Lydian Prince had his Tongue loosed by the violent Passion and Effort to save his Royal Father, insomuch that he could utter an apt and significant Reprimand against the Assassin, if we believe an 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Herod▪ in Clio, p. 36. Sect. 85. Edit. Gale.  Historian who sometimes relates things incredible; so 'tis no time to be silent when our common Mother, the Orthodox and Catholic Church, is in every part assaulted by profane and irreligious Pens? The Lydians speaking indeed preluded to the ruin of his Father's Grandeur, and one of the most flourishing Monarchies in Asian But our Church, by the Divine. Blessing, needs not to fear any thing, from any Omen, while such as your Lordship preside over her.  
As to what Censures may pass upon me, for venturing these Papers into a World which is so extremely fond of Detraction, I shall endeavour to bear them with patience, if these may prove serviceable to any good design. I care not how many speak ill of them, if they have the happiness to do good to one single Person, to reform one Vice, or to rectify one Error. I shall gain more by this, than I shall suffer by that; and if they can be Patronised from Contempt, your Lordship's Name can Patronise them.  
If the Esteem, Deference and Honour which the Offerer has for your Lordship, can give a Value and Price to the Offering, this Present which I make your Lordship, would by them be much raised above its true proportion. To give your Lordship all the Instance which at present I can of my Veneration, I shall (against the common Mode of Dedications) abstain from pretending to draw your Lordship's Character, not only because your Lordship's Piety and Modesty disallow it, nor likewise because a Panegyric would be an unsuitable Introduction to the Nature of my Subjects, but because I cannot reach the height of my Theme, nor draw such daring, majestical Lines, as may distinguish your Lordship's resemblance from others. No: let your Lordship's Praises lie where they are, written deep in the Hearts of all those, who wish well either to Religion or Learning. It is enough for me to admire at an awful distance what I dare not offer to describe.  
I shall close my over-tedious Address, with expressing my satisfaction that I have the Happiness to be the first who have in this public way congratulated your Lordship's Accession to your new Diocese, (to which you were nominated by the wisest of Princes, to comfort it, for the loss of that famous Man, Your Learned Predecessor,) which that You may long adorn with those Virtues and Excellencies which shine in Your Lordship, shall always be zealously wished for, by  
My LORD, Your Lordship's Most Humble, Most Obliged, and Most Obedient Servant, JA. BUERDSELL.   

THE CONTENTS.  

DISCOURSE I. Concerning our Saviour's Divinity. On 1 Joh. ver. 1. The Word was God. pag. 1  
DISC. II. Concerning our Saviour's Satisfaction. On 1 Epist. Joh. Chap. 2. V 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins. p. 25  
DISC. III. Concerning Miracles. On Heb. 2. 4. God also bearing them witness, both with Signs and Wonders, and with divers Miracles. p. 57  
DISC. IV. Showing that the Moral Law of Moses is the same with that of Christ; against the Racovian Catechism, and others. On Luk. 10. 25. A certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? How readest thou? p. 83  
DISC. V. Proving that the Celestial Law is the same with the Moral, or that the Moral Law is a Rule for the Angels and Saints to act by in Heaven; being a Sequel of the former Discourse. On Mat. 6. 10. In Earth, as it is in Heaven. p. 110  
DISC. VI Concerning the Qualisications of Prayer: or, A Method to Pray in the Spirit, against the Enthusiasts. On Ephes. 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit. p. 137  
ESSAY I. Upon Melchizedec: or, A Parallel between the Priesthood of Christ and Melchizedec. p. 169  
ESSAY II. Upon the General Resurrection. p. 185  
ESSAY III. Against Scepticism in Matters of Religion. p. 205    

ERRATA.  
PAg. 11. in the Margin, join Tom. 1. p. 656 with Praesat. ad Respons. F. David. p. 17. in the Margin, join Edit. Sylburg. with Apolog. 2. p. 76. p. 51. l. 3. for eexcute read execute. p. 86. l. 14, 15. instead of, the purport of the Lawyer's Question, a preparation to which Answer is made, etc. read the purpo●● of the Lawyer's Question, and our Saviour's Answer, a preparation to which Answer is made, etc. p. 92. in the margin, for Mor. Nou. read Mor. Nev. p. 156 l. 21. for on read in. p. 167. l. 22. deal Yet.   


A DISCOURSE Concerning Our Saviour's DIVINITY.  1 JOH. ver. 1. The Word was God. 
WHERE Christ is not styled the Word, purely in a Figurative Sense, as the Door, the Way, 
Valentia. Smalcius Paraphr: in 1. cap. Job. p. 107.  because he discovered to us the Will of God, as Men by Words reveal their Sentiments one to another. For at this rate the Prophets, or Apostles, or any Person who was ever furnished with God's Authority to make known his Will, might be termed the Word of God. But since this glorious Character is not given to any but to our Saviour, it seems to follow, That it must be given to him in such an extraordinary manner, as could not suit with any one besides, must imply Christ Incarnate, God made Man; suitable to 
Plato in Philebo, p. 30. etc.  the manner of speaking used by Plato and others, who make the Divine Word to be the Former and Contriver of the World. Tho's as to their making it a Person, distinct by peculiar acts from the Nature and Mind of God, seems only a new Fancy, started by Modern Divines; particularly by two excellent Persons of 
A. Bp. Tillotson, p. 590.  our own Nation: the one the strongest, as well as justest Reasoner; the other the 
Dr. Scott, Vol. 2. p. 51. Christ. Life, and in his Notes at the end.  most delicate Thinker, which perhaps it ever produced. For Plato makes the Wisdom, Power, and other Attributes of God, to be as much personally distinguished, as the Nature or Fountain of the Deity, the divine Word, and the divine Mind: and from his Writings we may as well conclude, That all the divine Attributes, of which he had any Idea, were personally distinguished, as the three before mentioned. This Divine Word, or Christ Incarnate, is by St. John called God; not as Smalcius imagines, because 
Eomil. 1. in Joh. 1. 1. p. 12 & 13.  all things which appeared in his Prophetic Function were full of Divinity, and far surpassing what was discoverable in the former Prophets. For every Prophet, who at any time produced the divine Credentials, came into the World after an extraordinary, singular and miraculous manner; a divine Lustre spread itself through all their Actions; and whether we regard the Will of God, which they revealed, or the Power of the Almighty, by which they supported their Doctrine, there was something Heavenly in both. And according to this Standard of Divinity, they too might put in their pretensions to it, in some measure, as well as our Saviour. Nor is the Divine Word styled God, because he was born after a Divine 
Val. Smalcius ibid.  manner, above the Laws of Nature, of a spotless Virgin. For then S. John Baptist, who was born after as wonderful a manner, in some sense, as our Saviour, might be said to be God. For the Nativities of both being miraculous, and Miracles as springing from an equal Power being equal, it cannot be looked on as a greater▪ Miracle, that Mary should Conceive, than Elizabeth. Nor is he God, because he was 
Smalc. Ibid.  taught by God, after a divine way. For since God cannot be taught, since infinite Knowledge can admit of no enlargement, there can never from any communication of this kind between God and something else, result a likeness to, much less an equality with God. Nor, lastly, is he God, because▪ He was endued with Divine 
Smalc. Ibid.  Innocence. For from whence does this Innocence arise, but from an uniform Obedience to the Will of God? But now if to obey God, makes the Person obeying capable of being called God, the holy Angels, who always preserved the most exact conformity to the divine Will, may as justly challenge the divine Attributes, as our Saviour. So that by God is meant, God by Nature and Substance: God, who had a Subsistence, and that Subsistence from his Father, of whom he was together from all Eternity, and was Himself Eternal God. So that the sense of the words will be, that the Word, the divine Word which assumed Flesh, is God; not by Office, or any other foreign denomination, but by Nature, Essence and Substance. In order to prove which, I shall  
First, Show that the Nature and Essence of Christ is truly Divine.  
Secondly, I shall reflect on the ill Consequences of any Assertion different from this.  
The Nature and Essence of Christ is truly Divine, 1 saint Because he is justly honoured with Divine Worship; and 2 lie Because of his Co-partnership with God the Father in those actions, which could only be performed by his substantial union with the Divine Nature.  
First, The Nature of Christ is truly Divine, because he is justly honoured with Divine Worship. For if nothing can be honoured with Divine Worship, but God himself, and if Christ is honoured with such a Worship, it follows, that Christ must be truly God. But nothing can be worshipped with Divine Worship, but God himself. For every act which signifies an Honour peculiar to God, signifies also an Excellence, which belongs to none but him; and to ascribe Divine Honour to any Object, is at the same time to attribute Divine Perfections to it. The Command of worshipping the Lord our God, and of serving him only, was not a Temporary Command, which, as some pretend, 
Volkel. de ver. Rel. l. 5. 6. 29.  obliged purely under the Old Testament; but is a standing Rule for Divine Worship, under the Gospel, as well as under the Law. For our Saviour did not abrogate any Branch of the Law, but what was merely Typical. But how could a Precept for Divine Worship be a Type? What could it represent, or figure out in the Evangelical Occonomy? But 'tis farther replied, That in worshipping Christ, we worship the Father by whom he was endued with such a Power, and that this is the difference between the Worship of God, and of Christ, That the Worship of the former is circumscribed and bounded within Himself, whereas that of the batter is only relative; or as others term it, God is worshipped as 
Jo. Lud. Wolzogen on Matth 4. 10. p. 189.  the supreme cause of All things, as the first Author of our Salvation; but Christ only as the Means which God had appoinied to bring about that miraculous Work. But this way of reasoning does not only conclude for the worshipping of Christ, but of any other extraordinary Instrument of Man's Salvation. The Apostles themselves, on this account, might have been adored as well as their Divine Lord and Master. And St. Peter was not justly acquainted with the Privileges annexed to his Apostleship, when he reprimanded the devout Centurion, for falling down at his feet, and worshipping him. The chief Objection which can be formed against this Argument, is, That Angels have had Divine 
Smalc Hom. 1. in 1 Job.  Worship paid them by the Patriarches, and therefore Divine Worship may be given to others besides God. To this the Orthodox 
Junius, Piscator, and others.  reply, and even the Socinians themselves grant, that these Angels were God, or the Messiah himself. That he on some great design assumed an Angelic Form, as he did afterwards for Man's Salvation an Human Nature; and therefore the paying of Divine Worship to Him, was no alienation of it from God. But upon a due enquiry, it will appear, that this is more than the Orthodox ought to have said, or than the Socinians had reason to have allowed. For these Celestial Being's mentioned in Scripture, if ever, yet certainly were not always the Messiah, but sometimes at least, as they are expresl, Angels. For as the Messiah never took on him the Nature of Angels; so neither did he, in all these places of Scripture, their Appearance. For the Apostle St. Paul with a great deal of Elegance and equal Passion, recommending the Virtue of Hospitality, in allusion to these Texts of Scripture, says, That some of the Patriarches in practising it, had entertained Angels unawares. But would not his Reason have had much more force, as well as beauty, if they had entertained God, or the Messiah himself unawares? What cause had he to dissemble the dignity-of the Person, who vouchsafed to visit these hospitable Roofs, and do an injury, if not to the Truth, at least to his Subject? But to return: Why should this Veneration, which was paid to the Angels, be any thing more, than a Civil Honour and Deference, expressed indeed after an extraordinary manner, on account of the greatness of the Persons, and the glorious import of their Message? So that from hence cannot be deduced any Worship due to Angels; nor have we hence any reason to conclude, that any thing is to be worshipped, besides God alone. As it is thus plain, that God only is to be worshipped, so is it equally so, that Christ may be honoured with Divine Worship. For it is made part of the terms of Salvation, to worship him ●● for Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Where Lord can only be applied to our Saviour Jesus; and not to God the Father, since it agrees only to Him, who, in the former part of the Discourse was, by the Apostle, styled a stumbling stone, and a rook of offence, which cannot fute with God the Father, who was owned by all Nations, without the least scruple. And it is farther to be observed, that these words are cited from the Prophet Joel, where the word Lord is Jehovab, God by Nature, Being and Essence; not a Creature invested with Divinity, according to the new fancy of our Adversaries.  
Secondly, St. Paul ushers in most of his Epistles with this Prayer, full of Charity, Grace to you, and Peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ's; combineing Jesus with God the Father, which had been the highest injury to the former, had the latter only been a Creature, how exalted soever his Rank might have been, to have jointly petitioned him, to have given Grace and Peace to the Saints. And tho' to this it is returned, That St. John in the Revelation might, by the same reason, be said to pray to the seven Spirits which were before the Throne of God, and so have equalled them with God: Yet this objection will rather support our Reasons, when we consider, that by the seven Spirits are to be understood the Holy Ghost, and its sevenfold Gifts, as they are branched out by the Prophet Isaiah, into The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, of Piety, and of Fear of the Lord. For otherwise why should St. John place any other Spirits between God and Christ? Why should he omit the Holy Ghost, the Giver of Grace, and address himself to Angels, who are but Ministering Spirits? So that this, instead of overthrowing what was before laid down, will be a new Instance of joining nothing with God, but what is God. Farther, St. Stephen, a Man full of Faith and the Holy Ghost, recommends his departing Soul to our Saviour, as equal to the Father of Spirits, with this solemn Invocation, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. And tho' to this it is replied, That this act of St. Stephen ' s can be no Precedent to us, because he saw the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God; yet why should the sight or concealment of the object of our Adoration, make it more or less adorable? God, tho' He is a God who hides himself; who, tho' He inhabits Regions of Eternal Light, is invisible to our Eyes of Flesh; yet is He still to be worshipped with the most humble Devotion. And as long as we are convinced by Faith, that Christ is ready to secure us in our Necessities, and give us what we ask, we have reason enough to Pray to Him, tho' there is no miraculous opening of the Heavens, nor the glorious Scene withdrawn, to discover the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Farther, At the Name of Jesus is not every knee to bow, of things in Heaven, and things under the Earth? Are not all the Angels to worship him? So that since nothing is to be worshipped but God, and Christ is to be worshipped, it follows, that Christ is God.  
But to make a short Reflection on what has been said on this Argument. There is no occasion to prove, to the strict Followers of Socinus, that Christ ought to be worshipped; for they are as zealous Patrons of his Worship, as they are artificial Underminers of his Divinity. For 
Socin. ad Praefat. Vujek. p. 8. Edit. 1624.  Socinus expressly Excommunicates all those, who denied our Saviour's Worship. He declares, that If Christ is not to be invoked, then is he Christ only in Name. That such 
Praefat. ad Respons. F. David.  a Notion is a manifest tendency to Judaisme, and to exalt Moses above Christ. That 
Tom. 1. pag. 656.  they who are against the Worship of Christ, cannot be Christians; because, tho' they dare not openly, yet do they really deny Jesus to be Christ. But that which made it necessary in this Argument, to insist on the Worship due to Christ, is the Position of the modern Socinians, who finding how hard it was to reconcile the Worship of a God Made, with the Divine Prohibitions against Idolatry, have thrown off our Saviour's Worship, with his Divinity. I shall only quote the words of one of their own Party. There are, says he, no acts of Worship 
Answer to Milbourne, p. 50.  required to be paid to the Lord Jesus Christ, but such as may be paid to a Civil Power, to a Person in high Dignity and Office, to Prophets and Holy Men, and to such as are actually possessed of the Heavenly Beatitudes. But to proceed,  
Secondly, Christ, or the Word is God, because of his Co-partnership with God the Father in those Actions, which could only be performed by his Substantial union with the Divine Nature. These Actions are, the Creation of the World, the Inspiration of the Prophets, the Exercising all power in Heaven and in Earth; Raising the Dead out of their Graves, Judging them according to their Works; the Destruction of the World. First, Christ is God because of His Co-partnership with God the Father in the Creation of the World. For to Create is an act proper to the Deity; For he spoke and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast; He hath made the Earth by his Power, he hath established the World by his Wisdom, and hath stretched out the Heavens by his Discretion. Nor had he any Creature to assist him in his miraculous Production; for He is God, even he alone, he made Heaven and Earth. But 'tis very plain that all things were Created by Christ. For all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made, that was made. He was in the World, and the World was made by him, and the World knew him not. 'Tis true, the Socinians understand this Creation, not of the Mosaic forming every thing out of Nothing, but of the New Gospel-Creation, by which the Reasonable World (if we may so style it) was put into a capacity of recovering its original Rectitude and Uprightness. But this is a forced sense, and quite different from what the ancient Fathers understood the words in. Nay, the very Arians themselves applied them to a proper Creation; and to obviate the stress of them, made Christ God's Instrument, or subservient Power only in the Creation. But as to the Socinian sense, if Creation in these places is wholly Figurative and Metaphorical, why may it not be so in the first Chapter of Genesis too? Why may not the Creation of the visible Heavens and the Earth, in the Old Testament, be no more than the Foundation of the Jewish Commonwealth; since it is owned, that by New Heavens and new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness, in the New, no more is understood than a renewed state of things under the Gospel? Why should the darkness which was upon the face of the Earth, signify more than that State of spiritual Darkness, which blinded the whole World before the Mosaic Law? Why might not the Sun be the Law, the great Guide of the Jews; the Moon and the Stars the Laws and Directors of other obscurer Nations? Why may not the Firmament amidst the Waters, be the Jewish Polity struggling with oppositions, as the Earth appearing out of the Waters, the settlement of that State; since Waters in Scripture-Language often denote Troubles? And thus a new Face might be put upon the whole Scripture. But farther, to overthrow this novel, and over-refined sense of Creation, St. Paul remarks to the Colossians, that By Christ were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they are Thrones and Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers. Where it is to be observed, first, That All in Heaven and Earth, things void of Reason, and so not liable to Error or Sin, and so uncapable of this New Creation, were made by Christ. Secondly, That Dominions and Powers, Angels, whether Good or Bad, were formed by him: But the Good had no need of this New Gospel-Creation. They never stained those Robes of Glory with which they were made, and so had no need to be washed by the blood of the Lamb. The Bad, as falling from the very Throne of God, and descending cheaply and foolishly into Darkness, contracted such a Gild, as the greatest Mercy of the Gospel could not reach: And so were unfit Subjects for this New Creation. Thirdly, That it was the aim of this Epistle, to oppose the Heresy of Simon Magus, Menander, and Basilides, 
v. Epiphan. p. 56. Edit. Pet. ●.  whose Error it was, That the World was made by the Angels. To confront which, S. Paul not only shows, that Angels themselves were created, and so could not be Creators; but that they, and the whole World were made by God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit, Three Persons and One God. So that this place can never be understood of this New Creation, or Gospel Renovation. As Christ is God because he Created the World, so is he God,  
Secondly, Because he Inspired the Holy Prophets. For he by whom the Prophets spoke, was God. For the Word which came by them was the Word of the Lord; and the Scriptures which they wrote, is said to be given by Inspiration of God. For Holy Men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But he who speaks by the Holy Ghost, speaks by the Spirit of God the Son, as well as by the Spirit of God the Father. 'Tis true Schlictingius answers, That the Holy Ghost is termed the Spirit of Christ, not because he proceeded from Christ, but because he spoke of Christ. But in this sense the Holy Ghost might be called the Spirit of Abraham, or of Lot, as well as of Christ, because he spoke of them too. Nay, there is no Being so evil, which is ever mentioned in Holy Writ, but the ever-blessed Spirit might be said to be their Spirit, according to this wild and uncouth Hypothesis. St. Barnabas styles the Spirit of the Prophets, the Spirit of God who should appear in the Flesh. Justin Martyr says, that the Prophets were not Self-inspired, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 
Apolog. 2. p. 76.  Irenaeus against Martion as expressly, that it was Jesus 
Edit. Sylburg. lib. 4. c. 21. Advers. Haeres. p. 337. Edit. F. Ardent.  Christ, who spoke to Abraham and Moses. If it was God therefore, who spoke by the Prophets, and Christ was Copartner with God the Father in this speaking, Christ must be God, of the same Nature with the Father.  
Thirdly, Christ is God, because of his Exercising all power in Heaven and in Earth. For the Government of the World is a Branch of the Divine Prerogative. He rules over all Kingdoms of the Earth. He whose Name is Jehovah, is the highest over all the Earth. But Volkelius himself, as refined an Author 
De Ver. Rel. Book 3. c. 21.  as any that Party can boast, freely owns, that Christ exercises Jurisdiction over all things (to use his own words) which are contained not only in the vast compass of the Earth, but also of the Heavens. Christ therefore must be God.  
Fourthly, Christ is God, because He is to raise the Dead from their Graves to Life and a new State. For none but He who breathed a living Soul into us, can restore it. None but One, whose Understanding is infinite, who knows every Atom of our Bodies, every Dust and Particle which belongs to us. He who is conscious what Dust appertains to each Body, what Body to each Soul. None but One, whose Power is as unbounded as his Knowledge; in regard of whom all Creatures must suffer and do what he will have them. Who can summon and re-assemble our scattered Atoms from the Earth, and from the Waves, and reconcile our long estranged Parts to their ancient familiarity. Whose Voice can awake the sleepers of Thousands of Years, some to Peace and Joy, but some to Misery and everlasting Contempt. But Christ is the Person who must raise the Dead. For the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. All that are in the Graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done Good unto the Resurrection of Life, and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation.  
Fifthly, Christ is God, because He shall Judge the World. For it is necessary for him who shall Judge the World, that he should be intimately acquainted with the Consciences of all Mankind; that all their Thoughts should be laid naked and open to his view, and that all the devices of their Hearts should be manifest to him. But none besides God can have such a Knowledge as this: for Lo! he that declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness; the Lord, the God of Hosts is his Name. But Christ is ordained by God to be Judge of the Quick and Dead; and to this end Christ both died, rose, and revived, that he might be Judge both of the Dead, and the Living; and so for that reason must be God.  
Lastly, He who shall destroy and change the World, who, in the Prophet's Language, shall roll the Heavens together as a Scroll, the Heavens, which like a wide stretched Scroll, are written over with beauteous Characters by God's own hand; he is God. For this is one of the peculiar Actions of God, that he shall destroy the Heavens. For as a Vesture shall he change them, and they shall be changed. But Volkelius owns, that our Saviour has such a power, and that he shall roll them up together like a Scroll, and burn them. And therefore on that account must be God; which may be farther made out:  
Secondly, From the ill Consequences of the contrary Assertion. For how open does the Socinian Christ lie to the Exceptions of the Jews, or the more rational sort of Deists, who own a God, a Providence, and a future State; and to any who maintain the Unity of the Godhead, yet deny the Divinity of Christ? And is it not very suitable for the Jews to reason against Christianity, from the Socinian Principles, after this method?  
We are convinced from Scripture, that there is but one God; we know that there is no other besides him, or with him: for Who is God save the Lord, and who is a Rock save our God? But now you introduce one Jesus as God, who was neither God from Eternity, nor by Nature and Essence. This new, this created God, we look upon as a Fiction; we can pay him no Homage, no Adoration, till we have renounced Moses and the Prophets, and offered violence to the Principles of Reason, and Natural Religion. Farther, our God has taught us by his Prophet Isaiah, that He even he is the Lord, and besides him there is no Saviour; and this is spoken Prophetically with regard to the times of the Messiah. How then can we own this Jesus for our Saviour, who is by Nature different from God? We are commanded to worship the Lord our God, and to serve him only▪ How then may we worship and serve Jesus, who is a God different from the God of Israel? How can we give him equal Honour with the Lord Jehovah, without provoking his Wrath, and forcing him to repeat all those Inflictions on us, which our Fathers justly suffered? God has expressly declared; that He withnot give his glory to another but by worshipping your Jesus, is not God's Glory given 〈…〉 Object distinct from God? The Scriptures solemnly inform us, that God alone ●●●●'s the Heart and the Reins▪ and is conscious to all the▪ Thoughts of Men If we as you do, should apply these Actions to the Man Jesus, we should be guilty of advancing a false God into the Throne of the Almighty, and making a Creature rival the Deity. Farther, Has not God taught us to address to him alone in the time of our Distress, and promised his succours to encourage our Prayers? Can we then pray to your Jesus, whom you yourselves deny to be the true God of Israel? The Scripture threatens, that Gods which have not made the Heavens and the Earth, even they shall perish from the Earth, and from under the Heavens. Can we then honour him for God, who was so far from making the Heavens and the Earth, that he himself had no Being when they were formed? Or can God at the last Day be angry at us, for not receiving and worshipping him as God, who according to Scripture, was to perish from the Earth, and under the Heavens? Lastly, The Idea, which we have and always had of God, represents him to our Minds, as present every where, Omniscient and Almighty. If therefore he, who is offered to us to be worshipped under these Ideas; is not God by Nature he is to be looked on as a strange God. How can we then ascribe these Attributes to your Jesus, whom you deny to be God by Nature, without laying out selves under the guilt of worshipping strange Gods? If you reply, That the Miracles performed by your Christ are Motives strong enough to justify his Worship, and that the mighty Works which he did, prove that he was clothed with such a Divinity as might deserve Honours more than human. To this, not we, but our God himself shall answer, that If there arise among you a Prophet, and give you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spoke unto you, saying, Let us go after other Gods, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet. Such a Prophet as this we look on your Jesus to be; his Miracles of this false nature; because they tend to bring us off from the Worship of the true God, to give part of it to him.  
If a Jew should make such an Apology as this for the not worshipping and owning of our Saviour, I cannot see what a Denier of his Essential Divinity could reply to it. It seems to be exactly reasoned in every part, and each Conclusion drawn from their own Principles. Either they must wholly deny his Worship, and so make him a Pure Man; or if he is to be worshipped, they must grant, that he is God by Nature and Essence. If I am God where is my Worship, does not hold with greater force against the irreligious despisers of God's Service, than the Reverse of it would do against our Adversaries, If I am to be worshipped I am God.  
The sum of all is, That Christ, or the Word Incarnate, is God; not because whatsoever appeared in his Prophetic Function was full of Divinity, not because he was born after a divine manner, not because he was taught by God, not because he was endued with Divine Innocence, but on account of his Divine Nature and Subsistence; which was proved, because whatsoever is worshipped is God, and that Christ is to be worshipped; and secondly, by reason of his Co-partnership with God the Father in Divine Actions; such as are, The Creation of the World, the Inspiration of the Prophets, the Exercising of Divine Power, the Raising the Dead, the last Judgement, the Destruction of the World. And in the Second General were shown the ill Consequences which may be drawn from the contrary Position. So that even the Being and Unity of a God are not clearer Articles of Natural Religion, than the Divinity of Jesus Christ of the Revealed.   

A DISCOURSE Concerning Our Saviour's SATISFACTION.  1 Epist. JOH. Chap. II. ver. 2. And He is the Propitiation for our Sins. 
THE Apostle had in the former Chapter discovered the inconsistency of a state of Sin with that of Perfection, and that the pretences of reconciling fellowship with God with walking in darkness, was the greatest aggravation that could heighten any Impiety. That it was a making God a Liar, and was a positive denial of Actions to be sinful, which he had by the most express Laws and Sanctions declared and enacted such. He than shows that the truest Test of, and the securest Method to attain to a perfect State, was to walk in the Light as God is in the Light, to partake with Christ of his Graces, and to resemble him in his Purity. That this was the only sign of the real and unfeigned Gnostick; and that we might hence measure our Knowledge of God, by our keeping his Commandments. But that if we should fall into any Sin, the way to remove it, was not by saying, that we have not sinned; that either our Natures are so pure, that they change every thing we do into acts of Piety, or at least that God is willing, out of his favour to us, to overlook our Transgressions: but that it was our Duty to confess our Offences, to acknowledge our Danger, and to fly to God for Pardon upon Repentance. And then he comes to state the nature of Remission, that it was nothing else but the applying of our Saviour's Satisfaction, or Propitiation for Sin, to the Penitent: which Propiriation was sufficient in its nature and force to artone for Sin, and in its extent and compass to reach to all the Crimes of Mankind. For— He is the Propitiation for our sins.  
Propitiation is the reconciling of an offended Party to him who has injured him, by performing some Act by which his displeasure may be removed. And as it is spoken of our Saviour, it intimates, That he has done something so grateful to God, that on consideration of this, God is willing to take Man again into his favour; to forgive him his Sins, and to bestow those Blessings on him, which were do only to his Innocence. By Sins are understood, first, Our inclinations and tendencies to Sin, and then Our voluntary breaches of God's Laws in their utmost extent, with all those Circumstances, which may either heighten or lessen their guilt. For Offences in this latitude, and for Crimes in this compass, is our Saviour a Propitiation.  
From the words I shall show, That Christ is a true and complete Propitiation for Sin: Where I shall inquire,  
First, How Christ is a Propitiation; and then  
Secondly, Into the Equity and Reasonableness of his being so.  
First, As to the manner of our Saviour's Propiriation. That it was wrought by procuring our Sins to be forgiven, is granted on all sides; but after what manner our Sins were removed, is variously disputed. Which Contest being managed by the Followers of Socinus on one hand, and by those who justly style themselves Orthodox on the other; I shall in order to a due determining of this Matter prove, first, That Christ did not propitiate for, nor remove Sin, after any of those methods or ways which Socinus contends for, nor that any of them can amount to a Propitiation; and next, I shall state the true Means by which he did really take our Sins away, and propitiate for them. First then, Christ did not propitiate for Sin after any of those ways which Socinus contends for, nor can any of them amount to a Propitiation. He did not propitiate for Sin, by barely laying down his Life to 
Socin p 165. & passim.  confirm, or bear witness to that Doctrine, or Rule of Life, by the observance of which 
Crellius against Grotius▪ p. 4. etc.  Remission might be purchased; nor by gaining or acquiring a Right and Power to forgive Sin, with which he was not invested before; nor by merely leading a Life of Patience, Obedience and Submission to the Will of God, which should be a Pattern to all his Followers, and by the imitation of which they should certainly procure Remission; nor lastly, was it the Death of Christ considered only as a strong and active persuasive to perform those Terms, which are necessary to the taking away of Sin, which wrought this Propitiation. Not any of these separately, nor all of them united, how far soever conducing to apply this Propitiation, were the thing itself.  
Christ did not propitiate for Sin, by barely laying down his Life to confirm, or bear witness to that Doctrine, in which Remission of Sin was contained. For this makes the Death of Christ rather a Consequent, or an Effect of this Remission, than the efficient Cause on Producer of it. For the Existence, or the Being of any thing, is the Cause, as well as the Measure of the Testimony, and not the Testimony the Cause of the Existence. Therefore if Christ's Death was only a Testimony to that in which Remission of Sins is included, it has no share in it. A Testimony in proportion to the Character and Worth of the Testator may give Light to those who are ignorant, or Conviction to those who doubt of any Matter; but can contribute nothing of reality to the thing itself. But it is plain from Scripture, that Christ's Death did really, effectively and antecedently work to the Remission of Sins. And that we have Redemption in his Blood, the forgiveness of Sins. That the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin; and that without shedding of Blood there is no Remission. Therefore this shedding of Blood must be something more than a bare Testimony to the Doctrine, in which Redemption, Forgiveness, Cleansing from Sin, and Remission are employed; must be the very Conveyer of these Blessings to us, without which we had been still in our Sins, and under an indispensible obligation to Punishment for them. For at this rate the Blood of the Martyrs might purify us from Gild, as well as that of our Saviour, seeing that that too was spilt as a Testimony to the same Doctrine. Nay, their Blood was on this account a more full and extensive Testimony to Christianity, even than his; because, when our Saviour died, tho' the Morals of the Christian religion were brought to their perfection, yet there was something farther to be added as Objects of Faith and Belief, which were not yet accomplished; as our Saviour's Resurrection from the Dead, and Ascension into Heaven. Now to these our Saviour's Death could bear no Testimony, as being results from it, and transacted after it; but the Death of the Martyrs still ratified and settled this fundamental Truth of Christ's being risen again, which by being established itself, confirmed all the rest. Now Socinus himself freely owns, that the Resurrection of our Saviour is a necessary Article of our Belief, and an essential Principle of our Religion. Nay, this is almost the only one of the Socianian Creed which regards our Saviour. And Socinus applies Remission of Sins to this, rather than to our Saviour's Death; because that the Hopes of that glorious State of which our Saviour took possession, upon his Resurrection, have the strongest Influences to reform our Lives; which Reformation is immediately attended with the Remission of Sins. So that the force of the Argument will be this, That if all that our Saviour did towards Remission of Sin, was only giving Testimony by his Death to that Doctrine in which Remission was preached; then the Primitive Martyrs, who bore witness to this Doctrine by laying down their Lives for it, when it was advanced to a fuller extent, did more abundantly, at least equally cooperate to this Forgiveness. But since this Remission is never attributed to any Testimony of theirs, it follows, That our Saviour made his Propitiation by some other act than this of Testifying. Moreover, as the reason why our Saviour was put to Death, was not his preaching Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins, but his declaring himself the Son of God; so that which he attested by his Death, was rather his own Divinity, than the Truth of what he had before taught. But granting that it might be one of the less principal Designs of our Saviour's Death, to give Sanction to his Doctrine by his Blood, yet this could not perform it so suitably and so completely, as his Miracles did; which were fully adapted to this purpose, and to which he addresses, as to the exact standard by which his Doctrine might be examined. 'Tis true, that to die for a Man's own Sentiments, is a bold and a gallant appeal, and a sufficient warrant, that he himself believes what he says; but this is not security enough for me to assent to his Tenants; because he may be mistaken in the Truth of that, which he himself is very conscientiously persuaded of. For as Falsehood may be maintained with equal warmth and zeal as Truth, so may it be suffered for, with resembling Patience. But when Miracles are once brought to second a Doctrine, these silence any farther doubts; I yield, I am convinced: for these are either contrary to the Laws of Nature, or above them, and so are immediately acted by God himself, who will neither exercise his own Power, nor delegate it to any other, to ratify a Lie, or grace an Impostor. So that since our Saviour's Miracles were more proper, more clear and visible Tests of his Doctrine than his Death, if his Propitiation, or what he did towards the abolishing of Sin, consisted only in bearing witness to his Doctrine, it might rather be derived from these, than from his Blood; which is a Paradox which hitherto has never been advanced.  
To proceed: This Propitiation cannot consist in Christ's merely gaining or purchasing, by his Death, a Right or Title to forgive Sin. For our Saviour did not purchase any such Right by his Death, because he was invested with it long before he suffered; and when a Person is once legally possessed of any Right, he needs no subsequent act to appropriate it more closely to him. But that our Saviour had such a Right before his Crucifixion, is plain, as from several other places of Scripture, so from that instance of his Healing the sick of the Palsy; where he Prefaces his miraculous Cure with that comfortable Declaration of, Son thy sins are forgiven thee. And lest it might be urged, That this was only a removing of his temporal Punishment, it is very apparent that our Saviour distinguishes between these two Acts, by subjoyning the other Command of, Son take up thy bed and walk, which had been utterly needless, if the former words had implied a Cure of his Disease. Nor can it be shown, That Propitiation for Sin can coincide with a Right of forgiving Sin; for the former pre-supposes an offended Party, which must be satisfied; an offending one, which is of itself unable to atone its Anger; and lastly, a Mediator or Sequester, to finish the Reconcilement. So that three Terms are necessary to make up an entire Propitiation; but a Donation (and a gratuitous Remission is nothing else) is only between two, where there are no insuperable Hindrances or Lets, why the Donor should not suffer his Bounty to stream freely out towards the Indigent, without any third Person to interpose for him, or to bear his Punishment.  
Farther: Neither did Christ propitiate by merely giving us an Example of Obedience, which if we transcribe, we shall assuredly have our Sins pardoned. For how much soever our Saviour's Example may be serviceable to our Sanctification, it can have no regard to our Pardon. For if we can work out our own Pardons, by an exact and unerring Imitation of our Saviour's Obedience, the exactness of which must consist in gaining the same Ends, by the same Means; then did our Saviour at this rate, by his own Obedience, work out a Pardon for himself, or else he could be no Precedent for us. But he did not purchase any Pardon for himself, because he never stood in need of any; never transgressed the Law at any time, nor had any occasion of having it dispensed with on his account. Tho' He was numbered with Transgressor's, yet it was only in their Punishment, not in their Crimes. Tho' His Soul was made an Offering for Sin, yet was it for our Transgressions that he was wounded, and bruised for our Iniquities. So that tho' by keeping close to our Saviour's Example, we may be Holy as he is Holy; yet cannot we by this procure our own Pardons for former Sins.  
To close all: The Death of Christ considered only as a Motive to an Holy Life, and as inspiring into us the Hopes of a future State of Glory, and so persuading us to perform what is necessary to Remission, cannot be the Propitiation expressed in the Words. For what force could the disgraceful and bloody Death of an innocent Person, and of one who had made it his Business to go about doing good, have, to convince Men, That God was a Rewarder of Virtue and Integrity? Would it not rather discourage Men from the practice of Perfections, which were crowned indeed but with Thorns, and whose only Exaltation was on the Cross, to make them more conspicuous Instances of Woe and Infamy? Socinus himself foresaw the power of this Objection, and to evade it, he has recourse to the little Sophistry of saying, that Indeed there was no great Efficacy in the Death of Christ, to be an Incentive to a good Life, and so to make way for Remission; but that there was in his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, which were Consequents of his Death; and that the Glories of that Kingdom he then took possession of, carry the strongest Rhetoric in them, to move us to abandon our Sins, and lead Lives of Righteousness. This is a miserable way of reasoning. For would the Scripture apply the Propitiation so often, and so expressly, to the Death, the Blood, the Sufferings of Christ, if it was all this while his Resurrection which effected the Remission of Sins? Nay, Does it not oppose the Benefits flowing from the Resurrection, to those resulting from the Death of our Lord, informing us, that Christ died for our Sins, but that he risen again for our Justification? How then can these Acts in all regards be coincident, be the same? His Resurrection indeed was a Confirmation, a Justifying to the World, That he had by his Death purchased Remission of Sins to the Penitent; but it neither was the Remission itself, nor any way concurred to it, more than by begetting in us a Faith in his Death and Merits.  
The sum of what has been said, is, That Christ did not propitiate for Sin By dying to bear witness to his Doctrine; because than his Death would only have been a Testimony of his Propitiation, and not the Thing itself: Nor By gaining a power to forgive Sin; because he had This before he died: Nor By setting his Life out to be an Example to his Followers; because this Example has no force to purify and absolve from Sins, at least from past Sins: Nor, lastly, did his Death considered as a Motive to an holy Life free from Sin; because Christ's Death simply and abstractedly considered, as the Death of a Just Man, without its effect of actually removing Sin, is not such a Motive. As to the Enthusiast's method of Satisfaction, which 
W. Penn's Christian Quaker, p. 102.  they resolve only into a spiritual shedding of the blood in their Hearts; 'tis a changing this comfortable Doctrine wholly into an Allegory, and a substituting an imaginary fantastic Saviour instead of a true one. And as none of these ways singly takes away Sin, so neither do they all of them combined: For the result of them all is this, That God sent Christ into the World to live a Life of Righteousness, and to die an ignomimous Death; only to be a more successful. Instrument to reform the Sinner, and to prevent Sin for the future. But if Christ did nothing but this, How could his Merits reach to Sins committed before this Repentance or Reformation? These would still lie open to the Divine Vengeance, to the Wrath of that God, who has too high a respect for his own Laws, to suffer any breach of them to go unpunished; but will certainly revenge them either on the Sinner himself, or at least on his Proxy. And tho' the Sinner should at length correct his ways, yet what compensation would this be for his former Violations of the Commands of God? Would this be any thing else, but beginning to do that at last, which he was always obliged to do? So I shall proceed to state the true Means by which Christ did really take away our Sins, and propitiate for them.  
And to clear this Case from its original, it is to be observed, That God as the Governor of Mankind, gave them a Law, which was to be the general Rule of all their Actions: This Law he secures on each hand, as all other wise Magistrates, with Penalties suitable to the power of the Lawgiver, which being Omnipotent, they too must of consequence be Infinite and Eternal. The keeping of the Commands of God blest with ever lasting Life, the breach of them punished with equal Misery. This was the original Covenant, or Contract, between God and Man, which was very just to be imposed on Man in his Integrity, for than he was endued with strength to perform the Condition; and was as equitable to be exacted from him after his Fall, because he had contracted his weakness and insufficiency by his own fault, and had willingly disabled himself. But God was more merciful than to deal with him according to the rigour of Justice; he had a compassionate sense of that helpless State into which he was sunk, and was willing to accept of a Propitiation. He knew that the Sins he should commit in his fallen Condition, would be of a different Character from those of the Angels, and therefore were more mercifully to be proceeded against. That the Angels were irreclaimably lost, because God had done for them all that could be done; had created them so perfect, that they had a whole prospect of their Duty at one view; knew when they fell as much as they could know, and▪ therefore admitted of no room for Repentance, or alteration of their choice▪ But that Man receives the Knowledge of his Duty by degrees, and advances into a Mind prepossessed with the prejudices of Sense, and therefore may see farther and farther into things, so as to correct his Errors, and repent of them. That his Passions grow strong before his Reason has force to govern them. That his Duties are so many, that in some cases they are almost inconsistent. That even when he sins and provokes his Maker, there are secret declarations in his Conscience against what he acts; or, in the Language of the Apostle, The Evil that he would not, that he does. Such Considerations as these moved the merciful God to be willing to receive Man to favour; made him inclinable to be reconciled, and to mitigate that Anger he had justly conceived against him for the breach of his Laws. But it is impossible that God should be pacified, while the Law which Man has broken, and which the weakness of his Nature tempts him still to violate, remains in its severity. There can be no Peace between God and Man, while this is to be executed upon every failure; while Man is born under almost a necessity of Sinning, and yet obliged to a necessity of Innocence. Something must be done to this Law, before God's displeasure can be removed; and if so, This Law must either be wholly taken away, or Explained in a more easy Sense, or some other satisfaction made it.  
But the Law, which ought to have been the Rule of Man's Life, could not be repealed and quite taken away. For than Man either must be left Lawless, or some other Law made in the room of it. The former throws down all the boundaries of Virtue and Vice, gives encouragement to every Irregularity, excludes God out of the Government of the World, and places Man in the wildest State of Nature, accountable to none but himself for his Actions. If a new Law is to be substituted, either this Law must partake something of the former, or be opposed to it. If it has somewhat of the Injunctions of the old Law, it must have as much of the Difficulties of it too; opposed it cannot be, for the former Law rises so regularly from the Nature of Things, that whatsoever should command any thing contrary to it, would enjoin what is unjust, and therefore would be null as soon as promulged.  
Neither could this Law have a milder and more equitable Sense or Construction put upon it, to soften its hardness, that Man might in some measure evade the Obligation, and therefore the Penalty of it. For a mild interpreting of a Law is only a showing, That some Persons or Actions are not comprehended under it. As the ancient Heathens were not obliged by the Jewish Judicial or Ceremonial Law, or the present Chinese by the Evangelical. As Works of Religion and Mercy are not included under the Prohibition of working on the Sabbath. But neither of these can take any place here. For Man could not pretend to be exempted from a Law, which was made and designed for him, and could not be suitable to any other Order of Being's. Nor could any Actions be excepted out of it, for than must all Actions be so; for tho' particular Persons might only break the Law in some special parts, and therefore only have need of having those Actions Privileged, which were contrary to it; yet Mankind in general would violate every Branch of it: so that all Actions in gross must be put out of its reach; which is the same with an Abrogation, or Repeal.  
But there was a different Method from all these. A Method by which the Law might be retained in its Majesty, as well as Integrity; not one jot or tittle of it pass away, and yet Man be freed from its Rigour. This was, if a third Person would interpose, and undergo the Punishment due to the Offenders: would satisfy the Divine Wrath, and propitiate for Mankind. For the Dignity or Honour, as well as the Force of a Law, is sufficiently preserved, if either its Injunctions are kept, or satisfactory Punishment inflicted. But, Who can stand before God when he is angry? Or, Who atone for the Sin of Mankind? Which of all the Angels or Arch-Angels can sustain the Person of a Mediator, and satisfy the Law which we have broke? Which in the Language of the Holy Job, might like a Daysman betwixt God and us, lay his hand on us both. For God is not a Man, as we are, that we should answer him, and should come together in Judgement. The most perfect of Created Being's would shrink under so vast a Burden. So that the Son of God himself must be deputed for so glorious a purpose. He that comes from Edom, with died Garments from Bozrah. Wherefore is he red in his Apparel, and his Garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat? The reason is, because He has trodden the Wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with him. And in this God commended his Love towards us, that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us. That the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and that with his stripes we were healed. For as by his Life he fulfilled every part of the Law, did whatsoever it had enjoined, and so performed our Righteousness; so by substituting himself to bear the Punishment of our Transgressions, by enduring what the Law had threatened, he dissolved our Obligation to those Sufferings, which were due to us according to the Order of the Divine Justice, and pacified the Diety's Fury; the Law being still retained in its original Majesty. And both these as well the Innocence of his Life, as the Meritoriousness of his Death, were necessary for the Person who should atone for the Sins of Mankind. For had not his Life been wholly made up of Obedience, had there been one flaw, one Transgression in it, he could not have been that holy and unspotted Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World. All that he could have done, would have been to have died for his own Offences, if perhaps he could have washed out his Personal stains by his Blood. But as to our Faults, it must cost more to redeem them; the Sacrifice which can expiate for them must have nobler Qualifications: so that He must let that alone for ever. The Innocence of his Life was therefore not only an accomplishing of the Law in our stead, and a Rule for us to act by; but was in a more peculiar manner a Qualification also to prepare him to suffer duly for our Sins.  
Which Passion was the formal Act which took away our Transgressions. On him they were laid, and he paid the Price of them. By this Act, and under this Qualification did he propitiate for our sins.  
Secondly, The equitableness of which Propitiation, by removing the Penalty from the Sinner to a Stipulator, who engages himself to suffer for the Guilty, is the next thing to be considered.  
If there was any Injustice in this, as Socinus pretends there is, it must either consist in this, That an innocent Person underwent a most barbarous, poignant, as well as shameful Death; that One in whose Mouth was found no Guile, was oppressed, was afflicted, as well as despised and rejected of Men; or else because he endured all this for our Sins. But there is no Injustice in the former, because it is plain from Scripture, and Socinus himself owns, That our Saviour, after a Life of the most spotless Innocence, had it taken away by the most cruel and ignominious Death; a Death of Slaves and Malefactors. And this not only by the Permission, but even by the Ordinance and immediate Act of God; for He was stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, and Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? Far be it from God, that he should do Wickedness, and that the Almighty should pervert Judgement. So that the Enquiry will be this, Whether it is consistent with Equity, that the Holy JESUS, the true and uniform Pattern of all Virtue, should be thus severely punished, as the Propitiator for us Sinners. And that he should be so, is neither irreconcilable with that positive Justice or Equity, which God has revealed in his Word, nor with that Natural Justice which may be drawn from the Reason of Mankind, and the Practice and Usage of Nations, and which Socinus so much insists on. The derivation of Punishment from the Transgressor to the Innocent, is not irreconcilable with the Divine Word. For it is not irreconcilable with the Divine Word, either that an Innocent should be punished for the Sins of the Guilty; or that he should be in such manner punished, that the Guilty may be freed from the Penalty due to Gild. First, 'Tis not irreconcilable with Scripture, that the Innocent should be punished for the Sins of the Guilty. For is not Canaan sentenced to be a Servant of Servants, for the Unnaturalness of his Father Ham? Are not seven Men of Saul's Sons hanged up to the Lord, for his Treachery? Are not seventy Thousand cut off for the Sin of David? Which forced from him that Pathetical Exclamation, worthy such a Prince: Lo! I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these Sheep what have they done? Let thy hand; I pray thee, be against me, and against my Father's house. And in general, tho' it is the Character of the Lord, that He i● Merciful and Gracious, Long-suffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth; yet do not the very next words inform us, that He visits the Iniquities of the Father's upon the Children, and upon the children's Children, unto the third and fourth Generation? And does not the Prophet in the Lamentation, personating Zion, complain, Our Fathers have sinned, and are not, and we have born their Iniquities? Farther, It is not irreconcilable with Scripture. Justice, that the Guilty may be freed from the Penalty, which the Innocent have undergone, or (which is the same) are to undergo. To prove this, I shall only produce one Instance; that of Ahab, who for his short and transient Repentance, and which passed away like the morning dew, had the Judgement denounced against him, executed on his Posterity: Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; in his Sons days will I bring the evil on his house. As Punishment by deputation is thus reconcilable with the sentiments God's Word gives us of Justice, so is it equally so with the Practice or Usage of Nations. First, it is agreeable to th●se, That one Man should lay down his Life for another's Crimes; and next, That the Guilty should gain Impunity by something which has been suffered for him. First, it is consistent with the Usage of Nations, that one Man should lay down his Life for another's Crimes. In the Affair of Pledges in War, received by all Countries, are not these sacrificed to the Fury of their Enemies, for the Perfidiousness of their Fellow-Citizens? Do they not die for Violations of Faith▪ which sometimes they could not so much as contrive or design▪ as being Children; never eexcute, as being Prisoners? Did the most human and compassionate of Princes ever think it any reflection on his Justice, to take the Forfeiture? Or could Justice be preserved in the World without such Examples? When one Prince is notoriously injured by another, did the injured ever esteem it unjust or barbarous, to revenge himself on his Enemy's innocent Subjects; to bu●n, ravage and destroy Cottages, for the Affronts and Villainies of the Palace; to kill or enslave the Peasant, for the wicked Counsel of the Statesman? When the Law of War i● broke between two Generals, is not ho without regard to any antecedent Demerit always the most guilty, who is first caught? In the Decimation of mutinous Soldiers, may not the fatal ●●o● fall on the peaceable and harmless, as well as on the stubborn and rebellious● Or is there some secret Oracle in the Chances, which infallibly guides them to the Offenders? Or is it Injustice to punish the unfortunate Condemned, how guiltless soever? As it is thus consistent with the Use of Nations, That one should suffer for another's Crimes; so is it not less so, That the Guilty should gain Impunity, by something which has been suffered for him. Thus in the instance of Sacrifices, received into the Religion of all Nations; whatsoever the matter of them was, whether it was Thousand of Rams, or whether they brought their firstborn, and offered the fruit of their Bodies for the sin of their Souls; yet the intention of them both, was to procure Impunity to the Sinner, by laying the Punishment somewhere else. And how useless soever, the former might be, or how cruel the latter; yet both prove, That it was the Sentiments of Mankind, that freedom from Penalty might be purchased by a vicarious Infliction. There was nothing therefore in our Saviour's Suffering, which is inconsistent with the constant sense of Mankind, in regard to the Expiation of Gild. Nor is there any thing in it unjust, whether we examine it by the Rules of Justice displayed in the Word of God, or by the Usage of Nations. Nor, farther, is there any thing in it unreasonable, which is now to be made out. For it was reasonable that Christ should die for our Sins: because, first▪ It is reasonable that God should release the Punishment due to our Sins; and next, That he should remit▪ it by the method of punishing Christ in our stead.  
That God should release our Punishment, is reasonable, whether we consider the Nature of God, whose Goodness must strongly plead before the Throne of Grace for fallen Man's Remission, even before there was any other Advocate; or whether we consider the Nature of that Service, which God exacts from Man. For God never obliges to Duty, where he has put himself out of a possibility of requiting it▪ But while Man's Sins were unforgiven, while his obligation to Punishment remained, it was not in the power of God to reward his Piety. Since undistinguishing Misery was to be his Doom at last, and was to be the common Event of all; both of those who sacrificed, and those who sacrificed not.  
It being therefore thus reasonable, That God should release Man's Punishment; it is as reasonable. That he should lay this Punishment on Christ. For either the Punishment must be laid on Christ, or on some other, or be remitted without any Satisfaction.  
But without Satisfaction (whatsoever the Deist may fancy) the Penalty could not be suitably removed: for, that God should pardon Sin, without receiving any Satisfaction, is, first, against his Nature and Being; for He is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and cannot look on Iniquity. Against his Justice, because as a just and righteous Governor of the World, he may not suffer his Laws to be affronted, without vindicating their Honour. Against his Truth, since in his first Covenant with Man, he has inseparably combined Sin and Punishment: In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.  
Nor could the Punishment be laid on any other, but Christ; because none, except one of the Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity, could suffer Punishment sufficient to clear the Guilty. For it was infinite Majesty which was injured, and it must be satisfied by Majesty as infinite. But it was not reasonable, that the Father, who i 〈…〉 the Oeconomy and Order of the Trinity is superior to the Son and Holy Ghost, should by this Humiliation be debased below them both. It was not meet that the Holy Ghost should propitiate; because he was to be sent by the Mediator, in order to the applying of the Salvation, which he should purchase. So that whatsoever imaginary Models the Schoolmen may raise of other Methods, by which God might save the World; yet there is none which agrees with Reason in all Points, but the Propitiation which Christ wrought through his Sufferings.  
The sum of all is, That Christ is become our Propitiation; not by Dying to bear witness to any saving, or sanctifying Doctrine; not by gaining a Right by his Death to forgive Sin; not by giving us an Example, by which we may have our Sins pardoned; not by any Encouragement his Death might yield us to an holy Life; not by any of these single, nor by all united; but by Dying for our Sins, and paying a Price tantamount to our Transgressions. By clearing the Mulct, which the breach of the Divine Law had contracted; by an Act, which at once secures Honour to the Law, and Impunity to the Offenders. Which Substitution of our Saviour, to suffer for our Sins, was shown to be Just and Reasonable. Just, as having nothing in it which disagrees either with other methods of Divine Justice, or with Human Proceed; Reasonable, as being the only means by which God might show his high value of his own Commands, and yet his compassion for his Creatures; and by one well-mixed Action, display at the same time both his Justice, and his Mercy.   

A DISCOURSE Concerning MIRACLES.  HEB. Chap. II. ver. 4. God also bearing them witness, both with Signs, and Wonders, and with divers Miracles. 
THE Apostle, in the entrance of this Chapter, informs us, That Christ being a Prophet so much surpassing all before him, and now advanced above the Angels to his Royal Office in Heaven, whereby he is certainly able to perform what he foretold; we ought in all reason to heed his Predictions, and to make use of them as means to fortify us, when we are tempted to Sin or Apostasy. For if the Law were given only by the Ministry of Angels, and yet the Threats on the breaking of that did come to pass, and all the Sins committed by the Israelites against it, were severely chastised, and the Transgressor's not suffered to enter into the promised Land; How shall we avoid equal Punishment, if we do not, by Constancy and Obedience, make ourselves capable of that Deliverance, which Christ first at his being upon Earth, and the Apostles which heard it from him, assured us of; and which God himself has testified, by so many Prodigies, and ominous Presages? And by giving them, who foretold 'em, Power to work Miracles, and other Abilities of the Spirit: God also bearing them witness, both with Signs, and Wonders, and with divers Miracles.  
By Wonders, in a strict sense, are meant any extraordinary, surprising, and new Operations, whether springing from a divine Power, or a natural. By Miracles are understood Effects of a divine and infinite Power, whether wrought privately or publicly, on purpose to confirm any Doctrine, or without any such design. Thus our Saviour's Fast for forty Days, was a Miracle, tho' it was not wrought for the confirmation of any Doctrine, nor before any public Assembly of Spectators. A Sign is something more than a Wonder, or a Miracle; for it is wrought publicly by an infinite Power, in confirmation of a Doctrine. Thus our Saviour's changing Water into Wine, is said to be the first of his Miracles of this kind; that is, the first of his Signs: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. For as to pure Miracles, he had acted several before; as his Fast for forty Days, though Descent of the Holy Ghost in a Bodily shape. This is the distinction of the Schools, tho' in common 
uld. Aquln. 2. 2dae q. 178. art. 1. ad 3.  acceptation, Signs and Miracles are taken in the same sense: Under which Notion I shall consider them, and show  
First, What a Miracle is.  
Secondly, I shall examine what Power is capable of working a Miracle.  
Thirdly, I shall inquire into some of those Marks, by which we may distinguish a true Miracle from a false one.  
Fourthly, I shall prove, That the Miracles wrought by Jesus Christ, and his Apostles, have all these Marks of a true Miracle.  
Lastly, I shall close all, by briefly showing, That tho' Christianity was at first established by Miracles; yet that there is no reason, that we should expect a continued succession of them to the present times.  
First, I shall show what a Miracle is.  
A Miracle is something that surpasses the Power of Men, or of Nature; wrought in savour of a Person, who knows that this Miracle shall be thus transacted. 'Tis a Work that surpasses the Power of Men, or of Nature: for let an Effect be never so surprising or extraordinary, yet while it is within the force of second Causes, it is no Miracle. It must (in strict speaking) bear the lively Impression, and sovereign Stamp of Divinity upon it; so that we may, without hazard of being deceived, boldly vouch, that This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Which we may safely say, when Diseases are cured by a Touch; the tumultuous Seas calmed by a Rebuke; and the Dead raised by the Command of One, who assumed no more than the Form of a Man. When the Unlearned speak Languages, which they never learned. When the Flames shall lose their destructive Nature, and instead of consuming, guard. When a Hand raised up shall determine the Fate of Armies. When the Lord shall hearken to the voice of Man, insomuch that the Sun shall stand still upon Gibeon, and the Moon in the Valley of Ajalon. As a Miracle thus surpasses the Power of Nature, so the Person in favour of whom it is wrought, aught to know that this Miracle shall be thus wrought. He ought either to know in particular, that this Miracle will be wrought, and no other; or that a Miracle of some kind will be wrought, when natural Helps shall fail. Thus Moses, when Pharaoh pressed behind, and the Red-Sea raged before, tho' he seems to have had no special Revelation, that the Sea should be made dry Land, and the Waters be divided; yet he knew in gross, that The salvation of the Lord should be seen that day, and that the Egyptians whom they had seen that day, should no more be seen again for ever. Therefore the dividing the Red-Sea was a Miracle performed by Moses, tho' he did not particularly foresee it. But when the Person, in behalf of whom a miraculous Work is brought about, is wholly ignorant of it; this can be no Miracle, nor ought any Consequence to be drawn from it, as if that Person was immediately Commission'd from God. The sudden Advancement of Men from the lowest Fortunes, to the highest Stations, by unaccountable and unforeseen means, is sometimes assuredly the immediate Hand of God: but since this Exaltation may be for the Ruin, as well as for the Happiness of Mankind; and since the Party exalted could not foresee his Success, 'tis no Miracle, tho' it is wrought by a Divine Power; nor ought we to conclude, that this Person is a nearer Favourite of Heaven, than the rest of Human kind. The Creation of a Reasonable Soul is miraculous; but because it is usual, is not of that kind of Miracles expressed in the Words. Thus the Inspiration of Grace is miraculous; but because it works now a-days according to the method of Reason and Discourse (whatsoever the Enthusiasts may pretend to the contrary) assisting us while we use such moral Means, as Religion commands, and Reason prescribes, it is not to be ranged with the Miracles mentioned here.  
Since Miracles therefore are the Effect of a Power more than Natural, it is just to inquire,  
Secondly, What Power is capable of working a Miracle.  
Where notwithstanding what the acute Le Cler●, and others of this Age have 
Jean ●e Clere de l' Incredulite. Letter 2. p. 355.  advanced, That Miracles may be wrought by good or bad Angels, or by a Power less than Infinite; yet it may be laid down as a Conclusion, That infinite Power alone is capable of working a Miracle. For a Miracle proclaims an omnipotent Agent, and carries the Hand of God written upon it in bright Characters, legible to the most Vulgar Reason. For every true Miracle is a forming of something out of nothing; and that either in the thing itself, or in the manner of forming it. In the thing itself, when it is of that sort, that it cannot be formed by any second and ordinary Causes: As the Resurrection of the Dead, the Reunion of the Soul and Body, the restoring of the Springs and Mechanism of Motion, after a total separation. For Death is a Prison, which surrenders back its Captives upon no other Summons below those of the Almighty. To restore Life being only the Prerogative of him who gave it. Or a Miracle may consist in forming something out of nothing, as to the manner of doing it; when the thing lies within the power of second Causes, yet is brought about without the assistance of any of them: As to cure Diseases by a Word speaking, or by touching the Him of the Garment. Where there is something which answers calling Light out of Darkness, and commanding every thing to be from nothing. Creation therefore being one of the peculiar Acts of God, and which we do not know that He ever communicated to a Creature; the Power of working Miracles, as to the original of it, must be so too: For only He who first formed the Laws of Nature, can suspend or alter them. 'Tis true, the Angels far surpass us in the excellency of their Faculties, and therefore may perform such things, as are apt to raise Admiration in us, because of our unacquaintedness with the causes of them, or manner of their Production. Even the fal● Angels themselves have not their Forces so much broken by Sin, but that by Lying Wonders they may easily impose on the Spectator's Eye; tho' 'tis wholly impossible for them, by any Power of their own, to alter the Course of Nature, or produce a real Miracle. So that if a Miracle has been wrought for the confirmation of any Doctrine, 'tis a sufficient warrant, that this Doctrine is of God. But since the evil Angels, who have assumed the Person of God, may also counterfeit his wondrous Works, it will be necessary,  
Thirdly, To inquire into some of those Marks, whereby a true Miracle may be distinguished from a false one. So that a difference may be put betwixt the Works of God, and those of his greatest Enemies.  
The first Mark of a true Miracle is, That there should be sufficient Evidence that this Miracle has been wrought, and the Effect of it ought to be addressed to our Senses. For a Miracle itself, is not an object of our Belief, tho' it is formed in confirmation of something, which we are obliged to believe: For then a Miracle would be as obscure as the thing which it is produced to prove. And every Miracle would want another, to make it serviceable to its grand design.  
The second Mark of a true Miracle is, That it ought not to tend to the overthrowing of any Doctrine, before established by God, by sufficient Miracles. For God cannot be divided against himself: But should he overthrow that by Miracle, which he had before settled by Miracle, Eternal Truth would disagree with himself. For Miracles, and a Doctrine, give mutual support one to another; as Miracles declare the Doctrine to be true, so the purity and excellence of the Doctrine, confirm the Miracles to be Divine. But if there is an Inconsistency between the Miracles, and the Doctrine; the decision must be in favour of the Doctrine, in opposition to the Miracles. For if a Person acts the most wonderful Works, to give Sanction to a Religion, which contains low Ideas of God, or interferes with the great Duties, we own to one another; his Miracles are nothing but artful Frauds, and he himself only a more pompous Deceiver: So on the other hand, when Miracles are produced in favour of a Doctrine, which is pure and holy; whose prospects of Rewards are only laid in a future State; which enjoins Modesty, Temperance, Sobriety, and Patience, and whatsoever is fitted to advance Human Nature; such a Doctrine is highly fitted to persuade Men, that the Miracles wrought in behalf of it, are true.  
The third Mark of a true Miracle is, That the Effects of it ought to be lasting and durable. If Diseases are removed by a Miracle, they ought so to be removed, as not to return. If Sight is restored to the Blind, it ought not to be a temporary Restitution, but a permanent and continued state of Seeing.  
Fourthly, Miracles ought to be of that Nature, as to be capable of being extended over the whole Creation. For since they flow from an infinite Power, which has equal Jurisdiction over every Creature, they cannot be confined within any particular Circle of Being's. For whatsoever Creature the Voice of God is addressed to, it immediately loses, its Liberty, and can only perform what is his Pleasure.  
There is a fifth Mark which commonly attends on a real Miracle, which tho' it does not fully convince, that the Miracle is true; yet it is a great recommendation of it to the Love and Admiration of Mankind; and is fitted to persuade us, That the Doctrine settled by it, is from above: That is, when a Miracle is wrought for the good of Mankind; to cure their Diseases, raise their Dead.  
The sixth Mark of a true Miracle is, That it should not be wrought merely for the Advantage, or Honour of the Performer; nor ought he to propose any Interest from it, but the good and happiness of Mankind. Where these Marks combine in any Miracle, we may securely vouch, That it is the Work of God; and that the Person who performs it, is Commission'd from Heaven, after an extraordinary manner. So that I shall proceed to show,  
Fourthly, That the Miracles performed by Jesus Christ, and therefore those wrought by his Apostles, have all these Marks of a true Miracle.  
And First, There was sufficient Evidence, That the Miracles of Jesus Christ were wrought. And first, There was Evidence sufficient to convince those, who flourished in the times in which the Miracles were wrought; and secondly, To satisfy us, who live in distant Ages. Those who were co-temporary with the Miracles, had not the least Umbrage from Reason, to doubt the truth of them. For they were wrought in public, often in great Assemblies of People; generally upon notorious and inveterated▪ Diseases and Maladies, in presence of the Enemies of Christianity: And in matters addressed to Sense, where every one has due Power, as well as Right to judge. Even the most implacable Adversaries, who saw and envied this growing Religion in its Infancy, could not deny, but that notable Miracles had been done by the Professors of it.  
But, Secondly, There is sufficient Evidence to satisfy us, that these Miracles have been wrought. And this Evidence rises from the Sincerity of the primitive Believers, who were Eye-witnesses of these Miracles, and Recorders of them to Posterity: And who laid down their Lives, not only to give Sanction to the Doctrine of Jesus; but to attest the truth of his Miracles, by which it was confirmed. The Relations of these Persons must be assuredly true, since they could propose no other Interest to themselves, but the Propagation of Truth. All other sinister aims were disappointed by their Deaths, and their Reward was only to be hoped for, in that glorious future State, of which they discoursed so much. Add to this, That the first Professors of Christianity always appealed to Miracles, and challenged the Heathens to bring their fancied Deities; assuring them, that they should all be miraculously struck dumb by the God of the Christians; otherwise they offered themselves to Death, as Enemies of the established Religion of their Country. The greatest Enemies of Christianity could not deny so manifest a matter, as the Miracles wrought by Jesus Christ, and his Apostles. Lucian, the great Ridiculer of all Religion, freely owns it: For He, whom he blasphemously styles in his 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, p. 363. Edit. Ribitti.  Ariston, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is undoubtedly our Saviour. This Jewish Sophister, he tells us, cast out Devils, healed the Sick, raised the Dead.  
Secondly, The Miracles of our Saviour did not tend to overthrow any Doctrine, before established by God, by sufficient Miracles. For tho' the Civil and Judicial Laws of Moses fell shortly after our Saviour's Death, because they were only calculated for the Commonwealth of the Jews, and were dissolved with that Polity; yet we find that our Saviour, during his abode on Earth, did not in the least invalidate their Obligation; and was so far from teaching any thing contrary to the Obedience of them, that he was always prepared to practise them himself. As to the Ritual and Ceremonial Law, which was employed about Circumcision, and Purifications, and Sacrifices, in distinction of Meats, and Times, and various other Rites and Observances; this was not properly dissolved and made void by the coming of Christ, but fulfilled and made good by him. The Rites and Ceremonies of this Law, were the Types and Resemblances of those future good things, which were promised under the Gospel▪ a kind of rude Draught and Sciography of a more spiritual, refined and perfect Oeconomy, which was designed, and at last finished and completed by Christianity. But while these Laws continued in force, our Saviour submitted himself to them. He was Circumcised, and presented in the Temple; and performed all other Rites, commanded by the Law of Moses. He did not therefore work any Miracle, in opposition to these Laws, but they having remained as long as they were designed to do, and there was any use of them, expired and abated of their own accord.  
Thirdly, The Effects of our Saviour's Miracles were permanent. He did not suspend only, but expel Diseases: the Dead which he raised, had their Soul joined to their Body by as firm an union, as when it was at first inspired.  
Fourthly, Our Saviour's Miracles were extended over the whole Creation: the Power of them was as large as the Circle of the World; nor were Hell and the Grave exempted from their Jurisdiction. The fallen Angels, who rebelled against God, were yet forced to submit to him. And Death and Diseases were softened into Life and Health. The Winds and Seas were silent at his Voice; and He stilled the raging of the Waters. So that the general Obedience of all Nature, was a sufficient Motive to persuade, that it was the God of Nature who acted.  
Fifthly, Our Saviour's Miracles bear that endearing Character, That they were wrought for the good of Mankind. For most of the Works of our Saviour were equally beneficial and miraculous. Even in the Prologue to his own Crucifixion, (his violent Attachment,) when one of his Enemies was wounded, he bestowed a Miracle to effect his cure. The Spirit of the Gospel displayed itself in all that he did, as that of the Law in the Miracles of Moses: As the latter were generally performed, to destroy and consume; so those of Jesus wholly aimed, to preserve and save.  
Lastly, Our Saviour's Miracles were not designed to gain himself Applause, Interest, or Honour: For he refused to be made a King. And tho' he was crowned indeed, yet it was with Thorns alone: tho' he was Exalted, yet it was only upon the Cross, to be made a more conspicuous Instance of Woe and Infamy. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him: He was despised, and we esteemed him not. As these Marks of a true Miracle agree to the Works of our Saviour, so do they to those of the Apostles, and Primitive Believers. For these were only resemblances, of what their Lord had done before; repetitions of his miraculous Acts, and therefore bear the same Marks and Signatures. Phlegon, freed by the Emperor Adrian, mentions the Miracles of St. Peter, according 
Contra Celsum.  to Origen, who lived near Phlegon's time, and had read his Books then commonly extant; and therefore his Testimony must be as valid, as if we had the Originals. Porphyry, as ingenious, 
vid. Cyrill. lib. 10. against Julian.  and as severe an Enemy as ever appeared against our Religion, owns several Miracles to be performed by the first Christians, in defence of their Worship. God therefore bore witness to their Doctrine, by thus wonderfully displaying of himself: their Doctrine therefore is true. For when Miracles are once brought to second a Doctrine, these silence all my scruples; I yield, I am convinced: for God cannot exercise his own Power, or delegate it to any other, to give sanction to a Lie, or honour an Impostor. But these Marks cannot agree with any Miracles; which were wrought in competition with our Saviour's. As for the Cures pretended to be performed by the Emperors, Vespasian and Adrian, as they are related by 
a Cap. 7. in Vespasian.  Suetonius, 
b Histor. l. 4. c. 81.  Tacitus, and 
c 12. p. Edit. Salmasil.  Spartianus; those who reflect what different Artisiees were about that time especially, used to gain an esteem of Divinity to the Emperors, will not much wonder, that such reports should be spread of them, or that Persons should counterfeit and imitate those Diseases described, to give themselves out to be relieved by them: So that they fail against the first and principal Mark of a true Miracle, because it is not evident that they were at all performed. For there seems to be no necessity for the Hypothesis of Grotius, That Vespasian was endued from above with a Power of working Miracles, because he was to be God's Minister of Vengeance against the Jews. The next who appeared after these, but who made a much greater Figure than they, was that famous Impostor Apollonius Tyaneus; but his Transactions want the greatest part of the Notes of a true Miracle. For, first, They are feigned to be done in private, and therefore what reason have we to believe that they were done at all? Secondly, The Person who gives an account of him (Philostratus) lived above an hundred Years after him. 3ly, All his Miracles are only false Transcripts of our Saviour's, with all submission to a late famous Author, 
●p. Parker of the Law of Nature, p. 296.  who has asserted the contrary. Thus because Jesus Christ was the Son of God, Apollonius is fancied to be so too: Because Angels proclaimed our Saviour's Birth, a parallel Miracle is advanced in favour of Apollonius: Because our Saviour was forsaken by his Disciples, Apollonius is deserted by his Scholars: Because our Saviour was accused before Pilate, Apollonius is impeached before Domitian: Because our Saviour conversed with his Disciples after his Resurrection, Apollonius also appears after his Death, to a certain Young man, and gives him an account of a future State, about which he was extremely curious: Because our Saviour ascended into Heaven, there was also a Voice heard, inviting Apollonius into Bliss: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
Philost. lib. 8. cap. 12.  Thus all other workers of Miracles, who ever have made any opposition to our Saviour, cannot produce these Marks of a true and just Miracle; and therefore their Doctrines are not of God, nor are they to be looked upon as Prophets. So that I shall proceed to show▪  
Lastly, That tho' Christianity was at first established by Miracles, yet that there is no reason why we should expect a continued succession of them to the present Times.  
For it is unreasonable to expect that God should work a Miracle, where the End may be accomplished without one. This would be to make Miracles too vulgar and despicable. For a thing often seen, how excellent soever it is, yet ceasing thereby to be new, it ceases also to be admired. For 'tis not the worth or excellence of an Object, which draws the eyes and wonder of Men after it. For can any thing be imagined more august and beautiful, than the Sun in its full light and glory; and yet how many more Spectators and Wonderers does the same Sun find, under the veil of an Eclipse? Miracles continued in the Christian Church, till the Christian Religion, had received its settlement from them, in a great measure; and should God call Persons to convert Infidels, he might perhaps employ this extraordinary Method again. Tho' since Christianity is fully established, 'tis more likely that he might accomplish this grand Design, by the invisible workings of his Grace, upon the Hearts of the Unconverted; by inclining and moving them within, and by some extraordinary Providences without. And this may give us reason to suspect some of St. Xavier's, and the Indian Missionary's 
vid. Xaverii Epist. lib. 3. Epist. 4. etc.  Miracles.  
As to the present Objections of the 
Obj.  Deists, which they propose in this form, That if God had reason to work Miracles in former times, there is also reason why he should form them at present; since the same Spirit of Unbelief prevails and flourishes now, as much as it did when Miracles were wrought: And therefore God is obliged to work Miracles in favour of those who question Religion now, as he did in behalf of them, who lived in the times of Jesus Christ and his Apostles.  
To this it may be replied, That the 
Resp.  Proofs which we have of the ancient Miracles, are convincing to us, as well as to them before whom they were visibly wrought; nay, there is this to be said in favour of the ancient Miracles, That they have undergone the Test of Time, and have been discussed in most Ages, through which they have passed, and yet no flaw is found in them; which cannot be said of modern Miracles, if they could be had: And therefore, on this account, they carry a greater ground of Credibility. But we may remark farther, That those who may justly demand new Miracles, aught to have made good use of those means, which God had before displayed, to manifest his Truth. They ought, without Bias or Passion, to have examined the Revelation of the New Testament. They ought to be adorned with all those Virtues, which they themselves own to be perfective of their Natures, and just Qualifications of a pure and generous Deist. They ought to be truly humble and submissive, to whatsoever bears the resemblance of Divine Revelation; and if they have not these Excellencies, which the Light of Nature, and their own magnified Deism itself, prove so extremely necessary; how can they expect that God should make fresh discoveries to them, by new Miracles? But granting that God should condescend so far, as to work Miracles in their favour, there is the greatest reason to believe, that they would find collusions and pretences, to continue still in their Unbelief; since they have invented ways to evade those of our Saviour, granting that the Matters of Fact were true. And it is very remarkable, That tho' nothing could be more bright and convincing than the Miracles of our Saviour, yet the Jews still found out reasons to break the Force, and avoid the Evidence of them. And are the Sceptics and Deists of our Age less furnished with Sophistry, or better prepared to entertain Religion? Does not the same disposition of Heart, so contrary to the Christian Religion; Do not the same Pride, Prejudices, and Negligence prevail amongst them, which did amongst the Jews? Is God therefore obliged to humour their unreasonable Desires, or run the hazard of having his wondrous Works exposed to their Censures, Criticisms, and captious Inquiries? At this rate, God would be engaged to work a Miracle, as often as any Man should arrive at Impiety high enough to doubt of his Religion, and to receive profane Sentiments into his Breast. At this rate, why ought not Sin▪ and Unbelief to abound, that Grace might much more abound? But farther, Is not the System of Deism so contrived, as quite to preclude the working of a Miracle? For if God is Material, as Mr. Hobbs pretends, and so not distinct 
v. Leviath. de Regno Tenebrarum.  from the World; or if God and Nature are the same, as Spinosa (the great Apostle of Deism) asserts; there can be 
vid. Tractatum Theologico-Politicum, p. 100; & Passim. as also in his Opera Posthuma: and Blunt's Anima Mundi.  no such thing as a Miracle. Tho' an Event may be strange and uncommon, yet it must be natural still; since God and Nature being the same, what is wrought by the former, is also wrought by the latter. Why therefore do they demand such Proofs, which they themselves vouch, cannot be given?  
But to close all: We have not only Moses and the Prophets, but a greater than Moses, the Holy JESUS, and his Apostles; if we hear not them, neither will we be persuaded if the greatest Miracle should be wrought, and even one should rise from the Dead. The Miracles therefore of Religion are wisely adapted to convince us of the truth of it; and we ourselves may be highly serviceable, to persuade Unbelievers of the force of Religion, if we will suffer it to work one great and comprehensive Miracle on us; that is, to reform our Lives, by composing the unruly motions of our Souls, by cooling the irregular warmth of our Affections; and by charming all our Passions into so sedate a Peace, as to be submissive to the Rules of the Christian Religion: which is greater than to speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels. Then shall we bring Honour to our holy Religion, and be duly prepared to expect the last and finishing Miracle of it; that is, that our Corruptible may put on Incorruption, and our Mortal Immortality.   

A DISCOURSE Showing That the Moral Law of Moses, is the same with that of CHRIST; against the Racovian Catechism, and others.  LUK. Chap. X. ver. 25, 26. A certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? How readest thou? 
THE peculiar method by which our Saviour delivered his Doctrine; the tendency of it to a greater measure of Piety, than was commonly taught by the most extraordinary Doctors of those times; the ratifying of his Divine Commission, by a train of unquestionable Miracles, which were not only suited for the conviction, but also at the same time adapted to the use and service of Mankind; and all these graced with the most unblameable Conversation that ever was, had raised the Love of the greatest part of his Auditors; the Envy of some, the Wonder and Curiosity of all. Of this number (whether moved by Envy or Curiosity alone, but most likely principally by the former) a Lawyer, one who was throughly versed in the most refined Niceties of the Jewish Law, came to try what his Judgement was about the Law, or Rule of Life; designing probably to discover, whether he would advance any thing contrary, either to the Law, or the received Traditions, that so he might make him obnoxious to the Penalty of that Law, whose Sanctions he should dishonour by his Innovations. The Enquiry which he proposes to him, is one of the greatest importance, and in whose Resolution the most momentous Interest is concerned: namely, What was necessary to be observed for the attaining that External Life, which Christ promised in a clearer manner, than had been displayed by the Law and the Prophets. The Enquirer, no doubt, was expecting a system of new Precepts, the addition of a Table unknown to Moses; at least that the old ones should be extended to fresh Duties, and new Obligations. And no question but that he was highly surprised, when our Saviour informs him, That the Law of Moses and the Prophets, was a true and adequate standard of Duty, and the living up to it, the sole way to Salvation. That tho' the Law of Ordinances and Ceremonies obliged none but the Jews; yet that the Moral Law, as it was the Reason, so it should be the standing Religion of all Mankind. That what was indispensably required to Salvation before the coming of the Messiah, should▪ as to the Substance of it, be so after▪ nor any other Duty superinduced. For the Law, as arising from the nature and relations of Things and Persons, and as marking out the boundaries of Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, which are always in the main the same, was uncapable of Change, Addition, or new Interpretation; was still to be read and practised, agreeably to its genuine and original Sense. And that the Saviour of the World, during the term of his abode in it, had no other Authority but to walk suitable to its Commands, and to reconcile for the Affronts which had been put upon its Divine Author, by Mankind's disobedience of it.  
A certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying, Master, What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? How readest thou?  
From the Words, taken in relation to the purport of the Lawyer's Question; a preparation to which Answer is made in those our Saviour's other Questions, What is written in the Law? and▪ How readest thou? but fully completed in that Injunction of our Saviour's upon the reading of the Law, in the words after the Text, Do this and live: From the Words thus taken, I conclude, That as our Saviour did not invalidate any Commands of the Law; so on the other hand, That nothing was made a Duty, or absolutely needful to the gaining of Eternal Life, but what was so under the Old Testament, before his coming; otherwise he had been obliged to have informed the Lawyer of th●se new Terms of Salvation, and not to have referred him to the Law, and what was to be read in it. He did not therefore new extend the old Commands, or impose new ones: he introduced no new Religion into the World, nor even material Circumstances of it; the Will of God as it was revealed to Man, being of that kind, that it is as unchangeable as his own glorious Nature; and the way to Heaven as much one, as that ever-blessed and holy GOD, whose enjoyment makes up the Bliss of that happy State. This Conclusion, drawn from the design of the Words, I shall endeavour to prove, by showing,  
First, That it was inconsistent with the Character which our Saviour should bear, to exercise such Legislative Power, as to give New Commands, or new extension to the Old ones.  
Secondly, That the Moral Law in its own nature was incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands, or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties.  
Thirdly, That as it was inconsistent with our Saviour under that Character which he bore, and as there was this incapacity in the Law; so That he never attempted to do what was both thus against the Nature of the Thing, and besides his own Character, to extend the Old Commands, or impose New ones.  
Fourthly, That as our Saviour has not added any thing to the Law, so neither has he taken any thing from it; nor is there any Privilege in the Gospel, which makes void any of the Commands of God before given.  
Lastly, I shall briefly reflect on the Encouragement that there is to observe the divine Commands, because their observance shall be rewarded with Eternal Life, as it is styled by our Saviour.  
The three first of these Positions are quite contrary to the Doctrine taught by Smaloius, or whosoever else was the Author of the Racovian Catechism, and 
Racou. Cat. ●. ●●●. etc.  to the generality of the Vnitarian Divines; nay and even to some of great Name amongst ourselves, who, in some 
B●. tailor's Ductor Dubitant. pag. ●42, etc. Rule 4. Edit. 1696. Forbes, and others.  things, seem too favourable to their Opinions; who affirm, That it was agreeable to our Saviour's Character, to make additions to the Law, and that the Law was qualified to receive 'em; and that he did not only extend the Mosaic Commands to new Duties, but also made the Appendage of several Commands of his own. Such are the Commands of Self-denial, taking up the Cross, or Patience under Misery and Death, the following of Christ; to which Duties, they say, there was no obligation before Christianity. In opposition to whom, I shall endeavour to prove,  
First, That it was inconsistent with that Character which our Saviour should bear, to exercise any such Legislative Power, as to give new Commands, or newextension to the old ones▪  
By the Virtue of his Character, our Saviour does not so much as assume Authority, to displace the Scribes and Pharisees from Moses' Chair, or to weaken that power which they had gained over the People; tho' he well knew how unjust their Pretensions were both to the one, and the other: so far is he from publishing any thing, but what might reasonably be spoken from the Chair of Moses, and suitably to his Sense. The Scribes and Pharisees, says he, sit in Moses' seat; all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and do, that observe and do. 'Tis true, he divests the Law, as was fit, of those artificial▪ Traditions, which, instead of strengthening, did (in his unerring Judgement) make it void. He drew off that Veil from its Face, which their Doctor's Interpretations had put on it; and showed the beauty of its Holiness, in its full lustre. But he does not, that we find, add any thing to it; and as He came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, so neither came he to make any New Law of his own. For the Character which he sustained, was indeed unqualifyed for such an Office; because he did not appear in the Person of a Lawgiver, to give New Laws, but in that of a Mediator, being at once the Priest and the Sacrifice, to atone for our breaches of the old; to free us from the Curse which we had contracted by them, and to be made a Curse for us, that he might redeem us from the Curse of the Law. For this is one of the great differences between Moses and Christ, That the former was to make Laws, and by the force of them, to accuse and condemn the Disobedient; whereas Jesus Christ came only to pardon, absolve and reconcile. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father, (says he to the opposing Jews,) there is one that ●co●soth you, even Moses in whom you trust: The reason is, because God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World, or indeed to execute any other branch of Judicial or Legislative Jurisdiction; but that through him the World might be saved. For the Law, the Rule of Practice and Obedience, was given by Moses; but Grace, the Dispensation of Pardon and Reconcilement to the Benitent; and Truth, the Fulfilling of the Types of the Law, came by Jesus Christ. The appearance of a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, was too inglorious for a divine Lawgiver to assume; and Laws would but receive small force from him, who was despised and rejected of men. So that he was only to live, suffer, and die suitably to the Law, a Pattern of unmatehed Innocence and Virtue: to fulfil it, not to add to it. And indeed it was absolutely unnecessary, that our Saviour should be invested with the Power of adding any thing to the Law: For,  
Secondly, The Moral Law in its own nature was incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands, or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties.  
The Psalmist tells us, The Law of God is perfect; and there is reason that it should be so, if we consider, that the fources of Good and Evil are not chief laid in any positive Injunction of God, with a design to try Man's Obedience, (as 
* Sunt qui nullam praeceptorum causamquaerunt, sed dicunt omnia solam Dei Voluntatem sequi. Maimonides, Mor. Nou. ●. 3. c. 26.  some have fancied) but in the order and dependence of things themselves, which are always in the principal the same. We must therefore conclude, that this Law, which is the Rule of this Good or Evil, must be always the same too; and therefore when it began to be a Law, or a measure of this Good or Evil, it must be as perfect as it is at present; because what is now Good or Evil, was always Good or Evil. Farther, If we survey the compass and latitude of that Holiness, Sanctity, and Perfection which were commanded by the Law; we may find, that it was not an imperfect Holiness which might be dispensed with in some points; but was to be a complete, universal Holiness, inconsistent either with the least Sin, or the want of the least Virtue; was to be like their Sacrifices, not only without spot and blemish, but also perfect in every part: for, Be ye holy as I am holy, says God. The Holiness of the Divine Nature was to be the measure of their Holiness; and since no Law could enjoin any thing which tended to a greater Holiness than this, it follows, That no Law could be superadded to this, nor the Law which exacts such Holiness be extended to any other Duties: the Law was then incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands, or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties.  
Thirdly, Our Saviour did not attempt to do what was both thus against the Nature of the Thing, and besides his own Character, to extend the Old Commands, or impose New ones.  
He did not new extend the Old Commands; he did not reach them out to New Duties, which they did not enforce before. And this may be made out from a short view of the divine Commands, and the measure of their Obligation, as they were given by Moses, and explained by him and the succeeding Prophets. And in the first place, the Duties of the first Table, which regard God, were advanced to the highest pitch before our Saviour's coming; neither did the first Command of having no other Gods before the true one, receive any addition by divine Worship being paid to our Saviour; because he is God of the same Nature with the Father, God over all, God blessed for ever. The object of divine Worship was not multiplied by Worship given to him; because He and the Father are One. The second, third and fourth Commands were observed by the Jews, even to the greatest Superstition; to the thinking that their exactness in their Duties towards God, might atone for the omission of their Duties towards their Neighbour; and that the abundance of their Sacrifices, joined with their Zeal for the Worship, the Name of God, and his Day, might excuse for their want of Mercy, Charity, and Compassion: So that our Saviour rather seems to regulate their mistaken Zeal on this Head; to try to make their Social Virtues consistent with their Religious, than to have added any thing New. The Pharisees indeed had perverted the design of the fifth Commandment, by teaching the lawfulness of defrauding Parents of what was due to them, by a consecrating it to God; yet this is not the intent of Moses, who seems to be more particularly careful for the keeping of this Command, in its utmost e●tent, than for any of the rest, by annexing the promise of long life in the land which the Lord their God should give them. But the great difference lies in the five last Commands of the second Table: and here our Adversary, the Racovian Catechist, says, That the Command against Murder 
Racou. C●l. p. 127.  was enlarged by our Saviour, to the forbidding of all kind of Anger and Revenge. That against Adultery, to the restraining 
p. 129.  all impure Desires. That the Command against 
p. 130.  Theft was extended to the restraining all Avarice. That against false Witness, 
p. 133.  to Detraction. That against Coveting, to the 
Ibid.  curbing every Inclination after what was unlawful, how unlikely soever to break out 
Edit Racou. An. 1609. and dedicated to King Yames I  into act; which Anger, Revenge, impure Desires, Avarice, Detraction, and evil Inclinations, were under no Prohibition from the Laws which Moses and the Prophets received from God. But the contrary to this will appear, if we consider in the first place, that our Saviour has laid no new restraint on Anger and Revenge: for moderate Anger is no more opposed to the mild and gentle Spirit of the Gospel, than it is to the more rough Dispensation of the Law. Be ye angry and sin not, is the Apostle's direction to manage this Passion; which shows that it ought to be governed, not destroyed; and that it is criminal, not in its Nature, but its Excess. But immoderate Anger, springing from a desire of Revenge, is as much against the Morality of the Law, as of the Gospel. Or else why should the Psalmist advise to cease from Anger, and forsake Wrath? or why should Solomon describe Anger as outrageous, and Wrath as cruel? why as only resting in the bosom of Fools, if there was no inconformity in it with the divine Law?  
As to Revenge: Private was as unlawful before the Gospel, as under it. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, was God's Law by Moses; and no more is his Law by Christ But as for Public Revenge, by the Sword of the Magistrate, it is as much allowed by the latter, as by the former; for the Magistrate under the Gospel too is a Ministar of God, a Revenger to execute Wrath on him that does evil.  
Secondly, All Impure Desires are directly against the last Command, Thou shalt not Covet; where all evil Desires, or Covet in general are condemned. But what other measure can there be of the Evilnese of any Desire, but the Illness of the Action, to which it tends? And what other Rule can there be given of the Sinfulness of any Imagination, than that when it has conceiv●d▪ 'twill most certainly bring forth Sin 〈…〉  
Thirdly, Avarice was criminal before the Gospel, as well as under it and therefore cannot derive its Sinfulness from any subsequent Institution of our Saviour's. For the Prophet Amos pronounces a Woe to him that Covets; and David prays that God would incline his heart to his Testimonies, and not to Covetousness; pointing at the irreconcile a bleness of the latter with the former.  
Fourthly, Detraction was made equally Vicious by the Mosaic, as by the Christian Oeconomy. For the Psalmist makes it the finishing stroke in the Character of the Wicked, That he sits and speaks against his Brother, and slanders his own Mother's Son. And lest it might be thought in this Case, that the nearness of the Person against whom the Offence was committed; was the only Reason which made it a Sin; Solomon imposes a general Restraint on all Detraction, against whomsoever practised: Put away far from Thee a froward Mouth, and perverse Lips put far from Thee.  
Lastly, That all Evil Inclinations, not only impure ones, but from whatsoever▪ 'Cause they derived their Malignity, were forbidden by the Law, was before shown. So that from this short View of the Divine Commands, and the Measure of their Obligation, both before and under the Gospel, we may conclude, That our Saviour did not new extend the Old Commands; did not reach them out to fresh Duties, which they did not enforce before▪ did not make any Novel Prohibition (as is imagined) against Anger or Revenge, Impure Desires▪ Avarice, Detraction or Evil Inclinations▪ but ●●f● these Vices in the State in which he found them: proved guilty indeed by the Verdict of Reason and Natural Conscience, but fully condemned by the Sentence of God, pronounced by Moses and his Holy Prophets.  
As our Saviour did not new extend the Old Commands, so neither farther did He impose any New ones o● his own. But here our Catechist affirms, that our Saviour did enjoin several New Commands of his own: as the Command of Denying ourselves, or plucking out our right Eye, and cutting off our right Hand, of taking up the ●●o●●, and of following Christ. But these were Duties before the Gospel, before the Day spring from on high had visited us, in the Substance, tho' not in every Circumstance, Branch and Punctilio of them. For tho' 'tis improper to say, That the following of our Saviour was a Duty before this Saviour appeared on the Earth, ●●o should thus be followed; before He had led a Life of complete Virtue and Innocence, which should be an Example to all his Followers; yet that Resignation to the Will of God, that perfect Charity towards Mankind, that Humility and Perseverance in Fasting and Prayer, which our Adversaries make so peculiarly imitable in our Saviour, were obligatory before they were thus practised and enforced by Him. And this will appear by a brief, yet particular, Examination of each one of them.  
And in the first place; Self-Denial, which is nothing else but that Virtue by which we renounce our own Will, and all its carnal Desires, and conform them to the Will of God; equally obliged under the Old Testament, as under the New. For did not the former as well as the latter, exact a perfect Love of God? A Love exerted with all our Heart▪ with all our Soul, with all our Might. A Love in some proportion worthy that Divine Object to which it was addressed, and that obliged Creature who paid it. But could so pure a Love as this be offered, unless the Offerer renounced his own Will, and all its carnal Desires, and wholly submitted them to the Will of God? since all Love of the World, and whatsoever belongs to the carnal Mind, is Enmity to God: every sinful D●●●●e entertained in an Heart consecrated to the Almighty, making the whole Sacrifice an Abomination in his sight. So that since a perfect Love of God was commanded by the Old Testament, and this could not be given without a complear Self-denial▪ every Religious Votary under that Dispensation, as well as under the Gospel, was obliged to deny himself, to renounce all his carnal Desires, that he might love God with a more in●●am'd Affection, a more passionate Devotion. So that the Command of Self-denial was ●o New Command of our Saviour's, but one of those which were delivered to the Israelites; and upon the Observation of which, the God o● them Fathers promised to Increase them mightily in the Land, which flowed with Milk and Honey.  
Secondly, The taking up the Cross, that is, a Preparedness to endure any Misery for the Name of God, and Constancy in his Holy Religion●▪ ●ay, which is the greatest Trial of an unshaken Courage, a Readiness to suffer even Death itself; which tho' it is the finisher, yet is the most dismal of all Miseries: A Disposition to undergo these, which is meant by taking up the Cross, was a Duty which obliged under the Ritual Law, as well as since its Abrogation. 'Tis true indeed, Christianity at its first rise seems to be a Religion purely made up of Sufferings. The Prospect was wholly dark and melancholy. Its Professors, as well as its Founder, poured out their Souls to Death, and were numbered with Transgressor's▪ shared with him in the Agonies of a violent, and the Shame of a disgraceful Dissolution. Tho' the Duty if taking up the Cross, was thus vigorously put in practice by the first Christians, yet did it not then▪ begin to oblige, but was a Duty in fo●●e under the Law, and strictly kept by I its. Religious Observers: Some of which (as the Apostle to the Hebrew● tells us) were Tortured, not▪ accepting Deliverance; others had Trials of cruel M●●kings▪ and S●●●●●ings, of Bonds and Imprisonments; were Stoned, were Sawn asunder, were Tempted, (or as others read it with perhaps an apt connexion, with the Context▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, were Bur●●) were slain with the Sword.  
Thirdly, The following of Christ that is, a conforming our Lives to the Life of Christ▪ or a resembling him in those Virtues which are properly his; not known, as our Oppos●●● say, before He taught and practised them▪ Such are a Resignation to the Will of God perfect Charity, Humility and Pe●sevenance in Fasting and Prayer. But these were Duties before they were: thus practised o● enforced by our Saviour. For, what greater Obligation could there be to a Resignation to the Will of God, than that Command of the Prophets▪ Trust in the Lord for ever▪ for in the Lord Jehovah ●● everlasting strength? What greater Instance could be given of perfect Charity, than that passionate Expostulation of Moses, upon God's being angry with the Israelites for ●he Molten Calf▪ Y●● n●w (says he) if thou wilt, forgive their Sin: if not; blot me, I pray thes, out of the Book that thou hast written. It seems to rise up to St. Paul's pathetical Wish under the Gospel: I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my Brethren, my Kinsmen according to the Flesh. As for Humility, it was a Duty before the Gospel; for the Prophet Micah commands us to walk Humbly with our God, as well as to do Justly, and love Mercy. Fasting and Prayer, and Perseverance in them, were Duties antecedent to the Gospel▪ for we find that our Saviour does not so much settle any New Commands about them, as remove those Mistakes which were risen concerning them. He supposes that to Pray was a Duty; but his Direction is, Not to pray as the Hypocrites do. He supposes Fasting to be a Duty; but his Injunction is, Not to disfigure the Face, that we may appear to Men to Fast. So that He does not enjoin the Duties, which were commanded before; only corrects the Errors, which are frequent in the Practice of them. So that we may hence conclude, That our Saviour has appointed no. Now Commands of his own; only explained the Old ones of the Law, and pressed Mankind to the practice of them, as of Truths in which, through his Merits, Eternal Life is contained.  
But before I proceed to the next Subject of our Enquiry, I shall make this remark on what has been already offended: That it is far from the Design of this Discourse, to depreciate the Moral Law of Christ. The whole aim of it is, to set it in a just Light, to show that it is a necessary and eternal Law; such a Law, as when God ever imposed any Law on his Credit 〈…〉 res, was the most suitable for him to enact, and for them to obey. Such a Law, as I had almost said, the Rectitude of his own Nature laid him under a necessity of establishing; according to the Order in which He had formed the Reasonable World. And this may obviate several of those ●●o●e Notions, which have been of late started by Ingenious Persons? That 〈…〉 and V●●●, Good and Evil, are laid in the Opinions and Ideas of Men, or settled by some positive Injunction of the Magistrate; and therefore variable with the Clime, Nation, Season or ●●ace, rather 〈…〉 arising from the Nature and Relation of Things.  
And this Perfection of the Moral Law receives farther Advantage from the following 
* See the next Discourse on St. Matthew VI. ver. 10.  Discourse, where is proved, That the Moral Law obliges in Heaven: an Hypothesis which has been little touched on, and which deserves to be recommended to better Hands, to be managed up to its due Worth.  
But to return▪ As our Saviour did no● thus impose more than what was commanded by the Moral Law; so it was very far distant from the Design of the Gospel, to exact less than what was written in the Law. He did not make void any of the Commands of the Law, nor warrant any Action that was not authorised by it in its most strict Circumstances; whatsoever the Antinomians and Libertines say For  
Fourthly, There is no Privilege in the Gospel, which makes void any of the Commands of God before given▪  
Because all Duties (notwithstanding the wild Fancies of the Antinomians) are equally enjoined under the Gospel, as they were under the Law, and every Conscience obliged to a Performance of them. By all Duties, I mean, (as in the former part of the Discourse) things which the Holy Men of God performed in order to the attaining of Eternal Life. Was Faith required under the Law, and was Abraham Justified by that? So must we under the Gospel▪ for without Faith it is impossible to please God. Were good Works required under the Law? So are they under the Gospel too; for our Light must so shine before Men▪ that they 〈…〉 see our good Works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven▪ Were a clean Heart, and pure Hands necessary under the Law, and are they not also under the Gospel? For is there not a Blessing pronounced to the pure in Heart, and are not they the Persons that shall see God? Are not the Impure and Unclean▪ those Accursed Ones, who, without true Repentance● must never see Him▪ never inherit any Blessing with Him? And in order to qualify us for this Beati●i●● Vision, the Apostle is very urg●●● cleanse your Hands ye Sinners, and purify your Hearts ●● Double-minded▪ And so concerning all other Duties and substantial Requisites of the Law▪ which excepting the Ceremonies of i●, are all still in force under the Gospel. And tho' we have no Burnt-Offerings upon our Altars, as the Jews had under the Law▪ ● yet have we not Souls and Bodies, which must be offered up to God as a lively Sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable Service? Instead of Hecatombs, are we no● to render up the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, the Calves of our Lips, not of our Folds? and in lieu of a Propitiatory Oblation, are we not commanded to do good and distribute, for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased? And assuredly we have the greatest Encouragement to this Observance of the Divine Commands; because,  
Fifthly, This Observance shall be rewarded with Eternal Life, as it is styled by our Saviour.  
This Reward surely surpasses all the Hardships of our Duty, in keeping the Commands of God; as will fully appear, if we briefly reflect on what is meant by Eternal Life. This Life shall cause the noblest Change in both the Parts of the Saints. Their Bodies shall be transformed into spiritual and incorruptible Bodies, fashioned like to the glorious Body of the Son of God. Their Souls shall be highly exalted to the utmost Perfection, in all their Parts and Faculties. Their Understandings shall be raised to the utmost Capacity, and that Capacity completely filled: Now we see through a Glass darkly, but then Fate to Face; now we know in part▪ then shall we know even as we are known▪ for when God shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as He is, in all his Robes of Glory. In this Life, the Wills of the Blessed shall be perfected with absolute and indefective Holiness, an exact conformity with the Will of God, and a perfect liberty from the Slavery of Sin. In this Life, their Affections shall be set to an unalterable Regularity, and that Regularity shall receive absolute Satisfaction. And as their inward Happiness shall be thus great, so shall their outward Condition be answerable; freed from all Pain, Misery, Labour and Want; blest with an Impossibility of sinning and offending God any more; full of Joy and Complacency in the Vision of God. This is that Life. Thus shall it be done to the Men whom God delights to honour; to those who have honoured him on Earth, by keeping his Holy Laws, which are of Eternal Obligation. But that which makes up the Perfection of their Happiness, is, That this their Life shall be Eternal, and there shall be no fear nor suspicion that it shall ever end; For whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ, shall never die; whosoever keeps his say, shall never see Death▪   

A DISCOURSE PROVING That the Celestial Law is the same with the Moral, or That the Moral Law is a Rule for the Angels and Saints to act by in Heaven; being a Sequel of the former Discourse.  St. MAT. VI ver. 10. In Earth as it is in Heaven. 
WHich Words, as they are a Part of our Saviour's divine and matchless Prayer, are a Parallel between the Performance of God's Will in Heaven, and the Manner by which it ought to be complied with on Earth. The Will, the doing of which is petitioned for, in the Will of God's Commands, and not (as some imagine) of his Decrees or Providential Dispensations; only as far as that may be discovered to be a part of the Will of his Commands. For the State of the Blessed, who are here recommended as a Pattern to us, is too happy to leave place for afflictive Providences▪ which are the only Try●●● of any one's Compliance with the Will of God's Decrees. The Performers of God's Will in Heaven, who are set forth as a Model to us on Earth, are not the Persons of the Ever-blessed Trinity: for God is not the Doer of that Will, the Doing whereof we are to pray that ours may resemble; because however a Superior may lay his Injunctions upon another, yet he cannot, because he is no other than the Person enjoining, lay any Injunction upon himself▪ As God cannot be looked upon as the Doe● of that Will▪ the Doing whereof we are ●aught to pray that ours may be conform▪ d with; so neither can we look upon the▪ Heavenly Bodies▪ the 〈…〉, the 〈…〉 and the S●●rs▪ as such; which 
* As Lightfoot in his Hor. Hebr. seems to affirm.  〈…〉 (tho' unwarily enough) have fancied to be here intended▪ Because tho' these Heavenly Bodies are subject to Hi● Control, as all other Creatures of God are, yet are they no● in any capacity of paying Obedience to his Commands, inasmuch as they neither have any Knowledge of God's Commands, nor any freedom of Will to comply with them▪ tho' they had. From hence it follows, that we must look out for other Agents, as the Doers of the Divine Will, here spoken of: so that it is indispensably necessary to resolve the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssen in Orat. Dom Serm. 50.  Holy Angels, and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect, to be they. Those who ought to be Actors of God's Will in Earth, and aught to follow the Doing of it in Heaven, are Men, who are the only Being's on Earth capable of a reasonable Compliance with it: those who are strangers to that Will and Kingdom, as well as those who are acquainted with it, and are Parts of it. So that the force of the Words is this, That the Holy Angels, and Blessed Saints are a just Pattern, and an adequate Model for Man to form his Obedience upon; insomuch that the Perfection or Imperfection of Man's Obedience may be duly measured by its approach to, o● distance from that of the Saints and Angels. To clear which A●●●●tion, I shall  
First, Sh●w ●ha● the Obedience of the Blessed is a just Rule for our Obedience, as to the Matter about which it is employed▪ because that their Duties one towards another, and their Religious Worship towards God as to the main and substance of them, are the same with what we are ob●●g▪ d to.  
Secondly, That their Obedience, a● to the Manner, Method and Circumstances of performing them, are the same with what we ought to do. So that the Divine Will p●●●●●h'd in Heaven, is a just Standard for the performing it in Earth. And  
First, That the Obedience of the Blessed is a just Rule for ou● Obedience▪ as to the Matter about which i● is employed; because that th●●● Duties ●n● towards another▪ and their Religious Worship towards God, as to the main and substance of them▪ are the same with what we are obliged to.  
And, First, I shall show that the Blessed in Heaven practise the same Graces, the same Religious Acts of Worship towards God, and of Charity one towards another which we are obliged to on Earth.  
Secondly, That they practise them by a Rule.  
Thirdly, That this Rule is the same with that by which we ought to regulate our Actions.  
First, That the Blessed in Heaven perform the same Religious Acts of Worship towards God, and of Charity one towards another, which we are obliged to on Earth▪  
Tho' some have fancied that the Ever-blessed Saints and Angels employ their happy Eternity only in Admiring the Divine Perfections, and in those Transports which rise from the Contemplation of so glorious a Being as the Deity▪ Yet upon adjust Enquiry, it will appear, that their endless Life is spent in Action, as well as Contemplation; and that Heaven is a State of fulfilling God's Will, in a vigorous Practice of those Graces which he has enjoined▪ as well as in Adoring, his Divine Nature. For the Virtues and Graces which God has commanded here, are not only Means to arrive at Happiness hereafter, but to retain it also. In this present Life they are suited to God's Obedience, but in the next to his Enjoyment: so that no Virtue is necessary to complete a Christian, which is not equally required to perfect a Saint. And tho' the present Necessiries and Imperfections of this Life demand the Exercise of some Actions which are useless in the next; yet even those Actions shall not be so much abolished, as changed into Graces of a nobler Extraction. 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen. in 1 Cor. c. 13. v. 9  They shall be refined and exalted, and applied to Objects of a purer Nature, and shall shar● in the happy Change of that Creature to whom they belong. Man advanced into Heaven shall retain his Virtues, as well as his Nature; but they too shall be made more pure, more spiritual, as well as that. It must be confessed, that some of the 
* v. Gr. d● Valent ●om. 2. disp. 5. q. 7. puncto 4.  Schoolmen are of a different Opinion, particularly as to Faith and Hope. These Virtues they banish from Heaven, and exclude from the Practice of the Blessed. Their Reasons are, First; Because these are imperfect Virtues, and therefore are not suitable to a perfect State; and when that which is perfect is come; then that which is in part shall be done away. Secondly; Because St. Paul, when he draws his Parallel between Faith, Hope and Charity, says that the Last shall abide in a future State; which he does not affirm of the Two former. Thirdly; Because these two Virtues are employed about Objects not yet seen, or obtained: when therefore their Object shall be seen Face to Face, and when with these Eyes, with which we now see through a glass darkly, we shall view God even as he is, in all his Robes of Glory; then surely Hope and Faith must cease; for that which a Man has, why does he yet hope for? And Faith, since it is an Evidence of Things not seen, must certainly be done away, when the Vision of God is immediately communica●●ditous.  
But none of these Reasons are truly Conclusive. Not the First; for if the Imperfection of a Virtue was a sufficient Ground to exclude it out of Heaven, th●n even Charity itself would be exiled thence; for our present Charity is an Imperfect one. The most spotless and pure of Human kind could never practise it up to that Height, to which it obliges. Nor is there more strength in the second Reason; for tho▪ the Apostle asserts, that Charity shall abide in Heaven, yet he does not deny, but Faith and Hope may remain too ● nor from his Silence about them, ought we to conclude the contrary. As to the Third Reason: Our Hope shall not be abolished in Heaven, tho' we enjoy that there, which we hope for here nor our Faith, tho' our Eyes then behold that Glory, which is at present only the Object of our Belief: for our Faith shall be exalted into clear and distinct Vision, and our Hope into full and firm Comprehension▪ Nor shall they lose their own Natures by this exaltation, any more than the first strictures of the Morning are lost in full Day, or the light of a Man's own Reason in that of Revelation. For Faith and Knowledge are the same kinds of Acts in our Understandings. Hope and Love are the same Motions of our Wills; for what we hope for absent, we love present. If therefore we shall know God, and love him in a future State, our Hope and Faith, by our Translation into Heaven, shall not perish, but be completed. For tho' the Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy, those pompous Instruments of Religion, shall be useless in a future State, where the●e shall be but one Tongue, tuned to the Eternal Praises of God, and Vision shall disappoint Revelation; yet every Virtue essential to Religion shall continue, and as it was our Employment in this World, so it shall contribute to make up our Happiness in the next. Our Faith 
* Sanctus Pa●lus dixit c●teris evacuatis, manere Fidem, Spem, Dilectionem. Irenaeus, lib. 4. c. 25.  shall be Eternally exercised in adhering to God, in believing in Him▪ in entertaining the noblest Apprehensions of His Goodness, Justice, Wisdom and Mercy. Our Hope shall be employed in Desiring, Loving and Enjoying Him▪  
But to take a clear View of so nice a Subject, I shall First inquire, whether any Acts of Virtue, which ought to be practised on Earth, are useless and unpractised by the Blessed in Heaven.  
Secondly, I shall show what Virtues, which ought to be practised here on Earth, are practised in Heaven, in their greatest latitude, in all their Acts and most material Circumstances.  
Thirdly, I shall give some Reasons why they a 〈…〉  
First, 〈…〉 sha●ll inquire wh〈…〉 Acts of▪ 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 be practised on Ea●●h, are 〈…〉 practised by the Bl●ssed 〈…〉  
It must be 〈◊〉, that the Act● of some instrumental and a●●●tic● Vi 〈…〉 are unnecessary in H 〈…〉, wh 〈…〉 Reason of thei●▪ Obligation shall 〈◊〉 and the they may 〈…〉 abide in Charity, 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 co 〈…〉 Seminary 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 are▪ here 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 in which 〈…〉 upon Earth; yet the Paral 〈…〉 supposed 〈…〉 eve 〈…〉 and P 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 Virtu●● are only 〈◊〉 to this 〈…〉 and therefore cease with our Relation to it. 〈…〉 Patience must lose its Name in Heaven▪ where there shall be no Misery to be 〈…〉 no Wrong to be endured. Sorrow for Sin shall be no more, w 〈…〉 all Pears shall be wip▪ d away▪ or else changed into those, which rise from an Excess of Joy. That Sagacity, which is only a Defence against the Wisdom of the Serpent, shall be utterly disused, where nothing shall appear, but the Har●●lessness of the Do●e; where all our Desires are squared by the Rule of Reason, and the most refined Purity▪ Temperance, under its present limitation, will have no Place▪ nor Chastity enter there. Where there is no Hungry to give Meat to ●● Stranger to be taken in, no ●aked to be clothed, no Si●k to be ●ifited, none in Priso 〈…〉▪ be relieved. Mer●y▪ and A 〈…〉 will want a Subject▪ and the they bring us into Heaven, they themselves shall not pro 〈…〉 y only 〈…〉 they are 〈…〉 into o●● habitual Piety, and good 〈…〉 inations▪  
〈…〉, Secondly▪ There are Virtues which ought to be practised 〈…〉, which are practised in Heaven▪ in all their most 〈…〉 Circumstances, and so become an exact Rule for our Complying with the Will of God. And these are those, whose Act are agreeable to the State of the Blessed▪ and which bear a just proportion with their glorious Condition; such as are not pressed with any Grievance, nor have any ill or irregular Affection to restrain. Temperance itself is even in some regard practised by the Blessed: fo●●ho in ●hose spotless Regions, it is not employed in conquering any impure Passion▪ yet it is advanced into a Virtue, whose Nature consists in adhering▪ to God▪ ●s the purest and most inco 〈…〉 up● of Being's▪ the most unstained and immaculate of Natures, by such a firm Union, as not to be parted from Him▪ by the Prospect of the greatest sensual Pleasures, if they could possibly be offered to a spiritual Being▪ Their Prudence is exercised in making God their only Choice, and in 〈…〉 triving the fittest Means to please and serve Him in a● happy Eternity. Their Fortitude in such a dependence on Him▪ as not to be shakebag 〈…〉 by the greatest 〈…〉. Their Justice in a due Submission to Him, as the only Lord to whom they own their Homage. And thus all other Virtues, whether they relate to God, to themselves, or to acts of Charity one towards another, are practised in compliance with the Exigencies of that Blissful State▪ which I shall▪  
Thirdly, Prove by some Reasons or Arguments drawn chief from the Holy Scripture. And first, The Blessed possess Habits of Virtue; and secondly, They discover them by outward Acts. The Fathers apply to the Saints all those Places of Scripture, where the Queen is said to stand on God's right hand in Gold of Ophir; where she is said to be all Glorious within, and her Clothing of right Gold. These they understand of the Saints, and the Ornaments with which they are Clothed, they apply to that habitual Virtue with which they are adorned. ●●. Chrysostom understands them not 
* In his Homily on the Text, My Grace is sufficient for thee.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; and Areta● Casar●ensis says, that the Saints were not dressed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But granting that this Sense of Habitual Virtue may be only a flourish of these Fathers, or (as some imagine) that these Places only imply the glorious State of the Church Triumphant in general; yet it may be clearly made out, secondly, That Acts of Virtue are performed by the Blessed: and since these flow from Habits, and are not really distinct from them, we may suppose that they are endued with Habits of Virtue too; since it is the most perfect Act of Virtue, which flows from the most perfect Habit. The Saint's practice the Acts of the first Table; for they are before the Throne of God; and serve him day and night. And secondly, Acts of Charity, which belong to the second Table, in rejoicing in one another's Happiness, in their provoking one another to praise and glorify God▪ The Angels, that higher Order of bless Spirits, perform God's▪ will in the same Manner. For first▪ they act in conformity to the first Table, in Adoring and singing 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Atnanas. q. 30. ad Antiochum.  Praises to God, for all the Angels stand round about the Throne, and fall before the Throne on their Faces, and worship God▪ to the second, by their Acts of Charity towards Men, by their Guardianship over them▪ by ministering to their Salvation, by transporting them from this Seen of Woe and Vanity to Mansions of Bliss and Joy. Thus the Blessed practice the great Duties of Virtue and Religion; act above as we ought to do below, in conformity to the Divine Will.  
But, Secondly, As they practise these Virtues, so they practise them by a Rule.  
Which is very evident: for every Agent, which is; whether it is the supreme Agent, or an intermediate one; whether it moves by▪ pure Instinct▪ or Nature, or whether it acts by Choice or Election, yet has some Rule of its Actions; whether this Rule is planted in its Nature within, or delivered to it from without. God Himself, the supreme Agent, who acts sometimes without Instruments, without the Interposal of Time, without Matter or Principle, yet never acts without Rule. Tho' his Actions are free and uncontrolled, yet are they confined to a Standard, by His Wisdom and Justice, from which even His Power▪ cannot make them swerve. For Justice and Judgement are the Habitation (or as others, the Basis or Foundation) of his Throne. As his own connate, original Wisdom, or the Rectitude of his own Nature, is the Rule and Measure of his own Actions; so is the Transcript of it, if I may so speak, the Rule for all other Agents to move by. He has given the Sea his decree, that the Waters should not pass his Commandments; and if the proud tumultuous Waves move by his Divine Rules, how much more has he settled a Rule for his Angels, that excel in strength; for those his blessed Ministers, who do his Pleasure? The very Title of Angel imports Duty and Obedience to that glorious Power from whence it received its Commission; and Obedience implies some Rule by which it ought to be proportioned. As the Angels, so the Saints, in do Subordination, are in their several Stations ranged under Rules and Laws. For they are all Parts of the great Celestial Polity, and all make up one Church Triumphant; therefore must be subject to the same Heavenly Canons, Laws and Constitutions. For,  
Thirdly, This Rule is the same with that by which we ought to regulate our Actions, therefore they are very fi●ly set out in ●hi● Prayer of our Lords, as a Pattern for our Obedience.  
Now the Rule by which 〈…〉 aught to manage our Practice, is that which is styled the Moral Law, or that Law which first being stamped on Man's Heart in his Innocence, (notwithstanding what Mr. Hobbs, 
* Human understanding, p. 366. & passion.  Mr. Locke, and others have said to the contrary,) was after his Fall retrieved by Moses and the Prophets, and lastly by Christ and his holy Apostles: that Law which prescribes to us, to entertain noble Apprehensions of God, to worship and serve him; which teaches us Moderation towards ourselves, and Justice towards our Neighbours; which is comprehended in that brief Summary, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and thy Neighbour as thyself. This is the Rule of our Actions on Earth; ●and that it is the Rule of the Saints and Angels in Heaven, may be thus proved:  
1st. That it is the Rule of the Saints, or of the Spirits of Just Men made perfect. That Law which recovens in the Saints that Image of God, which was defaced by the Fall, is the Rule of their Actions; but the acting up to the Moral Law, is a Recovery of this Image, and so must be that Rule. For Heaven is properly nothing else but a Recovery of that State (with something more of Perfection) from which Man by Transgression fell. If therefore acting in conformity with the Moral Law, in all its Points, is a Recovery of that State, and that Image; it is probable to suppose, that in Heaven this Law shall be the Rule of the Actions of the Blessed Saints: but an acting up to the Moral Law, in all its Points, is a Retrieval of the Divine Image; for the being made in the Image of God, is nothing else but being made in conformity with the Moral Law, and in a State of Legal Innocence▪ For the Apostle speaking of the Image of God in Man, says, That it was nothing else but Man's being made in Righteousness and true Holiness, which are the two great Points of the Moral Law; the former denoting the Duties of the second Table, and the latter of the first▪ As long therefore as Man lived up to the Moral Law, maintained Rightcousness and true Holiness; so long was ●e to bear the Divine Image: but Man being in Honour had no Understanding, but became like the Beasts that perish. For when he once broke the Law of his Maker, (whatsoever the Nature of his Sin was,) he lost, this Image and Likeness to God, and resembled rather that Cursed Spirit, who had Betrayed him, than that Blessed God who had Created him. And under this resemblance with the Apostate Angels had▪ he continued, had not God (by an Effort of Goodness, which excelled even that by which he made him) offered to retrieve him to his former Image and Likeness. And this was by assisting him with his Grace, to live up to the Moral Law, which he had before broken; to keep the Divine Commands, which would so purify his Nature, as to renew the Divine Image, in some proportion, till he should be received into Heaven, which his Saviour had purchased for him; where the Image of God should be renewed, with a Lustre surpassing that in which Man was at first created. But the reason why the Image of God should shine with a peculiar Splendour in Heaven, seems to be, because Man is there put out of a possibility of sinning any more, and of defacing this Divine Image. And this Heavenly State, being only a renewing of that Image of God, which Man had shortly after his Creation lost; if that Image did (as was before shown) at first consist in Man's living up to the Rules of the Moral Law, of Righteousness and true Holiness; if this Image was forfeited by Transgressing these Laws; if it is in some degree renewed in this Life, by acting up to them; it seems to follow, that it shall be totally renewed, and eternally preserved in Heaven, by an everlasting Obedience of the Saints to these Laws of Morality, of Righteousness and true Holiness. This Law therefore is the Rule for the Saints to act by in Heaven.  
And, Secondly, It is the Rule for the Angels to act by also; which may be shown from an Argument drawn from the Fall and Revolt of the Evil Angels, and accussed Spirits. The Argument is this: If those Spirits which fell from before the Throne of God, fell by their Disobeying that Law of God, which is styled the Moral Law; it follows, that they were obliged to the Observance of this Moral Law. For every criminal Disobedience supposes an antecedent Obligation. But if these accursed Spirits were tied to the keeping of this Law; we must conclude, that all the rest of the Angelic Hierarchy w●● under the same Allegiance. For 〈…〉 lie there was not one Rule of Obedience given to one part of the Celestial Host, and another to the Remainders. So that the Point to be proved is, That the Angels fell by Transgressing the Moral Law. The Transgressing of the Moral Law was the Crime which banished them Heaven. Whether their unpardonable Fault was Ingratitude towards God, as some suppose; or Infidelity, as others; or Pride, and a Reflection on their own Perfections, without considering God as the Author, as most; or Envy, as 
* Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 19  St. Chrysostom and 
† Civit. Dei, lib. 14. c. 11.  St. Austin; or whether it was (as is most likely) a Combination of all these, some ●oul and dismal Sin formed out of the Malignity and Venom of each one of them mixed together; yet was it a Violation of the Moral Law. It was an Injury offered to that Light which God had put within them, as well as within Mankind. They therefore who sinned against the Moral Law, who are Eternally punished for this sinning were tied to the Observance of this Law. If they were obliged to it once, so are the Angels which stand at present; for the blessed Angels are just the same now, which they were once, Tho' now the Objects of God's Eternal Vengeance, yet were they once his chief Ministers; as much his Favourites, as the most spotless, most unstained of all the Angels; tied to no other Rules; no other Terms of Obedience. The Blessed Angels are therefore at present ranged under the Occonomy of the Moral Law, as well as the Cursed were immediately after their Creation, and before their Fall: which may be farther proved, by the Analogy that there is between the Moral Law, and the Celestial. There is the nearest Resemblance and Analogy between the Moral Law, and the Celestial; whether we consider the Moral Law, as it may be reduced to One Precept, to Two, or to Ten. It may be reduced to One, to that of Love; for Love is the fulfilling of the Law. But the most perfect Love is displayed in Heaven, in the most perfect Charity: for tho' Prophecies shall fail, tho' Tongues shall cease, tho' Knowledge shall vanish away; yet Charity never fails, but is completed in Heaven. 'Tis the bond of Perfectness, and in it, as in a Centre, all Duties meet and are accorded. The Moral Law may be farther combined into Two Precepts: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself; for on these Two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. But the Law remains in Heaven under this Character. For first, The Saints and Angels love their Ever-blessed God with the purest Transports of Devotion; they adore him with the most profound Veneration, and they serve him with the most faithful Homage. Secondly, They pursue one another with the most sincere Love and unfeigned Charity; they rejoice at one another's Happiness, and are as unanimous in their Affections towards one another, as they are in their Adoration of God.  
But Lastly, The Moral Law is dilated into Ten Precepts, and under this latitude they are practised in Heaven with the utmost vigour. Eight of these Precepts are Negative, and there is no doubt but that they are observed by the Saints and Angels with the greatest accuracy. Far be it from those pure Spirits, to lift up their Eyes to any God but the True One; to detract from, or to envy one another; to desire what belongs to another, no not fewer Happiness.  
As to the Affirmative Commands, tho' they do not abide literally, yet they remain mysteriously; because they are changed into better. The Fourth, of the Sabbath, or the Lord's Day, shall be altered into a more noble one: for in Heaven there shall be no distinction of Days, but all the Rounds of an happy Eternity shall make up one Day, which shall not know a second; and that wholly appropriated to the Lord, one Everlasting Sabbath, one Eternal Rest. As to the 
* Affirmativorum [sc. Praeceptorum] erit in beatltudine summa observatio, nisi forte illius de Honoratione parentum; quia non erit necessitas impendendi hunc actum. Scot l. 3. Sent. d. 38. q. 1.  Fifth, it shall not be abolished, but perfected: for tho' all Carnal Relations shall cease, as only subservient to the Necessities of this Life; yet shall that Honour, that Reverence, that Obedience, which are by the Fifth Commandment peculiarly attributed to Parents, become due to all the Saints.  
The force of all is, That the Obedience of the Blessed is a just Rule for our Obedience, on account of the Matter of it; because they practise the same Virtues, and practise them by the same Rule, which we are obliged to. God's Will performed in Heaven, is therefore on this account a just Standard for our accomplishing of it on Earth. So is it on account of the Manner of its Performance, by the Blessed Saints and Angels, which was the Second General.  
So that I shall very briefly show, that they perform God's Will after that Manner, as to be just Patterns for us.  
For, First, They perform it with all possible Cheerfulness and Alacrity. The Word is no sooner out of God's Mouth, but it is also executed; and these Ministers of his stay not so long, as even to promise Obedience. There is not among them any demurring to the quality of the Command, or any delay put to the Execution of it, by an over-modest representing their own unfitness for their Task. They question not at all with God about the suitableness thereof, nor yet debate with themselves, whether or no, or with what Vigour they shall apply themselves to the Execution of it.  
Secondly, They perform God's Will uniformly. For an imperfect Obedience is (in strict speaking) no Obedience at all; for he who only obeys so far as himself pleases, only does God's Will as far as it complies with his own. There is this more extensive Proof of the Uniformity of the Angel's Obedience, That the greatest part of it is employed in discharging such Commands, as subject them, in some proportion, to those Creatures which are placed below them. Such are those Commands, which demand their attendance upon us, who are by Creation made somewhat lower than they; yet have made ourselves much more so, by our Sins and Frailties. So that it is easy to be imagined, That had not their Obedience been truly uniform, it would not have carried them to a compliance with such Branches of it, as seem not fully consistent with the Dignity and Grandeur of their Order and Station.  
Thirdly, Their Comportment with the Divine Will is constant and settled, and they always discharge the Will of God, as well as cheerfully and uniformly. That Establishment which is destined to their Piety, by the Election of God, will most certainly produce this Constancy. Besides this, the Scripture displays them as always looking on the Face of God, expecting (as it were) and inviting his Commands, or travelling about his Messages; as continually descending from Heaven about their Earthly Ministrations, or ascending up thither after the Execution of them.  
Fourthly, The Obedience of the Angels is as complete, as it is cheerful, uniform and constant; and reaches to every Branch of their Injunction, as well as to all God's Commands; because as there can be no doubt of their sufficiency for such a Compliance, who are so near to the Divine Influences, and so gloriously adorned by them; so the same Reason and Obedience, which move them to have a respect to all God's Commands, will incite them to have a regard to every the minutest Punctilio, as having the same Impress of the same Divine Will stamped upon it.   

A DISCOURSE Concerning The Qualifications of PRAYER, Or, A Method to Pray in the Spirit. Against the Enthusiasts.  EPHES. Chap. VI ver. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit. 
AS Religion is the Life of the Soul, so is Prayer the vital Spirit of Religion, without which it can neither live, nor move, nor have its Being. This is the chief Branch of the Worship of God, required of all who acknowledge Him to Be, and most reasonable for all who own the World to be governed by His Providence, and themselves to stand in need either of His Grace or His Pardon, or who hope for His Rewards, or fear His Punishments in a future State. And as it is thus a very necessary Duty, so (if exactly practised) is it a difficult one too. For it is a Discoursing with God; and for Man, who is but of yesterday, to correspond with the Almighty, who inhabits Eternity, must employ the utmost force of all his Powers and Faculties. For if the Cherubin and Seraphim, who were always without Spot or Blemish, and in whom was never found any Guile, cover their Faces while they are Praising and Adoring the infinite Perfections of God; what Gesture can be humble enough for Man, who composes himself to Pray to Him laden with his Sins, and whose Iniquities have gone over his Head? If those glorious Spirits are described in Scripture, as shifting from place to place while they are worshipping their Creator, as conquered and overpowered by the Purity of His Nature; with what Confusion must Man appear before Him, who was conceived in Sin, and born in Iniquity? What attention and application of Thought? What modesty of Expression? What submissiveness of Behaviour? What Love and Admiration? What warmth of Affection must be used to make our Sacrifices acceptable to our Maker? And certainly, as it had been the highest Presumption, to have offered to have entertained any Intercourse with the Almighty, had not He Himself encouraged it; so since▪ He has vouchsafed to do it, it is our most excellent Glory, that we can address our Supplications to Him. But still the Obligation abides, to put them up with all the Devotion and Fervency of Spirit, which our Imperfections are capable of; to prepare ourselves with the nicest diligence, that we may  
Pray always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit.  
By Praying always, is not meant a constant or continued Exercise of the Act of Prayer, so as to be always invoking the Name of God. For this would be inconsistent with our other relative Duties: for there are Virtues to be practised, which more immediately regard our Neighbour and ourselves, as well as those which solely respect God; and we are obliged to Justice, Charity and Humanity, as well as to Pray, Praise and Adore. But by Praying always, is to be understood such a Godlike Frame and Temper of Spirit, accompanied with such an Innocence of Life, and relish of Heavenly Things, that we may be ever disposed for this Duty, when fit opportunities shall call for it. By Praying in the Spirit (whatsoever the Enthusiasts pretend) seems to be only employed, that our Prayers ought to have the Qualifications before mentioned; so that they ought to be put up rather for things Spiritual, than Temporal; for God's assistance to enable us to persevere in Goodness, for the removal or averting of Temptations, for all Grace's needful for us▪ and Means for the securing or increasing of them; which are styled the Gifts, or Privileges of the Holy Spirit. And this too falls under the former Head, and is a Qualification necessary to make us Pray aright; since there can be no better Argument that we are well qualified for Prayer, than that we pray for Blessings of the most noble Importance, the most momentous Concern. So that in the Text are couched the Qualifications required to make us successful Petitioners at the Throne of Grace. For the reason why so many Prayers are not heard by Heaven, after those Promises which are annexed to the Performance of this Duty, is, because we are not duly accomplished to be Candidates for its Mercies. And it is easy for us in this Case, to vindicate the Faithfulness of God, and to make an Apology for our Maker, in our Maker's own Words, which are, that We ask and receive not, because we ask amiss. In order therefore to make us fit Supplicants to the God of Glory, and to put our Souls into such a Temper, that they may be constantly and habitually fitted for the Discharge of this Duty, there are several Qualifications needful. I shall therefore consider,  
First, What Qualifications are necessary to prepare us for Prayer, or before we Pray, and in order to it.  
Secondly, What is required in the very time, or act of our Praying, when our Devotions are on the Wing, and our Lips are touched with a Coal from the Altar.  
Thirdly, What must be done after we have Prayed, to make our antecedent Prayers duly effectual.  
Fourthly, What Acts are to be continued and extended through each of these, both before, in, and after our Prayers.  
First therefore, What Qualifications are necessary to prepare us for Prayer, or before we Pray, and in order to it.  
Now the First Qualification necessary to prepare us for Prayer, is the Purity of our 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menander.  Hearts, or the Direction of our Lives by the Commandments of God. For if our Affections are impure, or our Ways unrighteous, it is in vain to make our Applications to God: for we know that God heareth not Sinners, but if any man is a worshipper of God, and doth his Will, him he heareth. For, The Eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous, and his Ears are open to their Prayers alone. For without Godliness, (whatsoever Antinomian Schemes some Persons may draw,) whether it consists in Innocence, or sincere Repentance, our Prayers can never mount up to the presence of God; because the Burden of our Sins will certainly keep them from ascending to that Holy Place, where nothing, but what is completely so, can appear. And it would be Presumption, to hope that our spotless Saviour should present so unacceptable a Sacrifice to his Father, as the Petitions of a Supplicant, who declares himself to be in a State of Hostility against both of them, by an avowed complying with what they most abhor. Nay, it is the most unwarrantable Insolence, for him who still retains a Love for his Sins, and yields to them upon the general returns of Temptation, to approach his Maker in any Holy Office. For it is only an honouring Him with his Lips, while his Heart is far from Him; and seems to be what the Apostle calls a Lying to God, a professing himself his most devoted, most obedient Servant, while his own Conscience, by a reflection on his Actions, will tell him that he is his open and inveterate Enemy. 'Tis a colluding with Him, who tries the Heart and the Reins, and to whose Eyes all things are n●ked and open: as if Omniscience could be imposed on by Pretences, or a Religious Pageantry was tantamount to Solid Virtue and Piety; or saying of, Lord, Lord, would excuse for the not doing the Will of our Father which is in Heaven. So that till we are free from all known and wilful Sin, 'tis to no purpose to make any Supplication to God. He will not hear, will not regard our Prayers. They are like unballowed Fire offered to Him, and are an abomination in his sight; for of him, who is not resolved to part with his Sins, the very Prayers are sinful. That Duty which draws others nigher to God, casts him at a greater distance from him. That Ordinance which sanctifies others, serves only to aggravate his deplorable Stare, and to render his Condition more insufferable. But neither, on the other hand, is he less criminal, if he does not Pray at all: for he is not excused from this Duty, by being unqualifyed for it, but he becomes guilty, not only of those Sins which are the hindrances of his Devotion, but of that Inability to Devotion, which they have caused; and so hard are his Circumstances, that he is likely to suffer, not only for making his Duty impossible by sinning, but even for not discharging it, while it is thus impossible. And this justly enough too, because this Impossibility was wilfully superinduced; an Act of his own choice and free election, and for which he has none to blame besides himself, and his own wild Passion●. So that while his Case continues thus, he is on all accounts unqualifyed for Prayer, and yet is guilty too if he does not Pray, till by hearty Repentance he has freed himself from his Sins. So indispensibly necessary is Purity from Sin, to prepare us for Prayer. But as there are different kinds of Sins, so is there the greatest necessity that we should be innocent of those Sins, which are most opposed to the Spirit of Prayer; for they are not all of them equally destructive of it. But these are Malioe, Ill-will, or Hatred of our Brother. Now as these Vices commence two manner of ways, either by Injuring our Brother, or by receiving an Injury from him; so we may be supposed, in either Case, to be guilty of them, and therefore on all regards unqualifyed for Prayer, if we do not contribute our utmost towards the suppressing of them. As for Instance: If I have injured my Brother, and given him any umbrage to hate me, I am in a great measure guiley of the Sin, and therefore am unqualifyed for Prayer, if I do not endeavour a speedy Reconcilement with him. For if my Gift is before the Altar, and I there remember that my Brother has aught against me, (any just cause of complaining that I have injured him,) I am obliged to leave my Gift before the Altar, and go, and first be reconciled to my Brother. So on the other hand, when we are injured by our Brother, we are guilty of the Malice, and the Sin lies at our door, and so our Prayers become ineffectual, if we express an eager Desire to revenge ourselves; if we show an Aversion and Unwillingness to forgive him; if we neglect his Proposals of Peace and Accommodation. For how can we expect that God should pardon our Sins of the blackest Character, if we will not forgive our Fellow-servant the least Offence? And has not our Blessed Lord taught us, that we cannot Pray to God to forgive us our Trespasses, unless we forgive them that trespass against us? And as often as we use this sacred Prayer of our Saviour's, if we do not forgive those who have offended us from the bottom of our Hearts, we desire that God would not forgive us; that He would remember and revenge ou● Sin● against Him, as we 〈◊〉 to revenge those which our Brother h●● commi●●●● against us. So that in effect we 〈◊〉 the best Prayer that ever was into S●●, and use the Words of ou● Saviour, who spoke as never Man spoke, to our 〈◊〉 Damnation.  
So that Purity from Si●, especially from Malice, Hatred or 〈…〉▪ will is 〈◊〉 First Qualification in ●●●er ●o prepare us for Prayer.  
The Second▪ preparatory▪ Qualification for Prayer, is 〈…〉 the Nature of our 〈…〉 s, and 〈◊〉 the Manne● by which 〈◊〉 has pro 〈…〉 to supply them, that we may 〈…〉 what to pray for, and 〈◊〉 Method ●● take to have our Prayer 〈…〉 do And in taking an Est 〈…〉 Wants, we are to consider 〈…〉 a● Creatures whose chief Interest 〈◊〉 on a future St●●●, wh 〈…〉 Necessity's a●● those which 〈…〉 Soul. As to what concerns this Life, we are to resign that over to ●●● Heavenly Father's good Providence, with a Father, not my Will, but thine be done. But as to spiritual Wants, concerning these we ar● to s●e with the greatest and most unconditionate Importunity▪ and a pious Violence is to be done to Heav●●●●, till we 〈◊〉 our sel●es suocessful in what we p●●y for. But then, Secondly, we must reflect on the Terms on which God has undertaken to assist these Wants, and to resolve to comply with them, are they never so●●●neasy. Thus do we ask for Pardon for Sins▪ we know the terms on which this ●●ust be granted, are, provided we repent and forsake them. We are therefore to resolve to set ourselves abou● this Repentance and Amendment, before we pray for the Pardon. Th●s because 〈◊〉 and Virtue can 〈…〉 compassed without the use of good and wi●e Endeavours, we are to resolve o● these▪ before we petition for those. For the Promises of God▪ tho● infallible in regard to any Grace, ought nevertheless to encourage us to travel with more A●do●● and Fidelity, to merit the Effects of them. And if we ask after this manner, i● shall be given us; for every one who asketh in this wise, receiveth.  
The Third Qualification preparatory to Prayer, is Faith, or a Trust in God, that He will gran 〈…〉 pray▪ for▪ according to our 〈…〉): All things whatsoever y● sh●ll ●●● i● Prayer, believing ●e shall receive. Now we may be said to be qualified 〈◊〉 this Grace, when sensible of our own Want●▪ we commend ourselves to God by Prayer, relying on his Divine▪ Goodness and Power, that he will give ●● what ●● sue for▪ that is▪ (as 〈…〉 hinted) if we are careful of performing the Condition's on which ●e stipulated to give; if we ask for Pardon for Sins, i● reforming them; for vir 〈…〉 Endowments, in industriously seeking after them; for the assistance of God's Spirit, in concurring with it▪ and making good use of it; for Health, or 〈…〉 other prosperous▪ Turns of Providence and outward things, with a due submission to God's Will, joined with the use of lawful Means to attain them. For ●o trust that God will hear us without these, is not Faith, but ●● un warrantable Confidence; not Hope, but Presumption.  
The Fourth Qualification preparatory for Prayer, is a good Intention to use what God shall bless us with, to excellent Ends and Designs; to the Glory of God, and the Advancement of our own, and Brother's Salvation. Otherwise, if we only ask for God's Blessings, to consume them on our Lusts, we petition Heaven to contribute to our Undoing, and beg of the Almighty Materials for our Sins, and for Occasions to provoke Him. God is obliged to deny us out of (Love and Compassion) ●i for● should he hear us, it would be the greatest Indication that he is displeased with us, and that he is about to ruin us by so cruel an Indulgence.  
So that Freedom from Sin, either by Innocence, or sincere Repentance, especially from Malice or Ill-will; a Resolution to perform the Terms, on which Success is promised to our Prayers; a Trust that God will grant us 〈…〉 hus ask for; and a Good Intention to use what God blesses our Prayers with to 〈…〉 ry, are Qualifications antecedent 〈…〉 essary to Prayer, and preparatory ●or●it. Without these, an Address to the Throne of Grace, is to no purpose. The most artful and elaborate Petition can meet with no welcome there; but like the Dove, when she was at first sent out of the Ark, after it has in vain roamed about the Heavens, without finding any admission, must return to it's disappointed owner empty. And if these Qualifications are needful for us before we apply ourselves to God in Prayer, while we are yet at a distance from him; what will be sufficient for us to do in the time and act of Praying, when we are before the very Presence of the Living God, and the pure Eyes of the Eternal are fixed upon us? How dreadful must that place be, which, by God's being more immediately resident in it, is none other but the House of God, and the Gate of Heaven? So that we shall inquire,  
Secondly, What is required in the very time and act of our Praying, while our Devotions are on the Wing, and our Lips are touched with a Coal from the Altar.  
Now the First Qualification necessary for us in the time of Prayer, is Humility; because Prayer is a Talking with God. And this Humility ought to be formed in us, First, by the Consideration of the Majesty of that God, with whom we have to do: That He is the Highest far above all, who has Heaven for his Throne, and the Earth for his Footstool. Who measures she Sea in the palm of His Hands. In whose Hand is the Soul of every living thing, and the Breath of all Mankind. Hell is naked before Him, and Destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the North over the empty place, and hangeth the Earth upon nothing. And, Secondly, this Humility ought to be raised by the sense of our own Vileness. First, as we are Men and the Creatures of God, over whom he has an absolute Power and Authority. As we are nothing but a little breathing Dust and Ashes, which after a short time, but very full of trouble, must return to that out of which we were formed. If the most glorious of his Creatures are so despicable before Him, that He puts no Trust in his Servants, and charges even his Angels with Folly; how shall they come before Him, who dwell in Houses of Clay, whose Foundation is in the Dust? But, Secondly, much more ought we to be humble in our Prayers, as we are Sinners, and worthy (if God should reward us after our Sins) of Eternal Death. We have affronted Infinite Majesty, and therefore deserve Infinite Punishment. And tho' through the Mercies of God, and the Merits of our Blessed Saviour, our severe Repentance may hinder the execution of this Sentence; yet we must remember, that Humility is a part even of Repentance itself. And the consideration that it is the Goodness of God alone, which makes our Misery less, aught to make our Sin greater, and heighten our Humility for having offonded so gracious a Creator, when we pray for Remission for those Offences.  
The Second Qualification in the time of Praying, is a due fixedness: and attention of Mind. For God is an Object so noble, that he demands the utmost Intention of our Thoughts. They ought all to be collected, and fixed on him, directed as the Fa●es of the Cherubin in the Ark wholly towards the Mercy-seat. And in order to this, our Minds ought to be disengaged from whatsoever may occasion their straggling; as from an over-violent Love of the World, its Pleasures and Interests, and to be possessed with whatsoever may raise a just Attention; as with an awful sense of the Dignity and Excellence of this Duty, the inestimable Worth of those Mercies for which we petition, the greatness of our Wants and Necessities. Nor is it enough, (as the 
* v. Aquin. 2da 2dae Qu. 84. ad 13. Non ex necessitate requiritur quod attentio adfit Orationi per totum, etc.  Schoolmen loosely determine in this Matter,) that this Attention is purposed and intended, tho' it is not executed. Nor is it sufficient that we come with a Resolution to be attentive, if we do not vigorously practise it. For is a Resolution a competent Discharge of any other Duty? Or was the Son in the Gospel justified for resolving to go and work in the Vineyard, and yet not doing it? A Resolution to Pray in general, might as well absolve us from not Praying at all, as a Resolution to be attentive, from not being so. No: tho' God will make abatement for the Imperfection of our Attention, resulting from the unavoidable weakness of our Natures, or our being disused to Think or Reflect; yet will not he dispense with the total want of it. And if we are sorry for this Imperfection of our Attention, and endeavour effectively to correct it, God will concur with us, and by drawing nigher to us, and discovering his Perfections with a greater Lustre, will make our Attention not only easy and natural, but even also pleasant and delightful.  
The Third Qualification of Prayer, in the act of Praying, is a good measure of Desire, and fervency of Affection. For a lukewarm▪ Petitioner bespeaks a Denial, and he himself contributes to his own Repulse. He seems unconcerned in making his Suit, and so may expect God to be less concerned to grant it. He seems to slight the Mercy, while he asks it. Can it therefore be imagined, that he should think himself much obliged by it, or be thankful for it? While a fervent Prayer shows how ardently we desire a Mercy, and how thankfully we are like to receive it. And this is a strong Inducement for God to bestow it on us; for He is so tenden and indulgent, that He cannot deny us any thing which is fit for us, when He sees us wrought up to a due valuation of it, and our Hearts earnestly bend upon it. For it is the servant Prayer of the righteous man, which prevaileth much.  
The Fourth Qualification of Prayer, in the act of Praying, is a general Love for Mankind, and a Concern for their Happiness. For the Compass of our Prayers ought to be as large as that of our Charity, and with its open Arms embrace all Mankind: extended even to those, who are perhaps contriving to lay our Honours and Bodies in the dust, while we are mounting their Souls, in our Devotions, up to the Heavens. For we are obliged by our Holy Religion, to bless them which curse us, and to pray for them which despitefully use us. And in pursuit of this universal Charity, our Saviour, (according to 
* De Orat.  St. Cyprian's pious Observation,) has taught us to say, Our, and not My Father, only, which art in Heaven, that mindful of our divine and common Original, and of that glorious dependence on which we stand related to God, we might unite our Prayers for all those, who bear the same illustrious Character of the Sons of God.  
The Fifth Qualification of Prayer is, That our Prayers ought to be short, not abounding with an excess of Words. For Prayer is the Language of the Heart, rather than of the Tongue; of the Affections, more than of the Lips; and great and raised Passions, such as make up the most perfect Devotion, are seldom attended with a copious fluency of Words. For the Soul is too much employed within, to love leisure to exercise itself about Flourish, or tedious Harangue. Of this concise Nature are most of the sacred Hymns and Prayers which are extant, suitable to the Majesty of God: for the most short, is also the most solemn and stately Method of Address, and agreeable to Mankind's Infirmities which hinder us from enlivening with a due Spirit a long and tedious Prayer Of this Nature are our Saviour's own Prayers▪ one of the last of which in his Agony, is so short, and yet so pathetical▪ that it seems (according to the History) to be accompanied with more drop● of Blood than Words.  
The Last Qualification, in the act of Praying, is Perseverance. Persevereance, not as the Messallians, from the Apostle's Command in the Words, of Praying always thought, by an unbroken continuation of the acts of Prayer; but by a constant Preparation for, and Exercise of them, as opportunities, and freedom from other Duties demand. For this is the Perfection, not only of Prayer, but of all Virtues. Without this they are only faint efforts, and attempts to please God, which shall never be accepted of, nor rewarded by Him. But it has a most especial force in Prayer ● for if the Unjust Judge in the Gospel, who neither feared God, nor regarded Man, yet granted the Widow's Petition, moved purely by her resolute Perseverance; how much more shall God, who is the Just Judge of all Mankind, and whose Goodness inclines Him to be kind and beneficent to His Creatures, grant our Requests, if we cry day and night to Him? I tell you, (as the Gospel has it) He will grant them speedily.  
Humility therefore, Attention, Fervour, Charity, Brevity and Perseverance, are Qualifications necessary in the time of Prayer. But there are,  
Thirdly, Qualifications necessary after we have prayed, to make our antecedent Prayers duly effectual.  
As First, an observation of God's returns to our Prayers; an eyeing the tendency of his Providence, whether he does grant our Petitions or not; especially as to spititual Concerns. And there is an infallible Mar●● to measure our Success by: for we may assuredly conclude, That God has heard our Prayers, as to Pardon of Sins, (for Instance,) if we find our solves free from voluntary Transgressions. But if after our Prayers we are as much Sinners as over, this is a sign that God has not heard our Petitions, and that our Sins are not pardoned; and the fault must be our own, because we did not truly repent of them, before we prayed for their Remission. So that we must renew our Repentance, as well as our Prayers; and: if the former is sincere and the latter duly qualified, we shall certainly be successful. Thus we may know that God has granted our Prayers as to spiritual Graces, if we find ourselves improved in Virtue after our Prayers: otherwise the fault is our own; we have not endeavoured vigorously after Grace. So that we must reinforce ou● Endeavours, as well as our Prayers; and if there is no deficiency on our part, it is certain there will be none on God's: for He is always more ready to Give, than we to Pray. He is prepared to prevent with his Blessings even our first Wishes for them, and to reward our pious Desires, even before they have time to clothe themselves with Words.  
The Second Qualification after Prayer, is a returning God Thanks for His Grants and Denials: that is, His Denials of temporal Advantages. For this is often as great a Proof of His Fatherly Goodness and Concern for us, as any of His most Merciful Indulgences. 'Tis a mysterious Method of Kindness, which obliges us against our Wills, and makes us happy in contradiction to our most passionate Desires; depriving us of what would prove to us only a more agreeable Ruin, a more pleasant and beautiful Destruction. And how severe soever Disappointments may appear to us at first, yet the event and close of Things will show, that we had good reason to be thankful to God, for His crossing us in our Wishes, and for visibly frustrating us in the success of our Prayers; and we shall at last find the satisfaction of consigning our choice over to Omniscience, and that God, (to use our saviour's familiar, but expressive Words with some alteration,) when we prayed for a 〈…〉▪ has given us a Fish, and when we petitioned for Stone, has blest us with Bread.  
The Third Qualification after Prayer, is a due Value of our great Privilege, That we may pray to God. For hole great is the Prerogative of a Christian, that he ● may▪ discourse and converse, and prevail with God? That there i● no difficulty of Access, no doubt of Acceptation▪ That there is no hindrance of his Intercourse with the Almighty, but his own ●ins, which are no lungs Impediments but as far as they are persisted in, and not broken off by true Repentance.  
The Fourth Qualification is a learning by God's Denials, to make fit Addresses for the future. For if my Prayers are not granted, there must be some fault in me. Till that is amended, Heaven will be 〈…〉 to my Petitions, and neglect my most solomn Addresses Either I do not pray for what I ought, or not after that manner which I ought therefore, in the Language of the Psalmist, my Words are only like the Chaff before the Wind, and the Angel of the Lord will certainly scatter them.  
The Fifth Qualification is almsgiving. For it is sweat that we should express our Gratitude for God's Mercies, by our Bounty to our Brethren, which ask of us, and need our relief. This is all the Return we can make to Providence, for the innumerable Bounties which it shatters upon us with open hands. This is a kind of relieving our Saviour in his suffering Members; and he tells us, that he will look on it, as if done to himself. And there can be no greater▪ Inducement for God to bestow temporal good things on us, than if we consecrate a part of them to him by our Alms. We render him, if I may so speak, our Debtor, and (pardon the boldness of the Expression) we may in some measure, according to the Promises made to this Duty, appeal to his Justice, as well as to his Goodness, to make suitable Requitals; which he will most certainly perform, tho' not in Kind, yet in what will be much more for our Advantage; and will consult, tho' not our present Satisfaction, yet our lasting Benefit. An Observation therefore of God's returns to our Prayers▪ Thanksgiving for his Grants and Denials, a due Value of the Privilege of Prayer, a Correcting our Prayers for the future by our past disappointments, and lastly Almsgiving, are necessary a●ter we have prayed, to make our antecedent Prayers duly effectual. So that I shall proceed to inquire into,  
Lastly, What Acts are to be continued and extended through each of these, both before, in, and after our Prayers.  
And, First, We ought to be possessed with a great sense of our imperfections, in the discharge of this weighty Du●y▪ This must nun through all the parts of it; but aught more particularly to be expressed both before, and after our Devotions. At both these times we ought solemnly to entreat God's Pardon▪ son the Errors that we have, or may commit; for the straggling of our Thoughts▪ which the best of Men can more easily bewail, than prevent; since the most watchful and steady Mind cannot hinder all the disorders of a roving Fancy, in the midst of our most serious Devotions; for our over-earnest begging of Blessings of a trivial Nature, or for our want of any of the former Qualifications, in that measure which is expedient.  
The next Qualification is a very comprehensive one, and which takes in all the rest, yet withal a very necessary one too; and that is universal Holiness and Sanctity. For our Praying in a short time will make us loave off our Sins, or our Sins our Prayers. So that this will be an Effect, as well as a Qualification of our Devotion. For tho' the former Qualifications, may be sufficient for a new Convert, and for one who has but lately had the sense and conviction of Religion upon his Mind; yet from a Proficient in this Duty, nothing will be accepted less than a general, a complete and uniform Obedience to all God's Commands. For tho' the Prayers of one who gins to leave his Sins, and yet sometimes upon the prevalency of Custom, or the surprise of a violent Temptation, relapses into 'em, may be heard upon his Repentance; yet this state of Sinning and Repenting must not continue longin A● general Piety must be▪ supper induced, o● else i● is a sign that his Prayers have not ●ad their due efficacy: if they do not conquer all Sin, at least so that it may no● reign in us: if they do 〈◊〉 give us some sort of foretaste of the Joys of that Place, to which they are directed, and make 〈…〉 So●is Sympathise and conform themselves with the Virtue and Innocence of its blessed Inhabitants.  
So that the sum of ●ll is: ● That Purity, a Consideration of ●ur Wants▪ a Trust in God, a good Intention, are necestsary to prepare us for Prayer●▪ Humility, Attention, Fervour, Charity, Brevity and Perseverance▪ in the time of▪ Praying. An Observation of God's Providence, ● Value of our Privilege to Pray, a Reforming of our Prayers by our Disappointments, and Almsgiving, are required after we have prayed. And a Sen●e of our Imperfections, and an Universal Piety, are to run through all the Periods of this Duty.  
A Prayer which is put up to Heaven after this Method, is surely more suitable for a reasonable Creature to present before his Almighty Maker, than what is uttebed by, or rather impressed upon a Soul, cast into a purely passive State or Posture; into a State of Expectations of the Divine Emanations to enlighten the Mind, as that Duty has been modelled by some late foreign 
Mollnos. Madame de Bourignon, etc.  Enthusiasts. Which is but what had been before advanced by Enthusiasts of our own Nation: for thus an 
† James Naylor's Love to the Lost, p. 13.  Author of great Character, amongst the most irregular Sect which ever opposed this Church, allows of no use of our own Intellectual Powers, of our Passions, Imaginations, or Wills, in the exercise of this Duty: Because (says he) God will be served with his own alone, and not with any thing in Man, which is come in since the Fall; so the Imaginations, Think and Conceivings are shut out. And these Qualifications before hinted at, seem much more intelligible, more adapted to the Oeconomy of our Devotion, than 
* ● Horris' Reste●●ions on the Conduct of Humane Life, etc. Sect. 11.  The taking hold of essential Truth nakedly, as it is in itself; than the applying the Mind to the intelligible World, the World of Truth; than the addressing to the Ideal World; than 
† Entretiens Christi●nnes, & de la Recherche, de la Verite de P. Malebranche, l. 3. ch. 6.  the union with God, the seeing of all things in God: Terms in some measure invented by two refined and curious Thinkers, the one of our own, the other of a Neighbouring Kingdom. And here I cannot but reflect on a dangerous Error of a Mystic▪ 
* Monsieur Francis de Salignac Fenelon Archeveque de Cambray Maxims de Saints, ou, sur la vie interieure.  Writer of more, who seems to exclude Virtue from the Sta●e of transformed Souls, (as he styles them) and those wrapped up in the highest transports of Devotion. But that Virtue is not only a preparation for Devotion, but also a completing of it, has been shown in this Discourse; and not only so, but that it is practised by the Blessed, by whom Devotion is exercised in its most exalted flights, was made out (tho' far below the Majesty of the Subject,) in the preceding Essay.  
But to close all: Furnished with the former Qualifications, we may be justly said to Pray always, and in the Spirit. Yet such Prayers as were before described, will never fail▪ of Success, till God shall cease from being True, and our Almighty's Strength from being Merciful. Such Prayers as these will be acceptable Sacrifices to the Heavenly Altar, will procure Pardon for Sin, and Increase of Grace, and ●t length Eternal Life, and will at last expire into Everlasting Thanksgiving. When we shall need to Pray no more, but this Duty (as some fancy of Faith and Hope) shall cease, and we shall have nothing to do for ever, but to give Thanks, Adore and Praise.   

AN ESSAY UPON MELCHIZEDEC: OR, A Parallel between the Priesthood of CHRIST and Melchizedec.  
THERE are scarcely any purely Historical Passages of Scripture, which carry the appearance of greater Obscurity, or have had more various Senses put upon them, than those which regard Melchizedec. Tho' who this Person was, has been a Controverted Point, and perhaps ever will be so, (for Controversies do not end with the first Authors of them;) yet that Christ is paralleled with him, in his Priestly Office, is as evident as the other part is dark and intricate. I shall therefore endeavour to give a view, both of the obscure and bright side of this Subject, by making some transient Remarks, both on the Person and the Parallel; by  
First, Enquiring who Melchizedec is.  
Secondly, Into the Nature of his Priesthood.  
Thirdly, I shall parallel Christ with him in this Priesthood.  
First, I shall inquire who Melchizedec is.  
No mention is made of this holy Person, save in the 14th Chapter of Genesis, and in the 110th Psalm, except what the Apostle to the Hebrews says of him, which is wholly taken from thence. Thus little being spoken of him, has been the foundation of so many Opinions. But all that has been rationally delivered about him, may be reduced to Five Heads. The first Notion is that of the Jews, who make Melchizedec the same with the Patriarch Sem: for they paying the greatest Honour to Abraham, of whom they said that he was their Father, resented it ill, that he should give Tithe to a Priest of an higher Order. To wipe off which blemish, they first declare Melchizedec to be an Angel, and in aftertimes the Patriarch Sem, and that he blessed Abraham as his great Grandson; thus thinking to secure the repute of their Nation.  
But that Melchizedec was not the Patriarch Sem, may be made plain. First, Because the Apostle says that his Descent was not counted, being without Descent; but the Pedigree: of Sem may be traced down from Adam, and stands upon eternal Record. Secondly, Melchizedec is said to be without Father and without Mother; but the Scripture gives us a large History of Noah the Father of Sem. Thirdly, The Order of Melchizedec was different from the Levitical Order; but the Priesthood of Sem must be the same with that of Levi, because Levi was descended in a● right Line from Sem. More than this, Fourthly, the Apostle prefers the Order of Melchizedec to the Order of Aaron, or the Levitical Order; because Levi paid tithes to him in Abraham. Which Argument would be null, if Melchizedec and Sem were the same; for than would Levi, who was equally descended from Sem and Abraham, pay Tithes in the latter, and receive them in the former▪ so no Preference could be hence concluded, which I take to be a strong Argument against this Opinion.  
The second Opinion is that of 
* Cun. de Repub. Hebraeor. lib. ●. c. 3.  Cun●us, who makes Melchizedec the same with Christ; or that it was our Saviour assuming a human Shape, who appeared to Abraham. But this is highly improbable: for how can he be said to be without Father and without Mother, whose Father is the Almighty, whose Mother the Blessed above all Women, the holy and immaculate Virgin? This was far below the sublime and accurate style of the Apostle's Rhetoric, Farther, If Melchizedec was Christ, it would follow that Christ was Priest when he appeared to Abraham, long before the Law. But the Apostle says, that he was made one after the Law, with an Oath. Nor can there be any rational Account given of our Saviour's appearing in a human Body, before his Incarnation. For the 
† v. the first Discourse.  Apostle St. Paul alluding to those places where God is said to appear, makes mention only of Angels appearing, or that some had hospitably entertained them unawares. But if these Angels had been Jesus Christ, or God Almighty, St. Paul might have run his Argument higher, or have asserted in the honour of Hospitality, that some had not only entertained Angels, but God Almighty Himself unawares. So that Melchizedec could not be Jesus Christ.  
The third Opinion is, That this Melchizedec was a Man of mortal Extraction, and King of Salem at that time when Abraham came from his Victory. And this is honoured with no lesser Names, than those of Irenaus, Hippolytus, the two Eusebii, Caesariensis, and Emissenus, Apollinarius, Eustathius, B● of Antioch, as they are quoted by 
* Hieronym. Epist. ad Evagrium. Tom. ●●. 58. Edit. Basil. 1537.  St. Jerom, who all conspire in saying, that Melchizedec was an Inhabitant of Canaan, and King of Jerusalem, which was first called Salem, than Jebus, lastly Jerusalem. But notwithstanding these venerable Authors, (with whom yet St. Jerom himself does not agree,) there is reason to believe that Melchizedec was no● King of Salem in Canaan; for the place where Abraham gained this celebrated Victory, was not in Can●an, as appears from the whole Progress of his Motions, compared with the exact Tables of Adricomius, as has been demonstrated by one of the greatest 
* Dr. Wallis in his Disc▪ concerning Melchizedec.  Persons in our Nation, as famous for his incomparable Treatises in Divinity, as for those in ancient and modern Mathematics. Farther, If Melchizedec was King of Salem in Canaan, how could Abraham be unknown to him, till this Expedition of his? Or how came it that a Correspondence was not settled between them before this, being both Worshippers and Priests of the True God, and living among Idolatrous Nations, at a small distance from each other? Nor, Fourthly, was Melchizedec the Holy Ghost, assuming an human Shape then, as he did afterwards those of a Dove, and fiery Tongues, as 
† v. Hieron. ●● supra.  some have extravagantly thought; since most of those Arguments which prove that he was not the Second Person in the Trinity, make it as evident that he was not the Third. But, Fifthly, it seems most probable, that he was some Person of extraordinary Piety in these, or the Neighbouring Countries, where Abraham had been pursuing his Conquest; who had preserved true Notions of God and Morality, and therefore was irradiated by Divine Emanations from above. To strengthen which, I shall produce these two following Remarks▪  
First, That Piety and Goodness were never so much banish● out of the World, but there have flourished some Assertors and rigid Maintainers of them. The Light of Nature has not been so far extinguished, but it has had the power to conduct some by its brightness, and to teach them to act up to the highest Rules of Justice, Candor and Humanity. Of this kind, among profane Nations, were Toxaris, Anacharsis, Solon, Socrates, Aristides, and others; and l among the Canaanites, Abraham and Lot; and among other Idolatrous Nations, Job and our King of S●lem.  
The second Remark to establish my Assertion, is, That the Royalty and Priesthood were generally combined in most Nations, and the Crown and Mitre (if I may so call it) both adorned the same Head▪ Thus the Heroes in Homer, Apollonius in his Argonauts, and Virgil, are brought in Sacrifiding▪ And 
1 Hel. Rerum Aethiopic. li●. ul●.  Heliodorus makes the Aethiopian Kings, 
2 Plutarc. Placit Philosophorum.  Plutarch the Egyptian, 
3 Herod. in Clio.  Herodotus the Spartan, Libya the Roman▪ to be Priests 100, and wear the Pontical Dignity, as well as the Regal. The Emperors for four hundred Years after Julius Caesar, had the Title of Pontifex Maximus, even under Christianity. And the 6th General Council, when it drove the Laics from the Altar▪ resenved a place for the Emperor. And as to Melchizedec's being without Father and without Mother, it may be so understood▪ That he had no Father and Mother, which stood in the Records, as the Patriarches had; or perhaps, That his Father and Mother were not of the Royal Race, so that he was the first King of his Family; as Jeconias is said to be without Children, by the Prophet Jeremiah, because he had none who succeeded him in his Throne, tho' he had a Son Salathiel, whether a natural Son, or adopted; tho' there are some Assertors of the first, as well as of the second. And indeed not withstanding what▪ the matchless 
* Grot. in v. Luc. 23. 3 p. 6●1.  Grotius has said on the other side, it seems probable that Salathiel was his Son by Nature. Because first, this Curse of being Childless, might only be Conditional, in case that he did not repent. But there was a Tradition among the Jews, which 
* v. R. D. Kimchi R●d▪ in unc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Rabbi Kimchi mentions, that Jeconiah repent in Prison. Secondly, The Hebrew word Childless, is rendered by Aquild, not prospering or increasing; by the seventy-two Interpreters, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Symmachus, empty. Thirdly, The very next words of the Prophet Jeremy seem 
Jer. 22. 31.  to imply, that he had Seed: for no man of his seed shall prosper.  
But to return: From what has been discoursed we may gather, that it was common from the first Ages of the World, that the same Person should be both King and Priest. I shall proceed to inquire,  
Secondly, Into the Nature of Melchizedec's Priesthood.  
And to understand this, we must examine the Nature of that Law which he presided over by his Sacerdotal Function, and according to which he was a Priest. Now this Law was the Law of Nature, improved by some Traditions, which might be handed down from Adam to Noah, and from him to the Age of Abraham. For this is all the Law that was given to Adam in Paradise, unless we make the Law of restraining the eating of the forbidden Fruit a positive Law. If he had observed this, he should have still maintained his Innocence, and thereby his Happiness. Happy State of Innocence! which had not much more to distinguish it from Heaven itself, but only that it wanted Continuance. At fuit ingens gloria! for Adam forseiting his Integrity, had his clear Notions of this pure Law in a great measure defaced. What he had left, or what was farther revealed to him, was in some proportion brought down to the times of Melchizedec, and according to this Law was he a Priest. By this Law he, and those under his Jurisdiction, were instructed to worship one God, to swear by his holy Name, to give him due Honour, to make Vows by him, to gather religious Assemblies, to raise Altars, to build Temples, to do to others as they would desire others should do to them. By this Rule lived Enoch, and so pleased God, that he was translated into Heaven. By this acted Abraham, after he had forsaken his Idolatry, after he had burnt his Father's Gods, and made them a pleasing Sacrifice to the True One. And we cannot but receive high Ideas of this august Priest, to whom the Son of God himself was made like. No question but the innocence of his Life, and the fervour of his Devotion, far outvied the best and most pious of his Age. There is indeed a seeming difficulty in those Expressions, which affirm that he had neither beginning of days, nor end of life, and that he abideth a Priest continually: but if by a Metaschematism natural enough, we translate what is here said of the Person or Priest, to the Priesthood or Law themselves, all will appear very easy. For these Rules of Natural Religion are eternal; had no beginning of Sanction, nor end of Obligation; but being the everlasting dictates of Right Reason, are immortal and never to be abrogated, as the Jewish Law and Priesthood were; but shall remain even in Heaven itself, as was shown in a former Discourse. This Law is ingeniously styled by Philo, the Law stamped on the immortal Mind of God. And some of the Schoolmen are so extravagant as to assert, that it was before the Will of God itself, before Eternity. Such was Melchizedec, such the Nature of his Priesthood. But,  
Thirdly, Christ was a Priest after his Order.  
For Christ, as a divine Restorer of the eternal Law, recovered it to its original Splendour, after it had been a long time obscured by Prejudice and Vice. He formed a Religion, which was nothing else but a digest of the Rules of Right Reason. For what is the Gospel, considered without the Commands of Believing, and of the Sacraments, but the Law of Nature? Every thing practical is enjoined by that Law. Those hard and severe Precepts, of returning good for evil, of dying for what we think to be our Duty, have not only been commended, but also practised by noble Heathens, who only moved by the Law of Nature. What is our Saviour's excellent Sermon on the Mount, but a Scheme of natural Principles? The whole design of it is, to recover Right Reason from those foolish Traditions, by which the Pharisees had darkened it. The Virtues which are there enjoined, Meekness, Humility, Justice, Purity of Spirit, Charity, so extensive as even to love our Enemies, are all branches of the natural Law. Moses and the Prophets of old among the Jews, and the Philosophers among the Heathens, were propagators of this Law: but what was taught by the former, was not so clear, tho' as perfect, as was before shown; what by the latter, neither was so clear nor perfect, as what was performed by our Saviour. The Philosophers (if I may so speak) designed the first Sketches and Out-lines; but he drew the Lineaments and true Symmetry of this majestical Piece. To evince that our Saviour's aim was to retrieve the Law of Nature, you may observe, that when Christ endeavoured to correct the Mistakes of the Jews about Divorce, he refers them to the original Institution of Marriage, by the Law of Nature; which Rule may also hold in the case of Polygamy, though dispensed with in regard to the Patriarches. So that we may conclude, that our Saviour's intention, as he was a Melchizedecian Priest, was to reduce the Law of Nature to its original purity, that it might nearly resemble what was enjoined Adam in his Innocence. The whole World being divided into Jew and Gentile, tho' very unequally, both of them had miserably tortured the Law of Nature; so that our Saviour's charitable Hand was necessary to assert it to its native Liberty. For the Ritual Law of Moses was an heavy Yoke, and there could be no true Liberty, but under the Law of Nature, (which is also the Law of God,) which only restrains us from what is truly ill, or really hurtful. This therefore is a common foundation of the Priesthood of Christ, and that of Melchizedec, That they both of them eminently adorned the Law of Nature, tho' the former did it with a distinguishing Glory. Christ indeed is a Priest for ever, after a way which cannot be applied to Melchizedec; that is, by entering into Heaven, and offering himself a Sacrifice devoted for our Sins; and by the Virtue of this Sacrifice, presenting himself before God as our high Priest, he still pleads in our behalf. Melchizedec did Sacrifice, and that not only with Bread and Wine, as 
* Mariana on Gen 14. and Maldonatu●.  some suppose, but also with bloody Victims, suitable to the practice of that Age. But Christ only made one Sacrifice, that of himself, by which he put a period to all Sacrifices, except the offering up our Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is our reasonable service; alluding perhaps to what the Jews said of Adam, that He was before sin all over a Sacrifice. To this Parallel between the two Priesthoods it ought to be referred, That the Christians, like Melchizedec who was both King and Priest, are styled a Royal Priesthood. And the Author to the Revelations tells us, that Christ has made us Kings and Priests, an holy Priesthood to offer a spiritual Sacrifice. Several of the Fathers deny that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and others of the Patriarches, ever kept any Sabbath: and there is an ancient Maxim of the Jews, that All the days of the Messiah shall be one Sabbath, to show the Piety of that happy Age, that should consecrate every Day to the Almighty.  
But to finish this Comparison: Melchizedec was Priest of the most high God, for the Name Jehovah was not yet known. He banished all superstitious Worship from his Kingdom, and instituted a pure Religion, agreeable to the Laws of Nature. The Religion of Jesus Christ in like manner triumphed over Idolatry, and wheresoever it appeared, gave a total stroke to Polytheism. So groundless was that Calumny of the Jews, which makes Jesus descended not from Abraham, the true worshipper of God; but from the idolatrous Thera, whose Practice they make him to transcribe. Thus just is the Parallel between the two Priesthoods.   

AN ESSAY Upon the General Resurrection.  
TO make my Thoughts more regular on this noble, tho' common Subject, I shall offer to prove,  
First, That there shall be a Resurrection of the Body.  
Secondly, That it shall be of the Body only.  
Thirdly, That it shall be of the same Body from which the Soul was separated.  
First then, There shall be a Resurrection of the Body. Where I shall prove,  
First, That such a Resurrection has not any thing in it, which carries the appearance of an Impossibility.  
Secondly, That it is in itself very probable and suitable to the Rules of true Reason. And  
Thirdly, That upon the prospects of the divine Promises and Predictions, it is certain and beyond all question firm.  
First, The Resurrection of the Body has not any thing in it, which carries the appearance of an Impossibility. For if the Resurrection is impossible, it is because that either the Power which is to perform this miraculous Act, has not force enough to accomplish it; or because the Subject about which it is employed, is not capable to be raised after this wonderful manner. But neither of these are true: for tho' neither Man nor Angel could raise a dead Body, yet it is within the compass of the Divine Power. For,  
First, The Deity knows where the Particles and Atoms of the Bodies of the Dead are reposed, in what secret Cells they are lodged, and what Changes they have run through since their separation from the Soul.  
Secondly, He can assemble these scattered Parts, and unite them in their former harmony and beauty.  
Thirdly, He can command the Soul back to its ancient abode, call it from Bliss or Woe, to resume its former Partner; so that these dry Bones shall live, and become the same Man they were before their Dissolution.  
And, First, the Deity knows where the Particles and Atoms of the Bodies of the Dead are reposed, in what secret Cells they are lodged, and what Changes they have run through since their separation from the Soul.  
For God understands all the invisible Passages of Nature, and every small part of a Body, and can trace it through all its turns and shapes, whatsoever outward Frame it may assume. He knows where the remains of the first righteous Sacrificer, the first Example of Mortality, (which all Mortals must transcribe,) are disposed of, as well as those of the last Man, who shall be obnoxious to the Curse, and shall be the last of those who shall return to Dust. For whatsoever visible Figure our mortal Body may be invested with, to Him it is undisguised and confesses itself. The sinest Glasses can only help us to the sight of the Surface, and external Contexture of some Bodies, while several others may be of so nice and accurate a Frame, as no more to be discovered by them, than by the Eye without their assistance. But nothing can be so minute, as to lie hid from the Understanding of God, no more than any thing can be so glorious as to surpass it. As in his Book all our Members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them; so every Atom which belongs to us is known to Him who made us. Tho' (in the Prophet's Language) we go down to the bottoms of the Mountains, and the Earth with her Bars is about us; or tho' we are cast into the deep, in the midst of the Seas, and the Floods compass us about, and his Billows and Waves pass over us; even this Darkness hides us not from Him, but every Particle lies open to his view. As God knows where the Atoms of the Bodies of the Dead are reposed, so  
Secondly, He can assemble these scattered Parts, and unite them in their former harmony and beauty.  
He who could make Man out of the Dust, and employed such a Profusion of Wisdom and Goodness on the liveless Clay, as to advance it into the Image of God, can surely restore the dissolved Fabric, and in the noble Expression of Scripture, make our Bones flourish like an Herb. He can summon and recall Man's divided Atoms from the Earth and from the Waves, and reconcile their long estranged Parts to their ancient familiarity; where they shall fall into their primitive Order and Situation, after the separation, in some, for thousands of Years. Tho' some among several Nations, either out of a wild and savage Barbarity, or out of the most pressing necessity, (of which we have a mournful Instance in the Siege of Samaria 
2 King. 6. v. 26.  in Scripture,) seem, if it is possible, to disappoint a Resurrection of other men's Bodies, by making them the Nourishment of their own; yet God who knows where all those Particles abide, which ever did belong to any Man's Body, can call them from their secret Repositories, to complete the Body made imperfect by this unnatural Cruelty, in order to be enlivened by the Soul.  
Thirdly, God can command the Soul back to its ancient abode, call it from Bliss or Woe, to resume its former Partner; so that these dry Bones shall live, and become the same Man they were before their Dissolution. And this must appear very easy: for the Soul loses nothing by the separation from the Body, as the Body does by being parted from the Soul. This piece of Divinity within us owes no homage to the Elements, nor is liable to be changed as they are. As to the Souls of the Blessed, they pay a constant attendance before the Throne of Grace, and are always expecting the joyful Command, by which they are obliged to a reunion. And as to the Souls of the Unhappy, they shall be forced unwillingly to reinspire their unwelcome Mansions, to animate once more those Parts, which, as in tortured Men, are only new set and compacted to be tormented a new. As there is nothing in the Resurrection of the Body, which carries the appearance of an Impossibility, so  
Secondly, It is in itself very probable and suitable to the Rules of true Reason. The ancient Apologists of Christianity defending it against the Heathens, usually showed the probability of a Resurrection, from some Parallels in the Works of Nature. Thus the 
* Tertull. de Result. etc.  Springs rising so gloriously from the Winter, and the Day from the Night, the most beautiful Offsprings from the most deformed Parents, were by their pious Rhetoric exalted into some kinds of Proofs, as well as Types of the Resurrection. But these are not so much Evidences of, as handsome Allusions to this great Truth, in order to take off that Contempt with which the Heathens entertained this new and surprising Doctrine. Tho' the order of Effects and Changes in Nature, furnish us not with any thing which may make the Resurrection probable; yet the just view of the Wisdom and Goodness of God, as it is discovered by the Light of Reason, will make it appear very suitable to it. For tho' it is not agreeable to the Divine Wisdom, to raise up Mankind, only to make them capable of acting over again all that scene of Folly, Ill-nature, Vanity and Vice, which they live obnoxious to now; yet to command them back to a Life which is truly heavenly, glorious and happy, in which they are made fit for so glorious a Being as God Himself, to take delight in, is a design worthy a wise and good Creator, who certainly made Man for some nobler Ends, than what he can arrive to in this State of Mortality. The chief design (as seems evident to the Light of Nature itself) for God to create Man, was to communicate his own Goodness, and to presentiate an order of Objects to himself, which bearing his own Image, and being endued with Reason, might still glorify his Name, and yield him back some faint Reflection of Himself. If so, since God Is to all Eternity, why should he not desire a Presentiation of these Objects to all Eternity? Why should he not be willing to be glorified, and to have this sort of Reflection of Himself made back to all Eternity? And since God has laid the Laws of Morality and Religion on the Body, as well as on the Soul; since that is obliged to Purity and an humble Adoration, as well as this to Virtues peculiar to its Nature; why should God be fancied, to be so wholly taken up with this, as not in the least to be concerned for that? Why should he change the State of the Blessed, and divest them of that, which properly makes up their Humanity, by refining them into a pure Spirit? As the Resurrection is thus probable, so is it  
Thirdly, Upon the prospects of the Divine Promises and Predictions certain, and (beyond all question) firm. It was obscurely predicted ever since the very Fall of Man, and darkly employed in the Promise of the Messiah, who was to be a Redeemer of the Body, as well as of the Soul. As the first Man was made with all the Perfections due to his Body as well as to his Soul; so he who should repair what Man lost by his Fall, must restore him the Excellencies of that, as well as of this. And tho' the Revelation of a Resurrection to the Jews, was not so clear as to put it beyond all doubt, and to make it a strict Article of Faith; yet are there several Texts in the Old Testament, which are manifest Allusions to it, and tacit Proofs of it. Thus Moses introduces God speaking: See now, that I, even I, am He; I kill and I make alive. And thus Isaiah with his usual height of Language: Thy Dead shall live, together with my dead Body shall they arise. Awake and sing ye that dwell in the Dust; for thy Dew is as the Dew of Herbs, and the Earth shall cast out the Dead. To which may be subjoined that remarkable place of Job: Though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. Tho' the excellent Grotius applies these Words to his Temporal restitution, or at most to discover his Expectation of a future State alone; yet they seem at least to allude to the Hopes which he had of a Resurrection. As to that place which our Saviour quotes from Exodus, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; they appear only in general to prove the Immortality of the Soul, and to show that these Patriarches were not in a State of Annihilation; tho' with particular regard to the Sadducees, against whom they were urged, they are a just and matchless Argument for a Resurrection. For they scrupled only the Immortality of the Soul; and if they could conceive that the Soul could exist independent of the Body, they could grant that it might be reunited to it. For they were of the same Opinion in that Age, which the followers of Spinosa and Mr. Hobbes maintain in ours, That what Is, is Material, excepting God alone: in which fundamental Point of Natural Religion, of God's being a Spirit, those ancient Sceptics were much more Orthodox than our modern ones. But how obscure soever the Doctrine of the Resurrection might be under the Revelation of the Old Testament, yet under the New this Article is delivered with all the light and demonstrative force imaginable. The whole stress of the Gospel is, as it were, reposed upon it; and because it looked strange and surprising to the unbelieving World, it is enforced with greater Arguments, repeated with more frequency. To mention only one remarkable place of our Saviour's: Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are in their Graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done Good unto the Resurrection of Life, and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation. As this was a considerable part of our Saviour's Preaching, so he confirmed it by his own Example, by rising from the Dead himself, and so by virtually raising those which are his. For, If the Spirit of him which raised Christ from the Dead dwell in us, he that raised Christ from the Dead, shall also quicken our mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. So that a Resurrection of the Body is not only possible and highly probable, but upon the prospects of the Divine Promises and Predictions certain. As there shall thus be a Resurrection of the Body, so  
Secondly, This Resurrection shall be of the Body only.  
And this Restriction is necessary to the overthrowing of an Opinion, That the Souls of Men perish with their Bodies, but yet so, that both should be raised again at the last Day; That they should both sleep in Darkness, till the last Alarm, and should both rise again at the finishing of all Things. This Opinion was first started by some Arabian Bishops, (as we are informed by Eusebius, St. Austin, and Nicephorus,) and has been more vigorously in later times defended by great Pretenders to Reason. Thus 
* Exam. 157 Err. p. 49. single ●dit.  Smalcius concludes, That the Souls of the Saints are in a state of Sleep, and suffer a kind of Annihilation, and therefore are to be raised with the Body. That 
† Contra Frantzium, p. 409.  it is doubtful whether the Spirit, when it is parted from the Body, can perceive any thing; and whether it is capable of Pleasure, till it is joined with the glorified Body. And in another 
* Contra Smiglec. de Err. Arian. c. 14. p. 149.  place he expressly denies the Soul's resenting any Pleasure or Trouble without the Body. Thus Crellius in his 
* c. 19 p. 134.  Treatise concerning God and the Divine Attributes, defines Angels in opposition to Men, to be Spirits so perfect, that they can subsist and act without a Body; whereas an human Soul cannot. And it may perhaps be enquired, Whether the ingenious Hypotheses of late, which have seemed to levelly the distinction between different Species of Substance, and so to break down the Boundaries between Spirit and Body, have not helped to abet this Opinion. But to reply to this Fancy concerning the Sleep of the Soul:  
In our Saviour's account of the different Fates of Lazarus and the Rich Man, we find that the former was immediately conveyed to Bliss, and the latter to Misery. And granting that this is only a Parable, or general Resemblance, (yet that it was an History of things truly transacted, is the Opinion of 
* Ambros. in Luc. jertull. lib. 4. contra Martion. Hilar. Enarrat. in Psalm.  several of extraordinary Note;) yet the main design of it must be founded upon the Nature of Things, and must show that the distance is extremely small, between the Soul's quitting the Body, and its being transported to its final State. Thus the Penitent Thief, who was Crucify'd with our Saviour, ascends forthwith after his Death, from the Pains and Tortures of the Cross, to the Joys of Paradise. This Sleep, or Rest of the Soul, is chief grounded upon that usual Metaphor in Holy Writ, by which Death is resembled to Sleep. But the Scripture does not apply it to the Soul, but the Body resting in the Grave, that it may be awakened to a Resurrection. For this would be wholly inconsistent with the Apostle's Assertion, where he says, that While we are at home in the Body, we are absent from the Lord; and that so soon as we are departed out of the Body, we shall be present with the Lord. For to be with the Lord, must imply a state of Felicity, which Sleep is not, but only of Inactivity; and the Apostle's Argument would lose its force, and would be no encouragement against the Terrors of Death, if so soon as we are dead, we should fall asleep, sink into a Condition of Insensibility, and till the Resurrection Be, as if we were not at all. The Soul therefore is not raised with the Body, but is called from a state of Bliss or Woe, to which it was removed immediately upon its separation from it, to resume its ancient Mansion. As this Resurrection is of the Body only, so  
Thirdly, This Resurrection shall be of the same Body, from which the Soul was separated.  
Which Conclusion bears a direct opposition to the Socinian Doctrine, which affirms, either that the Body some time before the Resurrection shall be 
* Smalc. Exam. 100 Err. p. 33. de Divinit. Christi, c. 13. p. 79.  annihilated by a Divine Power; or if it is not thus annihilated, yet that God will only raise a 
† Exam. 100 Err. p. 36.  certain quantity of Matter, sufficient to make up the Bodies of all Mankind, and promiscuously infuse the Souls into it, after that he has Organised it fit for their reception. But that the Bodies of the Dead shall be annihilated some time before the Resurrection, is both against Revelation, and against (what some of our Adversaries seem more to admire) Philosophy. 'Tis against Philosophy, for the Divine Plato styles Death, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which only supposes a separation of both parts, not an Annihilation of either. Thus in another place he affirms, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Plato in Timaeo, tom. 3. p 72. ●. dit. Serrant.  That when Death arrives, the Fibres and Strings by which the Soul acted, break and untwist, just like the Rudder-bands of a Ship, and she [that is, the Soul] is left alone to roam at liberty and at random. Against Revelation; for the Scripture calls Death, a returning to Dust, a seeing of Corruption, a sleeping. Now that which returns to Dust, which is corrupted, which sleeps in the secret Repositories of Nature, cannot be in a State of Nonexistence. It must have a Being, how ignoble soever it is, and how much soever changed from what it was in its State of Life. Nor, secondly, is any other Matter raised and united to the Soul besides what fell. How hard soever it is to settle the bounds of Identity; and granting those Instances of Self-consciousness being united to all those different Subjects, to make the same Person, (which one of the greatest Philosophers of our Age, in his 
† ●. ●ock's ●ssay. Book 2. Chap. 27.  Essay concerning Human Understanding, hints at;) yet this does not affect the Identity of the Rising Body. For the Enquiry is not, Whether the same Self-consciousness, joined to different Matter, makes the same Person; but Whether it is more suitable to the Doctrine of the Resurrection, that God will raise the same, or another Matter, and unite it to the same self-conscious Principle. That God will raise the same Body which fell, seems most agreeable to Truth; for most of those Arguments, which prove that the Body shall rise at all, seem to manifest also, That the same Body shall rise. For in the Identity of the Rising Body is founded all the Right and Justice of Rewards and Punishments, Happiness and Misery, which regard the Body. For why should Man be blest for those Virtues in one Body, which he practised in another? Or why should this Body be tortured for Crimes committed in that? Why should God raise the Body from the same Grave in which it was at first reposed, unless it was the same Body which was there at first reposed? Tho' the Body shall be glorified and spiritualised, yet it shall be the same. For if the Bodies of our first Parents could pass from Immortality to Mortality, and yet continue the same, obnoxious to Punishment in this, for Sins committed in that; why may not the Reverse of this be true, and Men from Mortal become Immortal, from Corruptible become Incorruptible, and yet abide the same?  
I shall close this Essay with making a short Reflection on a Passage in a late Treatise written on this Subject, by the Learned Dr. Hody, to whose Merit I pay an extraordinary Deference; tho' I cannot in all things in this Point pay an Assent to his way of Reasoning. He seems, without sufficient Motive, to endeavour to overthrow the Arguments of the Fathers, by which they prove the Identity of the Rising Body. The Father's reason in short, That since there is a relative combination between Soul and Body, since the Merit or Demerit of any Action is shared between them; that therefore they shall both appear the same, to receive Rewards or Punishments for their good or ill Actions. This method of Discourse seems just and true, notwithstanding that the Learned Doctor says, that 
Dr. Hody concerning the Resurrection of the same Body p. 210  The Arm that stabs, sins no more than the Sword, and 'tis the Soul only that is the Murderer. This is a fine, abstracted, Cartesian way of talking; but would scarce be accepted in any Court of Justice, if a Murderer should plead it to his Judge, to exempt his Body from satisfying the Law. And this Notion seems to tend to confirm that, which some Enthusiasts not long since advanced; that So long as we keep the Soul pure, we may do what we please with the Body. To strengthen this the Doctor 
Ibid.  says, That the Body is not capable of any Rewards or Punishments. Why then, from this Argument, should the same Body rise? But certainly, tho' the Body can resent no Pleasure or Pain without the Soul, yet they in conjunction receive several Impressions of both, which the Soul could not perceive alone: therefore to make both perfectly happy or miserable, both must be raised, and both the same. The Doctor's last Argument is, That if all the bulk of the same Matter should rise, we should be Monsters of Men at the Resurrection. But the Effluvia (to answer this Objection) which make up this vast Mass, flow from the Carneous Parts, and from the Blood, which are not particularly concerned in Human Actions: the former of which Plato (so much admired by the Doctor) calls only * Wool or 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Timaeo.  Down, to wrap the Body easily and softly round; the latter the Forage and Pasturage of the Flesh. But from the Vessels, Parts and Organs peculiarly serviceable to Life, Motion, Sense, Imagination, Understanding and Will, the Effluvia are inconsiderable; nor would they much surpass their due Dimensions, if all the Matter, which ever belonged to them, were raised.   

AN ESSAY Against SCEPTICISM In Matters of Religion.  
IN order to endeavour to give some Check to the prevailing Humour of Scepticism, which is become so extremely Modish, that no Person can be that self-admired thing, a Wit, without it; I shall,  
First, (as is most natural,) propose a short view of some of those pretended Reasons, which the Sceptics and Deists, and others of the same Order, usually give for their Scepticism and Doubts about the Truths of Religion. To every one of which I shall return a transient Reply.  
Secondly, I shall take a short survey of the true Reasons and Motives, which make Men Sceptics.  
First, The pretended Reasons are such as these:  
First, They believe Religion to be false, because many who make great shows of being Christians, are only such out of Interest, and in all likelihood would change the Christian Profession for another, which would be more serviceable for their Designs.  
Secondly, They have an ill Opinion of Religion, because many who are zealous for its Truths, are yet negligent of the Morals of it, and live after such a manner, as would make a sober Heathen blush.  
Thirdly, They despise Religion, because several Professors of it, embrace it not out of Reason or Conviction, but out of a supine Credulity, and walk blindly on in the Christian Religion, only because it is the Worship of their Country.  
Fourthly, They entertain a low Idea of Christianity, because, tho' said to be revealed for the good of all Mankind, yet God has only propagated it in a small part of the World; and even where it has been promulged, it is found but an indifferent Expedient to work any such extraordinary Effects on men's Minds, as might be expected from a Religion, which God Himself came down from Heaven to preach, and to seal with his Blood.  
Fifthly, That the Divisions amongst single Christians, and the Wars and Discords between Christian Princes and Commonwealths, often heightened by Religious Controversies, and inflamed by the violent Harangues of Ecclesiastic Persons, are great Prejudices against the Christian Religion, and give a Moral Deist great Advantage over a Zealot for Christianity.  
These have been, and still are, some of the leading Forces in the Van of Scepticism. There are indeed many particular Objections laid against peculiar parts of Christianity, which cannot fall within the compass of this short ESSAY. But to return a cursory Reply to each one of these Objections.  
First, 'Tis no just Reflection upon the Religion, That many, who make great shows of being Christians, are only such out of Interest, and in all probability would change the Christian Profession for another, which would be more serviceable for their designs. Tho' some may be Christians at present out of Interest, yet if we inquire into the first Institution of our Religion, we shall find, that it was its intrinsic Worth which first recommended it to the World, when there was no outward Motive or Interest to make it taking. For did the Apostles and first Disciples of our Saviour, turn Christians upon any temporal Prospect? Or what Advantage could those who succeeded them, for the two first Centuries, propose? What could they gain by this new Profession, but Disgrace, Imprisonment and Death? And can any one be a Platonic lover of Shame and Pain, and court Misery for its own sake alone? Now these purer Times, nighest to the origin of our Religion, are those which our Adversaries ought to have enquired into, and levelled their Objections against; otherwise their Arguments only wound the present Professors of Religion, many of which we own to live below the dignity of it, but fall far short of doing any injury to Religion itself.  
Secondly, The Sceptic ought not to have an ill Opinion of Religion, because many who are zealous for its Truths, are yet negligent of the Morals of it; and live after such a manner, as would make a sober Heathen blush. First, because the Christian Religion is only a Law for our Actions, which can invite and persuade alone, but cannot force an Observance. And the ill Actions of Christians ought no more to be imputed to Christianity itself, than the Disorders of any Persons, who live under Civil or Municipal Laws, aught to be charged upon those Laws. Secondly, Tho' these Persons Lives are an open contradiction to Christianity, yet it does not follow, but that they may be convinced of the Truth of it in their Minds and Understandings. For we may easily see, that Men are not always determined by the dictates of their Reason, but frequently by the bias and relish of their Senses and Passions. Nor can we conclude, that because Persons live as if Christianity was an Imposture, that therefore they are fully persuaded that it is so. Farther, we find that they have often Remorses and sad Reflections on their Actions, which can only rise in Minds satisfied of the Truth of that, against which they practise. For only the fear of being called to Account hereafter, can make us sorrowful and amazed for having done amiss here, under temporal Impunity. Thirdly, Morality, Philosophy, and the noblest Institutions which ever were, lie under the same blemish with Christianity. For the Lives of their Professors have seldom answered their refined Rules. And it is scarce possible that they should do so, till Man is subtilised into a pure Spirit, and rescued from those Passions and Inclinations, which at present checquer and discolour our Natures. As to the Zeal of these Persons, it is false and counterfeited, if their Actions are not conformed to their great Pretensions.  
Thirdly, 'Tis no just Objection against Christianity, That several Professors of it, embrace it not out of Reason or Conviction, but out of a supine Credulity, and walk blindly on in the Christian Religion, only because it is the Worship of their Country. For the Christian Religion does not demand any such credulous Temper of Mind from its Professors. All that it requires is, an Understanding free from Prejudice, and which is ready to pay attention to Reason. Our Saviour at the Establishment of this Religion, did not desire to be believed on his own Testimony: If I bear witness of myself, says he, my witness is not true. He appeals to his Miracles, as the most glorious Credentials of his Celestial Mission; for the Works which the Father had given him to finish, the same Works that he did bore witness of him, that the Father had sent him. These Miracles he proposes to the Examination of the Spectators, and if they could discover any Imposture in them, that they were performed by the power of Nature, or of Magic, (as was 
* Celsus apud Origen. p 340. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [viz: Christum] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [viz. ab Aegypto] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  afterwards urged,) than he refused to be believed. He does not fix the guilt of Unbelief purely in the Jews rejecting his Religion, but in refusing to pay an Assent to it, after that it was made suitable to Reason, proved out of the Prophecies of the Old Testament, supported by Miracles greater than every thing, but their Infidelity. If I had not done among them Works which none other man did, they had not had sin; but now have they both seen and hated me and my Father. As our Saviour, so his Apostles addressed to the Reasons of their Followers, in order to excite their Faiths. Thus St. Paul: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. And that Apostle, which our Saviour loved after a most passionate manner, advises the Church, Not to believe every Spirit, but to try the Spirits, whether they are of God. So that the Christian Faith does not consist in an implicit Credulity, and blind Assent; but in a well-founded and rational Belief, arising from just Information, and exact Reasoning on Things. The saving Principles of Religion indeed are few, and lie in a small Compass, though not within so little Bounds as the Author of The Reasonableness of Christianity, and 
* Hobbes de Civ. Relig p. 386. etc. par 6. etc. Dico autem, alium Arti culum Fidei praeter hunc JESUM HSSH CHRISTUM hommi Christiano, ut necessarium ad salutem, requiri nullum, etc.  Mr. Hobbes contend for. And tho' every one ought to give the true Reasons for his Belief, yet the Saving Truths of Religion in many illiterate Persons, if attended with a Moral Life, Humility of Spirit, and Fervency of Devotion, may be as acceptable to God, as in the most eminent Critic in Theological Matters, who can give the nicest Resolution for every thing relating to them. Yet notwithstanding this, every one is obliged (as far as lies in his power) to examine and try the Articles of his Religion; and to be a Christian, not by Education, Custom or Example, but by Reason and Conviction. So far is Religion (that is, the Reformed Religion, such as was taught by our Saviour and his Apostles) from encouraging a supine Credulity, or blind Belief.  
Nor is the Scepticks Fourth Objection valid, That Christianity has been propagated by God only in a small part of the World; and even where it has been promulged, it is found but an indifferent Expedient to work any such extraordinary Effects on Men's Minds, as might be expected from a Religion, which God himself came down from Heaven to preach, and to seal with his Blood.  
As to the first part, That Christianity is only known to a small part of the World; it may be replied: First, That tho' God has been graciously pleased to promise, that he will by his good Providence so order things, that the sound of the Gospel shall be heard in the uttermost parts of the Earth; yet has he not limited the Time when it shall thus be universally promulged Secondly, That it is the fault, in some measure, of Christians themselves, why their Religion is not diffused among the unconverted Nations; because Voyages to these barbarous Climes, are only undertaken upon Motives of Interest, or Prospects of Commerce, without any design to promote the Truths of Religion. Thirdly, The Christian Religion has been communicated to almost all the Civilised World. Most of the Territories of the four famous Empires have had the Gospel preached amongst them, besides other Parts more lately discovered. While good Morals and Humanity, while Humility, Chastity, Honour and Probity flourished; so long the Christian Religion continued: but when these were defaced by Violence, Ambition, Pride, Lust and Ill-nature, it was time for Religion to take her flight up to Heaven, or to some more hospitable Regions upon Earth. For how could she subsist, when her foundation (Morality) was removed? Fourthly, As to those places where the Christian Religion has not been heard of, God will deal with them as a God of Mercy. He who lives up to the Light of his own Reason, up to a true Sense of the Dignity of his own Nature, and is a kind of a pure Evangelic Deist, (if I may so call him) may have our Saviour's Merits, which he never heard of, so far imputed to him, as to free him from a state of Misery. And how and by what Means God may make him happy, is an Enquiry overcurious, and concerning which our present Condition will not allow us to be satisfied. A future State is (in some proportion) to us, what America was to our Forefathers. And I, with all possible submission, think that the Hypothesis of an 
† Dr. Scot●'s Christ. Life. Part 2. Ch. 4. S●ct. 1. p. 2●5.  admirable Person of our Church is too bold, where he seems more than to intimate, that God may extend the Trial and Probation of these Heathens beyond this Life, and discover in the other Life the Light of the Gospel, to so many of them at least, as have made any tolerable Improvements under the Light of Nature; and if they make good use of it, reward them accordingly. That God will act, not only justly on their own accounts, but also (in some degree) mercifully on our Saviour's, by these Nations, seems an evident Truth. But how, or by what way, is more than even this thoughtful Person ever knew.  
As to the second part of the Objection, That even where Christianity has been promulged, it is found but an indifferent Expedient, to work any extraordinary Effect on Men's Minds; it may be answered, That it is purely satire and Invective, and is plainly void of Truth. For tho' it must be with confusion owned, that many Christians are guilty of Vices, which would make an ingenuous Heathen blush; yet the Establishment of Christianity has given a total defeat to many National and Public Crimes. Amongst many Civilised Nations (as is plain from their own Poets and Historians,) Parents might expose their Children, and Masters murder their Slaves, with Impunity, and without any dread of being called in question. Those unnatural Sins condemned by the Apostle in the first Chap. to the Romans, were parts of their Religious Worship; a fit Service for such Gods. Men were condemned to massacre one another in their Amphitheatres; were engaged against Beasts, or with Men as cruel. Altars were stained with human Blood; a greater Villainy than any it was designed to expiate. A Hero never died, but that he had pompous Trains of Slaves to attend him to their fancied Elysium. But now all these barbarous Practices were as much banished by Christianity, as the Idolatrous Rites of the Zabii, by the 
* v. Ma●mon●des Mor. Nev. p. 3. c. 29. And Dr. Spe●cer de Leg. Heb. p. 177. cap. 9 ●. 1. etc.  Jewish Ceremonies; a sufficient Indication, that Christianity has been highly profitable to the World.  
Fifthly, The Divisions among single Christians, and the Wars and Discords between Christian Princes and Commonwealths, often heightened by Religious Controversies, and inflamed by the violent Harangues of Ecclesiastic Persons, and the Cause of Religion being defended by the Dint of Calumny, as a late 
† ● T●● Amyntor, ●. 52.  Author phrases it, are no just Prejudices against Christianity; nor do they give a Moral Deist an advantage over a Zealot for it.  
We cannot deny, but Christianity ill understood, has been the innocent Author of public Divisions, and private Discords; the most beautiful Parent of ill-resembling Children. The Gospel has armed Nations to their own ruin, and the Pulpit has given the signal for very unnatural Wars. Notwithstanding this, Religion itself ought not to be blamed. For, first, The Founder of this Religion predicted that such a dismal Event should attend his Institution. Think not, that I am come to send Peace on Earth: I came not to send Peace, but a Sword. Secondly, It was not the design of Christianity, to cherish Factions and Discords amongst its Followers. Nothing could be a greater encourager of Candour, Good-nature, Peace and Mutual Forbearance, than this Religion justly practised; and all the Calamities incident to human Life, are, in a great measure, the Products of Irreligion and Scepticism. For if every Person lived up to the height of his Religion, all Wars and Contests would quickly cease; all Passions be composed, and the Seat of the ancient Paradise would not ne●d to be farther enquired into, when all the World was One. These Objections, which I have endeavoured transiently to answer, are some of the pretended Reasons for Scepticism, and Doubts about Religion. I shall proceed,  
Secondly, To take a short Survey of the true Reasons and Motives which make Men Sceptics.  
And the first is Pride. For the Truths of Religion, as they are designed for the Salvation of all Men, so are they in some sort, adapted to the Apprehensions of all. But there are several of such sublime and exalted Thoughts, that they can relish nothing, but what is placed out of the vulgar method of Thinking. Thus the Emperor Julian, tho' adorned with Temperance, Gravity, Chastity and Sobriety, as appears from his own 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. etc. v. Jullani Miso●●g p. ● 0▪ ●dit. Spanhem.  Writings, (nor do his Adversaries, Cyril or Nazianzen, deny it;) yet the nicety and sublimity of his admired Philosophy, made him too proud to debase his Understanding, as he fancied, to the Lowliness of the Christian Faith. Out of this Principle a late 
† To●and '▪ Christianity not Mysterious.  Writer has excluded all Mysteries out of Religion, and nothing now must be believed, but what can be comprehended.  
The second true Cause of Scepticism is Prejudice, or a rash Judgement made upon Religion. For not only the Jews and Gentiles, but some who have been initiated into Christianity, frame false Ideas of it. They are too much prejudiced to believe, that God will punish Crimes of finite duration with infinite Pain. They fancy that there is reason to hope, that he may release his Threats, and some way mitigate the Penalty: that it is a servile and mercenary Motive to engage us to Obedience, by addressing to our Fears, by proposing Prospects of eternal Misery. But these Objections rising from Prejudice, would be easily removed, if the Sceptic would consider, that God does not punish Men for Sins which they could not avoid; not for single Acts, but inveterate Habits, and final Obstinacy. That Repentance, if sincere, takes off the greatest Gild. That he gives us Grace to shun Sin, and Grace to repent of it. That Hope and Fear are the fittest Passions, by which a reasonable Creature may be acted upon. That every Sin is against infinite Majesty, an Act too of our own Choice. That God would be wanting, in promoting the Observance of his Laws, if he did not make the greatest Punishment due to the Violation of them. That he promises eternal Happiness to Obedience, as well as threatens everlasting Misery upon Disobedience.  
The third true Cause of Scepticism, is a Disposition of Heart contrary to Religion. For a Soul stained with Vice can never comply with the Truths of Religion. The Will and Affections must first be purified, before the Understanding can be enlightened. Hence our Saviour endeavours to plant the Innocence even of Children in the Minds of his Followers, before he proposes the great Mysteries of Religion. Happy are they who have preserved their Innocence unstained, and whose Soul has never lost its native Candour. The first proposals of Religion will strike upon such Minds as these, with the most vigorous Light, and will convince them, as soon as addressed to them. But to Spirits sunk into a state of Sin, Religion appears upon a disadvantage, and like an Object striking upon a disordered Organ, forms an irregular Impression. Let the Wings of the Soul once be disengaged from the weight of Sin, as the Pythagoreans (as well as Scripture) neatly style it, and it will fly up to Truth and Goodness, as to its proper Centre.  
The fourth Cause of Scepticism, is the prevailing Humour of turning every thing into Ridicule. Nor are sacred Things themselves exempted; which takes off that Veneration which is due to them, and makes them look first contemptible, and afterwards false.  
The fifth true Cause of Scepticism, (and the last which I shall mention,) is want of Consideration or Attention. For if Men either think not at all, or not regularly, or employ their Thoughts in other curious Speculations, they will of necessity continue Sceptics. But the fault is in themselves, not in Religion: they can no more complain of Obscurity in that, than those who have wilfully closed their own Eyes, of want of Light in the Heavenly Luminaries.  
Let the Sceptic take away these true Causes of Scepticism, and the pretended ones will vanish of their own accord. But while these remain, they are like to continue Sceptics, till the Punishments of a future State shall not only make them understand, but even feel that Religion is True.  
FINIS.