rally alfo loaded with much reproach and contempt. After therefore it hath been fo far defended, as may fatisfy every impartial mind, and its influence upon practice demonftrated, I obferve, that whatever impreffion this fact may make upon others, it seems to me no fmall confirmation of its truth, as coming from God, that it is contrary to the fpirit of the world. This is both agreeable to fcripture and to found reason, The doctrine of "Chrift cru"cified," the apostle Paul tells us, "was to the Jews a "ftumbling block, and to the Greeks foolifhnefs." And, speaking of the effect of the publication of this doctrine, he fays, "Ye fee your calling brethren, how that not many "wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many "noble are called. But God hath chofen the foolish things "of the world to confound the wife; and God hath chofen "the weak things of the world to confound the things “which are mighty; and base things of the world, and

things which are defpifed, hath God chofen, yea, and things "which are not, to bring to nought things that are."t This we are not to underftand, as if the apofle yielded, that the gofpel was not agreeable to true wisdom, or that the proper and legitimate ufe of human wifdom would not lead us to embrace it: but it contains a strong intimation of a truth not commonly attended to, that great natural abilities have pretty much the fame influence on the moral character with great wealth or temporal profperity. They are both apt to intoxicate the mind, and lead to pride, arrogance, and felf-conceit and perhaps intellectual pride is as great an obstruction to the discovery of truth, as any bad difpofition whatfoever. We are alfo taught, that God ordered and difpofed of things in this manner, for the wife ends of his providence, for the fubjection of the arrogance and boasted wisdom of men; or in the words of the apostle, "That no flefh fhould glory in his prefence," The reception then which this doctrine ufually meets with, fhould be fo far from remaining as a prejudice or objection against its truth or utility, that, on the contrary, it fhould contribute to fatisfy us, that it is the real and genuine doctrine

of Christ, since it meets with the fame fort of oppofition, and from the fame quarter, with which this was encountered at its first publication.

And indeed, befides this exact correfpondence between the event, and what the Scripture gives us reafon to expect, as to the reception of the gospel in the world, I apprehend it ought to be a general prejudice in favor of its truth, confidering the original it claims, that it doth not carry on it any of the marks of human wifdom. It feems to lie (If I may so speak) quite out of the way of human imagination and contrivance, and is diametrically oppofite in its whole tendency, to the most prevailing human inclination, viz. felf-esteem, pride, and vain-glory. This indeed is the true" reason why this doctrine is fo unacceptable to the world, efpecially the ambitious part of it, that it is directly levelled against their corrupt affections. It gives a view of the holiness, purity and juftice of God, which is intolerable to all those who are not willing to break their league with fin and vanity. And when it is truly complied with, it not only divorces men from their former attachment to fin and fenfuality, but will not fuffer them to glory, even in their new character. All who fubmit unfeignedly to the gofpel, both feel and confefs themfelves wholly indebted for forgivenefs and acceptance, for their prefent holinefs and their future happiness, to the free, unmerited grace of God. How hard fuch a facrifice is, none can' conceive who have not fome acquaintance with vital, expérimental religion. Now, what is the most natural inference from this? Is it not, that we have not the fmalleft reafon to fufpect this doctrine to be a "cunningly devifed fable," but may reft affured, that it is" the wisdom and the power of God for falvation, to every one that believeth."*

This leads me to obferve, That if the reafoning which the reader hath perufed upon this fubject be juft and con clufive, there is one circumftance in which this "doctrine "according to godlinefs" effentially differs from all other fchemes or fyftems of morality. It is, that any of thefe

Rom. i. 16.

fyftems a man may understand, embrace and defend, without having his heart made better, or his morals fecured or improved by it at all; whereas it is impoffible, that any man can really, and from the heart, embrace the doctrine of Chrift's imputed righteousness, without being fanctified by it," dead to fin, and alive to God." That the firft of these affertions is true, the lives and characters of fome noted writers on the foundation of morality, have been, and are an undeniable proof: fome of them do indeed exprefsly yield it; and it is evidently yielded, by implication, in all the late writings, where there is fo frequent mention of the fmall influence that fpeculation has upon practice. On this is founded what a late acute and eminent writer* juftly calls the mafter prejudice of this age, viz. "The innocence of error." This may as well be expreffed by its counterpart, the unprofitableness or inefficacy of truth, which furely ought to be but a weak recommendation of what is called truth by those who hold fuch an opinion.

That the other affertion is juft, hath been the point undertaken to be made out in this eflay: and whoever will but confider how unacceptable this doctrine is to mankind in general, may be fatisfied that there can be no effectual inducement to embrace it, till there be fuch a difcovery and sense of the evil and danger of fin, as is utterly inconfiftent with a voluntary continuance in it. The apparent state of the vifible church, in which vice and wickedness fo fhamefully abound, will be no objection to this, if what I hinted above be recollected,† that there is a great difference between a nominal or cuftomary profeffion, and real belief. As to the few more zealous and eminent af fertors of this doctrine, who fometimes greatly difhonor their profeffion, the anfwer is eafy. They are hypocrites by whom indeed great" offences do come;" and the weak and unstable fall over the stumbling block, and are tempted to doubt the reality of religion, by this discovery of the falfhood of its profeffors. But fuch can never be fairly ranked among believers, whose garb and habit they † See page 73.

* Mr. Warburton.

only treacheroufly wore, for fome time, while they were in the intereft of another master.* We may fay of them as the apostle John fays, "They went out from us, but

they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they "would no doubt have continued with us, but they went "out that they might be made manifeft that they were "not all of us."t

But this is not all; for the reception of the doctrine of imputed righteoufnefs is not merely to be confidered as the best means, comparatively, of producing, preserving and increasing our fanctification and purity, as fure and effectual, while others are precarious, but it is the only way, and all others are abfolutely infufficient for the pur

Perhaps fome may think the late accounts published of the Moravians an objection to the juftnefs of this reprefentation. They are faid to be great affertors of the doctrine of imputed righteoufnefs; and yet there have not only appeared fome bad men amongst them, but they are univerfally charged as a fect with molt impious and fcandalous practices. Perhaps candor and charity might have led us to fuppole, that moft, or all thofe accufations, were calumnious, if they had been affirmed by none but avowed enemies to the doctrines which they efpoufe; as the firft Chriftians were charged by their enemies with eating human facrifices, when they met in private to celebrate the Lord's fupper. But the cafe it feems is otherwife here; for fome unfufpected accufers have appeared, whom none can imagine prejudiced againtt them for embracing the doctrine of imputed righteoufnels. I confels myleif to have fo little acquaintance with thofe Hernhutters, as they are called, either as to their principles or practices, that I cannot very fully handle the fubject; but, if there is no other objection to what is affirmed above, no doubt, an acquaintance with the true state of the cafe would enable us easily to remove this. Perhaps, after all, the bad practices charged against them, may be only the confequence of fome deligning perfons getting in among them, and a great plurality may be innocent, or, at least, comparatively fo. But however this be, it is not certain (at least to me) that they really embrace the same doctrine with us: they do indeed talk much of the Lamb, fpeak of hiding themfelves in his wounds, &c. but I think their language is peculiar to themselves, and by no means the phrafeology either of Scripture, or of any other fect of Chriftians. Befides, as Count Zinzendorf, their leader, takes upon him to be a prophet, it is probable, they are juft a fet of deluded people, drawn away by his art, who may much more properly be faid to believe in him, than in Chrift.

1 John ii. 19.

pofe. If this be indeed the doctrine of Chrift, the fcripture-method of falvation, then it is not only true, but a fundamental truth. Of this we are frequently and folemnly affured in the word of God. "I am the way, "(fays our Saviour) and the truth and the life; no man "cometh unto the Father but by me."* So fay the apoftles Peter and John, " Neither is there falvation in any "other for there is none other name under heaven, given "among men, whereby we must be faved."+ It is therefore in vain for any to expect an effectual change of life, i but by an acquaintance with Chrift, and him crucified. We have indeed the cleareft evidence from experience, that no human reafon, no argument whatever, drawn from worldly conveniency, is at all fufficient to contend with violent and finful habits. We fee many examples of perfons of excellent understanding and knowledge in other matters, nay, who can reafon ftrongly and juftly upon the bad confequences of vice in others, fometimes even in themselves, who will yet go on to ruin their name, family, fortune and health, while they are flaves to evil habits: nothing will change them but the grace of God.

And as we have seen above, that our own righteousness in its best state is wholly ineffectual for our acceptance with God, fo all who have any expectations of this kind from it plainly fhow, that they have fuch defective views of the extent and obligation of the divine law, as are inconfiftent with an unfeigned univerfal fubmiflion to it. This is a matter of the laft importance, and ought to be particularly recommended to the ferious confideration of fuch as may have, at fometimes, fome imperfect convictions; fuch as from a wearinefs and fatiety of finning may give a temporary preference to a life of religion, and raife a feeble and ineffectual with with Balaam, that they might "die the death of the righteous." They ought to be told that no endeavors to be a little better than before, no abftinence from fome fins as a kind of atonement for others retained, no refolutions taken in their own ftrength, no righteoufnefs of their own offered or trufted in as a matter † Acts iv. 12.

* John xiv. 6.