thofe effentials of the Gospel which make it, indeed, what the word Gofpel imports, glad tidings and a glorious Gofpel. According to all schemes, it is a difpenfation of mercy to finful mortals, conveying to them, through the ministry, death, and exaltation of Chrift, the knowledge of God and their duty, pardon and favour, a refurrection from death, and a happy immortality. All * accounts of Christianity agree, that it not only reveals and announces these inestimable benefits, but afcertains them by facts; and that Jefus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, the conqueror of death, the future judge of mankind, and the author of eternal falvation to all that obey him. This, I have thought, a topic very necessary to be infifted upon and explained before I proceed to what I farther propofe, which is, to give you fome account of the different fchemes of Christianity, and of that scheme in particular which I think nearest the truth. While, therefore, I fhall be giving you fuch an account, I wifh you to recollect what I have faid on this topic, and to carry along with you the reflection, that there is no fcheme of Christianity received among its profeffors which contradicts the only doctrine about which we have reafon to be ve ry anxious; I mean, "the doctrine of falvation and eternal life by Jefus Chrift."

Were

Were a well authenticated deed brought to you which gave you a title to a good ef tate, would you (while its general defign and purport were acknowledged) be very folicitous about the decifion of any difputes relating to the caufes to which you owed the deed, the meaning of particular claufes in it, or the character and rank of the friend by whose inftrumentality you had received it? The Gospel is our title to immortality. It contains that covenant of grace which fecures it to us; and Chrift is the friend by whofe inftrumentality it has been declared and confirmed, and will be bestowed upon us. While agreed thus far, let us not fuffer ourselves to indulge impatience or refentment, when we hear fome faying that Christ was a mere man, others, that he was a fuperangelic being, and others, that he was God himself in union with a man; or when we are told by one party, that he died to make fatisfaction to Divine juftice for the fins of the world, and by another party, that he died only to bear teftimony to the truth, to prove and confirm the forgiving mercy of God, and to acquire the power of conferring upon us the bleffings of the covenant of grace.

But, though I would thus caution you against being fhocked by the oppofite opinions which are entertained among Christians, and prepare you for hearing, without being disturbed,

N 2

disturbed, the account I fhall give of them; I do not mean to intimate that it is of no confequence how we think about the points difputed among Chriftians. Though, for the reafons I have given, this is not of fuch confequence, as to justify that distress which fome good men feel when they hear of opinions of the Gospel contrary to their own; yet it is, without doubt, the duty of every one, as far as he has abilities and opportunities, to endeavour to think rightly about these disputed points, and, by careful and impartial inquiry, to avoid grofs errors. The better we are informed about the controverfies among Chriftians, and the more correct our judgments, the more respectable we fhall be, and alfo the more ufeful and valuable members of the Christian church; provided we take care to add to our knowl edge brotherly kindness, and suppress in ourfelves every tendency to intolerance and uncharitablenefs.

I have, therefore, thought, that after fhewing you how far we are all agreed in our conceptions of the Gofpel, it would not be improper to fhew you how far Christians differ, and to give a brief representation of the principal schemes of Christianity which they have adopted. In executing this defign, I fhall give an account of only three Schemes, because they are the principal, and

all

all other schemes may be ranged under one or other of them. Of these three schemes, two form extremes; and one a middle fcheme. I fhall begin with giving you an account of the two extremes, after which I fhall make fome obfervations on them, and then proceed to an account of that middle scheme, which I think the true one, and which I fhall endeavour to fupport by fome arguments.

The first of these two extremes just men tioned has been distinguished under the names of Athanafianifm and Calvinism; and the other under the name of Socinianifm One of thefe carries our notions very high of Christianity; and the other finks them very low. The differences between them refpect four points.

First. The nature of the Deity.

Secondly. The nature and confequences of that fall of man which brought us into our present state.

Thirdly. The nature and dignity of Chrift. And Fourthly. The nature of that interpofition of Chrift by which he is the Sav iour of the world.

I shall first mention to you the chief particulars in the Athanafian and Calvinistic scheme, as far as it refpects these four points.

With respect to the SUPREME DEITY, this fcheme makes him to confift of three perfons, the fame in fubftance, and equal in power

power and glory. The first of thefe three perfons, and the fountain of Divinity to the other two, it makes to be the FATHER. The fecond perfon is called the Son; and faid to be derived from the Father by an eternal generation of an ineffable and incomprehenfible nature in the effence of the GODHEAD. The third perfon is the HOLY GHOST, derived from the Father and the Son; but not by generation as the Son is derived from the Father, but by an eternal and incomprehenfible PROCESSION. Each of thefe perfons are (according to this fcheme) very and eternal God as much as the Father himself; and yet, though diftinguished in the manner I have faid, they do not make three Gods, but one God.*

With

"In the unity of the Godhead there be three per-"fons of one fubftance, power, and eternity; the Fa-ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. The Son begot-"ten from everlafting of the Father, very and eternal "God, of one fubftance with the Father. The Holy "Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son, of "one fubftance, majefty, and glory with the Father "and the Son, very and eternal God." First, Second, and Fifth Articles of the Church of England.

"God the Father of Heaven; God the Son, Re"deemer of the world; God the Holy Ghoft pro"ceeding from the Father and the Son; Holy, Bleff"ed, and Glorious Trinity, three perfons and one "God: Have mercy upon us." Litany.

"The Father is made of none; neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone ;

"not.