But in urging this consideration as sufficient to silence any Objection to the needfulness of Revelation from its lateness and want of Universality; I suppose not that the Divine, oeconomy is herein actually incomprehensible by Men; or at least, may not be accounted for, if not demonstratively aright, yet suitably to the Divine Attributes: and a due reflection upon the intire design of Christianity, so far as it is reveal'd to us, will, it is likely, conduct us best to a sight hereof. But our present business is not this inquiry, but to see what those advantages are which we receive by the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the design of whole coming into the World appears to have been, to inforce the Rule of Rectitude, by setting it in a clearer Light, with the manifest Attestation of Divine Authority, and promulging it as the Law of God, by Declaration of eternal Rewards and Punishments, annexed to the observance or breach thereof.
Yet to deliver clearer and more excellent Precepts of Morality; to attest to the Divinity hereof by Miracles; or to bring Immortalitie to light, were not (as the means of inforcing Natural Religion) the whole business for which Christ took our Nature upon him. It was a Decree as immutable as the Divine Nature, that no unrighteous thing should have everlasting Life: Wherefore all, both Jews and Gentiles having broken the Law, and being thereby condemn'd (since the Law necessarily requir'd perfect Righteousness, and could admit of no abatement thereof) Christ came to establish betwixt God and Man, a Covenant of Grace in order to Mens obtaining eternal Life, which they could not obtain by the Works of the Law. The which Covenant of Grace was, that to as many as believe in his Son, taking him for their King, and submitting to his Law, God would grant remission of their Sins; and that this their Faith should be imputed to them for Righteousness; that is, accepted of by him, in lieu of perfect Obedience, in all such who sincerely indeavour'd to live up to the Precepts of Christ, their Lord.
Men have ever been solicitous, to reconcile Pardon of Sin to the Purity of God's Nature, which has expos'd them (as we have seen) to divers Delusions, and to wearisome and costly Superstitions; even sometimes to the giving the Fruit of their Bodies to attone for the sins of their Souls. All the Forms of Pagan Religion have abounded with Institutions of this Nature; and that of the Jews consisted very much of tiresome and unpleasant performances; which being Types and Shadows of him that was to come, were practis'd to the same purpose. All which things we are freed from by the Gospel; Christ having offer'd up himself once for all, through whom forgiveness of Sin is preached to as many as believe in him, truly repenting of their past Sins, and walking in newness of Life, conformably to the Law of him their Master; but and if, thro' humane Weakness or Imbecillity, we do Sin, he is our Advocate with the Father, who for the sake of him his Beloved Son, will justify, or accept as Righteous, those who truly believe in him, whence we are justify'd by God's free Grace or Favour, and not by the Works of the Law, against which all have transgressed, and fail'd of a perfect Obedience.
The great end then of Christianity is (in short) to teach us effectually to renounce all Ungodliness and every evil work, by declaring to us, that if we sincerely repent of our Sins past, and indeavour, for the time to come, to obey the Law of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, which is no other than the Law of Reason, or the eternal Rule of Right, we need not despair of God's Mercy from the Imperfection of our Obedience; since he will for the sake of his Son, pardon their Sins who believe in him: Sincere indeavours after perfect Righteousness being accepted in those who believe in Christ as if they attained it, which is call'd, the Righteousness of Faith. And thus our Blessed Lord, that he might purchase to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works, has propos'd to his Followers the strongest Motives and Encouragements that are conceivable to induce free Agents to Obedience, putting them at once upon using their utmost Diligence to fullfil the Law; yet, at the same time, delivering them from the fear that their defective Righteousness should render their Labour vain in the Lord, by assuring them that he will be merciful to their Sins.
The which Christian Doctrine concerning the forgiveness of Sins (contrary to that of other Religions) effectually obliges Men to use their utmost care not to commit Sin, and leaves no room for the Lusts of their Hearts, or devices of cunning Men to deceive them by any Superstitious Inventions of expiating or attoning for Transgression; whereby Vertue (as we have seen) was always undermin'd. For, tho' in the Christian Religion, there is an abatement of the rigour and severity of the Law, which could not but require an unsinning Obedience; yet we are therein taught, that Jesus Christ is the only Attonement for Sin: And such a Faith in him as makes us to become his obedient Subjects, is the only means to us of Salvation: An inforcement of the Law of Righteousness which was wanting to the Pagan World; whose persuasion of the placability of the Divine Nature (as we have seen) generally taught them, only to find out such imaginary ways of appeasing God's Anger, and expiating for their Sins, as did more or less supersede their indeavours after Obedience to the Law.
Whence it appears that the assurance of future Existence, with the knowledge of eternal Rewards and Punishments annex'd to Mens Observance, or not observance of the Law of Reason had Men had it, without the Revelation of the Gospel, would not have been so universal or powerful an inforcement of Obedience to them as it is to us; to whom together with this, is preach'd also the Doctrine of forgiveness of Sins, through Faith in Jesus Christ. For the consciousness of transgression against this Law, which, under such a Penalty exacted their Obedience, must either have driven Men into despair of being accepted by God, whence they would have given over the indeavours of obeying him as a fruitless Labour; or else if they believ'd that God would accept of some Compensation for their defective Righteousness, they would have been induc'd no less, but even more strongly from their knowledge of a future Life, than they were without it, to seek to attone the Divine Wrath by such ways as would inevitably draw on a neglect of conformity to his Law. Whereas Christianity doth provide against both these Mistakes, in that it assures us that God will accept of our imperfect Obedience for the sake of his Son, if we believe in him, and withal sincerely indeavour to obey him; whereby Faith does plainly not make void, but establish the Law, it laying the highest Obligation as well as Encouragement that is possible upon Men to do their utmost to live up to the Prescriptions of it.
And thus the Christian Religion, we find, is every way admirably adapted by the Divine Wisdom, to the end of inforcing the eternal Law of Reason or Nature; which evidently needed this inforcement. From whence it is manifest, that whoso directly or indirectly teaches Men to look upon Christianity as separable from Morality, does the most that is possible misrepresent it; and therein (as effectually as they can do so) undermine both Natural and Reveal'd Religion; the latter of which dispences not with any breach of the former; and exempts us only from the burthen of such outward performances as have no Efficacy to the making Men better, but often do make them very much worse; they conceiving that they are able, thereby, to expiate or attone for their Sins; whence they become less careful in regard of their Duty: A Natural effect of all those things, beneficial alone to the contrivers or directors of them; who, by means thereof, have liv'd in Ease and Plenty upon other Peoples Labours, whilst they (instead of repining thereat) were skilfully taught to reverence them for their usefulness.
Such Men as these profited not a little by the superstition of the People; and therefore could not but always have an interest opposite to that of Vertue: Since the more vertuous Men were, the less they stood in need of, or minded those Matters, of which these managers of Mysteries and Ceremonies had the gainful direction. No wonder then at all was it that the Gospel found so much opposition, whose design was so Diametrically contrary to the interest of a Party every where in such Power and Credit; and whose Author so expresly declared, that his coming was to abolish all such Institutions and Practices.
The Power of God yet prevail'd in spight of that of Men; and
Christianity in a little time had spread itself through the Roman
Empire.
What remedy then remain'd more fit to be devis'd by the Devil or evil Men, to make the Gospel of no effect, than under specious pretences of owning and honouring it, to corrupt it with the old Pagan Principles and Practices, introduc'd under a Christian Disguise? But it being so plainly deliver'd in the whole Tenour of the New Testament, that Christ being once for all offer'd up, there remained no more Sacrifice for Sin; and that he came to teach Men to worship God in Spirit and, in Truth. There was no room left for the searchers for their Religion in these Holy Oracles to be led into the formerly mention'd Pagan Superstitions. The Scriptures therefore must be discarded, or, what was the same thing, shut up from vulgar Readers: Which were all but those who had made it their interest to mislead others by their Explications: The which, together with vain Traditions, supported by the Authority of reverend Names, coming in the place of Scripture, were enjoyn'd to be receiv'd equally with Divine Truths on Terrour of eternal Punishment to as many as could be so persuaded, but to be sure of Temporal Penalty to all who durst withstand this violence done to the common reason of Mankind.