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equally against all, and are equally engaged to bear the brunt of all.

And if the contest be only betwixt the Deists and the priests; which of them are the men of the greatest parts and sense, let the effects determine it: and let the Deists yield the victory to their conquerors, who, by their own confession, carry all the world before them.

XVII. If the Deists say, That this is because all the world are blockheads, as well as those priests who govern them; that all are blockheads, except the Deists, who vote themselves only to be men of sense; this (besides the modesty of it) will spoil their great and beloved topic, in behalf of what they call natural religion, against the revealed, viz. appealing to the common reason of mankind. This they set up against revelation; think this to be sufficient for all the uses of men, here or hereafter (if there be any after state) and, therefore, that there is no use of revelation. This common reason they advance as infallible, at least as the surest guide; yet now cry out upon it, when it turns against them. When this common reason runs after revelation, as it always has done, then common reason is a beast; and we must look for reason, not from the common sentiments of mankind, but only among the beaux, the Deists.

XVIII. Therefore, if the Deists would avoid the mortification, (which will be very uneasy to them) to yield, and submit to be subdued and hewed down before the priests (whom, of all mankind, they hate and despise ;) if they would avoid this, let them confess, as the truth is,

That religion is no invention of priests, but of divine original: that priests are instituted by the same author of religion; and that their order is a perpetual and living monument of the matters of fact of their religion, instituted from the time that such matters of fact were said to be done as the Levites from Moses; the apostles, and succeeding clergy, from Christ, to this day That no heathen priest can say the same: they were not appointed by the gods whom they served, but by others, in after ages: they cannot stand the test of the four rules before mentioned; which the Christian priests can do, and they only. Now, the Christian priesthood, as instituted by Christ himself, and continued by succession to this day, being as impregnable and flagrant a testimony to the truth of the matters of fact of Christ, as the sacraments, or any other public institutions; besides that, if the priesthood were taken away, the sacraments, and other public institutions, which are administered by their hands, must fall with them therefore, the devil has been most busy, and bent his greatest force, in all ages, against the priesthood; knowing, that if that goes down, all goes with it.

XIX. And now, last of all, if one word of advice would not be lost upon men who think so unmeasurably of themselves as the Deists, you may represent to them what a condition they are in, who spend that life and sense, which God has given them, in ridiculing the greatest of his blessings,his revelations of Christ, and by Christ, to redeem those from eternal misery who shall

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believe in him, and obey his laws! and that God, in his wonderful mercy and wisdom, has so guarded his revelations, as that it is past the power of men or devils to counterfeit: and that there is no denying of them, unless we will be so absurd as to deny, not only the reason, but the certainty of the outward senses, not only of one, or two, or three, but of mankind in general": That this case is so very plain, that nothing but want of thought can hinder any to discover it: that they must yield it to be so plain, unless they can shew some forgery, which has all the four marks before set down. But if they cannot do this, they must quit their cause, and yield a happy victory over themselves; or else, sit down under all that ignominy, with which they have loaded the priests, of being, not only the most pernicious, but (what will gall them more) the most inconsiderate, and inconsiderable of mankind.

Therefore, let them not think it an under valuing of their worthiness, that their whole cause is comprised within so narrow a compass, and no more time bestowed upon it than it is worth.

But let them rather reflect, how far they have been all this time from Christianity, whose rudiments they are yet to learn; how far from the Way of salvation: how far the race of their lives is run, before they have set one step in the road to heaven! and, therefore, how much diligence they ought to use, to redeem all that time they have lost, lest they lose themselves forever; and be convinced by a dreadful experience, when it

is too late, that the gospel is a truth and of the last consequence.

The Designs and Extent of the DEATH of CHRIST.

1. THAT the prophecies of his death and sufferings might be fulfilled.* "I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not but the scriptures must be fulfilled.† And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.‡ They said, therefore, among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. After this,Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. For these things were done that the scriptures should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again, another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced."**

Matth. xxvi. 56, John, xix. 24, 28, 36, 37,

† St. Mark, xiv. 49. xv. 28. ** St

2. Christ, in suffering, bare our sins in his own body, on the tree; that we might die to sin, and live to God." So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.* Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He shall see of the travial of his soul, and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."‡

3. To fulfil and abolish the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, or the cerimonial dispensation, and thus break down the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles, and reconcile both to God, in one body, by the cross, &c. and to redeem us from that law. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abol ished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of

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* Heb ix. 28. 41 Peter, ii. 24. Isa. fili. 4, 5, 6, 11.

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