motive, nor aim at a right end, nor direct the action to fuch an end in a right and proper manner, but for the facrifice of Chrift: and yet it would, I think, be very abfurd to think, that the deity has not a capacity for doing all and each of these things, without any affistance from the facrifice of Chrift, or from any other external confideration whatever. To fuppofe that he has not fuch a capacity, would fupply us with very unworthy notions of his power, wisdom, and goodness. More particularly,

;

§. 9. THE rectitude both of these affections or natural inclinations, which are the primary motives to the actions of the deity, and of thefe ends which he proposes to himfelf when he doth act, depends entirely on the effential perfection of his own mind which is fuch, that he has, at all times, and in all cafes, a perfect, comprehenfive, and clear view of the good and evil of all objects and actions, and of the feveral degrees of good and evil in them; and is duly affected by these his perceptions of good and evil, and of the feveral degrees of them; fo that he can, at no time, nor in any case, affect or pursue that which is evil, or not affect and pursue that which is good; or deteft that which is evil, or affect that which is good, but in proportion to the degree of good or evilwhich he fees in it: or, which, in this cafe, is the fame thing, in proportion to the real degree

of

of good or evil in it. Wherefore, fince the rectitude of the motives upon which God acts, and of the ends which he proposes to himself when he doth act, is thus, at all times, and in all cafes, the neceffary and unavoidable refult of the effential perfection of his own mind; 'tis plain, that the rectitude of these neither is, nor can be, conftituted by any thing that is uneffential to his own all-perfect mind.

§. 10. AGAIN, as to the tendencies of actions; these are fixed and immutable things, and result, in fuch a neceffary and unavoidable manner, from the very effences of actions and things, that they cannot be feparated from them, nor be any way changed, by any means, or power whatsoever, fo as to become other than they are. The rectitude, therefore, of the tendency and fitness of actions, in relation to the particular ends which are proposed to be fubferved by them, doth not depend on the changing or mending the tendencys of the actions; but on a right choice of fuch actions as have a proper tendency and due fitness to promote the end, or ends, proposed to be fubferved by them. And, for this reafon, the rectitude of the tendency and fitnefs of the actions of the deity, in relation to the ends proposed to be fubferved by them, muft depend on his making a right choice of fuch actions as have a proper tendency and due fitnefs to promote

the faid ends; and, confequently, on a due ufe of his all-perfect understanding, and not on any thing that is uneffential to his own nature, fuch as the facrifice of Chrift is.

§. 11. UPON the whole, then, it appears, that the rectitude of the action of the deity in remitting fins, is, in every fupppofeable refpect, independent on the facrifice of Jefus Chrift: confequently, that this facrifice as conftituting the rectitude of that action, or making it a right action, neither is, nor can be, any reason with God, for the performance of it.

§. 12. OBJECT. If it fhould be objected here, that the grant of the remiffion of fins to offenders, at what time foever they repent of them, would be an encouragement to fin and disobedience, unless this grant was qualified, and the ill confequences of it guarded againft, by the intervention of the facrifice of Chrift: And, therefore, the grant of this, without the intervention of the facrifice of Christ, would have been a wrong action: confequently, it is by the facrifice of Christ, that it is made a right action.-This seems to have been the Dr's way of thinking and reafoning'. And therefore, I have here exhibited it, in order to answer it.

§. 13. ANSW. (1.) If, by the remiffion of fins, we understand, not a full and abfolute

1 See Scripture-doctrine of Atonement examined, Chap. X. §. 164—171

lute remiffion, not a remiffion of that penalty which is due even to penitents themfelves, on account of the faulty part of their moral character; but only a remiffion of the penalty which is proper in the cafe of impenitence, and to which penitents had been obnoxious while they remained impenitent, together with such a measure of favour and reward as bears a due proportion to the meafure of that obedience which is fubfequent to repentance, whatever it is; I fay, if we understand the remiffion of fins in this limited sense, the grant of it is a right action, and fuch as cannot be attended with the ill confequence mentioned, or any other and, therefore, it stands in no need of being qualified and guarded by the facrifice of Chrift, or any thing else, in order to render it a right action; neither of that facrifice, as thus qualifying and guarding it, a reafon with God, for the grant of it. But (2.) if, by the remiffion of fins, we understand a full and abfolute pardon, or a release from every penal evil the grant of fuch a remiffion would be a wrong action, as being neceffarily and unavoidably attended with the bad confequence aforefaid. This action is incapable of being guarded, qualifyed, or circumftanced, by any means whatsoever, fo as to be rendered a good or right action, or hindred from be ing an encouragement to fin and difobedience. It can never ceafe to be a wrong acO 4 tion

tion; never become a right one. The more pains are taken by the legiflator, to correct its obliquity and ill tendency, (even suppofing it were by the death of his own dear fon, or by the perfect obedience and goodnefs of his whole life,) this, instead of correcting and mending, would only encrease and augment them, as I have demonftrated in the foregoing chapter. Wherefore, fince the facrifice of Chrift cannot change the nature of this wrong action, nor be any antidote against its ill confequences, it can be no reafon with God for the performance of it.And this, I think, is a full and fatisfactory answer to the objection under confideration.

§. 14. BUT if, after all, the Dr, or any other perfon, fhould ftill think, that the action of the deity in giving his own dear fon to be a facrifice for fins, because it is fubordinate to his action in granting the remiffion of fins, must have been a reason with him for the performance of the latter action: every body, I think, must see that this is wrong reafoning, and that the very reverse holds true. A fubordinate action is always done for the fake of the principal action to which it is fubordinate; but a principal action is never done for the fake of the fubordinate action. Wherefore, although the action of the deity in giving Chrift to be

a