helps us to determine the difpute concerning the Religion of the Patriarchs. For if the Law was given to re-establish and re-inforce the grand articles of this Religion, as it certainly was, and yet was not given to reestablish and re-inforce the doctrine of Redemption and a future ftate, as it certainly was not, the dispute is at an end.

It is agreed on all hands, that the Law was inftituted to preferve the doctrines, which had been the Foundation of the Patriarchal Religion. His Lordship contends that the principle of Redemption and a future state was one of these. The Queftion therefore to be debated with him, is, whether the Law was given to administer and preferve this doctrine.

His Lordship, who follows the common opinion, supposes that the patriarchal and the Christian Religion were indeed one and the fame. The point therefore to be confidered is, Whether the Law was appointed to administer and difpenfe the fundamental articles of the Gofpel. And here I have the pleasure to obferve, that the bare ftating of the Question, seems fufficient to expofe the groffness and extravagance of the Syftem I am going to confute.

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ift.

ift. then, It will be feen, that his Lordship's fuppofition is inconfiftent with the nature of the Law, confidered as a preparatory or introductory Difpenfation. 2. That there is nothing to countenance and fupport it in the Old Teftament. 3. That it directly contradicts many texts of the New, and alfo several paffages in his Lordship's Sermons and Difcourfes on Prophecy.

"The prophe

To begin with the first. "cies of the feveral periods already con"fider'd (fays his Lordship) have been "found to correfpond to the state of Re"ligion in the world, at the time of giv"ing the prophecy: A great prefumption "that the cafe is the fame under the Jewish

Difpenfation. We must therefore, in "order to our present inquiry, confider the "state of Religion under the Mofaic Dispen"fation." (a)

If we confider the ftate of this Religion, we shall find, that both in its nature and end it bears all the marks of a preparatory System. And can we infer from the nature of fuch an institution, that it was given to administer and dispense the great hopes and promises of the final and ultimate Religion? (a) P. 140.

The

The contrary cannnot but be the Truth. But let us confider the cafe a little more dif tinctly.

The Author of the epiftle to the Hebrews has informed us, that the Law contained only a shadow, or nothing more than the bare rudiments and elements, of the Gospel. But is it natural or reasonable to imagine, that Infants and Pupils, trained and disciplined under the mere elements and rudiments of the Gospel, were ripe for its more fublime and perfect doctrines. And yet this must have been the cafe, if the Law was appointed to preserve and adminifter the hopes and promises attached to the fpiritual Covenant.

The paffing through this previous discipline of mere carnal elements, could ferve no other purpose than to mispend their time, and retard their progrefs towards greater and better things, if indeed those things were due to their Difpenfation.

It is unaccountable his Lordship should fuppofe, that the Jews were the proper objects of two fuch different methods of discipline and inftruction, at the fame time. There must have been fomething very fingular and uncommon in the character of this Peo

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People, if they were fo dull and cloudy in one quarter of their heads, as to need the mere carnal rudiments of an introductory system; and yet, fo fpiritual and enlightened in the other, as to be qualified to receive the fublime truths of a final and ultimate Religion.

All this is just as natural as it would be to teach children their horn-book, and the Essay on buman Understanding, at the fame time.

The abfurdity will rife ftill higher, if we confider the argument in another light. According to his Lordship, the principal branches of the Christian Religion had been revealed in the Patriarchal Covenant: and yet the rudiments and elements of this religion were delivered afterwards in the Law. But is it poffible, that perfons, previously instructed in the more fublime parts of fcience, should after this be taught their elements, or that their time could be usefully employed in learning them over again?

It is directly inverting the natural order of Things, to fuppofe, that the more fublime branches of fcience were delivered firft, and the mere rudiments and elements taught afterwards. At least, his Lordship will own, that the method of

teach

teaching divine wisdom was just the reverse of that employed by the Mafters of human. For it is ufual with these to begin with the rudiments, and to ascend gradually to the more perfect and fublime principles. But here the more perfect and fublime are taught firft, and the study of the elements referved for a more mature and advanced age.

His Lordship often speaks of the Law, as being a preparatory fyftem. And fuch it would properly and strictly be, if it contained nothing more than the bare rudiments of the Christian Faith. But if you fay it likewife taught the fublime doctrines of the final and ultimate Religion, you will' unavoidably make it fomething more than a mere preparatory Syftem. On this fuppofition it might as well be called the Gospel as the Law.

To proceed. His Lordship obferves in another place, "That the ancient prophe"cies, relative to the fpiritual covenant, "were given to establish and confirm the hopes of Futurity, and to prepare and make ready the people for the reception of the King"dom of God (a)."

(a) p. 127.