fetting afide the Chriftian, or any Revelation, if what is offered in its favour carries with it the greater and higher degree of probability. When any que ftion admits of a dispute, common justice requires that every thing fhould be brought into the cafe which makes either for, or against that question; and wherever upon a fair comparison, the greater and higher degree of probability lies, that ought in reafon to determine our judgments, either for or against that question.

THE

THE

TRUE GOSPEL

OF

JESUS CHRIST

ASSERTED.

T

SECTION I

HE great end and the professed defign of our Lord Jefus Chrift as to his coming into the world, and with refpect to what he has revealed to it, performed in it, and fuffered from it, and for it, is manifeftly and apparently this, viz. to fave mens fouls; that is, it is to prepare men for, and to infure to them the favour of God, and their happiness in another world, and to prevent them from bringing great and lasting mifery upon themfelves. And that this is the truth of the cafe is most evident from Chrift's own repeated declarations concerning this matter. Matth. xviii. 11. For the fon of man is come to fave that which was loft. Luke ix. 56. For the fon of man is not come to deftroy mens lives, but to fave them. Chap. xix. 10. For the fon of man is come to feek and to fave that which was lost. John iii. 16, 17. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten fon;

B

that

that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God fent not his fon into the world to condemn the world; but that the world thro' him might be faved. Chap. v. 24. Verily, verily I fay unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that fent me, bath everlafting life, and fhall not come into condemnation; but bath paffed from death unto life. Chap. vi. 40. And this is the will of him that fent me, that every one which feeth the fon, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Chap. x. 10. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Chap. xii. 47. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I am not come to judge the world, but to fave it. From thefe and fuch like declarations which Chrift has made, it is most evident and apparent, not only that men by their vices and wickedness had rendred themselves unworthy of God's favour, and had expofed themselves to his just dif pleasure; but also that the great end and the profelfed defign which Chrift came into the world to profecute, was to procure their falvation; which in other words is the fame as to fay, that his great end and defign was to prepare men for, and to infure to them, the favour of God, and their happiness in another world; and to prevent them from being greatly and laftingly miferable. And,

As this was the main or chief end which Chrift came into the world to profecute; fo in confequence thereof, and thereby in a fecondary and lefs proper fenfe, he may be faid to come into the world to promote and fecure the prefent well-being of mankind; namely, to lead men to prefent plea

fure,

fure, and to fecure them from prefent mifery, as the pleafures and pains of this world, are generally connected with the pains and pleasures of another; that is, what fits and prepares a man for future felicity, generally tends to make him eafy and happy here; and what expofes a man to the miferies of another world, generally tends to make him unhappy and miferable in this. And in this view of the cafe, Christianity may as truly be faid to be fubfervient to mens prefent as to their future wellbeing; not by invefting any Chriftian with any temporal power or jurifdiction over his brethren or fellow Chriftians, out of which his prefent good or temporal advantage might arife; but only by engaging each and every individual to put on fuch. a temper of mind, and fuch a behaviour, as renders each perfon a bleffing to himself, and to fociety, and from which temper and behaviour the prefent temporal good of each individual generally flows. Christianity was not intended, and therefore it has made no provifion, for the investing any Chriftian, nor any fet, or order, or body of men amongst Chriftians, with any the leaft degree of temporal power or wealth, any otherwife than as it engages each individual in the practice of that virtue which may render him worthy to be intrusted with the former in civil fociety, and as it leads him to that diligence, induftry, and frugality, which is productive of the latter. And,

As the grand defign of Chrift and the Chriftian revelation is to promote the future good and being of mankind, and not the present intereft of any perfon, but only as the latter is connected with, and naturally flows, from the former: fo whenever the name of the revelation of Chrift is made

B 2

made ufe of to fupport and carry on the temporal intereft of any Chriftian, or any fet, or order, or body of men among Chriftians, by investing them with any the leaft degree of temporal power out of which their prefent intereft might arife, this is manifeftly an abufe of the name and of the revelation of Chrift, by making these subfervient to other and contrary purposes than what they were intended. I would not be understood to mean that Chriftians as Chriftians have not a right to make ufe of the name and the revelation of Chrift, by way of argument or motive in order to perfwade and engage each other to the practice of justice, gratitude, and benevolence, out of which the temporal good of many Christians must arife, there being in thefe cafes no temporal power or jurifdiction at all; but what I intend is, that no Chriftian confidered as a Chriftian, and by virtue of his being fuch, has any coercive power or jurifdiction over the perfons or properties of any other Chriftians, fo as to have a right forcibly to oblige them to any thing, or to mulet or punish them for their non-compliance, Chrift not having delegated any fuch power; and when, or wherever it has been claimed and exercifed, it has been fubverfive of the great end and purpofe of his coming, and of his preaching and miniftry; that is, it has been injurious to the pre Jent and future happiness of mankind..

To believe in, and to fubmit to be governed by the laws of Chrift, is what, and what alone, con fitutes a Chriftian; and it is this which con tracts the relation betwixt Chrift and his people. Whoever therefore believes in, and fubmits to be governed by the laws of Chrift, by