Shews the utter Impoffibility of Salvation, but through his Blood, as the Spiritual Body cannot be formed without it; and it is the moft peculiar Doctrine of the Gospel, to reveal the Neceffity of Spiritual Bodies, and him, who creates them, for the Life and en· joyment of the Heavens.---The falfe and deceitful Notion of Atonement and Expiation in the common Way of conceiving it, is removed; to which more carelessness, falfe Confidence· of divine Favour and Acceptance, more Sins and Antinomian Licentiousness must be afcribed, than to all the other Parts of the corrupted Gofpel. Thefe Conceptions Sprung from heathen Superftitions on their piacular Sacrifices, which Popery adopted and grafted on the bleed Truths of Christianity.

For a full Confutation of all Objections from the Danger of limited Punishments, I refer to that masterly Writer, the celebrated Jeremiah White, once a rigid calvinistical Predeftinarian, when Chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, but afterwards enlightened with true Knowledge of the Gospel, both in the inner Ground, and in the Extent of Redemption, which he has fo elegantly and clearly opened in his Book on the Reftitution of all Things.

Things. And let me add the last ingenious Pen on this Glory of divine Love, the Rev. Mr. Stonehoufe of Bristol, in his Letters on universal Restitution, not long fince publifhed by Mr. DodЛley.

1

As (0) to the Peace of the Church being disturbed by new Opinions, though Icriptural and true; to this Cry of Bigots I fay, if Truths diflurb it, it ought to hear them, “ The

Senfe of the Church is not a Rule, but a Thing ruled. The Church is bound "unto Reafon and Scripture, and governed by them, as much as any particular Per

fon." Moft certainly it is; and this Plea and Pretence of not disturbing the Peace of it, will fupport all Errors and Superftitions alike: And, though every particular Church has the Pride of claiming the Chair of Infallibility, and of pure and uncorrupt Doctrine, yet the Contrariety and Oppofition of their Tenets and Creeds, proclaim the fhameful Vanity of this Popish pretence. (p) Let God be true, and every Man a Liar; let the Voice of Chrift be infallible, and every other Voice whatever fubmit to fuller Knowledge

(0) Whicheste's Aphor. 902. (p) Rom. iii. 4.

ledge of the Mystery of our Saviour, when the holy Spirit poureth it forth on any Men, on Shepherds or Fishermen, who have no Name or Dignity in Church or State.---I Shall now beg leave to offer a few Directions to my Readers. The first is, to read flowly and leisurely, and not to pass over any Paffages, because they may be at first difficult to understand; for what follows will often throw Light on what went before. And indeed, the whole Service of the Temple was connected together, as one continual Figure, where one Part explained and confirmed the other. And let not fuch a deliberate Perufal be thought too much, fince many Volumes are read, and much Time beflowed to arrive at the Knowledge of one Book, either of the Law or Gofpel. Ought any one to expect, that the deep and dark Things of the Law, or the Myfteries of the Kingdom of Chrift, be underfood without previous Confideration, or fuch firong Defire and earnest Love for it, as (q) David Shewed, who made the Law his Study, Day and Night; and which the Apoftle enjoins,

when

(q) Pf. i. 2.

when he bids (r) Timothy " to meditate on thefe Things, and to give himself wholly "unto them."

Secondly, it must be read without Preju→ dice, as if no other Syftem of Divinity, or Interpretation had been received. The Neceffity of this Freedom from all Prepoffeffion or Partiality is well expreffed in a (s) Differtation lately published. "He that means "to find out the true and genuine Senfe of "the facred Writings, must look with the Same Indifference, upon all theological

Opinions. The Man that is byaffed in "Favour of any particular Opinion, or at"tached to this, or that Syftem of Theology, "will be apt to prefs Scripture into its Ser"vice; too forward to make the certain,

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unerring Doctrines of the Gospel, yield and give Way to the uncertain, erroneous

Decifions of frail and fallible Men. And "thus a mere human Scheme of Faith, and "not the Word of God, will be preposterously "made the Teft and Criterion of Truth." I therefore advife those who cannot forget and lay afide for a while the Doctrines of any Church

C

(r) I Tim. iv. 5. (s) Dr. Edward's twe Differt. publifhed by John.

Church or Chriftian Community, not to concern themselves with this Work, where Scripture is explained only by Scripture, and (t) fpiritual Things as the Apostle directs, are compared with, and illuftrated by fpiritual Things.

Thirdly, no Reader ought to expect, that all of it be underflood at once; none but the most experienced in the divine Life, and the Proceffes and Stages of Regeneration, can have any Claim to fuch a ready Apprehenfion of Spiritual Subjects; which, however, are firft known and tafted in the Heart and Affection, before they enter the Understanding, as we must tafte Honey, before any Judgment can be formed of its specific fweetness; or as it is well expreffed by a chriftian Father; (u) accipe quod Sentitur antequam difcitur; for all divine Truths are known and evidenced by a divine Senfe and Experience, before the Understanding receives them, as Light can only be known by being feen and felt, and not by the Defcription or its Hiflory in Words. What Knowledge I have in the Mystery of Chrift in us, has been flowly and

gradually

6) I. Cor. ii. 13. (u) Cypriani Epift. I.