VII. PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES OP THE ABOVE

DOCTRINES.
The sound knowledge of Christianity is not of importance as a matter of speculation merely ; _ though abstract truths, especially truths that relate to God, and the maxims of his moral government, are not without their utility and obligation : but the ' truths that I here contend for nearly affect the sen- timents of our hearts, and our conduct in life ; as,, indeed, has been shown in many respects already. Considering God as possessed of the character in which some divines represent him, it is impossible* while human nature is what it is, that he should appear in ari amiable or respectable light. Such a God may, indeed, be the object of dread and terror to his creaiures $ but by no means of their love or reverence. And what is obedience without love ? It cannot be that of the heart, which, however, is the only thing that is of any real value in religion. Also, how can a man love his fellow-creatures in genera], when he considers the greatest part of them as the objects of the divine abhorrence, and doomed by God to an everlasting destruction, in which he believes that he himself must for ever Tejoice ? And what can ren\ain of virtue, when
these
of the clove Doctrines. 3T
these two great sources of it, the love of God and of mankind, are thus grossly corrupted ? Lastly, how must the genuine spirit of mercy and forgiveness, which so eminently distinguishes the gospel of Christ, be debased, when God himself (whose conduct in this very respect is particularly proposed to our imitation) is considered as never forgiving sin without some previous atonement, satisfaction,. or intercession ?
On the other hand, loving God, as the compas- sionate Father of all his offspring, as willing thai all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of his truth ; and also loving all inankind as our brethren, as, together with ourselves, the children of the same gracious Father, we cannot want the most generous and powerful motives to do the will of God, and " to provoke one another to love and to good works ;" being in no fear of counteracting the secret designs of the Almighty, which we believe are aimed not at the destruction, but the happiness of all his creatures.
Think not, however, that I am so uncharitable as to suppose that all those who profess to main- tain the doctrines I have been arguing against, are universally destitute of the genuine love of God, or of their fellow-creatures. 1 am sensible, and truly thankful, that it is not always the consequence ; but it is because the hearts of such persons are really influenced by better principles than those
which
38 Practical Consequences of the above Doctrines.
which they avow. They by no means habitually regard the Divine Being in the light, in which their principles represent him, but as the true Father of all the creatures that he has made, and, as such,
• sincerely desirous to promote their best interests. Also,. notwithstanding, if they be asked, they will not hesitate to say that Christ is God, the supremacy of the Father, even with respect to the
^.Son, is, at the same time, the real sentiment of their minds ; and when they lift up their hearts to God, it is only God the Father that is the proper object of their adoration. The constant tenor of the Scriptures Is so contrary to their professed creed, that though they dare not call it in question, it is not able to counteract the plainer, the more consistent, and the better principles which will force themselves upon their minds from conversing with the Bible.
Besides, it requires more subtilty and refinement to enter into the principles above mentioned, than the common people are masters of. They cannot conceive how one man should sin, and another person, six thousand years after, be guilty of that sin, and punishable for it ; how one person's righteousness should be considered the righteous- ness of another; or that three distinct persons should "tach of them be God, and yet that there should be no more gods than one.
Men of plain understandings, in fact, never do
believe
History of Opinions concerning Jesus Christ. 39
believe any such thing ; nor can it be supposed that the Gospel, which was intended to be the solid foundation of the faith, hope, and joy of common people, should require so much acuteness as is necessary to give even a plausible colour to these strange assertions. The attempt to explain them (and, till they be explained, they can no more be believed than a proposition in an unknown tongue) can lead to nothing but endless and unpro* Stable controversy. It is happy, therefore, that so* many persons make a better use of the Gospel than their tenets would lead them to do, and that they consider it chiefly as a rule of life, and the founda- tion of hope after death. But, as far as the princi- ples I have been arguing against are believed, they cannot but do harm to those who entertain them, as well as bring disgrace upon the Christian name ; both which every lover of the Gospel should endea- vour to prevent.
A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED
DOCTRINES,