A SHORT DE FENCE O F THE DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT. T HE doctrines which relate to the cha racter and offices of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, are undoubtedly of very great importance in the fyftem of chriftianity; and their connection with our religious conduct is fo intimate, that it is impoffible we should be right in the latter, if we err confiderably with refpect to the former. The acknowledgement of the divinity of Christ, for inftance, calls for fuch affections and behaviour towards him, as they who look upon him as a mere man cannot maintain. practical regard must likewise be much affected by our belief or disbelief of the doctrine of atonement for fin by his death. If this docwing is without foundation in scripture, it Our muft must be a high affront to the Divine Majesty, to place any hope of pardon on the cruel treatment, which a mere man like ourselves met with in the world: But if our Lord Jefus Chrift made a facrifice for fin by his death, and we are commanded to come unto God through fuch a mediator; then their condition is dangerous indeed, who despise that facrifice, and reject that method of approaching God, which is appointed in the gofpel for guilty finners. The doctrine of atonement has been treated with much contempt by fome late writers, who have thought fit to speak (as one of them expreffes it) "with great indignation" against it; and to reprefent it, not only as contrary to the scriptures, but likewise as fo abfurd in itself, that it would render the Bible indefenfible, if it contained fuch a doctrine. I have examined, with some attention, the arguments on which this representation is founded; and as they appear to me to be inconclufive, I have ventured to point out wherein I think them faulty, and to give a fhort defence of what I believe to be a fundamental doctrine of Christianity. The doctrine of the Socinians refpecting atonement is this, "That God requires no "confideration or condition of pardon, but "the repentance of the offender; and that, "confequently, the death of Chrift was no "real " real facrifice for fin, but is called fo in the "fcriptures merely in a figurative sense, by 66 way of allufion to the Jewish fin-offerings; as our praises and other good works are "called facrifices, because they are fomething offered up to God." On the contrary, the doctrine which I mean to defend is, That 'God has thought fit to require a confidera⚫tion of pardon diftinct from the repentance of the finner; and that this confideration iş the death of Chrift, which was a real facri'fice for fin, and ftood related to the Jewish facrifices as the antitype to the type.' I. It is evident, that the inspired writers do fpeak of the death of Christ as a facrifice for fin. Christ appeared to put away fin by the facrifice of himself. Heb. ix. 26. Chrift bath given himfelf for us, an offering and a facrifice to God. Eph. v. 2. Christ was once offered to bear the fins of many. Heb. ix. 28. He is the propitiation for our fins. 1 John, ii. 2. After he had offered one facrifice for fin, be for ever fat down at the right hand of God. Heb. x. 12. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified. Ib. 14. &c. The question then is, Whether this language, which abounds in the New Teftament, is proper, and to be understood literally; merely figurative, and used by way of allufion to the Jewish sacrifices. or It It is an allowed rule of interpreting the fcriptures, that every doctrine contained therein. must be understood in its most plain and obvious fenfe, confidered in connection with its context, unless this fenfe is clearly abfurd in itself, or contrary to other parts of fcripture. Now it is felf-evidently right, that God fhould appoint fuch a way of extending mercy to penitent finners, as his infinite wisdom faw the fittest to display his hatred of fin, and to maintain the honour of his righteous laws, and just government of the univerfe. And no good reason can be given, why God, as governor of the world, might not appoint a facrifice to be the means of forgiveness for tranfgreffions against his general laws, as he did for offences against those particular laws, which he instituted as governor of one nation. Let us then examine whether other parts of fcripture require us to reftrain the facrifical language, ufed concerning our Lord, to a merely figurative sense, or whether we are led by them to understand it in its most proper and obvious fignification. The most striking circumftance of the Jewish oeconomy was, the appointment of facrifice as the means of obtaining pardon for offences committed against that conftitution, which the Jews were under as a peculiar people. Sacrifice was undoubtedly a confideration distinct from the moral character of the of fender fender, yet was the ftanding means of obtaining forgiveness, under the Mofaic difpenfation, to those who conformed to the conditions required by the ceremonial law. Now if this difpenfation was defigned to represent that of the gofpel, then is pardon granted under the gofpel alfo, to those who comply with the conditions required therein, by virtue of a confideration diftinct from the moral character of the offender, in the fame manner as it was under the law of Mofes. That the Jewish propitiatory facrifices were a neceffary confideration of forgiveness, and the means of obtaining it, appears both from their inftitution, and the view which is given of them by the inspired writer of the epiftle to the Hebrews. The words of the inftitution are plain to this purpose. And it shall be when any one shall be guilty in one of these things, that he fhall confefs that he hath finned in that thing: And he fhall bring his trefpass-offering unto the Lord for his fin which he bath finned; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, for his fin which he bath finned, and it shall be forgiven him. Lev. v. 5, 6, 10. This paffage compared with Lev. xvii. 11. which affures us that it was the blood which made the atonement, leaves no reason to doubt, that the facrifice offered by the offender was the appointed means of obtaining forgiveness of his offence. The fame view of propitiatory facrifices is given |