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Ms mediation are very juftly repiefentcd as the means of 

 procuring for 113 the blcffings of which we are made par- 

 takers. See Heb. ix. 12. i Cor. vi. 20. viii. 23. Rev. v. 

 9 . This reprefentation of the matter gave rife to the term 

 fatisfadion, which has' been generally iifcd by writers in 

 treating of this fubjea. (See S^tisfactios.) This author 

 having dated his notion of the death of Chriil as an atone- 

 ment for fin, obviates the obje<ftions that have been ur^cd 

 zgainft the opinion he has adopted. Biit we mull refer %r 

 f'lrther particulars to the author's trcatife, p. 105, Sic. See 

 alfo Chapman's Euftbius, vol. ii. ch.iv, v, vi. 



The/rcoiuf explanation of the term atonement, which has 

 fometimes been called the Arminian fcheme, fuppofcs that 

 the fufFerings of Jefus Chriil were inconceivably fevere; and 

 that the object of them was to exhibit the evil and de- 

 merit of fin, and the difpleafure of God againil it, who would 

 not even forgive a fincere penitent, without thus manifeftir.g 

 liis hatred of vrickednefs. This coincides, in a degree, with 

 the illuftration of this dcftrine already given ; it has 

 been denominated the moderate doftrine, and has been 

 adopted, with certain modifications, by many divines and 

 others. 



A tl'trd hypothefis relating to this fubjeft is that of the 

 learned Dr. John Taylor (fee his " Scripture DoClrine of 

 Atonement examined, &c. and alfo his " Key to the Apo- 

 ftolic Writings," prefixed to his •' Paraphrafe, &c. on the 

 Epiftle to the Romars," ch.viii.), who fuppofes, " that the 

 fcriptures reprefent the death of Chrift as an aft of obedi- 

 ence fo acceptable to God, that, as the reward of it, he 

 thought fit to grant unto mankind, corrupt and wicked, the 

 forgivenefs of fin [alftluleiy, in relation to antecedent blef- 

 fings ; and upon condition of repentance, in relation to eternal 

 life), and to erecl a new difpenfation furnidied with aU pro- 

 per means to draw us from fin unto God, and to bring us 

 to the poffefiion of immortality. The blood of Chrift, fays 

 this writer, or that by which he has bought or redeemed 

 us, IS his love and goodnefs to men, and his obedience to 

 God, exercifed indeed through the whole of his ftate of 

 humihation in this world, but moll eminently exhibited in- 

 his death. It is his complete and fpotlefs rigliteoufnefs, his 

 humility, goodnefs, and obedience unto d.'ath, which makes 

 his blood precious in the beft. and highell fenfe, and gives 

 his crofs all its worth and efficacy. Obedience was the fa- 

 crifice which he offered unto God for u=." " It was his 

 righteoufnefs, or righteous, kind, and benevolent aftion, 

 liis obedient death, or the facrifice of his love and obedience, 

 which made atonement for the fin of the world ; fo far, and 

 in this fenfe, that God, on account of his goodnefs and 

 perfeft obedience, fo highy pleafing unto him, thought fit 

 to grant unto mankind, whom he might in ilrift jnilice have 

 deftroyed for their general corruption and wickednefs (John, 

 iii. 17.), the forgivenefs of fins, not imputing unto them 

 their trefpaffes (2 Cor. v. 19.) or thofe fins which were 

 pall, orwliich they had already committed (Rom. iii. 25.), 

 and for which they dtferved to fall under the dreadful effecls 

 of God's wrath. And not only did he forgive former tref- 

 pafies to all the living and to all the penitent and obedient 

 dead, but further he erected a glorious and perfeft difpenla- 

 tion of grace, exceeding any which had gone before it in 

 means, promifes, and profpcfts ; at tl-.ehead of which he 

 fet his Son, our lord Jefus Chrift, invedcd with iiniverfal 

 power in heaven and on earth, cohftituting him king and 

 governor over the new body, which he defigned to torm, 

 captain of our falvalion, tlie high-prieft of our profeffion, 

 the mediator and furcty of the new covenant, to negotiate 

 and manage all affairs relating to our prefent inftruclion and 

 fanaihcation, to raifc all the dead out of their graves, &nd 



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to put the obedient and faithful into polTcnion of etemal 

 life." — " As in various inftances, the virtue, piety, and 

 prayers of good men were the reafon of God's bellowing 

 pardon and fnndry blcfiings upon others, how ip.uch more, 

 according to this author, mull the perfeft righteoufnefs, or 

 obedience and goodnefs of the Son of God, be a reafon for 

 rtmitting the fins of mankind, fo far as, in the nature of 

 things, they are capable of rtUiiffion, or of being atoned ? 

 I'or the fins of .the imptnitent, who finally ntgi-.ci ii'.id rcfiil 

 aU means of refonnation, cannot be atoned or forgiven. 

 Grace or favour, through the atonement of Chriil, may be 

 fo far Ihewn to fuch, as to allow them fpace and means to 

 repent ; but none bcfides the penitent who duly improve 

 the divine goodnefs and patience, can receive the benefit of 

 eternal falvation through the atonement of Ciirill. The 

 wifdom, as well as the grace of this difpcnfat:c;i:, arc ill'.if- 

 trated, when we confider, that pardon in the gofpcl is raifed 

 to a very high degp-ee ; and repentance is there made avail- 

 able, not only to exempt from punifnmtnt, but alfo to gain 

 a new and glorious ilate of being in eternal life, which is a 

 grant of favour extended far beyond the natural value of 

 rcpcn'ancc. Btfides, the grant of rcmiffiou of fin, and 

 of other blcffuigs of the gofpel, through the blood of Chrift, 

 has a ilrong and direft tendency to promote our fanctifiea- 

 tion, and to render us penitent and obedient ; and therefore 

 this conftitution mull be acquitfctd in as perfectly wife and 

 beneficent." Dr. Taylor, in exam.ining tlic notion of atone- 

 ment abo\e ftated and confidercd as the fatisfying divine 

 jullice, by another's fuficting the punifiiment due to the cri- 

 minal's fin in his Head, adduces a variety of pafiages per- 

 taining to this fubieft, and thole more cfpc<:ially in which 

 the Hebrew word ■\3^, by which, or iti dfrivatives, atone- 

 ment is exprcffcd in the Old Tellament : and though he d:f- 

 cards the notions of the imputation of our fins to Chriil, 

 his fufFering in our Head the punilhment due to us, or his 

 paying au equivalent to. divine jullice, yet he conclude* 

 his examination with inferring from it, that the facrifice of 

 Chrift was, truly and properly, in the highell degree, and 

 far beyond any other, piacular and expiatcr)-, to make 

 atonement for, or to take away fin : not only to give us 

 an example ; not only to affure us of remiffion ; or to pro- 

 cure our Lord a commiflion to pubhlh the forgivenefs of 

 fin ; but moreover to obtain that forgivenefs by doing what 

 God in his wifdom and goodnefs judged fit and expedient 

 to be done in order to the forgivenefs of fin ; and -without 

 which he did not think it fit or expedient to grant the for- 

 givenefs of fin." The truly excellent bilhop Cutler, in 

 dehvcring his fentiments on this fubjeft (Analogy, &c. pt. ii. 

 c. 5.), obferves, " that fome have endeavoured to explain 

 the efficacy of what Chritl has done and luffertd for us be- 

 yond what the fcripture has authorized ; others, probably, 

 becaufc they could not explain it, have been fur t-fking it 

 away, and confining his office as redeemer of the world to 

 his inllruftion, example, and government of ihe church. 

 Whereas the doftrine of the golpcl appears to be, not only 

 that he taught tiie efficacy of repentance, but rendered it 

 of the efficacy wliich it is by what he did and fuHered for 

 us ; that he obtained for us the benefit of having our re- 

 pentance accepted to etemal life, &c. How arid in what way- 

 it had this particular efficacy, there arc not warning pei-fons 

 who have endeavoured to explain ; but we do not find that 

 the fcriptures have explained it. It is our wifdom thank- 

 fully to accept the benefit, without ditputing how it was 

 procured." To the fame puipofe. Dr. Price, who formed 

 his fcntimeiits verj' much on thj general plan of Butler's 

 Analogy, fays, in his " Seiinons on the Chriftian Doftrine," 

 p. Sj. that Chvift dtfceuded to this earth from a Hate of 

 L 1 2 pre- 



