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revive this dreaded Doctrine, and attempted to refcue it from fome of the ugly confequences ufually ascribed to it, has offered fuch hints, both from Scripture and Reason, as may enable those that are disposed to view it with impartiality, in either light, to come at a fair decision: being perfuaded, that if every one who takes the subject in hand, were as calm and dispassionate as the Letter Writer, (the Rev. Mr.Brifted;) this and all points of the like nature might foon be brought to a fatisfactory conclufion, without endangering the publick peace: and if we still happened to differ in interpreting fome parts of the Gospel, we should nevertheless unite in the genuine fpirit of it, by bearing with and affifting one another in love. But if he has judged wrong of the general temper of the world; or if at this day, prudential reafons render it improper for fuch questions to be agitated; he readily fubmits to better judgments, nor would affect to appear more wife than his superiors. He is very far from being contentious; yet has an ardent defire of doing some service to the Caufe of Christianity in this day of distress, when it is closely attacked on all fides, but ever (as has been frequently obferved) with most fuc-* cefs through that impure mixture of human doctrines and heathen traditions, by which it appears to have been very much difguifed and defiled: and he must esteem it his duty to promote and encourage every fair, modeft enquiry, how far this may be really the cafe, and what may prove the most effectual method to relieve it. He hopes to

be

be excufed for dwelling fo largely on these two capital points, our Fall in the firft, and our Recovery by the second Adam; together with that account of our frame and destination, which he has long conceived to have a juft foundation in the Scriptures, and to be of confequence in explaining the true use and import of Christianity, as there delivered; and how far he has fucceeded, he now leaves to the publick judgement, without more debate; being not very eager of obtruding his fentiments, where they are obferved with reluctance; or fond of forcing his way through a crowd of adverfaries; or pleased with continuing in a fituation like that of the Jews under Nehemiah, obliged to work with one hand in the rubbish, and with the other to hold a weapon.

He had fuch a favourable opinion of the prefent times, as to make some trial of their difpofition; and was tempted to rely upon that liberty of prophefying, which feems to be wifely indulged by our Governours, to their own great honour, and the publick benefit; and which has remarkably accelerated the progrefs of religious as well as all other knowledge in this, above any former age: but if he has mistaken either their Temper, or his own Talents, which is very poffible; prefuming too much on appearances, and pushing matters beyond what even the prefent times, greatly improved as they most certainly are within our memory, will bear: if he has deviated too far from the common road, fo as to have given unnecessary offence to thofe that are otherwise minded; such

will find him willing to make all the reparation in his power, by affuring them that they may rest secure as to him, from any more disturbance of this kind; fince he is equally unwilling, to rob any good men of the fatisfaction they enjoy in popular opinions, as to expose himself to popular odium by perfifting in drawing the Saw of contention upon this or any other point of unavailing controverfy. Comp. S. Bourn's Advertisement prefixed to his Discourses in 2 Vols. with Serm. x, xi, &c. and the late excellent piece, entitled, A Short historical View of the Controverfy. 2d Ed. or, A warning against Popish Doctrines, 1767.

THE END.

A:

AR

BEL, the diftinction between his offering, and that of Cain, on
what founded, p. 52. A proof that animal facrifice was appointed
by the Deity, 53.

Abilities of perfons in general fuited to their state, 8-10. An equa-
lity in them would be prejudicial to fociety, 11-14.

ABIMELECH, two kings of Gerar of that name; fhew a proper fense
of religion in Abraham's time, 73.

Aborigines, the pretence of being fuch in any people founded on their
ignorance, 210.

ABRAHAM, the reason of his call, 68-72. The general covenant
with his feed, 69, efpecial one with part of them, ib. These
two very confiftent, ib. Selected for his fingular piety, ib. Diftin-
guished for the common benefit of mankind, ib. A fit inftrument
for conveying the true religion to the nations round him, 70. Con-
verfes on that fubject with the Egyptians, ib. Some who call them-
felves his defcendants there to this day, ib. Famed for a reformer
all over the east, 71, 72. The Lacedæmonians retain the memory of
him above 1600 years, ib. Brachmans probably defcend and de-
rive their name from him, ib. Perfians keep pretty clear of grofs
idolatry by his means, ib. He was let into the various counfels of
the Almighty, ib. The punishment of the four wicked cities, ib.
The redemption of mankind, ib. The plan of it probably ex-
hibited to him on the very place where Chrift fuffered, 72. The
true doctrine preferved and propagated by his family, 73. With
whom God holds very frequent correfpondence, 78, 79. Divine
revelations not wholly confined to them, 72. Pays homage to
Melchizedeck, or the patriarch Shem, ib. Confines his view for
fome time to temporal profpects, 82. State of religion in the
world about his time, 82, 83.

Abfolute perfection, in what fenfe it may be afcribed to the law of
nature, 4, 5:

Academies flourish among the Jews in the moft corrupt times of their
government, 125. How many in Jerufalem, ib.

Acta of the Roman procurators, 130.

Action often implied in the attainment of knowledge, 18. Hence
the pleasure accompanying such attainment, ib. Revelations by
action, 77.

ADAM, his state of innocence, 48, 49. Held frequent communica-
tion with the Deity, ib. This interrupted on his fall, ib. His
notions of religion, 60, 61. A fyftem of morality supposed to be
delivered to him, 56. Evidence of his being the first man, 59.
Inftructed by oral revelation rather than inspiration, 48. Direct-
ed to a form of worship by facrifice, 50, 51. What that implied,
ib. What his curfe, 49, 112, 346-7. Oppofed to Chrift, who
reverfes it, 348. Why fo great ftrefs laid on his firft tranfgreffion,
282. What he might learn from the translation of Enoch, 61.

Not

Not fuperior in knowledge to his pofterity, 64. A state of more
toil became neceffary on his fall, 202. How many generations
between him and King George I. 210, 211.
ADRIAN, vid. HADRIAN.
Adultery, trial for it alluded to by Chrift, 324. That abolished by
the Sanhedrim, ib. Common among the Jews in Chriff's time,
who taxes them with it, ib. Not the fole ground of divorce,

329.

ESCULAPIUS, the tradition of his going about the country with a
dog and a goat, 217. fhews in what a low state phyfick was in his
day, ib. The fame evident from the notion of a god of phyfick,
his temple, &c. ib. vid. Medicine.

Affections, whence they arife, 10, 11. Whence their diverfity, ib.
Age in which Chrift came, the circumftances of it, 152, 153. the
moft knowing, 130. and most wicked, 117, 118. efpecially in Ju-
dea, 140, 141. These two things not inconfiftent, 128. Teftimo-
nies of the fact, 117. One of the reafons thereof, ib. Proofs of
the Roman wickedness, 117, 118. Fitteft for fuch an institution,
as it wanted it most, both in morals and religion, 119-124. was
moft able to receive and propagate it, 125-129, beft qualified to
examine, 130. 136. confirm and convey it to pofterity, 137. 139.
The character and circumftances of the Jews fuited to that par-
ticular time, 140–144.

Age golden, what, 202.

Age of men. vid. Longevity.

Age of the world, compared to that of a man, 42. advancing in per-
fection, ib. by flow degrees, 43, 44. State of the firft ages, 224-5.
Their notions of religion fuited thereto, ib. Their profpect of
a redemption, 225. Means of preferving it in their minds, 226.
Agency inconfiftent with a fixed immutable ftate of nature, 15, 16.
Air, whether lefs temperate than heretofore, 202.

Alcoran. vid. Mahometans.

ALEXANDER Comes to Jerufalem, 97. admits many Jews into his
army, ib. his empire on its diffolution difperfed the Greek philo.
fophy all over Afia, 176.

ALEXANDER (Mr.) 425, 435.

Allegory, Chriflian writers borrow that way of interpreting Scripture
from Philo, 159:

ALLIX (Dr.) cited 89. 102. 134.

Allufions made by Chrift to the things before him, the time of the day,
feafon of the year, fynagogue-fervice, folemnities, &c. 309-322.
Whether his death is termed a facrifice only in allufion to the
Jewish worship, 276.

Alphabetical writing, when firft discovered, 147, 148. vid. Letters.
AMERICANS, reflections on their barbarity to captives taken in war,
239, Not made wicked first by Chriftians, 31.

Amufements. vid. Elegance.

Analogy between religion and the courfe of nature, holds in refpect
to various improvements, 180. By it we argue from this state to
another, 253.

Anatomy, its ftate among the ancient Egyptians, 216.

Ancients,

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