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I have thus brought forward in this, and in the preceding letter, such of the opinions prevailing among Christians, on the subject under discussion, as my limits would permit, and as my object requires. They are placed, it is hoped, in a clear and intelligible light. It will be observed, that the word atonement has every where been used in its broad and true sense, denoting a reconciliation between God and man, produced in some way by the life, sufferings, and death of Jesus Christ. In this general sense, it applies to all the opinions which have been mentioned, for they all point to this end. It has lately been made technical and arbitrary, and forced into a different service by every individual, inasmuch as every one employs it to express his own peculiar sentiments.

All profess to believe in the atonement, but when you look at the respective combination of images and impressions, to which each affixes the term, they pre

trine of the atonement, as held by the Church of England." Dissert. No. xvii, Respecting the Church of England, it has already been shown, that its members take an unlimited latitude in the terms of their faith; and all profess to be guided by the strict letter of the Church. Dr. Magee, therefore, has no authority to lay down a general proposition of this nature, as applicable to the Church at large.

It is moreover, certain, that this position is not true, as it relates to the popular doctrine of atonement by satisfaction. The advocates for this doctrine universally argue, that it arises from a necessity in the very nature or attributes of God. Witsius, in discussing this point against the Arminians, in his chapter on the Necessity of Christ's Satisfaction, although he waves any consideration of the absolute power of God, maintains, that his justice, wisdom, and holiness, impose upon him the necessity of requiring such a satisfaction, as that supposed to be rendered by Christ. In his language, the reason why God chose to save "elect sinners, by the satisfaction of his Son, was because, in his wisdom, he saw no other way, by which satisfaction could be made to his holiness and justice." Economy of the Covenants, p. 349.

sent themselves in every imaginable variety of form and dimensions. A Calvinist, in using the word, thinks of one thing, an Arminian of another, a Hopkinsian of another, and so round the whole circle. We hence perceive the necessity of penetrating deeper than the sound of the word, before we can form any accurate judgment of the opinions of those by whom it is used. For this reason, I have thought proper not to inquire into the meaning of the word in all its arbitrary senses, as it has come under notice, but to let this appear from the ideas, or things, which it was shown to represent.*

That the opinions above enumerated, as being held by persons calling themselves orthodox, may be presented in a narrower compass, they are here exhibited in a brief recapitulation.

Concerning the NATURE of atonement, it is represented, First, that Christ, by his sufferings and death, appeased the wrath, and satisfied the justice of God, and with the price of his blood reconciled the Deity to his offending creatures, by paying the immense debt in which their guilt had involved them. Secondly, the death of Christ was a punishment, which he endured by literally taking on himself the sins of the whole world, and suffering as a substitute for sinners, or in their place, the full amount of pain, which

*The word, to alone, in its primitive sense, signifies to produce an agreement, or reconciliation between parties. Alonement denotes this agreement, or reconciliation. It is once only found in the New Testament, Rom. v. 11, where it is a translation of the word xarxa, whose literal meaning is reconciliation. This Greek word is found four times in the New Testament, and in every other instance is rendered reconciliation. Rom. xi. 15; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19.

their sins deserve. Thirdly, the atonement consists in the public exhibition of God's hatred of sin, love of holiness, and respect for his government, which was made in the death of Christ. Fourthly, it was a means, which God chose to employ in bringing sinners into such a state of freedom from guilt as would permit him, consistently with his justice and holiness, to extend to them pardon, and the blessings of salvation.

Again, as to the EXTENT, or EFFECTS, of atonement, we are told, First, that the sufferings of Christ were sufficient only for an elect number. Secondly, they were competent to take away the sins of the world, but by a decree of God the elect only can be partakers of their benefits. Thirdly, they are not only sufficient for all, but on certain conditions, with which every one can comply, they may be made effectual to all. Fourthly, they were expressly designed to be extended to the whole human race, to deliver all men from the evil of sin, and procure a universal salvation. Fifthly, the authority of the law is so completely annulled by the death of Christ, that repentance is not necessary for the any thing displeasing to God. Christ removes all physical, as restores man to the condition of holiness and felicity, which he enjoyed before the fall.

elect, nor can they do Sixthly, the death of well as moral evil, and

And again, as to the MANNER in which the objects of atonement are attained, it is said, First, that those sufferings only were efficacious, which Christ underwent during the three hours of darkness, while he

hung on the cross. Secondly, all his sufferings in the flesh are taken into the account. Thirdly, it was necessary for him to endure for a time the torments of wicked spirits in hell. Fourthly, his death would have availed nothing, unless he had been condemned as a criminal in a court of justice.

From the above analysis, it is not to be inferred, that all these distinctions are incompatible with each other. Some are contradictory, some are divided by broad lines, while others assimilate so closely, as to allow the same person to bring them both within the enclosure of his creed. The slightest inspection will show, that the differences, on the whole, are extremely great, much greater than with Unitarians. And amongst all these, where shall we find that true faith, that singleness of belief, which is essential to salvation? Which of these schemes is the one entitled to the dignity of being a component part in the essence of christianity? Till this be fairly settled, and sanctioned by all the orthodox, why is any person to be condemned for not presuming to select and acknowledge it, as a fundamental article? Why should he resign what he believes to be scripture truth, derived from a serious and careful study of the word of God, for this labyrinth of uncertainty ? Let him rather rest his hopes on a safer foundation by keeping to his Bible, and praying the Father of mercies for the aid of his holy Spirit to enlighten him with a knowledge of truth, and strengthen him in the practice of holiness.

All the varieties of opinion to which our attention has been directed, both of Unitarians and Trinitarians, as far as they relate to the specific effects of the death of Christ, may be arranged in two general classes.

The first class embraces those views, according to which his death is regarded as a means by which the guilt of sin is removed, and God is induced to pardon offenders, and bestow upon them the gift of eternal life. Whatever may have been the extent of the influence of Christ's death, or however this influence may in the wisdom of God have been ap plied, it is supposed to have operated only in calling into exercise the mercy and love of God, or rather in putting sinners into such a condition, that God may grant them his pardoning mercy and acceptance, without any violation of his justice and holiness. Within this class may be ranked all Unitarians, and a large portion of Trinitarians, both of whom go upon essentially the same principles, and are aiming at the same object, although they may be conducted in different directions.

The second class embraces those persons, who look for the efficacy of Christ's death in the satisfaction it has made to divine justice, in its power to appease the wrath of God, and in its value as a sacrifice to the Deity, without which he could not pardon or save his creatures; and those, also, who believe Christ to have suffered by way of punishment, as a substitute for the elect, and to have purchased for them the forgiveness of sin and a title to salvation by

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