The Virginia Gazette

Mr. Parks,

The Rev. Mr. Lare, in his Book, Intitled, A Demonstration of the Gospel and Fundamental Errors of a late Book, called, A plain Account, &c. Herein also the Nature and Extent of the Redemption of all Mankind by Jesus Christ, is Stated and Explained, has so fully and clearly proved the Condition of our Redemption, against the Pretences of the Deists for a Religion of Natural Reason instead of it; that for the Sake of Truth, and of such Persons as in all Probability may never read this valuable Book, I determined to transcribe some few Paragraphs, desiring they may be published in your Gazette, beginning at Page 161, where, in the following Manner, he lays before his Readers, the true Grounds of the Benefits of Jesus Christ, as he is the Saviour of all Mankind.

"It is the fundamental Doctrine, or rather the known Foundation of all revealed Religion, and the unknown Foundation of all natural Piety and Goodness, that Jesus Christ is the second Adam: That he is a common Head, or Parent, or Person, to all Mankind. in the same manner, as Adam is the common Head, or Parent, or Person, to all Mankind. That a real Birth, Life, Nature, and true Man, is in the same Truth and Reality derived to us from this our second Adam, as a real Birth, and Life, and Nature, is derived to us from our first Adam. And that as without any Figure or Metaphor of Speech, we are all said to be born of Adam, and descended from him, so we are all in the same Dependence upon our second Adam, really and not figuratively born of him, and have our Descent from him; Spirit of his Spirit, Life of his Life, in the same Truth and Reality, as every Man has the Nature of the first Adam.

"And herein is seen the infinite Depth of the Divine Love and Goodness to Mankind, who though they were by the Condition of their Creation to be derived from one Head or Parent, and to take his Share of Perfection or Imperfection; yet were by the Goodness and Care of GOD for them, provided from the very Beginning, with a second Parent, or common Head, who after the Fall of the first, and the fallen State he had brought upon his Posterity, should be a common Restorer, and put it in every Man's Power to have the same Choice of Life and Death, as the first Man had; that so, they who were lost before they were born, and were made Inheritors of a miserable Nature without their Choice, might have a Divine Life restored to them in a second Parent, which should not be in the Power of any one to lose for them, but should depend entirely upon their own Will and Desire of it, upon their own Faith, and Hope, and Hungering after it,

"This eternal and immutable Truth, worthy of being written in Capital Letters of Gold, is the Foundation of all revealed and natural Religion; and a Standing Monument of GOD's universal Goodness and Love to all Mankind, and such as is sufficient to make all Men rejoice and give Praise to GOD.

"For by this Truth, all that seems hard and cruel to human Reason, that the Posterity of Adam should be involved in the Consequences of their first Father's Fall, (yet how could it be otherwise?) all this, I say, is made a wonderful Scene of Love, as soon as we consider, that all Mankind were redeemed as soon as they were lost, and that their Redemption was as early, as universal, and as extensive in its Effects, as the Fall was. And that no Son of Adam is left to inherit a poor, earthy, perishable, corrupt Nature from him, without having it in his Choice to be born again of the second Adam, and restored with Advantages, to all the Riches, and Treasures, and Glories of a divine and paradisiacal Nature, which were lost without his Consent.

"There is something so amazingly loving and merciful in this Conduct of divine Providence over Mankind, that I cannot help thinking no one can calmly consider it in the Quiet of his Mind, without having all his Infidelity melted down by it. And that such an Act of general Pardon, as early as the first Sin, and a new Parent provided for us, to be our Parent by Choice and Faith, as soon as our first Parent had undone us without our Consent; such an Act of Pardon being the Beginning and Foundation of all reveal'd Religion, and of every Thing that is afterwards revealed in it, has surely enough in it, if once known, to make revealed Religion the Joy, and Comfort, and Desire, of every Man's Heart. What would I give that I could but dart one Ray of this Truth into every Unbeliever's Heart; for the smallest Ray of it, would do to every one as the Light that fell from Heaven did to St. Paul; it would make as it were Scales fall from his Eyes: And he would find, that all Books and Systems of Infidelity, were as unreasonable in themselves, and as hurtful to him, as those Commissions were which Paul had from the High Priest, to bind all that called on the Name of CHRIST.

Then this excellent Author goes on to prove, That Jesus Christ the second Adam, is the Parent and universal Redeemer, and that reveal'd Religion began with the Declaration of this Redemption, and has revealed nothing but for the Sake and Support of it; and having evidently and unanswerably proved this Truth attested by Scripture, at Page 173, with which I shall finish, he thus addresses himself to his Readers:

"And now, my dear Reader, what shall I say to you? How shall I do that, which I most of all desire to do, touch your Heart? or how can your Heart be untouched with this affecting View of the Mercies of GOD in Jesus Christ, and of the Riches and Treasures which lie hid in your own Soul, wanting nothing but your own Consent and good Wishes to be manifested in you.

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