fools and narrow minded by the celebrated freethinkers of the age, in a firm belief of, and patient waiting for that day, which shall confound the wif dom of the now reputed wife, is a chriftian of a higher rank, and greater value, and is more to be depended upon for acting a truly chriftian part (which requires fuperiority of mind to this world, and to the vain pursuits and tranfitory emoluments of it) than the man who has only been taught to take the system for granted, and who is unacquainted with the proper evidence on which his faith refts. Moreover, as thofe who believe in the perfect moral government of God entertain no doubt, but that all calamity and vice will be made to cease, when they have anfwered the purposes for which they were permitted to exift; fo the chriftian looks forward with joy to that time, when the religion of Chrift fhall triumph over all oppofition, when the firm belief of it will be univerfal, and when, in confequence of this, being more deeply rooted in men's hearts, it will bring forth the proper fruits of it in their lives and converfation. When these things are duly confidered, I hope that the prefent ftate of the belief of chriftianity will afford no just foundation for any objection to it, but that it will rather fupply an argument in. favour of it. SEC SECTION IV. Mifcellaneous objections to the fyftem of revelation.- HE want of univerfality can be no objection THE to the truth of chriftianity; but upon the fuppofition of the knowledge of it being abfolutely neceflary to the final happiness of men, which is denied by all rational christians, who believe that all men will be judged according to the advantages which they have feverally enjoyed, for attaining to the knowledge of truth and the practice of virtue; and confequently that the most ignorant and idolatrous heathen may meet with more favour from his judge than many profeffing. chriftians, whose conduct, though, to outward appearance, it has been much better, yet not in proportion to their greater advantages. It is greatly favourable to chriftianity, and in-deed almoft peculiar to it, that it fhews no favour to chriftians as fuch. The bigotted Jews and the Mohammedans denounce anathemas againft unbelievers as fuch, and suppose that the wicked among them will be more refpected by God hereafter than the rest of mankind, whereas the gofpel fpeaks quite another language. To thofe who fay Lord, Lord, without fubmitting to the laws of Chrift, he D 6 will will reply at the laft, Verily, verily, I know you nots. depart from me ye workers of iniquity. It is alfo oneof his maxims, that he who knows his Lord's will and! does it not, fhall be beaten with many ftripes. To the fame purpose, likewise, do the apostles write. Some perfons have objected to the evidences of christianity, but certainly without fufficient reafon, the differences of opinion among chriftians, fince the very fame objection may be made to natural religion, and indeed to every thing that has ever been imagined of fo much importance, as to engage much of the attention of mankind, the confequence of which has always been different conceptions concerning it. Were not the difciples of Socrates, Ariftotle, and Plato, divided among themselves? Are there not as many fects among the Moham◄ medans, as among the chriftians? And are there not almost as many different opinions among the Papifts, as among the Proteftants, notwithstanding they profefs to be poffeffed of an infallible judge in all controverfies of faith? Do not even our ableft lawyers give different opinions concerning the sense of acts of parliament, which were intended to convey the moft determinate meaning,. fo as to obviate all cavils? Nay, have we not equal reafon to expect that unbelievers fhould agree in the fame fyftem of unbelief? If they fay to us, Agree first among yourfelves, and tell us what christianity is, and we will tell you what we have to to object to it; we have a right to reply, Do you agree first with respect to what you suppose to be wrong in it, tell us what you object to, and we will then confider of the proper answer. In fact, every unbeliever muft read the New Teftament for, himself. If, when he is uninfluenced by any criminal prejudice, he really cannot give his affent to what he believes to be the religion of those books, he will be juftified in his unbelief; but if he have taken up his notions of christianity from others, or from an examination of his own, inadequate to the importance of the subject, he certainly cannot be justified. . I, for my own part, can only exhibit what appears to me the true idea of chriftianity, and the moft rational defence of it. If any other perfon, believer or unbeliever, think it to be exceptionable, he must look out for another, that to himself shall appear lefs fo, and I also shall think myself at liberty to relinquish my notions, and adopt his.. It is highly unreasonable to object to christianity the various mischiefs which it has indirectly occafioned in the world, fince there is nothing useful or excellent that has not had fimilar confequences. By this method of reasoning, it might be concluded with certainty, that our passions and affections were not the gift of God, for they are daily the cause of great and serious evils. In fact, the more important any thing is, and the more extensive and happy are are its confequences, the greater, in general, are the evils which it occafionally produces.. This is remarkably the cafe with civil government.. It is certainly far preferable to a state of anarchy, and yet it gives occafion to a multitude of crimes, and fuch horrid exceffes of all the paffions as can-not be known in uncivilized countries.. The perfecution of chriftians by chriftians, has not been worse than the perfecution of chriftians by fuch heathen emperors as Trajan, and MarcusAurelius, not to mention Nero or Diocletian; and. has, befides, moft. evidently arifen from a gross perverfion of the genuine fpirit of christianity,, which breathes nothing but forbearance and love. There is alfo a view in which all thefe evils may be confidered as highly favourable to the evidences of chriftianity,, fince they were diftinctly forefeen. and foretold by Christ and the apoftles. Befides,. when we confider the havock that has been made by chriftian perfecutors, we fhould alfo confider. the laudable zeal of the many who favoured and fheltered those who were perfecuted.. To make a jufter eftimate of the moral influence of christianity, let us confider with impartiality the character of the prefent times. Was Europe lefs corrupt a century ago, when there were fewer unbelievers, than it is now, that they are more nuinerous? It is plain from experience and obfervation, that the most vicious and abandoned of the prefent 1 |