which secures to it as much purity and efficiency as could be xpected in such an institution. The lectures embraced in this volume contain nothing sectarian. They are fully within the domain of our common Christianity. They are couched in the language of love, and are designed not to insult, but kindly to reason with, the unbeliever. In reading these pages let every one bear in mind the truth so forcibly stated by Mr. Jefferson, that "the relations which exist between man and his Maker, and the duties resulting from those relations, are the most interesting and important to every human being, and the most incumbent on his study and investigation." Much space need not be consumed in detailing the origin and history of this Course of Lectures. No such course ever had been delivered in the University, and its delivery was designed to narrow the chasm' of which Mr. Jefferson speaks. The only point which seems to need explanation is the fact that all the lecturers were chosen from one denomination of Christians. This was a point of much deliberation, and the plan adopted was considered the most likely to secure in the end the best and widest results. It was hoped that our example would be followed by the other denominations, as they in turn had possession of the Chaplaincy. And thus only could all be allowed an equal opportunity. The material being inexhaustible, let each denomination draw up its own schedule, select its own champions of the faith, and publish its own volume of lectures, and thus, and thus alone, might we hope to have the flower of American Christian intellect in the several churches engaged in a united assault upon the ranks of infidelity. It is enough to say as to the ability of these lectures, that they are the best efforts of their distinguished authors. May God our Saviour use them for the extension of his kingdom, and to his name be the praise. W. H. RUFFNER. Philadelphia, December, 1851. THOUGHTS WORTH REMEMBERING. AUT undique religionem tolle, aut usquequaque conserva.-Cicero: The way to hell is easy, for men can find it with their eyes shut.-Castruccio Castracanni. That those persons should tolerate all opinions, who think none to be of estimation, is a matter of small merit. Equal neglect is not impartial kindness.-Burke. Pride of opinion and arrogance of spirit are entirely opposed to the humility of true science.-Locke. The fact is, men are not always in a mood to be convinced.-Logan. Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein.—Jesus Christ. Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws.-Blackstone. It is not only the difficulty and labor which men take in finding out of truth; nor again, that when it is found, it imposeth on men's thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor, but a natural though corrupt love of the lie itself.Bacon. Men are ready to believe everything when they believe nothing. They have diviners, when they cease to have prophets, witchcraft, when they cease to have religious ceremonies; they open the caves of sorcery, when they shut the temples of the Lord.-Chateaubriand. If I would choose what would be most delightful, and I believe most useful to me, I should prefer a firm religious belief to every other blessing.-Sir Humphrey Davy. MY RESPECTED FRIENDS : If the course of lectures, the first of which is now to be delivered, shall be worthy of any attention, they will justly claim your greatest candor, your most ardent love of truth, and your utmost docility of temper. It will be unworthy of you as men, and as lovers of knowledge, it will be unphilosophical, I think too it will be wicked for you to attend these discussions for the purpose of blindly receiving or rejecting whatever may be said. I bespeak your utmost ingenuousness in listening to the arguments that may be offered. "Buy the truth, and sell it not." Your eternal life is the stake involved in the solemn inquiry to be made into the truth of Christianity; for if the Scriptures be not true, there remain to us only darkness and lamentation. There is found extensively diffused among men a book, called The Bible. Besides other lessons, it teaches that one of the highest exercises of virtue is faith, and that one of the most heinous sins is unbelief. It makes salvation to depend upon the former, and a loss of the Divine favor to be the fruit of the latter. It often and clearly settles these points. It says: "Without faith, it is impossible to please God ;" and, "He that believeth not is condemned already." Nevertheless, men are found who utterly reject this book as a revelation, some without inquiry, but not without scoffs, and some with a vain show of reasoning, but evidently without thorough and fair examination. Of the latter class, are those who insist that man is not, because he ought not to be, accountable for his belief in any matter, that faith is involuntary, and so not proper ground of praise or blame, reward or punishment. This opinion has some prevalence, and is worthy of examination at the beginning of a course of lectures on the evidences of Christianity. If it be true, the whole Christian system fails of the authority which it claims. Before entering on the main question, a few preliminary observations are proper. Truch's the great and proper object of the mind of man, and hy with salety be pursued to any length whatever. There is ie langer in giving up any error, or in embracing any truth. Forsak og truth, and embracing error, angels shrunk into devils. Forsaking error and grasping truth, sinners rise to the dignity of saints, and to the companionship of angels. The resemblance between truth and error is often so great as to call for the most patient inquiry, and for the soundest discriminato. Prejudice and passion are enemies to truth, and will defeat any quest after knowledge. All truths and all errors are not equally evident. Some of the most important truths bear no marks of credibility whatever, when first presented to the mind. And some of the most serious errors often for a while seem to be truths. Numerous instances, drawn from every branch of knowledge, might easily be given. All truths are not equally important. Some we may never know, and yet attain all the highest ends of existence. But some have such a scope and bearing that it behooves all men to seek and find them, and then to hold them fast. Such are the great truths of religion. It cannot promise the slightest utility to reason with one who admits that there is a God, and yet cannot be brought to see that our relations to Him are momentous. Though mere intellectual belief is not saving faith, yet, by the laws of the human mind, the former is a necessary foundation of the latter. When a man so believes as to be saved, his heart makes no war upon his understanding, his faith is not contrary to his judgment and reason. It is a glory peculiar to Christianity that it requires our religion to be a "reasonable service." "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" is one of its oracles. No man acts more wisely and rationally than when he solemnly and earnestly believes all religious truth. An early Christian writer says: "He, who believes the Scripture to have proceeded from Him who is the author of nature, may well expect to find the same sort of difficulties in it as are found in the constitution of nature." And as the author of nature is confessedly the author of all truth, the argument from analogy is both legitimate and important on religious subjects. It does, indeed, furnish no direct evidence of any religious truth. But if difficulties, presented against religion, can be shown to lie with equal force against the constitution and course of nature, they can no longer be urged as valid objections. The nature of the subject |