Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the philosophers, as well in the weight of its authority, as in the extent of its utility."

The principles of natural religion are all solid, and founded in the reason and relation of things. The gospel of Christ is equally solid and rational. It takes in, unites, and confirms every principle of nature, and adds a number of circumstances suited to the fallen condition of man. And it calls upon, it invites, it challenges, it commands us to examine its pretensions with all possible care accuracy, and severity.

"Wrong not the Christian; think not reason yours;
'Tis reason our great Master holds so dear;
'Tis reason's injured rights his wrath resents;
'Tis reason's voice obeyed his glories crown.-
On argument alone our faith is built."

If the gospel had not been agreeable to the most refined principles of human reason, we should never have found the soundest and most perfect reasoners, that ever appeared upon earth, enlist under its banner (8). That it is not universally received, is by no

(8) We may add, that the most active, useful and benevolent characters in our own enlightened day, have been the firmest believers in the writings of the Old and New Testaments. John Wesley spent his whole life, time, strength, and fortune, in spreading the knowledge of Christ and his word. John Howard was equally active in advancing the same cause, in a way as unprecedented as it was useful. He was a firm believer in the Scriptures, and a very serious and conscientious Christian.

Bolingbroke tells the world, that the "resurrection of letters was a fatal period: the Christian system has been attacked, and wounded too, very severely since that time. Christianity has been in decay ever since the resurrection of letters." The late king of Prussia has the same sentiment: "Hobbes, Collins, Shaftsbury, and Bolingbroke in England, and their disciples, have given religion a mortal blow."

These two men are mistaken. They confound pure evangelical religion with superstition. The latter we grant, and we glory in the truth, has received a mortal blow; but the former is as unshakeable as the throne of the Eternal. One of the most extraordinary philosophers of the present age, was the late David Rittenhouse, of America. Dr. Rush, who is an able philosopher and

means to be ascribed, either to its want of due evidence or to its being an irrational scheme; but to causes of a very different nature. "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them." This view ought to alarm the fears, and rouse the attention of every man living; but especially of our unbelieving and sceptical countrymen. Rejection of the truths of religion is always in the Sacred Writings ascribed to a fault in the heart and will, rather than to any defect in the head. "Ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life.—If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. -The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. The ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein." Say not then, that you would believe if you could. Deceive not yourselves by all dging want of evidence. Tell us no longer of the absurdities and contradictions of Scripture. The evidence is ampl:. (9) The absurdities will vanish, the contradictions

a determined Christian, observes, when speaking of his decease, that "it is no small triumph to the friends of revelation to observe, in this age of infidelity, that our religion has been admitted, and even defended by men of the most exalted understanding, and of the strongest reasoning powers. The single testimony of David Rittenhouse in its favour, outweighs the declamations of whole nations against it."

(9)" Reasonable deists cannot but become Christians, where the gospel shines." These several passages of the Sacred Writings account sufficiently for the infidelity of our several deistical writers. Bolingbroke, Voltaire, Gibbon, Paine, and most others, of whom I have had knowledge, seem to have been destitute of the proper state of mind for the investigation of religious truth. "From several conversations, which it has been my chance to have with unbelievers, I have learned, that ignorance of the nature of our religion, and a disinclination to study both it and Dd

will cease, when once your minds are brought into an humble, teachable, and religious frame; when the veil is taken from your hearts, and scales have fallen from your eyes. Dny yourselves, therefore. Cease to live in sin. Mortify your lusts and passions. Part with the pride of false philosophy. Live in humility, purity, and virtue, Be good moral men, conscientious worshippers of God, upon your own principles, sober inquirers after truth, praying for divine direction, and it will not be long before you become believers in Jesus Christ. No moral man cu, rationally, wish to reject the gospel; because it is all purity and goodness, and the most powerful means, with which the world was ever favoured, of making us virtuous and good.

.

"In his blest life

I see the path; and in his death the price;
And in his great ascent, the proof supreme
Of immortality.”

For, whatever was the cause, it is plain in fact, that human reason, unassisted, failed mankind in its great and proper business of morality; and, therefore, he that shall be at the pains of collecting all the moral rules of the ancient philosophers, and compare them with those contained in the New Testament, will find them to come infinitely short of the morality delivered

its evidence, are to be reckoned among the chief causes of infidelity."

Allix's Reflections upon the books of the holy Scripture, contain a large number of valuable thoughts, and should be read in opposition to all the flimsy objections of the above deists. Kett's Sermans sufficiently invalidate the sophistry of Gibbon. Much satisfactory light has lately been thrown upon the plagues of Egypt, by Bryant. The Old Testament has been defended against the a tacks of Paine by David Levi, a learned Jew, with consider. able ability. But of all single books, none is equal to the admi. rable course of Lectures by Doddridge; a work which no inquisitian should be without in his library.

by our Saviour, and taught by his Apostles.(70) Add · to this, that no other religion which was ever in the world, hath made provision for pardoning the sins of mankind, and restoring us to the divine favour, in a way consistent with the perfections and government of the Supreme Being.

You will give these reasonings the weight which you suppose they deserve. If you seriously and conscientiously think there is nothing in them worthy of your attention, by all means reject them. If any of you are convinced by what is advanced, that you have hitherto been mistaken, in rejecting Jesus Christ and his gospel; or if you see ground to suspect you may be wrong; let no consideration of shame induce you to deny your convictions or suspicions. Many men have been mistaken as well as you. I myself have seen reason to change several opinions, which before I had thought founded in truth. Every person, indeed, must naturally and necessarily at first be a stranger to the gospel-redemption. Our efforts, therefore, should be made to become acquainted with it, and to get into the good and right way. If we look back

(70) "Is it bigotry to believe in the sublime truths of the gospe with full assurance of faith?-I glory in such bigotry: I would not part with it for a thousand worlds; I congratulate the man who is possessed of it; for amidst all the vicissitudes and calamities of the present state, that man enjoys an inexhaustible fund of consolation, of which it is not in the power of fortune to deprive him."

"There is not a book on earth so favourable to all the kind, and all the sublime affections, or so unfriendly to hatred and persecution to tyrauny, injustice, and every sort of malevolence the gospel. It breathes nothing throughout but mercy, benevolence, and peace.",

as

Paine reflects upon the Scripture for being deficient in moral precepts. I defy him, however, or any other deist in the world, to produce from all the stores of heathen writings, any thing equal or second to Christ's Sermon on the Mount; to the 12th chapter of Romans, or to the 13th chapter of the 1st Corinthians. Let any man shew us a system of morality equal unto these passages. The truth is, Paine knows very little of the matter.

upon the foregoing pages, we shall see that several of the characters there mentioned had been much led astray. Through different means, however, they discovered their error. They acknowledged their fault. They lamented their sin. They laid aside their prepossessions, and sought for the truth with all their skill and abilities. They were convinced in their understanding;(1) converted in their hearts; they believed in the Redeemer; obeyed his gospel; and through infinite and unmerited grace, were eternally saved. Why then should not you pursue the same measures, if you have any suspicions every thing is not with you as it should be? You must allow, if the gospel-account of things be true, it is inconceivably important. Treat it not, therefore, with contempt, neglect, indifference, but examine the matter to the bottom. Follow the example of West and Lyttleton, and let no man lead you by the nose to destruction, or sneer you out of salvation. Examine the evidence, and, with all simplicity and humility of mind, judge according to that evidence. And if you are finally convinced, that Jesus is the Christ, act nobly, confess his name, like Rochester, (2) to the

(1) The reader will find a very clear and concise account of the true foundation of all human knowledge in the letters of Euler to a German princess. This extraordinary man, second to none but Newton, was a serious and conscientious Christian and avowed his belief in Christ upon all proper occasions. And while his great master declared that he found "more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible, than in any profane history whatever;" he writes to the above princess, that "the holy life of the apostles and of the other primitive Christians appeared to him an irresistible proof of the truth of the Christian religion "

(2) We have another very respectable and honourable instance of this nature to present to the reader, which has just taken place, and which others of our deistical brethren would find their advantage in imitating: Dr. Okely published an Octavo volume, entitled " Pyrology, or the Connection between Natural and Mora! Philosophy, with a Disquisition on the Origin of Christianity;" in which it was completely exploded, together with the doctrine of a future; tate. It has pleased God, however, to shew Dr

« AnteriorContinuar »