been written by such persons as the Jewish patriarchs and the Fishermen of Galilee, without any divine afflatus; when such an attempt has been made by them, I am satisfied that, whether they are led to embrace the Holy Scriptures as the word of God or not, they will be compelled to admit the fact that, upon all the canons of literary criticism ever admitted, there is nothing whatever to warrant the idea that the bible has been furnished to mankind in the same way, and on the same principles as other documents of a remote antiquity. When men are brought thus far there is great reason to hope that they will look with some measure of devoutness and integrity at the whole question of Christian evidence. 3. Let the high standard of the morality of Christianity be examined with impartiality, and it cannot fail to arouse attention to its extraordinary claims. For though the uncompromising sanctity of revealed truth is among the chief reasons which induce men to cavil at its evidence, and secretly to reject its authority, it is, nevertheless, one of the most powerful I and indubitable proofs of its proceeding from the fountain of infinite purity and benevolence.* On this subject the celebrated John Locke has said, "The morality of the gospel doth so far excel that of all other books, that to give a man full knowledge of true morality, I would send him to no other book than the New Testament." And, verily, if we examine all the writings of the most enlightened and virtuous of the heathen `world, and compare or rather contrast them with the writings of inspiration, we shall be fully satisfied of the accuracy of this great man's opinion. That there are fine passages on certain branches of morals, in some of the writings of pagan philosophers and poets, we do not attempt to deny; but the great question is, what were their writings as a whole, and what were the views of morality generally entertained and acted upon among their disciples? Is it not notorious * Lord Bolingbroke himself has said, that "The gospel is in all cases one continued lesson of the strictest morality, of justice, of benevolence, and of universal charity." Works, vol. v. p. 138. that self-murder,* that crimes which admit of no description,† that theft, that sacrilege, that fornication, that adultery, that revenge, that pride, that dissimulation in the worship of the gods,§ that habitual disregard of the duty of prayer,|| and that awful irreverence for the name of the Great Supreme, are taught, with an unblushing effrontery, by some of the chief patrons. and guardians of pagan morality? Who does not know that some of the most brilliant passages, * Seneca thus pleads for self-murder: "If thy mind be melancholy and in misery, thou mayst put a period to this wretched condition; wherever thou lookest, there is an end to it. See that precipice! there thou mayest have liberty. Seest thou that sea, that river, that well? liberty is at the bottom of it; that little tree? freedom hangs upon it. Thy own neck, thy own throat, may be a refuge to thee from such servitude; yea, every vein of thy body." Deira, lib. iii. cap. 15. p. m. 319. Plutarch, and Cato, and Brutus, and Cassius, and Cicero, all agree to justify the crime of self-destruction. See Plutarch's Life of Cato. Juvenal, Satyr ii. ver. 10. Diog. Laërtus, vol. i. pp. m. 165, 166. Millar's History of the Propagation of Christianity, vol. i. pp. 63-65. § Epictetus bids his disciples "temporise and worship the gods after the fashion of their country." Enchiridion, cap. 38. p. m. 56. See A. Fuller's Works, vol. i. p. 37. Pythagoras forbids prayer to God, "because," says he, 'you know not what is convenient." both of the Greek and Latin classics, cannot be read by ingenuous youth without involving the risk of a total downfal of their morals ?* We shall find no counterpart, indeed, to the writings of heathen antiquity, unless we turn to the licentious and utterly reckless productions of modern infidelity, in which every thing like disguise is laid aside, and men are taught to do, without restraint, whatever their own vile inclinations may dictate. How unlike the imperfect and often polluted writings of men is the system of morality laid down and detailed in the several books of the Old and New Testament! Let any man devote a reasonable period to the examination of the spirit and moral precepts of Christianity, and he will be compelled to admit its unsullied purity, its coincidence with all our natural notions of right and wrong, and its indubitable tendency to improve human intercourse, and to constitute mankind a community of brothers. Did all men * Is it not a heavy disgrace that in Christian countries so much of the time of youth should be spent poring over the vitiated pages of the ancient classics. believe and obey the dictates of Revelation, what a mighty and favourable revolution would be wrought in the entire frame-work of society! What habit of known evil does it not proscribe ? What irregular passion does it not forbid? What acknowledged virtue does it not enforce? What kindly or generous affection does it not inculcate? How lofty is its standard of action! Though self-interest is not and cannot be excluded from a system so adapted to the nature of man, yet it is only permitted to occupy a subordinate place in the morality of the gospel. There men are urged to endure and act "as seeing Him who is invisible;"* there we are commanded to do no act of beneficence to be seen of men;† there the honour of God and the good of others are the objects at which they are called habitually to aim; there the surface morality of the world is treated with scorn, and a right state of the thoughts and affections is imperatively demanded;§ there meekness, and humility, and condescension, *Heb. xi. 27. Matt. vi. 1-4. Matt. xxii. 35-40. |