the abstraction of enthusiasts; nothing of that contempt of order and propriety which fuch men ever difplay all their actions were confiftent with reafon and directed by utility-intrepid and persevering, but cool and steady, in preaching the gospel, they guarded their safety and reputation, as far as was confiftent with their facred work; if they defpifed the favour of man, it was only when they could not obtain it without violating their duty to God; if they chearfully encountered fhame, and fuffering, and death, it was to fecure themselves, and lead mankind to obtain the rewards of an eternal life.

And as in their private conduct and views they were rational and fober, in the government of the church they were prudent and cautious, mild and decorous, zealous without violence, and steady without obftinacy; they were ever careful to avoid every occafion of offence, and prompt to conciliate and concede, as far as conceffion was justifiable, making due allowance for every prejudice, and guarding against every cause of diffenfion; they provided wifely and effectually for the edification and harmony, the rapid fpread and the permanent fecurity of the church of Christ.

Nor do their WRITINGS breath the spirit of fobriety less evidently than their lives. The ftile of fanatics is ever obfcure, arrogant and violent; the ftile of the New Testament is the very reverse of this—the histo

rical writings plain and calm, and unexaggerated, detailing the facts which establish the unparalleled perfection of their divine Lord with the particularity and confiftency of truth, and the most signal coolness and impartiality; while their epiftles are in the higheft degree natural, rational and affectionate, fuited to the occafions which produced them, and the relation which the writers bore to the different perfons whom they addreffed-inftructing their ignorance and encouraging their virtues-rebuking their offences without bitterness-vindicating their own characters from calumny, without betraying any exceffive refentment —and maintaining their own authority, as religious inftructors and guides, without any trace of fpiritual pride, any arrogant claims to full perfection of

virtue.

Next to the ftile and subject matter of their writings, we have examined the nature of the several moral precepts they deliver, and this has appeared most strongly contrafted with the errors of fanaticism. Men infected with this, ever neglect or corrupt morality; their devotion is gloomy and extravagant— their principles of focial conduct unnatural and erroneous-their ideas of personal merit and self-regulation wild, harsh and impracticable: the morality of the gospel is utterly free from all thefe defects, and eminently distinguished by the oppofite excellencies; teaching heart-felt piety to God, without any affecta

tion of rapturous extacy or extravagant fervor—a piety chaftened and controuled by discretion and humility.

We perceive that its juft pre-eminence is allowed to internal fincerity, while to outward rites and obfervances their due importance is preferved; every virtue has its juft order and value in the Chriftian scheme-every focial duty is taught in the clearest manner, and enforced by the strongest motivestowards our neighbour ftrict equity and active benevolence is inculcated; while the mind is trained to rational and habitual felf-government, founded on piety, promotive of internal purity, and leading by conftant vigilance to final perfection.

Such is the fyftem of Christian morality. Surely fuch a system as this, not only could not have been the offspring of wild, fenfeless fanaticism, but so far tranfcended all preceding efforts of human reafon, as well as all natural powers and attainments of its authors, that it can scarcely be ascribed to any fource but the dictates of divine wisdom providing for human happiness.

To this fyftem of morality the gofpel adds a fcheme of fpeculative doctrines, in which every certain truth of natural religion is maintained in the ftrongest manner, is confirmed by new proofs, and placed in the clearest light; and in which all doubts as to our prefent relation to God, and our future expectations,

are

are decided exactly in that way which coincides with the opinions of the most enlightened reafon, and best promotes the interefts of virtue aud religion, and this undebased by any mixture of thofe fictions and extravagancies which fanaticism would almost inevitably have dictated; and even the most abftruse and myfterious doctrines of the Chriftian scheme do not appear to have been fuch as were likely to originate in any delufions of imagination, but rather fuch as were directly connected with, and evidently grounded on the plain facts of the gospel history, and thence clearly supported by a divine authority.

It should not be forgotten, that in the courfe of this enquiry many facts and circumftances have forced on our obfervance the fincerity and integrity of our Lord and his apostles, their compleat freedom from all mercenary and ambitious, all narrow and interested views, fo that it seems to be established beyond controverfy, that they were neither deceivers, nor deceived; and if this is admitted, the facts they atteft are certainly true, and as certainly Christianity is of divine original.

It deferves alfo to be noticed, that many circumstances have accidentally occurred in the courfe of this enquiry confirming, in the strongest manner, the genuineness and authenticity of the New Testament, the particularity and consistency of the gofpels, the references

references in the epiftles to private, and local, and domeftic particulars, their containing anfwers to questions and letters coming from the perfons to whom they are addreffed: these and a variety of other particulars, render it almost wholly incredible that these epistles fhould not have been the writings of the apostles whofe names they bear; and if fo, the whole series of facts on which Christianity refts, is established beyond the poffibility of doubt.

Indeed the fuppofition that the New Testament was not genuine and authentic, carries with it inextricable difficulties: whoever were its authors, their system of morality proves they were in the highest degree pious, honeft and rational, anxious for the improvement of mankind in purity and virtue, juftice and benevolence; and how is it poffible to reconcile with this the idea of their being guilty of the groffest forgery, and impofing upon the world the most atrocious and impious falfehoods as to the divine conduct and divine difpenfations; leading men to adore a crucified deceiver as the Son of God and Judge of the world?

"

The true reason why men are not sufficiently impreffed with the view of the direct evidence of the gofpel is, that they do not fufficiently reflect on the extreme abfurdities and contradictions they must fall into if they deny the force of that evidence; they

only