only attend to the objections which they conceive lie against the admiffion of Christianity, but reflect not on the infinitely greater difficulties which attend its rejection; there is no medium between believing the gofpel to be entirely falfe or entirely true; either its authors were what they claim to be, meffengers from God, or they were the groffeft impoftors, and at the fame time the wildest fanatics that ever appeared in the world; deceivers and fanatics to fuch a degree as involves a direct contradiction. In truth, on this fuppofition every thing is contradiction and perplexity; the improvements on all former fchemes of morality and religion, which the teachers of the gofpel introduced, are unaccountable-their steadiness in encountering fhame and perfecution is unaccountable -their fuccefs in reforming the Jews and Heathens, in overturning that grofs fyftem of idolatry, which was fupported by the people, the priests, and the emperors, is unaccountable. Finally, it is wholly

unaccountable how fanatics or deceivers fhould have instituted a scheme of religion which has furvived the ruins of the Roman empire, which, though corrupted and debased by the ignorance and fuperftition of those dark ages which fucceeded, carried in itself the means of detecting thefe corruptions, and reforming those abuses: a religion which, though it has been the subject of more violent oppofition, more close investigation, and more acute objection, than the human mind ever has employed on

any

any other fubject, has yet fuftained this fiery trial, and fill remains unfhaken and unconfuted :-a religion which infpires the nobleft hopes, and fupports the pureft virtues that can adorn the human mind, which, fo far as it has prevailed, has foftened the manners and reformed the vices of mankind, and which, whenever it has been neglected, abufed, or forfaken, has proved its excellence by the very vices and miferies which have attended, and chastised fuch perverfion and apoftacy.

Such is the religion, whofe divine original, as I am myself from my heart convinced of, I have in the preceding work endeavoured to illuftrate and defend; and if it is indeed of divine original, it is affuredly the firft duty of every human being, to whofe acceptance it is offered, to examine it with candid attention, and when fatisfied of its truth, to receive it with humble reverence-to practice what is plain, and believe what is clearly revealed-to examine with humility, and interpret with caution whatever may appear doubtful and obfcure-to acquiefce in the ignorance of what divine wisdom has not judged it neceffary for man clearly to understand; but to be careful to improve the instructions it has deigned to bestow.

Thus received, and thus improved, Chriftianity will calm our paffions, ftrengthen our felf-govern

ment,

ment, exalt our piety, and expand our benevolence; it will prove the never-failing fource of confolation and hope, amidst the changes and chances, the pains and forrows of this tranfitory life: in the gloom of death it will open to us the bright profpects of life and immortality, and fecure to us from its divine Author, our Redeemer and our Judge, the enjoyment of ftill encreafing happiness through all eternity.

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APPENDIX.

THIS Appendix is intended chiefly for the use of my

younger readers, to point out fome references which may guide them to more full information on points touched on in the preceding work, a particular detail of which the nature of its principal fubject did not feem to require. It also contains fome remarks which either have occurred fince the preceding fheets were printed, or which were not fo closely connected with the fubject of the effay, as to admit of their being inferted in the text.

Note on page 8." He had practised no religious "aufterity to excite veneration."

It may perhaps be objected, that though our Lord had not done this, yet John the Baptift, his forerunner, had. But in proof that this oppofition in their external characters, far from fupplying any juft fufpicion of collufion or deceit, confirms very ftrongly the truth of the claims of both to a divine authority, vid. Bell's Divine Miffion of John the Baptift and Jefus Chrift, part 3, fect. 2, p. 245, of the second edition. The whole of this work is well worthy the attention of the fe rious enquirer.

"Obfervations on our Lord's requiring faith before he performed his miracles, on his defiring "them to be concealed, and his refufing a fign to "the Pharifees, &c."-Vid. fupra, p. 15.

"In every instance, when we find fuch faith required, it is plain from the history, that the person of whom it was re"quired,

U