have pointed my enquiries.-I do not know that it is within the compafs of my information to bring any more useful or more proper of fering to the truth of our faith.'

We entirely agree with the fentiment of the above extract, refpecting the importance of the enquiry. When any man, by the force of philofophical fpeculation, has raised himself fuperior to local prejudices, and the attachments of foil, the, first object that ftrikes him is the equal extent of territory that has been embraced by the fuperftition of Mahomet, and, the doctrines of Jefus. Both cannot be true in the extent in which they are admitted by their respective followers; for they contradict each other. The confequence is, that a religion may obtain through various climates, have the most rapid and extenfive propagation, ftand the teft of centuries, be believed on by the virtuous, defended by the learned, and adored by the populace, and yet be falfe. Upon what principles then are the dogmas of the Arabian prophet to be rejected? Upon what principles is the fyftem of Chriftianity to be received? And, are thefe two fets of principles in perfect unifon with cach other? It is impoffible to propofe queftions, more comprehenfive in their import, and more interefting in their nature.

His fecond and third difcourfes are appropriated by Mr. White, to the examination of the previous circumitances under which the doctrines of Mahomet and Jefus arose. And they appear to have been as propitious to the one, as they were hoftile to the other. One particular in the enumeration deferves efpecial notice.

The great and powerful principle of national pride, which pleaded ftrongly in favour of the pretenfions of Mahomet, formed. one of the moft ftubborn and formidable obitacles that oppofed the progrefs of the gospel.

Called forth to fight the battles of the Lord against an unbelieving world, and confident of victory from the promife of a di-, vine affiftance for ever at hand, the Arabian beheld in the religion of his warlike prophet, the grand and only inftrument which could raife his country from obfcurity to glory, from weaknefs and contempt to power and dominion.

But to the Jewish people, Chriftianity prefented no fuch flattering views. Its grand and fundamental doctrine, faith in an humble, fuffering Meffiah, obfcured the brightest profpects, and overthrew the fairest opinions, which a long and uninterrupted tradition, apparently fupported by prophecy, had taught them to entertain. Their firft hep towards embracing the gofpel, was founded on the ruin of every hope which ambition had infpired; and previously to their converfion, they were called upon for ever to renounce their, dearest expectations of brilliant conquefts and unbounded dominion, under the aufpicious guidance of a mighty and triumphant deliverer. They could not therefore look but with indignation on the pro

grefs of a religion, which tended to deprive them of their peculiar privileges and diftinctions; to confound them again with the mafs of mankind; and to reduce them from that haughty pre-eminence which they had hitherto claimed, to the fame level with the furrounding nations, whom they had been accustomed to fhun with pious abhorrence, or to fpurn with fullen contempt.'

In the fourth and fifth fermons are traced the characters of the founders of the two religions. Thefe are drawn with a mafterly hand that of Mahomet, we think, with fomewhat too fombre a pencil, though it fets out with a grand air of impartiality, allowing to the impoftor elevated abilities and confiderable virtues. But the paffions of luft, and efpecially of cruelty, make rather a more confpicuous figure in the copy, than they do in the original. Mahomet was in fome inftances politically fevere: we have our doubts whether he were in any respect naturally cruel.

To the delineation of our bleffed lord however no juft exception can be made. It is as accurately conceived, as it is nervously expreffed. After an ingenious and ftriking parallel between the four gofpels and the hiftory of Socrates, as delivered by Xenophon and Plato, our author proceeds.

The impoftor of Arabia feized the fceptre, before it was offered to him; the dictator of Rome rejected a crown, which it was both unfafe and difhonourable for him to wear; aud was confcious, that, he had already obtained the folid power of monarchy, while he reluctantly, though oftentatioufly refufed its gaudy appendages. But far different was the conduct of Jefus Chrift. He declined as well the reality of dominion, which Cæfar poffeffed, as the appearance of it which Mahomet affumed. He declined them, at a time when by accepting them, he might have gratified the pride of his countrymen, fubdued all the prejudices which obftructed the belief of his miffion, and averted many of the dangers which threatend his life.

Now if his humility had been only affected, in order to cover defigns of which ambition was the hidden motive, there would have been fome unguarded moment when the mafk would have dropped off. But the whole life of our bleffed Lord, in all its viciflitudes, is marked by the fame calm indifference to worldly honours, the fame manly difregard of popular applaufe, the fame exemption from the impatience of defire when pre-eminence was offered to him and from the anguifh of disappointment when it was refufed.

Though regardless of the picafures, and fometimes, deftitute of the comforts of life, he never provokes our difguit, by the fournefs of the mifanthrope;; or our contempt, by the inactivity of the reclufe. He never affected gloomy aufterity; nor fought to be fe queftered from the world, in order to preferve the fpirituality of his mind. But his miniftry was profeffedly, and really, defined to active employment; and engaged in promoting the nobleft interefts of mankind. He therefore freely mixed with them in all the habits of focial intercourfe: and in thofe moments, when all the avenues of the heart are open to gaiety and affection, he filently

inftructed

inftructed his companions in the rare, but exquifite art of being chearful without levity, and of uniting folid improvement with harmlefs entertainment.

And yet with all the gentleness of a meek and lowly mind, we behold an heroic firmness, which no terrors could shake, and no oppofition could reftrain. This union of oppofite qualities conftitutes, indeed, the diftinguishing beauty of his character. It prefents us, as it were, with the lights and fhades, which, mixed in due proportion, contribute to the finishing of the picture. Had his actions been governed only by the foft and yielding influences of gentleness and compaffion, he never could have compleated a work, . which called for the most determined efforts of active zeal and fortitude. Besides this deficiency in point of pofitive exertion, his conduct, if wholly guided by the gentler principles of the human heart, would have fubjected him to the fufpicion of a blind and irrational impulse; it would have been imputed to a complexional felicity of temper, a mere instinctive benevolence; which having no moral motive, could be entitled to no praife; and which being deftitute of a fteady principle, would prove of little benefit to mankind. The conduct of our bleffed Lord was, therefore, guided by reafon as well as by affection; and was diftinguished as much by an heroic zeal for the truth, and an unrelenting oppofition to the errors and wickednefs of the times, as by the gentler qualities of meeknefs, compaffion, and forbearance.'

The three following difcourfes are appropriated to the inveftigation of the evidences of the two religions, as well external as internal.

The ninth fermon, the text of which is the celebrated aphorifm of our faviqur, "By their fruits ye thall know them," winds up the comparison, by examing the two religions in their effects. In the first place our author confiders the characters that belong to the profeffors of each; and, fecondly, that he may not be accused of ftating circumftances, merely concomitant, under the idea of caufe and effect, he goeson to show of the two fyftems," that the one is naturally deftructive of the great principles of human welfare, and the other as naturally conducive to them." Under his first head indeed Mr. White poffeffes the moft palpable advantages in the moral, active and intellectual character of Chriftian states, and the fervility, ignorance, and floth of the Mahometans. To the latter he applies the forcible defcription of Tacitus: "Ut corpora lente augefcunt, cito ex"tinguuntur; fic ingenia ftudiaque opprefferis facilius quam revocaveris. Subit quippe etiam ipfius inertiæ dulcedo: et invifa primo defidia, poftremo amatur."-Though we have not room for the application our author makes of his principles under the fecond head, there is fomething fo ingenious and philofophical in the introductory reafonings themfelves, that we cannot refuse them to our readers,

First

FIRST. The influence of religious perfuafion must always be great either in improving, or contracting, the faculties of the understanding. Opinions which are the first received and the last parted with, which are united with all the hopes and all the fears of hu manity; which among the great mass of mankind are feldom doubted of, and seldom are corrected; cannot be fuppofed to be indifferent in their effects upon the mind. The understanding is equally fubject to habits, with our other powers; and according to the manner in which it has been exercised, or to the reach and extent which it has acquired in its common exercises, will be its exertion and cha racter in every other employment. The votary of a weak or narrow fuperftition, which exhibits its Gods in the fhape, and endows them with the paffions of mankind; he whofe mind has been ac cuftomed to no higher forms of excellence, and to no brighter objects of contemplation than the doctrines which fuch a religion affords, cannot eafily be imagined to poffefs an understanding much elevated or improved; and will not carry to other employments that liberal and enlightened fpirit which rational fpeculations excite and confirm. So far as the influence of its truths upon his understanding extends, his religion will tend to contract it; the difficul ties which oppofe its progrefs will be fo far increased, as its former habits have blinded or weakened it; and amidst this general depreffion, it can only refume its powers, when fome unusual and important concern calls them forth, and leads them beyond the limits which had been formerly impofed upon them. A religion, on the contrary, which exhibits fublime objects of contemplation; which arrays its Deity in every poflible excellence; and which mingles none of the infirmities of man with the perfections of heaven; may naturally be fuppofed to improve and to exalt the human underftanding. By giving it in its common and permanent employments an object of tranfcendental excellence and magnitude, by accuftoming it to high ideas of wifdom and perfection, it must even infenfibly have an influence in ftamping a fimilar character on all its exertions and while to the mind and views of the philofopher it affords a portion of the fame fublimity and fpirit, to the common habits of opinion alfo it communicates fomewhat of the fame extent, and marks with bolder features the general character,

But the great influence of religious opinion upon the powers of the human understanding, arifes from the information which it gives to man of his nature and end. All excellence is relative to the fitua tion in which it is fhewn; and before any kind of ambition' 'can be excited, it is firft neceflary to know what it is that ambition can attain.

In the ordinary bufinefs of life the exertions of mankind are proportioned to the probability of fuccefs. No greater industry is exerted, and no greater variety of intelligence acquired, than what feems neceffary for the ftation in which it is probably to be brought into ufé. The differences of fortune and condition thus in a very obvious manner affect the capacities, or acquifitions of the mind. The poffeffor of rank and opulence, who is raised by fortune to the higher conditions and the greater duties of life, feels himself called ■pon for wider views and more liberal accomplishments than the ge

nerality

:

nerality of mankind and if he poffeffes the common ambition of his ftation, he will proportion his efforts to the opportunities which are offered to him, and to the expectations which are formed of him. The poor man, on the contrary, concerning whom no fuch expectations are entertained, and whole life is probably to be passed in domeftic duties and corporeal labour, as naturally accommodates his mind to the fituation in which he is to act: and feldom is folicitous about any acquifitions either of knowledge or of virtue, which are not demanded by his condition: and thus the inequalities of rank and of fortune, which are produced by the improvements of fociety, have a natural and obvious tendency either to exalt or to deprefs the capacities of their poffeffors, and to adapt all their exertions to the fituation in which they are to be employed. It is in the fame manner that religion operates on the mind of man. From religion only he learns what are the final views and expectations of his being; for what purpose his mental powers were given; to what ends they lead; and what higher degrees of excellence they may yet receive. He will, therefore, be led to accommodate his ambition and his defires to the fenfe he poffeffes of his nature. The confciousness of greater capacity for virtue, will be attended with a stronger fenfe of obligation to become virtuous.

To the poor native of unenlightened countries, what motives can his religion afford to excite the ardour, or the activity of his mind? The fervice of Deities little elevated above the rank of man, cannot much improve his opinion of the confequence of his being, or animate his defire of their favour; and a long Futurity to be paffed in the fame occupations which now engage him, or in the narrow circle of animal enjoyment, cannot produce in him any higher conceptions of the dignity of his nature, or animate him to the exertion of any other powers, than thofe that are to be employed in the life for which he thinks himself deftined. Little raised in his purfuits above animal life, he will have fomething contracted and abject in all his hopes. He fees before him an indiftinct profpect of happiness in corporeal indulgence, or indolent repofe: he therefore is prompted by inftinct, and directed even by reason, to accommodate himself to this deftiny of his nature; and he thinks it folly and delufion to difquiet himself about any higher purfuits than thofe in which Eternity feems to be engaged. No views of mental improves ment have ever dawned upon his mind; and he leaves the world, as he entered it, ignorant of all the nobler capacities of his nature, and uninftructed in the dignity of his being by thofe religious encouragements and affiftances, which alone could inftruct him.

How different is the influence of enlightened religion? Taught by this, man becomes acquainted with the character of his being. Regarding himself no longer as the groveling inhabitant of earth, he extends his hopes beyond the reach of animal enjoyment. He finds himself defined to immortal life; he feels himself endued with the capacity of eternal happiness. To this fublime end his mind almost involuntarily endeavours to fit itself. His imagination, his understanding, his heart affume new energy and extent, as they are employed on fo boundlefs a feene, And while he looks forward to those bright

profpects