Christian philosophy: or, An attempt to display the evidence and excellence of revealed religion. With an appendix

God vouchfafes to teach by the inftrumentality of men and that the clergy have much to do, under the teaching of God, as minifters of his grace. An order of men fet apart for the study of facred things, and of eloquence requifite to display their beauty and value to the thoughtless and unfeeling, cannot but be highly useful and indeed neceffary. God's fpirit will affift, but not fuperfede their endeavours in the ministry.

If men are to be taught of God, it has been asked again, whether our own efforts will not become fuperfluous? I answer, by no means. I fet out in this treatise with endeavouring to fix in the mind as a maxim: "He that will know whether "the doctrine of Chrift be true, must do his " will." Moral and intellectual improvement must be as earnestly fought as if there were no promise of fupernatural assistance; just as the hufbandman must plough and fow diligently, though he knows that the fun and the fhowers are abfolutely neceffary to give the due increase.

Cavils, objections, and calumnious reproach will ufually arife from fome quarter or other, whenever religious opinions are freely and artlessly difcuffed, without any attempt to court the favour of fects and parties.

The path of literary life that leads along the vale of obscurity is the path of peace. Whoever ventures to bring forward the refult of ftudies in THEOLOGY is peculiarly expofed to the fhafts of angry pamphleteers. All indeed are interested in the fubject, and they, whofe opinion is opposed, feel difpleasure and exprefs contempt. The SILENT DIVINE, who takes things as he finds them, chooses the fmootheft and readieft road to

favour.

favour. It was this view of things which induced the celebrated Bishop Hare to write his treatise on the difficulties and DISCOURAGEMENTS which attend the study of the fcriptures in the way of private judgment. He has the following remarkable paffage in that treatise: "Every mean per"fon," fays he, "who has nothing to recommend "him but his orthodoxy, and owes that perhaps "wholly to his ignorance, will think (if you ven"ture to publifh an unfashionable opinion) he has "a right to trample upon you with contempt, to "asperse your character with virulent reflections, "to run down your writings as mean and pitiful "performances, and give HARD NAMES to opinions "which he does not understand."

Such being the case, if a man had not learned a little Chriftian Philofophy, he would choose to fpend his time in inglorious eafe, and enjoying plenty, make, according to the advice of Chesterfield, the world his bubble. But though exertion for the benefit of mankind, and distinction in confequence of it, bring many pains and penalties, often create enemies inftead of friends, and injure worldly intereft, yet knowledge is delightful, beneficence a duty, and every inconvenience which may arife from the diligent purfuit or diffufion of the one, and the faithful performance of the other, fhould be borne with alacrity.

With respect to myself, the proud and cenforious fpirit of the felf-honoured Philofopher, and felf-named rational Chriftian, fhall never disturb my complacency, fo long as I find that the opinions which difplease them are founded on holy writ, and maintained by the ornaments of this country and of human nature.

As one of my chief objects is to promote among mankind the gentler affections, to the exclufion or mitigation of all malice and revenge, I fhall not rifk the lofs of my own good humour, by entering into the bitterness of controversy, however folly may misunderstand, or malevolence mifreprefent me. They do no despite to me; let them beware left they do despite to the Spirit of grace *.

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