We may undoubtedly mifemploy our time, as many have done, in obfcure and fruitless fpeculations about the nature of fuch things as we can never fully understand. But the New Teftament itself does not only not require us to do fo, but will condemn us for fo doing and it had been much happier for the chriftian world, and much more for the honour and true intereft of the religion of CHRIST, if no one had ever done fo...

But is it not equally true, that we may, in like manner, ftudy, write, and argue, on many points connected with Natural Religion, and moral virtue, to juft as little purpose, or as bad effect? Yet notwithstanding this, very excellent ufe may be made of the doctrines of mere reafon, and fo there may likewife of thofe peculiar to revelation. Nor is this mifapplication of our own abili ties any argument against the truth either of the One or the Other, or against any thing, but our own prudence in the application of thofe facul ties which God has entrusted to our care.

The New Teftament itself feems to enter, no further into the nature of thofe things, concerning which it reveals fome perfectly intelligible, though fupernatural, truths; than appears to have been natural at least, if not ftrictly neceffary, in order to fer before us a fufficient view of the difpenfation it contains, and by that means to conduce to the excellent moral purposes it is calculated to promote: nor is it poffible for us to perufe with an honeft and ingenuous difpofition, thofe accounts which the New Teftament itfelf has given us, of our own pronenefs to Sin;-The merciful terms of falvation there offered to us ;The faith in CHRIST there required of us;-The indifpenfable conditions there laid down for our final juftification;-The merciful, difpofition of

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the Father towards us;The amazing goodness of the Son in doing and fuffering what he underwent for us;-And the fhare afcribed to the Holy Ghoft in the whole accomplishment of our Salvation; We cannot ferioufly perufe what the New Teftament itself intelligibly reveals to us, on these moft important fupernatural points; or indeed on any others connected with them, of which it does not reveal to us a complete knowledge and comprehenfion; without becoming fincerely difpofed to practise those moral virtues, which the Gospel Difpenfation is fo manifeftly and fo admirably fitted to inculcate. Whatever objections therefore may lie against fome fruitless human fpeculations upon the feveral fupernatural points revealed in the Gospel, and the improper manner in which difputes may have been fometimes carried on about them; no argument whatever can be drawn from this topic against the Divine Authority of fo much of thefe particulars, as is exprefsly revealed in the Old and New Teftament Themselves.

Befides, will this Author have the prefumption to determine, what particular truths or facts God. may reveal to mankind, and what he may not? Let us fuppofe it utterly beyond our power, as undoubtedly it is, to affign the reafons why God has gone juft fo far in revealing fome truths in the New Teftament, and no farther; and that we are not able to perceive the use of revealing fo much in fome particulars, as is there made known. Are we justifiable in prefuming to determine, that what we cannot fee the reafon for revealing, cannot therefore have been revealed? Is it not, certain, that things which appear at first to be of very little importance in themselves, may at length be found connected with fuch as are of the highest concern? Nothing could appear of lefs moment, in the material world, at first, than electricity:

yet that now appears to be one of the great inftru ments of nature. And if fuch inftances are found in the natural world, why may not fimilar inftan ces exift in the moral; fince the fame God is the Author of both? If no revealed truths can be made known to us, the ufe of knowing which we cannot comprehend; how came we to be fo conftituted, that any natural truths should come before us, the ufes of which we know little, or abso lutely nothing of?

The New Teftament exprefsly teaches us, that after this life is over we are to enter upon a new ftate of existence, concerning the particular cir cumstances of which we are wholly in the dark. And how does this Author know, that the revelation of fuch particulars in the New Testament, as we do not appear to derive any immediate use from the knowledge of at prefent, may not have its ufes in that future ftate, concerning which we as yet know nothing? Notorious it is, that even our prefent usefulness, our happiness, and our virtue itself, when we are arrived at mature age, even in life; depends in great measure upon our having this been previously inftructed in many truths, during our childhood, the neceffity or usefulness of which, we, at the time of being taught them, could by no means understand. And have we not the ftrong eft reason to conclude, that the whole of our exiftence here will be found at length but a ftate of mere childhood, confidered with refpect to that upon which we are to enter hereafter? And what then can there be unreasonable in supposing, that the previous revelation of fuch truths, as we ourfelves cannot difcover the precife reafon for our being made acquainted with here, will at length be found productive of fome beneficial effects, when we shall enter upon that unknown state hereafter? When we obferve that God has in fact

placed us in fuch circumftances, as to make this method of treatment useful, and even neceffary to us, in one inftance; we muft at least acknowledge it poffible, that he may have acted in the fame manner towards us in another.

To object therefore to many particulars contained in the New Testament, that the knowledge of them does not appear to be attended with any benefit to us at prefent; and to contend, that for this reason they cannot have been revealed; is arguing about the divine difpenfations to man, in fuch a manner, as the actual circumstances of our prefent existence itself unanswerably prove to be inconclu five, frivolous, and falfe. In fhort, the only point to be confidered with refpect to Divine Revelations, to the morality of which no objections can be made, is, What external evidence is produced to prove them to have been really revealed? If the evidence of THE FACT, i. e. the Revelation itfelf, is fufficient; all objections founded on our inability to point out the ufe of any particulars revealed, or on the want of any other qualifications, which we may be led to imagine they ought to have; are entirely befide the queftion: fince it is utterly impoffible for us to judge adequately what God may, and what he may not, reveal to man; except only, that he cannot reveal any thing inconfiftent with goodness, holiness, and truth.

SE CT. V."

The Author's Principles with respect to BELIEF; and his Inference from Jesus's Anfwer to the • young Ruler, confidered.

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NOTHER argument the Author has urged, to fhew that no fupernatural truths can be required to be believed in the genuine religion of CHRIST, is drawn from his notions of the nature of Belief itself.

He afferts, That "Belief always arifes out of "fufficient evidence, and can never arife at all "where fúch evidence is wanting; and therefore, "that it cannot with propriety be the fubject of "command *." That "To believe without examining is no Belief t." That" Bare believing carries in it no merit, because it is invo"luntary, and depends on evidence. That eventually it may be useful; as the Belief of the Ber ing and Attributes of God may induce a man ic to live virtuously; but in nowife meritorious.." " If a Agreeably to which he fays likewife,

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"man be truly virtuous, it cannot be material by what name he is called; whether denominated a Believer, or an Unbeliever, a Jew, a Mahometan, a Deift, or a Chriftian .'

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If it be true, as the Author fays, that Belief always arises out of fufficient evidence, and can never arife where that is wanting; and that to believe without examining is not Belief; then certainly no one can ever have believed what was not true, or what he had not employed his best abilities in confidering; fo that no one can ever.

* P. 309.

+ P. 351. P. 360, 363.

P. 362.

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