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النشر الإلكتروني

AN

Introductory Dissertation,

in which

THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY ARE FAIRLY STATED, The New Testament proved to be genuine,

AND THE RELIGION OF JESUS TRULY DIVINE.

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themselves the wisest of mankind, or, in other words, the free-thinkers of the age, have been desirous of banishing God and his truths from their knowledge; and it is therefore the less to be wondered at, if God hast given them up to a reprobate mind; to the most infamous lusts and enormities; and to a depth of degeneracy, which, while it is in part the natural consequence, is in part also the just, but dreadful punishment to their apostacy from the faith. And we are persuaded that those who wish well to the cause of Christ, as every true christian most certainly does, cannot serve it more effectually, than by endeavouring to establish men in their belief of the Gospel in general, and to build them up in its most holy

faith. The latter, we flatter ourselves, we have sufficiently done in the following lives of the blessed Jesus and his apostles and followers: and we propose in this Dissertation to prove that the Christian religion is true, and owes its origin to God himself.

It will be needless to observe, that this is a matter of the highest importance, as every one will apprehend that this is the foundation of all our

hopes. It is absolutely necessary, in this age of libertinism, that every Christian should be able to give a reason for the hope that is in him, and to put to silence the tongues of those men who have evil will at Sion. And

may

the Almighty enable us to plead his cause with success; May the divine Spirit accompany these arguments, that the faith of our readers being more and more established, it may appear that the tree is watered at the roots, by all the other graces growing and flourishing in an equal proportion!

God has made ample provision for the honour and support of his Gospel, by furnishing it with a variety of proofs, which may, with undiminished, and, indeed, with growing conviction, be displayed in the eyes of the whole world: and we should be greatly wanting in gratitude to him, in zeal for a Redeemer's kingdom, and in charitable concern for the conversion of those who reject the Gos

pel, as well as for the edification of those who embrace it, should we wholly overlook those arguments, or neglect to acquaint ourselves with them. This is the evidence we propose, and beg our readers would peruse it with becoming attention.

In prosecution of this great design, we shall endeavour more particularly to shew, that if we take the matter on a general survey, it will appear highly probable that such a system of doctrines and precepts, as we find Christianity to be, should, indeed, have been a divine Revelation; and then that if we examine into the external evidence of it, we shall find it it had its origin from on high. certain in fact, that it was so, and that

First, then, we are to shew, that, taking the matter merely in theory, it will appear highly probable, that such a system as the Gospel, should be, indeed, a divine revelation.

To prove this, we shall endeavour to shew, That the state of mankind was such, as greatly to need a revelation; That there seems from the light of nature, encouragement to hope, that God would grant one: That it is reasonable to believe, that if any were made, it would be introduced and transmitted, as Christianity was ; and that its general nature and substance should be such as we find that of the Gospel is. If we satisfactorily prove these particulars, there will be

a strong presumptive evidence that the Gospel is from God, and a fair way will be opened for that more divine proof, which is principally intended.

1. The case of mankind is naturally such as to need a divine revelation.

We would not be understood to

speak here of man in his original state, though, even then, some instruction from above seemed necessary to inform him of many particulars, which it was highly proper for him then to know; but we speak of him in the degenerate condition in which he now so evidently lies, by whatever means he fell into it. It is very easy to make florid encomiums on the perfection of natural light, and to deceive

unwary readers by an ambiguous

term, as a late author has done in his deistical writings; a fallacy beneath an ingenuous reasoner, and which alone ought to have exposed his book to the contempt of every serious reader. Truth needs no disguise; a candid advocate scorns such subterfuges; let facts speak for themselves, and controversy will soon be decided. We appeal to every intelligent reader, who is acquainted with the records of antiquity, or that has any knowledge of the present state of those countries where Christianity is unknown, whether it is not too obvious a truth, that the whole heathen world has lain, and still lies, in a state of wickedness? Have not the greater part of them been perpetual

ly bewildered in their religious notions and practices, very different from each other, and almost equally differing on all sides from the appearances of truth and reason? Is any thing so wild as not to have been believed any thing so infamous as not to have been practised by them, justify it by reason, but to have conwhile they not only pretended to secrated it as a part of their religion? To this very day, what are the discoveries of new nations in the American or African world; but generally speaking, the opening new scenes of enormity? Rapine, lust, cruelty, idolatries, are, and always have been, human sacrifices, and the most stupid the morality and religion of almost all if they have discovered a dawn of the Pagan nations under heaven; and reason, it has only sufficed to convince them of an abler guide, to direct them in pursuit of real happi

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the wants, sorrows, and interest of each other: and when you see how bad they generally are in the midst of so many advantages, judge by that of the probable state of those that want them. When the candid reader has well weighed these particulars, let him judge whether a revelation be an unnecessary thing.

2. There is, from the light of nature, considerable encouragement to hope, that God would favour his creatures with so desirable a thing as a revelation appears to be.

That a revelation is in itself a possible thing, is evident beyond all shadow of doubt. Shall not He that made man's mouth, who has given us this wonderful faculty of discovering our sentiments, and communicating our ideas to each other; shall not he be able to converse with his rational

he would not certainly conclude he would never do it: considering, on the one hand, how justly they stood exposed to his final displeasure: and, on the other, what provision he had made by the frame of the human mind, and, of nature around us, for giving us. such notices of himself, as would leave us inexcusable, if we either failed to know him, or to glorify him as God, as the apostle argues at large. (Rom. i. 20, &c.) Nevertheless, we should have something of this kind to hope, from considering God as the indulgent father of his creatures; from observing the tender care he takes of us, and the liberal supply which he grants for the support of the animal life: especially from the provision he has made for man, considered as a guilty and calamitous creature, by the medicinal and healing virtues he has given to the productions of nature, which man, in a

creatures, and by sensible manifesta-perfect state of rectitude and happ

tions, or inward impressions, to convey the knowledge of things, which lie beyond the discernment of their natural faculties, and yet may be highly conducive to their advantage? To own a God, and to deny him such a power, would be a notorious contradiction. But it may appear much more dubious, whether we will please to confer such a favour on sinful creatures.

ness, never would have needed.

This is a circumstance which seems strongly to intimate, that he would, some time or other, graciously provide an adequate remedy to heal the minds of the children of men; and that he would interpose to instruct them in his own nature, in the manner in which he is to be served, and in the final treatment which they may expect from him. And certainly such an appre

Now it must be acknowledged, that hension seems very congruous to the

sentiments of the generality of mankind; a sufficient proof that men naturally expect some such kind of interposition of the Almighty.

3. It is natural to conclude, that if a revelation were given, it would be introduced, and transmitted in such a manner as the Evangelists shew us Christianity was.

It is, for instance, highly probable, that it should be taught either by some illustrious person, sent down from a superior world, or at least by a man of eminent wisdom and piety, who should himself have been not only a teacher, but an example of righteousness. In order to this, it seems probable, that he should be led through a series of calamities and distress; since, otherwise, he could not have been a pattern of that resignation which adorns adversity, and is peculiar to it. And it might also have been expected that in the extremity of his distress, the Almighty, whose messenger he was, should in some extraordinary manner, have interposed either to preserve or to recover him from death.

It is, moreover, exceedingly probable, that such a person, and, perhaps, also they who were at first employed as his messengers to the world, should be endowed with a power of working miracles, both to awaken men's attention, and to prove his divine mission, and the consequent truth of his doctrines, some of which might perhaps be capable of no other proof; or if they were, it

is certain that no method of arguing is so short, so plain, and so forcible, and on the whole so well suited to conviction, and probably the reformation of mankind, as a course of evident, repeated, and uncontrolled miracles. And such a method of proof is especially adapted to the populace, who are incomparably the greater part of mankind, and for whose benefit we may assure ourselves a revelation would be chiefly designed. It might be added, that it was no way improbable, though not in itself certain, that a dispensation should open gradually to the world; and that the most illustrious messenger of God to men should be ushered in by some. predictions which should raise a great expectation of his appearance, and have an evident accomplishment in him.

As to the propagation of a religion so introduced, it seems no way improbable, that having been thus established in its first age, it should be transmitted to future generations, by credible testimony, as other important facts are. It is certain, that affairs of the utmost moment, transacted among men, depend on testimony: on this, voyages are undertaken, settlements made, and controversies decided: controversies on which not only the estates but the lives of men depend. Though it must be owned, that such an historical evidence is not equally convincing with miracles which are wrought before our own eyes; yet it is certain, it may rise to such a degree as to exclude all reasonable doubt. We know not why we

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