the Christian revelation, and refer the reader to many curious and judicious writers in defence of the Chrif tian fyftem; evincing that it is indeed a divine relation. Doctor Lardner has very learnedly and judiciously confidered the nature of evidence, and applied it to the Christian scheme, wherein he has with great labour, and we hope with proportionable fuccefs, obviated the objections of the moft fubtle of its oppofers *. Doctor Clarke + has likewife confidered the feveral principal arguments in fupport of the divine authority and excellency of the Chriftian inftitution, in the following particulars. 1. That the Christian religion, confidered in its primitive fimplicity, and as taught in the fcriptures, has all the marks and proofs of its being actually and truly a divine revelation. 2. That the practical duties it enjoins, are all fuch as are most agreeable to our natural notions of God, and moft perfective of the nature, and conducive to the happinefs and well-being of men. 3. That the motives by which the Chriftian religion inforces the practice of the duties it enjoins, are fuch as are moft fuitable to the wisdom of God, and most answerable to the natural expectations of man. 4. That the peculiar manner with which the Chriftian religion enjoins the duties, and urges the motives before-mentioned, are exactly confonant to the dictates of found reafon, or the unprejudiced light of nature, and moft perfective of it. 5. That all the doctrines, which the true, fimple and uncorrupted Chriftian religion teaches, are, tho' indeed many of them not difcoverable by the light of nature, yet, when discovered by revelation, moft agreeable to found unprejudiced reason. *Doctor Lardner's Credibility of the Gospel History, 15th vol. Reverend Mr. Leland's Anfwer to the principal Deistical Writers. + Doctor Clarke on the Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, p. 2zo & feq. The The Doctor then applies his poftulatums to the following particulars: That it cannot be thought unreasonable to be believed that God fhould make a revelation of his will to mankind; and that in fuch a revelation, wherein God freely proclaims the remiffion of fin, and the acceptableness of repentance, he should nevertheless have appointed fuch a facrifice or expiation for fin, as might at the fame time be a fufficient teftimony of his irreconcileable hatred against it. That a Mediator fhould be appointed between God and man, through and by whom the prayers of finners may be offered up, fo as to be acceptable in his fight. That the greatest difficulty arifes indeed from the dignity of the perfon (the only begotten Son of God); but even this, upon due enquiry, will appear to have nothing in it contrary to the nature of God, or the condition of things. Or laftly, that there is any juft objection to be drawn from the Chriftian revelation, not being in fact univerfal *. From hence the Doctor endeavours to prove, that the hiftory of the Life of Chrift, contained in the New Teftament, is a true revelation of matter of fact; that God has appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world by his Son Jefus Chrift, in order to reward every man according to his works t. That, in order to this final judgment, not only the foul fhall furvive the diffolution of the body; but the body itself alfo fhall be raised again t· That after the refurrection and the general judgement, wherein every man fhall be judged according to his works, they that have done well, fhall go into everlasting happiness ||; and they that have done evil, into everlasting punishment §. * See also Doctor Benfon's Reasonableness of Christianity, in answer to Chriftianity not founded on Argument. + Doctor Sherlock on the Future Judgment. See the Arguments for the Refurrection of the Body, and Objections answered at the end of the Religious Philofopher. Of the Nature, different Degree, Duration, &c. See Laurence, § Doctor Samuel Clarke's Sermons. Watts, &c. The The Doctor recites two or three of the principal of the preceding propofitions, farther to explain and illuftrate them, viz. that all the doctrines, which the Chriftian religion teaches, that is not only thofe plain ones, which it requires to be believed as fundamental to falvation, but even all the doctrines it teaches, as a matter of truth, are agreeable to found and unprejudiced reason*. Secondly, that every one of thefe doctrines has a natural tendency, and a direct and powerful influence, to reform mens lives, and to correct their manners. This, fays he, is the great end and ultimate defign of all true religion †. Laftly, that all the doctrines of the Chriftian faith do together make up an infinitely more confiftent and rational scheme of belief, than any that the wifeft of the ancient philofophers ever did, or than the cunningeft of modern unbelivers can invent or contrive. Our author then proceeds to treat of miracles in general, of their nature and kinds, and how far the miracles wrought by Jefus Chrift may be brought in proof of his doctrines. His life and character is likewise confidered as an accomplishment of the prophecies concerning him. The teftimony of our Saviour's difciples he likewife introduces; which in all its circumftances was the most credible, certain, and convincing, that they neither could be imposed on themselves, nor could have any defign of impofing upon others. That the apoftles left their teftimony af the works and doctrine of Chrift in their writings; which writings have been tranfmitted down to us, by an uninterrupted fucceffion, through all intermediate ages, without any confiderable corruption or error, fuch as might in any See Locke on the reasonablenefs of Chriftianity. N. B..Thefe points which are ufually confidered as the effential part of the Chriftian doctrine, as well as the arguments by which that inftitution is fupported, I have chofe to give from the writings of Doctor Clarke on thefe fubjects, as I apprehend them beft adapted to my prefent purpose, and agreeable to the fentiments of our moft eminent divines. wife wife diminish our certainty of the truth of the whole. In fum, there is no matter of fact in the world, attested in any history with fo many circumftances of credibility, with fo many collateral evidences, and in every refpect attended with fo many marks of truth, as this concerning the doctrine and the works of Chrift *. There are indeed many ingenious divines, both of the established church, and other denomination of Chriftians, who have wrote with great candour and accuracy on the holy fcriptures, fuggefting many rational and useful hints for reconciling many feeming contradictions, and obviating fome of the moft material objections of unbelievers; and this too, by fuch juft and natural interpretations of the moft obfcure paffages, by comparing the original text with the author's defign, &c. as have afforded much fatisfaction †. Others have expatiated on and illuftrated the coincidence of fcripture with reafon, or fhewn the real and proper connection there is between natural religion, and many of the most sublime evangelical truths ; while others have shewn the peculiar tranfcendent excellency of the gospel precepts ; the comparative fitnefs and obligation of moral and pofitive duties §; and have alfo explained and applied thofe divine promises and fanctions by which our obedience and duty is enforced. A farther reference to fome of the principal authors might fuffice in this place; tho', as it is on fo agreeable and important a * Doctor Samuel Clarke's Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, p. 328. + Lock's Reasonablenefs of Chriftianity, Doctor Clarke's Paraphrafe on the Evangelifts. Pile's paraphrafe on the Epiftles. Doctor Taylor on the Romans. Chandler's Sermon at the Ordination of Mr. Wright. Sykes on the Chriftian Religion against Collins. Lawrence of Chriftian Morals and Chriftian Prudence, vol. I. fubject, fubject, I fhall be excufed if I am fomewhat more particular. It is not without very good reafon, that fome ingenious authors have entered into the views of what might be reasonably expected as the fubject matter of a revelation from God. Doctor Doddridge fuggefts, 1. That the ftate of mankind was fuch as to need a divine revelation; 2. That there is from the light of nature confiderable encouragement to hope that God would favour his creatures with fo needful a bleffing as a revelation appears to be ; 3. We may eafily conclude, that if a revelation were given, it would be introduced and tranfmitted in fuch a manner as Chriftianity is faid to have been; 4. That the main doctrines contained in the gospel are of fuch a nature, as we might in general fuppofe thofe of a divine revelation would be, namely, rational, practical and fublime *; or more particularly, that it coincides with the unbiaffed reafon of mankind gives us more juft and enlarged ideas of the perfections of the Deity †, and inftucts us in the nature of that worship, which ought to be paid to him ; inculcates and inforces the practice of all relative and focial duties; extends our ideas of the rewards of virtue, and confirms our hopes in the divine goodnefs, beyond what unaffifted reafon could poffibly do; and this is fhewn not to be the mere furmife of prepoffeffion and fancy; for it has been evinced, that when the most accurate schemes of the antient philofophy was ineffectual to rectify the fentiments, and reform the conduct of mankind, chriftianity produced fuch an amazing change and reformation in both thefe important refpects, as fhewed it to be indeed the power of God * Doddridge's Summary of the Evidences of Christianity, Proteftant Syftem, p. 376. † Doctor Samuel Chandler's Vindication of Chriftianity. Doctor Samuel Clarke on the being and attributes of God. Reverend Mr. Bulkley, Nature of Religious Worship, p. 14 § Doctor Fofter of Natural Religion and Social Virtues, vol. II. unto |