Ever young, active, and undecaying, it shall be reunited | their blood the seed of the church, cheerfully suffered marto the immortal mind, purified from every stain and every tyrdom, having certain assurance of being crowned after their error. This perfect man shall be admitted, with an open and death: a certain assurance which they derived from what abundant entrance, into the heaven of heavens, the peculiar they themselves had formerly seen. residence of Infinite Majesty, and the chosen seat of infinite dominion. In this noblest of all habitations, this mansion of everlasting joy, he shall be united with an innumerable multitude of companions like himself, sanctified, immortal, and happy. Enrolled among the noblest and best beings in the universe, a child, a priest, a king in the house of his Heavenly Father, his endless and only destination will be to know, love, serve, and enjoy God; to interchange the best affections and the best offices with his glorious companions and to advance in wisdom, virtue, and happiness, ....FOR EVER.1

We find other religions, which pretend to be confirmed and authorized by several signs and extraordinary events from heaven. Thus, the Romans used to attribute to their religion all the advantages they obtained over other nations; and the Mohammedans pretend that the great successes, which God was pleased to give their prophet, were so many certain and undeniable marks of the truth of their religion. But to pretend that temporal prosperity is a certain character of a true religion, or adversity that of a false one, is to suppose that the most profligate wretches, provided they are happy in this world, are the greatest favourites of God. But certainly This is no ideal picture. Hopes and consolations like it is not prosperity or adversity simply considered, but pros these have, in every age of Christianity, supported the perity or adversity as foretold by God or his prophets that is minds of millions of Christians, in the humble and retired a certain character of true religion: and when we affirm that walks of life, as well as in exalted stations. They cheered several extraordinary events bear witness to the truth of and animated the minds of such men as the Lord Chief Christianity, we mean only those events which had been Justice Hale, Pascal, Newton, Boyle, Locke, Addison, foretold by the prophets; as, for instance, the calling of the Boerhaave, Lord Lyttleton, Baron Haller, Sir William Jones, Gentiles, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the establishment Beattie, and very many other distinguished laymen (divines of the Christian church. Finally, there may be several reare designedly omitted), both British and foreign, who ap-ligions that may deceive, but it is only the Christian religion plied their mighty intellects to the investigation and eluci- that can truly satisfy mankind. There are some religions dation of the evidences of the Christian records; and whose grounded upon fabulous miracles, and confirmed by witnesses lives and writings will continue to instruct and edify the easily convicted of imposture; but it is only the Christian world, so long as the art of printing shall perpetuate them. religion that is firmly and solidly established upon true miracles and valid testimonies. It appears, then, that no religion Such are the effects which the Christian revelation has in the world has such extraordinary qualifications as the actually produced on the happiness of nations, as well as of Christian religion; of which it must also be affirmed, that it individuals. Philosophy and infidelity (we have seen) are is free from all such defects as are incident to other religions. alike inadequate to accomplish them. An evil tree, we know, bringeth forth not good fruit. If, therefore, this revelation were not of God it could do nothing.

SECTION V.

THE PECULIAR ADVANTAGES, POSSESSED BY THE CHRISTIAN
REVELATION OVEr all other relIGIONS, A DEMONSTRATIVE

EVIDENCE OF ITS DIVINE ORIGIN AND AUTHORITY.

No deep research, no great sagacity or penetration of mind, is necessary to discover this truth; for it is manifest that the Christian religion is not designed for the satisfaction of the carnal and worldly appetites of men, like that of the Jews, who aspired only after temporal prosperity and worldly pomp: nor is it a monstrous medley, like that of the ancient Samaritans, made up of a ridiculous mixture of the pagan and Jewish religion: nor has it any of the faults or extravagant superstitions of the pagan religion. But as it would extend this chapter (already perhaps too long) to a disproportionate length, were we to oppose it particularly to all the errors of other religions, we shall confine our comparison to showing the advantages possessed by the Christian religion over all the rest, in the following respects:—

I. In its PERFECTION.

Peculiar advantages of Christianity over all other religions. -I. In its perfection. II. Its openness.—III. Its adaptation to the capacities of all men, and to the growing advancement of mankind in knowledge and refinement.-IV. The spirituOther religions, as being principally of human invention and ality of its worship.-V. Its opposition to the spirit of the institution, were formed by degrees from the different imaginaworld. VI. Its humiliation of man and exalting of the Deity. tions of several persons, who successively made such additions -VII. Its restoration of order to the world.-VIII. Its tenor alterations as they thought convenient. The Greeks, for exdency to eradicate all evil passions from the heart.-IX. Its ample, added several things to that religion which they received contrariety to the covetousness and ambition of mankind.-X. from the Egyptians; and the Romans to that which they had reIts restoring the divine image to men.—XI. Its mighty effects.ceived from the Greeks. Menander improved upon the senseless ALL the truths stated in the preceding pages will appear impieties of Simon Magus; and Saturninus and Basilides added still more evident, if we consider the Christian revelation, as to those of Menander.2 And the reason is, because men are never it stands opposed to all other religions or pretended revela- weary of inventing, nor the people of believing, novelties. But tions. The excellency of the Christian revelation consists in it is not so with the Christian religion, which was wholly delithis, that it possesses ADVANTAGES WHICH NO OTHER RELI-vered by Christ, is entirely contained in every one of the Gospels, GIONS OR REVELATIONS HAVE, at the same time that it has none and even in each epistle of the apostles. Whatever alterations of the defects by which they are characterized. men have thought fit to make in the doctrine which Christ brought We affirm, that no other religion or revelation has advan-into the world only corrupted its purity and spirituality, as aptages equal to those of the Christian revelation or religion; pears by the great disproportion there is between the apostolical for no other can pretend to have been confirmed by ancient doctrine and the ordinary speculations of men. prophecies. Even Mohammed thought it better to oblige men to call the Scriptures in question, than to derive any arguments from them, which might serve to confirm his mission. There are indeed several religions which have had their martyrs, but of what description?-Superstitious men, who blindly exposed themselves to death, like the ignorant East Indians, thousands of whom prostrate themselves before the idol Juggernauth, and hundreds of whom devote themselves to be crushed by the wheels of the machine that carries the colossal image of their idol. But no religion, besides the Christian, was ever confirmed by the blood of an infinite number of sensible understanding martyrs, who voluntarily suffered death in defence of what they had seen; who from vicious and profligate persons, became exemplary for the sanctity of their lives, upon the confidence they had in their Master; and who at length, being dispersed throughout the world, by their death gained proselytes; and making 1 Dwight's System of Theology, p. 55.

VOL. I.

II. In its OPENNESS.

Other religions durst not show themselves openly in full light, and therefore were veiled over with a mysterious silence and affected darkness. Some of the Gnostics chose the night to cover the impurity of their abominable mysteries. And the Romans exposed themselves to the satirical raillery of their poets, by being so careful to conceal the worship they paid to their goddess Bona. Julian and Porphyry exerted all their talents, either to set off the ridiculous and offensive ceremonies of paganism, or to palliate their superstition, by several various explanations of it; as when they positively affirmed, that they worshipped one only supreme God, though they acknowledged at the same time other subordi nate deities depending one upon another; and when they endeavoured to justify the worship they paid to their idols, by using many subtle and nice distinctions. It is certain that there is a

See an account of these false teachers of Christianity, in Dr. Lardner's History of Heretics.

principle of pride in the hearts of men, which is the reason why | world, Christianity, instead of losing its application and importance, they cannot endure to be accused of entertaining any absurd and is found to be more and more congenial and adapted to man's extravagant opinions; so that whenever their passions have made nature and wants. Men have outgrown the other institutions of them embrace a religion which seems not very reasonable, they that period when Christianity appeared, its philosophy, its modes employ all their ingenuity to make it at least appear consonant of warfare, its policy, its public and private economy; but Christo reason. But the Christian religion requires no veil to cover tianity has never shrunk as intellect has opened, but has always it, no mysterious silence, no dark dissimulation, or close disguise, kept in advance of men's faculties, and unfolded nobler views in although it proposes such kinds of objects to us as are vastly con-proportion as they have ascended. The highest powers and aftrary to all our prejudices and received opinions. The apostles fections, which our nature has developed, find more than adequate freely confess that the preaching of the Gospel is, as it were, an objects in this religion. Christianity is indeed peculiarly fitted apparent folly; but yet they assure us that God was resolved to to the more improved stages of society, to the more delicate sensave the world by that seeming folly. They knew that the death sibilities of refined minds, and especially to that dissatisfaction of Christ became a scandal to the Jew, and a folly to the Greek; with the present state, which always grows with the growth of yet they publicly declared, that they were determined not to know our moral powers and affections. As men advance in civilizaany thing save Jesus Christ and him crucified. And how comes tion, they become susceptible of mental sufferings, to which ruder it then that they did not in the least degree extenuate, or endea- ages are strangers; and these Christianity is fitted to assuage. vour to soften the sense of that seeming paradox (so far were Imagination and intellect become more restless; and Christianity they from concealing it), but were strongly and fully persuaded brings them tranquillity by the eternal and magnificent truths, of the truth of that adorable mystery, and the abundance of their the solemn and unbounded prospects which it unfolds. This fitunderstanding served only to make them more fully comprehend ness of our religion to more advanced stages of society than that the efficacy of the cross? in which it was introduced, to wants of human nature not then developed, seems to me very striking. The religion bears the marks of having come from a Being who perfectly understood the human mind, and had power to provide for its progress. This feature of Christianity is of the nature of prophecy. It was an anticipation of future and distant ages; and when we consider among whom our religion sprung, where, but in God, can we find an explanation of this peculiarity ?"2

III. In its ADAPTATION to every existing state, constitution, and to the capacities of all men.

If we were strictly to consider some religions, we should find that they were at first, for the most part, instituted either by poets or philosophers; and that they generally sprang from the sportive conceits or witty speculations of the understanding; which is the reason why they were not so universally approved. The philosophers always derided the religion of the vulgar; and the vulgar understood nothing of the religion of the philosophers. Socrates ridiculed the religion of the Athenians; and the Athenians accused Socrates of impiety and atheism, and condemned him to death. The Christian religion alone is approved both by the philosophers and also by the vulgar people, as neither depending upon the ignorance of the latter, nor proceeding from the learning of the former. It has a divine efficacy and agreeable power, suitable to all hearts: it is adapted to all climates, and to every existing state-constitution, and is suited to all classes of the human intellect, and to every variety of human character

IV. In the SPIRITUALITY OF ITS WORSHIP.

Other religions brought men from spiritual objects to those which were corporeal and earthly: the Christian religion brings them from the objects of sense to those of the understanding. We all know that when the heathens deified men, or worshipped a deity under a human shape, they were so far from paying to that deity a worship due to a spiritual nature, that their adoration consisted in several games, shows, and divers exercises of the body. The Jews and Samaritans, by their eager disputes whether God was to be worshipped in Jerusalem or on mount Gerazim, extinguished charity, the true spirit of religion, in their violent defences of the external part of it. Nay, the prophets complained formerly that the Jews made a true fast to consist in bowing down their heads as a bulrush, and putting on sackcloth

1. The Christian religion is adapted to harmonize with every existing state-constitution. It has, indeed, nothing immediately to do with political affairs. It fashions every individual, and produces in him that knowledge and those dispositions and feel-and ashes. And the Holy Scripture observes, that the priests ings, which enable him to live contented in any place, and become a useful citizen under every kind of civil constitution, and a faithful subject of every government. It does not, according to the principles of its Author, erect one state within another; nor does it in any case disturb the public tranquillity (for loyalty and true piety are never disunited), nor can the interest of the church ever come in collision with that of the government. On the other hand, that state, whose citizens should really be formed agreeably to the principles of Christianity, would unquestionably be the happiest and most flourishing. Its rulers would have the most faithful, obedient, and active subjects; and the state itself would be distinguished for an order, which would need no power or constraint for its preservation. The arts and sciences would flourish there, without being abused and made the means of poisoning the morals of the people: life also would there be enjoyed in the most agreeable and tranquil manner, and all property and rights would be perfectly secured. No state would be more firmly connected together, and consequently more terrible and invincible to its enemies.!

2. Further, the Christian religion is adapted to every class of the human intellect: it is level to the capacity of the most simple and ignorant, though infinitely raised above the philosophy of the wise it is sublime without being nicely speculative, and simple without being mean; in its sublimity preserving its clearness, and in its simplicity preserving its dignity. In a word, there is nothing so great nor so inconsiderable in human society, but what may some way fall under its consideration, and it is equally approved of and admired by all. It is, moreover, most wonderfully adapted to those habits and sentiments, which spring up in the advancement of knowledge and refinement, and which scem destined to continue for ages, as they have done for the last three centuries, and to spread themselves more and more widely over the human race. Since the introduction of the Christian religion, “human nature has made great progress, and society experienced great changes; and in this advanced condition of the

1831.

of Baal were wont to cut themselves with knives and lances when they sacrificed to him, as if there were no other way to make their god hear their prayers, but by inflicting such punishments on their own bodies. The modern Jews cannot be persuaded that we have been called to the knowledge of the true God (though they find we all profess to put our trust and confidence in him), because they perceive not that we use any corporeal ceremonies. And the Mohammedans, more irreligious than superstitious, make their religion and its happiness depend chiefly on their senses. When they worship, they turn themselves towards Mecca, as the Jews turned towards Jerusalem, and earnestly desire of God that he would gratify their senses; and though they have a sort of religious respect for the letters that compose the name of God, and the paper on which it is written, yet they are enjoined to oppress men that bear the image of God, by their religion, which breathes nothing but violence, fury, and oppression.

The reason why men thus usually refer every thing to their senses, is, because a worship that is corporeal and sensual is far more easy; it is much easier for a man to take the sun for a God, than to be continually occupied in seeking after a God that is invisible: to solemnize games and festivals in honour of a pretended deity, than to renounce himself for the sake of a true one: it is much easier for him to fast, than to renounce his vices; to sing spiritual songs, or bow to a statue, than forgive his enemies. It appears, then, that the Christian religion bears a more excellent character, as it gives us for the object of our worship, not a God under a human shape, but a God, that is a spirit, as it teaches us to honour him, not with a carnal, but with a spiritual worship; and this Christ himself has very elegantly told us in these words, God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John iv. 24.) Who could fill his mind with such elevated notions? And how comes it that he so excellently sets down in that short precept the genius of true religion, of which men before were wholly ignorant?

2 Dr. W. E. Channing's Discourse on the Evidences of revealed ReliReinhard's Plan of the Founder of Christianity, pp. 211, 212. New York, gion, pp. 36. 38. Bristol, 1824. (Reprinted from the American edition.) 1 Kings xviii. 28.

a Isa. Iviii. 5.

V. In its OPPOSITION TO THE SPIRIT OF THE World.

others, would be sanctified in them. But what blindness! what impiety was this! How admirable is the Christian religion, which alone among all others shows us our own wickedness and corruption, and heals it with such remedies as are as wholesome to the soul as unpleasing to the body.

IX. In its CONTRARIETY to the covetousness and ambition of mankind.

It may be said of all other religions, without exception, that they induce us to look after the pleasures and profits of the world in the worship of God; whereas the Christian religion makes us glorify God by renouncing the world. Thus the heathens, designing rather to please themselves than their deities, introduced into religion whatever could in any way flatter and divert them and the Mohammedan religion, not being encumbered with many ceremonies, at least affixes temporal advantages to the practice of its worship; as if the pleasures of the world were to be the future reward of religion: but certainly both of them are much mistaken: for the heathens should have known that the worship of God consisted not in diverting and pleasing themselves; and the Mohammedans should not have been ignorant, that since temporal and worldly advantages were insuffi-state, if men had framed to themselves a greater idea of the holicient in themselves to satisfy the boundless desires of the human heart, they could not come in competition with those benefits which true religion had peculiarly designed for him. But both these followed the motions of self-love, which being naturally held in suspense between the world and religion, imagines that nothing can be more pleasant than to unite them both, thinking thereby to reconcile its inclination and duty, consecrate its pleasures, and put no difference between conscience and interest. But the first rule of true religion teaches us, that that mutual agreement is impossible; or, to use its own words, that Christ and Belial are incompatible one with the other; that we must either glorify God at the expense of worldly pleasures, or possess the advantages of the world with the loss of our religion: and this certainly shows the Christian religion to have a divine character.

VI. In its HUMILIATION OF MAN AND EXALTATION OF THE DEITY.

Other false religions debase the Deity and exalt man: whereas the Christian religion humbles man, and exalts the Deity. The Egyptians, a nation that boasted so much of their antiquity, made monsters of their deities; and the Romans made deities of their emperors, who were rather monsters than men: the most famous philosophers were not ashamed to rank their deities below themselves, and themselves even before Jupiter; but the Christian religion teaches us that we owe all to God, who owes nothing at all to us. It humbles us by the consideration of that infinite distance which there is between God and us: it shows that we are miserable despicable creatures in comparison of God, who is a Supreme Being, and who alone is worthy of our love and adoration. Who then can but admire so excellent a religion?

VII. In its RESTORATION OF ORDER TO THE World. Other religions made us depend upon those beings which were given us to command, and pretend a power over that Supreme Being upon whom we ought only to depend. They taught men to burn incense to the meanest creatures, and impudently to equal themselves to the universal monarch of the world. It is indeed

no wonder that men should be so impious, as to desire to become gods, since they were so base as to forget that they were men; and yet how ill their pride became them when they disdained not to submit to four-footed beasts, to the fowls of the air, and to the creeping animals and plants of the earth, as St. Paul reproaches them; and how basely superstitious were they, in that they were not content to deify themselves, but would also deify their own vices and imperfections! But the Christian religion alone restores that equitable order which ought to be established in the world, by submitting every thing to the power of man, that he might submit himself to the will of God. And what can be the duty of true religion, but to restore such just and becoming

order in the world?

VIII. In its TENDENCY TO ERADICATE ALL EVIL PASSIONS FROM THE HEART.

We need no deep research into other religions to find that they chiefly tend to flatter the corrupt desires of men, and efface those principles of justice and uprightness which God has imprinted on their minds. But he that shall truly consider the Christian reli. gion will certainly find that it tends to the eradication of those corrupt desires out of our hearts, and restoring those bright characters of honesty and justice imprinted on our minds by the hand of God. The heathens flattered their passions to such a degree, as to erect altars in honour of them; and Mohammed was so well pleased with temporal prosperity, that he made it the end and reward of his religion. The Gnostics imagined, that when they had arrived at a certain degree of knowledge, which they called a state of perfection, they might commit all sorts of actions without any scruple of conscience; and that sin, which polluted

It is, moreover, worthy of remark, that other religions are contrary to policy, either in favouring or restraining too much human weakness and corruption upon the account of policy; whereas the Christian religion preserves its rights and privileges inviolable, independent of either. The pagan religion was against policy in giving too much to human weakness and corruption. It would have been much better for the good and welfare of the ness of their gods; because they would have been less licentious and more submissive to the civil laws: whereas they were encouraged by the example of their deities to violate the most sacred and inviolable rights. Mohammed, desirous to avoid this irregularity, retained the notion of a true God; but then, being willing also to flatter men's inclinations in order to draw them to his side, he confusedly mixed with that idea the carnal and gross notions which the heathens had entertained of paradise, borrowing from Christianity such objects as must necessarily mortify our passions, and assuming those from paganism which serve to flatter our bad inclinations. But the Christian religion keeps no such measures either with policy or corruption. Policy complains that the doctrine of Christ necessarily softens men's courage; and that instead of encouraging them to enlist themselves soldiers for the welfare and preservation of the state, it rather makes them lambs, who can hardly be exasperated against their enemies, whom they must continually pray for, and are obliged to love as themselves. And human frailty and corruption murmurs to see itself impugned by the Christian religion, even in the dispositions and most secret recesses of the soul; and that the veil of hypocrisy, and the pious pretences and dissimulations of the soul under which it ought to lie secure, are ineffectual against it. Who, then, but God, can be the author of a religion so equally contrary both to the covetous desires of the mean, and the ambition of the great, and so equally averse both to policy and corruption?

X. In its RESTORATION OF THE DIVINE IMAGE to Man. Other religions would have God bear the image of man, and so necessarily represent the Deity as weak, miserable, and infected with all manner of vices, as men are. Whereas the Christian religion teaches us that man ought to bear the image of God; which is a motive to induce us to become perfect, as we conceive God himself to be holy and perfect. That religion, then, which restores to God his glory, and the image of God to man, must necessarily be of divine authority.

XI. In its MIGHTY EFFECTS.

False religions were the irregular confused productions of the politest and ablest men of those times: whereas the Christian religion is a wonderful composition, which seems wholly to proceed from the most simple and ignorant sort of people; and, at the same time, it is such as evinces that it must have for its principle the Ged of holiness and love. They, who habitually apply the Christian religion in their tempers and lives, and who imbibe its spirit and hopes, have an evidence of its superiority, still more internal than any which has hitherto been mentioned ;—an evidence which is to be FELT rather than described, but which is not less real because it is founded on feeling. We refer to that conviction of the divine original of the Christian religion, which springs up and continually gains strength in their hearts. “In such men there is a consciousness of the adaptation of Christianity to their noblest faculties; a consciousness of its exalting and consoling influences, of its power to confer the true happiness of human nature, to give that peace which the world cannot give; which assures them that it is not of earthly origin, but a ray from the everlasting light, a stream from the fountain of heavenly wisdom and love. This is the evidence which sustains the faith of thousands, who never read and cannot understand the learned books of Christian apologists; who want, perhaps, words to explain the ground of their belief, but whose faith is of adamantine firmness; who hold the Gospel with a conviction more intimate and unwavering, than mere argument can produce."

And now let us put together all these characters, and ask the opposers of revelation, whether they can be so extravagant as to ascribe to an impostor a religion so perfect in its 1 Dr. Channing's Discourse on the Evidences of revealed Religion, p. 44.

Scriptures is proved to us; for whatever is not inconsistent | but only fill our minds with scruples and difficulties about with this evidence, cannot be inconsistent with their autho- them, we must believe nothing which we do not fully comrity. In like manner, if a man should frame never so many prehend in every part and circumstance of it. For whatever objections against the opinion commonly received, that we are ignorant of concerning it, that may, it seems, be obCæsar himself wrote the Commentaries which pass under his jected against the thing itself, and may be a just reason why name, and not Julius Celsus or any other author; unless he we should doubt of it. We must take care that we be not can overthrow the evidence by which Caesar appears to be too confident that we move, before we can give an exact acthe author of them, all his objections will never amount to a count of the cause and laws of motion, which the greatest proof that he was not the author. If Archimedes or Euclid philosophers have not been able to do; we must not presume had used improper language or solecisms, would their demon- to eat till we can tell how digestion and nourishment are carstrations have had the less weight with those by whom they ried on. In short, this would lead us into all the extravahad been understood? Or if they had subjoined an histori-gancies of scepticism; for upon these principles it was, that cal account of the discovery and progress of the mathema- some have doubted whether snow be white, or honey sweet, tics, and had made mistakes in the historical part, would the or any thing else be of the same colour or taste of which it demonstrative part have been the less demonstrative? And appears to be, because they could amuse themselves with does not that man make himself ridiculous who, with Epicurus difficulties, and they were too much philosophers to assent and Hobbes, pretends by reason to overthrow mathematical to any thing that they did not understand, though it were conaxioms and theorems which he cannot understand? Upon firmed by the sense and experience of all mankind. They the same grounds, if the substance of what the sacred wri- were rational men, and it was below them to believe their ters deliver be true, it will nevertheless be truth, though the senses, unless their reason were convinced, and that was too expression were not always proper, and the circumstances of acute to be convinced, so long as any difficulty that could be time and place in things less material had been mistaken, started remained unanswered. And thus, under the pretence and many things should be written which are hard to be un- of reason and philosophy, they exposed themselves to the derstood. scorn and derision of all who had but the common sense of men, without the art and subtilty of imposing upon themselves and others.