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ungodly, demands no prerequifite, but a guilty confcience, and this furely is common to the favage with the civilized finner.

We have faid that this scheme is founded on errors of the first importance. We cannot therefore be surprised that the reft of Mr. J's. work fhould afford too many causes of cenfure. -For example. That muft furely be a strange fyftem of religion which is founded merely on the belief of the justice, rectitude and holiness of God, unconnected with the view of his goodnefs or mercy. Yet Mr. J. feriously informs us, that under the Jewish difpenfation, the piety of believers was formed from fuch a system (see Page 15). Has Mr. J. a different canon of fcripture from that which is commonly received? Or does he forget that memorable paffage of facred writ, in which Jehovah proclaims himself to the Ifraelites, the LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and tranfgreffion and fin?-What is be-come of the book of Pfalms? are they all, except that from which he has drawn his text, to be expunged from the facred canon? or must we fuppofe that the numerous praises of the Divine mercy and goodness and love, which they contain, are like an ideot's tale" full of found and fury, fignifying nothing?"-Or what was the defign of the whole of the Jewish difpenfation, its miracles, its prophecies, its civil polity, and its religious rites? was it not to exhibit Jehovah in the endearing character of the juft God and the Saviour?

Again, Mr. J. tells us, that the great excellency of the Old Teftament, confifts in its inculcating the doctrine of the Divine ubiquity.

(page

(page 10, 11.) Now if this truth be, as he also informs us, the parent principle of goodness, a revelation furely was but little needed, as this parent principle of goodnefs was taught by many of the heathen fages. For though the learned writer informs us, that philofophers looked in vain after this principle, fome of our readers will perhaps recollect a paffage in Xenophon, in which it is as ft. ongly expreffed as in Mr. J's. fermon. (Mem. L. 1. c. 4.)—Befides if the piety of the ancient believers was founded on this doctrine, why cannot the devotion of the modern Deifts be acceptable to God, fince they retain in their creed "this parent principle of "goodnefs,"" this foul of genuine wifdom, "which when cordially embraced, gives life, "and ftrength, and fpirit, to virtuous princi"ple." He might therefore have spared his indignant exclamations, against the infidious arts. of falfe criticifm-the minute cavils of infane philofophy—and the mock piety of deistical quietifm, &c. The falfe critic, the minute philofopher, and the deistical quietist all agree with Mr. J. in his fundamentals of Christianity, and charity forbade him to quarrel about the noneffentials of religion. 'Tis true, Mr. J. feems, from the compliments he is pleased to bestow upon Chrift, (page 15, 16.) to be an afferter of his divinity, and thus perhaps his creed may feem to be diftinguifhed, from that of the perfons whom he has reprobated. But this doctrine seems to occupy a very inferior rank in his fyftem of theology, as he has made but little ufe of it in difplaying the excellence of the fcriptures, and has even placed on his roll of Chriftian worthies, the names of two of its most celebrated opponents. (page 75.) Indeed, except in

certain

certain cafes, he seems not to be very nice about fuch trifles as religious opinions; let but a GREAT man have the name of Chriftian, he is fufficiently recommended to Mr. J. and is immediately celebrated as one " whofe piety more than "kept pace with his intellectual attainments;" he may be a proteftant, or papift; a defender, or an oppofer of the Trinity; this is a matter of fmall importance: it is Mr. J's. maxim, Tros, Rutulufve fuat, nullo difcrimine habebo; and the fame catalogue which contains the names of Boyle and of Pascal, holds up to our admiration the religion of a Newton and a Locke!

On the whole, although Mr. J's design of recommending the fcriptures merits our applaufe, we are forry to fay that his work affords a very inadequate conception of what conftitutes their fuperiority; and were we not otherwife perfuaded of their divine excellence, what Mr. J. has urged would have been infufficient to convince us of their importance. The great diftinguishing feature of Chriftianity, the view of God juft and the juftifier of the ungodly, feems to have no place in his fyftem of theology; its efficacy in giving peace to the felf-condemned finner, by proving that the blood of Chrift cleanfeth from all fin, is paffed by, as a quality of little eftimation. Instead of these glories it is invested with a falfe brilliancy; it is decorated by the names of men of talents and rank, inftead of being allowed to force our applaufe by its intrinfic beauties. At one time it is commended for what it has in common with other even rival fyftems of religion. Now it is applauded for merely inferior excellencies, for "the harmonious connec"tion and luminous order of the facred oracles," for "thofe beauties of expreffion, and delicacies

"of

"of fentiment, which are so admirably calculated "to delight the taste and captivate the affections." And it is even recommended fometimes for qualities which it difowns, for "inducing a renewed "relifh for the pure, innocent, and fimple "pleafures of life."

Thus have we directed our readers' attention to Mr. J's. pamphlet, and pointed out what has appeared to us erroneous or defective in his reprefentation of Christianity. As fome of his errors are on fubjects of the greatest importance, we prefume that none who are, what all profefs to be, fincere lovers of truth, will be displeased at the minutenefs of our examination. But if any conceive our fcrutiny to have been too ftrict, or our cenfures too fevere, let them remember that it is our duty earneftly to contend for the faith once delivered to the faints, and that our final happiness or mifery will depend upon our admiffion or rejection of divine truth.

Q.

The Scriptural Account of the Way in which FAITH Comes, oppofed to the POPULAR DocTRINE on that Subject.

IT is often afked, are no rules to be obferved, no means to be used, no works to be exerted by the human mind or body, in order to justification? The anfwer is ready: yes, very many. And they may be thus fhortly fummed up: "Be perfect; keep the commandments, and "thou shalt live." The obligation of the law is eternal, fo can never be loofed.-But perhaps

another

another state of the queftion will be demanded,. and that faith fhould be more directly refpected therein. Well then, let it ftand thus: ought not a man to be at gains to attain to the perfua fion, that all the pains he takes are good for nothing, except to enhance his guilt? Here we are landed at downright abfurdity. For who will. labour in hopes of being convinced, that all his labour is to no purpofe, unlefs to his hurt? Who will travel an hundred miles, in the hopes of being perfuaded at the journey's end of his folly in attempting to travel at all?. Yet on fome fuch principle we must travel, and that too with much fatigue, and in the midst of many perplexities, if we will be conducted by the popular doctrine.

The question then will ftill remain, how is faith obtained? This we would answer by putting another question, how have the most remarkable difcoveries that have ferved most for the accommodation of human life been obtained? Has not that providence, which continually watches over the life of man, prevented human. fkill and industry in giving the first hint of these? We are told, that the polar direction of the magnet obtruded itself on the firft difcoverer, when he was in queft of no fuch thing, being occupied in fome very different enquiry. Do we not owe our knowledge of the falutary virtue of the Jefuit's Bark, and many other medicines, to the divine Providence preventing human fagacity? Has not the chymift often been furprised with useful discoveries when at his wit's end, and when he thought all his labour and expence loft?

If then it evidently appear, by the frequent and remarkable efcapes and deliverances of unwary men, by the daily prefervation of all, and

the

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