writers, to learn, whether this obvious state of things be confirmed by their writings, and whether they have furnished any fresh information as to its principles or history? As a third step of our procedure, let us, with this added light, go back to nature, and examine, whether she may not possess what corresponds to these discoveries, and of course supports them; but which, without revelation, must have been impervious to our keenest eye, though now it is clearly capable of other proof than that of Divine authority. With this accumulated evidence, we may finally return to the Scriptures, and judge, whether the facts and principles, thus explained, first by their own light, and then by that derived from the Book, do not, so far as may be traced, exactly correspond with every other part, not only of the scheme of the Bible, but of the universal system.

Will it not then be fair, on the ground of this agreement of the parts, to infer the truth of the Book, even as to those instances of fitness which cannot thus be traced?

Let murder, for example, be the subject of inquiry on the plan just mentioned. We know that men often kill each other without a proper reason. This is quite opposed to the dictates of every well-regulated mind. That it is wrong, we might infer from the value we set on our own life; from the instinctive law of self-preservation; from natural conscience; and from the manifest scope and design of our appetites, and passions, and avocations, rightly employed. Thus, we are prepared and directed, by the glimmerings of nature, to receive the more decisive light of revelation.

tance.

In examining the Book, we find these dictates are confirmed in the command, "Thou shalt not kill." But now the subject. assumes new dimensions, and characters of the highest impor-The prohibition is said to come directly from the mouth of God. This ought to strike upon the mind more forcibly than the shadowy and inferential intimations of nature. Revelation adds, to confirm the command, that man is "made in the image of God." It also forbids revenge, with all its kindred states of passion. It enjoins universal love, on grounds the most indisputable; and inspires it by the energy with which the general system of religion is impressed upon the heart. And, to complete its sanctions, it announces the awful and irrevocable decree, that "no murderer hath eternal life."

If we now go back to nature, we find, not only that her

L

first suggestions on the subject are in perfect correspondence with the sentiments of the Scripture, but that she offers nothing to condemn the additional information presented to her. On the contrary, she perceives it is exactly suited to her wants. To this she owes such a knowledge of her own ignorance and weakness, in regard to murder, as otherwise could not have been obtained; while, from the same Divine source of intelligence, she derives the wisdom and virtue necessary to her preservation. Reason admits the great value and authority of what is thus appended to the comparative nakedness of nature. Thus the real enormity of the evil is determined; improved regulations are enacted to prevent it; and the well-being of society more effectually secured. In consequence of this, even a character of mercy has been infused into war,-a character unknown to nations unacquainted with the Gospel. It is our happiness in this, as in many other respects, that, according to Granville Sharpe, the two great foundations of the laws of England are natural justice, and the Holy Scriptures.

We then conclude, that the Book which contains such rational and valuable sentiments is, so far at least, altogether worthy of God to give to his creatures, and of man to receive as from the hand of his Maker. No savage-no mere philosopher, indeed-was ever known to entertain such definite and admirable views, concerning this greatest of all crimes against society, as may be clearly deduced from the Sacred Scriptures. And this instance of murder, as showing a decided improvement on nature, is only one out of multitudes,-all of them of great importance,-which might be advanced from the same immense treasury of wisdom, truth, and goodness.

These observations, with innumerable others of a similar design, which cannot here be introduced, will evince, that nature, without revelation, is a wheel without its counter-wheel. It is true, it can be made to move in some eccentric direction; and to answer some inferior purpose, such as the temporary amusement of a child; but, separated from the general machinery to which it properly belongs, it is essentially disabled, cannot possibly accomplish its original intentions; while its notches strike even the curious observer, as substantially useless, and as absolutely inexplicable.

III. PRINCIPLES OF INQUIRY, WHICH MAY DISCOVER AND DETERMINE INSTANCES OF FITNESS.

ANOTHER fruitful source of knowledge, respecting the adaptation of revealed religion to the nature and state of mankind, is the maxim, "That is good whose contrary is evil." Should we suppose, not merely the absence, but the opposite, of revelation, to what a dreadful rebound of thought must the mind be impelled!

The contrary of facts, however, cannot always be conceived. The opposition here must be, that they have, or have not, occurred;—that the acting characters in question have, or have not, existed. We know, for example, that the world exists; but we cannot conceive another world, in all things precisely the reverse of the present. We can go no farther than the idea of its non-existence. With regard, then, to all the statements and narratives of Scripture, let them be resolved into affirmative propositions, which we may negative in hypothesis, and judge, according to the rules already mentioned, which is most consonant to reason and the nature of man, their truth or their falsehood; that there should be a God, or the contrary; or, admitting his existence, that he should, or should not, create, and redeem, and govern the world, by the astonishing measures which he is said to have adopted; that man is immortal, or perishable; and that there is an eternal state of inconceivable rewards and punishments, or that futurity is eternal nothingness. We may carry this inquiry to an unlimited extent, still eliciting the strongest probable evidence of the fitness of the Bible to promote the noblest designs.

Again: If the whole or part of the historical accounts be admitted, simply as to the existence of the characters and events, but the descriptions and reflections connected with them be disputed; let us here, as above, suppose the reverse of the subjects, —that God is the perfect opposite of wisdom and omniscience, of holiness and truth, of benevolence and love. Here the mind, unseduced and unbiassed by infidelity, must be shocked, and instinctively return to find repose in the admirable counterpart of the supposition, where alone it feels the truth is to be found.

Think, also, of the contrary of all the doctrines and duties enforced by revelation. Suppose, that men are not corrupt, but pure and good; that when sin is committed, they ought not to

weight to deprive the other instances of agreement of their whole force? We must ask, What is the probable tendency, and what may be the results, of this doctrine, when practically realized? These, and similar questions, are rational, and may lead to important discoveries. Other subjects demand the same consistency of investigation.

The deist, therefore, ought to observe, that, in order to the proof which we wish to establish, it is not necessary to find a meditated harmony, or an instance of utility, in every imaginable combination of the details. The only thing indispensably required, in all the changes which might be produced, by way of experiment, is, that there be no real and undeniable discordance among them. The parts may have, perhaps, a mere numerical alliance with each other; but they must include, in a full view of all, as they modify and expound each other, no false or impossible relation, like that of one standing in the relation of two to any other number.

I say, "a full view of all;" for of this subject we must judge from extended considerations, including the principal parts and general characters of the whole; otherwise the mind may refuse to admit the miracles, and prophecies, and some of the more mysterious doctrines, of the Bible. And this is another regulating view, as referred to above. Should we single out some case from these, and compare its parts with each other, we might deem it to be false, as quite beyond our comprehension, and the common experience of mankind. But let us view this whole case as itself a part of another more essential and comprehensive relation,-like the architectural ornaments already mentioned, and the agreement will be obvious. Let prophecy, for instance, be considered in connexion with the attributes of God, with the nature and design of a supernatural revelation, and all will seem proportionate and proper. Still, the apparent impossibility of the limited and insulated case is only analogous to certain difficulties which we meet with in the natural world. What conflicting theories have been offered to explain the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights! Nay, it seems quite opposed to reason, that a magnet should impart its virtue to ten thousand bars of iron, without at all diminishing its magnetic power. Yet these are cases which we are sure exist, and are perfectly accordant with the system of nature.

We must also judge of moral relations, according to the

character and office of the moral agent. If there were no differences in this respect, the entire class of obligations which belong to a prince would equally fall on the peasant. What morally belongs to man does not always belong to God. It is our duty, for instance, as far as possible, to prevent and destroy moral evil. But He who has all power permits its existence; and we are sure that this is perfectly consistent with his holiness. It would be wrong for us, however, to plead this as our example for allowing what is criminal.

On the contrary, what morally belongs to God does not always belong to us. He determined and predicted the destruction of the Roman power; and nothing, therefore,-admitting its continued corruption,-could prevent the accomplishment of that fatal purpose. In the course of its decline, its statesmen devised measures for its recovery, which only hastened its downfall. Now, suppose they had known that such was the decree of Heaven, would it then have been their duty to accelerate, in every possible way, the total ruin of their country? Certainly not. A proof that we must judge of moral relations by some rule, which determines who, and what, and where, is the moral agent.

But this rule leads us further to explain the difficult relations just adverted to; for may we not presume, that equal differences with those mentioned above exist between the infinite understanding of the Divine Mind, and the narrow and feeble conception of man? Though I cannot comprehend how it is, that, in the unity of the Godhead, there should be three distinct persons; must I therefore have the boldness to assert, that the thing is quite impossible? and that it is as impossible he should himself comprehend it, or reconcile it to the rule and order of his own eternal wisdom? It is not only above my reason, but perfectly at variance with it, that God should make something out of nothing; yet the fact of creation makes the consistency of the proposition absolutely certain.

Mr. Locke, with all his excessive dependence on reason as a judge of revelation, admits the greatest difficulties, nay, positive contradictions, as far as we can discern, contained in certain undeniable truths. "There is nothing," he observes, "more perplexed, or nearer a contradiction, than the very notion of body includes in it; the divisibility, in infinitum, of any finite extension, involving us, whether we grant or deny it,