Imatges de pàgina
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wants, should so generally conceive the idea of a God, and that that God had revealed his will to himself or his progenitors, unless such were really the case. Upon the supposition that some such revelation did actually take place, it is easy to conceive the progress of the fact, from truth to falsehood, from purity to error. The idea so general, therefore, must be traced to some original occurrence. It is neither probable nor possible to have existed otherwise.

"From hence, then, it will become the duty of every man, who is qualified, and has leisure for the inquiry, to examine, with accuracy and candour, the several pretensions to revelation, which have attracted the notice or commanded the belief and obedience of mankind. It is the duty of every man of leisure, and of every infidel in particular, to make this investigation. It is an enquiry of the utmost importance, as it tends to develope the human character, to clear up the history of the human race, and to trace the origin of an opinion, truly important as a piece of literary information, independent of any consequences of its truth or credibility. No person in such an enquiry, can be at liberty to make a priori conjectures in his own mind, respecting the nature of the Deity, or the probable tendency of any revelation he may be presumed to make. It is an historical fact, in which imagination has nothing to do, and in the investigation of

which the fancy is only calculated, under the semblance of abstract or necessary truth, and with the pretence of fortifying the mind against supposed absurdities, by imaginary laws of propriety and rectitude,-to withdraw the mind from the consideration of evidence. By such pretended caution, and such sceptical speculation, instead of being led to any certain conclusion, the mind becomes so warped with prejudice, and so blinded by the mist of speculative error, that no direct argument, not even a miracle, it is proba ble, would convince it. Important, however, as such an enquiry would be, even in the light of literary employment, infidels seem unable or afraid to make it. They take up their notions at random, or on trust, and the only consideration they will vouchsafe to this curious subject, is by the bye, or through the medium of ridicule.

"The uniform and unbiassed belief entertained by all nations, ancient and modern, barbarous and civilized, of some revelation, certainly affords the strongest degree of teftimonial evidence for the truth of the fact, that can possibly be expected or required. He that can account to his own mind for this circumstance, without granting that for such belief there must have been some original foundation in fact, that some revelation was actually made, need not accuse Christians of credulity, since he himself thus concludes contrary to the strong

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est probability, and reasons against a fact. universally acknowledged, and which, therefore, must be true. To frame a deceit, when something of the same kind exists in reality, is neither difficult nor uncommon. It is extremely easy to account for the progress of pagan error, on the idea that there was some original truth from which it gradually degenerated, and to trace the rise of Romish superstition from a source of purity, truth, and simplicity. The restless mind of man, when it has once got possession of an idea, is constantly busied in extending it to new relations; and that corruption, which universal experience shews us to exist, often leads him, in bringing about such combinations, into error. It is remarkable, however, that in every species of human vice, and in every state of intellectual error, we are at first deceived, and seduced with a resemblance of rectitude and of truth. In every species of religious corruption, the deviations have been the gradual offspring of some original truth, misrepresented or misconceived; and though, in their final progress, they may be too glaring and too gross for enlightened minds, they mislead the generality, because their progress being slow, and almost imperceptible, the falsehood is not so easily de-. tected.

"If there never was any revelation at all, it is impossible to conceive how the belief of it should have been so general, without

the smallest direct evidence to support its credibility. It is possible, indeed, and has been so in every age, to mislead men with pretended revelations. But this happens, merely because it is firmly believed, and universally acknowledged that such things. bave happened already, and may therefore happen again. But, supposing the whole. world at this moment never to have conceived nor heard of, the idea of a God, or of revelation, it would be found extremely dif ficult, I may say impossible, to impress any such notions on their mind, without such clear evidence of supernatural power as could not be resisted. Even this must be partial in its effects, and could not, in the revolution of many ages, extend to every climate and to every people rude and civilized. In the investigation of historical, as of scientific truth, a philosoper (and infidels speak much of philosophy) will endeavour to extend his researches to some final cause, or original event, from which the opinion. or circumstance he is considering may be supposed to have taken its rise. It would be worth the while of infidels, then, as it is unquestionably a subject of great importance, to spend some of their leisure time, not in the unrestrained ridicule of all religion, but in a serious investigation of the true and fabulous theology; and we may venture to predict that, if they conduct the enquiry with that accuracy and attention

which it deserves, and with that candour which they praise so much; and if they be really disposed, as philosophers should be, to give credit to that system, if any such shall be found, whose evidence shall be sufficient to prove its truth, they will, in all probability, draw a very different conclusion from that of Thomas Paine.

As we cannot reason a priori against the being and attributes of God, so neither can we determine before hand the nature or consequences of any revelation which the Deity may be disposed to make to us. We are incapable of judging either of its matter or manner, because it respects another life as well as this, a system of things with which we are totally unacquainted, and of which we can of ourselves form no judgment. A thousand different modes of revealing his will are certainly within the compass of Almighty power and infinite wisdom. But so little are we qualified to judge of the propriety or impropriety of what is so much beyond the. reach of human apprehension, that that may finally be found to be the most rational, and the most useful, which to us may appear the most inadequate. Some one mode or other, if any revelation be given, must necessarily be used; and it would indeed be gross presumption in us to question the propriety of any mode that may be employed, or to dare to dictate another, and, according to our contracted notions, a better one. Im

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