one charm to a mind that claims to be its votary? If it is urged with sincerity, and warmth of friendship, has it not another claim on your patience and kindness? Your friend, &c.

MY DEAR SIR:

LETTER V.

I connot say that the point where you meet me in my last, was altogether unexpected. You claim that you are well informed on the subject, when you express your opinions about the Bible, and its evidences, and inconsistencies. You say you have read Paley, and the valuable article in the Encyclopedia, and several other works, and have given much thought and attention to the subject, and that, if the revelation of Heaven is so recondite, that with all this, you are so very deficient, this is an argument against it. If a man of intelligence, after such examination of the subject, is a mere tyro, entirely unfitted to pronounce an opinion, how, you ask, are the ignorant, the weak, the undisciplined, to gain an eternal blessedness, for the attainment of which, so much study and investigation are necessary

?

Without answering your question directly, I will simply state to you my views on the subject. There are two ways, in which the Bible can be

received. The first, is what may be called the practical common sense way. By this method, a man of plain sense, without investigation or study, without any thing but the book itself, and the knowledge he gains by contact with the world. around him, arrives at satisfactory results. In the first place, he finds the Bible to be a book, which almost every body he knows, who is honest and learned, and virtuous, and has examined the subject, says is a revelation from God, attested by such evidence as is perfectly full, and satisfactory to their minds. Now ask such a man why he believes there is such a place as China, when he gives his money to send the Bible there, and he can give no better reason, than that people of sense and honesty, who have the best means of knowing, all believe so. In both cases, he very wisely rests his confidence on the sense and honesty of others, who have better opportunity than he has for knowing the truth.

Such a man, in reflecting on the subject of religion, finds himself a being, capable of boundless enjoyment, and dreadful suffering; that he is in a world, where all are quickly passing off into another state of being; that the common belief is, that we are to exist after death, and that our future happiness is to be decided by our conduct and character here. He finds all around, in the works of nature, the evidence of the existence of a Creator, wise, powerful, and benevolent. He thinks it is natural to expect, that such a being would require his creatures to act right, and to obey his will. He finds there is great difficulty in finding

out what is right and wrong, in many cases, and that we need a directory, to inform us what the will of the Creator is, and how we are to secure future happiness after death, and he thinks it natural, and reasonable, that such a directory should be provided. He takes the Bible, and finds it tells of just such a God as he would expect to find, from what his works teach. He finds it does require mankind to act right, and to obey their Maker. He finds that it is a full and perfect directory, as to what is right, and what is wrong. He finds it declares, that there is a future state of existence, that there is great danger of taking such a course here, as to ruin us forever, and that the way of safety and happiness, is therein fully disclosed. He finds nothing required of him, but what is for his interest and happiness, and for the good of his fellow men. He finds, in looking through society, that those who honor and obey the precepts of the Bible, are the most prosperous and happy, and that there is much good, and comparatively very little evil, in receiving it as the guide of our life.

True, he finds many things he cannot understand, many things he cannot explain. He perceives that a thousand puzzling questions can be asked, that he cannot answer, about writings so old, so full of varied matter, and written for so many different purposes, by so many different persons, and at such distant periods of time.

But he sees that what God requires of him is plain enough. He sees there is no risk in taking this to be true, and acting on the assumption. He

sees there is much hazard and folly in acting as if it were false. And so, with a sincere and honest mind, he takes it as the guide of his thoughts, words, and actions, and makes it his chief object of interest, to discover and to obey the will of his Creator, as it is there expressed.

In doing this, the man assumes that to be true which has much positive evidence in its favorwhich has the balance of evidence in its favor, and which secures all the good without any of the risk of a contrary course. This, therefore, is what I call the common sense method of treating the Bible.

The other is what I would denominate the sceptical method. It consists in assuming the position, and in acting upon it, that the Bible is not an authoritative, divine revelation, because there are apparent difficulties and inconsistencies in regard to the truth of its history, the consistency of its contents with our notions of propriety, and the reasonableness of what it reveals respecting the dispensations of God, and the realities of the invisible world. For as religion is a practical concern, where men are obliged to take one of two courses, every man who does not receive christianity as true, so as to make it the rule of faith and practice necessarily takes the other position, that it is false. You take this position. You refuse to submit yourself to the rules and duties of christianity, on the ground that its claims are false. And you assume that it is false, not because there is no positive evidence in its favor, for you do not deny the evidence adduced by Paley and others. But your decision