This I have humbly attempted; and, in imitation of a most excellent prelate,* I have adapted my book to all the flock; yet various parts of it more particularly to various descriptions of men; some to the great, some to the learned, but the greater part to the people remembering the Apostle's example, who says, "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some; and this I do for the GOSPEL'S SAKE, that I might be a partaker thereof with you."+

And now, readers, before you proceed any farther, let me be permitted to say to you, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you," in your progress through this book, and also through life, even to its close.

* Bishop Sanderson, who preached in an appropriate manner, ad aulam, ad magistratum, ad clerum, ad populum.-See the titles of his Sermons.

† 1 Cor. ix: 22.

PREFACE

то

THE SUBSEQUENT EDITIONS.

"THE modern method," says an ingenious divine,* "of perpetually discussing the evidence of the Christian religion in the way of curiosity and literary debate, has a tendency to keep the mind in a very immoral suspense; and to divert it from habituating itself to the temper and precepts of the religion, thus made the subject of endless disquisition. The NEW TESTAMENT INCLUDES ITS OWN EVIDENCE."+

This opinion alone would justify the design of the subsequent volume, which is to persuade men to

The abundant shower of divine grace which is diffused over the Scriptures, becomes an argument so cogent and conclusive to my mind, that, in comparison with it, all demonstration appears inefficacious. DANTE, quoted by F. SIMON and by Dr. APTHORPE,

habituate themselves to the "temper and precepts of the Christian religion," instead of spending their lives in ostentatious disquisitions on its external evidence.

In opposing the doctrines of those who call themselves, by way of eminence, the rational Christians, or the philosophers, I foresaw that I rendered myself obnoxious both to misapprehension and misrepresentation. I was not unprepared to bear consequences which I predicted. They excite no surprise; and even the pain which they might otherwise inflict, is prevented by a consciousness of having, with singleness of heart, espoused a cause beneficial to mankind, and founded on scriptural, as well as the HIGHEST HUMAN authority.

Nevertheless I think it right, not to neglect an opportunity of farther explaining the scope of these pages; because such an explanation may render them more efficacious in accomplishing their good purpose.

My book, as, I think, must have been evident to every attentive and unprejudiced observer, was, in the first instance, designed to counteract, among the multitude, the effect of Mr. Paine's Age of Reason, Volney's Ruins, and the general example of French apostasy.

But what mode of counteraction did I adopt? that of producing* historical evidence or abstruse

* Dr. Cudworth was a philosopher of the very first order, deeply learned, and singularly sagacious. Yet, what says he on the subject of producing faith by historical evidence? the following words are from the Preface to his Intellectual System :

argument? no; I had seen them both repeatedly used, with little or no effect on the mass of the people, among whom the effect was, on all accounts, chiefly to be desired; because they are most exposed to the misery resulting from the want of a guide, and the delusions of a fallacious one. The grand attack on Christianity having been made in a popular mode, a popular mode of repelling it appeared to me likely to be most effectual. To learn this popular mode, should I repair to the dreary schools of metaphysics? should I unfold the rolls of history so often presented in vain to the eye of the unbeliever? Should I not rather go to the churches of the great city, where thronging multitudes crowd

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Scripture faith is not a mere believing of historical things upon testimonies only; but a certain higher and diviner power in the soul, that peculiarly correspondeth with the Deity."

"Faith," says the celebrated Dr. Heylin, " is an impression of the Almighty on the heart of man. This experimental efficacious knowledge of God, manifesting himself to his worshippers, and thereby disposing and inclining them to their duty; this knowledge, I say, is what we call Faith, and is the proper basis of all religion."

Monsieur Paschal says, "It is the heart, and not the reason, which has properly the perception of God. God sensible to the heart, is the most compendious description of true and perfect Faith."

As to reasoning, men may reason in defence of what they do not believe, and may reason so as not easily to be refuted, yet without producing belief in their readers or hearers. Rousseau says, "Boyle's Lectures might have been written by a society of unbelievers." It may be doubted whether the Warburtonian, Bamptonian, and other lectures of a similar kind have produced much advantage to the cause of piety and true religion, notwithstanding the benevolence of the institutors and the ingenuity of the lecturers. They keep alive objections, (brought forward to furnish subject matter,) which left alone would die and be forgotten.