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mind of an Atheist is in a better state of preparation for the proofs of Christianity, than the mind of a Deist." In this statement, it is true, the author lays out of the case any possible stubbornness of disposition to which the Atheist may owe his negative creed. He supposes him to be a consistent, an impartial Atheist. And then, happier than the Deist, "he has no God of nature to confront with that real, though invisible power, which lay at the bottom of those astonishing miracles, on which history has stamped her most authentic characters. Though the Power which presided there should be an arbitrary, an unjust, or a malignant being, all this may startle a Deist, but it will not prevent a consistent, Atheist from acquiescing in any legitimate inference, to which the miracles of the Gospel, viewed in the simple light of historical facts, may chance to carry him." p. 230.

The importance of the above quotations will, we are sure, if duly considered, excuse their length in the eyes of our readers. Our further observations on this, as well as other parts of the general system, we reserve for the conclusion. -We shall only add, in the mean time, that the tenth chapter, “on the supreme Authority of Revelation," proceeds "passibus æquis" with all the rest; and appropriately closes the foregoing statement with the admonition, that "if the New Testament be a message from God, it behoves us to make an entire and unconditional surrender of our minds to all the duty and to all the information, which it sets before us." In short, the question, according to the author, to be hence forth asked by all philosophical divines is not this-" What thinkest thou?" but, "What readest thou?" -The following striking and practical appeal on behalf of the Bible, closes the whole.

"Its authencity must be something more than acknowledged. It must be felt, and, in act and obedience, submit. ted to. Let us put them to the test. 'Verily I say unto you,' says our Saviour,

' unless a

man be born again, he shall not enter into the kingdom of God. By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.'Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. We need not multiply quotations; but if there be any repug. nance to the obvious truths which we have announced to the reader in the language of the Bible, his mind is not yet tutored to the philosophy of the subject. It may be in the way, but the final result is not yet arrived at. It is still a slave to the elegance or the plausibility of its old speculations: and though it admits the principle, that every previous opinion must give way to the supreme authority of an actual communication from God, it wants consistency and hardihood to carry the principle into accomplishment." pp. 265,

266.

Having thus closed our account of the principles of this little work, and produced such extracts as we think will confirm our view of it; we see at once a large field of observation opening before us. Our desire, however, and perhaps our office being principally to give a clear and definite view of the contents of the several works before us, and then to leave the reader to form his own opinion upon them, we shall only endeavour to help his judgment on the present occasion by a few very general observations, and leave the rest to his private consideration.

The subject of the evidences for Christianity is, doubtless, placed here somewhat in a new light: and the principles of a new, but now sufficiently established, and most rational system of philosophy are applied to their investigation.But it may be said, that, to apply the principles of any philosophy to Christianity, is to spoil it; that cism spoilt it; that especially the Platonism spoilt it; that Gnosti Aristotelian jargon of the middle ages spoilt it; and therefore that the Baconian philosophy may de

the same. But the reply is most obvious-that it is not philosophy, as such, which is likely to spoil a system of the highest wisdom and built on the solid foundations of eternal truth-it is a false philosophy; a "philosophy," like that alluded to by the Apostle, which is linked with "vain deceit."Only assume any given system of philosophy to be true; and, as all truth is congenial, such a system cannot possibly work to the injury or defeat of any other kind of truth. Maintaining therefore, as we do, with every sober inquirer after truth, the accuracy of the philosophy of Lord Bacon, we need no other war rant than its truth, for the safety of its application to this greatest of subjects.

What perhaps renders its application to Christianity the more appropriate is what may be called its characteristic modesty,-a modesty by which it is led so cautiously to determine its own limits. Whilst with an almost exclusive courage, it grapples with every object within the boundary assigned; it yet most religiously abstains from "intruding into those things which it hath not seen," and thus presents the most edifying contrast to those theorists, who are " vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds." In fact, in the volume before us, the march of philosophy has stopped exactly at the point where the older writers commenced their career. Their system entered immediately upon the substance, not to say depths, of the sacred record itself. Our author's system, on the contrary, applies itself to the validity of its authority, and to the fitness of the channels through which it has been conveyed. His humble, though not therefore less commendable, labours have been directed to build up those fences which an unholy ardour for unveiling the mystic glories of the temple had broken down; and to recover from unwarranted disregard, those exterior courts which serve at

once as the ornament and the safe guard of the inner veil.

The fault-and we are not disposed to think the system or argument of this little work faultless,of Mr. Chalmers's work, is, we conceive, of a nature most opposite to that to which we have referred. It is not that we doubt whether this mode of philosophizing be applicable to those points to which Mr. Chalmers has so skilfully applied it; but whether it has not in his hands, stopped short of something at which it might legitimately have aimed, and declined some departments of investigation for which, in the outset, he had perhaps, too hastily proclaimed its incompetency.

When we hear of the total surrender of reason in judging of the contents of the sacred record, we have just so much jealousy for the honour of that crowning faculty of man,

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majestic, though in ruins," as to turn round and look from whom the sound proceeds. And, if we find that it proceeds from the lips of as safe a guide and as true a philosopher as the author, we are only tempted to inquire further, what use may be made of this sentiment, should it ever be adopted on his authority as a cry, an unmeaning watch-word, by other persons less considerate, or less unbiassed than himself. Without agreeing with Mr. Locke upon

the distinct provinces of faith and reason," we must confess there is much of shrewdness in that saying of his, upon the subject: "I find every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it gladly: and where it fails them, they cry out, It is matter of faith, and above reason*." And the use we would make of the observation is this, to state the danger of laying down a principle, which every sect" may adopt just

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ing. Book IV, chap. xviii.
Essay on the Human Understar

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when it suits their convenience the calumniating sceptic, with the which, in fact, has never been adopted completely by any, and which, in its misapplication, has too often led to the most pernicious consequences.-The Papist, in resigning reason to what he would call the literal interpretation of Scripture, founds the doctrine of transubstantiation on the words of Scripture" This is my body." Perhaps the most splendid intellect that ever beamed on this lower world that of Blaise Pascal-fel, in some instances, into "dim eclipse," under the influence of a mistaken appeal to this very principle. Some of the Puritans, also, though of an opposite school, yet in what they termed their literal exposition of the sacred page, and by the denial of every assumption otherwise deduced, found out doc. trines scarcely consistent with the safety of society. Some of the individuals ordinarily classed with that party have felt nothing repugnant to faith, however adverse they might be to reason, in positions which make God himself the author of sin.-The Hutchinsonians, to say nothing of greater mystics, by losing sight of certain obvious a priori guides, have catechised the text of Scripture to very sur prising purpose indeed: Nor should the elder and parent principle of all," Credo quia impossibile est," be forgotten.

Mr.Hume was encouraged by these misdemeanors to observe; "Our most holy religion is matter of faith, not of reason: and he who is moved by faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts the first principles of his understanding, and teaches him to believe what is most contrary to reason and experience."

Whether it be sufficient to cover he real loss of character which 'hristianity has thus at different nes sustained, as well from the udicious commentator, as from

broad mantle of mere external evi-' dence, may perhaps admit a question. It seems to us a matter of doubt, whether, in the extreme case of positive contradiction to reason, an appeal to historical evidence ought to be admitted as decisive by a rational agent. At least we are quite confident Christianity is under no such necessity for appealing to her external proofs. And we doubt not that we speak the sentiments of Mr. Chalmers himself, when we say, that if a religion could not properly be rejected which stood upon the external evidence possessed by Chris tianity; at least, a religion could not properly be received which, in addition to such external evidence, advances no other claim to our notice beyond the absurdities of paganism. It is very true, we cannot conceive that a religion prescribing the rites of Moloch or Bramah should possess the external authority of Christianity: but that very inability to conceive is a conclusion a priori, which Mr. Chalmers, on his strictest principles, is bound to reject. We say, on his strictest principles-for when he is not in the immediate contemplation of them, we catch him admitting that "there was nothing in the antecedent theology of the pagans which they could have any respect for: nothing which they could confront, or bring into competition with the doctrines of the New Testament." p. 246. What was this, then, but an appeal to something for conviction, even in their plain and unsophisticated minds, beyond the mere force of historical, or, what was to them, ocular demonstration?

Unquestionably, in the reading of holy Scripture, there must be, as Hooker speaks, "presupposal of knowledge, concerning certain principles, whereof it receiveth us already persuaded, and then instructeth us in all the residue that are

Pecessary. In the number of these Principles, one is the sacred authority of Scripture." The great question at issue is, What are those principles which must precede the ultimate one here mentioned," the sacred authority of Scripture?" The credibility of witnesses, says Mr. Chalmers; the consistency of the message; the absence of any thing monstrous or improbable in their account. We, might say, in addition to these, a general notion of some supreme and governing Power in the universe; the probability of his revealing himself and his will to his creatures; the reasonableness of the gift of miracles to those who, should be the messengers of his will; perhaps, some general conceptions of a difference between right and wrong, together with certain circumstances about the message itself; as for instance, that one part of it should not palpably and irreconcileably contradict the other; that it should not manifestly appear to have been written for other beings than we find ourselves to be; that it should not be wholly incapable of construction, or on plain subjects, capable only of a construction (in Mr. Chalmers's own words) evidently, "monstrous and improbable;" and finally, that it should not by its own light, discover unanswerable objections to its own system. Should some such tests as these, we speak loosely, be absolutely wanting to the truth of the record; what must be the common sentiment of mankind, what will be, even, the sentence of Mr. Chalmers upon it, notwithstanding the strongest possible historical evidence? Would it be possible for the mind of man, constructed as it is, fully to assent to such a system? Or would not the very faith we might force upon our selves, on the credit of a record, thus externally authenticated, at once neutralize itself by making us doubt the truth or sincerity of the being himself, of whose capricious

ness and uncertainty it supplied sø direct a monument?

The main object of these observations (which we most assuredly make with no wish to detract from the value of Mr. Chalmers's argu-, ment, nor with any reliance on our own superior powers, for investigating so deep and awful a subject,) is to lead back the reader to the point from whence we set out; to inquire whether the principles of the Baconian philosophy are not applicable to a greater extent in the theory of Christianity, than the present work seems disposed to carry them. The argument for the existence of a God, we believe to be strictly what is called an argument a posteriori,—an induction of a general truth from the observation of a series of distinct particular existences. And we so far differ from Mr. Chalmers as to think, that the Atheist who refuses his assent to that argument a posteriori for a God, which is forced upon us by the contempla tion of the heavens on a starlight night-will rarely indeed, yield himself to the superadded testimony of an occasional violation of the laws by which the stupendous movements of the heavenly bodies are conducted. It is well said, we think by Sherlock, that "Christ never wrought a miracle to convince an Atheist." May we not add, that many of the essential attributes of the Divine nature appear to be strictly capable of the demonstration a posteriori—and that the idea of them appears to inhere in the mind of man. When Scripture speaks of God as a true, a holy, a just, a good, a powerful, a wise being; it seems to use these terms, not as novelties, but as something with which our minds are supposed previously familiar, and upon the footing of which the Almighty condescends to invite us; "Come now, and let us reason together." The principles of the Baconian philosophy have now been long applied to the theory of the

human mind. May they not successfully, if modestly, be applied to the investigation of the religious principle in the mind? And would not the adaptation of the religion of the Scriptures to that principle in man, become an interesting and most profitable department in the sober investigations of true Christian philosophy?

We speak with hesitation on these profound subjects. And we may add, we should enter with reluctance upon any course of argument that would lead to long and labour ed discussion. The experience of every age seems more clearly to prove that, in religion at least, we are less intended to deliberate than to act, to reason than to feel. The time is short, and much remains to be done. We like that system of evidences the best, which brings us the soonest to the scene of labour, puts the greatest courage into our hearts, and the strongest implements into our bands for our destined work. We wish to see all the great faculties of man, his

his affections, his will, his very prepossessions and prejudices, if it were possible, brought by the shortest path, to the field, and all employed in the great work. Nor are we even sure that we could consent to part with all those feel ings of sacredness and awe, of which Mr. Chalmers would divest us in our first examination of Christianity, either if it would require any great length of time to recover them-or if, as it is probable, their ultimate loss might weaken the stimulus for strenuous exertion.Above all, we should prefer that system of evidences which would bring us the soonest, and keep us the nearest and most constant, to a Throne of Grace. Persuaded as we are, that "the testimony of Jesus " is most rapidly perceived, and most assiduously embraced by the regenerated heart, and that á spiritual perception is the exclusive gift of the Holy Spirit, in answer to prayer-we should never feel

satisfied till we had placed our-" selves and our pupil in the atti-' tude of devotion. We should wish him, with the utmost diligence, to search into his own heart for the strongest possible motives and inducements to love the Scriptures: namely, That they reveal to him a strength greater than his own-a' righteousness infinitely more pure.' Till we feel the want of something better than the world can bestow, the world will probably continue to satisfy us. We shall scarcely turn aside to view the external evidences of a system of which the intrinsic excellence has not in some measure struck upon the senses of our soul. To the arts of demonstration, then, we should wish to add the arts of persuasion. We should desire to persuade men, of the vast interval there is in the worth of what is finite, and what is infinite; between God and the world; between the present por tion of the wicked, and the eternal blessedness of the righteous in the bosom of an all glorious Redeemer. And this difference we would lay down, as the very foundation of our appeal to them, to examine the evidence and authority of the Christian Revelation.

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The Essay on the Signs of Conversion and Unconversion in Mi nisters of the Church, to which the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge and Church Union in the Diocese of St. David's, adjudged their Premium for the Year 1811. By SAMUEL CHARLES WILKS, of St. Edmund's Hall, Oxford. London; Hatchard. 1814. pp. 71.

WE have heard with much pleasure of the change which has taken place within the last few years, especially in regard to theolo gical studies, in the public examinations at Oxford. If it be one leading object of our schools and seminaries to promote sound learns

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