religion are the proper proofs1 of it from our moral nature, from the presages of conscience, and our natural apprehension of God under the character of a righteous Governor and Judge; a nature and conscience and apprehension given us by him, and from the confirmation of the dictates of reason, by life and immortality brought to light by the Gospel; and the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

1 St. Paul commences his Epistle to the Romans with the professed acknowledgment, or rather the authoritative assertion, of the two great evidences of natural religion-the one legible in the book of the creation, the other indigenous in the soul of man. This latter is the moral constitution of our souls, which is the transcript, obscured and defaced indeed, but still the transcript, of the great law of God; that law which the very heathen know, and cannot avoid knowing, because "they have the work of it written in their hearts," and their thoughts "accusing or excusing" them by its dictates. And when St. Paul charges the Gentiles with the knowledge of this law, it is such a knowledge as, in his mind, was sufficient to bring them under the capacity and consequent obligation of some obedience; otherwise his whole doctrine and inculcation of that law, as subjecting them to judgment, would be a lifeless argument.-Davison on Primitive Sacrifice. (Ed.)

END OF THE FIRST PART.

THE

ANALOGY OF RELIGION.

PART II.

OF REVEALED RELIGION.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIANITY'.

SOME persons, upon pretence of the sufficiency of the light of nature, avowedly reject all revelation, as in its very notion incredible, and what must be fictitious. And indeed it is certain no revelation would have been given, had the light of nature been sufficient in such a sense as to render one not wanting and useless2. But no man, in seriousness and

An inquiry into the importance of Christianity is obviously a proper introduction to a treatise on its credibility. There are, moreover, two classes of persons who require to have this proved to them. Some avowedly reject all revelation, as in its very notion incredible; while others neglect or overlook it, without examining its evidence, without indeed rejecting it, and even upon supposition of its truth. The ground, both of rejection and neglect, is the assumed sufficiency of the light of nature; and against both it is maintained that the light of nature has been proved insufficient by the state of religion among heathens, whether before or after revelation; by the doubts which the greatest men have entertained on things of the utmost moment; by the natural inattention and ignorance of mankind in general, who neither could nor would reason out natural religion; by the need felt even by the better sort of supernatural instruction and assistance. Now, on a first and general view, this may be said:-If God has given us a revelation, it must be important, unless we are assured (as we cannot be, for our ignorance proves nothing) that all the reasons for it have ceased.—(W.)

2 That the principles of natural religion have come to be so far understood and admitted as they are, may fairly be taken for one of the effects of the gospel revelation; a proof of its actual influence on opinions at the least, instead of a disproof of its necessity or use.-Davison on Prophecy. (Ed.)

simplicity of mind, can possibly think it so, who considers the state of Religion in the heathen world before revelation, and its present state in those places which have borrowed no light from it; particularly the doubtfulness of some of the greatest men concerning things of the utmost importance, as well as the natural inattention and ignorance of mankind in general. It is impossible to say who would have been able to have reasoned out that whole system, which we call natural religion, in its genuine simplicity, clear of superstition; but there is certainly no ground to affirm that the generality could. If they could, there is no sort of probability that they would. Admitting there were, they would highly want a standing admonition to remind them of it, and inculcate it upon them.

And further still, were they as much disposed to attend to religion as the better sort of men are, yet even upon this supposition there would be various occasions for supernatural instruction and assistance1, and the greatest advantages might be afforded by them. So that to say revelation is a thing superfluous, what there was no need of, and what can be of no service, is, I think, to talk quite wildly and at random. Nor would it be more extravagant to affirm, that mankind is so entirely at ease in the present state, and life so completely happy, that it is a contradiction to suppose our condition capable of being in any respect better.

There are other persons, not to be ranked with these, who seem to be getting into a way of neglecting and, as it were, overlooking revelation as of small importance, provided natural Religion be kept to. With little regard either to the evidence of the former, or to the objections against it, and even upon supposition of its truth; "the only design of it," say they, "must be, to establish a belief of the moral system of nature, and to enforce the practice of natural piety and virtue. The belief and practice of these things

1 Even admitting that the heathens of the better sort did not want the power or the inclination to reason out the principles of natural religion clear of superstition, and so might have partly found it out for themselves; still revelation might even then be required to aid their reasonings, and might afford them the greatest assistance and advantage. Socrates, Plato, Confucius, and other bright lights of antiquity, have given their authority to the necessity and the anterior probability of a revelation from God.-Ed.

were, perhaps, much promoted by the first publication of Christianity; but whether they are believed and practised, upon the evidence and motives of nature or of revelation, is no great matter." This way of considering revelation, though it is not the same with the former, yet borders nearly upon it, and very much, at length, runs up into it, and requires to be particularly considered with regard to the persons who seem to be getting into this way. The consideration of it will likewise further show the extravagance of the former opinion, and the truth of the observations in answer to it just mentioned. And an inquiry into the importance of Christianity cannot be an improper introduction to a treatise concerning the credibility of it.

Now if God has given a revelation to mankind, and commanded those things which are commanded in Christianity, it is evident, at first sight, that it cannot in any wise be an indifferent matter, whether we obey or disobey those commands; unless we are certainly assured that we know all the reasons for them, and that all those reasons are now ceased with regard to mankind in general, or to ourselves in particular. And it is absolutely impossible we can be assured of this. For our ignorance of these reasons proves nothing in the case; since the whole analogy of nature shows, what is indeed in itself evident, that there may be infinite reasons for things with which we are not acquainted.

But the importance of Christianity will more distinctly appear by considering it more distinctly: First, as a republication and external institution of natural or essential Religion, adapted to the present circumstances of mankind, and intended to promote natural piety and virtue; and Secondly, as containing an account of a dispensation of things not discoverable by reason, in consequence of which several distinct precepts are enjoined us. For though natural Religion is the foundation and principal part of Christianity, it is not in any sense the whole of it.

1 Invenis multos propterea nolle fieri Christianos, quia quasi sufficiunt sibi de bonâ vitâ suâ. Bene vivere opus est, ait. Quid mihi præcepturus est Christus? Ut bene vivam? Jam bene vivo. Quid mihi necessarius est Christus? Nullum homicidium, nullum furtum, nullam rapinam facio, res alienas non concupisco, nullo adulterio contaminor? Nam inveniatur in vitâ meâ aliquid quod reprehendatur, et qui reprehenderit faciat Christianum.-Aug. in Psal. xxxi.

I. Christianity is a republication of natural Religion 1. It instructs mankind in the moral system of the world: that it is the work of an infinitely perfect Being, and under his government, that virtue is his law, and that he will finally judge mankind in righteousness, and render to all according to their works in a future state; and, which is material, very it teaches natural Religion in its genuine simplicity, free from those superstitions with which it was totally corrupted, and under which it was in a manner lost.

Revelation is further an authoritative publication of natural Religion, and so affords the evidence of testimony for the truth of it. Indeed the miracles and prophecies recorded in Scripture were intended to prove a particular dispensation of Providence, the redemption of the world by the Messiah; but this does not hinder but that they may also prove God's general providence over the world as our moral Governor and Judge. And they evidently do prove it, because this character of the Author of Nature is necessarily connected with and implied in that particular revealed dispensation of things; it is likewise continually taught expressly and insisted upon by those persons who wrought the miracles and delivered the prophecies. So that indeed natural Religion seems as much proved by the Scripture revelation as it would have been had the design of revelation been nothing else than to prove it.

But it may possibly be disputed how far miracles can prove natural Religion, and notable objections may be urged against this proof of it, considered as a matter of speculation; but considered as a practical thing there can be none. For

1 Christianity is indeed a republication of natural religion in the genuine simplicity of its leading doctrines, such as the existence of God, his character as a natural and a moral governor. It is all this; but at the same time it is something much higher also; it is an authoritative republication of natural religion with new proofs from miracles and prophecy; which, while they are the direct evidence of revealed religion, are also an additional evidence of natural religion.-Ed.

It has been admitted by infidels that Christianity is a republication of the law of nature; but they deny that there are any advantages arising out of this republication. So that, if they do not themselves draw the concluThe latter is the sion, they leave us to infer that Christianity is useless. method and design of the author of "Christianity as old as the Creation."-(H.)

2 Miracles not only contain a new demonstration of God's existence, but strengthen the proofs it draws from the frame of the world, and clear them