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phecies; there are many collateral circumstances, which may be united into one view, and all together may be considered as making up one argument. In this way of treating the subject, the revelation, whether real or otherwise, may be supposed to be wholly historical: the general design of which appears to be, to give an account of the condition of religion, and its professors, with a concise narration of the political state of things, as far as religion is affected by it, during a great length of time, near six thousand years of which are already past. More particularly it comprehends an account of God's entering into covenant with one nation, the Jews, that He would be their God, and that they should be His people; of his often interposing in their affairs; giving them the promise, and afterwards the possession, of a flourishing country; assuring them of the greatest national prosperity, in case of their obedience, and threatening the severest national punishment, in case they forsook Him, and joined in the Idolatry of their Pagan neighbours. It contains also a prediction of a particular person, to appear in the fulness of time, in whom all the promises of God to the Jews were to be fulfilled And it relates that, at the time expected, a person did actually appear, assuming to be the Saviour foretold; that he worked various miracles among them, in confirmation of his divine authority; and, as was foretold also, was rejected and put to death by the very people who had long desired and waited for his coming: but that his religion, in spite of all opposition, was established in the world by his disciples, invested with supernatural powers for that purpose of the fate and fortunes of which religion there is a prophetical description, carried down to the end of time. Let any one now, after reading the above history, and not knowing whether the whole were not a fiction, be supposed to ask, whether all that is here related be true? and instead of a direct answer, let him be informed of the se

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veral acknowledged facts, which are found to correspond to it in real life; and then, let him compare the history and facts together, and observe the astonishing coincidence of both such a joint review must appear to him of very great weight, and to amount to evidence somewhat more than human. And unless the whole series, and every particular circumstance contained in it, can be thought to have arisen from accident, the truth of Christianity is proved *.

The view here given of the moral and religious systems of Bishop Butler, it will immediately be perceived, is chiefly intended for younger students, especially for students in divinity; to whom it is hoped it may be of use, so as to encourage them to peruse, with proper diligence, the original works of the author himself. For it may be necessary to observe, that neither of the volumes of this excellent prelate are addressed to those, who read for amusement, or curiosity, or to get rid of time. All subjects are not to be comprehended with the same ease; and morali

* Chap. 7. To the Analogy are subjoined two dissertations, both originally inserted in the body of the work. One on Personal Identity, in which are contained some strictures on Mr Locke, who asserts that consciousness makes or constitutes personal identity; whereas, as our author observes, consciousness makes only personality, or is necessary to the idea of a person, i. e, a thinking intelligent being, but pre-supposes, and therefore cannot constitute, personal identity; just as knowledge pre-supposes truth, but does not constitute it. Consciousness of past actions does indeed shew us the identity of ourselves, or gives us a certain assurance that we are the same persons or living agents now, which we were at the time to which our remembrance can look back: but still we should be the same persons as we were, though this consciousness of what is past were wanting, though all that had been done by us formerly were forgotten; unless it be true that no person has existed a single moment beyond what he can remember. The other dissertation is On the Nature of Virtue, which properly belongs to the moral system of our author, already explained.

ty and religion, when treated as sciences, each accompanied with difficulties of its own, can neither of them be understood as they ought, without a very peculiar attention. But morality and religion are not merely to be studied as sciences, or as being speculatively true; they are to be regarded in another and higher light, as the rule of life and manners, as containing authoritative directions by which to regulate our faith and practice. And in this view, the infinite importance of them considered, it can never be an indifferent matter whether they be received or rejected. For both claim to be the voice of God; and whether they be so or not, cannot be known, till their claims be impartially examined. If they indeed come from Him, we are bound to conform to them at our peril: nor is it left to our choice, whether we will submit to the obligations they impose upon us or not; for submit to them we must in such a sense, as to incur the punishments denounced by both against wilful disobedience to their injunctions.

The following Epitaph, said to be written by Dr Nathaniel Forster, is inscribed on a flat marble stone, in the cathedral church of Bristol, placed over the spot where the remains of Bishop Butler are deposited; and which, as it is now almost obliterated, it may be worth while here to preserve.^

H. S.

Reverendus admodum in Christo Pater

JOSEPHUS BUTLER, LL.D.

Hujusce primo Dioceseos
Deinde Dunelmensis Episcopus.
Qualis quantusq; Vir erat

Sua libentissime agnovit atas:

Et si quid Prasuli aut Scriptori ad famam valent
Mens altissima,

Ingenii perspicacis et subacti Vis,

Animusq; pius, simplex, candidus, liberalis,
Mortui haud facile evanescet memoria.
Obiit Bathonia 16 Kalend. Julii,
A. D. 1752.

Annos natus 60.

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