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the age immediately fucceeding muft imply more miracles, and those without any rational object, than that history fuppofes. The like, he fays, must be the cafe with refpect to the history of the Jews in the Old Teftament. If the Mofaic hiftory be admitted, that of the Jews in that age, and from that time to the prefent, is natural; but on any other fuppofition moft unaccountable; that whole nation thinking and acting as no human beings ever did, or poffibly could, think and act. Whereas, it must be taken for granted, that the Jews are, and ever have been, men, as well as ourfelves. This is the ftate of the argument between believers and unbelievers in revelation, that 1 have frequently held out, and no person can say that it is an unfair one. Leaft of all it is fuch as as a man who wishes to be governed by reafon, and who would account for all appearances in the most natural manner, can object to.

The present times are, no doubt, exceedingly critical with refpect to Chriftianity; and being fully perfuaded of its truth, I rejoice that they are fo. Whatever will not bear the teft of the most rigorous fcrutiny must now be rejected; the great fupports of fuperftition and imposture, viz. human authority, power and emolument, being now, in a great measure, withdrawn. This will be the means of purging our religion from every thing that will

not bear this rigorous examination; but it will contribute to the firmer eftablishment of every thing that will bear it. And what can we wish for more? It ought not to be any man's interest to maintain an error, and to take an idle tale for undoubted fact. But if revealed revelation be true, if Mofes was commiffioned to teach the unity of God, and the purity of his worship; and if Jefus Chrift was commiffioned to confirm the fame, and to announce to mankind the ftill more interesting doctrine of the refurrection of the dead, and a future ftaté of righteous retribution, it is of infinite confequence that all men fhould be apprized of it; fince their conduct here, and their expectations hereafter, are nearly concerned in it. Compared with truths fo momentous as thefe, all other know. ledge is a trifle.

It is no fmall fatisfaction to Chriftians, that even the prefent prevalence of infidelity, as well as the univerfal fpread, and final establishment, of Chriftianity, were foretold by Chrift. And as he spake of this infidelity as one of the figns of his approaching coming, we may be looking forward with confidence and joy to that glorious event; after which the belief of Chriftianity, together with the reign of virtue, and of peace, will be univerfal. This will be that kingdom of God, or of heaven, which is the confummation to which we should be devoutly

looking,

looking, and which, by our Saviour's direction, is the subject of our daily prayers, when nation fhall no more lift up fword against nation, and when they fball learn war no more. For an account of other figns of the approach of this great catastrophe, I refer to my Fast Sermon of this year. The prefent times are uncommonly eventful. I expect that they will be exceedingly calamitous; but that the final iffue will be most glorious.

As my Difcourfe on the Refurrection of Jefus, and alfo that which exhibits a view of revealed religion, preached at the ordination of Mr. Field, when Mr. Belfham gave the charge, printed along with it, fall within the plan of these Discourses (the latter making a proper conclufion to them) I have made them part of this course; and as I fhall no more publish them feparately, and wifh to preferve the Prefaces, and the Addrefs to the Jews prefixed to the former, I fhall give them in an Appendix.

Alfo, at the request of fome friends, for whofe advice I have the greatest deference, I fubjoin a copy of my Correspondence with Mr. Gibbon, occafioned by my presenting him with a copy of my Hiftory of the Corruptions of Christianity. It will appear that I always thought myself at liberty to do this. But he being now dead, and there

being

being no person who can be offended at it, every fhadow of objection to the publication is removed.

I confidered Mr. Gibbon as better qualified to difcufs the evidences of Chriftianity than any other unbeliever in this country, and probably in any other; and his plan of attack being on the ground of history, and human nature, was the faireft of any; fo that the difcuffion to which it would have led feemed well calculated to overturn the scheme if it was not well founded, or to establish it if it was. I therefore regret that he did not comply with my invitation, to which his writings gave the faireft occafion. The intereft of important truth would, no doubt, have been promoted by it. As to Mr. Gibbon's motives for declining the difcuffion (which on my part would have been very difpaffionate) and the temper with which the letters are written, every perfon will form his own judgment,

In the Preface to my Letters to a Philofophical Unbeliever, in which I replied to Mr. Hume's Pofthumous Dialogues, I gave Dr. Adam Smith, with whom I had fome acquaintaince, a hint that I had no objection to difcufs with him the Atheistical principles of his deceafed friend. But he took no notice of it. No friend of religion, I truft, will ever decline the defence of his prin

ciples,

ciples, but, as the apoftle Peter exhorts, be al-
ways ready to give a reafon for the hope that is in
him. And in the prefent ftate of things, it is of
particular importance that young perfons be care-
fully inftructed in the grounds and principles of
their religion, that they may be qualified both
to give a good account of them for themselves,
and be able to inftruct others.

CONTENTS.

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