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Jews' Letters to Voltaire.

Prideaux's Connections.

Hora Paulinæ.

Paley's Natural Theology.
Shuckford's Connections.

The reason why many, on beginning to read the advocates for Christianity, sink deeper into the mire of their infidelity, is worthy of our notice. It is intimately connected with the transaction of the garden and the forbidden fruit. The author who writes on the Evi. dences of Christianity begins, very commonly, to overturn the cavils and sophisms of unbelievers; such as he has heard urged, or such as are often made. The young reader perhaps never heard these objections urged against our religion. (He certainly never did hear or see the one half of those in use.) He did not know that they existed. As soon as he sees them on the page of the Christian writer, for the purpose of refutation, the objection seizes the powers of his soul! The answer he does not receive; he cannot notice! Such is the nature of fallen man. This is true of those who would be glad to believe the Book of God. Darkness has for their souls a superior attraction. It is not until he reads the work the second or the third time that he begins to observe the quibble less, and the answer more.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

TESTIMONY RESISTED.

Concluding remarks concerning the powerful remedy.We must shortly endeavour to look at the all-powerful remedy, at the remedy which never fails when used. In this concluding chapter on the powerful remedy, we must not neglect to observe something of the amount of evidence which God has furnished in this remedy. We have been writing of the external evidences of Christianity; we now ask as to the extent and the force of this evidence. How much of this external testimony has the Creator furnished? The answer is, He has given enough to prove the truth and inspiration of the Scriptures, and no more. He did not intend any thing farther. Let us not be misunderstood. We do not mean that this point is not proved again and again, times out of number; but this kind of testimony does nothing more than prove it, and can do no more. Take the verbal testimony of a score of credible witnesses to a given fact, in a court of justice, and the incident is proved; bring in ten thousand others, and it is not more than proved. There may be a man who disbelieves still. But if we place the incident before his eyes, it is established then, as verbal testimony could not do it. If he refuse to receive the testimony of one hundred respectable witnesses, he may discover to us an unloveliness of soul by such a position; nevertheless, we would confess that eyesight is of the two the stronger testimony. That the Bible is the Book of Heaven is shown by this external

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evidence with a frequency which cannot be counted. But it is only proved. No coercion was ever designed. Men may yet disbelieve. It never was intended to make it impossible for a man to ruin himself, if obstinately bent in that direction. If man's rationality, his judging for himself, were taken away from him, it would not please earth, and we suppose it would not rejoice heaven. Man does judge wrong, and choose to his own hurt; but he does not wish to be turned into a piece of thinking, necessary mechanism. Reader, no matter how many historical facts; no matter how many prophetic verities and accomplishments; no matter how many celestial sentiments and beauties, call to you to say "This book is from heaven," you can disbelieve it. It is not only possible, but it is of easy performance. continue uninformed concerning the history, or you may forget the facts once noticed. Others you can neglect to apply. You may besot your soul with sin until incapable of feeling the heavenly sentiment. You may close your eyes and ears, and harden your heart, until you can believe or disbelieve any thing. It has been tried. All the evidence of this character which could be given may be resisted. Testimony of this description, piled higher than the mountains, has been gainsayed! We come to notice in the next chapter a kind of testimony which cannot be resisted-the remedy which is infalli. ble. But before we reach this, we will look at one more case which exhibits the fall of man. It reminds us of our love for darkness more than light. the millions that exist every day, telling us that all testimony may be résisted where the heart sets in a different direction.

It is one out of

Concluding case.-There was an agriculturist of the

West who was wealthy. He was a man of good education, and an infidel. The most of his friends, associates, and relatives, hated Christ with an unconcealed dislike. A train of circumstances gave a certain preacher of the gospel access to this man's ear, which few ministers. could obtain. They had each other's confidence and esteem. The minister, at different times, informed him plainly and fully of the want of information prevailing in the army of unbelievers, and told him that this ignorance was likewise his. He requested him to read a number of the books we have named, and at length addressed to him the following sentiments: "My friend, eternity is long, and the prize you may win invaluable, therefore I must be plain with you. You may read these books, and reperuse them, for you have little else to do. The amount of newspaper invective which you read, shows what time and vision you could expend, if so inclined. You are judging about religion, and never heard nor read much more than the revilings of its truth. You begin to suspect that much as you know on many subjects, you might know much more of this. Your judgment, if wrong, may lead to hell. Your judgment may be wrong, because you are ignorant of the facts from which you should draw your inferences. Much as you know of business, agriculture, law, or political affairs, you have learned nothing here but a few total falsehoods, which you have read, or heard retailed, until you begin to take them for history. You have, like scoffers in general, kept other information so entirely excluded, that you are even lame in conversation, unless your antagonist is afraid to speak plainly. If I ask you of the letter of Tertullian, I find you do not know within three centuries of his age,or on what continent he was

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born. If I ask you of a passage in Tacitus, I find you remember not what he said of the crucified One. inquire after a passage in Joel, I find you have almost forgotten, or never knew, of such a book in the Bible. I speak of the fulfilment of a prophecy, and find you did not know that it had ever been uttered. I ask you as to the confessions of early haters of the gospel, and discover that you know better what they have written of every thing else. I do affectionately entreat you to inform yourself well, and then decide. You may be positive, if you choose, as soon as you are well prepared to judge. The result is too momentous for you to risk an error here! Will you read the books ? Read on the other side, if you have not seen enough of perversion. Take more, and keep on until you are thorough in facts. Read on the side of truth faithfully, and cunning misstatements will begin to lose their influence over you. Continue still to read, and after a time, every entire lie, stated by a celebrated opposer of the gospel, will weaken his cause in your estimation. Will read?" He was you answered, "I will read some." The substance of the following dialogue then took place.

Preacher. Why not read industriously? you confess there is much that you might learn. If so, there is a possibility you may be wrong. We should never de cide in whole, where we know but half, especially if it be an enquiry of momentous consequence.

Unbeliever. True, I see that there are many things I have not learned. I would be willing to know them, but I fear to promise you lest I should fail, for you know that we have not always a taste for every kind of reading.

Minister. If you may possibly be wrong, and I may

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