administration, whenever he saw fit, for wise reasons, to suspend or interrupt his usual course: and hence it is manifestly absurd and presumptuous, to pronounce beforehand, respecting a Revelation from God.

Again, with regard to Inspiration: as we are wholly incompetent to judge beforehand, in what way God would naturally instruct us; so it is, whenever He sees fit to afford us supernatural instruction. As we could not pronounce as to the mode, clearness, conviction, or extent of the one; so we are wholly ignorant in these points, as to the other; whether it would be equally certain, clear, and intelligible to all;-revealed at once, or gradually;—committed to writing, or left to oral tradition.

The only question then concerning Christianity is, "Whether it be a real Revelation ;" not whether it be attended with every circumstance we should have looked for and concerning the authority of Scripture, "Whether it be, what it claims to be;" not whether it be such in itself, and promulgated in such a way, as we might have fancied beforehand. Hence neither obscurities of style, nor seeming inaccuracies, nor various readings, are any valid ground of objection, unless we were divinely assured that Revelation should be free from these things. Nor indeed can any objection avail against such a Revelation as Christianity claims to be-(there being no objections against

the morality of it),-but such as can overthrow the proof of the miraculous attestations attending its origin and progress.

But if men will disregard these things, and pretend to judge of Scripture by preconceived expectations ; the Analogy of Nature makes it very probable, that they will have strong objections against it, however really unexceptionable it may be in itself; for such, prior to experience, they would have had against the ordinary course of Nature. To pass over the subject of animal instincts, propensions, &c., how highly improbable it would appear, à priori, that men should so exactly discover the general laws of matter, and the magnitude, paths and revolutions of the heavenly bodies, rather than ascertain the causes and cures of distempers, and many other things, in which human life seems so much more nearly concerned, than in astronomy. Moreover objections might be raised against so capricious a way of information, as that of Invention, by which Nature acquaints men in an instant, (and when they are perhaps thinking of something very different,) with matters of science, which had vainly been sought after for years. Our very language also, is inadequate to the complete enunciation of our ideas, and liable to abuse by deception. And the instincts of animals, in many cases, are far superior to the foresight of reasonable man.

Hence it is highly credible, from the Analogy of Nature, that the Christian revelation might be liable to objections, à priori; which would nevertheless therefore be of no reasonable validity.

By applying these general observations to a particular objection, we shall see not only how groundless it is, but also how almost all objections against Christianity itself (as distinguished from those against its evidences)-are, by a parity of reasoning, futile. An objection has been made against the miraculous powers recorded in the Gospel, because, in some instances, they were improperly used; as if, from this abuse, they were not miracles at all. In the gift of tongues, for instance, it is alleged, that either such subjects would have been chosen, as would never use it but on proper occasions; or, that they would have been restrained and directed to its fitting use. Now, in the first place, when this gift was bestowed, a man would have the same power over it, as if he had acquired the language by study and use; and it has been shown, that we are not competent judges as to the exercise of extraordinary interpositions, such as to restrain it; and, secondly, in the natural course of Providence, the gifts of memory, eloquence, and other talents, are not always bestowed on persons of prudence, or on those who make the best use of them.

In other things, there is an analogy between the

instruction of Nature and the light of Revelation. Though the practical duties of Christianity are plain and obvious, as is the common routine of civil life; yet, as in the latter, there are many things requiring thoughtful consideration, so it is in the former. Now all improvements in arts and science are made by thoughtful observation, upon hints which Nature drops, as it were accidentally, in our way, or which seem to strike us by chance; and yet the same phoenomena, and the same observing faculties, have existed for thousands of years previously to discoveries, which are yet continually being made. Even so the Book of Scripture, which has long been in possession of mankind, may contain many things not yet understood; things only to be fully comprehended by the issue of events; and some, perhaps, not to be developed till "the final restitution of all things."

But it is objected further, "That men being (according to Scripture) in a state of ruin, for which Christianity is a remedy; it is not credible, that so many ages should have been permitted to pass, before so highly important a matter was made known; that even then it should be confined to so few; and, after all, should have somewhat of deficiency and obscurity about it." Now the analogy of Nature shows, that in bodily remedies it is the same. Many valuable ones

have existed, unknown for ages; very many are probably yet so; great difficulty and obscurity attend the successful application of them: they are often ineffectual; sometimes they even produce new diseases, if unskilfully applied; and those, whom they would benefit much, are sometimes out of the reach of them. And, in fact, the same principles of arguing would lead us to the conclusion, that there should be no occasion for them, because there ought to be no diseases at all; and hence our actual experience of them shows the fallacy of all such à priori expectations.

The conclusion, therefore, is, "Not that reason is to be no judge of Revelation; because she can, and ought, to judge, not only of the meaning, but the morality and evidence of Revelation." Her province is, to examine into its morality and its evidences: and if these be unobjectionable and satisfactory, it is not to be rejected, merely because it contains some things different to what we expected from a wise, just, and good Being. For Christianity, forming a large economy, with the whole of which we are not acquainted, it is as absurd to object against some insulated parts, alleged to be defective in wisdom and goodness, as it would be to do so, in those particular and apparently strange instances of natural economy, with the objects and tendencies of which we are totally unacquainted.