It is greatly favourable to christianity, and indeed almoft peculiar to it, that it fhews no favour to chriftians as fuch. The bigotted Jews and the Mohammedans denounce anathemas against unbelievers as fuch, and fuppofe that the wicked among them will be more refpected by God hereafter than the rest of mankind, whereas the gofpel fpeaks quite another language. To those who fay Lord, Lord, without fubmitting to the laws of Chrift, he will reply at the laft, Verily, verily, I know you not, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. It is alfo one of his maxims, that he who knows bis Lord's will and does it not, shall be beaten with many ftripes. To the fame purpose, likewife, do the apoftles write,

Some perfons have objected to the evidences of chriftianity, but certainly without fufficient reafon, the differences of opinion among chriftians, fince the very fame objection may be made to natural religion, and indeed to every thing that has ever been imagined of fo much importance, as to engage much of the attention of mankind,

the

the confequence of which has always been different conceptions concerning it. Were not the difciples of Socrates, Ariftotle, and Plato, divided among themfelves? Are there not as many fects among the Mohammedans, as among the chriftians? And are there not almost as many different opinions among the Papifts, as among the Proteftants, notwithstanding they profess to be poffeffed of an infallible judge in all controverfies of faith? Do not even our ableft lawyers give different opinions concerning the fenfe of acts of parliament, which were intended to convey the most determinate meaning, fo as to obviate all cavils? Nay, have we not equal reason to expect that unbelievers fhould agree in the fame fyftem of unbelief? If they fay to us, Agree first among yourselves, and tell us what chriftianity is, and we will tell you what we have to object to it; we have a right to reply, Do you agree firft with refpect to what you fuppofe to be wrong in it, tell us what you object to, and we will then confider of the proper anfwer.

VOL. II.

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In

In fact, every unbeliever must read the New Teftament for himself. If, when he is uninfluenced by any criminal prejudice, he really cannot give his affent to what he believes to be the religion of those books, he will be juftified in his unbelief; but if he have taken up his notions of christianity from others, or from an examination of his own, inadequate to the importance of the fubject, he certainly cannot be justified. I, for my own part, can only exhibit what appears to me the true idea of chriftianity, and the moft rational defence of it. If any other perfon, believer or unbeliever, think it to be exceptionable, he must look out for another, that to himself fhall appear lefs fo, and I alfo fhall think myfelf at liberty to relinquish my notions, and adopt his.

It is highly unreafonable to object to christianity the various mifchiefs which it has indirectly occafioned in the world, fince there is nothing useful or excellent that has not had fimilar confequences. By this method of reafoning, it might be concluded with certainty, that cur pafons and affec

tions were not the gift of God, for they are daily the cause of great and serious evils. In、 fact, the more important any thing is, and the more extenfive and happy are its confequences, the greater, in general, are the evils which it occafionally produces.

This is remarkably the cafe with civil government. It is certainly far preferable to a state of anarchy, and yet it gives cccafion to a multitude of crimes, and fuch horrid exceffes of all the paffions as cannot be known in uncivilized countries.

The perfecution of chriftians by christians, has not been worfe than the perfecution of christians by such heathen emperors as Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius, not to mention Nero or Diocletian; and has, befides, most evidently arifen from a grofs perverfion of the genuine fpirit of chriftianity, which breathes nothing but forbearance and love. There is alfo a view in which all these evils may be confidered as highly favourable to the evidences of christianity, fince they were distinctly forefeen and fore

told by Chrift and the apoftles. Befides, when we confider the havock that has been made by chriftian perfecutors, we should alfo confider the laudable zeal of the many who favoured and fheltered thofe who were perfecuted.

To make a jufter eftimate of the moral influence of christianity, let us confider with impartiality the character of the present times. Was Europe lefs corrupt a century ago, when there were fewer unbelievers, than it is now, that they are more numerous? It is plain from experience and obfervation, that the most vicious and abandoned of the present age are professed unbelievers, and that the most strictly virtuous, those who are the moft ftrenuous in their oppofition to the progrefs of vice, are profeffing and zealous chriftians. Let it also be confidered whether any more humane and enlarged fentiments were entertained before the promulgation of christianity in heathen countries. Now, whatever may be faid in favour of the virtuous and humane fentiments of the heathen philofophers, it

cannot