cannot be pretended that they exerted their eloquence in favour of toleration for the poor perfecuted chriftians. On the contrary, they generally exerted their influence to make them ridiculous and odious. The moderation of the prefent times is certainly owing both to the unbelievers and the proteftants, and both were perhaps led into it by the confideration of their own circumftances, as the weaker party.

It is plain from fact, that it was not the intention of the divine being, by means of natural or revealed religion, of any kind of knowledge, or any other advantage of which we are poffeffed, to establish a state of universal virtue and happiness in the prefent world. In all the divine difpenfations we are treated as accountable or improveable creatures; but it is evidently neceffary to fuch a ftate, that we be capable of growing worfe as well as better, by every species of discipline; and the very fame circumstances may produce both thefe different effects on the minds of different perfons. The fame profperity that excites fentiments of gratiG 3 tude,

tude, and a liberal beneficent difpofition in fome, infpires others with infolence, rapaciousness, and cruelty; adverfity also may be the parent either of induftry, or fraud; so that neither of them has neceffarily and invariably a good effect upon the mind. The difpenfation of the gofpel, therefore, may be fimilar to this, without any impeachment of its divine original.

The evidence of truth may alfo come under the fame rules with the means of virtue, and thus the arguments in favour of divine revelation may be fufficient to convince the candid, impartial, and well-difpofed, at the fame time that they may afford those who are of a different difpofition handles enow for cavilling, fuch as, in their state of mind, will justify their rejection of it to themfelves. To this our Lord might poffibly allude when he faid, John ix. 39. judgment I am come into this world: that they who fee not, might fee; and that they who fee, might be made blind; and, John vii. 17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether

For

I speak

I fpeak of myself. To the fame purpofe is the prophecy of Simeon, Luke ii. 34. Behold, this child is fet for the fall and rifing again of many in Ifrael; and for a fign which fhall be spoken against.

It is often taken for granted that the defign of revelation in general, and of chriftianity in particular, was fimply to reform the world, and that end not having been completely anfwered by it, it has been objected by unbelievers, that it could not have been from God, who would certainly have chofen fufficient means to gain all his ends. But, confidering that men are accountable creatures, and capable of abufing every advantage of which they are poffeffed, both reason and revelation do, in fact, in all cafes, answer the end for which they were given, whether they be abused or improved, whether, as the apostle Paul fays, they be a favour of life unto life, or of death unto death.

I fhall conclude thefe obfervations on the difficulties which attend the Jewish and G 4 chriftian

par

christian revelations, with remarking, that the queftion is not whether any of the ticulars I have mentioned, feparately taken, be likely or unlikely to come from God, but whether the whole fyfiem, attended with fuch difficulties, may be divine. If it were poffible that any perfon fhould be asked, a priori, whether it was probable that, under the government of a wife and good being, an innocent child should inherit the diseases, poverty, and vices of its parent; or whether no diftinction would be made between the righteous and the wicked in war, peftilence, famine, or earthquakes, he would certainly answer it was not probable; though when he should come to know, and attentively confider the whole fyftem, of which fuch events make a part, he might be fatisfied that it was the result of perfect wisdom, directed by infinite goodness; and even that a scheme more favourable to happiness or virtue could not have been formed; and the time may come, when we shall know and acknowledge the fame with refpect to the extraordinary,

that

that we do with refpect to the ordinary difpenfations of the divine being.

The advantage which christianity derives from the objections of unbelievers, is various and confiderable. This circumstance has been the means of purging it from what was foreign and indefenfible, and alfo of fetting its evidences in a clearer and stronger light; fo that many perfons who before took their religion upon truft, do now adhere to it upon a rational conviction of its truth and excellence, and hold it in greater purity than they would otherwife have done. And as the heathen philofophy contributed to difcredit the popular religions of the Gentile world, which ferved as a preparation for the promulgation of the gofpel, fo the writings and discourses of unbelievers in the present age feem to be fapping the foundations of the Popish corruptions of christianity, and preparing the way for the establishment of the pure religion of Christ in their place,

Christianity,