6 either disbelieve, or deny to have any evidential force; and deride all reference to anything but the excellent instruction afforded by Scripture.' And yet what we call the Sacred Writers,' appear, as they are by these persons represented,—to have taught very objectionable morality. For, it is manifest that Jesus and his Apostles did profess to possess and to display superhuman powers. And if they really did possess none, they must have been either juggling impostors, or silly fanatics, or a mixture of both. Yet to such instructors do these persons resort, as entitled to be their guides, on the strength of the excellence and purity of their doctrine ! Is it not to be expected that the followers of such supposed guides should be themselves equally unscrupulous? that they should practise such pious frauds as they attribute to their teachers? 'The disciple is not above his Master.' Those who admire the morality of men whom they suppose to have availed themselves of popular credulity, will not be unlikely to imitate it. They may publicly and solemnly profess over and over again,-in a non-natural sense,'-their belief that our Lord rose from the dead, while convinced inwardly that no such event ever took place; regarding Paul as either a deluder or deluded, when he declared that if Christ be not risen, your faith is vain.' Some Writers, however, keeping out of sight this objectionable morality, support the view I have alluded to, partly by putting forth a formidable-looking array of quotations from numerous authors, of very various descriptions. Many of the authors cited are of a class that would formerly have been called, by others and by themselves, infidels, but who have a fancy for professing to be christian theologians; though in a sense 1 The words of those Jewish officers who had been sent to arrest Jesus, 'Never man spake like this man,' have perhaps had the effect of fostering the notion that, in some instances at least, conversions were effected by the sole force of the evidence afforded by the excellence of his moral teaching. But there seems no ground for any such inference, at least in that case. For, those Officers could not have been ignorant that the miracles of Jesus were acknowledged by all, friends and foes; though attributed by his adversaries to the agency of evil demons. He could not therefore have been viewed by them as a mere moral teacher, but as either a Heaven-sent messenger, or else a wicked Magician. The question before them was, which of the two He was likely to be: and that question it was that they seem to have decided from the discourses He uttered. widely different from what is commonly understood by the word. Others again are really advocates of Christianity, though most injudicious and fanciful ones. And to these are added, from authors of a far different class, a few half-sentences culled out here and there, enough to suggest a suspicion of an agreement in doctrine that does not really exist. It is a curious circumstance that some of the Writers who reject with scorn all external evidence, yet warn us not to restrict the student to any one branch of evidence; which is precisely what they, and they alone, are aiming at. For there is not, I believe, any one of those who have set forth the external evidences of Christianity, that has represented these as the only proofs. The restriction is attempted on the opposite side only. Among those whom I have alluded to as injudicious advocates, one of the most remarkable is the late Mr. Coleridge; a man, doubtless, of ability, but whom I cannot but think to have been vastly over-rated by his admirers; in consequence probably of the tone of oracular dogmatism with which he poured forth much that is really sound and valuable, along with a great deal of mischievous error. He says (along with much more to the same effect), 'Evidences of Christianity! I am weary of the word; make a man feel the want of it, and you may safely trust it to its own evidence.' Now something might be said for this maxim, if all men were agreed in a desire for whatever is really excellent, or if it were easy to make every man feel' such desire. But as it is, men's tastes and wishes, and the 'wants' they are conscious of, differ widely; according to their several dispositions, natural and acquired. And they will therefore be likely, when acting (as men are apt enough to do) on the above maxim, by seeking, each, a religion suited to his own disposition, and embracing it on that evidence alone-to pursue various courses. The majority, for instance, of the Jews of old did not feel a want' of a religion which taught patience under wrongs, and love to enemies : they wanted a temporal Christ who should free them from the Roman yoke, and exalt their nation to great earthly power and splendour; and accordingly they were 'weary of evidence,' and rejecting Jesus of Nazareth, followed pretended Christs, whose only evidence was a promise to lead them to victory and vengeance. The majority, again, of the Pagans 'felt a want' of a reli gion which provided splendid shows, and often bloody spectacles, and which tolerated and sanctified bacchanalian revels and foul impurities. The Hindus again feel the want of a religion which sanctions ferocious cruelties, and gross debauchery; and this is the evidence on which they adhere to the worship of their gods. The Musulmans 'feel the want' of a sensual Paradise such as their Prophet promises to those who fight bravely in his cause; and a Musulman rushes with enthusiastic valour on the hostile ranks, declaring that he sees the Houris waving their green handkerchiefs to welcome him to the Mahometan heaven. And, lastly, among those who profess some forms of Christianity, there is a large proportion who 'feel the want' of an infallible guide on Earth, and of the full assurance conveyed of pardon for sin, by priestly absolution, after due performance of penance; and of repose for their souls by paying for Masses to be said after their death. But a right-minded Christian who receives the Gospel, because he has good grounds for believing it to be TRUE, endeavours, not to seek and embrace, a religion conformable to his character, but, on the contrary, to make his character conformable to his religion. And he will have his reward, in the confirmation of his faith, from feeling continually more and more what are the real wants of Man in an enlightened and purified and exalted character. His religion will create the wants, while it supplies them ;-a craving after 'whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and of good report.' It will have set his affection on things above, not on things on the earth.' And having willed to do the Will of his heavenly Father, he will know of the doctrine that it is from God.' |