historical evidence of Christianity to furnish a full and satisfactory attestation to its truth. It is our object to clear away those previous prejudices which so frequently prevent the fair investigation of historical evidence. Having effected this purpose, we resign the student to those learned and respectable writers who have authenticated the canon of Scripture, and who have shown, from incontestible arguments, the divinity of the Christian Revelation.

Although this be the real object of the work which is here submitted to the public, yet it has been deemed expedient, for a fuller display of the various details which compose the argument, to discriminate, as far as possible, between the probabilities which belong to Revelation in general and those doctrines which are made known to us by the Christian Revelation. For this purpose, the first part is devoted to the consideration of such principles as on the supposition of any Revelation might be reasonably expected to enter into its system. These are collected from the natural suggestions of our minds and from our obser

vations on the government of Providence. Though it is not pretended that, in all cases, we can nicely distinguish our views from the associations of that Revelation. with which we are familiar; or that, in some instances, we may not have fallen upon. what lawyers would term leading questions, that is, questions which carry with them their own answers; yet this, however it may affect the speculative beauty of the work, is, in reality, the fullest confirmation of that reasoning which is here employed. For if it be impossible to speculate rationally concerning any supposed Revelation without adopting the generality of those doctrines which have actually been inculcated in the Scriptures, surely this ought to be esteemed as no slight indication of the indissoluble connection of the Christian Revelation with the dictates of conscience and the deductions of reason.

To convince any man of the force and reality of this kind of reasoning, let him attempt to reverse the leading particulars which are here brought forward as likely to enter into any Revelation. Let him endea

vour to imagine a Revelation which was not founded upon miracles, the discoveries of which were neither important nor desirable; which had given no account of the creation of man, of his being created in innocence, and of his fall from that innocence; which did not correspond to the principles of reason, nor to the faculties of the human mind; which was not adapted to the present state of the world; which did not inculcate the unity of God; which contained no doctrines incomprehensible to reason; which provided no atonement for our sins; which held out no terrors to the impenitent; the author of which was not distinguished for virtue or dignity; which offered no spiritual assistance; which adduced no fresh arguments for a future life or for a state of rewards and punishments after death; which exhorted us to confide upon our own merits, rather than on the Divine mercy; which had not promoted the knowledge, happiness, and civilisation of the world; which was not adapted to the сараcities of the poor, the truth of which had not been admitted by the generality of the b

learned; which had been opposed by men of the greatest virtues and probity; which had not been distinguished by its moral effects, &c. &c. I I say, let any man attempt to frame suppositions of this kind, and he will perceive how unreasonable it is to undervalue our argument on account of its want of originality. It is the solidity of these speculations which detracts from their novelty; it is the closeness of this connection between Reason and Revelation which prevents our amusing the reader with anomalies and contradictions.

But although this work was originally undertaken with no other aim than an attempt to counteract the prejudices of unbelievers, yet, as the author proceeded in his plan, he found himself involved with opinions of quite an opposite description. Every presumptive argument to show the truth of Christianity from its agreement with the sentiments of right reason, became also an evidence of its wisdom, and consequently an evidence against those who would divorce it from reason and nature. Thus the same artillery which he had

pointed against the enemies of Christianity was found to be equally efficient against its mistaken friends; no small confirmation to his own mind, that the ground which he had taken was safe and tenable, and that truth and reason and nature were his allies in this apology for the Christian Revelation.

To estimate the force of this kind of evidence with fairness and candour, it is necessary to review it with a calm, contemplative, and philosophic eye; to remember that an argument of this nature is strictly cumulative, and that consequently the loss of a few presumptions will not endanger the safety of the rest; that, in many cases, the evidence is to be multiplied by its incidental connection with some other probability, that the aggregate weight of the whole must be very considerable, however little any one may be disposed to allow to each independent part; and that, supposing nothing more to follow than the bare possibility that Christianity may be true, yet every man is bound by reason and self-interest, and by all the obligations of Natural Religion, to institute a serious en