surrounded by neighbouring nations, in the land of Canaan; and has preserved the same form, in a great measure to the present time, and that under the highest external disadvantages, which is an instance without a parallel.

The doctrines, and whole system of the Gospel, breathe also a quite different spirit, from those changes and accommodations to human passions, which have been always calculated to answer the end of merely temporal governments: its language has ever been, "if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of this book, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."*

Moses appealed to the miracles done in Egypt, before Pharaoh, his court, the wise men, and the whole congregation of the children of Israel—to their passage through the Red Sea-to the pillar of fire by night, and the cloud by day, attending them, not once or twice, but through their whole journeyings in the wilderness-to the thunders and lightnings, and the voice of God speaking from the mount-to forty years experience of miracles and prophecies-while Christ raises the dead-heals the sick-feeds the hungry-makes the lame to walk, and the blind to see-commands the winds and the waves, and they obey him-foretells the events that shall happen to his church for 2000 years to come, in proof and confirmation of his having come from God, and possess

aad Rev. 18 and 19.

ing divine authority. And now, where is the compa rison between the supposed prophet of Mecca, and the Son of God; or with what propriety ought they to be named together? "The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold a greater than Jonah is here."* The dif ference between these characters is so great, that the facts need not be further applied.

The conclusion of our author's observation, "that the way to God, is open to every man alike,” is equally unfounded, on his own principles and representation. Such are his vanity and confidence, that he does not even pretend to cover his presumption, by an attempt to produce proof of his position, either from facts or argument; or to show from whence he gets his information, or to assign reasons for his assertions; but he proceeds at once, to build his system of objections upon them, as undisputed data; and concludes his readers must receive conviction, on the first blush of the argument. The fact asserted is, "that the way to God, is open to every man alike." This assertion has been heretofore often made by infidels, and as often answered: it is contradicted by every man's daily experience, as well as by a thousand fatal and melancholy examples.

If mankind were found in a state of perfect rectitude and innocence, free from all the dreadful consequences of sin and iniquity, such an assertion might be made with more propriety. But, not to mention the fatal apostacy of man from the original purity of his nature, which, although proved by all his actions,

Luke, 11-32.

yet I well know is denied by infidels in general, and by some who call themselves Christians;* I appeal to every man's observation, as convictive, that our author's position, on his own principles, is false in fact. He himself allows, in page 35 of his pamphlet, "that there is a revelation, the word of God, in the creation we behold." And again, in page 36, "It is only in the creation, that all our ideas and conceptions of a word of God, can unite."

Every man must and will acknowledge, the various and differing powers of the human mind, in different persons, from the idiot, to the philosopher, most famous for his wisdom and application. And can any man of reflection, be ignorant, that the way to God,

* The radical corruption of human nature, is one of those truths, which their very plainness renders it the less easy to support by formal proofs. If a person be unmoved by the decisive arguments which press upon him every moment, at every turn, you can scarcely know in what manner to address him on the subject.-Let any one look diligently into their own minds, and they will be convinced, that the continual indisposition to righteousness, and promeness to transgression, which they will discover there, can be ascribed to no other cause. Let them behold what passes in the world around them, and they will be satisfied, that the prevailing wickedness of mankind, can be traced to no other source. They will perceive, that in this, as in every other instance, reason and experience unite in bearing testimony to the truth of the word of God.-Gisborne's Familiar Survey of the Christian Religion-14.

The late discoveries in the Eastern World, greatly add to the testimony relative to this subject. Mr. Maurice says, "l'rom the whole of the preceding statement, it must be evident to every reader, that the Brahmins are no strangers to the doctrine esteemed absurd in some Christian countries, but admitted by the Brahmins from time immemorial, that of original sin. It is their invariable belief, that man is a fallen creature.-The doctrine is universally prevalent in Asia, and originally gave birth to the persuasion, that by severe sufferings, and a long series of probationary discipline, the soul might be restored to its primitive purity.—They had even sacrifices denominated those of regeneration, and those sacrifices were always profusely stained with blood.—5 vol. Ind. Antiq. 956-7.

in our author's sense of it, is not alike open to him, who never raised his thoughts to the great Author of universal nature, or contemplated his power, wisdom, and goodness, in his works of creation and providence? and to the studious, contemplative philoso pher, who, pursuing the plastic hand of naturé through all the streams of pure benevolence and love, hath been led, with astonishment and surprize, to the inexhaustible ocean there, in holy rapture, to love and to adore?

Can it be possible, that any man in his senses, should suppose this way to God, is alike open to the wretch, who, destroying all the powers of nature in debauchery and wickedness, never mentions the name or attributes of the great, self-existing First Cause of all things, but to deny his being, or to blaspheme his sacred and venerable name; and to the devout and obedient soul, who, sensible of his own natural weakness and insufficiency, is continually casting himself at the feet of Divine Mercy, and humbly supplicating for grace to illumine his darkened understanding, and wisdom to direct his researches into the things of God? Is this way open alike to the man who is blind and deaf, and so incapable of improving the revelation of our Author, in the works of creation; and to him, who, enjoying every assistance, both physical, moral, and artificial, sees deeply into the mysteries of nature? Are the enlightened, philosophic Newton, or Rittenhouse, and the wandering savage of the Missisippi, on equal terms, with regard to this way to God? Or the poor labourer, confined during his whole life, to some mechanical business, for the bare support of his nature; and the rich, affluent citizen, who can devote

F

both time and fortune to the investigation of nature, and "nature's God, seen through all his works?"

These observations, not only teach the falsity of the position, in our author's sense, but fully prove the certainty of some great and essential change wrought in the nature and state of man, since he was originally formed by his merciful Creator; and show, in glowing colours, the ignorance of our author in the first principle necessary for his investigating the truths of the Christian religion: I mean his own nature, as well as the sublime doctrines of salvation by a Redeemer, founded upon it.

The way to God, even under the express and positive revelation of his will, manifested in the life, character, and doctrines of Jesus Christ, requires study, application, instruction, divine grace, and continual improvement, before it can be properly sought out, even with the aid of the sacred Scriptures. Do the advocates of the Christian system, at this day expect to know the great truths of their holy religion, by immediate inspiration, while they acquire the knowledge of every art and science, relative to human things, by laborious investigation? Even in the natural world, God, who created man, hath made him a dependent creature, so that it is necessary for his support, from day to day, that he should be fed, cloathed and covered from the inclemency of the weather; but does any man pretend to disbelieve the goodness and mercy of God towards him, because he cannot exist, without care, labour, and active attention to his various wants? Must he not plough, and sow, and reap, and defend himself from his known enemies, or perish? Is this ever thought a solid argument against the superin