tibrarjp of t:he Cheolojicd ^tminavy PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY PRESENTED BY The Estate of Rev. Robert 0. Kirkwood B5f80 .K5q '. A U^a^^'--''^-^ ^^^^^^/^c^./^/^, A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. BY THK KEY. ROBERT KIRKWOOD, AUTHOR OF "lectures ON THE MILLENNIUM,"' AND " UNITERSALISM EXPLAINED.' •' The law of the I-ord is perfect, couvertiug the soul : the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart : the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever : the judgments of the Lord are true and rightepus altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much flue gold : sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb.'' — Psalm iix. NEW YORK: SHELDON AND COMPANY, 115 NASSAU STREET. 1860. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by ROBERT KIRKWOOD, In the Clerk's Office of tbe District Court for the Southern District of New York. EDWARD O. JENKINS, Printer and Stereotyper, No. 26 Frankfort Street. PREFACE. The teudeiicy of the present age to scepticism, in its various forms and disguises, is apparent to all close ob- servers of society in general. As this iniquity abounds, the hearts of many wax cold. Coldness, formality, and a worldly spirit pervade even evangelical churches. Some think that, in projiortion to the light, these evils exist in a greater degree than has ever been known in the memory of living men. Why this should be so, is a great and solemn q^iestion. God is unchangeable, and as ready as ever to be inquired of by the house of Israel — the merits of the atonement are inexhaustible — the Holy Spirit waits to be gracious — and the immutable truths and promises of the Bible stand firm and sm*e. Church extension goes forward ; and the Holy Scriptures are multii^lied to a degree never known before. To what, then, shall we attribute this stagnation of S2nritual enterprise in the churches ? The only solution of this question seems to be, that men do not use the shield of faith, nor take hold of the sword of the Spirit as they ought. If the word of truth be both the instrument of conversion, and the medium of sanctifieation, as we know it is, this seems to be the only answer to the question. The writer of the following pages has tried to " vindi- cate the ways of God to men," and to show, in plain and (3) 4 ■ PREFACE. familiar language, the duties ol" Christians and the Chris- tian church, in view of the question. His only apology is the jjressure on his mind of the considerations just mentioned. In this age of books, numbers of such pub- lications are already in the field ; yet he has a hope that there may be room, and a mission found, for this little volume. The variety of its subjects, and the brevity of its statements, will recommend it to some who have com- paratively little time for reading. The chapter on the Evidences of Christianity he had some diffidence in intro- ducing, since so much has been written on that subject that nothing new can be advanced; but being included in the brief, it was necessary that some notice be taken of it. The manner of j^leading is, in many cases, mild and warm personal addresses to the several classes specified in the headings of the chapters. If God shall be pleased to make use of such an imperfect production in awakening souls, and confirming them in the faith, the Aveakness of the instrumentality Avill redound to the glory of his grace and condescension. CONTENTS, CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. The Bible, its Use, its Adaptation, and danger of neglecting it 7 CHAPTER n. PRACTICAL DEISTS. The Bible a Book of Antiquities — The Bible a Book of Wonders — The Bible a Revelation from the Spirit World , 13 CHAPTER in. SPECULATIVE DEISTS. The Question Stated — The Deist's Creed mere Assumptions — Practical Effects on Worship and Morality — Comparative Characters and Capacities of the Advocates — Opposition to the Bible assumes new and subtle forms — More necessity than ever to have attention called to the Bible, 24 CHAPTER IV. EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. Leading Facts of Gospel History — Authenticity, Genuineness, and Credibility of the Books of the New Testament — Evidences of Inspiration — Hume's Argument — Real Miracles Wrought, and fully attested — Evidence from Prophecy — General Observations on the Evidence from Prophecy, 43 (5) 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. MISCELLANEOUS. The Bible the sure and sole Guide of Faith aud Practice — Mankind tried and proved under various Dispensations of Religion — Distinguishing Features of the Gospel Plan — Bible Language Simple and Significant, "3 CHAPi'KR VI. U N I T A i; I A N S . The Objection to Mj'steriousness in the Bible Absurd — Teachings of the Bible on the Subject — Unitarian Views necessarily depreciate regard for the Bible — Tlie System Furnishes no Grounds or Reason of Pardon — Synopsis, of Trinitarian Doctrine, 91 CHAPTER Vn. ORTHODOX CIIKISTIANS. The Bible a Faithful and Instructive Monitor — The Bible Addresses us Individ- ually and Personally — The Character in which Early Christians were Ad- dressed — Faith of Assurance — The Bible the Medium of Sanctification — Doubting Christian?, 110 CHAPTER Vin. GOSPEL HEARERS. Excuses of Delaying Sinners — Outline of Christian Theology — Concluding Appeal, 134 CHAPTER IX. TESTIMONIES OP ANCIENT CHRISTIAN FATHERS. Irenaeus, A. D. 177 — Clement of Alexandria, A. D. 100 — Origen, A. D. 220 — Cyprian, A. D. 258 — Athanasius, A. D. 325 — Hilary, A. D. 360 — Basil, A. D. 370 — Ambrose, A. D. 380 — Jerome, A. D. 370 — Augustine, A. D. 396 — Chrysostom, A. D. 400, - 165 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. ®bc ^ibk, its Mst, its ^baptatioir, aui» tlj£ ganger of IftgUtt- ing it. The man who lias fully appreciated the character and mission of the Bible, who has felt the elevating and renovating power of its truth on the soul, opening to his view the realities of the unseen future, and who has by faith in its precious promises been raised above the fears of death, might say. It needs no apologist ; it is its own witness, its own advocate. He might say. As well may you raise a plea in behalf of the sun, to prove its existence, its beauty, and the advantages of its light. As well may you eulogize the rain, as in copious showers it refreshes the parched earth, and attempt to prove its unspeakable benefits to mankind, as take up the pen to plead in behalf of the blessed influences of the Bible, where it is received in love. These blessed influences are self-evident ; they are the strongest proof of their divine original. 8 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. But it must be remembered, that while the influ- ence of the Bible, in some cases, is no less apparent than that of the sun and the rain, they are not quite similar ; they are not received in precisely the same mode. The one may be used as a beautiful figure of the other, as in that fine passage in Moses, " My doc- trine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain uj)on the tender herb, and as showers upon the grass ;" but the cases are not quite parallel ; the results are not so certain nor so general in the one case as the other. "We live in a land of Bibles ; there is no famine of the word of God ; Avith few exceptions every family is furnished with it ; it may be owned, and read, and heard, by every one. But, amid all this diffusion, how sparse the legitimate influence of it on the community ! In consequence of a favorable season, the former reaps a plentiful harvest from his plowing and sowing ; but how barren are our churches ! how meagre the crop that springs from the good seed of the Word ! While a few are growing in Christian experience, and bringing forth good fruit, the many are barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord. These several results are alike dependent on the great first cause of all. The Author of the seasons, operating through the hidden law of vegetation, pro- duces all the fruitfulness in the one case ; and the Author of the Bible, through the secret energy of his Spirit, accomplishes all the good results in the other. "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the INTEODUCTORY. 9 earth, and inaketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater : so shall my word be, that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." But here, as before, we must re- member that there is not an entire similarity in the cases: we must not suppose a parallel between the mind of man and the unconscious earth, as it passively drinks in the rain of heaven. The mind is active both in cherishing and resisting the influences of the truth. While the doctrines of the word "distill as the dew," they fall on rational minds, devolving on us the duty of examining them, both as to the evi- dence of their divine origin, the import of their mean- ing, and their legitimate effects on our mind. In re- gard to the increase that cometh from God, we can neither control nor extend that further than to pray that it may be more and more granted to us ; but in order to obtain full satisfaction, and a rich benefit from the doctrines of the Bible, there is much required at our own hand, and without which there is no reason to expect a growing progress in the light, or a full experi- ence of the happy influence of divine truth on our mind. In Christ's parable of the sower sowing the word, there is a description of four kinds of recipients, only one of which so receive it as to bring forth fruit. This is a melancholy representation of the reception of the Bible among mankind, yet, alas ! how true, as every thoughtful Christian must perceive. How very dififer- 2 10 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. ent is tlie general practice compared to that expressly enjoined by God on the ancient Hebrews ! "And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Even in the public worship of the Sabbath there is a departure from the good old way of expounding scrip- ture, and a kind of preaching introduced which does not imbue the minds of the people with doctrinal knowledge, nor furnish incentives to search for them- selves. The great desideratum of the present day is a due regard for the direct teachings and divine authority of the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice. What is most of all needed is, that Christians should be converted to their own principles. With all our out- ward privileges and professions, the plain personal in- structions, and relative duties of the Bible, are fear- fully overlooked and neglected. Unless some gracious influences interpose, and some check be given to these tendencies, there is danger lest infidelity in its various forms and disguises may settle down more than ever on all classes of society. Could we make our voice heard, we would make an earnest plea in behalf of the Bible, urging that it be read, studied, and meditated upon by every individual in private, if they would avoid being carried away by the levity of the age. We are aware of obstacles to be met with in the pursuit of such a course, such as the natural opposition of the human heart to the holy and self-denying doc- INTRODUCTORY. 11 trines of the Bible ; the numerous objections that have been raised against its divine inspiration ; the sad dis- regard for its authority on the part of many from whom better things might be expected ; and^ the cherished habits of mental sloth, preventing a thorough examination for ourselves. And here, too, we may be reminded of some duties encumbent on those who have obtained some knowledge and experience of Bible truth. Holding, as we do, different relations in society, the Author of our being designed that we should all be mutual helpers, some in one way and some in another, according as our abilities, opportuni- ties, leisure, or disposition may suggest. It has been an anxious question with the writer, as to how he might best serve his generation according to the will of God, or contribute a mite to the edification of others. In view of the obstacles just mentioned, the question has occurred, whether a plain, familiar, and affectionate printed appeal might be of use in removing these, and awakening some attention to the much-neglected duty of searching the Scriptures. Such publications, he is aware, already exist; still there may be some room and a mission found for the kind of book proposed. Writers differ in their style and mode of presenting truth. The thoughts and composition of one may attract one class of readers, while those of another may interest another class. Various providences may bring one book into contact with individuals, while another book of a similar description is excluded. And the Spirit of God, in his sovereign pleasure, may choose to employ the weaker instrumentality to accomplisli the greater 12 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. good. Our general plan will be, to present some plain personal appeals to individuals as found in different classes of society, and placed, it may be, under circum- stances and states of mind unfavorable for appreciating the value of the precious Bible as a " light to our feet, and a lamp to our path." CHAPTER 11. PRACTICAL DEISTS. Deists, as the name imports, are those who believe in the existence of one God, the creator, upholder, and governor of all things, but who gives no further inti- mation concerning his attributes and character than may be gathered from the works of creation around us, and the dictates of reason within us. Hence they have argued, and written many books, trying to prove that the Bible, which we regard as a revelation from God, as an imposture, an imposition on the credulity of mankind, and therefore have no manner of regard for it. It is not to these that our mind turns at present, but to those who do not argue against the Bible, who even treat it with some outward respect, and would not be ranked with those called Deists ; yet, at the same time, by their practice, show that they are no more influenced by its authority than that of any other book. ^\i&j practically deny the Bible. They have rather a kind of secret aversion to it, regard it as an uninteresting volume, and hence are, comparatively, ignorant of its contents. This class exhibit various shades of character, as to sentiment and disposition, and which it is impossible to define. We feel sorry for them, and sincerely desire to do them good; and if 14 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. this little book should providentially fall into tlie hands of any such, we would here suggest some considera- tions that may persuade them to give it at least a can- did reading. ^t iibk a iook of giittrquifus. Among the numberless publications of the present day, there is one book that has been published and re- published for thousands of years. While thousands of other books have been lost and consigned to oblivion, this one still holds a prominent place in the literature of the day, and is published in greater quantities than any book that can be named. This book is the Bible. It is a very old book, or rather a collection of old books, written by various authors. Those included in what is called the Old Testament were written by some leading and learned men in the ancient Jewish nation, and completed more than two thousand years ago. Those included in what is called the New Testa- ment were written by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, almost eighteen hundred years ago. The worth and value of a book, as a general thing, is reckoned by the number of editions printed. There are Greek and Latin classics written two thousand years ago that still occupy an honored place in the libraries of the learned. Those books deemed worthy of a place among the English classics are those that have retained their value through succeeding generations ever since the invention of printing. Hence, according to this m.ode of estimating the value of books, the Bible holds a very high place among the literary publications of the day. PRACTICAL DEISTS. 15 But again, as a historical record, it is of unspeak- able value, and worthy our attentive study. An in- telligent, inquiring mind naturally desires to know something authentic respecting the origin and history of some of the nations of antiquity. Suppose, for instance, we wish to trace some facts, even all that are worthy of being known in the history of ancient Egypt, Babylon, ISTineveh, or Tyre, where shall we look for information? Some of the most interesting events connected with these can be learned from the Bible, and from the Bible alone. The most ancient and most remarkable nation on the face of the globe, at present, is the Jewish people. They hold a position among the nations such as no other people do or ever did. Tiiey inhabit every clime, mingle in the business transactions of every nation, and yet amalgamate with none. They exist a most distinct people, and yet have no home nor country they can call their own. They are an anomaly in the earth. These facts stand out, and naturally ex- cite an inquiry concerning their history. Where and when did such a separate peoj)le originate, and what is the reason why this distinction is kept up ? The Bible explains the whole mystery, and traces their origin and history to the remote antiquity of thirty- eight hundred years ago. As a book of antiquities, taking the precedence of every other work of the pen, it directs our mind back to the creation of the world itself, and to the very infancy of the human race. Hence, viewed in no higher light than as the most ancient history in existence, it is worthy of far more regard than is paid to it. 16 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. S^Ije ^iblc 5x ^ook of Moubcrs. We have seen a publication entitled " The Book of Wonders," giving accounts of some remarkable phenomena, both in nature and the arts, which are interesting to the most of minds. But all the seven wonders of the world combined, are not worthy to be compared with the wonders recorded in the Bible. Besides the wonders of the Cross, which the spiritual mind alone can apprehend, there are wonders of Provi- dence, which any person of intelligence may read with the deepest interest, and which are to be met with in no other writings. Were we to enumerate examples, we scarcely know where to begin or where end. We might direct attention to the general Deluge, and the preservation of the Ark floating on its surface for a whole year — the shower of fire which consumed the cities of the plain — the wonders of Egypt, at the Eed Sea, and throughout the desert journeyings of the Israelites — ^the buildings of Solomon in Jerusalem, and the interpositions in behalf of the Jews in Baby- lon, etc., as some of the prominent, but only a few of the prodigies recorded in the Bible. Some are cap- tivated with the achievements of warriors and their victorious armies. Alexander passing the Granicus, Napoleon crossing the Alps, and Washington crossing the Delaware, furnish some exciting pages of profane history, but they are not to be compared, in grandeur, to the exploits of Moses leading the hosts of Israel through the Eed Sea, or of Joshua conducting them across the Jordan. Even in a historical and political PRACTICAL DEISTS. 17 point of view the Bible is fraught with instruction. Oar wonder is, that, even apart from the religious idea, it is not more read for the sake of entertainment. This is an inferior motive, but if read even thus, it might awaken further inquiry, and be accompanied with most important results. ^t libit a llebelatiou from the Spirit MorlJf. The recommendations above mentioned are scarcely worthy of a passing thought, compared to the preemi- nence of the Bible as a revelation from heaven of the mind and will of God himself, on subjects relating to the well-being of man in time and through eternity. This we feel as a most solemn consideration, pressing on our mind while we write, and evoking the ques- tion, whether this fact is duly realized, that God speaks in the Bible, and speaks to me ! Here, in a personal address, we most earnestly desire the serious attention of the reader. You believe in the existence of a Supreme Being— the Author of Creation — the God of Providence. His all-seeing eye is ever behold- ing all his creatures and all their actions. As a holy and righteous being, he cannot be indifferent to their moral conduct. He will some time or other call them to an account. You believe in the immortality of the soul, — in a state of existence beyond the present. What is to be the experience of that future existence ? There is " A bourne from which no traveller returns, To tell what 's doing on the other side." What that experience is to be we cannot fully reason 2* 18 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. out from any analogy drawn from the present. If you attempt to reason from the present, the conclusion is all against you. Under an overruling and irresisti- ble providence, wrong-doing is ever attended with pain or suffering — sometimes with outward punish- ment, but always with inward pain. If the anguish of a guilty conscience here be sometimes intense, what if in a future state it be altogether intolerable ? But perhaps you think that present suffering will make atonement for all wrong-doing. How do you know this — that mental anguish or the deepest sorrow will make full satisfaction for the sin committed ? The moral sense of mankind, expressed in all their penal enactments, is against such a conclusion. The bitter- est anguish of a guilty conscience, or the deepest con- trition for crimes committed, will not satisfy human laws in the case of any criminal. Perhaps you argue, that human governments and the security of society require the severest restraints ; but the Supreme Gov- ernor of the universe can accomplish the ends of his government by dispensing with anything beyond tem- poral suffering for temporal crimes. This is a mere supposition, and void of proof. On the other hand, sound reason would suggest, that if the puny interests of a few mortals associated together by legal compact required such severity, the higher interests which the " higher law " is designed to guard, would require the severer penalty. But this is not all. You take for granted, perhaps, that when the soul leaves the body at death it ceases to sin. But there is no proof that this is the case. Eeason suggests, that the soul can PRACTICAL DEISTS. 19 act and feel independently of the body, and that when a wicked man dies, his soul continues to sin, and, con- sequently, punishment continues. The man who takes mere human reason for his guide, is entirely in the dark as to the awards of futurity. Suppose you take another view of the subject. Your moral conduct is regulated by the dictates of reason, and a regard to all the human laws under which you exist. You are upright in all your deal- ings with your fellow-men. You fulfil all the relative duties of life. Even your conscience does not check you for the violation of any outward rules of pro- priety, and hence you may reckon upon the approba- tion and favor of God when you die. But are you sure that this is all that God requires — that he has given you no further intimation of his will than may be learned from the light of reason and conscience ? Let it be supposed, for the sake of argument, that this is all the light and law he has given. Have you, in no case, violated any of these rules ? Have you, in every instance, followed the dictates of sound reason ? Have you always done to your neighbor as you would that he should do to you? Have you never been angry with your brother ? Have you never envied nor coveted the advantages of your more prosperous fellow-men ? Has your tongue never used deceit ? In a word, has your conscience never checked you for a single wrong ? Suppose God to ask you these searching questions when called before him to answer for your life's conduct, would your heart condemn you, or not ? If your heart accuse you, it is nothing 20 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. more nor less than the voice of God in your conscience condemning you. Mere human reason knows of no answer but a confession of guilt ; but furnishes no plea for an arrest of judgment. There is no remedy that will meet your case, except the one God himself proposes in the Holy Bible, Perhaps you take the ground, occupied, we suppose, by countless multitudes. You admit the darkness and difficulties that hang over the awards of futurity. The Bible you consider a very old book, and scarcely know what to think of it. It was written by various writers, and has been so often translated and printed, that perhaps after all there may be some mistake about it. Strong objections have been made against it, as a book inspired by God, by learned men more compe- tent than yourself to judge, and therefore you let it alone for the present, try the best you know and can to do your duty, and run your chance, so to speak, with the multitudes that pay little or no regard to it. Such, we presume, is the case with vast numbers who seldom trouble their minds with the great question of the future, supposing that this uncertainty affords some excuse for their neglect. They are content to leave it as a question unsettled, and suppose it wis- dom to let it alone. Were we permitted to address such, we would say, It is, indeed, a great question, and involves interests too vast to be left unsettled. You may dismiss the inquiry, but there is an impres- sion which you cannot get rid of, an idea innate in the human mind, a conviction that springs up in the con- sciousness of every rational being, viz., that there is a PEACTICAL DEISTS. 21 hereafter stretching out into the immeasurable ages of eternity. Now, can you conceive for a moment that our Creator has so constituted us with this universally prevailing conviction, and at the same time afforded us no information in reference to the future, as to how we may prepare and provide for it ? No ; such a sup- position cannot, with reason, be entertained. It would be inconsistent with that infinite wisdom that appears in all his works beside, to create beings destined to an eternal existence, without furnishing them with suitable instructions how to secure that immortal hap- piness the soul pants after. We say he has furnished this instruction in the Bible. But you say there has been some controversy on that subject which you do not choose to intermeddle with, and will rather risk the consequence than closely examine the question on which so many choose to differ. Permit us to expostulate with you a little further on this point. You feel and are convinced that there is an eternity before you. Unaided human reason leaves you entirely in the dark as to how you may secure happiness after death. One who rejected the Bible, after exerting, we may say, exhausting all the powers of reason, confessed that death was taking " a leap in the darhJ^ Only think of this — a leap in the dark! Will you venture to take it? What is eter- nity? Only think of it as stretching out into immeas- urable ages. You shrink from days and years of suf- fering ; but think of that space that is not measured by years nor centuries. All the leaves of autumn multiplied by all the rain drops of winter, and that 22 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. product bj all the grains of sand on the sea-shore, can convey no conception of the duration of eternity. The alternative before you is weal or woe throughout all this duration — and will you leave this to chance f You would not risk your temporal property to any chance, in regard to the validity of your title deed. If there were a reported flaw in your title, you would not rest a week nor a day till you had the question legally investigated. If you had your house insured against fire, and discovered that by some neglect you had allowed your insurance policy to expire, you would scarcely allow yourself to sleep till you had it renewed. And will you be so anxiously wise to secure that which can avail you for a few years at most, and leave your prospects of weal or woe for eternity to any chance, rather than investigate the question as to how you may secure unending hap|)i- ness beyond this life ? As we before remarked, the Bible furnishes us not only with information concerning the different expe- riences of the future, but directs us how we may secure an undefeasible title to eternal felicity. On this point there are some fallacies entertained by some who re- spect the authority of the Bible, and profess to receive its instructions. They suppose that with all the in- structions we have on the subject of religion there is much uncertainty hanging over our religious expe- rience and prospects — that there is, necessarily, some doubt or peradventure connected with it. It would seem from their conversation, that the most we can attain to is a trembling hope that it will be well with PRACTICAL DEISTS. 23 US at last. This we regard as a weakness of appre- hension, arising from the want of a full appreciation of the truth and faithfulness of the word of God, — a lack of trust in the promises of the Bible. Our object in these pages will be, to try to remove such fallacies, and produce full and perfect confidence in the divine revelation. This we will endeavor in the sequel ; but previously we wish to expose further the darkness and confusion of the system of those who not only slight, but avowedly reject the evidences of revealed religion. CHAPTER III. •SPECULATIVE DEISTS. Our mind now turns to those who write and argue against the evidences of the Christian religion. "We feel some reluctance to enter upon this part of our pro- posed plan, from the flict that so much has been writ- ten in this department ; and yet we feel impelled to say something. The remarks at the close of the intro- duction are yet before our mind; and further, to accommodate ourself to the convenience of a large class, we will study brevity and simplicity. ®Ije Question ^takb. The question before us now is, "Whether the great Original, First Cause of all, the Uncreated Creator of all things, has, at any time or under any circumstances, made any revelation of his character, or of his will, respecting any subject, to his creature, man, further than his own reason or the light of nature suggests. The Deist says. No. The Christian answers, Yes. Further, the Christian says, that the book called the Bible is given to man by divine inspiration, and that the system of doctrine and worship therein contained is the only system taught by God. The other, in re- ply, says, that all religions claiming to be revelations SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 25 from God are alike impostures on the blind credulity of mankind ; that the only religion worthy of a philo- sophic Deist is uninspired natural religion ; and that as human reason alone is amply sufficient to guide us into all needful truth, a divine communication is un- necessary, and all pretensions to such communication are false. This last statement is entirely too abstract to be of any practical use. It might have been expected that the philosophic Deist, in his philanthropy, would set forth some form of instruction for the unlettered crowd. Man is a religious being, who, it seems, must have some object and some form of worship. Those whose learning and opportunities of observation are necessarily limited, might reasonably expect from their leaders some brief directory, some creed to assist their ideas respecting the character of God, and the mode of worship pleasing in his sight. This, as far as we know, has not been granted them. To supply this defect, and to afford ground for a few observations here, we may be allowed to set down a brief synopsis of their articles of belief, as gathered from their writings. The Deist, as the name implies, believes there is one God, the Creator and Moderator of all things, by whom the universe was brought into being, and through whom all things subsist. Further, he believes that God is a being of infinite justice, wisdom, goodness, and mercy. He believes that God made man, and placed him on this earth, as ignorant of his Maker and of the worship and homage due to him as the beasts of the field. We almost hesitate to set down this last item, but the fol- 26 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. lowing is the language of Yolney on this point : " At first, formed naked both in body and mind, man found himself thrown, as it were by chance, on a confused and savage land, — an orphan, abandoned by the un- known power that produced him. He saw no super- natural beings at hand to warn him of those wants which arise only from his senses, or to instruct him in those duties which spring only from his wants. Like the animals, without experience of the past, without forethought of the future, he wandered in the depths of the forest, guided only and governed by the affec- tions of his nature. By the pains of hunger he was led to seek food, and provide for his subsistence ; by the inclemency of the air he was urged to cover his body, and he made him clothes. The impressions which he received from every object, awakening his facidties, divulged by degrees his understanding, and began to instruct his profound ignorance," etc. The philosophic Deist says that any religion claim- ing to be a revelation from God is an imposition on the blind credulity of mankind. We will attend to this in its place. Let us consider here whether this charge lies against his supposed perfect system of pure reason with far greater weight. Credulity means easi- ness of belief — a disposition to believe on slight evi- dence, or no evidence at all. This is exemplified in the very first article of the Deist's creed. How does he know, on his principles, that there is only one God ? This opinion may appear so obvious that few would SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 27 be found to controvert it ; yet on his scheme legitimate proof is wanting. He may say that the existence of a God is proved by the very mechanism of the universe, and the evident design visible in all its parts. It is true that evident design necessarily implies a designer ; but that a universe characterized by design was created by one supreme Grod, is not at all clear on his princi- ples. For anything he knows it may have been created by a collective body of gods, entirely concurring in one design. He may infer from the apparent unity of design the prohabilittj that there is no more than one God, but probability is not certainty. How long would it take the creature man, thrown out on the world, as described by Volney, to reason out the doctrine of one God? If unassisted reason was amply sufficient to guide men to all needful truth, how came it to pass that all the most polished nations of antiquity failed to discover this fundamental truth for 4,000 years ; while from the earliest periods of authentic history, one small secluded nation grew up in the full persuasion of it ? We may be told of the credulity of believers in a divine revelation, but the easy faith of Deists far surpasses it. We may be told that the religion of the Bible is ham- pered with too many difficulties to be rationally credi- ble, but the difficulties of infidelity are infinitely greater. The Deist cannot prove so much as his own dogma from which he borrows his name. These and some following thoughts are borrowed and abridged from Faber, on the difficulties of infidelity. Take another example. The Deist professes to be- lieve that God is a being of infinite j ustice ; but he 28 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. cannot prove it from anything he sees around him. If we possess a moral sense — the capacity to discriminate between virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, reward and punishment ; if we can form any idea of an impartial governor — then we should expect to see virtue uniform- hj followed by reward, and vice by punishment. But no such distribution is seen in this world. Bodily pain and sickness, temporal prosperity or adversity, are dis- tributed with little or no regard to 'moral character. To prove the perfect justice of a moral governor, and illustrate its results, their proper moral consequences ought uniformly to follow virtue and vice. But no such consequences are apparent in the present consti- tution of things. It is lost labor for the Deist to at- tempt to prove the perfect justice of God. If he seek to prove this point by referring to a future state of retribution to rectify the irregularities of the present, the difficulty is that he does not know that there is a future state. A future state of retribution may be proved from the perfect justice of God ; but it would be reasoning in a circle to prove, first, a future state from the perfect justice, and then to prove the perfect justice of God from a future state of retribution. The point here is, to prove the joerfect justice of God, and the Deist cannot do it. If he believes it, he believes without evidence. We notice only another example of infidel credulity. He professes to believe that God is a God of mercy ; but he cannot prove it from all he sees. There is an immense amount of pain and suffering in this world. Mercy in man consists in relieving distress when it is SPECULATIVE DEISTS, 29 in his power. To allow a fellow-being to pine for years in pain and suffering when it is in our power to alle- viate or remove it, is cruelty. But this is what God is allowing in numberless instances, even in the case of good men. That he has power to afford relief in some way will "not be denied. How will the Deist explain this procedure on the part of a merciful being ? Will he account for it on the score of discipline, to reclaim, and train the subject for happiness ? Such an expla- nation (and it is the only answer to this difficulty) is valid on Christian principles, but it is not so in the mouth of a Deist. If this discipline occurred in the early part of man's existence, and terminated in his improved circumstances in after life, we might compre- hend the utility of suffering. But if man's existence be confined to the present life, and his sufferings termi- nate only at death, we may doubt the moral use of such discipline. Allow a future state, and the dif&culty vanishes. But the Deist cannot avail himself of this solution, for he cannot prove that there is a future state. His pretended views are involved in difficulties and absurdities. He cannot demonstrate even the mercy of God. He believes it, but it is without proof- He is credulous on the subject. practical iffccts of ^tm\x an SEijrsbip: anb Porslifg. From the above remarks there follows a very alarming inference. If ignorant of the moral attributes of God, the Deist must, of course, be ignorant as to what course of conduct will be pleasing or displeasing to him. Man has a moral sense. He can see the im- 30 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE, portauce of the social virtues in a community, and may approve of tlie laws that encourage and enforce them- But we cannot see how, on his jorinciples, the Deist can be virtuous in reference to God, — or, in other words, how he can have any religion, properly so called. The reason is obvious : he cannot be certain that justice and mercy will be pleasing to God until he first knows that these attributes belong to him, and that he delight- eth in them. Nay, he cannot tell whether there be more gods than one. Under these circumstances of profound ignorance, how is he to frame a religion for himself, or to regulate his conduct by its principles ? He may say it is more probable that there is only one God, and that he is a lover of virtue ; consequently, since for want of better evidence a wise man will act upon the greater probability, so a prudent Deist will prefer and cultivate virtue. If there be, as Deists affirm, one great First Cause, the Creator and Upholder of all things, the Benignant Source of all happiness which creatures enjoy, surely he is entitled to the devout and spiritual worship of all intelligent beings. Such is a dictate of unassisted reason. Among the rudest portions of the human race there are traces of some form of worship. 'Tis the voice of reason and conscience. How astonishiog, then, is the fact that only in Christian countries men can be found denjdng the validity of stated worship to the Deity! Where can it be shown that Deists have erected a temple or a house for the worship of the one living and true God ? When Deism had the complete ascendency in France, in the worst phasis of the Kevo- SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 81 lution, they inscribed '■'■Temple of Reason^'' on tlie churches in contempt of their use. They abolished the Sabbath, and declared death to be an eternal sleep : as if they would not only efface all reverence for the Deity from the public mind, but destroy every memo- rial of an intelligent creature's obligation to him. Bat this state of things could not last. It was found that government could not be administered without a recog- nition of the Deity. They changed their name from Atheists to Deists, and remodelled their system accord- ingly. A form of worship was got up ; lectures were substituted for sermons ; the ceremonies of religion were simple and elegant ; it was patronized by govern- ment. But all would not do. When the charm of novelty ceased, all went to nought. The trifling ex- pense of music could not be defrayed ; and none could be found to deliver lectures. They had not so much faith in God as to maintain even the form of worship. Even at the present time, in the most favored countries, they have no temple, no avowed, habitual, well-defined worship of that glorious Being they call God. If Deists would cultivate the spirit of prayer, which is a dictate of natural religion, lay aside levity, and mani- fest some anxiety to arrive at the true knowledge of God, they would not long remain infidel. We have shown that they cannot, on their principles* rationally demonstrate the moral attributes of the Deity. They seem sometimes to be sensible of this and to give up the point, allowing that we are all in the dark on this subject. Hence, all relating to the nature and the will of God being involved in obscurity and vague 32 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. conjecture, their morality is a senseless jargon. There is nothing in their popular creed to deter a man from the basest actions, provided he can screen himself from public justice and the scorn of his fellow-men. We are sorry to say this much, but it is the published sen- timents of their best writers. This we will show very briefly, for it is an unpleasant part of our subject. Lord Bolingbroke says: " We cannot ascribe good- ness and justice to God according to our ideas of them, nor argue with any certainty from them." And again : "It is absurd to deduce moral obligation from the moral attributes of God, or pretend to imitate him in these moral attributes." Such language is common to the infidel school. The entire moral character of God is overlooked, unless when they talk of his mercy, and then it is in a manner subversive of all moral govern- ment. Mr. Yolney says: "There is no merit nor crime in intention." According to this sentiment, a man who by mere accident deprives of life a friend with whom he was living on terms of love and inti- macy, is as much a murderer as he who with malice intent murders in cold blood. On the other hand, he who, after cherished hatred, provides instruments of death and waylays a neighbor, with intent to murder,' but is providentially hindered, may, on this principle, be regarded as a virtuous and moral man. Thus infi- delity destroys the distinctions between virtue and vice. The moral sense of the community and the civil law views it otherwise. Mr. Hume says, that " adultery must be practised if we would obtain all the advan- tages of life." And again : " Female infidelity, when SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 83 known, is a small thing ; and wlien unknown, nothing." M. Rousseau says : "All the morality of our actions lies in the judgment we ourselves form of them." Voltaire had so little regard for truth, that, speaking of the tolerant spirit of the ancient Eomans, he says : " They never persecuted a single philosopher for his opinions, from the time of Romulus, their first founder? until the Popes got possession of their power." And writing of the expatriation and cruel deaths of a million of French Protestants, he calls them " weak and obsti- nate men." Who slew the tens of thousands of Chris- tians who suffered during the first three centuries? They were heathen emperors and infidel philosophers. Such is a mere specimen of the lessons taught in the infidel school. Their theory is an apology for the basest crimes. What may we expect to be the prac- tice under such teaching? Most of the leading writ- ers were worthless libertines, and many of them most notorious hypocrites, who for a little self-interest pro- fessed to reverence Christianity, while insidiously en- deavoring to undermine it. We find Yoltaire request- ing a friend to tell for him a direct lie, by denying that he was the author of the " Philosophical Diction- ary ;" and at last, being threatened by the authorities, he became a Roman Catholic, and died in that profes- sion. Rousseau renounced Protestantism, and became Catholic. Afterwards, settling at Geneva, he renounced Poper}', and conformed to the religion of the state. His whole life was a scene of hypocrisy, seduction, dishonesty, and intrigue. Hume died as a fool dieth, passing vulgar jokes with his companions. The silli- 3 34 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. est device of the weakest devotee of a false supersti- tion, by which he thought to secure future happiness, is more rational than the trifling of this prince of phi- losophers, in the immediate prospect of dying. Such are some facts that cannot be denied, and we mention them, not in the way of scorn, but of warn- ing to others who may be tampering with the decep- tive system. We are happy to know that many who may have leanings in that direction are riot immoral men, in the usual sense of the term ; but they are bet- ter than their system, and are indebted to the influ- ences of revelation on society. Whatever their mo- tives may be, they are not drawn from the awards of futurity. They must acknowledge, that as a system of morals and motives Christianity is the best that has ever appeared. We ask not their attention here to argumentative discussion ; that has been conducted by far abler pens. We intend, for the sake of some, who may not have access to larger and more learned works, to present some of the leading arguments, in our own brief and simple style ; but our main object is an ap- peal to the better feelings, to awaken attention to the subject, and to excite a closer examination of the great question on which hang the destinies of eternity. With this view, we present here a consideration or two that may have a tendency to disabuse some minds of their prejudices. S^lje Comparatiiix dljarattcvs unb (H aj^acitics of tljc ^bbocatcs. The comparative credit due to the conclusions of the advocates on each side deserves to be noticed. It SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 35 is true, we are not required to give up our judgment to any man, or to any class of men, or to believe be- cause others have believed. The rule is, " Prove all things ; hold, fast that which is good." Nevertheless a great amount of the faith among men necessarily is belief on the authority of others. It is admitted that there have been men of great intellect on both sides, and a few of the deistical writers have been referred to. We merely name some leading men as writers on the other side, but their very names give an immense weight to their authority. Sir Isaac Newton, John Locke, Sir Matthew Hale, the Hon. Robert Boyle, Bishop Butler, Dr. Paley, Dr. Chalmers, Robert Hall, all give their arguments and their examples in favor of Christianity. A writer above quoted, referring to the French Protestants, calls them " weak and obsti- nate men ;" and to the early Christian martyrs he denies all claim to philosophy. Such is the cant of that class of writers. They would try to make them- selves and others believe that Christianity was fitted only for women and children. But these few names, and hundreds of other such, redeem our religion from that slander. It is well known that in grasp of mind, depth of learning, diversity and extent of science, these pledged advocates of the Gospel had no supe- riors in literary attainments. Such men were at least equal, and more than equal, in intellectual qualifica- tions for investigating the truth, to the men on the other side. Consider also their moral qualifications. They were not men whose moral perceptions were blunted or 86 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. vitiated by an irregular or profligate life. Suppose two men, equal in intellect, but extremely different as to moral habits, — the one temperate, humble, benevo- lent, the other dissipated, proud, self-important, — sitting down to ascertain the truth or falsehood of a system of doctrines and morals claiming to be a revelation from God ; which would be the most apt to ascertain the truth ? A reasonable man would have most con- fidence in the investigations of the former. Suppose further, that the assumed revelation were genuine — that the Bible actually is what it claims to be, which would have the advantage ? The advantages in favor of the man of correct moral feeling would be great. It cannot be denied that a wrong state of mind and character materially influences the understanding in reference to moral truth. This last thought suggests others in the same train, and claiming our solemn attention. God, in present- ing the claims of the Bible to the acceptance of men, deals with them not only as rational, but moral agents. He addresses their moral sense as well as their reason. If their moral sense is in a sound, healthful state, in other words, if they are well disposed, they will find no difiiculty in the evidence afforded. If the contrary is the case, they may be left to doubt, to pervert rea- son, and to follow strong delusions. Here we are re- minded of a favorite deistical dogma, viz., that belief in every case is involuntary — that a man has no more control over his belief than over the color of his hair. It is true, that in reference to some truths the evidence may be such as to invincibly control the mind. But SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 37. when belief is claimed on behalf of moral truth, it is no less true that the moral character will bias the un- derstanding in its decisions. That belief cannot be involuntary which is prompted or retarded by the state of the disposition. Men may shut their eyes, or blind themselves to the light of truth. But then that blindness which is the result of a man's loving dark- ness rather than light cannot be called involuntary. The evidences in favor of moral truth are not such as to force conviction on the mind, or compel belief It has been said that if God were to give a revelation of his will, such as the Bible professes to be, it behoved him to accompany it with such evidence, that it would be impossible to doubt or deny it — such as would force conviction on all mankind. May we not ask such a one, Is this the case with his rule ? Is it im- possible to mistake its dictates ? Is human reason such an invincible, infallible guide that it forces con- viction on all men ? Do all men act reasonably ? None will assert this. But if all men were well dis- posed, they would listen to reason, and yield to its authority. So, if men are well disposed, they will be satisfied with the evidences of Christianity, and yield their judgment to its directions. Our circumstances are more conducive to the purposes of a moral gov- ernment than the case supposed. Our advantages are superior to those who, in the first instances, believed on the evidence of their senses — we are more blessed. Christ said to Thomas, " Because thou hast seen thou hast believed ; blessed are those that have not seen, and yet have believed." This will appear from the 38 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. consideration, that evidence obtained by investigation, and appreciated by reflection, is not only more satis- factory, but more consistent with the state of proba- tion, moral discipline, and responsibility in which we are placed, than evidence forced upon us by the invol- untary agency of the senses. Upon the whole, then, in the case under considera- tion, how shall we decide ? If the intellectual advan- tages of the Christian are fully equal to those of the infidel, and if his moral advantages be superior, to what conclusion do we come ? We come to this, that the former is more likely to be right in embracing the Gospel, than the latter in rejecting it. His judgment is not less to be respected, and his dispositions and habits are more in accordance with what natural con- science and natural religion would pronounce to be right. Thus we see, before coming to the direct evi- dence of the general question, a strong presumption in favor of Christianity in the intellectual and moral qualifications of its advocates. If duly weighed, this consideration goes far to prepare the mind for a can- did examination of the whole subject. ©ppasttron to tljc ^xhk §issames |(i:(rr anb Subtle Sarins. It seems behind the time now to advance the arguments in behalf of the divine inspiration of the Bible, because, in the first place, all the objectionl^v of opposers have been so repeatedly answered and re- moved ; and, in the second place, no writers of any note now pretend to meet anew, or deny the force of, the reasoning. Speculative Deists have in a great SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 39 measure quit the field of argument ; and the question, as an open and public controversy, has very much sub- sided. But while this is the case, it is evident that the infidelity of the human heart is as strong and prev- alent as ever, and opposition to the Bible appears under a variety of new and subtle delusions. It is not so much the truth of Scripture, as its all-sufiiciency as a guide, that is now contested. The enemy of all truth, finding it vain to attempt setting aside the evi- dences of divine inspiration by argument, forms new devices to withdraw the minds of men from its author- ity, by pretending new revelations from the same source. If he can succeed in drawing away the pub- lic mind from it so as to depreciate it as an all-suffi- cient rule, he gains his object almost as completely as if its advocates had been foiled in argument. It was a master-piece of artifice when he succeeded in setting up the authority of the church, or of the Pope, as su- perior to the Bible. It would not do, even then, to try to persuade the people that the Bible was untrue. O no, he might say, the Bible is a good book, but you cannot understand it. You must admit the church with the Pope at its head as the sole judge of contro- versy, and the priests to explain to you what it teach- es. Just so, a few years ago, the book of Mormon was got up. It was not pretended to set aside the Bible ; but here was a new revelation of equal author- ity, as a rule of faith and practice, and thus tens of thousands were seduced. Even now, in the noon of the nineteenth century, a system has sprung up, which for skill and ingenuity is more adapted to the spirit of 40 A PLEA FOE THE BIBLE. the age than either of the former — a device into which we are fully persuaded that, by divine permission, Satanic power and influence is allowed to enter — a de- ception by which already, it is said on good authority, two millions in this enlightened age and country, are led away into the meshes of infidelity. We mean the system of Spiritualism. According to some of its adherents, it does not pretend to set aside the Bible entirely, but exalts these responses of the pretended spirits as revelations from the spirit world, as of newer and higher authorit}^. According to others, the Gos- pel plan is denounced as a system of lies. Truly it may be said, " The enemy comes in like a flood," but the time has not yet quite arrived, when " the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard ngainst him." "Iniquity does abound, and the love of many waxes cold." If the lives of Christians were, as they ought to be, " epistles read and known of men," illustrating the life and spirit of the Gospel, there would not be so much need of multiplying religious books ; but as it is, we feel impelled to lift our testimony even among the many that have been read and heard. pore ^tassitg t^an tbtt to ^abe gitttntion talleb to t^e iiWt. In view of these things, and of the confusion of thought that prevails, we feel some difficulty in shap- ing and expressing our ideas so as to accomplish the end contemplated. We come to this conclusion, that, as we have attempted what we call A Plea for the Bible, such a work would be incomplete without in- troducing at least some of the evidences of its divin- SPECULATIVE DEISTS. 41 ity. "We scarcely expect to convince open opposers by sucli simple and unvarnished statements. Our main object will be, to fortify believers against the in- fidel cavils and suggestions that abound, and which may fall in their way ; and further, to produce, it may be, a deeper and more solemn feeling as they come into immediate contact with the mind of the Deity, in the reading of the Scriptures. There is no intelligent Christian but has a rational conviction that the Bible is a revelation from God ; but, alas ! the best of us do but too little experimentally realize all that is implied in that solemn and impressive fact. To the want of this heartfelt conviction may be traced that easy indif- ference with which we read and hear the word of Grod. To apply our minds in a proper manner to the Bible, it is necessary that we be deeply and fully persuaded that its very language is inspired, and presents in deed and in truth the very mind and will of God. The more we think of this, the more we feel the importance of having this impression deepened. It is our serious opinion, that notwithstanding the many books on this subject that exist, there are very many professing Christians who are scarcely "able to give a reason of the hope that is in them," — that, were an intelligent sceptic to assail them with his objections, they would be puzzled for a reply. It is true, the experi- enced believer may always have one argument ready. He can say, I know the Bible is true, and of heavenly origin, because Ifeel it is so. I feel the power of its truth on my heart in the change it has produced on my affections. I am conscious of the elevating influ- 3* 42 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. ence of its promises from the hopes they have awakened, and the glorious prospects they bring to my view, which hopes I would not surrender for all the present world can give in their stead. This is the best of all argu- ments for the individual himself, and much calculated to affect the opposer. But suppose he were to resist, and still ask, On what rational grounds do you receive the Bible as the word of God ? In this case, it is of great importance for every Christian to have in his mind at least an outline of the external evidences. And, beside this, what multitudes of youth are growing up in the church, but destitute, as yet, of the Christian experience. How important, also, that they should have their minds furnished with the first principles of the Christian evidences as well as with the Christian doctrines^ exposed as they are to infidel suggestions and example ! It is to these our mind chiefly turns in the following chapter, with some hope that oar straightforward style may attract their attention ; and, owing to the variety of matter we intend to combine in our little volume, we humbly trust, that by God's blessing, it may be a useful acquisition to the family library. CHAPTEK lY. EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. ITeairmg J^atts oi Gospel Historg. We introduce our observations on the evidences, with a brief statement of the prominent facts recorded in the Gospel histories. The date of them is distinctly given by Luke. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of Rome, when Pontius Pilate was governor of the province of Syria, and Herod was tetrareh of Galilee, that is, the ruler of the fourth part of a province, and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ began his public ministry. When he was thirty years of age he commenced as a public teacher, travelling from place to place through- out all Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, explaining the Scriptures of the Old Testament, enforcing their moral precepts, and preaching the doctrine of repentance. His teaching was very different from that of the generally recognized teachers, — the Scribes and doctors of the law. It was of a very close and searching character, detecting the false glosses that had been put upon their Scriptures, and exposing the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees, those ostentatious professors of religion. This irritated the chief priests and rulers, and they sought by every means to find some accusation against him in order to 44 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. silence him and bring him into disrepute among the people, but could not succeed. He openly professed to be a teacher sent from God, saying his doctrines were not his own, but his that sent him; and claimed for them the regard due to the authority of heaven. To prove that he had received his authority from God, he openly wrought all kinds of miracles, raising the dead, causing the blind to see, the lame to walk, and curing all manner of diseases, with a word's speaking. As was usual for public teachers, he chose some men to be his immediate disciples, who accompanied him in all his journeys, and who were eye and ear witnesses of his miracles and doctrines. This ministry continued for more than three years, during which the chief priests and rulers were often so enraged against him that they sought how they might put him to death; but they feared the people, for they all regarded him as a prophet sent from God. At length, through bribery and false witnesses, they had him accused be- fore the Roman governor, and by dint of importunity obtained a sentence of death against him, and thus he suffered the cruel death of crucifixion. On the third day after his death he arose from the dead, and appeared to his disciples on a variety of oc- casions, showing them by many infallible signs that it was he himself, exhibiting the marks of the nails in his hands, and the wound in his side which he had re- ceived from the soldier's spear. Thus he continued with them about six weeks, " speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," and giving them a solemn commission to go abroad into all the world EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 4-5 declaring what they had seen, and preaching the Gos- pel he had taught them. Then forty days after his resurrection he led them to the Mount of Olives, and the account says, " while they beheld, he was taken up" — "they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up, and a cloud received him out of their sight." But they were not yet quite prepared to go out on their mission. About ten days after the ascension there happened one of the great annual feasts of the Jews, when it was the custom for thousands to assemble from all parts of Judea and Galilee, besides many thousands more of Jews and proselytes from all parts of the Ro- man empire, from places in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The disciples of Jesus were also there. And there came down from heaven some visible appearances, as it were tongues or little flames of fire, and rested upon each of them. And the consequence was, they were endowed with power to speak all the different lan- guages then existing. These strangers from all parts of the world confessed, " We hear, every man in our own tongue wherein we were born ; and they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this ?" The disciples were not only en- abled to speak all these languages, but were endowed with more intelligence and moral courage than they had formerly possessed. Tliey openly published in the midst of Jerusalem, and before all these multitudes and the thousands that had seen Jesus put to death, that he was risen from the dead, and that they were witnesses of his resurrection. They declared that "God had raised him up ; and that being by the right of God ex- 46 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. alted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he had shed forth this which the}'- saw and heard." Besides this, they were endowed to work many notable miracles in the name of Jesus, be- fore the eyes of these very chief priests and rulers who had crucified him. Furthermore, it is a fact that some of these disciples very shortly afterwards wrote and published several biographies of their beloved Master, giving an account of his manner of life and teaching, the circumstances of his death and resurrection, and of the wonderful things that had taken place in Jerusa- lem. Such are some leading facts recorded in the Gospel history. No man can disprove them. The Deist may say he is not called to prove a negative, and that the burden of proof lies on us. We say, then, that these events are proved by historical documents, the only way in which any ancient facts can be proved. No one rationally doubts the discovery of America by Columbus, or the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Now, the evidence of the truth of these events is no clearer than that of those we have mentioned. Besides the New Testament histories, we have the histories of Josephus, and Tacitus, the Jewish and Koman histori- ans bearing witness to many of the leading events in Judea which we have noticed. We must either believe them, or set aside all historical testimony whatever. But does any one surmise, that possibly these books of the New Testament, describing so minutely the transactions of Jesus and his disciples, may be forgeries, founded on some public events of that period, by de- EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 47 signing men, and written many hundreds of years after these public events took place ? How shall we decide this ? The process is simple and easy. Some two hundred years ago the dramatic works of Shakespeare appeared. How do we know that he wrote that book ? The answer is — our ancestors received that book as his. The history of the age in which he lived speaks of the work as his. Writers of every succeeding age refer to, and quote it as his. None in that age are mentioned as disputing the fact that he was the author. No rational man now questions it. This test is as valid for a book published two thousand years ago, as for one that appeared two hundred years ago. ^utl^«nticHg, ^tnmntntBS, anb Cwitiirilitg of i)^t ^osgtl pislorg. It is unnecessary to say, that those books bearing the names of the disciples of our Lord, existed, just as we now have them, more than one thousand years ago. But we can go further back. About the year 315 of the Christian era, Eusebius in his history mentions, as belonging to the canon of Scripture, all the books at present comprising the New Testament. About the year 230 Origen published an enumeration of the books of the New Testament which agrees precisely with those now received. In the year 150, or fifty years after the last of the apostles, Tertullian was known as a learned and voluminous writer in defence of Christianity. In his apology, addressed to the Eoman Presidents, he chal- lenges an inspection of the Scriptures. " Look," says he, "into words of God our Scriptures, which we ourselves do not conceal, and many accidents bring into the view 48 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. of those wlio are not of our religion," etc. There are extant some works of uninspired Christian writers, whose names are mentioned in Paul's epistles, which contain about two hundred and twenty quotations from the books of the New Testament. They speak of the inspired books as the Sacred Scriptures — the Oracles of the Lord. We have similar testimony from the enemies of the Gospel. The emperor Julian, in the year 361, wrote a book against it, in which he quotes the books of Scrip- ture, by name, as the genuine works of their reputed authors. In the year 270, Porphyry, a bitter enemy of the Christians, wrote a book against them, in which he makes plain references to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, the Acts of the Apostles, and the epistle to the Galatians. In the year 176, Celsus wrote a book against Christianity ; but his whole argument concedes that the Christian Scriptures were the works of the authors to whom they were ascribed. This was seventy-six years after the death of the apostle John. What then must we think of Thomas Paine when he says, that the New Testament did not exist till more than three hundred years after the Christian era ! There has been a question concerning the genuineness of the Scriptures. Is the copy we possess a correct transcript of the manuscripts of the apostles ? Have they not been corrupted in the transmission to us through the lapse of ages. This was a thing impossible. The epistles as soon as written were carried to the churches over the signatures of the apostles. They were eagerly sought, and copies were multiplied. They EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 49 ■ were read in churches and families. Writers quoted and enemies attacked them. Open enemies could not corrupt them while thus read and guarded. Heretics could not alter them without the orthodox perceiving it. True Christians had no motive to mutilate them. There has been much talk of late of a revision of the Bible, and portions of it, so revised, have been printed. Had a revised copy been printed privately, and then circu- lated, would not the churches soon discover it ? We reckon it would have been as impossible, under all these circumstances, for alterations to be made in the New Testament, as to alter the Constitution of the United States. It is true that the Scriptures have been transmitted to us through a great number of ancient manuscripts. Upwards of three hundred of these have been carefully examined. All the variations that have been noticed amount only to little mistakes in transcribers, such as omissions or transpositions of letters, errors in grammar or pointing, etc. The following is the testimony re- cently borne by a distinguished biblical student, James Smith, Esq. : " It may be satisfactory to those who look with suspicion upon the numerous various readings appended to critical editions, to know that, in that very considerable portion of the gospels which I have copied, I have not been able to detect a shade of difference in the meaning^ either doctrinal or historicaV There has been another question discussed at length, concerning the credibility of the history contained in these books : or in other words. Is the gospel history true ? Is it a correct statement of events as they oc- 50 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. curred, or was it composed for tlie purpose of propa- gating an imposture ? On this point, it must be ad- mitted that the writers had every opportunity of know- ing the truth or falsehood in the case. This their enemies at the time could not, and did not deny. They were known to the people to whom they preached and wrote, as the personal attendants of Jesus, the witnesses of his life, his death, and resurrection. Again, they could have no possible motive to deceive. Suppose them to have been dishonest, designing men ; still the ques- tion occurs, What possible prospect could they have of succeeding ? Eight different individuals, most of them obscure and unlearned men, compose these books, and publish them at different periods, and from different parts of the world. They undertake to persuade man- kind that certain great events took place before the eyes of thousands in Judea and Galilee, which none in these regions ever saw or heard of. Possessed of common sense, they could not but foresee that such an attempt would only involve them in disgrace and per- secution. Nevertheless they proceed, and cheerfully submit to reproach, and persecution, and death in every fearful form, to propagate what they know to be a gross fabrication. He who can believe such a case of fraud and folly, can believe anything. He is charg- able with the grossest credulity. In the last place here we say, that deception was impossible. Eight years after the crucifixion, Matthew published his gospel among the Jews. He told the people of Jerusalem that only eight years previously, while they were witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, there was dark- EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 51 ness over the whole land, between the hours of twelve and three o'clock; and that the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom. Suppose this to have been a fabrication, would not their bitter enemies in 'Jerusalem have confuted it at once ? A book of such barefaced falsehood could not have survived a single day. The same remarks will apply to the account of the wonders of the day of Pentecost. Had not the facts related been undeniable, innumerable witnesses would testify against the book that related .them. Had no such events occurred, the Acts of the Apostles could have gone into no part of the world without finding those who would say that they were at the feast refer- red to, and saw nothing, and heard nothing of the mar- vellous things stated in that book. Many such instances might be mentioned, that go to prove that deception was impossible. Such is a brief sketch of the incontestible evidences of the authenticity, genuineness, and credibility of the books of the New Testament. They were written by the men whose names they bear, who were eye and ear witnesses of what they wrote : — they have been transmitted to us pure and entire, without the alter- ation or corruption of a single fact or doctrine, as they came from the pens of the apostles themselves ; and their statements are unmixed truth, and more to be relied on than any history whatever. (Kbibentcs of litsptratitnx. The arguments, thus far, have not touched on the fact, that these books were written under the inspiration of 62 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. the Spirit of God. If they were written under the common influences that actuate other honest writers, viz., an accurate knowledge of the facts, and a love for the troth, then they would be worthy of the re- spect due to other writings, but no more. But if they were written under the direct guidance of the unerring wisdom of God himself, then they claim for every doctrine they teach our implicit belief and devout reverence. Here, without any reasoning, we take for granted, that God, in his omnipotence, could commu- nicate to the minds of some men such unerring knowl- edge and wisdom, and make them conscious that they were, at the time, writing under such a divine influ- ence. We take for granted, that God, in his be- nevolence to creatures he had made, destined to an eternal existence beyond this life, would grant some special communications directing them how to secure eternal happiness. "We take for granted, that if God did give such revelations to some as a special rule to all other men, he would, in his wisdom, furnish them with such credentials as would prove that they were divinely commissioned for that purpose. And further, we take for granted, that it would be desirable for ra- tional beings, conscious from all they feel and see around them of the proneness of mankind to err, to have some unerring rule from the Deity himself to guide them into all truth. Such a desire was strongly expressed by some of the wisest of heathen philoso- phers. These things, taken for granted, are the axioms of reason. Here a question may be introduced. What mode EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 53 of communicating this needed direction would most become the Deitj, and be most satisfactory and efficacious to his creatures? Some say that the gift, or faculty of reason, granted alike to all men, would most become a wise governor, and is an all-sufl&cient guide for man. But we have seen, in former remarks, that men professing to follow this as their guide have fallen into the most egregious errors, and it failed them where and when light was most needed. Sup- pose, on the other hand, that supernatural or divine directions had been communicated to some as an infal" lible guide to all other men ; and, as an evidence that they were so gifted by heaven to be the instructors of mankind, God had endowed them with powers to work niiracles in confirmation of their mission ; we should reasonably think that the revelations of these men would be a guide, safer than, and superior to, the dictates of mere human reason. But this is not all ; we have experimental proofs. There is a book claiming to be a revelation from heaven ; and multitudes of men have received it as such on the ground of the creden- tials produced by its authors. And more than this! all those who have submitted their minds most im- plicitly to its teachings, to its doctrines and practice, lead the most moral and happy lives, are most free from speculative errors, and die in the assurance of a blessed immortality. But these conclusions, drawn from the experience of some men, it seems will not satisfy some others who have not made the same experiment. They want such evidence of a divine revelation as will irresistibly con- 54 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. vince their mind. They admit that real miracles, wrought by those who professed to be teachers sent by God to instruct mankind, would be a sufficient guarantee of their divine commission ; but these, they say, have never yet been furnished. The miracles of the Bible, they say, are not susceptible of proof. We admit, that if they cannot be proved we are not bound to believe them, and are at liberty to reject both the history and the doctrines of the gospel. But what kind of evidence is wanted? There are various kinds of evidence suited to the nature of the thing to be proved. There is mathematical evidence or demon- stration ; but this will not apply to miracles. There is the evidence of the senses ; but this will not apply to miracles wrought hundreds of years ago. And there is the evidence of testimony ; and this alone is adequate to prove the miracles of the Gospel. If this cannot prove the miracles, it can prove to us no facts what- ever that happened before we were born. If the evi- dence of testimony is to be set aside in every other case, then, the most of the knowledge we profess to have is not knowledge, but mere supposition. Here we are reminded of Mr. Hume's celebrated es- say on miracles. Infidels had perceived, that either the evidence of miracles must be overthrown, or they must surrender the contest; and hence their profound- est efforts were directed against the miracles of the gospel. If the testimony of these could have been set aside, Hume was the man to have done it. After many vain attempts had been made, he at length came out with his famous proposition ; "Ab testimony EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 55 can prove a miracle.y The argumentation by wMcli he arrived at this proposition, it is not denied, was conducted with great ability, and was well calculated to produce the effect designed. We yet remember that while in college it gave a slight shock to our confidence in revelation. But it was soon answered by a long and able dissertation by Dr. Campbell, Principal and Professor of Theology in the college of Aberdeen. Since then the absurdity of his argu- ment has been exposed by various writers. We think it worth while, in this place, to insert an ex- tract from one of the briefest and most satisfactory- answers we have met with. We copy from an old manuscript we have by us, but which does not furnish the author's name. The following is the language of the writer : Pitnte's Argument. " Hume's reasoning may be summed up in a few Avords. A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature ; but these laws have been established by a firm and unalterable experience. Hence he infers that it will always be more probable that the testimony in favor of a miracle should be false, than that uniform and un- alterable experience should be violated. When Mr. Hume says, that the laws of nature are established by a firm and unalterable experience^ he must mean one of two things : he means, either that experience univer- sally^ and loiihout a single deviation, has found the laws of nature to have their common or regular operation ; or that, in most instances, or in his own personal ex- 56 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. perience^ the laws of nature have been found firm and unalterable. In either case his argument is powerless. If he chooses the first sense of his premises, viz., "universal experience," he is guilty of assuming the point in debate as a thing granted. The point to be settled is, whether God, for important ends, in a few instances, suspended the ordinary operations of the laws of nature, and produced effects different from what would have resulted, had these laws been suffered to take their usual course. For example, has not God, in some instances, restored the dead to life ; thus making these instances exceptions to the common laws which control the mortality of our race ? This Mr. Hume denies. What is his argument ? He says, uni- versal experience is against it, an experience which admits of no exceptions. Of course this experience includes all instances of death that have occurred, and leaves no room for a single restoration to life. Thus he takes for granted the very point which he under- took to disprove. He first asserts that the law of mortalit}', admitting no subsequent alteration, has been established by a firm and uniform expeiience — that is, universally ; and then it was easy indeed to draw a sweeping conclusion, that no instance of return to life was ever experienced. No wonder that no testimony can prove what never happened. If he chooses the second sense of his own premises, viz., his own personal experience, he fares still worse ; for his own personal experience on the subject of the restoration of the dead to life must have been so limited, that hundreds of miracles of that kind might have been performed, and EVIDENCES OF CHEISTIANITY. 57 his experience would still have been firm and unalter- able. Should credible witnesses explicitly and sol- emnly declare that they had seen a dead person re- stored to life, would it impeach their testimony if ten thousand Mr. Humes, multiplied by ten thousand more should assert that they had never experienced such a deviation from the laws of nature? Is there not room for truth to exist on both sides ? Does Hume's ex- perience and that of the witnesses relate to the same individual fact? If they did there would be a contra- diction, and both could not be true. So that Mr. Hume's argument is either an assumjDtion of the point in dispute ; or, it is so feeble and inconclusive that an illiterate clown mio;ht refute it." We may remark on Mr. Hume's reasoning, that it leads to atheism ; and, by the way, we have no evidence that he had any belief in the being of a God. If a miracle cannot be proved by testimony, it cannot be proved in any other way. It cannot be proved by mathematical demonstration. It cannot be proved by the evidence of the senses. There is no other kind of evidence that we know of What is the next step ? It is this : God cannot make a revelation of his will to his intelligent creatures. If he has a message to send, it must be by some messenger. That messenger must show his credentials. AVhat else can he show but miracles. He must show a sign from heaven ; a divine revelation cannot bo made otherwise than by a mirac- ulous interposition. But "no testimony can prove a miracle:'''' therefore God cannot make a revelation: therefore he is not omnipotent ! 4 58 A PLEA FOK THE BIBLE. We make only anotlier remark in tliis connection. The religion of tlie Bible is the only one wliich, on its first introduction, appealed to miracles as evidence of its divine authority. We read of the pretended oracles, auguries, and prodigies of heathenism ; but they had no reference to the setting up of a new sj'stem of be- lief or worship. They were only a part of the super- stitions of a religion already set up, and current in the world. Miraculous stories were published about Ma- homet, six or eight centuries after his death ; but no such pretensions were made by himself It is true he gave out to his followers accounts of some miraculous transactions ; but they were such as could not come under the title of sensible miracles, as he took care to have no witnesses but himself present. The religion of the Bible stands alone, not only as to the wisdom and sublimity of its communications, but as to the strength of the evidence by which it is established. %tu\ ^TiratUs fcicre fcrougljt anb fuUg ixtttstt i>. The question here is, Have we satisfactory evidence that genuine miracles were wrought by Christ and his apostles ? We have proved that the Gospel history is a true account of events as they occurred ; in that proof we did not explain the principle on which the mighty works there recorded were performed. We now affirm that they were real miracles. If a man born blind was made to see by no other phj^sical act than by putting clay on his eyes; if Lazarus, after having been dead four days, came forth from the sepulchre at the word of Jesus, they were genuine miracles. We EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 59 are reduced to the alternative of either denying, in the face of all evidence, the truth of the statements, or of admitting that miracles, in the fullest sense, were wrought by the word of Jesns. In regard to these, and all the other miracles, they were accessible to the examination of the senses of multitudes of witnesses of all ranks and classes; of the learned and mighty, as well as of the poor and igno- rant. The senses of the latter were as competent as those of the former to judge of them. The senses of innumerable witnesses in Jerusalem could decide whether Lazarus had been dead and was restored to life again. His grave was surrounded with unbeliev- ing Jews who saw him come forth. They had oppor- tunities and dispositions to question the miracle. Lazarus continued to go out and in among the people. Many went to see one who had been raised fi^om the dead. The chief priests consulted to put him to death, because that by reason of him many went away and believed on Jesus. The senses of every man and wo- man in Nain were competent to judge whether the young man, when carried out to be buried, sat up at the word of Jesus, and continued to live among them afterwards. The senses of the five thousand men, besides women and children, could judge whether they had been fed to the full on a few loaves and fishes. Again : In none of the miracles of Christ Avas there any possibility of collusion. No time nor room was left for second causes or human means to intervene ; and in the multitude of cases there was not a single 60 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. failure. " He went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went through all Syria ; . and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and tor- ments, and those that were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy ; and he healed them." Matt. iv. 23, 24. Simi- lar declarations are made in regard to the miracles of the apostles. Acts v. 16. "Then came also a multi- tude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks ; and them which were vexed with unclean spirits ; and they were healed every one^ To suppose that these marvellous works were all a cheat, and that the multitudes who beheld them were all deceived, would be to suppose the greatest miracle of all. The man who denies the reality of the miracles manifests the grossest kind of credulity. Again : There was abundance of time and opportuni- ty to test these miracles. Seventy years elapsed between the commencement of Christ's miracles and the death of the last of the apostles, during which miraculous gifts were exercised. The apostles did not continue together, as might have been supposed had they been confederated in an imposture, but separated into all parts of the world. They went alone to the most pop- ulous, polished, and enlightened cities. They after- wards wrote epistles to the churches they had founded in these cities, in which epistles they referred to the marvellous works done amono; them. How could EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 61 they, in tlieir senses, refer these Christians to miracles they had never seen ? The Gospel of Matthew was published in Jerusalem seven or eight years after the death of Christ. Supposing this to have been the first publication of the miracles, it was sufficiently near their date to afford every reasonable opportunity of investigation. But we know that at the very time of their performance the Scribes and Pharisees sat in coun- cil on the subject of the miracles of Christ. When the man lame from his birth was cured by Peter and John, (Acts iii.,) it was immediately published. The Jewish Sanhedrim took cognizance of it, and what was their verdict? It was, "That a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Je- rusalem, and we cannot deny iiJ^ Fifty days after the resurrection of Christ, his disciples published this chief miracle in Jerusalem, and appealed to it in all their discourses. "Ye men of Israel, hear," said Peter; "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves know J'' In addition to these considerations we may take into account the strict scrutiny these miracles would under- go from the enemies of the Gospel. They were per- formed in avowed support of a religion uncompromis- ing in its claims. Had the Christian religion been more compromising, had it claimed only a place among other existing religions, it would not have met with much opposition. But it claimed to be the only relig- ion for all mankind. The success of the Gospel was the overthrow of the Jewish hierarchy, and threatened 62 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. the utter ruin of paganism. Hence it roused at once into stern opposition all the civil power of the govern- ments — all the enmity of the Jewish and pagan priest- hood — and all the prejudices and natural attachments of all the people. Under these circumstances the mir- acles could not escape the most thorough examination. All the ingenuity and diligence of contemporaries, an- imated by the strongest motives against the apostles, and favored by every advantage, would be enlisted in the trial. And all this, not for a month, or a year, but for seventy years ; yet no adversary discovered a sin- gle failure, or so much as one evidence of suspicious contrivance. (&biiit\xu prising from ^rop^ecg. Another branch of the evidence is that derived from the prophecies uttered and published by the several penmen of the sacred Scriptures. In taking up this argument, it is not from the supposition that the argu- ment from miracles is incomplete or insufficient in itself, but to show that God has furnished us not only with the plainest, but the most varied and abundant evidence. Justin Martyr, in one of his apologies for Christianity, presents this argument in the briefest and most forcible language we have met with. The following are his words : " To declare a thing shall be, long before it is in existence ; and then bring about the accomplishment of that very thing according to the same declaration ; this, or nothing, is the work of God." Future events in the history of the rise and fall of na- tions not yet in existence, and minute incidents in the EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 63 life of individuals not yet born, are secrets into wliicli neither men nor angels can penetrate. If it can be shown that such and such incidents were predicted, and the predictions published and preserved in books hundreds or thousands of years before they happened ; and that when the events took place they corresponded with the predictions in the minutest points ; then it is proof positive that the prophets spake and wrote un- der the immediate guidance of the Omniscient God. Now, such predictions are scattered over almost all the books of scripture ; and in selecting a few exam- ples for illustration, we scarcely know which to choose. If, for instance, we select one or two from the writings of Moses, we may remark, in the first place, that, on a principle before illustrated, it is as easy to prove that the first five books of the Bible were written by him, as to prove that Shakespeare's plays were written by Shakespeare. And further, it is as easy to prove that real miracles were wrought by Moses, as that they were wrought by Jesus Christ and his apostles. Hence it follows, that whatsoever he wrote may be depended on as the very truth of God ; for the God of truth would not endow a man with miraculous powers in order to propagate falsehood. Now, Moses informs us that when Abraham was an old man, and childless, God spake to him, saying, " As the stars, so shall thy seed be." Again, " Thou shalt be a father of many nations." And again, " Know of a suret}^, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them 400 years ; and also that nation whom they shall serve I 64 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. will judge, and afterwards shall they come out with great substance." Gen. xv. 5, 13 ; xvii. 5. Events afterwards proved, that not only the Israel- ites, but the Ishmaelites, Edomites, and many other nations in the East, were the descendants of Abraham, History shows also that the Israelites were afflicted in Egypt, and after an oppression of 400 3^ears the Egyp- tians were judged, and the Israelites brought out with great substance. There is another remarkable proph- ecy concerning the Jews, in Deut, xxviii. " And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other .... and among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the soles of thy feet have rest." This has been, and is be- ing fulfilled to the present time. Daniel, 550 years before Christ, predicted that his coming would be 490 years "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem" (Chap. ix. 25) ; and this agrees with the year in which Christ was born. More than 1000 years before Daniel, Jacob prophesied that " the sceptre shall not depart from Judah .... until Sbiloh come." Gen. xlix. 10. The sceptre, or the re- gal power, was just about departing from Judah when Christ was born. Micah, 710 years beforehand, fore- told that he would be born in Bethlehem. This also literally came to pass. In reference to the incidents of his life we have the following prophecies : " A virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Immanuel ;" that his teaching would be characterized by meekness and gentleness ; that under his ministry the blind EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 65 should be made to see, tlie deaf to hear, and the lame to walk ; that he would be despised and rejected of men ; that he should come to Jerusalem riding on an ass' colt. Isaiah vii. 14; xlii. 2; xxxv. 5; liii. 3; and Zech. ix. 9. In relation to the incidents of his death, it was predicted that he shoidd be betrayed by one of his disciples. The price for which he was delivered into the hands of his enemies, and the use to which the money would be put, were foretold. It was pre- dicted that his hands and feet should be pierced ; that his garments should be parted, and lots cast for his vesture ; that a bone of him should not be broken ; that his grave should be appointed with the wicked, and that he should be with the rich in his death. Psalm xli. 9 ; Zech. xi. 12 ; Psalm xxii. 16, 18 ; Exod. xii. 46, and Isaiah liii. 9. Now let it be considered that all the prophecies of the Old Testament, of which these are a mere speci- men, were published several centuries, some of them nearly 2000 years, before the advent of Christ ; that the Jewish Scriptures which contain them were pre- served with a sacred and jealous care; and that they were translated into the Greek language 200 years be- fore the Christian era. We do not regard it as neces- sary to refer, in detail, to the accomplishment of these scriptures. Any one with his New Testament may examine for himself; and every Christian and prop- erly instructed youth is more or less familiar with all these incidents. At the same time we would earnestly recommend to every reader a closer study of the Bible on all these topics, " comparing scripture with scrip- 4* 66 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. ture." We can assure tliem, from experience, tliat the more they practise this, and progress in the study of this wonderful book, and get the heart engaged in it, the more they will find it a source of satis&ction, and pleasure too, which no other reading can afford. Of the prophecies of the New Testament, we will refer to only one as a specimen, viz., the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem. Jesus proved his divine mission by prophecies as well as by miracles. In the latter the appeal was to eye-witnesses. " The works that I do bear witness of me." In the former the appeal was to the testimony of subsequent history. " Now I tell you before it come to pass, that when it comes to pass ye may believe that I am he." In re- gard to the ruin of the city he said, " They shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee ; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another." Of the temple he said, " Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down." Luke xix. 44, and Matt. xxiv. 2. On this prophecy we observe, in the first place, that it was published before it came to pass. The Gospel of Matthew, which contains the fullest account, was published seven or eight years after the death of Christ, that is, thirty-seven years before the fulfilment. It is worthy of observation that the apostle John survived the destruction of Jerusalem, and hence he gives no notice of the prophecy. No writer among the enemies, of the Gospel in the early ages attempted to set aside the argument from prophecy, pretending it was writ- EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 67 ten after the event ; hence we need not allow any infi- del attempts, in modern times, to embarrass our minds on this subject. The event, at the time, seemed the most unlikely of any to happen. The Jews were at peace among them- selves, and submissive to the Eoman government. Everything seemed to render the fulfilment impossible. The city was enclosed with a triple wall, with fortifi- cations of immense strengths When Titus, the Eoman commander, looked upon its towers, he exclaimed, " We have certainly had God for our helper in this war." The temple was probably the largest, strongest, and most beautiful structure in the world. Its walls enclosed nineteen acres. Its eastern front rose from its base in the valley below, eight hundred feet. In the wall were stones sixty-five feet in length, ten in breadth, and eight in thickness. How could such buildings be thoroughly levelled? What motive could there be for destroying them ? Even the bar- barous nations which afterwards sacked the city of Rome, spared her noble edifices. What could induce the civilized Romans, and the humane Titus, thus to lay it even with the ground ? Again, we observe, that the prediction was literally fulfilled about forty years after it was uttered. In the siege it was not in the power of Titus to save the Temple. He did what he could to restrain the violence of the soldiers, who set it on fire contrary to his express orders. But Jesus had said, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate," and God would not suffer his word to fail. Josephus relates that, "As for all the 68 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLF. rest of the circumference of the citj, it was so thor- oughly laid even loith the ground,^^ using the very words of Scripture, "by those who dug up the foundations, that there was nothing left to make those who came thither to believe it had ever been inhabited." It is further related, that a captain in the Eoman army did, literally, with a plow-share, tear up the foundations of the temple. " A plow-share," says Gibbon, " was drawn over the consecrated ground, as a sign of per- petual interdiction." Thus another prophecy, contained in Micah iii. 12, was literally fulfilled : " Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field, and Jerusa- lem become heaps, and the mountains of the house as the high places of the forest." Such is a very brief illustration of the argument from prophecy, for which we are indebted to Bishop Mcllvain's large work on the evidences. We close with a few observations, which may apply to all the prophecies collectively. (§mttu[ ^bstrbations 0it f^c (cbitrtirte of |lropIjtcg. In the first place : It is a kind of evidence that ad- dresses the senses. If there be any who require to see before they believe, who cannot appreciate the evidence of testimony, here is evidence on which they may look with their eyes. If there be any truth in history, any one may compare it with prophecy, and see the agree- ment between them. We have only to read in the Bible the predictions relating to Egypt, Babylon, Nin- eveh, and Tyre, and then open our eyes on the accounts of modern travellers — we have only to read in Moses EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 69 and the prophets concerning the dispersions of the Jews, and then lift our eyes on their present condi- tion — we have only to do this to see that the prophecies of the Bible have been fulfilled in a manner which no human sagacity could have foreseen, which no human power could have brought to pass ; and consequently, that the writers of these prophecies were inspired by God, and that the religion they taught is of heavenly origin. Some may suppose that the evidence of mira- cles, addressed to the senses, was more conclusive to those who witnessed them than to us ; but this is a mistake. It might be more impressive at the time, but not more conclusive than that addressed to the mind through the medium of testimony. " If they believe not Moses and the prophets, neither would they believe if one rose from the dead." Again : It is a species of evidence which no false re- ligion has ever pretended to. The corrupt system of Popery sometimes attempted to sustain itself by pre- tended miracles, but we read not that it ever made any pretensions to prophecy. Nor did Mahomet, although styled the prophet of God, ever declare a single proph- ecy on the fulfilment of which he rested his claims to inspiration. But the prophets of the Bible, profess- ing to be commissioned by God, appealed to future events, both near and remote, as witnesses of the truth of their mission. Predictions relating to remote events, hundreds or thousands of years in the future, could not, of course, serve as evidence in the age in which they lived ; but they were committed to writing, and depos- ite^l, as it were for safe keeping, in the hands of the 70 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. nations, for the use of future ages. "JSTot unto them- selves, but to us did thej minister," Thej foretold innumerable minute transactions, which the contingen- cies of hundreds of centuries were to bring about. Such an appeal rests the whole cause of revealed re- ligion on a perfect accomplishment of these contingent events : and yet, up to this present time, not a single prediction in the whole series can be shown to have failed, or to have been contradicted by the times or events to which it referred. Can it be supposed possi- ble, in the nature of things, that human ingenuity could have contrived a volume of prophecies, reaching so far, revealing so much, and assuming such particular- ity, without having been contradicted by a single event in the history of 6000 years ? There is a moral gran- deur about such an appeal as this, to which nothing but the inspiration of Scripture can pretend — a bold- ness on which no imposture could venture ! • Again : This evidence is accumulative. For a period of more than three thousand years, since the first Scrip- tures were written, the scheme of prophecy has been continually opening, and its grand objects becoming more and more clear and distinct. The writers lived in different ages, and exhibited a great variety, in their characters, education, employment, and style of writ- ing. Their predictions relate not only to the Jews and contiguous nations — not only to the remote empires of antiquity, but to the kingdoms of modern Europe. As ancient empires rose and fell, the events threw clearer and clearer light on prophecy ; and observing minds would gather stronger and stronger faith in the EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. 71 truth of God's word. The advent of Christ, and the new dispensation which succeeded, threw a flood of light on the innumerable prophecies, all testifying of him, and of the glorious advantages thereby resulting to the Gentile world. When thus we consider the vast scheme of prophecy — the variety and diversity in the minds and circumstances of those who wrote it — and at the same time see how they all agree in testify- ing " beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow," it can be accounted for on no other principle, than that one mind — the mind of the eternal, omniscient Jehovah — pervaded, governed, and directed them all. We remark only further here, that the scheme of prophecy is almost completed. The ancient prophecies have been so distinctly fulfilled, that the wonder is there should remain a single doubt as to the inspira- tion of the Bible. Those whose accomplishment is yet future, and rapidly approaching, will put infidelity to the blush, and cause it as ashamed to hide its head. The downfall of Popery, the disappearance of Mahom- etanism, and the restoration and conversion of the Jews, will soon strike the nations with surprise. When the veil is rent from Israel's eyes, it will be rent from a thousand prophecies : and those who partially believe and understand the Bible, will believe anil understand it as they never did before. As those which related to the first advent of Christ to suffer were literally ful- filled, so in the same manner will those which relate to his second "coming in the clouds with power and great glory," to reign, be accomplished. And if the proplie- 72 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE, cies and sign tliat went before, relating to his first ad- vent, "were to " make ready a people prepared for the Lord," so the signs designated by Christ and his apos- tles, relating to his second advent, ought now, more than ever, to be studied for the same purpose. If there be any significance in the signs given, the signs and aspects of Providence now indicate that "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." CHAPTER V. MISCELLANEOUS. Having proceeded tlius far in a Plea for the Bible, we find that we have not yet touched on some of the leading ideas we had in view when we began to write ; but by these observations on its divine inspiration we will be better prepared for those which follow, in such order as they may occur to our mind. t^Ije f ibie tht mxt aub sole dSixiisz of ^nxilj anb practice. It needs no further argument to show, that if God empowered the sacred penmen to work miracles, and inspired them to write such prophecies, he so guided their pens that every sentiment they delivered as prophets and apostles, comes to us under the sanction of his authority. This was the simple and sublime method by which he chose to communicate his will to mankind on all matters relating to their religious belief and practice. This constitutes the Bible the standard and the test of truth ; the rule of action for all intelli- gent human beings. It is the sole j udge of controversy on every question concerning faith, opinion, or practice, wherein men are so apt to differ among themselves. It is the law and testimony of Jehovah, and if " any 74 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." There is no exception to this rule. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." It is all alike inspired, although not all of equal prac- tical use in the present dispensation. AVhile the cere- monial law of Moses was in force, its positive precepts were of equal authority to those of the moral law : but they might be abrogated ; and when the system of Jewish sacrifices was done away at the death of Christ, they ceased to be obligatory. But the moral law might not and could not be abrogated, even by God himself. It is law for the universe, and immutable as the throne of Jehovah. Hence every precept of that law, and every moral duty enjoined in the Old Testament, is as binding on us now as when delivered at Mount Sinai. In this respect the Old Testament is as instructive as the New. There has been a change of dispensation, bnt no change in the code of morality. ^aitluitit tntii auiJ jp;ro6eit mxiatx Parlous dispensations of ^tligxon. Is it asked, What use was there for a change of dis- pensation ? or. What purpose was the old dispensation of Jewish sacrifices designed to serve ? These inqui- ries bring out the great question. What was the grand design of God in giving the whole Bible to mankind ? It was to develop gradually his wise and holy plans of providence and redemption — to show to man his MISCELLANEOUS, 75 true character — and to manifest his own glorious per- fections in tlie moral government and salvation of sin- ners. It required a long time to do this. For nearly six thousand years the human race has been under various forms of probation ; and it requires no argu- ment to prove that from the beginning they have man- ifested a strong disposition to walk contrary to God : while, at the same time, he has been wonderfully patient in affording such means and opportunities as might have sufficed to restrain them. During the antedilu- vian period, when men lived to an age bordering on a thousand years, they had large opportunities of learn- ing by tradition from tlieir fathers, if they had desired it, the appointed mode of worshipping the one living and true God : but the wickedness of man on earth became so great that he was provoked to destroy them by a flood. Then the descendants of "Noah, the preacher of righteousness," had similar opportunities, together with the example of the deluge before their minds, to teach them the holy and righteous character of God, and the appointed way of worshipping him_ by sacrifice : but they became as wicked as before, and the knowledge of the true God almost vanished from the earth. To preserve the knowledge of his name among men, God chose Abraham, the father of the faithful, and gave to bim and to his posterity further and further revelations of his plan of mercy, and of a future Saviour. But the wickedness of men still pre- vailed, and the only nation containing some believers in the true God was cruelly oppressed in Egypt. In process of time he delivered that nation from oppres- 76 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. sion bj the hand of Moses, amid wonderful manifesta- tions of his power, and faithfulness to the covenant promises he had made to their fathers. The miracles of Egypt, at the Ked Sea, and in the wilderness, wronght by the hand of Moses, proved him to be a messenger sent by God, not only to lead that people, bnt to be an instructor of mankind, by giving to the world the first books of a written revelation. God's delivering the law in an audible voice from Mount Sinai, writing with his own finger the ten commandments on tables of stone, and commanding Moses to transcribe them into a book, ,were transactions in which the whole hu- man race is concerned. The precepts and ordinances of the ceremonial law were a revelation for the special benefit of the Israelites during the continuance of the Mosaic dispensation. The sacrifices of slain beasts were to them a typical Gospel, directing their minds, on the one hand, to the condemning nature, and con- dign punishment due to sin ; and on the other, to the great atonement to be made by the Saviour revealed in promise to their fathers. Multitudes believed and embraced the Gospel, thus darkly revealed, and were saved. Under this legal dispensation, with continued revelations of the will of God by the prophets raised up among them, that nation existed for fifteen hundred years, until Christ, the great antitype, came, "who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes." It may be worth while to merely glance at the state of the heathen world all this time. Several empires of antiquity rose and fell ; human science was culti- MISCELLANEOUS. 77 vated to the utmost, and scliools of learning and plii- . losophy flourished in the principal cities ; but as to correct ideas of God, or any rational mode of divine worship, they continued entirely in the dark. The fol- lowing is the inspired account of them in general : "That which may be known of God is manifest in them ; for God hath shown it to them. For the invis- ible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse ; because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful ; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things .... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient," etc. Eom. i. 19, etc. Thus it would seem they were allowed, in the providence of God, to exemplify, as it were, the utter insufficiency of mere human reason to form any true estimate of God and of a fnture state. If it be asked why they were left to wander in the dark 4000 years before he favored them with a full and clear revelation on these points, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gos- pel, we would venture to suggest one reason : it might be to let men try what philosophy could do for them ; what progress human reason would make in 76 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. the knowledge of the divhie nature and perfections ; to convince them of its insufficiency, and make them duly prize a revelation when it was granted. At length the time came for making a full and clear revelation of God's plan of redemption to the whole world. Christ appeared to confirm the truth of the Old Testament revelation ; to explain the principles of the moral law ; to fulfil the types and figures of the ceremonial law ; to make an atonement for the sins of men by the sacrifice of himself, and to commission his accredited ambassadors to " Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ; " or, in other words, authorizing and commanding the church of true believers to carry forward the work of evange- lizing all nations, until he should come the "second time without sin, unto salvation." This process, this state of things, has now been continued for more than 1800 years ; and yet, after all, how few, comparatively speaking, have been subdued by the Gospel, and gov- erned by the principles and precepts of the holy Bible. This result affords another and further illustration of the depravity of the human heart, and its indisposition to be governed by the will of God ; and a stronger proof than all the rest, that it requires an influence more than human, to convert, sanctify, and make it meet for communion with a holy God. ^istxngulsbiiTg ^ftaturts }?ci:uUar to lljt Gospel |:]lmT. We have reasoned long on the divine authority of the Bible, and its claims on our attention. It is time now that we say something in regard to its contents, and MISCELLANEOUS. 79 show wlierein consists its superiority to all the systems of ethics and morality that have ever appeared. In the celebrated schools of learning in ancient Greece and Eome, there arose, one after another, several sys- tems of moral philosophy, varying among themselves in their ideas of the Deity, and in the purity of their morals. Some of them reasoned well for the light they had ; and in their morals were found many unexcep- tionable rules of conduct ; but they all failed in their representations of God, and in furnishing sufficient motive to restrain men from vice. One prominent point wherein revealed religion dif- fers from all others, is the one just alluded to, viz., the moral turpitude of human nature, and its inability to rectify and reform itself. Philosophy never discovered this secret obstacle to all its proposed reforms. An- other point of difference is, the inadequacy of mere human reason to illustrate and harmonize the moral attributes of God in saving men as transgressors of law and rebels against his government. The grand dis- tinguishing feature of the Gospel is, the measure God adopts for reconciling his infinite justice with the exer- cise of his mercy to guilty, rebel man. 'This is a point of such importance, that we will devote a few para- graphs to its illustration. We will show that while the Gospel scheme is above and beyond the grasp of human reason, as to its contrivance, it is, when reveal- ed, most reasonable, and commends itself to both the understanding and the affections of m,en. In the first place, it views man just as he is, in a state of sin, guilt, and helplessness. This is what no 80 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. otlier system of religion or philosopliy ever did. All human systems have tended to flatter the pride and self-sufficiency of man ; but such systems do not cor- respond with the real state of things. Men are in a state of moral depravity. Universal experience and observation prove and admit this ; and instead of manifesting either the power or the will to help or improve themselves, human society, under every other system, has " waxed worse and worse." Again : The Gospel scheme gives a rational view of the character and attributes of God. It represents him as a being of such moral purity and rectitude, that he cannot look upon sin of any kind with the least allow- ance, and that, before he can hold any intercourse with men, or manifest any favor toward them, there must be some amends or satisfaction made to his justice, as the holy moral Governor of the universe. Such, too, is the inward sense of mankind on this subject, if they would speak their feelings. Conscience in every one has been testifying : You have done wrong — you have sinned — you have offended your Maker. Human reason, too, in its highest efforts, has been agitating the questions, "Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord ? " " How is the Deity to be propitiated ?" " Is there forgiveness with God ? " Human reason insti- tutes such inquiries, but can furnish no answer. Again : The Gospel plan recognizes the principles of representation, substitution, and suretj^ship. On these principles human societj^ proceeds. In politics, com- merce, and private life, they are acted upon as agree- able to the reason and understanding of men. The *- MISCELLANEOUS. 81 grand peculiarity of the Gospel is, that it reveals sucli a surety for sinners — such a satisfaction for sin and guilt as is entirely adapted to the circumstances of the case ; and which satisfies the understanding, and brings peace to the guilty conscience. The principles of sub- stitution, or vicarious suffering, have also been adopted into systems of false religion ; but they fail to meet the case, or satisfy the thinking mind. Some would substitute repentance, sorrow for sin, and reformation of life, as atonement, or satisfaction for past sin. It would be easy to show, on the principles of law and reason, that this is a fallacy — that pure law knows of no such commutation — that pure justice will not be satisfied with after obedience as a satisfaction for past disobedience. Others would substitute pen- ances, or voluntary bodily suffering, as an atonement for the sin of the soul. In this light are painful pil- grimages and self-inflicted tortures regarded by the votaries of superstition and idolatry. They suppose by these to cancel their guilt, and merit a place in heaven. Others have supposed that the Deity would be render- ed propitious by an abundance of animal sacrifices and costly oblations ; and on the supposition that the dig- nity of the victim would enhance its value as an atone- ment, have offered human sacrifices on their altars. All this goes to show the intense anxiety of the human mind, sometimes, on this subject. But none of these expedients can satisfj'" or commend themselves to the understanding of a man. Eeason can trace no connec- tion between either bodily suffering or animal sacri- fices, and the removal of guilt from the soul. 5 82 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. In order to make atonement for the sins of men, the victim must be more than human. Suppose the suffer- ing and atoning Saviour to be a creature, even of the first and highest order, his suffering could be of no avail. Our understanding conld see a defect in such an atonement. We could see injustice in the subjec- tion of one creature to suffering for another. Eeason. would revolt at such a measure. If, to avoid the charge of injustice, we should suppose such a Saviour to be a voluntary sufferer — that of his own Avill he laid down his life for the good of others — still there would be an exception to such a scheme : for no created being has a right to lay down, when he pleases, the life he received from his Maker. And besides, he has neither life nor merit to spare on behalf of others. He owes all he can render on his own account, " None can redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." But the Gospel reveals a surety and substitute for sin- ners, who is, himself, the '■'•Lord of life^^'' — who could say, " I have power," or authority, " to lay down my life, and power to take it again. No man taketh my life from me ; I lay it down of myself, and give it for the life of the world." It is in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ alone — " the God incarnate, man divine " — that reason can discover a satisfactory atonement for the sins of men. Human reason could not have con- ceived of such a scheme; but when revealed, and clearly viewed, it commends itself to the understanding of man, and especially to the conscience of an awakened sinner. It suits his case, which no other system of belief ever could. Man may adopt opinions on this MISCELLANEOUS. 83 subject lightly, and embrace flatteries ; but when the law and its penalty are measurably understood, and the sinner feels convicted of innumerable transgressions, and under sentence of death pronounced by a holy and just judge, the systems neither of rationalism nor uni- versalism will suit his case. Nothing will bring peace to his mind, until — Oh ! wondrous thought ! — until the sinner's surety is perceived to be the very party whom the sinner has offended. There is a missionary incident on record that illus- trates this thought. It is recorded of a heathen man, who by some means had come under strong convic- tions of sinfulness, guilt, and danger in view of the future, that, under anxiety of mind, and seeking peace, he had travelled far — visited different shrines of idola- try — and tried every system he could hear of, but found no peace to his mind. After having tried all the rites and penances he could think of, and still under distress of mind, he providentially met with a Christian missionary in the East. There he first heard the Gospel — some simple exhibition of the doctrine of the Cross. With surprise and deep emotion he ex- claimed — ^^ That is just what I loaniedJ^ It suited his case. He perceived something on which he could rest his soul for eternity. His mind and heart embraced it ; and he found joy and peace in believing. Chris- tian brethren ! the cross — the cross is the only doctrine for sinners. Let us hold it up, and send it over the world, for this only will avail to convert and save them. On this delightful theme, ideas crowd upon our mind. Speaking of the distinguishing features of the 84 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. Gospel plan, we have showed how it commends itself to the reason or understanding of men. We will in- dulge in a few sentences more, showing how it also commends itself to the heart, or affections. It is an exhibition of unparalleled love. There is something within us susceptible of being strongly affected by what is elevated and amiable in character. The world admires such men as Howard, the philanthropist, or Washington, the Father of his Country. The records of their actions awaken emotions of admiration and esteem. But read and study the history of Jesus — the actions and incidents of his life on earth — the sub- jects and manner of his teaching, and you have a char- acter that stands alone in the world, throwing all others into the shade. The character of Jesus as drawn in the Gospel, is one of the evidences of the inspiration of the New Testament. No human gen- ius, unaided from above, could have formed the con- ception of such a character, or written out the descrip- tion. There is a moral power in the narrative that touches the heart and awakens interest, in proportion as it is understood. To comprehend the subject aright we need more of the experience for which Paul prayed when he said, " That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, iind depth and height ; and to know the love of Christ, which pass- eth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Christ speaks of the " glory which he had with the Father before the world was." But " He who was in MISCELLANEOUS. 85 the form of God, and tliouglit it not robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." What moved him to this? Nothing but love — re- deeming love — he so loved us. Loved whom ? Sin- ners, that he might buy them a pardon — enemies, that he might win their affections, reconcile them to God, and restore them to happiness. " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. But God commendeth his love toAvards us, that while we were sinners, Christ died for us." We try here to form some idea of such love and conde- scension, but conception fails ; and no words but the language of inspiration can express it. We speak of the system which reveals this love, as commending it- self to the heart or affections of men ; and if this do not move our hearts, we know not what will. On this point also we are reminded of some illustra- tive incidents in the history of missions, some forty years ago. There was a question in those days whether it was better to civilize, and instruct the heathen in moral science, to prepare them for the Gospel, or to evangelize them first, in order to their civilization. The first missionaries to the Sandwich islands, and also the Moravian mission to Greenland, it appears, adopted the first mode. Their manner of preaching for a num- ber of years was, to prove and explain the existence of the one true and living God — his character and attri- butes, as their Creator and moral Governor — the rela- 86 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. tions they held to him as accountable agents — and the duties they owed to him, and to one another, etc. For a number of years their labors seemed in vain ; not one apparent conversion had taken place. In dis- couragement they were, about to abandon the field, but by some incident they were induced to make further trial. They were led also to change the general mode of preaching. First and chiefly, now, they exhibited the love of God — the love of the Son of God in his volun- tary humiliation and death. They preach Christ cru- cified — told the simple story of the Cross. Then there was a change. While being instructed in the nature of God, and his claims on them, and their own moral obligations, in the abstract, the rude natives had lis- tened with cold and stupid indifference. But, when told of the condescension and compassion of the Son of God in suffering and dying for them, the accounts say, the unwonted tear began to start in their eyes, and steal down their wistful countenances. The cold and frozen hearts of the Greenlanders were melted and subdued by the love of Christ ! We have dwelt at some length on this interesting topic, viz. : the moral adaptation of the Gospel to man's real circumstances, and thus commending itself to both his understanding and affections. We merely mention further, as a characteristic of the Gospel plan, that it reveals many plain and precious promises of divine direction and spiritual assistance to those who seriously study it, and sincerely pray for that gracious illumina- tion, saying, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may see the wonderful things contained in thy law." MISCELLANEOUS. 87 Sbbe ^ihlt ITatrgitHgE Simple aub Significant. Pleading the cause of the Bible opens up a wide field of remark, and we find some difficulty in marking out the best course to pursue toward the end in view. We have tried to call up attention to it as a too much neglected book, and in doing so, to deepen the rever- ence we owe to it as a communication from God. The brief outline of the evidences of its inspiration may be useful to several classes ; but what we most desire is, to bring out its direct teachings in bold relief, and press it home to the conscience of the reader. We confess, in our experience, that there is much in the sacred volume which we do not understand, and which it is not necessary that we should. A large portion of it is prophecy, which in its very nature is necessarily ob- scure. Those parts of it which have most evidently been fulfilled, are an interesting and useful study, as we have shown at some length, but much of it, in the details, is as yet a sealed book to us. Here we would suggest a caution, to those who are inexperienced in Scripture, against an injurious im- pression that is sometimes cherished, viz. : that the Bible is an obscure and unintelligible book. Some, for instance, in reading the prophets, and finding a style of language and a range of subjects from which they can gather but little meaning, have inferred that the Bible, as a whole, is above their comprehension ; and hence it is neglected. A similar remark may, in some instances, apply to some of Paul's epistles ; and here we would remind them, that many of these were addressed to experienced believers, and that it requires 00 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. an intelligent Christian to enter fully into his meaning; and that even advanced believers may find some of his observations above their comprehension. But, while all this is freely admitted, we would most earnestly assure the young and inexperienced that very much of the Bible is simple and easy of comprehension. If you cannot fully understand the epistles, even a child may understand the narratives of the evangelists. Hence the remark of one of the ancient fathers of the church, often quoted, " Here are depths in which an elephant may swim, and shoals in which a lamb may wade." We have often thought that there is a studied simplicity in the style. The most of Christ's hearers were of the common peoj^le, and he evidently adapted his instruc- tions to their capacity. The sermon on the mount is a plain talk — not superficial, indeed — but the solemn sense of almost every sentence strikes the attentive reader at the very first. There is no secret, profound, abstruse meaning which it requires a learned doctor to explain. If both teachers and hearers of the word would just take the language in its most obvious sense, we would have more intelligent believers, and more impressed audiences. Let the Bible only speak for itself, and we would not have so many theories and denominations among Christians. The doctrine of a text, as a gen- eral thing, is easily perceived, and may be stated in a few words, and defended in a few sentences ; and when stated in simple language, the main object of preaching is, to illustrate and enforce the inferences, whether doc- trinal or practical, that obviously flow from said doc- trine. This, we observe, is the course pursued in most MISCELLANEOUS. 89 of fhe printed sermons of President Edwards, and fol- lowed bj the most effective preachers in the present day. Were there as much effort put forth in bringing out the direct teachings of the Bible as in delivering fine human compositions in the pulpit, there would be a different state of things in the churches. Speaking of the simplicity of the Scriptures, we would be understood as referring to the language in which they are written. In regard to some doctrines revealed, there are mysterious depths which neither man nor angel can fathom. In the language of one of the writers, these are the " deep things of God." In a revelation concerning his nature and attributes, and his adoi'able plan of redemption, it could not be otherwise. This is one of the principal internal evi- dences of the inspiration of the Bible. If it contained nothing but what the reasoning of men could discover or comprehend, it would not deserve the name of a revelation from heaven. The distinguishing feature of the Grospel is, " the great rtiystery of godliness^ God was manifest in the flesh." If it be worth anything to us as a revelation, we must respect the language and terms in which it is given; and if these terms, in their common acceptation, convey to us ideas which we could not otherwise have conceived, we must not ig- nore these ideas because we cannot fully comprehend them ; else we set aside altogether the fact of a revela- tion from God. In the case of a written revelation, to be of any use to us it must be given in words to be understood according to the common usages of lan- guage. If we are at liberty to twist the language into 90 A PLEA FOll THE BIBLE. a meaning which neither lexicon nor grammar will justify, or to reject all ideas which are above the com- prehension of our reason, we might as well be without a revelation. "We honor the use of reason as much as any man. It is essentially necessary in investigating the claims of the Bible to be a divine revelation, and in examining the meaning of the words and sentences it contains. Having ascertained these, if we find it teaches doctrines above the grasp of reason, we sit at its feet, saying, " God is wiser than man." The max- im now is not, What thinkest thou? but "How read- est thou ?" Here we are reminded of a numerous class of pro- fessing Christians who acknowledge the Bible to be a divine revelation, but reject its great central and dis- tinguishing doctrine — the atonement. This is a very important subject, and by far too little realized ; we will therefore devote to its consideration a separate chapter. CHAPTER VI. UNITAEIANS. We respect the learning and eloquence of some of the advocates of this system ; but we remember also that these qualifications are not essential to the finding of a true interpretation. "To the poor is the Gospel preached." If the common people cannot understand its language, the Grospel fails in its professed mission. With their eloquence and command of language these advocates may present a plausible theory, but it will not satisfy a sincere inquirer after truth when he takes a just view of the real nature and demerit of sin. We are not disposed for controversy ; nor are we prepared to examine all the views now held by the living advo- cates of that system, which, as far as we are aware, have not been reduced to a definite confession of faith. But we know the state of the controversy in former years, and suppose it has not undergone much change. It will be consistent, we think, with our object in writ- ing, to take some notice of it, not in the spirit of con- troversy, but of affectionate expostulation, and ear- nestly request their candid attention to the simple lan- guage of the Bible. 92 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. S^E ^bjectiott to Pgsttrtousnxss in t^e'^ibU gibsurb. If permitted to address one of this class, we would say, You call yourself, as you think, perhaps, by way of honorary distinction, a Unitarian, — a believer in one God. But in this name there is nothing to distinguish you from those who to the question, " Are there more gods than one ? " distinctly and publicly say, " There is but one only, the living and true God," You ob- ject to what is mysterious in the Bible, and suppose you are not required to believe any doctrine which your reason cannot comprehend. According to this supposition, you cast away the belief in the very exist- ence of God ; for you cannot comprehend how he exists. What can you comprehend of a God present in the remotest star, and in the minutest particle of dust? a God "whose centre is everywhere, and his circumference nowhere " ? Literally nothing. What does the Bible teach us on the doctrine of the Trinity ? It tells us that the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet that they are one God. What do we comprehend of this ? Literally nothing. It is absurd for a Unitarian to say, " I reject the doctrine of the Trinity, because I cannot compre- hend it." He cannot comprehend eternity, nor omni- presence — the attributes he ascribes to God. On such principles, therefore, he ought to reject the existence of God altogether ! S^tHcljhtgs erf i\t ^iblt on tlj£ Subject. On this subject we must be a little more explicit. We plead for the Bible and it may be useful to intro- UNITARIANS. 93 duce some specimens of its testimony. In doing this we are at a loss where to begin, and where end. In close connection with what we have just said, we quote one in Isaiah vi. 1-10 : " In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims ; each one had six wings ; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts ; the whole earth is full of his glorj. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, AYoe is me ! for I am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips ; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then flew one of the ser- aphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar : and he laid it on my mouth, and said, Lo ! this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and wdio shall go for us ? Then said I, Here am I, send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not ; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and con- vert, and be healed." It is worthy of notice here, in the first place, that 94 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. the plural pronoun us relates to its antecedent, Jeho- vab. : " Whom shall I send, and who shall go for usT^ This use of the plural pronoun is found several times in the Old Testament, and intimates a plurality in the essence of Jehovah. But we introduce this passage for another purpose. It is a very remarkable passage and transaction, and is referred to no less than six times in the New Testament. "What we want to show is, that this transaction is ascribed in one passage to the Father, in another to the Son, and in another to the Holy Ghost. In Rom. xi. 8, referring to the pas- sage quoted, it reads thus : " According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day." In John xii. 37-41, the transac- tion is ascribed to Jesus Christ: "And though he (Jesus) had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him ; that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again. He hath blind- ed their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." Here endeth the quotation, and the writer proceeds with the narrative : " These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory and spake of Am." A mere tyro in composition and grammar may perceive, and we say distinctly, that the pronouns his and him^ in the last verse, relate to their antecedent, Jesus, in the 36th UNITARIANS. 95 verse. Then in Acts xxviii. 25-27, it is thus written : " Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias, the prophet, unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive," etc. We forbear criticism, preferring to let the passages speak for them- selves. In regard to the divinity, or supreme Godhead of Jesus Christ, we quote the following, not as a formal defence of Trinitarian doctrine, but merely to strengthen the faith of the humble believer, and, it may be, to lead some of an opposite class to serious reflection. In John i. 1, it reads: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.''^ There can be no hesitation in regarding this as one of the appellations of Christ when you read in the 14th verse : ''The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us," etc. In Heb. i. 8, it is said of the Son, in contra- distinction from angels and all created beings, "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, God, is for ever and everT Isaiah xl. 3, " The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God^'' None can deny that this refers to John Baptist, the fore- runner of Christ. Zech. xiii. 7, "Awake, sword, against my fellow," (companion, or equal,) "saith Je- hovah of Hosts ; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." You have only to open at Matt. xxvi. 31, to find Jesus applying this passage to him- self. In Rev. i. 8, Jesus thus speaks: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the 96 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. Lord, whicli is, and whicli was, and which is to come, the Almighty." In these passages, the names God, Jehovah, and the Almighty, are ascribed to, and claimed by, Jesus Christ. If the attributes of omnipresence and omniscience, and the works of creation and final judgment are as- cribed to Christ, and if divine worship is addressed to him, then Jesus Christ is God. Matt, xxviii. 20 : " Lo I am with you always." Chap, xviii. 20 : " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of you." If these passages do not teach omnipresence, we do not know what words can. Eev. ii. 23 : "And all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts." John ii. 25: "Jesus knew all things, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man." Chap xvi. 30 : " Now we are sure that thou knowest all things." Chap. xxi. 17: "Lord, thou knowest all things." Now we regard it as a thing impossible, even with God, to communicate his omnipresence and omni- science to any creature. Of creation and judgment. John i. 8. Of the Word which was made flesh it is said, " All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." Was he himself, made, or created, or did he create himself? John v. 22 : " The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son." Acts xvii. 81 : " God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance, in that he hath raised him from the dead." UNITARIANS. 97 Of divine loorship. — In the passage just quoted, where it is said. " The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son," Christ adds, in the same sen- tence, " Tiiat all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." The primitive Christians prayed to Christ. 1 Cor. i. 2. This epistle is addressed to " all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." Acts vii. 59 : " They stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Heb. i. 6 : " And let all the angels of God worship him." In the same manner we might present scripture proofs of the personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit, but we deem it unnecessary. We find from Unitarian writings that they " reject the doctrine of the personality of the Holy Spirit, but gladly receive the doctrine of divine influences." By the Holy Spirit they understand, " the spirit of God, that is, God in operation." Some define it as a " quality, or power, or mode of acting." We merely quote a pas- sage or two, to show to what absurdity such defini- tions would lead. Take the form of baptism, for instance. " Baptising them in the name," not names, " of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." How absurd to suppose that a mere creature, and a mere quality of God, or mode of acting, should be joined with the Father in the one name into which all Christians are baptized. To be baptized implies a professed dependence on these three, jointly and equally — a devoting of ourselves to their worship and ser- vice. Similar remarks may apply to the Christian 98 ' A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. benediction. " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost." This is a prayer addressed equally to each. How would it appear as a prayer to a creature, to God, and to a mode of acting ? The Spirit is said to make " intercession for the saints according to the, will of God." How would they explain this idea — a mode of acting interceding with God for the saints ? We quote only another, from Eom. xv. 13 : " Now, the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believ- ing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." What sense would the last clause convey, if read, that ye may abound in the hope through the power of a power of God ? It would be easy to enlarge on the argumentation on both sides ; but that would be aside from our pur- pose. We feel rather to pity them when we see them in the toils of criticism, laboring to change the plain meaning of scripture. From some specimens of Uni- tarian criticism which we have by us, we give only one or two on a passage we have not before quoted. It is Phil. ii. 6-8 : " Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ; but made himself of no reputation ; and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the like- ness of men ; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." On this a Professor Norton tried his skill in the following paraphrase : " Let the same dispositions be in you which were in UNITARIANS. 99 Jesus Christ ; who, being the image of God, did not think his likeness to God a thing to be eagerly retained, but loioered himself, and took the appearance of a ser- vant and became like men ; and being in the common condition of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Now, the scope of the passage is to inculcate humility and condescension after the example of Christ. If he was a mere man, as some argue, where was the humility of becoming like men ? If he was even the highest of created beings, in dignity and authority, where was the lowering of himself in taking the appearance of a servant^ for the highest archangel is but a servant of Jehovah. Some have labored to prove " that the man Christ Jesus, though be acted as the ambassador and representative of Go'd, did not think of robbing him of his glory by claiming equality with God." Wonderful condescension ! In the treatment of this great question we study brevity. There is no argument outside the Bible to establish the view we have adopted : and there is no argument outside the Bible to set it aside. It is purely a Bible question, and by the Bible it must be decided. Whoever speculates on the being of God, or the mode of his existence, will certainly get lost in the subject ; for " Canst thou by searching find out God, or, canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection ?" With great purity of intention, and with a grasp of mind equal to any modern philosophizers, some ancient sages can- vassed this question to the utmost. One of them, on being asked what he thought of God, asked a day to 100 ' A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. think of it. When asked again, lie asked another day, and then a third, and finally confessed that the longer he thought on the subject, the less he knew of it. Another, with a faith bordering on that of a Christian, professed a strong desire, and even a hope, that God would commission a messenger to solve the great problems that were puzzling the minds of the wisest men. Now, when that " Teacher sent from God " has come, what have we to do but sit at his feet ; and learn also from his commissioned and ac- credited apostles ? We plead for the Bible ; and where its testimony is afforded, philosophy must stand aside. On the subject of the being and attributes of God, or the mode of his existence, shall we be startled or surprised if there be in his revelation of himself something mysterious — something beyond the grasp of our rea- son ? It is what we might most reasonably have ex- pected. In the large body of professing Christians we are now addressing, there are doubtless various shades of opinion and belief. This may readily be supposed, from the indefinite character of the teaching. We can imagine numbers sincere in their piety, and having a dark and indefinite trust in the death and interces- sion of Jesus Christ ; and in view of their disadvan- tages, God in his grace may have mercy on them. On the other hand, in view of their pride of human reason, and the unwarrantable liberties taken with the Bible, we have our apprehensions that, in this age of scepticism, there are numbers throwing off its restraints, and wilfully playing into the hand of infidels. In UNITARIANS. 101 regard to the latter, we have little hope from anything we can say here, of prevailing with them to reconsider their position. For the former we feel a friendly re- gard ; and for their sake we will close our remarks on the present subject, with some serious considera^ tions expressive of our concern and fears in their behalf. ?i;rtitaria« Witbjs luassarilg irtgHtiat* rcgariJ for the ^ibk. We have our serious fears for those who, instead of yielding the assent of their hearts to the revealed doc- trines of the Bible, would make it bend to the deduc- tions of their own reason, setting it up as an umpire on the word of God. They say, we cannot believe the doctrines of the supreme deity of Christ, and of the incarnation of the Son of God, because it is a mystery ; our reason rejects it — it is beyond our com- prehension. Tru.e, it is a mystery, but it is the great " mystery of godliness ; God was manifest in the flesh." The devils believe it and tremble ; and well they may, for they see in it the destruction of their rule on earth, and their own overthrow into the bottomless pit. It was on the Cross that the Son of God " spoiled prin- cipalities and powers, making a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Again : We have our fears for those who favor Uni- tarian doctrine, lest they be caught in the snare of the devil. The great central doctrine of the atonement is the one, of all others, he hates and fears the most. By divine permission he tried to crush this doctrine during the early propagation of the Gospel, by the 102 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. terrible persecutions raised against it. When Chris- tians survived these, and obtained an extensive and extravagant patronage from the state under Constan- tine and his successors, the great enemy of this truth succeeded in poisoning the church itself with Arian- ism, alias Unitarianism, and such deadly heresies as almost entirely obscured the truth. Speaking of the adversary of all truth, we allude to those who, as deceived and actuated by him, were accessory in pro- moting these heresies, and concealing the truth from the minds of men. When the Bible itself cannot be silenced, or its authority entirely set aside by the desperate assaults of infidelity, the next effort is to overshadow it — to raise some authority over it to interpret its meaning, and so neutralize its doctrines. When Eomanism gained the ascendency, and the church, with the Pope at its head, was erected into a tribunal to sit in judgment on the Bible and explain its teachings, then the "rulers of the darkness of this world " had it very much all their own way. When this " covering cast over all people, and the veil spread over all nations," was partially removed at the Eef- ormation, and the Bible again permitted to emit its testimony, what were the next attempts to darken its counsels ? The exaltation of human reason as a critic on the plain testimony of the Bible, to decide how much of this testimony we may receive — new revela- tions — books of Mormon — spirit-rappings — and new communications from the spirit world, to tell ns that the Bible has become obsolete — that the light of the nineteenth century has thrown it all into the shade ! UNITARIANS. lOS Whatever it may be tliat attempts to supersede the Bible, or to trample -upon its authority, or to sit as umpire on its testimony, " is not of the Father, but is of the world." Here we ask in all candor, How much better, or how much worse is it for us, to have the Eoman Catholic church to sit in judgment on the Scriptures, and interpret them for us, than to have mere human reason for our judge and guide in these matters ? We have said before, that we respect reason in its own place and office ; but when it comes to what is clearly a revelation from God, it must stand aside. We must receive as little children God's message of love in the Gospel, although it " passeth all understanding." We plead for the Bible, for the inspiration of its very language. We argue that the sacred writers were so under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that he guarded their expressions, and prevented them from saying anything that would tend to mislead any humble, prayerful inquirer, however illiterate. We are aware that various opinions have been indulged regarding the inspiration of the Scriptures ; but we know not what is the view of Unitarians at present — whether they regard them as inspired in whole or in part. Addressing such a one we would say, that in receiving the Bible as an inspired rule of faith, you are neces- sarily bound to take it as a whole, else it is of no manner of use. If you receive some parts of it as inspired, and reject others, by what rule do you pro- ceed ? How do you know which to choose, and which to refuse ? Is human reason to guide you in this ? As well may you throw the Bible asid^altogether. 104 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. Sucli a scheme is all darkness aad confusion. It leaves you no certain rule by which to ascertain the will of our Father in heaven. It leaves you out at sea, Avithout chart or compass to guide you, as a sinner, into favor and acceptance with a just and holy God, the judge of all. I^Ije ^gstcm furuts^ts no #rounb or '§.iUBon of ^arbon. In drawing our remarks under this head to a close, we would say, that we have fears for those who favor Unitarian views, because they give no rational instruc- tion in regard to the forgiveness of sin. The great question of humanity, underlying all systems of relig- ion, is, How shall I get my sins forgiven ? In the light of the Bible, we ask, What is sin ? " Sin is the transgression of the law." What law ? The holy law of God. What is the penalty threatened ? " The wages of sin is death." " The wrath of God is re- vealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men." What saith the law to those who are under it ? "It saith that every mouth is stopped, and all the world become guilty before God." " By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justi- fied before God." Here is a charge of sin and guilt lying against the whole human race, and we want to know how any one who admits this charge, and at the same time rejects the Gospel plan of atonement, cal- culates to have his sins forgiven. From all we have read in Unitarian writings, we have not been able to gather what, in their view, is the real ground of a sin- ner's hope of heaven. Having no document on this UNITARIANS. 105 subject present, let us consider the whole system, as far as we understand it, in the most favorable light we can view it. Here is a world of sinners — transgressors of law, against the light even of reason and conscience. The infinite God, pitying them in their sin and darkness, inspires and commissions Moses to write out a history of his providential dealings toward mankind in all past ages : and to institute an outward form of worship for the time to come. Among many other things, besides promulging the moral and ceremonial law, he pro- claimed himself " The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." By a continued succession of inspired prophets, throughout many generations, he foretold of a great deliverer and Saviour, who in a future age would give them further instructions in the knowledge of his will. When the fulness of the times was come, the infinite God " sent forth his Son," or in other words, " bringeth in the first-begotten into the world," or in other words still, commissioned a creature of superangelic dignity to be his ambassador, or representative, to instruct men more fully as to his nature and attributes, and the spirituality of the wor- ship he requires. Having fulfilled his mission, the wicked men of that age put him to death by crucifix- ion, and thus he sealed the truth of his mission and messages by martyrdom. The third day he was raised from the dead by the power of God, and afterwards 6 106 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. was received up to heaven, having just before com- missioned his apostles to go into all the world to preach his Gos])el, and to say, He that believeth in him as a teacher sent from God, and followeth his moral instructions, shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. We know not if this very brief outline be a correct representation, but this we know, we have set down naught in malice. It is only an expression of the thoughts passing in our mind, while trying to conceive of a religious system drawn from the Bible, without the least reference to its great central doctrine of the atonement, or the infinite value and atoning efficacy of the " blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, which cleans- eth from all sin." We can find nothing in it on which a guilty sinner, deeply convinced of the infinite evil of sin, can build a hope of pardon. We can see nothing in it that upholds the honor of God's violated law, or that vindicates his justice, as a holy moral gov- ernor, in pardoning sin. We can perceive nothing in it to justify the enraptured strains in which the Apos- tles wrote of the " breadth and length, and heighth and depth of the love of Christ, which passeth knowl- edge." Wherein consists the love of Christ, accord- ing to this view ? Was it in being delegated to teach men the will of God, and in dying to confirm the truth of his testimony ? Many holy prophets were raised up, and commissioned by God to teach the same truths, who also sealed their testimony with their blood. But we never read of being saved by the blood of Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or Peter, or Paul. In UNITARIANS. 107 short, we can see nothing in it but a bare, cold system of morality, possessing neither motive nor power to change the heart. Synopsis of S^rhtitHrian ^ottrutj. "We now, as briefly as possible, state the views of those called Trinitarians. The word trinity, we ac- knowledge, is not a scriptural term, and we believe the church is now under obligation to those who introduced it. It is a compound of two latin words, signifying three in one. From the few passages formerly quoted, and from hundreds of others, we perceive in the divine es- sence, or Godhead, a mysterious distinction, which, for want of a better term, we call persons ; because to each personal acts and personal properties are ascribed. We do not allow this mystery to disturb our faith, be- cause we find mysteries in our own existence, and all around us. Man is a compound being of soul, body, and spirit, combined in one agent. When we can comprehend how a rational mind, a material body, and animal life, subsist in one human being, it will be time enough to dispute about the mode of God's exist- ence. Throughout the Bible we perceive God exer- cising a holy moral government, regulated by a defi- nite law. Law, in its very nature, implies penalty, and there can be no law without it. Its penalty is death. This law extends its dominion over the acts of the soul ; and hence the " soul that sins" is exposed to the penalty equally with the body. The punishment due to sin is set forth under a great variety of expressions, such as " everlasting destruction from the presence of 108 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. the Lord, and tlie giorj of liis power." The Bible is clear on the fact that sin deserves this ; and that every human being is exposed to it. Under these circum- stances, the great question i's : How shall God be just, and yet forgive the sins of men ? How can the honor of the divine law be maintained, and the transgressor saved ? By introducing the principle of substitution, or vicarious satisfaction, this might be accomplished. Still the question occurs, Where is a sufficient satisfac- tion to be found ? In former pages we showed that no conceivable kind of atonement could be made or rendered by any creature, even of the highest order of created beings, consistent with the demands of infi- nite justice. We saw how the Gospel plan meets the case in all its circumstances ; that by an apparently inconceivable arrangement the Lawgiver becomes the victim ; that when under a due perception of the awful justice he hath offended, and the dreadful sentence he hath provoked, nothing will bring peace to the sin- ner's mind until he perceives in the sinner's surety the very party he hath offended. Now, in accordance with this scheme, we may, without pretending to enter into the counsels of the Almighty, by consulting the Scriptures, form some conception of the offices of these mysterious agents in the economy of redemption. The Father, as the su- preme Legislator and Ruler, sustains the honor and majesty of the Godhead, and the dignity of the divine law. The Son becomes incarnate, and in virtue of his divinity renders to divine justice a satisfaction of infinite value. The Holy Spirit, in his omnipresent UNITARIANS. 109 agency, moves on tlie minds of men, revealing to them this wondrous plan, and subduing their hearts to a cordial acquiescence in it. In all this we can perceive a glorious and gracious arrangement, that commends itself both to the understanding and affections of men. It furnishes a motive to obedience beyond what even the holiness and the reasonableness of the precepts can suggest, viz., the constraming love of Christ. It pos- sesses a power that will overcome every obstacle, un- til all God's purposes of love and mercy in reference to mankind shall have been accomplished. CHAPTER YII. ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. Arrived at another stand-point of observation in the field of thought on which we have entered, and keep- ing in view our original design, it occurs to us that there are yet other classes with whom we may appro- priately plead in behalf of the Bible. Our object from the first has been to establish its claims to the reverent regard of mankind, and to wake up attention to its contents. We will now try to commend it to the more close and earnest perusal of those who cordially receive it as revealing to them the way of salvation , through the atoning blood of Jesus ; as their guide in every duty, and as the medium of their sanctification. In all these points of view it will be of immense im- portance for us to become as familiar with it as our circumstances will allow. S^lje ^ihlt a Jfaitliful attir Instrnttik P^onitor. Only think of it as the word of God addressed to your soul. Could you hear in the secrecy of your chamber a still small, audible voice, by whose tones you could recognize that of your Heavenly Father, speaking to you concerning the spiritual interests of your soul, and its prospects for eternity, it would be regarded with solemn awe and interest. Had he seen ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. Ill fit, he could easily have adopted tliis measure witli eveiy individual ; but this is not the way he hath cho- sen to adopt. He hath chosen that his children hero should "live by /a^^/^," and not by sight — faith in things not seen nor heard by the senses. This is the way most glorifying to himself, and best adapted to the moral training of rational creatures. He hath caused a book to be written by " holy men of old, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," on subjects connected with our personal salvation, and addressed to men under all circumstances. He hath caused it to be transmitted to us pure and entire ; in his provi- dence ordered it to be j^laced in every family ; and made it so easy of access that every individual may have it in his own possession. This book — this Bible, he hath chosen to be the chief medium of his commu- nications to our souls. If all these facts could be re- ceived by us with a strong, realizing faith, might it not become to us equivalent to a still small voice, audibly addressing us in the solitude of our chamber when we retire for reflection and devotion ? Although an equivalent, this is not, however, in all respects, equal to a voice sounding in our ears. It will not come to us unsought. We are such creatures of sense, and encompassed with so many infirmities, and have so many cares of life and business, which necessarily require an effort of mind in that direction, that it will need an effort of mind in another direction, and a strong exercise of faith, to reap all the advan- tages of such a monitor. Unless we make a daily use of the Bible, it may lie on our table or desk for weeks 112 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. and months without awakening a single emotion. It is not supposed that you are without a knowledge of its general contents, or that your mind and memory do not retain some recollection of its great principles ; but general principles are not, of themselves, altogether sufficient to regulate our lives. There are a thousand circumstances in which men maybe placed; and to meet these there are multitudes of particular and spe- cial precepts which God in his wisdom hath deemed absolutely proper and necessary to be spread out be- fore us: " For," says he, "precept must be upon pre- cept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." No memory can retain a tithe, or a hundredth part of these ; and what is forgotten is as if it were unknown. Hence, if we would live in any measure conformably to his word, there is a necessity to bring them before our mind by reading, meditation and prayer every day. ®;ij£ ^ihit ^bbrtssts trs |nM6iitiTHUn anir ^wsonallg There are some parts of the Bible more apparently addressed to us than others ; and hence more easily recognized as the voice of God to our souls. In the his- tories of the Patriarchs — of the deliverance from Egypt, and the wanderings in the wilderness — of the days of the Judges and of the Kings of Israel, we perceive con- stantly repeated divine communications and directions, suited to the times and circumstances. "The word of the Lord came to Abraham ;" — " The Lord spake unto Moses ;" — " Thus saith the Lord," are the oft and oft repeated terms in which the messages were introduced. OKTIIODOX CHRISTIANS. 113 In these historical transactions and minute circum- stances, it is most interesting to contemplate the con- descension and care of Jehovah toward that favored nation ; but it is not quite easy for us to put ourselves, as it were, in their place, and realize the messages as sent to us. We read them as inspired history of ancient times ; and their most important use is, to teach us the unchangeable principles of God's moral government and treatment of men and nations in all ages. It is different when we come to the Psalms and Prov- erbs, and the exhortations of the Prophets. These de- votional exercises, these pointed maxims, these affec- tionate expostulations and solemn warnings, seem as if they might come right home to us. The pious emotions, holy purposes, and devout attachment to the word and ordinances of God, expressed in the 119th Psalm, for instance, are as expressive of the gracious exercises and experience of the engaged child of God in the nineteenth century as they were in the case of David and the pious Israelites. He can recognize in them the teaching of that Holy Spirit by which he desires to be led. He loves to sit at the feet of the holy Psalmist; and, comparing his own experience with his, he is humbled in the dust, and at the same time stimulated to try to imitate him in devotion. We have thought sometimes that, were the inward expe- riences of an eminent Christian in our day to be written out in such glowing language, it would be deemed by many as extravagance, and high-flown enthusiasm. And yet, why should this be so ? These things " were written for our learning." Why should the faith and 6* 114 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. holiness of a Jew excel those of a Christian ? Were the revelations and promises made to them more clear and efficacious than those made to us ? Were their temptations and sinful inclinations less than ours? No ; in no wise. The light we enjoy is far superior ; and they were men subject to like passions as we are ; and they derived their spiritual assistance from the same source as we. Oh ! why then do we come so far short of these ancient believers ? It is because we have so little faith — so little realization of the faithful- ness of God to accomplish in us all that he did for David. But the New Testament Scriptures are more readily recognized as addressed to us. They are the Christian revelation, designed for the edification of believers in all ages and countries. They are the clear revelation of the great doctrines of the cross, which to the Jews were presented in dark types and shadows. But even here there is a sad tendency to waive the question of personal responsibility, by handing over, as it were, their pointed instructions to that people and those churches to which they were first delivered. We are like the Jews when they said, "If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets ;" while at the very time they were seeking the life of Jesus, the greatest of all prophets. We blame the Jews for re- jecting him, and think if we had heard him who " spake as never man spake," we would not have re- sisted his instructions ; and yet how feebly do these very instructions impress us ! We do not realize that ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 115 Jesus speaks to us. It would be useful oft in imagina- tion to call up the scenes of the Gospel history, and fancy ourselves present at his sermon on the mount, at the grave of Lazarus, or in the guest-chamber with his disciples. The instructions he then delivered were not the peculiar privilege of that age, or of the circles he then addressed. In reading the Gospels there is scope -for the imagination as well as room for implicit faith. Suppose you had been present in these scenes ; or sup- pose them to be repeated, and you an auditor ; what would you hear? He still " speaketh from heaven" in the same language. "Te are the salt of the earth." " Let your light so shine before men." " Be ye perfect, as yowr Father which is in heaven is perfect." "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." "How shall he not much more clothe yow." " Seek ye first the kingdom of God." " Enter ye in at the strait gate." "If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it." •' Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you" "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you." " Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." Turn to the epistles, and you find the apostles send- ing inspired letters to a variety of churches. Do you think they were sent only to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, &c. ? O no, brethren. They were sent to the church to which you may belong. This is a fact too seldom realized. Many read them pretty much as they would Newton's letters ; saying in their mind, they contain excellent instruction, and good for us also. Try to realize that inspired apostles 116 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. sent tliem to you ; and not only so, but that Jesus Christ Tised them only as amanuenses ; and that this is the way he takes to address you on the great subject of salvation, accompanied with "exceeding great and precious promises" to you, when you give to them your earnest and prayei^ful attention. Con- sider how they are addressed. "To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." " To the church of God which is at , with all the saints." " To the saints which are at , and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." " To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at ." You may fill up the blanks, and then realize them as sent unto you, and to your church. ®^e (S^l^sractfr in faljiclj ©arlg dJ^ristiaus torrc abbrcsseir. Consider further in what character the primitive Christians were addressed. The passages just quoted give their general character. But the apostles well knew the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh, between the holy principle and old habits of corrupt human nature, even in the holiest believers ; and much of their writing had reference to this, and was designed to put them on their guard against the prevalence of the latter. They were aware of the trials of faith they would endure from a wicked and persecuting world ; but these were overbalanced by their glorious hopes and prospects, and the inward supports they might ex- pect in a faithful adherence to their profession. They ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 117 were informed sometimes of sad departures from the purity of faith and practice in some churches ; and this drew forth the most affectionate expostulations, solemn warnings, and, sometimes, sharp reproof and severe rebuke. Were the manner of the apostles, in this respect, faithfully followed by pastors in modern days, such, alas ! is the spirit of many churches, we fear they would not long be endured. But after all due allowance is made for these things — for inward struggles and outward trials — as a gen. eral thing Christians were addressed as saints, as faith- ful in Christ Jesus, as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, as having the assurance of faith, as knowing they had passed from death to life. It would not be difficult, we think, to show from Scripture that the Gospel was designed not only to save men at last, but to bring a present salvation — a deliverance from the power of sin and the fear of death. They noAvhere teach that a man may be born again, and he not know it. Can a blind man, who has been restored to sight, be ignorant of the fact? No ; he hioius he can see, and rejoices in the light. Even so, the man who has been brought out of the darkness of spiritual death into the marvellous light of spiritual life cannot reasonably doubt of his present state. His eyes had been closed against the glory of God ; but when opened to behold it, beholding it, he knows that he does behold it. His heart had been insensible to the love of Christ, but now he is constrained by that love, and he is conscious of its energy. His spirit had been a stranger to the peace and joy which are in believing, but now, believ- 118 A TLEA FOR THE BIBLE. ing, he has joy and peace, and he cannot deny their presence. His mind had risen against the hiunbling doctrines of the cross, being ignorant of their real im- port; but now, understanding their meaning, he is persuaded they are true, and he embraces them, and he cannot but knoiv that they are the rejoicing of his heart. Can such a man be deceived? Can this be delusion? "We answer, No. God is not the author of deception ; and these effects are what are declared in the Bible to be produced by his own operation. t>\t J^hUI) of ^ssuranw. This is an important subject, and ought to be brought out more than it is, in this age of doubting Christians. It has become a popular sentiment with many, that doubting is a mark of a humble Christian ; but, unless our knowledge fails us, it is nowhere given as a Scriptural mark. Paul had doubts of some in the church in his day, but it is never spoken of as a part of true Christian experience. This doubting experience we regard as a result of imperfect views of the doctrine of justification by feith alone, and of our completeness in Christ. K it were intimated in the Bible that our own works of righteousness, in the least degree, were designed to enter into, or make up, in part, our title to justification, then indeed we might well doubt. But the Gospel teaches, that, even with all our imperfec- tions, we may be complete in Christ, and perfectly saved. Resting our hope on this rock of ages — the perfect, unchangeable righteousness of Christ — there is no room for doubt. This foundation will never fail us. OETHODOX CHRISTIANS. 119 Believing implicitly the promises of Jehovah, we have strong consolation. Eeceiving the record he has given of his Son, we have eternal life. This doctrine of uncertainty is an import from the church of Eome. The doctrine of justification by faith alone was unknown in that church. The people were taught that good works, penances, faith in the church and in absolution by the priest, made up their title to heaven. On such a system no assurance can be built. They were even distinctly taught, that no assurance, no certainty of salvation, was at all attainable in this life. When Luther came out of that church, we read somewhere in his experience, of his slaying the monster^ doubt. Nevertheless, some of that leaven is still re- tained by some Protestants. There is an impression with many, that there is a great amount of uncertainty in any religious experience ; that it is a kind of lot- tery ; that to profess assurance of hope is a kind of presumption ; that all we can do is, to do the best we can, and hope the best. We have our fears that even the pulpit is too indulgent to this sentiment ; that there is a kind of delicacy in touching on the doctrine of the full assurance of faith. This is what ought not to be. The Scriptures afford ample grounds for a strong pre- sentation of this subject. On the other hand, it is a dark reflection to throw on a religion coming from God, that it does not furnish to its subjects any cer- tainty, any sure ground of hope, any evidence whereby they may know whether or not they are actually and truly the children of God. It gives great advantage to infidels when they question a Christian on the 120 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. grounds of his hope. He may give a "reason of the hope that is in him," drawn from the external evidences. Suppose the question to be pressed further, and the Christian is asked. Do you really think that the belief of your doctrine will save you ? Do you know that you are a child of God, and sure of heaven when you die ? If he say, Yes, I have a trembling hope that that will be the case ; but as to certainty on that subject, it is a great question that few can answer in the affirm- ative : might not the other reply, If that be all, your religion has done you but little good ? Another evil arising from this theory is, that it is a hindrance to progress and usefulness in the Christian life. If a person, after hearing the Gospel for a num- ber of years, and mingling with professors, learns from their conversation that the amount of their experience is only a hope that they are Christians, he is at a loss to know how they obtained their hope. At length, under some providential dispensation, or some slight movement in his religious feelings, he ventures to in- dulge a hope, and joins the church. Judging from those around him, and perceiving nothing to distin- guish them from others, or even from himself, he does not see why he, as well as they, may not go forward in this step. In such a case there is little prospect of his becoming a growing Christian. He has obtained a hope ; and this is about all he is taught, or encouraged to expect. A profession of religion opens a field of usefulness. A Christian is commanded to let his light shine ; to converse with others on the Gospel plan ; to invite them to share in the believer's privilege ; to tell ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 121 what tlie Lord lias done for his soul. But what has such a one as we have supposed got to tell ? The mat- ter is not fully settled with himself; he does not know whether he is truly a child of Grod; he has got no light in his own mind, and how can he let any shine before men ? Such a one will not effect much good in tlie church. Our earnest advice, then, to every professing Chris- tian would be — Make it a sure case with yourself. " Make your calling and election surej^ If you have any doubt as to the heavenly origin of the religion of the New Testament, examine the evidences thoroughly, until a firm belief on this subject takes possession of your soul. Then examine the Gospel plan in the brief light before presented. View the atonement made in Jesus' blood — the blood of the Son of God, infinite in its merit — a propitiation for the sins of the whole world — a satisfaction by which law is magnified, divine justice satisfied, and a door opened for the free egress of mere mercy to every one that asks — a found- ation broad and deep on which you may safely rest your guilty soul for eternity. Then consider the promise of the eternal God of truth, who cannot lie. And not only the promise, but the oath of Jehovah ; " Wherein God, more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the imnmtability of his counsel, con- firmed it by an oath : that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us : which hope we have for an anchor of the soul, sure and sied/ast, and 122 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE, wliicli enteretli into tliat within the veil ; whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made an high priest after the order of JMelchisedec." Heb. vi. 17-20. Do you ask what promise ? We answer, Tlie sim- plest promise in the Bible — " He that helieveth shall be savedy Yes, he that helieveth — without any reference to what he hath done^ either good or evil — without any reference to what he has heen^ although the vilest and guiltiest sinner that ever breathed — he that helieveth shall be saved. This is the promise of the immutable God. Dare you doubt it ? Is it presumption to be- lieve it ? No ; this is faith — simple, unaffected faith. Presumptuous rather are they who dare to doubt the truth of God — who, in opposition to the righteousness which he hath revealed in his Son, go about to estab- lish a righteousness of their own. Do you ask what you are to believe concerning Christ ? Not simply that he died on Calvary — not simply that Jesus died for sinners — but, Jesus died for you — yes, died for you ! felloAV-sinner ! can you look upon that declaration of God and say, I believe it — I believe that Jesus died for me, — for me^ that I might be redeemed from hell — for me, that I might be raised to the felicity of heaven ? O sinner ! can you believe this, and not feel your heart moved with gratitude to him, and not resolve to obey and glorify him as you can ? No ; true faith hath power to move the heart, and not only to move, but purify it. If you believe this, you will feel it in the experience before glanced at. If you believe this you will knoiv it. If it be the record which God hath given of his Son, you must OKTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 123 have '•'■ ^eace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." You know him as a reconciled father — you joy in him — his love is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost — you are led by his Spirit — you confess his name — ^you are not ashamed of your hope ! Can a man be ignorant of all this, — whether he believes the Gospel — whether he has peace with God — wh-ether he believes in the gratuitous remission of his sins ? No : he who doubts on these subjects does not believe. But " he that believeth is born of God." Possessed of this faith, fellow-believer, you will make progress. It will not be a dead faith. With this experience your usefulness in the church will appear. Your heart, warmed by the love of Christ, will feel also love for souls ; and by your example and conversation yoa will say to sinners around you, " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." We have spoken strongly on this subject, but not more so, we believe, than is meet. We would not, however, be understood as speaking to the detriment or discouragement of any weak believer. There are those who are weak in the faith, and the church is di- rected to receive them, but not to doubtful disputations. Christ may reprove those of little faith, but he does not disclaim them. " The bruised reed he will not break ; the smoking flax he will not quench." The Gospel, as we have said, makes allowance for the infirmities and weaknesses of human nature. It admits of the sinfulness of the heart to an extent which no believer has ever yet fully realized, but in no instance does it interpose this as a barrier to a full 124 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE, and free acceptance in the name of Jesus. It may be you look in upon yourself and see so much corrup- tion, that it staggers your faith, and you are afraid to look up. This, on the one hand, is rather a favorable omen of a work of grace within ; but, on the other hand, it may indicate a want of clearness in 3^our per- ception of the Gospel plan, A heart humbled on account of sin is a token for good ; but when you take into account the ground of pardon and accept- ance with God, you must look away, and out from yourself entirely, to Christ alone. If your mind is too feeble to comprehend the wonderful arrangement in the Gospel, in all its bearings, none are so deficient but that they may and can believe. If this want of assurance arise from any defective view of the Gospel, study it anew in the light we have tried to present it, and, it may be, some light may arise in the darkness. If it arise from some peculiar temperament of mind or body, as it sometimes does, even this may be overcome. If there be any anxiety on tlie subject, any real earnest- ness, you can at least tell your troubles to Jesus, while in sweet and entire submission you fall at his feet, saying, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine un- belief:" and such grace and strength shall be imparted as will enable you to " glory even in infirmity," and glorify his grace in the circumstances wherein jou are placed, STbe ^ible tlic liTcbium of ^anxtification. It is a generally admitted fact, that Christians live far below their privileges ; and it is freely admitted, ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS 125 also, that there is power and motive in the doctrines and promises of the Gospel, calculated to elevate us to a degree of fellowship and communion with God far beyond what is the general experience in the church. The remarkable examples of faith and piety set forth in the Bible, not excepting that even of Jesus Christ himself, are distinctly designed for our imita- tion, " Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience are now inheriting the promises." " Be ye followers of me," says Paul, " even as I also am of Christ." "Let the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," who left us an example, "that ye should follow his steps." " Be ye imitators of God as dear children." Even in modern times we have, here and there, bright shining examples of holiness and devotion to Christ. While we glorify the grace of God in thein, we wonder, sometimes, why we come so far short of them. It appears very distinctly in the biographies of eminent Christians, that the principal fea- ture in them was a devout love and reverence for the Bible. Eeasoning from this fact then, the conclusion is obvious, that the principal cause why Christians live so far below their privilege is, that they do not in all things take the word of God as " a light to their feet, and a lamp to their path." At the beginning of this chapter we merely sug- gested that the Bible is the medium of sanctification. This is a very prominent plea in its behalf. We have seen how it reveals to us a scheme of mercy by which guilty man may be saved in harmony with the attributes of God, and which, when fully and cordially embraced. 126 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. begets in us a confidence in God which neither sin on our part, nor the malice of any adversary, can shake. It also furnishes a medium of communication through which the Holy Spirit carries forward a process of purification. The Holy Spirit is the sanctifier. There is no holiness in us but what is of his production. Let us lay hold of this fact with a believer's grasp, and not let it go, but feel it, and act accordingly. The medium through, which he acts is the Bible. This is readily admitted by every intelligent Christian, " Sanc- tify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." " Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." *' Chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." It has been a nice question in theology whether the Spirit approaches the soul of man through any other means; or whether he operates on the mind directly, without the intervention of truth. We are not disposed to discuss the ques- tion, but are inclined to believe, that in every case, even in regeneration, he works through " the truth as it is in Jesus." The above quotations appear as proof of this. Let then these facts of revelation be duly weighed, viz. : We cannot efficiently produce holiness in ourselves : the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier ; the word of truth is his instrument in sanctification ; and what is the conclusion ? ^t is this : The lack of atten- tion to the Bible is the sole cause of the lack of holi- ness in Christians, Here we desire to dispel a delusion under which many professing Christians labor. There are many Scriptures, of which the following is a specimen : ORTHODOX CHHISTIAXS. 127 " Thou, Lord, hast wrought all our works in us." "It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do.'' " That God would fidiil all the good pleasure of his will, and the work of faith with power." " We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything of our- selves ; but our sufficiency is of God." Viewing those passages which relate to the work of the Spirit in the soul, they overlook, almost entirel}^, their own agency. They seem to imagine that the influence of the Spirit works like a charm, or like the circulation of the blood, or medicine, in the body, Avithout their action or coop- eration. They get religion, as they suppose, and do not know how or when ; they indulge a hope, and join the church, and, believing the good work begun, they leave God to carry it on till the day of Jesus Christ, with very little self-examination or serious con- cern on their own part. This we regard as a most dangerous delusion from the father of lies. We hold that the agency of man in the conversion and sancti- iication of the soul is as necessary as the agency of God. This is the divine arrangement evident throughout the Bible, and those who counteract it are resisting the Spirit, and ruining their souls. Apply this in the case above stated. The Holy Spirit is the sanctifier, and sanctifies the soul through the instrumentality of the truth. There is no mysti- cism here, it is a matter-of-fact principle. In the Bible are written the glorious and glowing truths connected with our redemption by the blood of Jesus, which, even as we have feebly portrayed them, if duly studied and firmly believed, one might almost imagine would 128 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. move the heart without any divine influence ; but when accompanied by the Spirit become overpowering. The Spirit saith, " Search the Scriptures." " Give thyself to reading." " Meditate on these things." And the example of the Psalmist says, "But I give myself to prayer." In reading the Scriptures with medi- tation and prayer, the Spirit promises to bless to our sanctification the precious truths as they pass in review before our mind. As we remarked, our memory can- not retain a hundredth part of Scripture, and what is forgotten is as if unknown. "Out of sight out of mind," is an old saying. We have thought sometimes there is a power in the very words when we look at them, and think, — this, and this, " was written for our learning." But if we neglect our own agency in this, we, humanly speaking, curtail the Spirit's influences. If we seldom read, and more seldom think on what we read in the Bible, just so seldom the Spirit speaks to our soul. If we throw it aside altogether, we be- come like the world, " without God and without hope." Let professing Christians ponder these things. Let them not think we press the matter too closely. We have made full allowance for the cares of life and business. Men cannot be always reading the Bible. We remember a passage that reads, "Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." We serve the Lord in business as well as in devotion, when pursued on Bible principles. But surely this awful world does not require every power of our soul, and every hour of our life. There are leisure hours at evenings, and with our families ; and there are the ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 129 fifteen minutes, or even the ten iiiinutes, we may de- vote to morning and evening family worship. Im- proving such seasons, we may "acquaint ourselves with God, and be at peace with him." And there are leisure moments even in business hours, which some intelligent Christians know how to improve. We have known of resting-spells, even in the harvest field, devoted to some kind of religious exercises. Would it be extravagant to suppose that there should be a Bible in every shop and business office ? We have known seasons of religious interest in a congregation, when business men and mechanics would carry a Tes- tament to their places of employment to snatcli a few minutes at times to consult a passage of Scripture. The Bereans searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the things spoken by Paul were so or not. The principle under review may apply on a larger scale. Speaking of a season of religious interest, we are reminded of a complaint we sometimes hear — not very often in these days — of a low state of religion in the churches. In a prayer-meeting we may hear a feeble cry for a revival of religion. On the Sabbath we may hear a petition or two for a time of refreshing, and this is about all we hear or see on the subject. But we are inclined to think, that unless there be more labor, as well as prayer, for such a season, it will be long in coming. Let the principle apply to churches as well as individuals. We do not forget, that if carried out in the individual and family scale, it would soon be manifest in the churches. But there is a mighty power in social influence and mutual sympathy ; 7 130 A PLEA FOR THF: BIBLE. and we believe, in the sight of God, churches have got to act as churches in this matter more than they do. It is the principle of the Spirit operating through the truth that we are advocating. What is the reason of the want of spiritual religion in the churches? We have no hesitation in saying, it is chiefly owing to the want of attention to the word of God at home ; and perhaps we may add, to the want of direct Bible teach- ing in the pulpit. We have our fears that the pulpit is as much at fault in this matter as the pews. Let us suppose a church to act as a church in this matter. There is an acknowledged fearfully low state of spirit- ual religion. The absence of the Spirit is professedly deplored. If this is deeply felt, let the trumpet of alarm be sounded in view of this fearful calamity. Let the representatives of the church consider the matter. Let a meeting of the church be called. Let there be a renewal of their covenant engagements. Let there be a mutual pledging that they will, as indi- viduals, give more attention and more heed to the word of God. Let the " truth as it is in Jesus " be re- stored to due prominence as a perfect instrument for " converting the soul." Let the communicating me- dium of the Spirit's influence be brought out, and then pray ; and praying breath will not be spent in vain. We plead for the Bible and nothing else ; and establish the principle and the measure we suggest by a quota- tion, "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather tlie chil- dren : let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 131 tlie bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the min- isters of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say. Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them : wherefore should they say among the people. Where is their God? Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people," — Joel ii. 15-18. PouMmg Cl^ristiaiTS. "We here advert to a sentiment before expressed, and, for fear of misconception, give a word of expla- nation. The sentiment was this: The Bible reveals to us a scheme of mercy by which guilty man may be saved, in perfect harmony with all the perfections of God; and which, when cordially and fully embraced, begets a confidence in God, which neither sin on our part, nor the malice of any adversary can shake. When we say, a confidence in God which sin on our part cannot shake, we mean conscious, but unallowed sin- fulness. We mean what we said when speaking on the glorious scheme of redemption. We said, the Gos- pel teaches that even with all our imperfections we may be complete in Christ and perfectly saved. Jus- tification is entirely distinct from sanctification. " To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justi- fieth the ungodly, his faitli is counted to him for right- eousness." Kom. iv. 5. We said further, that true faith in God's plan purifies the heart, so that we become new creatures. " Old things are passed away, and all things become new." What we before loved we now hate, 132 A PLEA FOE. THE BIBLE. and wliat we before hated we now love. Sanctification is far from perfect ; but the love of holiness springs up, and is cherished. Old habits of sin intrude, but are not allowed. We said further, that with implicit faith in the immutable promises of God, whose gifts and callings are without repentance, and in view of the new and well-ordered covenant, we do not allow sins that take us by surprise, and are deplored, to shake that confidence. Thus far we intended the sentiment to be understood. But what are we to think of those who indulge habits of known sins ; and omit those things which are the distinctive marks of God's children — whose lives ex- hibit such conformity to the world that it is impossible for any observer to discriminate between them — who neglect family worship, are seldom seen in a prayer- meeting, or who, if present, are so ashamed of the cause they have espoused, that they never allow their voice of prayer to be heard among the brethren ? We con- fess we know not what to tliink of them. They may be the children of God in a backslidden state ; or they may be those trusting to a false hope from the begin- ning. We have always been at a loss Avhere to place them. Who ever knew a Christian humbly walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, on Gospel principles, and at the same time tossed and perplexed with gloomy doubts and fears ? Nor do they know distinctly what to think of themselves. They have no decided marks of genuine piety. Peace with God and joy in the Holy Ghost is not theirs. They cannot have an assured confidence before God, ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS. 133 nor even in the atonement of Jesus. We plead for the Bible, and that its voice may be heard. We remind them how that in numerous instances it testifies that there are those in the visible church who "have a name to live and are dead," — who "having a form of godliness, deny the power thereof." We remind them that Jesus says, " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ;" and further declares, that in the great and trying day he will "profess nnto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Awful predicament for a professed follower of Jesus to be placed in ! In view of all these things, the conviction forces itself upon us, that there are thousands in the visible church for whom it would be a thousand times better to give up their old hopes altogether — to renounce all cold formality — to take a new start — to go to Jesus in a way they never did before, to get new hopes and a new life. We counsel them to review their case in the light of the Bible — to closely review the Gospel plan, and cor- dially believe it, and God will give them light, and then ^^ walking in the Spirit they will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." Their " righteousness shall shine forth as brightness ; and their salvation as a lamp that burn- eth." CHAPTER YIII. GOSPEL HEARERS. We will now draw our pleadings to a close. We have addressed a number of cases, and shown the use and application of the Bible to teach. There is yet another large and respectable class to whom we would address a few concluding paragraphs. We mean those who have no objections to oppose to either the evi- dences or the doctrines of the Bible — who are in the habit of hearing the Gospel preached, but have come to no decision of mind in regard to it — who are con- scious of their need of a Saviour, and yet post|)one closing with, and confessing Christ before men. In the light of all the inducements the Gospel pre- sents, we would affectionately ask them, Why is it that they delay the great work for which life is conferred, — the work of glorifying God in his church, and exerting a salutary influence on their fellow-men ? Why is it that they stand so long idle ? They cannot plead that no man hath hired them; for ministers have been pleading with them in the name of their Master, and trying to engage them in his work. Nay, more than this ; according to a principle before presented, Chi'ist himself is really and truly saying, " Why stand ye here all the day idle ? Go ye also into the vineyards, and GOSPEL HEARERS. 135 whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive ;" and accord- ing to other sayings of his, we confidently add, what- soever help or strength ye need, that shall ye also receive. 6m:ses of ^elHirrag burners. We are well aware of the many excuses of delaying sinners ; such as mysterious doctrines — not seeing their way clear — want of right feeling — the inconsistencies of professors, etc., etc. It would be out of our way to obviate these individually; Ave therefore meet them with one general remark ; and that is, If those who neglect or delay to obey the Gospel could offer any valid excuse for so doing, their hearing the Gospel could lay them under no obligation to embrace, or believe it. A man can never be under obligation to do what he has a good reason or excuse for not doing. If we are under oUigation to repent, love God, and obey the Gospel, then we have no excuse for neglect- ing tliese duties. Obligation excludes excuse. Wher- ever the one begins the other ends. They can never exist together. This is according to Scripture, reason, and the common sense of mankind. But, excuses apart, we have an impression that there is a greater obstacle— a more serious cause of this hes- itancy, than any of these; and that is, want of due attention to, and personal regard for, the Bible. If the confession of views, arising from the different religious denominations — the many isms of the present day — peplex you, our serious advice is, let the isms alone, and take the Scriptures as your only guide. There you 136 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. will find that your own personal salvation is the only thing important, the "one thing needful." You will find none of these isms in the Bible. The only terms there spoken of are, faith in Christ, and baptism in his name. We remember many years ago, while a pastor, there was a serious awakening in the congregation. There was an amiable and intelligent man, a head of a family, but who had never professed religion ; and with whom we had often expostulated, even until he had become shy in his manner toward us. Calling on him one evening, we found him reading the Bible. He and his wife had both become serious on the subject of religion. We well remember one remark of his : I have, said he, been reading the Bible for a great number of years ; and a principal motive has been, to find out, if I could, the foundation in Scripture the different churches had for their peculiar views. But now I read it for personal practice on the subject of salvation and Christian duty. That was a night to be remembered in our pastoral experience. It is almost needless to remark, that both soon became useful mem" bers of the church. This confusion, arising from the conflicting views among Christians, is somewhat obviated by the in- increasing candor manifested by the preachers in dif- ferent denominations. Party spirit and zeal is much abated in the general mode of presenting truth in pub- lic. But we have some fears lest the danger may now run into an opposite extreme, — not an extreme in the catholic spirit of the Gospel, but of latitudinarian views on its essential doctrines, and liberality of sentiment in GOSPEL HEARERS, 137 regard to the loose practices of Christians in their con- formity to the spirit of the world. If this worldly spirit is at all countenanced, or gently passed over by the teachers of Christianity, what is the sober-minded moralist to think ? If, he may say, religion tolerates these compliances, or does not restrain them, what is the difference it makes ? May not I have as good a chance as many of these professors ? This is a great evil, and calculated to mislead even thinking men. And this is not all : this corrupt, worldly, liberal taste of the age is a temptation to ministers to comply with it, — not to corrupt the Gospel, but to blunt the edge of the sword of the Spirit, — not to cancel the truth, but to mix it up with so much extraneous human elo- quence, that it is scarcely perceptible. Not long since, conversing with a respected neighbor on the subject, he made the following remark : "I can sit and am entertained with an eloquent sermon ; but when the speaker is done, I am at a loss to know what he has been driving at." It is not supposed that ordinary hearers are skilled in systematic theology ; nor is it supposed that any one discourse ought to embrace the whole system ; hence, sermons delivered, as it were, at random, without any regard to consecutive order in the subjects, and with very little reference to the wants of the people or the state of things in the church, are not apt to be appre- ciated. K the cardinal doctrines are not presented in due proportion with the practical inferences that natu- rally flow from them, the practical instructions fail for want of motive, and the theory fails to find a lodg- 1^* 138 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. ment in the minds of the hearers. This thought suggests a strong plea in behalf of studying the Bible in the case of those who desire to make progress under preaching. The commendation of the noble Bereans was, that they "received the preached word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so ; therefore many of them helievecV In view of all these things, it has occurred to us, in the present case, that perhaps we could not do a better service to those we are now addressing, than try to help them understand the Bible, and consequent- ly appreciate preaching, by giving a brief analysis of its leading doctrines, as received by all evangelical Christians. In the study of any particular science — mathematics for instance,— if the fundamental axioms, or leading principles, are passed over slightly, or mis- appreliended,, the succeeding branches and illustrations will not be pursued and studied with pleasure or profit. Just so with the Bible. If the mind is not in some measure indoctrinated in its great first princij)les, then the illustrations brought out in occasional sermons will not be duly appreciated, and will be heard at much disadvantage. It has pleased God, in his infinite wisdom, to convey instruction to us in a variety of forms : hence the historical, biographical, prophetical, doctrinal, devo- tional, and practical parts of the Bible. Under all these forms he instructs us in the knowledge of his attributes, of the principles of his holy moral govern- ment, of his plan and purposes in reference to the human race, and of the terms on which alone he can GOSPEL HEAREKS. 139 save sinful mea. In regard to these instructions, they are not drawn up in any systematic order, but scatter- ed over the whole surface of the Bible ; and yet in such a way as may be understood by those who study it with attention and a sincere desire to "come to the knowledge of the truth." To assist in understanding the system of divine truth taught in the Bible, bodies of men, learned in the Scriptures, have been appointed by the churches, on several occasions, to draw up what are called systems of theology, — and hence the cate- chisms and confessions of faith in the several churches of Christendom. These have been of incalculable use ; but, like every other good thing, may be abused. When they are set up as the standard of truth, and regarded with a reverence almost equal to the Bible, there may be danger lest, in some minds, they usurp its place, and retard the study of the Scriptures and the freedom of private judgment. Hence it has occur- red to us, that a few simple remarks on some subjects that have originated controversies may be of some use, not only to assist ordinary readers, but to harmonize the views of Christians. Our brief notes may not come up to the views of some, yet we think they will not be controverted by any. ^u ©utUne of Cbristiau STIjcoIogg. In tracing the origin of God's plan of procedure towards his creatures, we are, in thought, led up to the love of God. Let it be an established principle in the mind of every reader of the Bible, that " God is love^ Love characterizes all he does and says. It would not 14:0 A PLEA FOK THE BIBLE, be difficult to prove tliat love dictated the awful pen- alty of his law, and prepared the prison-house of hell. There are two kinds of love, — the love of benevolence, or good-will, and the love of complacency, or delight. God's love of benevolence, as we conceive, prompted the plan of Creation, as well as the plan of Eedemption. The supreme object he had in view in both was his own glory ; but in connection with this there was the love of beings, — the love of conferring happiness. He formed sentient beings on which he might exercise his benevolence, and created the material universe for their accommodation and comfort. His benevolence extends to all sentient beings, whether rational or irrational — whether they have a good, or a bad, or no moral char- acter at all, — from the highest angel to the meanest insect. " The Lord is good unto all ; and his tender mercies are over all his works." But his love of com- placency is confined to moral beings who are possessed of moral excellence. Nothing but goodness, or holi- ness, can be the object of his complacency or delight. While love originates " the counsel of his own will," the whole is directed by infinite knowledge and wis- dom. Here the prescience, or foreknowledge, of God meets us ; but knowledge and foreknowledge, as ap- plied to him, mean one and the same thing. It is from the weakness of our conceptions and the poverty of language that we apply such terms as foresight and remembrance to the knowledge of God, — to whose clear and unvarying intuition the whole series of ob- jects which derive their existence from his pleasure are ever present. GOSPEL HEARERS. 141 We may conceive of a period of God's existence when nothiDg existed but himself; and we maj con- ceive of other forms and modes of existence, different from those which actually do exist. All possible exis- tences may be conceived of ; and the more perfect any understanding is, the more complete is the comprehen- sion of things possible in that understanding. To the supreme mind there was distinctly represented, not only all the single objects which might have been brought into existence, but all possible combinations of single objects, — their relations, and their mutual influence on the systems of which they might form a part. Out of this rej)resentation of possibilities, which is implied in the perfection of the divine understanding, God selected those single objects, and those combinations of single objects, which he determined to bring into positive existence: therefore, every circumstance in the manner of the existence of that which should exist in his universal plan, thus depending entirely on his will, was known to him, because he had determined that so it should be. According to this view, God's determinate plan ex- tended to all worlds, — to their physical constructions, their sizes, distance, etc. The determination to produce our world, together with the whole combination of beings, causes, and effects that were to come into ex- istence in connection with it, arose out of the view of all possible worlds ; and proceeded upon reasons, to us unsearchable, by which this world that now exists appeared to the divine mind the fittest to be produced. As far as we can perceive to the contrary, it was possi- 142 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. ble for this world to have existed under different cir- cumstances from the present, as to its size, surface, revolutions, etc. But the decree of God settled the mountains, gave the sea its bounds, and determined the length of the seasons, etc. According to the same view, the condition of the human race entered into this plan. As before, we may conceive it possible for the human race to have been created in different circumstances than they are, as to their physical formation, mental capacities, natu- ral and moral relations, etc. They might have been as the angels, independent one of another ; or, as they are, a series of beings. If the actions and moral standing of the first man were to affect or determine the condition of Lis posterity, his surroundings might have been such as to have prevented his sinning, and so been confirmed in holiness ; and thus to have se- cured the holiness and happiness of the race. In that case, it is obvious that the obedience or holiness nei- ther of Adam nor of his posterity would have any moral character— it would not have been the obedience of choice, but of necessity. Even to our feeble concep- tions this would have detracted from the glory of the Creator, whose glory is obviously promoted by the voluntary services of free moral agents. Upon the whole, then, it seems to have appeared best to the divine mind, in view of all possible existences, to cre- ate men free moral agents. In view even of all the consequences, it seemed most conducive to his own glory and the general good, that man should be free. Accordingly, Adam, although the moral condition of GOSPEL HEARERS. 143 the wliole human race was involved in his conduct, was made free to stand, and free to fall. In making men free, God knew that sin would be the conse- quence ; and yet, in view of all the consequent train of evils, extending forward even to eternity, he chose^ he fixed in his eternal purpose, a moral system. In this he is not the author of sin. He did not choose a moral system for the sake of the evil. Sin was always the abominable thing which he hated ; but he decided on this condition, even in connection with the sin, as the one most conducive to the end he had in view. There is another question on which men have specu- lated and differed ; and that is, the real condition to which the sin of Adam reduced his posterity. This question receives the best elucidation from the Bible account of the state to which sin brought Adam him- self And what was the state of mind to which sin reduced him ? Instead of going to meet God, when lie " heard his voice in the cool of the day," with holy desire of communion with him as heretofore, he ran away from him. Instead of returning with deep sor- row and repentance, confessing his sin to his Maker, he tried to conceal it, and to hide himself " from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the gar- den." Even when arraigned, he began to palliate and excuse his sin. " The woman whom thou gavest me tempted me." Oh ! what selfishness is in sin ! that, in- stead of shielding, would implicate his own companion. There was even an insinuation against God himself. " The woman whom thou gavest me." Oh ! what im- pudence is in sin ! It was, in short, a i^tate of entire 144 A PLEA roil THE BIBLE. alienation from God — of total depravity — an utter aversion to all that was good and holy — a shunning of light, and " loving darkness rather than light." In this state he " begat a son in his own likeness " — just like himself — totally depraved. The stream cannot rise above its fountain. Thus it was that " sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned." Thus it was, that Adam's first sin affected himself, and by ordinary generation, or descent, affected the whole race. This was the ar- rangement in the divine mind. It was a part of his universal plan ; and there is benevolence to be noticed even here. He designed that men should subsist, or come into existence, under equal circumstances ; and to this end he tried the human race in one man — the fairest specimen, too, that could be produced. Thus Adam was not only the natural but moral rep- resentative of his posterity. As he stood they stood, as he fell they fell, or became utterly depraved in na- ture — averse to good and inclined to evil — hating light, and loving darkness. That this was unjust^ no one can prove ; for none can show that any sinner suffers more than he deserves. He suffers not for the sin of another, but for his own sin. That it was wise, and benevolent, is apparent, for out of this arrangement arise all the advantages that grow out of the social or- ganization. Had the race been composed, as we sup- posed it might have been, of individuals independent one of another, where the conduct of one, good or evil, could have affected no one but himself, there could no GOSPEL HEARERS. 145 social bonds have existed among them. If one con- tinued in innocence, he would have been purely holy ; if another transgressed, he would have been purely wicked. In that case they could not have exchanged mutual aid, sympathy, nor compassion. When sin found its way among angels, the good and the evil could not dwell together. " The angels that sinned " were cast out of heaven. But men were designed, necessarily, to live together ; and it was best, upon the whole, for reasons before mentioned, that they should ■■ subsist, or come into existence under equal circum- stances. We have another observation to make on this sub- ject. When Adam sinned, he did not become an idiot. His understanding did not leave him. Before he fell he had the knowledge of good ; afterwards he had the knowledge of both good and evil. He did not lose his moral sense of right and wrong. He re- tained a consciousness of guilt. He did not become irresponsible, as some suppose. He was called to a strict account. His guilt made him afraid, because he " knew that he was naked," or exposed to punishment. So it is with his posterity. They have all the facul- ties of free moral agents — understanding, will, and affections. They have natural powers, or ability to know and do the will of God. But such is the de- pravity of the heart, or affections, that they invari- ably set them upon, and consequently choose, wrong objects. They have no moral ability — no will nor in- clination to do good, until renewed by the grace of God. Adam having failed in his probation, his pos- 146 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. terity derived no blessing tlirougli him, but a curse. Consequent!}'-, tliej are left, each one to answer for himself, as accountable subjects of God's moral gov- ernment, on a new probation, with the addition of the Gospel revelations and the Gospel provisions brought in by Christ, the Second Adam. ' ' Through whom the sons of Adam boast More blessings than their father lost." With these fundamental facts of the Bible, thus far, kept before the mind, and settled in the judgment, it would be read with more understanding and greater profit. But when there is confusion in the mind in regard to first principles, neither the Bible itself, nor Gospel preaching, can be duly appreciated. Having tried to explain to you the ruin that has be- fallen our race, we now go on in the same simple style to speak of the remedy provided by heaven. Equally with the evils attendant on a moral system, the gTeat remedy for the evil was included' in God's eternal, universal plan. It was no after expedient to meet an ■unforeseen evil, but was embraced in " the determin- ate counsel and foreknowledge of God." This remedy was no other than the atonement made by "Jesus Christ, God's Son, whose blood cleanseth from all sin." He was the " Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," in the purpose of God. And, blessed be his name, the remedy is as extensive as the evil. He is the " Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." " He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." GOSPEL HEARERS. 147 This plan, as we said, originated in love — the love of benevolence. Every creature has a share in his be- nevolent feelings and exertions, in proportion to its importance in the scale of being. This love extends to sinners as well as to saints— to the worst as well as to the best of mankind. "He so loved the world " — the apostate race of man : — such is the comment of Scott, the distinguished expositor of the Bible. " He so loved the apostate race that he gave his only be- gotten son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life." Such are but a few texts of Scripture relative to the atonement ; and we know of no terms in our language that could more strongly express its all-suf&ciency and universality. We see not how Ave can interpret such passages in any other sense than that Christ by his death made atone- ment or satisfaction, or, " died for all " — that is, satis- fied law and justice, and vindicated the divine govern- ment in showing mercy to one as much as in showing mercy to another ; or, in other words, laid an ample ground for pardoning the whole human race, other things being equal. Of this, more in the sequel. Let us consider this atonement in its relations to the moral government of God. We said, /that in adopting a moral system, and in making men free, he knew that sin would be the consequence. This evil was to be met in a way that should most redound to his own glory and the good of the universe. The inevitable consequence of sin was punishment proportioned to its infinite demerit. As a holy moral Governor, God was under a moral necessity to punish sin ; but we 148 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. judge of his emotions in this, which is so foreign to his benevolent feelings, when he exclaims, " Oh, do not this abominable thing, which I hate" — when we read that judgment is his "strange work — his strange act." His design in connecting such severe and last- ing punishment with sin cannot be resentment against the sinner. It is a benevolent regard for the general good. He willeth no man to suffer. He is not "wil- ling that any should perish." He provides a way by which he can accomplish more perfectly what would have been accomplished by the inflexible execution of the law on the offenders. A principal object of punish- ment is, to make a moral impression — to suppress sin — to promote holiness. It is " that others may hear, and fear, and do no more wickedly." If a plari can be adopted which shall produce the same impression which punishment would have done, it would be a plan worthy of God. To have pardoned sin without adequate satisfaction to law and justice would have been to set them both aside ; it would have been the watchword for rebellion, and unsafe for the universe. It is the glory of the Gospel that it provides for the safe forgiveness of sin. We are taken to the cross of Christ, and we see the nature and the effects of sin there. It says, " If these things be done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry ?" If the son of God suffered so under sin when only imputed to him, what shall be done to the actual sinner, who by im- penitence and unbelief is fitting himself for destruc- tion ? We arc nowhere taught in the Bible that Christ en- GOSPEL HEARERS. 149 dured the precise amount of suffering, in nature and kind, of those that would otherwise have been in- curred by the myriads and millions for whom he died. It is true, "he bore our sins in his own body on the tree" — that he was "made a curse for us" — that "on him was laid the iniquities of us all." No created mind can conceive what constituted his agony in the garden, and his mental anguish on the cross. But he cannot be supposed to have endured remorse of con- science, which will be the essence of the misery of the finally lost. Nor were his sufferings eternal. All we can say is, they were equivalent to satisfy for the sins of men. It was the dignity of the sufferer that con- stituted the value and efiicacy of his atonement. Sus- tained by his divine nature, he expiated in a few hours the sins of myriads, for which they otherwise must have suffered through endless ages. This is an as- pect of the atonement seldom alluded to, and which we sometimes love to contemplate, viz., the lessening of the amount of suffering in the universe. This we have conceived of as the economy of redemption — the vast saving of suffering. It is an exhibition not only of the inflexible justice of God, but of his infinite benevolence in introducing a plan for accomplishing what punishment was naturally designed to do, with less expense of suffering in the universe. Speaking of the omniscience of Gocl, we regard it as extending to every certain event in the universe ; consequently, it extends to the definite number of those who shall eventually be saved. This leads to a few more simple remarks on the work of the Holy 150 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. Spirit. If the Divine prescience extends to all certain events, the influences of the Spirit, in their mode, their measure^ and their results, must be embraced in the "determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." In regard to the onode of the Spirit's influences, we can say but little. Thus far we may say, that it is not physical compulsion, but moral influence, that he uses. He uses no other force than the force of truth. It is the influence of mind upon mind. If we wished to reform an evil habit in a fellow-man — suppose the habit of intemperance or profaneness — we would not think of applying physical force. We would calmly reason, and kindly present the arguments and motives to the contrary. This is a moral means or influence. The object which the Holy Spirit has in view, in deal- ing with a sinner, is, to induce him to repent — to be- lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ — to choose the glory of God as his chief end, and the favor of God as his chief good. When this is effected the man is changed, he is renewed, he is regenerated. We observe no physi- cal influence in this. It is effected through the instru- mentality of tlie truth. He is "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible ; by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever." This, as we observed before, affords a strong plea in behalf of studying the Bible, which is an instrumen- tality so admirably adapted to this end. It contains the great truths relating to the law of God, and to re- demption by Jesus Christ. These, when distinctly understood, and accompanied as they are with such powerful motives, are so calculated to move the soul. GOSPEL HEARERS. 151 that, with the Spirit's light and influence, the careful reading of the Bible has been the means of conversion to thousands. The ordinance of preaching, whose ob- ject is to bring out these truths before the minds of hearers in a clear and convincing point of view, is also a divinely appointed means of conversion. But, alas ! ministers are often but partially illuminated. They often present truth in so confused a manner as tends even to embarrass the minds of hearers, and are unsuccessful. The more divinely illuminated a minis- ter is, the more likely is he to win souls. But even the best needs the Holy Spirit to follow his efforts, to take of the things of Christ and show them to the people. The measure and results of the Spirit's influence, as we said, are the objects of the divine prescience. As " a sparrow falleth not to the ground without our heavenly Father ;" so these influences fall as directed by omniscience. The Spirit is an intelligent and in- dependent agent, " The wind bloweth where it lisi- eili ; . , , . so is every one that is born of the Spirit." "Wherever the truth of the Gospel is clearly ex- hibited, his influences, more or less, are felt. There are none who attend faithful preaching but have felt, at times, some apprehension of danger — had some per- ception of the terms of salvation — some convictions of duty — some desires of conversion, etc. In such cases the influence of the Spirit has been measurably ex- perienced. But if these faint desires have not been followed with earnest striving to enter the strait gate, if these terms have not been complied with, and if these convictions have been resisted, — God, having 152 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. done so much, is under no conceivable obligation to do more ; and if the careless, slothful sinner dies in his sins, he perishes without a shadow of an excuse ; and for no other reason than that he would not come to Christ that he might have life. He voluntarilj re- jects salvation when it was in his offer, and within his reach. But if, in the development of God's universal plan, another individual in placed in different and more favorable circumstances ; if the truth apprehended, and brought home by the conscience, is cherished ; and if, through the influences of overpowering mo- tives, armed by a further divine energy, he is persuad- ed to choose God for his portion, and Jesus Christ for his Saviour, that individual is laid under obligation to acknowledge distinguishing grace. The other individ- ual has had no injury, no injustice done him. He was , placed in such circumstances as God's universal and providential plan admitted ; and left to his free choice, free to accej)t or reject a free salvation sincerely offered, and fully adequate to meet his case. Here the solemn doctrine of divine sovereignty is fully recognized, and the doctrine of the eternal election of grace comes dis- tinctly to view : But God is not an arbitrary sov- ereign — not a being who acts without a reason. He has as good reasons for this as for any other part of his procedure. These reasons were before his mind from eternity ; but he has not revealed them. Here we feel to say witli Christ, " I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed GOSPEL HEARERS. 153 tliem unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Into these reasons neither men nor angels may inquire, " He giveth no account of his matters." " He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Such, Gospel hearer, is a brief outline of Christian Theology. It is the sum and substance of Gospel preaching ; which, as some writer quaintly observes, may be included under the three E's ; Euin by sin, Eedemption by Christ, and Eegeneration by the Holy Spirit. We have extended these remarks much be- yond what we at first contemplated ; but if they assist you in your Bible reading, or Gospel hearing, we have our reward. If they convey to your mind any new ideas of the divine character, and you approbate them, we hope they may lead to some further inquiry. Let us repeat the suggestion with which we intro- duced these remarks, and that is, whatever others may think, or whatever you may heretofore have thought, — " God is LOVE." And let us again assure you, that the more you know of him the more you will love him. If you want to know more of his lovely character, the Bible is the book to instruct you. If, as some have done, you have taken up some false impressions of his character, and viewed him as a be- ing of stern severity, remember that those threaten- ings and denunciations from which some have formed their opinions, are directed against incorrigible trans- gressors who set aside his authority, and despise all those manifestations of his love in the gift of his Son to be their Eedeemer.. But read, and you will see, 154 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. that to the humble, penitent believer, he is all that your heart could wish. There is no enemy like God, and there is no friend like him. His favor is worth seeking. " His favor is life, and his loving kindness better than life." €ttnx& of Salbation, anb Conxlubiirg §ippcal. We have supposed you as standing idle ; as having by no public act of yours given in your adhesion to the Gospel, your decision to be on the Lord's side. Uniting with the church is not essential to this. The first thing is to seek a religious experience, and then the other will not long be delayed. Perhaps you are, like some, waiting for some such powerful influence as you will not be able to resist. This is a mistaken view, and nowhere encouraged in the Bible. It teaches that God's agency works together with ours. The decision has to be made by ourselves, sooner or later. Perhaps you are delaying under some darkness of mind in re- gard to the terms of salvation. This is a very com- mon case, and we would that we might be enabled to assist you on this momentous point. In the foregoing chapters we have endeavored to show, by irrefragible proofs, that the Bible is a revela- tion of things invisible to mortal vision ; that it is given, or inspired by God, whose knowledge is infinite ; that it unfolds his decisions in regard to our relations to him and to eternity. It reveals to us, authoritatively, the holy law of God, the principles of his moral gov- ernment, and the plan he has adopted for saving sin- ners of the human race. It explains, under a variety GOSPEL HEAREES. 155 of illustrations, liuman duty, wliicli if practised will eventuate in liuman happiness. It is a liglit unto our feet and a lamp unto our path ; discovering the down- ward road that leads to death, and illuminating the upward pathway, leading to life and immortality^ All this is readily admitted, but still the question recurs, How shall I, a wandering sinner, turn my feet into the path of life ? How shall I obtain a religious experience ? The first thing which occurs to us to say to you here is, Eealize that you are a being, endowed with reason ; that you are a human being, possessed of understanding, will, and affections ; and that to you as such, the histories, the revelations, and appeals of the Bible are addressed. The Bible is a divine book, emanating from the divine mind ; but it is couched in human language, conversant with human affairs, and adapted to all the circumstances of the outward and inner life of man. It is addressed to him just as he is, as a wanderer from God, and exposed to his just dis- pleasure both here and hereafter; but, at the same time, as possessed of intellect to weigh evidence, to compare, and to choose. Now, under all these circumstances, God, through the medium of the Bible, comes to terms of accommo- dation with man, and says, " Come, now, let us reason together." What then are those terms ? They are so simple that you will scarcely realize the fact. They are simplj^, to believe on evidence afforded ; to believe the testimony of God himself! It is unnecessary here to repeat the sum and substance of that testimony as relating to the law and its penalty ; to the sinfulness 156 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. and exposure of every liuman being to " everlasting destruction from tlie presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ; " to the promises of God to the penitent ; to " the record God gave of his Son," etc., etc. On all these subjects the Bible treats and expati- ates at length ; they demand the attention of every hu- man being ; and he who neglects, or treats them with indifference, violates the dictates of reason. On all these subjects God hath emitted his testimony ; and all that he requires of his rational creatures is, " Have faith in Qody If the evidence in favor of the divine inspi- ration of the Bible were incomplete, there would be no guilt in neglecting it ; but being, as it is, incontrover- tibly established, to disregard its testimony is to join issue with God, and to exclude us from mercy. Tin- belief does this. Faith in God, then, is the simple condition of salvation. It is the turning-point of a re- ligious experience. Faith, as delineated in the Bible, in its essence, or first elementary act, is the belief of the truth, — the lay- ing hold of the soul upon the word of God. It is the same in every age. Such was the faith of ancient worthies so celebrated by Paul ; such was the faith of the Koman centurion, and of the Syrophenician wo- man so commended by the Saviour himself. This simplicity has been sadly lost sight of. Instead of de- fining faith as a strong belief men have clothed it in numberless new characters and definitions, with the view, as they suppose, to give it more clearness and efficacy ; but instead of this it has become so mixed up with other ideas, that it is almost impossible to offer GOSPEL HEARERS. 157 it as a simple and immediate resource to tliose who are destitute and ready to perish. Faith, such as duties and human works have made and described it, is no longer that winch appeared in the woman who said, " If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole ; " or in the centurion, who said, " Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed ; " and which then animated so many simple minds destitute of much that is now supposed essential to true faith. We repeat this idea, for it is an important one* Faith takes God at his word — receives the truth as communicated by him — and lays hold on eternal life the moment it is offered. If the truth of God is re- vealed as instruction, faith receives it in the "Word that contains it, and thus it becomes the living seed of holi- ness. If the truth of God comes in facts and promises, faith, not passively but actively, accepts and embraces them, submits to their influence, and adopts whatever consequences they may lead to. If this truth is a com- mandment, faith becomes an obedience — the obedience of faith. If the truth be a doctrine, faith becomes a profession ; " Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you;" "obeying the truth through the Spirit." The truth received by faith is the entrance of a divine principle into the soul. By this the Lord, who knows them that are his, chooses us from the world that he may keep us from the evil. "Chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and helief of the truth," God has done it all through faith. By its influence he operates on man, and through man, as there is nothing accomplished in 158 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. tlie world but by liis sovereign power. And as the influence of God upon men is attributed to men them- selves, according to a^opearances, the men of God have done it all through faith, and through its influence alone. Thus explained and comprehended, the eleventh chapter of Hebrews illustrates the life of faith in all the examples recorded in the Bible. Dear reader, we are addressing you as a Gospel hearer, as in the habit of attending on preaching, as possessing a Bible, and as regarding it with some de- gree of respect and reverence. But our serious appeal to your heart and conscience is. Do you really and truly believe the whole testimony of God therein pre- sented to your eye, to your understanding, and reason ? You say you are not an infidel. But if you are an un- believer, wherein lies the difference ? The one openly professes his unbelief ; the other professes a belief in the. Bible, while his conduct proves the contrary. Faith in a divine testimony is the same, as to its essence, as faith in a human testimony. Every one receives and understands the simplest definition of faith in re- gard to worldly matters. It is simple belief. When testimony on sufficient evidence is received on matters of worldly concern that deeply interest us, it is imme- diately acted upon in one way or another. It regulates the merchant in his business; its influence is visible in all the affairs of life. We can perceive no difference, and can give no reason why authenticated testimony on spiritual matters will not, when believed, be simi- larly accompanied with correspondent practical effects. Did the unconverted sinner truly and fully believe all GOSPEL HEARERS. 159 that God hath spoken in reference to his case, his faith or belief on that subject would become manifest. Is it possible for him really to believe that he is lying under the wrath of God, and, in consequence of the uncertainty of life, in danger every hour of falling into endless misery, and yet feel no anxiety, and make no effort to escape, corresponding with the nature of his belief? No, it is impossible, the human mind con- stituted as it is. He who has no feeling nor anxiety on this subject, has no faith in God's testimony relating to it. On the other hand, when the soul, under the alarm of conscious guilt, is seeking salvation, it is di- rected to "the record that God gave of his Son," — his testimony concerning the justifying righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justifying or saving faith is simple be- lief of this testimony. " With the heart man believeth unto righteousness," or, to obtain righteousness. Oh ! then, who will not embrace this simple plan of God's mercy to sinners ? Here you may further peruse our suggestions addressed to orthodox Christians on the subject of the faith of assurance. Considering thus the terms of salvation, we do not overlook for a moment our entire dependence on sovereign grace. This is one of the doctrines to be believed, and when believed the result will be a con- sciousness of human weakness allied to confidence in the diiine efficiency. The divine agency we cannot explain, and hence our remarks relate chiefly to our own action in this great concern. The overtures of mercy are addressed to us as possessed of intelligence to weigh testimony and choose for ourselves. Hence 160 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. a term of salvation, or the act of decision, is sometimes expressed as an act of the will: " Wilt thou be made whole? " " Choose ye this day whom ye will serve." Now, we know of no prerequisite for this act but a conviction of having wandered from God. If you have a sense of sinfulness, helplessness, unhappiness, without an interest in Christ, be thankful for this feel- ing : it is the Spirit's influence on your mind. If ever he brings you to this decision, to this happy choice, and to the Christian experience, we will not assure you that you will be able to date the precise period of the happy change; and, therefore, never will have it to say that you had any efficient agency in it. And yet the whole process will be a voluntary transaction — a cooperation of anxious concern, diligent inquiry, de- vout prayer, and humble decision of mind. Sometimes this transaction is described as submission. " Submit yourselves to God." This means, entire resig- nation and consecration to his will. The human heart is naturally proud and unsubmissive. But self-will must be crucified, and pride hid from your eyes, before you can obtain a good Christian experience. Perhaps you are favorably affected in regard to religion — seek- ing it — and wondering why you cannot find full satis- faction. What may be the reason of this ? Perhaps you are praying, and desirous to be happy in religion, but wishing this in some way of your own — with some mental reservation — some cherished idol in your bosom — some favorite lust indulged — some obvious duty ex- cused. Ah ! this is not coming up, or rather not com- ing down to God's terms. All he requires is an un- GOSPEL HEAREllS. 161 conditional surrender — such, a subraission> as resigns you to liis sovereign will in all things. "Lord, xvhat wilt thou have me to do V was the language in which Paul made this surrender to Christ. There is a period, a turning-point in the experience of every child of Grod, of which this language may be considered the expression. Although it may be difficult, in most cases impossible, to refer to the precise period, this was the sentiment, the feeling of the soul, whether uttered or unexpressed, "Lord, ivhat wilt thou have me to do?" If there be any human transaction to illustrate this, it may be compared to signing a blank paper and giving it into the hand of another to fill up with what- soever terms he pleases. In transactions betvv^een man and man, there are often articles of agreement drawn up for each party to sign. But as we have not im- plicit confidence in any of our fellow-men, none of us would sign the instrument until we had first looked over and considered the terms expressed. In this solemn transaction between the soul and God it is dif- ferent. We must have such entire, implicit confidence in him, — in his wisdom, goodness, and mercy, — that we can, as it were, sign a blank, and hold it up to Jesus to inscribe in it what terms he sees fit to impose. What were his terms with Paul on his submission ? Eead the whole passage in the ninth chapter of the Acts. Among other things you will find this, " I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." You may think this was severe terms, a hard bargain ; but oh ! dear reader, the grace to bear the cross, the consolations under suffering, and the pros- 8* 162 A PLEA FOR THP: BIBLE. pect of the crown, infinitel}^, infinitely compensated for all. So will it be with you when you make the solemn, the cheerful, the entire surrender of yourself to God in thus covenanting with him. Bat perhaps you are among those whose resolutions have a reference only to the future. This is the most dangerous and critical case of all. Such resolutions only obliterate the sense of present responsibility. They leave the soul, as it were, at present liberty to indulge in sin and sloth. This purpose, this intention, this resolution, to attend to religion in future has a natural tendency to calm all present solicitude, to harden the heart, and to darken the prospect of its ever being carried into effect. that we could dispel this artful, this destructive delusion by which the arch- adversary destroys so many souls, once hopeful and even promising in their experience ! We have only one more plea to present. So long as you delay this decision, you deprive yourself of true enjoyment. This, we are aware, is a plea which the natural man finds it difficult to appreciate. An un- changed man can form no conception of the real enjoy- ment of a decided Christian. He does not love much to engage with him in the interchange of sentiment. He cannot enter into his feelings as in secret he holds communion with his God and Saviour. " A stranger intermeddleth not with his joy." But even natural reason can form some j udgment in the case. There are many comforts reserved for the unrenewed man, such as his case affords. He may be prospering in all that relates to his temporal estate. He may be a moral GOSPEL HEAREES. 163 man, and mingle witli respectable society. He may have domestic endearments and social attachments. He may have fashionable parties of pleasure, and re- creation, feasting, music, and the festive dance, and many such amusements as the world calls rational and innocent. But let the thought of eternity and eternal retributions cross his mind — let but the conviction come that he is hastening to the judgment, to which a few months or weeks may bring him, and where is his enjoyment ? He has comforts such as his case affords, but he has not the comforts of religion, the blessed hope of the Gospel, the joy of the Holy Ghost, un- speakable, and full of glory. But who is to be judge in this matter ? The unre- newed man is incompetent to decide. He has no Christian experience so as to compare it with that of the opposite character. But the truly regenerated child of God, if his testimony is asked, comes to us with the experience of both sides. While he was of the world, he had opportunities of knowing and tasting such joys and pleasures as it could afford; and even at the time, he says, they were often unsatisfactory, insipid, and irrational. But now, since he has had a taste of the comforts and enjoyments of .true religion and elevated piety, the former appear low and base in the comparison. Communion and fellowship with God give "more joy than thousands of gold and sil- ver." The comforts of the Spirit are " sweeter than honey and the honey-comb." And, best of all, they are lasting and eternal as the mind. Oh ! to be a de- cided Christian I to have God for our friend, Jesus for 164 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. our redeemer and elder brother, the Holy Spirit for our sanctifier, guide, and comforter, and the sure pros- pect of a home in heaven at last, infinitely repay any self-denial religion may require, all the reproach and persecution that ever martyr endured ! Dear reader, we scarcely know how to leave you. Our closing word to you is, if you wish to be happy, be a decided Christian. This is what the Bible inculcates, what God expects of his redeemed children, and what the Holy Spirit promises to work in every faithful follower of Jesus. CHAPTEE IX. TESTIMONIES OF ANCIENT CHEISTIAN FATHERS. Since writing the foregoing chapters, and finishing our simple pleadings for the Bible, we were providen- tially led to the perusal of some of the writings of D'Aubigne, in which were many quotations from the early Fathers of the Christian church. We were pecu- liarly struck with the force of some of their testimonies in behalf of the Holy Scriptures, and the thought oc- curred that it might be of service to some who had no access to such writings, to bring these testimonies to- gether here, and thus add to the value of our little volume. It appeared as if it might increase the force of our pleading to adduce what celebrated early con- fessors and martyrs had to say on the same behalf. It may be that God may use, and testify of their gifts, and that they by them, although dead, may 3^et speak. Irenaeus— A. D. 177. He was a disciple of Polycarp, and had himself sat at the feet of the apostle John. He had crossed the seas, and took up his abode in Lyons, in France, where he became a minister. Refuting the objection of those who suppose the Scriptures obscure and ambiguous, he says: "These things are placed before our eyes 166 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. openly and without ambiguity in the different books of Scripture. All these may openly and without am- biguity equally he understood hy all. They must be very stupid who close their eyes against so clear a revelation, and refuse to admit the light of the preach- ed word." Clement of Alexandria.— A. D. 190. He travelled in search of truth, visiting the schools of philosophy, till he came to Egypt, and there he first heard the Gospel and believed. Afterward he spread the truth through Egypt, Jerusalem, and Antioch. To such as complain that they cannot understand the Bible, he says: "Let him whose eyes are obscured by a bad education, and by false doctrines, hasten to the light, to the truth, to the Holy Scriptures, which will reveal to him what cannot be written. The Bible kindles a spark in the soul ; it opens the spirit's eyes, that it may see ; and, like the gardener who grafts a tree, communicates to it something new." Origen.— A. D. 220. He was successor to Clement, and was called the great Doctor of the Church. Writing to his former pupil, Gregory Nazianzen, he says: "My son, read above all with deep attention ; for this is requisite in order to speak and judge of them without precipitation. If 3^ou persevere in the reading of the Bible with a fixed mind and with faith, knock, and whatever is shut will be opened to you by the porter of whom Jesus speaks in the Gospel according to St. John, chap, x., TESTIMONIES OF ANCIENT FATHERS. 167 verse 8. Nevertheless, it is not enougli to seek and to knock ; that which is most of all necessary to enable us to understand heavenly things, is jprayer. The Saviour enjoins it on us when he says, not only ' Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,' but also, ' x\sk, and it shall be given unto you.' " Cyprian— A. D, 258. He was Bishop of Carthage, in Africa. He devoted his life to the preaching of the Cross throughout Africa and all the West, in the midst of a great persecution ; and, at a great age, closed his labors in martyrdom. The following is his language : " God was pleased to reveal much to his servants, the prophets ; but how much greater are the revelations which his Son has given us — those which the word of God, who inspired the prophets, has made known to us — with his own voice. He commands no longer that the way shall be prepared before him ; but he comes himself. He points out to us the way of life, and freely opens its entrance to us ; and we who were lying in darkness and in the shadow of death, are enlightened by the illumination of His Spirit, that we may be enabled to walk in that path under His divine guidance. O brothers,' well beloved I the teachings of the Gospel are the lessons of God himself; these are the foundations on which our faith must rest, the helm which directs our vessel, the citadel in which we find safety. They who in sincere faith receive these teachings on earth, will be guided to that glorious Home which God has prepared for them who love him." 168 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. Athanasius.— A. D. 325. He lived in the midst of a great controversy. He stood unmoved in the faith in the midst of a host of bishops who at that time denied the divinity of the Saviour; and was the author of that cekbrated creed that is known under his name. Speaking of those who contended with him, he says: "If you would bring forward something beyond what is written, why do you dispute with us ? We are determined to speak and to hear nothing in these matters but what God has revealed to us in Scripture." Addressing the heathen who were seeking God, he said : " The Holy Scriptures are inspired by God, and are sufficient to guide you into all truth." Hilary.-A. D. 350, He was Bishop of Poictiers, in France, and was highly esteemed for the depth of his piety and wisdom* Addressing the Emperor of the East, he says: "O Emperor, jon are seeking faith ; turn not in search of it to new and enticing books, but search the Scriptures, where alone its true foundation lies." Then addressing his own people, he said : " Let us read the things which are written, let us understand what we read, and then our faith will be perfect." Basil— A. D. 370. After studying in the celebrated schools of Athens, Alexandria, and Constantinople, he became Bishop of Cffisarea, and displayed his wisdom and benevolence in endeavoring to reconcile the contending churches TESTIMONIES OF AXCIENT FATHERS. 169 of the East and AVest. " It is right," he said, " and necessary, that each one should learn from the inspired AVord of God whatever is needful for his growth in grace, and to defend himself against the evils of human tradition. It is want of faith, it is great pride, it is a heinous crime, to wish to take anything away from Scripture, or add anything thereto." Ambrose.— A. D, 380. He was Bishop of Milan. Directing all to the true source of life, he says: "Drink of the two cups of the Old and New Testaments, for from each of them you may drink of Christ. Thus shall you drink of the blood by which you are redeemed. Thus shall you drink his words. The Old Testament, no less than the New, is all his word. We drink the Holy Scriptures, we devour the sacred Book, when the aliment of the eternal word descends into the veins of our soul, and the powers of our mind, for ' man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,' " Jerome.— A. D. 390, He does not appear to have been a bishop, but as a very learned man, and as a kind of hermit in Bethle- hem, he collected around him a multitude of disciples to learn the truths of Scripture. To a Koman lady of high rank he thus writes : " Teach your daughter, from her earliest years, to love the Holy Scriptures better than srems and silks. • Let her learn from Job a 170 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. lesson of patience and fortitude ; and passing thence, to tlie Gospel, let her never relax her hold on its blessed truths," To those who thought the Bible could not be understood hj all, he said : ' ' The apostles have written, and the Saviour himself has spoken in the Gospels, not that a few, but that all might understand. Plato wrote for the learned few, not for the mass ; and few indeed understand him. But those, — that is, the princes of the church, the prophets and apostles of the Lord Jesus, wrote not for the few, but for aS." Augustine.— A. D. 396. He spent his youth in vanity and dissipation. Next, he studied with great interest the art of rhetoric. The works of Ambrose attracted his attention, and filled his mind with shame and anguish. In the solitude of a garden he took up a Bible, and these words met his eye : " Put on the Lord Jesus." They were blessed to his conversion, and he found his Saviour. He became the Bishop of Hippo, in Africa, and was called the Torch of the West ; and has been acknowledged as the greatest of the fathers. The errors of Pelagius and Arius disturbed the church. The Bible became the earnest study among all classes of Christians, and was diligently circulated. Contending with the here- tics, he says : " Who knows not that the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are con- tained within certain limits, and that they are to be preferred far above all the later writings of the bishops, so that it is impossible to bring in doubt or question TESTIMONIES OF ANCIENT FATHERS. 171 whetb.er what is written be true and authentic ? There are, undoubtedly, certain books of God whose author- ity we all recognize ; we believe them, and we obey them. There let us seek to identify the church : by them let us discuss our cause. Let us cast away all arguments drawn from other sources. I cannot admit the authority of human documents as a rule of the church, nor anything but the oracles of God." To those who prefer to shun controversy, he says : " The soul and the object of all scripture is, the love of him who is the supreme good, and the love of his crea- tures, who are capable of obtaining happiness from him. The legitimate effect of Holy Scripture is, first, to bring him who reads it to acknowledge himself in bondage to the love of this world, and a stranger to the love of God and of his fellow-beings, which the Word enjoins. The knowledge of the truth gives life, and excites in man, instead of his former pre- sumptuous pride, humility and holy grief. Filled with deep sorrow, he is led to constant prayer, and in answer to it receives, by the grace of God, joy and peace in believing. He does not sink into despair at the sight of his guilt, but is filled with a hungering and thirsting after righteousness. He flies from the allurements of worldly and perishable pleasures, and a love for that which is unseen and eternal is kindled within him." Chrysostom.— A. D . 400. His eloquence was heard in the metropolis of Asia, attracted the attention of the imperial court, and he 172 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. was called to the archbisliop's chair of Constantinople, tlie new Eome, the capital of the world. Afterwards a tempest arose against him, caused by the empress, and he was cast from his seat, and banished to an inhospitable desert. Again, by the orders of the em- peror he was dragged thence, and died in the grasp of the soldiers, exclaiming, " Glory be to God." The fearless fidelity of his reproofs in the high places of the earth, is witnessed by the following quotations : " There are dice to be found in most houses, but Bibles in few, if any, and those who have them are as if they had them not, for they keep them magnifi- cently bound, and shut up in cases ; and own them, not for the benefit they may draw from them, but to display their taste and opulence. It was not for the purpose of shutting them up in rich covers that the Holy Scriptures were given to us, but to be engraven on our hearts," To those who complained of the want of time for reading the Bible, he said : " Is not the very fact a reproach to you, that you have allowed yourselves to become so absorbed in earthly things that joii have no leisure left for the most important and indispensa- ble of all ? But Ave have witnesses who declare that to be merely a vain excuse. These witnesses are your gay social assemblies, your presence at the theatre, and at other public places, where you sometimes spend whole days." To those who said they were too poor to obtain a Bible, he said : " Let me ask you if you have not all the implements necessary for your occu- pation ? And is it not in that case folly to allege TESTIMONIES OF ANCIENT FATHERS. 173 poverty as an excuse, in a question of sucli immense advantage?" To those who said, the Bible was for the use of the clergy, and not for laymen, he replies : "Let no one utter in my presence those cold and wicked words : I am a man of the world ; I have a wife and children ; it is not my business to read the Bible ; such an occupation becomes those who have renounced the world to lead a life of seclusion with God. What sayest thou, O man ! Is it not thy business to apply thyself diligently to the Scriptures, because thou art driven and tossed by ten thousand conflicting cares ? Precisely the reverse ; it is much more needful for thee than for those of whom thou dost speak. Far from the field of battle, they receive few wounds, but thou who art on the scene of com- bat, art incessantly wounded anew, and hast conse- quently need of many more remedies to cure thee. Let us not delay, then, to obtain a Bible, lest we mean- while receive a mortal stroke. Let us not heap up gold, but let us collect Bibles : the very sight of that holy book makes us shudder at our sinfulness. What then will it be, when, from^ a diligent reading of it, our souls shall have become living stones in the tem- ple of our God ?" To those who complained of ignorance, he said, " The grace of the Holy Ghost has caused these holy books to be written by publicans, by fishermen, by tent-makers, by shepherds, by herdsmen, by the illit- erate, for the express purpose that no person, however ignorant, might have recourse to that pretext for not reading them ; that the contents of the Scriptures 174 A PLEA FOR THE BIBLE. miglit be intelligible to all, and that tlie laborer, the servant, the poor widow, the most ignorant of men, might draw instruction from them. Destined to be teachers of the whole world, these sacred writers, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, have made known all things in a clear and distinct manner^ for the express purpose that each one might understand them for him- self, without finding it necessary to have recourse to another, I come not to you, said St Paul, with ex- cellency of speech or of wisdom. Take the Bible in your own hands — read ; retain firmly what you under- stand ; read over many times what seems to you obscure ; and then, if repeated stud}'' fail to make it clear to you, ask the assistance of a more enlightened brother, or of a teacher. God, who sees your zeal, will not allow your efforts to be fruitless. And even if no man make hnown to you what you seek^ Ood him- self will reveal it to you in his own good tim,e and man- ner. Remember the eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia (Acts viii.). He read as he journeyed, seated in his chariot. He had no one to explain to him what he read ; but Grod saw his zeal, and sent him a teacher. True, we have no longer a Philip, hut we have the Holy Spirit still who inspired Philip:' Thus far the testimonies of the early father's of the church, which furnish, we think, an important append- age to our little volume. Let them be read in connec- tion with the evidences, and what a testimony they bear to the genuineness and authenticity of the Scrip- tures ! But they need no comment, and we leave TESTIMONIES OF ANCIENT FATHERS. 175 them to speak for themselves. May God make a use of them in confirming the wavering, and in stimula- ting the zeal of all in searching and studying for themselves the precious Bible, THE END. 1 ,. -■ll BS480 .K59 A plea for the Bible Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Library 1 1012 00052 0967