into eternity without them, I must needs say you do not want courage.

You see, I have addressed you with unreserved freedom and familiarity. I have overlooked the distance of your character; and treated you as if we were in the same state of equality now as we shall quickly find ourselves before the tribunal of our glorious Judge. The cause requires this at my hands; and I should have been unfaithful, I had almost said unmerciful, to you, if I had not failed of the decorum which would have been my duty to have observed in any other case. I shall therefore depend upon your candid interpretation of this unpolished address, and your kind acceptance of the faithful designs and desires of,

Sir, your most obedient

humble servant.

LETTER II.

A BRIEF AND GENERAL VIEW OF THE EVIDENCES OF CHRIS

66

'TIANITY.

SIR-You tell me, My letter had almost thrown you into a fit of the spleen." But I cannot but hope, from your "awful concern lest you meet with the confusion I have therein described," that it will have a better effect. I acknowledge, that "a pathetic declamation cannot be received for argument." And that "your faith must be built upon evidences, that will reach the understanding, as well as the softer passions of the soul." But what evidence do you desire or want of the truth of Christianity? Consider, Sir. Consult your books and your friends. Make your demands as large as you or they can contrive. And whatever rational evidence you are pleased to ask

for, shall be at your service. I have myself, with particular application, been considering, what reasonable evidence can possibly be consulted or desired, which the glorious God has not already given us in confirmation of the Christian institution, and I find nothing wanting, which we are capable of receiving. And I cannot but presume, that if you likewise would impartially and earnestly put yourself upon the same inquiry, you must meet with a full and complete satisfaction.

You will certainly acknowledge, that the great Creator is capable some way or other to communicate his will to intelligent beings, with sufficient evidence that the revelation is from him. Now, what I desire of you is to sit down, and consult upon some such means of doing this, as would strike your mind with the strongest conviction, obviate all your doubts, and give you the fullest confirmation of the divine original of such a revelation. When you are come to a point, consider the credentials of Christianity, and see whether you can find what you yourself would demand, and what you suppose most likely to give you satisfaction.

Would you expect from such a revelation a reasonable account of our first original? Look into the Mosaic history of the creation, and there you will find how the world, and how yourself originally sprung from the divine Fiat, and in what manner we are the offspring of God.

Would you expect a narrative of such circumstances of God's dispensations towards us from the beginning as would be correspondent with our constant experience and observation? The same history will inform you of those irregular affections and vi tiated appetites and passions, which every man finds in himself, and which have brought such destruction and misery upon the world, in all its successive periods, since Adam's fall.

Would you expect that there should be early intimations of the method of our recovery from the state of sin and guilt, into which we had brought ourselves

by our apostasy? You will there also find the gracious promise, that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head, and deliver us from the deadly effects of his malicious temptation.

Would you desire to find a particular prediction of the promised Saviour, by whom we are to obtain redemption, his lineage and descent, the time, place, and manner of his birth, the circumstances of his life, death and resurrection, a particular description of the nature, the subjects, and the continual progress of his kingdom? Read the prophecies of the Old Testament, and read the history of the New, and you will find such a correspondence and agreement as will afford you matter of fullest satisfaction, that they are both. from God.

Would you expect that there should be some means to keep the promised Saviour in the continued. view of God's people, before his actual and personal manifestation, and to keep alive their faith and hope in him? What were all their sacrifices, their legal purifications, their priesthood, and all their long train of rites and ceremonies, but institutions purposely adapted to that end?

Would you expect repeated and renewed testimonies from heaven, to the professing people of God, -that their religion was from him, and that their faith and hope, excited by these typical institutions, were built upon a sure foundation? Such were the miracles frequently wrought among them, the manifestation of the divine presence in the Shekinah, their Urim and Thummim, their frequent oracles, their succession of prophets, whose predictions respecting the Jews themselves, and the nations round about them, were continually fulfilled and fulfilling before their eyes; and the accomplishment of many of them are apparently open and visible to us also.

Would you suppose, that near the predicted time of the Saviour's appearance, not only the Jewish nation, but all others that were acquainted with their sacred books, would live in raised expectation of this great and wonderful event? You will find in the Gospels,

in Josephus,* Tacitus,† and Suetonius,‡ that this was the case in fact.

Would you expect that when the Saviour did appear, he would by the holiness and beneficence of his life, and by numerous open and uncontested miracles, give such attestation to his divine mission, as would be sufficient evidence that he was indeed the Messiah so frequently predicted, and so earnestly expected? Does not the sacred historians answer your highest expectations in this respect? In them you find, that the dead were raised, the sick healed, the maim restored to the use of their limbs, the sight of the blind recovered, the deaf brought to their hearing, the lepers cleansed, the demons ejected; and, in a word, that the whole time of his ministry was a continued succession of the most beneficent and astonishing miracles; miracles as surprising in their nature, as their number, such as vastly exceeded the power of all created beings, and were therefore the strongest testimony from heaven, that this Saviour most certainly was, what he himself professed to be.

Would you expect that this Saviour should verify his divine mission to future times, by prophecies of succeeding events? Do not the evangelists afford you many instances of such predictions, which have been clearly and fully accomplished? In these historians. you will find how he foretold the treason of Judas, the shameful fall of Peter, with the flight of all his disciples, in that gloomy, dreadful night, when the Shepherd was smitten, and the Sheep scattered. In these you will find, how he foretold the time and manner of his own death, the term of his continuance in the grave, with his glorious resurrection and ascension. You will there also find him foretelling the mission, divine inspiration, miraculous powers, and glorious success of his apostles, and their fellow-labourers in the gospel ministry. These historians do likewise set before you his particular prediction of the

* De Bell. Jud. Lib. vii. Cap. 31. Hist. Cap. 13.

In Vespas. Cap. 4.

destruction of Jerusalem, and the abolition of the temple, with the prodigies which preceded, the tribulation which accompanied, and the dispersion of the Jewish nation which followed that amazing desolation. And does it not surprise you to find from Josephus, that the 24th chapter of Matthew, and the 21st chapter of Luke, are more like a history than a prophecy of that dreadful event?-If you should yet further expect some predictions from him, that extend to the present time, and are now visibly accomplished before your eyes, has he not foretold, and do you not find it true, that Jerusalem shall continue to be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled?

Would you expect, that when this Messiah, according to the prophecies concerning him, was cut off, he should declare himself the Son of God, with power by his resurrection from the dead? And has it not appeared true, that no precaution by sealing his tomb and setting a guard over it, could prevent his triumph over the grave, and his appearing to great numbers of his disciples, and frequently and familiarly conversing with some of them, for forty days together; and finally ascending up to heaven before their eyes.

Would you expect that his disciples, who were eye and ear witnesses of his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and could not possibly be deceived in facts so open to all their senses, should at their peril preach this Saviour to the world, and continually undergo a life of painful travail and fatigue, poverty and reproach, opposition and persecution, to propagate his gospel; and that they would finally sacrifice their lives in the cause, and seal their doctrine with their blood? This they have done, and it is impossible that more could be done to raise their truth and sincerity above all suspicion.

Would you expect, that these disciples should be extraordinarily and peculiarly qualified for their great work, and sent forth to the nations with sufficient credentials to confirm their testimony and make their doctrines credible? What greater furniture can you