the extenfive utility of this object, and of the fagacity requifite to institute, as well as the patience and ability neceffary to carry on and complete experiments of this kind, and to reduce the refult of them into a theory, (ftrictly scientific in its principles, yet perfectly adapted to common ufe and apprehenfion) will beft appreciate the labours of the refpectable author of this volume.

ART. III. Evidences of the Chriftian Religion; briefly and plainly ftated. By James Beattie, LL.D. F.R.S.E. Profellor of Moral Philofophy in Marifchal College, Aberdeen; and Member of the Zealand Society of Arts and Sciences, and of the Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchester. 2 vols. foolfcap 8vo. 5s. fewed. Creech, Edinburgh; Cadell, London. 1786.

IN

N an advertisement prefixed to these volumes Dr. Beattie informs us, that "this little work was originally intended. "for fome young perfons with whom he was connected; "that, during a vifit he paid last year to Dr. Porteus, Bi"fhop of Chefter, at his delightful parfonage at Hunton, "his Lordship, after seeing a sketch of the first and second "chapter, told him that a thing of this kind was very much "wanted; and, if drawn up in fuch a manner as to fix the "attention, without fatiguing it, might be highly useful to "youth at their firft entrance into the world." On the ftrength of this encouragement, Dr. Beattie has ventured to make it public; and tells us, at the close of the fame advertisement, that " he begs leave to inscribe it to his lord" ship."

We are next presented with an introduction, in which our author unfolds his plan. "The defign of this little "work is, not to fuperfede as unneceffary, but to recom"mend, and ferve as an introduction, to the perufal of "those great authors (Grotius, Locke, Clarke, &c.), by "fhewing, as plainly and as briefly as I can, to the candid "reader, that the evidences of this religion are at least strong "enough to merit attention and inquiry. I have sometimes "met with little practical treatifes called Ten Minutes Ad"vice: I mean to give two hours advice-to that perfon "who may be in danger from infidels; and if I shall satisfy "him that the evidence on the other fide deferves the no❝tice of a rational mind, he will naturally lay me afide, and "have recourfe to other authors, and at the fame time re"verently confult the facred oracles. And when he has

"done

done all this, I may venture to affure him, that he will not regret the time he has employed; and that from un"believers his faith will never be in danger any more."

This introduction concludes with a poftulatum, to which no perfon will refufe his affent. "If the reader thinks my "pretenfions too high, he will allow, that, as the fubject

of a free government, I have an undoubted right to publish "the reasons which have determined me to adhere to that "religion wherein I have been educated."

After this advertisement and introduction Dr. Beattie attempts to prove, in his firft chapter, "that revelation is

ufeful and neceffary." This chapter contains nothing but trite topics, to be found in every fyftem of divinity, and in a thoufand fermons; and thefe expreffed with a degree of negligence and incorrectnefs that we did not expect. In a work of this kind, intended for the young, an author, who united fome tincture of philofophy with fentiments of piety, would have made it his firft object to fhew the grounds and evidences of natural religion, which ever must be the foundation of revealed; and, after pointing out. the defects as well as corruptions of nature, to mark the wisdom and goodness of Providence in giving us a revelation to fupply these defects, and remedy thefe corruptions. This method is uniformly purfued by the facred writers. "The invisible things of God, even his eternal power and "godhead, are clearly feen from the works that he has "made. The heathens fhew the works of the law written "in their hearts, and are a law unto themfelves. Ye be"lieve in God, believe alfo in me. He that cometh unto "God," as revealed in fcripture," muft believe in his per"fections" as announced by nature. The fame method is followed by every rational and philofophic defender of our religion, Clarke, Addison, Butler, Sherlock, &c. Instead of this rational introduction to Christianity, Dr. Beattie, treading in the steps of the Hutchinfonians and other fanatics, endeavours to fubvert the authority, and lessen the evidence, of natural religion, like a phyfician who cuts out the eye to cure a defect in fight; or an architect who removes the foundations of a houfe in order to adorn the fuperftructure. Why degrade the ancient philofophers? It is not at all neceffary to a defence of Chriftianity! Why, in particular, bear fo hard on the fchool of Zeno? a school that produced fo many illuftrious citizens, fo many great and good men, and whofe doctrines and fpirit make a near approach to our holy religion. "From the principles of the

Stoicks it would require no profound fkill in logic to infer, "that, by robbing a wife man of his money, cutting off his

leg or arm, ftealing his child or murdering his friend, "they only took that from him on which he fet no value*." How fhould we estimate the profound fkill in logic difplayed by an author who should infer, from a faying of our Lord †, that a man cannot be a Chriftian without hating his father, and mother, and wife, and fifters, and children, and his own life alfo? Every wife man would pronounce that he was ignorant of Chriftianity.

"The doctrines of the Stoicks plainly lead to atheism‡;" i.e. the pureft and moft fublime theifm that ever was known, taught, and believed, in the world, plainly leads to atheiím! This reminds us of an act of the general affembly of the Church of Scotland, paffed about fifty years ago, which is thus entitled, " An Act against the atheistical Opi"nions of the Deifts." Towards the clofe of this chapter (p. 38) Dr. Beattie affirms, that "natural religion is all

derived from the fcriptures;" exactly in the ftyle and manner of the author who affirmed, "that the ancients "had ftolen every thing from the moderns."

In the fecond chapter, which is entitled, "The Gospel "History is true," Dr. Beattie, in the firft fection, confiders the gospel as a portion of ancient history; in the fecond, makes remarks on the argument from prophecy; and in the third attempts to fhew, that the faith of the disciples was the effect not of weakness but of conviction.

At the beginning of this chapter (p. 51) we have the fol lowing remarks on evidence and teftimony: "It is natural "for man to speak as he thinks; and it is eafy too, like "walking forward. One may walk backward or fideways, "but it is uneafy, and a force upon nature: and the fame "thing is true of speaking what is contrary to one's belief. "We naturally believe what others tell us. We credit testi"mony previous to experience; for children, who have

leaft experience, are moft credulous." This account of evidence and teftimony is by no means favourable to the caufe which Dr. Beattie defends: instead of shielding Chriftianity with argument, it appears to place a weapon in the hands of infidelity. It is owing to this ftrong propensity of the ignorant part of mankind to credulity, and to their love of the marvellous, that fo many impoftors and charlatans have rifen, and are ftill rifing, in the world.

The conclufion of this fection we conceive to be reprehenfible. After referring to Addifon's Treatife on the Chrif tian Religion, he proceeds:

• Page 30.

+ Luke xiv. 26.

↑ Page 32.

• Whence

Whence it will appear that the gospel hiftory is at least as well vouched as any other of that time; and that we have as good reafon to believe what the New Teftament records of the birth, life, mira-, cles, death, and doctrine of Christ, as to believe the battle of Cannæ, the affaffination of Julius Cefar, or any other ancient fact. Nay, we have ftill extant among us two vifible proofs, not hitherto mentioned, of the truth of the gofpel; I mean the two facraments; which are known to have been in the Chriftian church from the beginning, and the origin of which it would not be eafy to account for, on the fuppofition that the gospel is not true. These inftitutions, befide other excellent purposes which they ferve, will continue to bear teftimony to the truth of our religion to the end of the world.'

If we have no better evidence to believe "the birth, mi"racles, and refurrection of Chrift, than to believe the bat

tle of Canne, and the affaffination of Julius Cefar," we have no evidence at all. Facts that belong to the fyftem of nature, and are within the fphere of probability, we believe on probable evidence, Miracles, that change or violate the course of nature, require to be fupported by much ftronger proof. We believe that "Cefar was killed in the capitol," on the teftimony of the Roman historians; but if they had added that, "three or four days after his affaffination, he rofe from the dead," it would have required a number of refpectable witneffes indeed to operate belief in any rational mind.

66

66

Dr. Beattie's next argument, that "the two facraments are two vifible proofs ftill extant of the truth of the gofpel," is not very convincing. Baptifm was a rite practifed by the Jews, and other nations of the Eaft, a thoufand years before the introduction of Chriftianity. The other facrament commemorates the death of Chrift; a fact that has never been called in queftion.

In the second section of this chapter our author confiders the argument from prophecy. The long train of prophecies, recorded in the Old Teftament and fulfilled in the New, especially thofe concerning the Meffiah, furnish one of the moft ftriking proofs of the infpiration of the facred fcriptures, and the truth of our holy religion. The exact correspondence between the ancient prediction, and its recent accomplishment, against all the calculations of probability, and at the diftance of many centuries, points out the finger of God in fo remarkable a manner as to filence the infidel, and confirm the Chriftian. But our author feems totally to abandon this ftrong hold of Chriftianity. "Some of thefe "prophecies," fays he, are explicit and pofitive; others

* Page 106.

ENG. KEV. Vol. IX. Jan. 1786.

B

❝ only

"only infinuated: and, if we had no other evidence of 4. "the truth of our religion, I grant that this would be de"fective."

Our author delivers his opinion more explicitly on this fubject in his fecond volume.

But had not the prophets prophefied of Chrift and his gospel, and its character and tendency? And if fo, how can it be faid that no fuch thing had ever before occurred to human imagination? It is true that the prophets had prophefied thefe things; but, though they foretold, it is not certain that they foresaw them. On the contrary, there is reafon to think that, if they had diftinctly understood what they predicted, they would have expreffed it in plainer and lefs figurative language; or at least that they would have left traditions behind them, which, in after-times, among people fo tenacious of tradition as the Jews were, might have ferved as a key to thofe facred. writings. It was enough for the prophets to know that they had authority to speak what they spoke, or to commit to writing what the Spirit fuggefted to explain it to the people, or to inquire themselves into the meaning of it, was probably no part of their bafinefs. And it must be as eafy for divine power to make prophets foretel without forefight, as to enable them both to foretel and to foresee.'

If the prophets foretold events without forefeeing them, that is, without knowing what they faid, for what end did they prophefy? To their own age their prophecies were unavailing; to following ages they were ufelefs. It is recorded, indeed, of the Pythian virgin, that the delivered, from the hallowed fhrine, indiftinct founds and incomprehenfible words, which the attending priefts arranged and explained. But let us not compare tables with truth; the Delphian afflatus with the infpiration of Zion. The intereits of truth and of Christianity compel us to ask the Doctor, In what manner would he explain our Saviour's addrefs to the Jews, "Abraham faw my day afar off, and was glad?" Or how would he interpret the following verfes from St. Peter-" Of which falvation the prophets have inquired and fearched diligently, who prophetied of the grace that thould come unto you; fearching what or "what manner of time the Spirit of Chrift, which was in them, did fignify, when it teftified beforehand the fufferings "of Chrift, and the glory that should fellow? *”

66

In the fecond volume of this treatife Dr. Beattie adds a fourth fection to his fecond chapter, in which he confiders the excellency and fingular nature of Christianity as a proof of its truth. This conftitutes what is commonly called the

* 1 Pet. i. 10, T1.

internal