Jerusalem; and I trust that, through the power of Divine grace, we shall walk in the same plain and beaten track, neither deviating to the right hand nor to the left. We must be careful not to anathematize those persons who do not think with us; to their own master they stand or fall; but we, as a body of people, whom the Lord has graciously raised up as out of the dust, and whom he has honoured with almost unexampled prosperity in the revival of his work, must be careful to walk by the same rule, and mind the same things." Of Methodism, as to purity of doctrine, soundness of discipline, and true Christian experience, I would ever say, "Esto perpetua."-I am, your's, &c. Nov. 17, 1817.

G. MARSDEN.

THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED.

Review of "Two Dissertations on Sacrifices: the first on all the Sacrifices of the Jews, with Remarks on some of those of the Heathens. The second on the Sacrifice of Christ. By WILLIAM OUTRAM, D. D. Translated from the original Latin, with original Notes and Indexes, by JOHN ALLEN.

The method devised by infinite wisdom, in order to effect the redemption of mankind, by our Lord Jesus Christ, is so extraordinary, that, unrevealed, it could never have been conceived by the most exalted order of angels; for had they, from the moment of man's fall to the present hour, applied their whole attention to the question, How is it possible for man to be saved without any violence done to God's moral attributes? it is not to be imagined, that, with all the united efforts of their capacious minds, they could have solved the difficulty. The plan of salvation which has been so long, and shall eternally continue an object of their admiration, is such as they could not possibly have been capable of devising. But what angels, who excel in knowledge as well as strength, humbly admire, as the greatest display of infinite wisdom, men who reject Divine revelation pronounce foolishness. And wherefore? Because it does not accord with their conclusions on the subject of theology. But on what do they found those conclusions? If they answer, By a process of reasoning, we deduce them from incontrovertible truths; we inquire, what are those truths? They can certainly mean no more than that themselves consider them as incontrovertible, since they cannot avoid knowing that they have been opposed as destructive errors, by many men of the first natural and acquired abilities. With them it is a favourite maxim, which they reason from as if it were a primary truth, that mankind never stood in need of a

T

revelation from heaven; and it must be admitted, that could they prove that position, they would advance one step towards invalidating the evidences by which the truth of the Scriptures is supported. But, unhappily for their scheme, the history of all ages and countries proves that their boasted maxim is an egregious error. The contradictory opinions entertained by the sages of ancient Greece and Rome, their general scepticism on Divine subjects, and their maintaining that every man ought to conform to the religion of his country, however absurd and ridiculous, demonstrate, that with all their boasted wisdom they were utterly unable to form a theory of religion calculated to promote either the present or future happiness of themselves or others. The world by wisdom knew not God.

Some infidels are willing to acknowledge, that a revelation from heaven would be highly desirable, for the purpose of promoting good morals amongst the lower orders of society; and they even go so far as to express their approbation of the morality inculcated in the New Testament; while at the same time they maintain that they reject Christianity, as both destitute of evidence sufficient to render it credible, and as containing certain doctrines which militate against reason. The evidences of Christianity deducible from miracles, the exact fulfilment of prophecies, its natural and powerful tendency to promote the welfare of individuals as well as of communities, in addition to its amazing progress in the world, while opposed by civil magistrates, and attacked by the united malice, learning, and power, of both Jews and Gentiles, form such a connected chain of proof as amounts to moral demonstration.

But, say the enemies of revealed truth, "No evidences urged in proof of Christianity, however decisive they may appear, or, whatever difficulty we may find in evading their force, can oblige us to embrace doctrines which are at variance with reason, such as the doctrine of a Trinity of Persons in the unity of the Godhead, and that of the atonement. Both these, not to mention others, are Christian doctrines; and as they are evidently contrary to reason, the laws of our rational nature impel us to reject them, as wholly incredible." This objection, so long and so strenuously urged against the doctrines in question, has no other basis for its support than what arises from the absurd confounding of things which are above reason with those which are contrary to it. The objection, if valid, would induce a disbelief of the existence of the world; for it is equally above human reason to conceive, how it could be either created or eternal. Nay, making no distinction betwixt things above reason, and things contrary to reason, would, if carried to its utmost length, prove that it is absurd to believe the existence of the Deity; for what created intelligence, of however high an order, can possibly conceive

how a Being possessed of infinite perfections, or indeed any being at all, could exist without a cause or beginning? The doctrine of the Trinity in Unity, and that of the Atonement, are not more beyond the grasp of human intellect, than is that of the existence of God. To reject the doctrine of God's Being and Attributes, would be to involve ourselves in endless absurdities; and to deny those of the Trinity, and of the Atonement, so clearly and fully maintained in the Scriptures, would involve this absurdity, that a revelation proved to have the God of truth for its author, contains doctrines which militate against reason.

Much as has been said on the subject of what is called Natural Religion, as no way indebted to revelation; and, often as this has been admitted by learned advocates of Christianity, it may justly be questioned whether, without some light from Revelation, either written or traditional, it would have ever had an existence. The few truths which it contains, are used by infidels as so many arguments against the peculiar doctrines of Christianity. But, with all the boasted excellence of their natural religion, what satisfaction can it afford them on the subject of their final state? Independent of that revelation which, to their own injury and that of others, they oppose, can they be certain that their souls are immortal? Those who have written best in proof of the immortality of the soul, believed that doctrine, on the authority of Revelation, previously to their entering upon its proof. Without intending to depreciate their well-meant, and well-executed labours, we hesitate not to assert, that all their exertions terminate in proving the doctrine highly probable, but not certain. To Revelation alone we are indebted for the removal of all doubt on this important subject. In what a gloomy state of uncertainty does what is called natural religion leave its advocates! Whenever it is merely a matter of opinion with them, that their existence will extend beyond the limits of time, they cannot avoid the fear of future misery. Thus between the terror of annihilation on the one hand, and the fear of future punishment on the other, it is not surprising that they should feel life an intolerable burden. In vain do they endeavour to console themselves, by supposing that the Supreme Governor of the universe is such a compound of mercy as to suffer his laws to be transgressed with impunity: this, notwithstanding the crowd of absurd notions which they have embraced, they cannot reconcile to any principle of moral government. The glimmering light afforded them by natural religion, may be justly termed "darkness visible," which "serves but to discover sights of woe." How different the Christian religion ! a religion which points out to man his origin, and end; makes him acquainted with the rise of moral evil, and its cure; assures him of the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body; points out how he can be saved eternally, in perfect con

sistency with all the Divine attributes; gives him infallible directions how to obtain the favour of God, and recover his image; and promises present and eternal happiness to all who cordially embrace its doctrines, and yield obedience to its precepts. This is a religion worthy of God, a religion which, from the blessed effects which it continues to produce, carries with it an indubitable evidence of its Divine origin.

It is an essential doctrine of this religion, that the eternal Son of God, having assumed human nature, made by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world." In proof of this blessed doctrine, which the Arians and Socinians join with professed infidels to oppose, the two Dissertations before us were written.

The translation informs us that the reason of its being originally written in latin was, "because the writings of Socinus and his earlier followers were almost wholly in that language." The Dissertations were first published in the seventeenth century, when the Socinians, in their writings, did not so widely deviate from the "plain and obvious phraseology of the sacred writers," nor express such "an open disregard of scriptural authority," as the followers of Priestley and Lindsay do at present. Socinus and Crellius, though both fundamentally erroneous, wrote with that sobriety and apparent candour, which we look for in vain in the productions of modern Socinians. Those early champions of the Socinian heresy, which, in proportion to its prevalence, brings Divine revelation into contempt, are, by their cool and argumentative writings, admirably calculated to shake the orthodoxy of such men of leisure and studious habits, as are not well established in "the truth." Characters of this description, not sufficiently distinguishing betwixt matters of faith and those of science, are in imminent danger of modelling their creed to a conformity with whatever philosophic principles they may have adopted; and, consequently, of setting philosophy, which is calculated to be no more than a handmaid to religion, upon a level with religion itself. Having proceeded so far, and finding that the doctrine of the Trinity, and that of the Atonement, which is closely connected with it, are, though evidently revealed doctrines, beyond the reach of the most philosophic minds; they will find no great difficulty in resolving the whole account of the mystery of redemption, into a metaphor. In doing this they will strictly imitate Socinus, who says Tota redemptionis nostræ per Christum metaphora. The transition from this unscriptural notion, to all the broad blasphemies of modern Socinianism, will be found sufficiently easy.

In our apprehension the defensive warfare carried on against VOL. XLI. JANUARY, 1818. * D *

Socinianism by many learned divines, who succeeded Dr. Outram, till about the middle of the eighteenth century, was far from being well calculated to arrest the progress of that destructive heresy. Had they, instead of wasting their time, and exerting their ingenuity in answering every objection urged by their opponents, given a clear and exact statement of the essential doctrines of Christianity, and proved them by unanswerable arguments, and then proceeded to trace those doctrines to their practical results, they would have contributed abundantly more toward the spread of evangelical truth and vital godliness, than they have done by all their controversial writings. But the truth is, several of them seemed to have their attention so engrossed with what they conceived to be the danger to which orthodoxy was exposed, that they found little leisure for the important business of enforcing, upon evangelical principles, the absolute necessity of practical godliness. When we turn our attention to the cold, systematic, and argumentative works, written by them in defence of the truth, works in general unfit for popular use; it cannot surprise us that many of the populace, few of whom ever think deeply, should, from the circumstances of orthodoxy being so often defended, begin to suspect some parts of it to be indefensible. That this was the case can scarcely be questioned; for the great mass of readers, from not considering that men of speculation find no difficulty in multiplying objections to any doctrine which they single out for an object of their attack, have been ready to conclude, that a complete proof of the truth of the essential doctrines of Christianity would silence every rational disputant. In drawing this conclusion, they have erred egregiously; for the truth of those doctrines has been proved a thousand times, and every objection to them worthy an answer confuted; and yet they continue to be opposed by men whose talents are far from being contemptible.

If the most able and learned defenders of orthodoxy could have secured it from attack, it would not, at this day, have to contend with a single adversary. But violent opposers it still has, especially amongst the Socinians, on whose minds Scriptural arguments in its defence produce no conviction; men who, finding it impossible to make their peculiar doctrines comport with the unequivocal language of the New Testament, reject the greater part of it, as destitute of Divine authority, and by forced and absurd criticisms on so much of it as they profess to retain, make it speak the language of their comparatively novel sect. The objections which have been repeatedly answered, they continue to urge with as much confidence as if they were founded upon selfevident principles. That characters of this stamp are not convinced of their destructive errors, by the most conclusive arguments drawn from the oracles of God, is no matter of surprise, as they, from principle, exalt their reason into a standard to de