THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

Our author proceeds with a declaration, "That nothing he has said, can apply, even with the most distant disrespect, to the real character of Jesus Christ. He was a virtuous and amiable man. The morality he preached and practised, was of the most benevolent kind; and though similar systems of morality had been preached by Confucius and some of the Greek philosophers, many years before; by the quakers since, and by many good men in all ages, it had not been exceeded by any."

To read this passage with attention, is a sufficient refutation of his whole system; as well as an evidence of our author's strange principles, to every person who has read the New-Testament, and has made himself acquainted with its effects.

What? Can that man be a virtuous and amiable man-a preacher and practiser of the most benevolent morality, not exceeded by any-and yet in the opinion of this writer, be guilty of imposing on his followers, by assuring them that " He was before the foundation of the world-that he was the first born of every creature-that he was sent of God-came down from Heaven-that he was the only begotten Son of Godthat God was his father-that he and the Father were

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one-that he who had seen him, had seen the Father-that whosoever believed on him, should have everlasting life-that God had so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life-that he that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God---that all judgment was committed to the Son---that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father---he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father who sent him ---that the hour was coming, when the dead should hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear should live: for as the Father had life in himself, so had he given to the Son, to have life in himself---that the works he did, bore witness of him, that the Father had sent him---the Father also himself had borne witness of him---that if they believed Moses, they would believe in him, for Moses had written of him.” He performed miracles---he raised the dead---he foretold things to come---he commanded, and the winds and waves obeyed him. All these things he did, (of at least he endeavoured to persuade his followers that he did them) as an evidence of his Almighty power; and that he had come down from God, and was the Son of God, the Messiah who was to come. He asserted, "That he was the bread of life, that came down from Heaven---that he would raise every believer in him, from the dead at the last day---that no man had seen the Father but himself, who was from God, and that he had seen him---that whoever hated him, hated the Father also." He declared himself to be

"The light of the world---that before Abraham, he was---that as the Father knew him, so he knew the Father---that the Father was in him, and he in the Father---that he was the resurrection and the life---that he gave to his people eternal life---that thereafter they should see the Heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of

man."

He openly declared himself to be the Messiah, expected by the Jews, and spoken of by their inspired prophets, as the Lord of Glory---the Lord our Righteousness---the Father of the everlasting ages---the Prince of Peace.

When John sent two of his disciples to enquire of him, whether he was the Messiah or not, he answered, "Go and show John those things which ye do bear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them."* Thus appealing to their senses, for all the great essential proofs of Messiahship, as foretold by the prophets in a very few words, and to which they had been eye and ear witnesses,

He promised his disciples to send them the comforter, even the Holy Spirit, after his death, "who should proceed forth from the Father, and should remain with them forever, and guide them into all truth, and show them things to come. He asserted that he knew all things---that he had power over all flesh, and would give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him---that he had a glory with the Fa

* Matthew, xi. 4, 5.

ther before the world was; and though he should be crucified, yet he would arise again on the third day."

These are the doctrines, assertions, declarations, instructions and precepts of Jesus Christ, as made and taught in his own person, and enforced as obligatory on mankind, with the authority and power of a Divine messenger from God. If then he was a virtuous and amiable man, in the opinion of our author, what must be the consequence of his principles, as developed in the Age of Reason? If the devils once believed and trembled, what has our author reason to fear, when his eyes shall be opened by an awful conviction of the truth? He will, I fear, do more than believe and tremble.

If these doctrines proceeded from a virtuous and amiable man, they must be true; and all the sophistry of our author cannot avoid the conclusion; and if true, where will the sinner and ungodly appear! If these doctrines are virtuous and amiable, what can we say to the objects aimed at in this treatise, styled rather ludicrously "the Age of Reason." Is it not on the whole, a collection of the most artful deceptions, hidden under a veil of ridicule; dangerous falsehoods, covered by an easy flow of language; and malicious sneers, made palatable by an attempt at wit and satire, that ever disgraced the pen of a pretender to philosophy, and that on a subject of infinite consequence to the essential interests of mankind?

True philosophy is the great supporter of the religion of Jesus Christ. He is represented as Wisdom herself, and therefore she will always be justified by her children. This idea is so well expressed by a

late learned writer, that no excuse need be made for the following quotation. "Philosophy, so far as the term signifies a knowledge of God's wisdom and power in the natural creation, which is the best sense of the word, is so far from being adverse to true re ligion, that with all the common evidences of Christianity in reserve, we may venture to meet the philosopher upon his own ground. We have nothing to fear from the testimony of nature; we appeal to it; we call upon every man of science to compare the Gospel which God hath revealed, with the world which God hath created; under an assurance that he will find the latter to be a key to the former, as a noble philosopher has well asserted; and if nature answers to Christianity, it contradicts Deism; and that religion cannot be called natural, which is contradicted by the light reflected upon our understandings from natural things. The Socinian is nearly in the same situation with the Deist, and they may both join together in calling upon nature from morning until night, as the priests of Baal called upon their Deity, but there will be none to answer; and philosophy must put out one of its eyes, before it can admit their doctrines. In short, take any religion but the Christian, and bring it to the test, by comparing it with the state of nature, and it will be found destitute and defenceless.

"The doctrines of our faith are attested by the whole natural world; wherever we turn our eyes, to the Heavens or to the earth; to the sea or to the land; to men or to beasts; to animals or to plants; there we are reminded of them. They are recorded in a language which never hath been confounded; they are