It supposes in them propensities both to good and evil, (a state no less obvious, in point of fact, to unassisted reason, than it is mysterious in itself,) and accordingly, while it exacts the exertions of men to pursue the former, and to avoid the latter, it promises co-operative assistance, and announces pardon for every involuntary error; and not only so, but (through the medium of a competent MEDIATOR and ATONEMENT, provided by the CREATOR) pardon to our wilful offences also, if sincerely regretted and forsaken. It states our duty to consist in cultivating sentiments of reverence and filial affection towards the SUPREME BEING, and love and active kindness towards Man; which last necessarily includes a train of particular du ties and self-denials, the neglect of which, from the actual state of human nature and of human society, would be hostile to the general happiness, and even to our individual welfare. It makes allowance for ignorance, for the force of temptations, and for all the numberless varieties to be found in the capacities, the opportunities, and the circumstances of men; and finally, it expressly provides, in a future statė of existence, rewards for the virtuous, and punishments for the wicked, proportioned to our works and to our means. This general outline of Christianity will be admitted to be sufficiently conformable to reason; and so benignant, that to a good man the certainty of its truth would surely be desirable. It is not my intention to detail the eviden ces of Christianity, as an admirable View of these is in your possession. I shall take it, at present, for granted that its divine origin will. not be denied by you; because I think no sensible and upright man-and many such there are unconvinced on this subject (let these, however, candidly say, whether they ever impartially entered on, and prosecuted, the enquiry) can peruse with attention that work, without coming at least to this conclusion, That the probabilities of the truth of the religion do far outweigh those of its falsehood; because the *Paley's. A more summary statement of these may be found in the Bishop of London's "Summary of the Principal Evidences of the Truth and Divine Origin of the Christian Revelation;" also in Doddridge's three Sermons on this subject. 1 difficulties arising from the latter supposition are proportionably greater, and more invincible, than the objections attaching to the former conclusion. Indeed, I believe, it will rarely fail to afford satisfactory conviction of its actual truth to an enquirer of this description. At any rate, it will be admitted, that, whe ther Christianity be true or not, a life regulated by similar views and precepts, is more favourable to present and (in all probability) to future happiness, than a conduct left to the unresisted impulses of the inclination.If, then, we find ourselves averse to lead a life of this kind, is our decision on the question of Christianity likely to be that of unbiassed reason, or of prejudice and passion? - Here then let us pause: -We agree, I presume, that to do and to be good and to avoid evil, is our duty; and that our present, and probably our future, felicity, very much depends on our behaviour in this respect: - Let us, then, at least endeavour to act up to this conviction; and if to this resolve, we add an humble dependence on the Divine goodness to assist our frail natures in the discharge of our duty, we may, I think, reasonably conclude that our efforts will not prove the less successful. LETTER II. To a person disposed to govern his life on the reasonable principles with which we concluded our last; or, indeed, from any motives, solicitous respecting futurity; it will become a natural and interesting enquiry, Whether Christianity be true or not? Whether motives so cogent, and rules of conduct so reasonable in themselves, have been connected (in order to secure to them a more decided weight and influence) with an imposing tale of divine and miraculous authority, or whether the system actually comes from Gon himself? -Whether, in short, Christianity be a pious fraud, or a Divine revelation? difficulties arising from the latter supposition are proportionably greater, and more invincible, than the objections attaching to the former conclusion. Indeed, I believe, it will rarely fail to afford satisfactory conviction of its actual truth to an enquirer of this description. At any rate, it will be admitted, that, whether Christianity be true or not, a life regulated by similar views and precepts, is more favourable to present and (in all probability) to future happiness, than a conduct left to the unresisted impulses of the inclination.— If, then, we find ourselves averse to lead a life of this kind, is our decision on the question of Christianity likely to be that of unbiassed reason, or of prejudice and passion ? Here then let us pause: -We agree, I presume, that to do and to be good and to avoid evil, is our duty; and that our present, and probably our future, felicity, very much depends on our behaviour in this respect: - Let us, then, at least endeavour to act up to this conviction; and if to this resolve, we add an humble dependence on the Divine goodness to |