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pages of these volumes exhibit little else than meagre catalogues of naked dogmata, with little of that reasoning by which they are severally established or by which they are connected. Neither Locke nor Paley was very prodigal of words, and he must be a shorthand thinker indeed who will venture to abridge them.

It is true, indeed, that the extent of detail with which it is desirable to go into any given subject, must be determined by the judgement of the author; but of this we are quite sure, that he must not fill too large a sphere for effective though not unnecessarily minute detail. All those works which have been most extensively useful, have been eminently distinguished by their definiteness and precision of aim, yet more, if possible, than by the strength of their several parts. Butler's Analogy, Paley's Evidences, his Natural Theology', his 'Hora Pauline', and others, are distinguished by this quality. It is by dividing and subdividing the intellectual territory, and cultivating each well, that the greatest amount of produce can be obtained. This is, in fact, only one of the many applications of that invaluable principle-the division of labour.

From the title of our Author's book, but still more from the first two sentences of his preface, one is led to suppose that he was about to confine himself to the same line of argument as Bishop Butler; that is, to shew that the greater part of the objections of the unbeliever against Revelation, will apply with equal force to other modifications of religious belief.

The object of the following dissertation is to do justice to the internal evidences of Christianity, by disincumbering them of the weight of that class of objections, which, though in popular discussion generally considered as affecting the cause of revelation exclusively, stand in reality in no need of refutation, for the plain and simple reason, that they are applicable in exactly the same degree to every possible modification of religion whatever.' p. v.

One would infer from this, that our Author intended to have little to do with the positive evidences for the truth of Revelation. But he proceeds to shew that he has a further design; for he sometimes attacks specific objections in a most powerful manner, by shewing that such is the amount of positive evidence, that, formidable as many of the objections of the infidel may be, it requires a less magnanimous effort of the understanding to admit the latter, than to reject the former. This is a very beautiful thought, and is very often illustrated with remarkable felicity and effect. But then, to do the argument justice, the Author should not confine it, as he professedly does, to the internal evidences; (although we admit they are the strongest for his purpose ;) he should take the whole amount of evidence from any source in favour of Christianity, or, which is the same thing, the

whole amount of the difficulty which the unbeliever is called on to reconcile, if he rejects the solution which the supposition of the truth of revelation affords. And then, the question is, whether he will retain his objection, (which may be susceptible of a very satisfactory answer, though he cannot discover one,) and believe that such an immense multiplicity of positive proofs is a fortuitous circumstance; or whether, admitting the evidence of revelation to be conclusive, he will abandon his objection. We wish our Author, leaving every other train of argument, had confined himself solely to this class of objections; we are sure he would have acquitted himself admirably. He might have taken up, first single portions of the argument and gone into details, and then given a comprehensive view of the whole.

There are several chapters, (especially in the latter part of the book, in reference to certain points of the Socinian Controversy,) which we think would have been as well omitted altogether. We cannot understand on what principles of procedure previously laid down as the basis of his arguments, they are constructed. We allude more particularly to the two short chapters on the Divinity of Christ and the Personality of the Holy Spirit.

Having thus spoken our minds freely on some of the defects of this volume, considered as a continuous piece of reasoning, we shall proceed to the far more agreeable task of pointing out its excellencies. Of the style and manner, we have already spoken. It has, however, far higher merits than these. Many insulated trains of reasoning are fully equal, both in point of originality and force, to any thing that has appeared since the days of Bishop Butler. Take the following passages, in which the reasoning and the eloquence are equally felicitous. Our Author

is speaking of the 'difficulties' which belong to natural, not less than to revealed religion, and of those which belong exclusively to Christianity; and he shews that, admitting the difficulties of Christianity to be both numerous and great, we must calculate, as a set-off against this, its solution of many of the difficulties in which natural religion left us involved; and he then contends, that the remaining difficulties are not greater than might be expected from the enlargement of the sphere of intellectual vision which Christianity furnishes; each extension of our knowledge being at the same time an extension of our ignorance:—a fact not only true in religion, but in experimental philosophy.

The rationalist may, indeed, shut his eyes, and choose not to see, or he may otherwise occupy his thoughts, and may really be not aware of the darkness involved in the foregoing questions, but most certainly that darkness is as old as philosophy itself. If the Christian is more perplexed by discussions of this nature than the mere Theist, it is only because, from the tremendous importance of his creed, his mind has

been rendered more anxious and contemplative, that reflection has become a more momentous duty, and the current of his thoughts, in consequence, been more systematically turned in that direction. True, indeed, it is, that the mysteries here alluded to are far from comprehending all that are involved in the admission of the truth of Christianity. All that is now asserted is, that it is both unfair and illogical to lay exclusively to the charge of that peculiar form of belief, perplexities which it shares in common with every other modification of theistical enquiry, and from which the adoption of the gross absurdities and inconsistencies of even Atheism itself would scarcely afford us a shelter. Without, then, pretending to deny that the Gospel revelation has difficulties really and specially its own, we would merely urge, that it is those specific and peculiar difficulties, and no other, which suggest a legitimate subject of discussion to the sceptic. By a sober investigation of them, then, let it be tried. The result, we are satisfied, will be, that the additional enigmas which it proposes, beyond those attaching to natural religion, are not more in number than might be fairly anticipated from the wider survey of the Divine arrangements which it affords to our minds, and the consequent necessity for the supply of new matter for wonder which this last supposition involves. We may add, also, that if the perplexities which Christianity may thus appear to have superadded to the religion of nature be found, as assuredly many of them will be found, to explain and remove some of those which previously encumbered the principles of Theism; such explanations ought in fairness to be taken, so far as they may go, as a set-off against the new difficulties thus introduced, and as a diminution of their total amount. This act of justice, infidelity will, perhaps, never be found to have voluntarily conceded, but it is obviously claimable upon every sound principle of argument. Let us illustrate this observation by what, we know, occurs every day in the pursuits of experimental philosophy.

If we might venture to speculate upon what might be presumed à priori to be the probable effect of sudden illumination of the human mind, on the subject of the great principles of religion, we should naturally be disposed to expect a result perfectly analogous with that which we know from experience accompanies every similar enlargement of our apprehension of the objects of physical science: that is to say, the mind would gain a step in advance, and occupy a wider area of knowledge than before; but at the same time the concurrent effect would be, that whilst some pre-existing difficulties would be partially, and others perhaps satisfactorily, explained, the accumulation of new facts, thus occasioned, would necessarily bring with it an accession of perplexity, of which we were not aware in the earlier stage of our progress. In the present state of the human faculties, one source of doubt is removed only by the inevitable introduction of another. A phenomenon in chemistry or in natural history may be explained by the discovery of some hitherto unknown principle; but that fresh discovery, whilst it serves as a key to unlock former subjects of doubt, is itself quite as perplexing as those which it has removed. It is impossible to deny that Newton has truly explained the phenomena of the planetary system, by referring them to the universal law of gravitation.

But this discovery has only put us in possession of one link the more in the eternal chain of consequences, so that, instead of asking any longer what it is which retains the heavenly bodies in, and gives regularity to, their respective courses, our question now is, what is the principle which gives to all matter whatever, its power of mutual and reciprocal attraction. The subject matter of our knowledge is increased, but our final ignorance remains the same. Our intellectual horizon shifts as we advance, but the same mass of clouds hangs to the last on its extreme verge.

With regard, then, to the admitted difficulties of Christianity, it may be confidently asserted, that in this respect the sceptic does not argue the matter fairly. He assumes that a Divine Revelation ought necessarily to operate as a universal solution of pre-existing doubt; whereas the infinite and stupendous nature of the problems with which it has to do, and the admitted fact of the very limited faculties of the human mind, ought naturally to have suggested to him the directly opposite conclusion. The idea of a religion without mystery involves, in fact, little less than a contradiction in terms.' pp. 27-30.

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This is only another way of urging the lesson, capable of such inexhaustible applications, which the whole volume of Butler is intended to inculcate; namely, the necessary ignorance of man on many most important points, and the consequent folly of rejecting any thing on the ground of its being mysterious. Our life is made of mystery, and is itself a mystery; and we cannot pursue one of the many avenues of knowledge without soon arriving at those impassable barriers which convince us of our incurable ignorance. Yet, we are so familiarized with that theatre of wonders in which we live and move and have our being, that it ceases to appear wonderful. But could we imagine some being of transcendent powers becoming acquainted with the stupendous facts which are hourly transpiring around us, without passing through that slow and initiatory process which (before it is over) familiarizes us with the wonders so much, that, when they are felt and seen, they cease to seem wonderful,-what would he say, but that imagination could not conceive a more ridiculous thing, than that creatures, every moment of whose lives furnished a refutation of such folly, should refuse to believe propositions (established by appropriate evidence) because they deemed them in other respects too mysterious. Yet, this is the basis, not only of Deism, but of Socinianism; and the great lesson to be taught those who embrace the errors of either, is their IGNORANCE and their LITTLENESS.

Though it is true, as our Author argues, that our ignorance enlarges with our knowledge, that it is, as it were, the shadow that tracks its progress, yet, there is this advantage connected with more comprehensive views, that they produce not only an acquiescence in what is proved to be incurable ignorance, but that humility of mind which, taught by past experience, will not presume to dogmatize on what is unknown, or rashly decide upon

what is and what is not within the sphere of possibility, or reject proffered truth, simply because invested with mystery. In heaven, doubtless, this disposition will be perfect. While making eternal advances in knowledge, we shall in all probability be attaining at the same time only profounder views of the extent of our ignorance, of the infinite depths which still lie, in night, unexplored beyond us; nay, of transcendental mysteries which it shall never be given to created mind to penetrate; while, subdued into humility, instead of flattered into pride, by ever-expanding prospects, we shall only fall with the lowlier prostration before the throne of Him who alone dwelleth in light,' and that light inaccessible, and with whom alone are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' This much is certain; that on earth, those who have attained the most comprehensive views of things, are just those who have been the most deeply impressed with their own ignorance, who have been the most cautious in forming their judgements, or in pronouncing their opinion, and whose natures have been most abhorrent from that coxcombical affectation of despising mysteries, which is the certain characteristic either of half learned or secondrate minds.

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Our review has already extended far beyond the limits we had assigned it; and we have only room for the following extracts from the 17th chapter, entitled, 'Of the tendency of the Prophe'tic Books of the Old Testament.' It contains many beautiful observations.

The object of this dissertation being chiefly to point out the general congruity of the Holy Scriptures with themselves, and with the universally acknowledged phenomena of human nature, in other words, to dwell more immediately upon the internal evidence which they bear of their own authenticity, it will scarcely fall within its design to dwell upon the very strong confirmation afforded by prophecy to the truth of Christianity. In a work so limited in compass as the present, it were impossible to do justice to so extensive a subject, and which has already been cogently illustrated in many first-rate standard works: nor would the minute and circumstantial detail, which such an examination would require, accord with the very general view of the more superficial and popular objections to the credibility of our religion, which is all that is now attempted to be taken. With regard, therefore, to this truly important branch of the Christian evidences, it will be our object to dwell chiefly upon the more broad and general character of the writings of the Jewish prophets, as forming a kind of intermediate dispensation between the Levitical institutions, the strict and formal letter of which they are calculated to spiritualize, and the covenant of the Gospel, of the real nature and destination of which they gave the first clear intimations.

'Now, among the foremost impressions left upon our minds by their perusal, is that of the internal proof which they bear of their own authenticity, from the total want of system and definite purpose which they display, and the entire absence of any personal interest or advan

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