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MARCUS ANTONINUS-SENECA-PAUL.

[ESSAY L

has the counsel and direction of his father; and though the voice be not audible nor discernible by sense, yet it is equally as real as if a man heard a voice saying, This is the way, walk in it."

The sentiments of the ancient philosophers, &c. should not be forgotten, and the rather because their language is frequently much more distinct and satisfactory than that of the refined inquirers of the present day.

Marcus Antoninus: "He who is well disposed will do every thing dictated by the divinity, a particle or portion of himself, which God has given to each as a guide and a leader."*-Aristotle: "The mind of man hath a near affinity to God: there is a divine ruler in him.”—Plutarch: "The light of truth is a law, not written in tables or books, but dwelling in the mind, always a living rule which never permits the soul to be destitute of an interior guide."-Hieron says that the universal light, shining in the conscience, is "a domestic God, a God within the hearts and souls of men."-Epictetus: "God has assigned to each man a director, his own good genius, a guardian whose vigilance no slumbers interrupt, and whom no false reasonings can deceive. So that when you have shut your door, say not that you are alone, for your God is within. What need have you of outward light to discover what is done, or to light to good actions, who have God or that genius or divine principle for your light?" Such citations might be greatly multiplied, but one more must suffice. Seneca says, "We find felicity-in a pure and untainted mind, which if it were not holy were not fit to entertain the Deity.” How like the words of an apostle !" If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." The philosopher again: "There is a holy spirit in us ;" and again the apostle: "Know ye not that" "the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”||

Now respecting the various opinions which have been laid before the reader, there is one observation that will generally apply,-that they unite in assigning certain important attributes or operations to some principle or power existent in the human mind. They affirm that this principle or power possesses wisdom to direct us aright, that its directions are given instantaneously as the individual needs them, that it is inseparably attended with unquestionable authority to command. That such a principle or power does, therefore, actually exist, can need little further proof; for a concurrent judgment upon a question of personal experience cannot surely be incorrect. To say that individuals express their notions of this principle or power by various phraseology, that they attribute to it different degrees of superhuman intelligence, or that they refer for its origin to contradictory causes, does not affect the general argument. The great point for our attention is, not the designation or the supposed origin of this guide, but its attributes; and these attributes appear to be divine.

THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATION OF THE WILL OF GOD.

I. That every reasonable human being is a moral agent, that is, that every such human being is responsible to God, no one perhaps denies. There can be no responsibility where there is no knowledge: "Where

* Lib. 5, sect. 27.
De Benef. c. 17, &c.

+ Lib. 1, c. 14.

+ 1 Cor. iii. 17.

1 Cor. iii. 16.

CHAP. 6.]

NECESSITIES OF PAGANISM, ETC.

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there is no law there is no transgression." So then every human being possesses, or is furnished with, moral knowledge and a moral law. "If we admit that mankind, without an outward revelation, are nevertheless sinners, we must also admit that mankind, without such a revelation, are nevertheless in possession of the law of God."*

Whence then do they obtain it?-a question to which but one answer can be given; from the Creator himself. It appears therefore to be almost demonstratively shown, that God does communicate his will immediately to the minds of those who have no access to the external expression of it. It is always to be remembered that, as the majority of mankind do not possess the written communication of the will of God, the question, as it respects them, is between an immediate communication and none; between such a communication and the denial of their responsibility in a future state; between such a communication and the reducing them to the condition of the beasts that perish.

II. No one perhaps will imagine that this argument is confined to countries which the external light of Christianity has not reached. "Whoever expects to find in the Scriptures a specific direction for every moral doubt that arises, looks for more than he will meet with;" so that even in Christian countries there exists some portion of that necessity for other guidance which has been seen to exist in respect of pagans. Thus Adam Smith says that there are some questions which it "is perhaps altogether impossible to determine by any precise rules," and that they "must be left altogether to the decision of the man within the breast." But, indeed, when we speak of living in Christian countries, and of having access to the external revelation, we are likely to mislead ourselves with respect to the actual condition of "Christian" people. Persons talk of possessing the Bible, as if every one who lived in a Protestant country had a Bible in his pocket, and could read it. But there are thousands,

perhaps millions, in Christian and in Protestant countries, who know very little of what Christianity enjoins. They probably do not possess the Scriptures, or if they do, probably cannot read them. What they do know they learn from others,-from others who may be little solicitous to teach them, or to teach them aright. Such persons therefore are, to a considerable extent, practically in the same situation as those who have not heard of Christianity, and there is therefore to them a corresponding need of a direct communication of knowledge from Heaven. But if we see the need of such knowledge extending itself thus far, who will call in question the doctrine that it is imparted to the whole human race?

These are offered as considerations involving an antecedent probability of the truth of our argument. The reader is not required to give his assent to it as to a dogma of which he can discover neither the reason nor the object. Here is probability very strong; here is usefulness very manifest, and very great; so that the mind may reasonably be open to the reception of evidence, whatever truth that evidence shall establish. If the written revelation were silent respecting the immediate communication of the Divine will, that silence might perhaps rightly be regarded as conclusive evidence that it is not conveyed; because it is so intimately connected with the purposes to which that revelation is directed, that scarcely any other explanation could be given of its silence † Mor. and Pol. Phil. b. 1, c. 4.

* Gurney: Essays on Christianity, p. 516.

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GRADATIONS OF LIGHT.

[ESSAY I. than that the communication did not exist. That the Scriptures declare that God has communicated light and knowledge to some men by the immediate exertion of his own agency admits not of dispute; but this it is obvious is not sufficient for our purpose; and it is in the belief that they declare that God imparts some knowledge to all men, that we thus appeal to their testimony.

Now here the reader should especially observe, that where the Christian Scriptures speak of the existence and influence of the Divine Spirit on the mind, they commonly speak of its higher operations; not of its office as a moral guide, but as a purifier, and sanctifier, and comforter of the soul. They speak of it in reference to its sacred and awful operations in connexion with human salvation; and thus it happens that very many citations which, if we were writing an essay on religion, would be perfectly appropriate, do not possess that distinct and palpable application to an argument, which goes no further than to affirm that it is a moral guide. And yet it may most reasonably be remarked, that if it has pleased the Universal Parent thus, and for these awful purposes, to visit the minds of those who are obedient to his power, he will not suffer them to be destitute of a moral guidance. The less must be supposed to be involved in the greater.

Our argument does not respect the degrees of illumination which may be possessed, respectively, by individuals,* or in different ages of the world. There were motives, easily conceived, for imparting a greater degree of light and of power at the introduction of Christianity than in the present day accordingly, there are many expressions in the New Testament which speak of high degrees of light and power, and which, however they may affirm the general existence of a Divine Guidance, are not descriptive of the general nor of the present condition of mankind. Nevertheless, if the records of Christianity, in describing these greater "gifts," inform us that a gift, similar in its nature, but without specification of its amount, is imparted to all men, it is sufficient. Although it is one thing for the Creator to impart a general capacity to distinguish right from wrong, and another to impart miraculous power; one thing to inform his accountable creature that lying is evil, and another to enable him to cure a leprosy; yet this affords no reason to deny that the nature of the gift is not the same, or that both are not divine. "The degree of light may vary according as one man has a greater measure than another. But the light of an apostle is not one thing and the light of the heathen another thing, distinct in principle. They differ only in degree of power, distinctness, and splendour of manifestation."+

So early as Gen. vi. there is a distinct declaration of the moral operation of the Deity on the human mind; not upon the pious and the good, but upon those who were desperately wicked, so that even 66 every imagination of the thoughts of their heart was only evil continually."-" My spirit shall not always strive with man." Upon this passage a good and

I am disposed to offer a simple testimony to what I believe to be a truth ;-that even in the present day, the Divine illumination and power is sometimes imparted to individuals in a degree much greater than is necessary for the purposes of mere moral direction; that on subjects connected with their own personal condition or that of others, light is sometimes imparted in greater brightness and splendour than is ordinarily enjoyed by mankind, or than is necessary for our ordinary direction in life.

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Hancock Essay on Instinct, &c. p. 2, c. 7, s. 1. I take this opportunity of acknow. ledging the obligations I am under to this work, for many of the "Opinions" which are cited in the last section.

CHAP. 6.]

PROPHECY-CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES.

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intelligent man writes thus: "Surely, if his spirit had striven with them until that time, until they were so desperately wicked, and wholly corrupted, that not only some, but every imagination of their hearts was evil, yes, only evil, and that continually, we may well believe the express Scripture assertion, that a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.""

Respecting some of the prophetical passages in the Hebrew Scriptures, it may be observed that there appears a want of complete adaptation to the immediate purpose of our argument, because they speak of that, prospectively, which our argument assumes to be true retrospectively also. "After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;" from which the reader may possibly conclude, that before those days no such internal law was imparted. Yet the preceding paragraph might assure him of the contrary, and that the prophet indicated an increase rather than a commencement of internal guidance. Under any supposition it does not affect the argument as it respects the present condition of the human race; for the prophecy is twice quoted in the Christian Scriptures, and is expressly stated to be fulfilled. Once the prophecy is quoted almost at length, and in the other instance the important clause is retained, "I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."‡

"And all thy children," says Isaiah, "shall be taught of the Lord." Christ himself quotes this passage in illustrating the nature of his own religion: "It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God."

Thine eyes shall see thy teachers: and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye turn to the right-hand, and when ye turn to the left."||

The Christian Scriptures, if they be not more explicit, are more abundant in their testimony. Paul addresses the "foolish Galatians." The reader should observe their character; for some Christians, who acknowledge the Divine influence on the minds of eminently good men, are disposed to question it in reference to others. These foolish Galatians had turned again to "weak and beggarly elements," and their dignified instructer was afraid of them, lest he had bestowed upon them labour in vain. Nevertheless to them he makes the solemn declaration; "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts."¶

John writes a general Epistle, an epistle which was addressed, of course, to a great variety of characters, of whom some, it is probable, possessed little more of the new religion than the name. The apostle writes-"Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."**

The solemn declarations which follow are addressed to large numbers of recent converts, of converts whom the writer had been severely reproving for improprieties of conduct, for unchristian contentions, and even for greater faults: "Ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them."—" What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?" "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." ‡‡

*Job Scott's Journal, c. i. † Jer. xxxi. 33. Heb. viii. 10; and x. 16. Isa. xxx. 20, 21. ¶ Gal. iv. 6. ** 1 John ii. 24. tt 1 Cor. vi. 19.

John vi. 45. tt 1 Cor. ii. 16.

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PERPETUITY OF GUIDANCE-OBJECTIONS.

[ESSAY I.

And with respect to the moral operations of this sacred power :-“As touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;"* that is, taught a duty of morality.

Thus also:-"The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;"t-or in other words, teaching all men moral laws,-laws both mandatory and prohibitory, teaching both what to do and what to avoid.

And very distinctly:-"The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." "A Light to lighten the gentiles." "I am the Light of the world." "The true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."T

"When the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts,"**-written, it may be asked, by whom but by that Being who said, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts ?"††

To such evidence from the written revelation I know of no other objection which can be urged than the supposition that this divine instruction, though existing eighteen hundred years ago, does not exist now. To which it appears sufficient to reply, that it existed not only eighteen hundred years ago, but before the period of the deluge; and that the terms in which the Scriptures speak of it are incompatible with the supposition of a temporary duration: "all taught of God:" "in you all:" "hath appeared unto all men :" "given to every man:"" every man that cometh into the world." Besides there is not the most remote indication in the Christian Scriptures that this instruction would not be perpetual; and their silence on such a subject, a subject involving the most sacred privileges of our race, must surely be regarded as positive evidence that this instruction would be accorded to us for ever.

How clear soever appears to be the evidence of reason, that man, being universally a moral and accountable agent, must be possessed, universally, of a moral law; and how distinct soever the testimony of revelation that he does universally possess it,-objections are still urged against its existence.

Of these, perhaps the most popular are those which are founded upon the varying dictates of the "Conscience." If the view which we have taken of the nature and operations of the conscience be just, these objections will have little weight. That the dictates of the conscience should vary in individuals respectively is precisely what, from the circumstances of the case, is to be expected; but this variation does not impeach the existence of that purer ray, which, whether in less or greater brightness, irradiates the heart of man.

I am however disposed here to notice the objections‡‡ that may be founded upon national derelictions of portions of the moral law.

* 1 Thess. iv. 9.

John viii. 12.

+ Tit. ii. 11, 12. ¶ John i. 9.

+ 1 Cor. xii. 7.
**Rom. ii. 14.

11 Not urged specifically, perhaps, against the afford an illustration of the truth.

"There

◊ Luke ii. 32. ++ Jer. xxxi. 33.

Divine guidance; but they will equally

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