66 66 right, is this-That infidelity in all its forms, from paganism in the earlier times, to the philosophical, metaphysical, sceptical unbelief of the present day, " is not unintentional error, but the wilful corrup"tion of known truth, and therefore an undoubted "sin. He affirms and proves, that infidelity origin 66 66 66 ated, not in the difficulty of discovering truth," (since God revealed it both to our first parents, and subsequently to others,)" but in the sin of the heart, "which denies truth; in the pride of the understanding, which confuses truth; or in the love of "evil in the life, which rejects and abhors truth. "He begins his noble work by demonstrating, that 'infidelity takes its rise in these sources only, under "the power and influence of the evil Spirit, by whom "all sin and all evil was at first introduced into this "lower world. When man, under his influence, fell "from God, then the prophecy was uttered, which "has ever been fulfilled by infidelity alone, in its "various forms of apostasy-'I will put enmity "between thee and the woman, and between thy "seed and her seed:' it was predicted that there "should be carried on in the world, a constant war"fare between truth and falsehood, good and evil, "vice and virtue, religion and irreligion; and that "this was to arise, not, as modern infidels tell us, " from unavoidable defects of the understanding, or deficiency of evidence, but from enmity-from the "hatred that fallen man (naturally) bears to the "one true religion, which God would through many ages gradually reveal, till it was at length completed." Thence the Author "goes on to prove 66 66 66 "from the whole History of Infidelity, beginning "with the antediluvian world, through the pagan 66 ism, the heathenism, and the corrupt philosophy "of the Gentiles before Christ, to the rise and pro 66 66 66 66 66 gress of Mahommedanism, Atheism, Deism, and "various systems of error and false philosophy after "Christ, down to our own age, that it continues in "the world from the same causes. He confirms the justness of this statement, by pointing out the ful"ness of the evidence which demonstrates the truth "of the religion of the Bible, together with the impossibility that man could ever frame an (acceptable) religion for himself. He points out the utter insufficiency of the human understanding to do "this, and the consequent necessity of the submis"sion of the understanding to the truths of Revela"tion, as a part of the moral probation of man. "He reviews" (and places in a most convincing light) "the arguments" (from the extensive and consistent scheme of revealed religion) " from mira"cles, from prophecy, and from the inspiration of Scripture; and he concludes by shewing, that "while his argument will not of course apply to "those who never heard of the Gospel, it applies to "all who live in a Christian country, and have re"ceived a common Christian education. There is 66 66 no excuse (he maintains) for those who resist the "evidences of Revelation, priding themselves on "their infidelity and unbelief; and, consequently, "that it is the duty of all to avoid the contamina"tion of false reasoning, 'to hold fast the profes"sion of our faith without wavering,' and also to "vindicate it against the perverse disputings of "men of corrupt minds, whatever be the modern "notions of indifference to religion, or the danger"ous liberality, which makes truth and falsehood of 66 equal authority, and of equal value.-Such is the "outline of the work, which will be esteemed by "the Student and the Christian, as long as truth is regarded, or the English language spoken." 66 If any thing may be added to the foregoing by an inferior hand, the present writer begs to record, in a few sentences, his strong impression, that a book on the whole more worthy, both as to its plan and execution, has seldom, or never, been produced. The learning, which, without ostentation, is brought to bear on every department of the subject, and the energetic language which pervades it, are truly of a more than ordinary description. Once, indeed, (and perhaps oftener,) it has been represented by an unfriendly writer, as the work of a merely industrious compiler. The Author's reputation does not require that this should be absolutely contradicted. A compilation to a great extent it is. The first, i. e. the historical, part, were it entirely new, or invented, would be no better than a cunningly devised fable-a false accusation against the Evil One, and his disciples; and respecting the latter half, which is the Refutation, it might have been scarcely possible in the course of that, to adduce any solid arguments, which had not in some shape previously been alleged. Besides, there has rarely been known a mind less ambitious to strike out novelties, or more distrustful of them when urged by others upon his notice, than that of the Author of these Lectures; and accordingly, in an Appendix, he has freely laid open his resources. But, while thus acknowledging them to be, generally, a compilation, his biographer may justly assert both the volumes to betoken a high degree of original intelligence and power. They are, from first to last, of a fresh and attractive, of an enlightened and discriminating character. The line taken in them, was, until then, unoccupied. Such a systematic exposure of infidelity, at once in its head and in its members, in its deeds and in its sophistries, had not before been designed and wrought out, within a convenient compass, in order to the common benefit. Moreover, the work is singularly adapted, in all its parts, to every educated class of readers, and is known to have extensively gained access to, and consideration with persons of various, and nearly opposite conditions. The tone of it is precisely that, which, without giving reasonable offence, denotes an Author fully master of his subject, and bold to handle it in the face of adversaries and scorners: it repels no one by a needless asperity, or uncharitableness, and still never fails to express a strongly decided, and an uncompromising temper. The style, likewise, is both excellent in itself, and remarkably suited to the matter; being pure, simple, and unaffected, yet nowhere deficient in elevation, and dignity. It seems to have flowed (as in fact it did flow) almost naturally, from a powerful and comprehensive understanding. Without an appearance of study, it renders the deepest topics comparatively lucid, and the driest, interesting. Though clear, it is not cold; though grave and sober, it is not austere. The stream of it is generally uniform and equable, not often swelling into grandeur, nor exhibiting bursts of eloquence and passion, which are calculated rather to beget admiration, or an instant and transient excitement of feeling, than to work a permanent and salutary impression. Yet there are striking sentences enough to shew, that the Author wanted not a spirit to furnish more, had he thought fit thus to arrest the reader's mind; and, what is of higher value, in almost every paragraph may be perceived traces of a spiritual unction, or holy warmth at heart, imparting life to the whole course of the argument, and prevailing distinctly towards the close. Scarcely a sermon of the number, is concluded without an inference, or exhortation, or encouragement, intended directly for the edification of believers. Sometimes, as a leader of the Christian warfare, he cites an animating and appropriate passage, resembling the note of a trumpet, from the Psalms; at others, his suggestions are less of a stirring, than of a comforting, or admonitory, or persuasive cast; but rarely, if ever, does he omit, on discontinuing for the time his argument, to subjoin a sentence or two of a more animating, or pastoral character. And of these concluding counsels, as indeed of the entire work, the interest is greatly heightened by a recognition, specially preserved throughout, of the personality of the Evil Spirit. The reader is kept sensible, from first to last, that it is not chiefly flesh and blood which he has to wrestle against, nor an |