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in tears or blood, to write a penal law denouncing vengeance on infidels. She never made her bitterest foe heave a groan, from any bodily suffering inflicted by her hands. Her only weapons of offence and defence are truth and prayer. She returns good for evil, and blessing for cursing.

If men wearing the garb of the disciples of Jesus, instigated by pride and the lust of dominion, and a desire to gratify the worst pas sions of the human heart, injure any of the human race under a pretence of zeal for religion, they act in direct opposition to the gospel; and you cannot condemn them with too much severity. But surely christianity should not be condemned for what it forbids men to perpetrate, under pain of the divine displeasure. Or if such as were truly christians, ever sought to put a stop to infidelity or error, and to propagate the gospel in the world by force, (and it is to be deplored with tears of blood, that such there have unhappily been,) they will receive no more thanks from Christ, than the three disciples when they wished him to bring down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans ; "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of: The Son of Man came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Nor would he account the words, which he directed to Peter on a different occasion, too severe to be used to them here: " Get thee behind me,

Satan: thou art an offence unto me; for thou savorest not the things which he of God, but the things which be of man." Both the prin ciples and precepts of the gospel, and the conduct of Christ and his apostles, are as remote from persecution, as the east is from the west.

SECTION VI,

OBJ. Christ's Appearance on earth was distinguished by a Meanness which seems beneath the Dignity of the Son of God.

THE

HIS objection arises from a worldly spirit, and from an ignorance of real greatness. Had Christ appeared with the design for which the Jews expected him, and which Mahomet professed to have, the power, dignity, and splendor of an earthly monarch would have been highly suitable but his intention was of a different kind; and his kingdom was not of this world. He came to bear witness to the truth, to exhibit a pattern of every virtue, and to expiate the sins of men by his own blood and his external humiliation was well adapted to answer all these purposes. When a teacher addresses us, it is desirable that the hearers be not overawed by external majesty : but that the mind be calm, in order that it may deliberately examine his pretensions, and his doctrine. When

X

a person is designed for a pattern to mankind, is it not fit that he should appear in a situation, which falls to the lot of the great mass of the children of men? The manner of Christ's appearance accorded also with the nature of his religion. He came to call men away from the love of the world, from ambition, avarice, and sensual pleasure; and to teach them that true greatness consists in goodness, apart from any external grandeur. He came to exhibit, by way of example, the virtues suitable to a present state, especially the most difficult ones, meekness, patience under sufferings, bearing and forgiveness of injuries, and love in return for hatred. He came to testify his father's displeasure against the sins of men, and to suffer for them, "the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." What station in life, what kind of appearance on earth was most fit for, nay would at all suit these purposes, but a state of external humiliation; or that which the proud world, borrowing its language from its vicious disposi tions, calls meanness ?

Some may say, "I would have him sometimes displaying his dignity and glory." But did not Christ feed many thousands of hungry persons with the small provisions made for his own family? Did he not heal the sick, and give sight to the blind? Did he not raise the dead to life? Was not this glory infinitely superior to what earthly monarchs could ex

hibit, and of a kind which peculiarly suited the nature, and promoted the purposes of his benevolent mission to the children of men?

OBJ.

SECTION VII.

Christianity is known only to a small Portion of Mankind: if it were from God, would it not be universal in its Extent?

Do you believe any one religion to be divine? If you do, the objection is answered. The deist cannot urge it with any propriety; for his religion is very far from being universal: we shall find in the world fifty persons professing christianity for one who professes deism. Besides, we clearly see that many benefits which God has bestowed on men, are partial as to the enjoyment. Some are given to particular nations, but denied to the rest of the world: others are possessed by some individuals only, of a favored nation. A moderate knowledge of history will be sufficient to convince us, that in the moral government of the world, the bounties of providence, as well as mental endowments, and the means of improvement, are distributed with what appears to us an unequal hand. When the objections to this inequality of distribution are considered and refuted, the ob

jection arising from the partial knowledge of christianity is answered at the same time.

The subject may be viewed in another light. Some blessings flow immediately from God to every person who enjoys them: others are conveyed by the instrumentality of man; and depend on the philanthropy of man, for their continuance and extension. The last is the case. as to the knowledge of christianity. When it was first revealed, it was committed into the hands of the disciples of Jesus: and its propagation in the world ever since has depended on their exertions in publishing it among the nations. That a melancholy negligence has been too often betrayed, must be acknowledged and deplored. But at the same time it will be found, that in numberless instances the most violent opposition has been made to the zealous endeavors of christians; and that it is owing to the sanguinary persecutions of the rulers of the world, that the gospel does not now enlighten the whole habitable globe. If a conqueror, followed by his powerful army, desolate a country, and burn the cities and villages, and destroy the cattle and the fields of corn, and the people perish for cold and hunger, is their misery to be ascribed to a lack of goodness in God, or to the superabounding wickedness of man? The answer will equally apply to the subject before us.

The objection will appear still less cogent, if

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