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courageous; to give new vigour to their faith, and new ardour to their zeal? On the fide of infidelity, numbers may in. creafe; but the faithful will present a clofer phalanx, which no menaces can intimidate, and no force can overcome.

An

When the importance of the fubject, and the circumftances of the times, are confidered, no apology will be expected, for an attempt to illuftrate and defend the infpiration of the Scriptures. apology may be neceffary for the imper fect manner in which a point of fuch magnitude is treated; but while the Author is fenfible, that the execution is not equal either to the defign, or to his own wishes, he will not, by affecting to depreciate his labours, incur the charge of presenting to the Public, what he acknowledges to be unworthy of its notice. Of the reafons which induced him first to difcufs the fubject, in fome fermons preached to the

Congregation

Congregation under his care, and afterwards to enlarge, and throw them into their present form, a detail could ferve no valuable end, and fhall therefore be fuppreffed. He has given a concife account of the arguments, which appeared to his own mind to prove, in the clearest and moft convincing manner, the divine authority of the books of the Old and the New Teftament. His labour will not be loft, if the following Effay be the means of reclaiming any of thofe unhappy perfons, who have exchanged Christianity for that mixture of folly and impiety, which is arrogantly ftyled reafon and philofophy; or of enabling any Christian, who is exposed to the affaults, and perplexed with the fophiftry of unbelievers, to "hold faft the profeffion of his faith without wavering."

CON

ERRATA.

P. 28. line laft, for I. read IV. P. 80. line 10. for them read it.

P. 94. line 3. for them read it.

P. 281. line 16. for to read with.

AN

ESSAY

ON THE

INSPIRATION

OF THE

HOLY SCRIPTURES.

INTRODUCTION AND PLAN.

REVELATION bears an analogy to the progress of light, which, faintly appearing in the dawn, brightens into the full splendour of noon; or to the progrefs of reason, which, feeble in infancy, and confined in its operations, becomes capable, in manhood, of the most profound researches, and embraces the whole circle of science,

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