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his powers roused to vigorous ac- composed of oil and walnuts, withtion, his thoughts spiritual, and out any benediction. In the euhis general deportment amiable charist they consecrate with little and uniform. In fine, the true cakes made of oil and salt, and christian character exceeds all instead of wine make use of water others as much as the blaze of the in which raisins have been infused. meridian sun outshines the feeble In the Asiatic Researches of the light of the glow-worm. Society instituted in Bengal, may CHRISTIANS OF ST. JOHN, be found an enlarged account of a sect of christians very numerous the Christians of St. Thomas, in Balfara, and the neighbouring which was laid before that society towns: they formerly inhabited by F. Wrede, esq. See also Monthalong the river Jordan, where St.ly Magazine for 1804, p. 60. John baptized, and it was from CHRISTIANITY, the relithence they had their name. gion of christians.

They hold an anniversary feast of I. CHRISTIANITY, foundation five days, during which they all of Most, if not all christians, go to the bishop, who baptizes whatever their particular tenets them with the baptism of St. may be, acknowledge the scripJohn. Their baptism is also per-tures of the Old and New Testaformed in rivers, and that only on ments as the sole foundation of Sundays: they have no notion of their faith and practice. But as the third person in the Trinity; these books, or at least particular nor have they any canonical book, passages in them, have from but abundance full of charms, the ambiguity of language been &c. Their bishoprics descend variously interpreted by different by inheritance as our estates do, commentators, these diversities though they have the ceremony of have given birth to a multiplicity an election. of different sects. These, howCHRISTIANS OF ST. THO-ever, or at least the greatest numMAS, a sort of christians in aber of them, appeal to the scrippeninsula of India on this side the tures of the Old and New TestaGulf; they inhabit chiefly at ments as the ultimate standard, Cranganor, and the neighbouring the only infallible rule of faith country: these admit of no images, and manners. If asked by what and receive only the cross, to authority these books claim an which they pay a great veneration. absolute right to determine the They affirm, that the souls of the consciences and understandings of saints do not see God till after the men with regard to what they day of judgment; they acknow-should believe, and what they ledge but three sacraments, viz-should do, they answer, that all baptism, orders, and the and the eu- scripture, whether for doctrine, charist; they make no use of holy correction, or reproof, was given oils in the administration of bap-by immediate inspiration from tism, but, after the ceremony, God. If again interrogated how anoint the infant with an unction those books which they call scrip

ture are authenticated, they re-liv.-2. There is from the light ply, that the Old and New Testa- of nature considerable encouragements are proved to be the word ment to hope that God would of God, by evidences both exter-favour his creatures with so neednal and internal. See § 2, and ful a blessing as a revelation aparticle REVELATION. pears.-3. We may easily con

II. CHRISTIANITY, evidences clude, that, if a revelation were of the truth of. The external given, it would be introduced evidences of the authenticity and and transmitted in such a manner divine authority of the scriptures as christianity is said to have been. have been divided into direct and -4. That the main doctrines of collateral. The direct evidences the gospel are of such a nature as are such as arise from the nature, we might in general suppose those consistency, and probability of of a divine revelation would be; the facts; and from the simplicity, rational, practical, and sublime, uniformity, competency, and fide- Heb. xi, 6. Mark xii, 29. 1st Tim. lity of the testimonies by which ii, 5. Matt. v, 48. Matt. x, 29, 30. they are supported. The collate- Philippians iv, 8. Romans ii, 6, ral evidences are either the same 10.

occurrences supported by heathen Secondly. It is, in fact, certestimonies, or others which contain that christianity is, indeed, a cur with and corroborate the divine revelation; for, 1. The history of christianity. Its inter-books of the New Testament, norv nal evidences arise either from in our hands, were written by the its exact conformity with the first preachers and publishers of character of God, from its apti-christianity. In proof of this, obtude to the frame and circumstan-serve, 1. That it is certain that ces of man, or from those super-christianity is not a new religion, natural convictions and assistances but that it was maintained by great which are impressed on the mind multitudes quickly after the time by the immediate operation of the in which Jesus is said to have apDivine Spirit. We shall here peared.-2. That there was cerchiefly follow Dr. Doddridge, and tainly such a person as Jesus of endeavour to give some of the Nazareth, who was crucified at chief evidences which have been Jerusalem, when Pontius Pilate brought forward, and which every was governor there.-3. The first unprejudiced mind must confess publishers of this religion wrote are unanswerable. books which contained an account First. Taking the matter merely of the life and doctrine of Jesus, in theory, it will appear highly their master, and which went by probable that such a system as the the name of those that now made gospel should be, indeed, a divineup our New Testament.-4. That revelation. the books of the New Testament

The case of mankind is natural- have been preserved, in the main, ly such as to need a divine revela- uncorrupted to the present time, in tion, 1st John v, 19. Rom. i. Eph. the original language in which they

were written.-5. That the transla-||honest, but a most pious and detion of them now in our hands may vout, a most benevolent and gebe depended upon as, in all things nerous disposition, as every one most material, agreeable to the must acknowledge who reads their original. Now, II. From allowing writings.-3. The apostles were the New Testament to be genuine, under no temptation to forge a according to the above proof, it story of this kind, or to publish will certainly follow that chris-it to the world knowing it to be tianity is a divine revelation; for, false.-4. Had they done so, huin the first place, it is exceed-manly speaking, they must quickingly evident that the writers of ly have perished in it, and their the New Testament certainly knew foolish cause must have died with whether the facts were true or them, without ever gaining any false, John i, 3. John xix, 27, 35. credit in the world. Reflect more Acts xxvii, 7, 9.-2. That the cha-particularly on the nature of those racter of these writers, so far as we grand facts, the death, resurrection, can judge by their works, seems and exaltation of Christ, which to render them worthy of regard, formed the great foundation of the and leaves no room to imagine christian scheme, as first exhibited they intended to deceive us. The by the apostles. The resurrection manner in which they tell their of a dead man, and his ascension story is most happily adapted to into and abode in the upper gain our belief. There is no air world, were such strange things, of declamation and harangue; that a thousand objections would nothing that looks like artifice immediately have been raised aand design: no apologies, no en-gainst them; and some extraordicomiums, no characters, no reflec-nary proof would have been justly tions, no digressions; but the required as a balance to them. Confacts are recounted with great sider the manner in which the apossimplicity, just as they seem to tles undertook to prove the truth have happened; and those facts of their testimony to these facts; are left to speak for themselves. and it will evidently appear, that, -Their integrity likewise evi-instead of confirming their scheme, dently appears in the freedom it must have been sufficient utterly with which they mention those to have overthrown it, had it been circumstances which might have itself the most probable imposture exposed their Master and them-that the wit of man could ever selves to the greatest contempt have contrived. See Acts iii, ix, amongst prejudiced and inconsi-xiv, xix, &c. They did not merederate men, such as they knewly assert that they had seen mirathey must generally expect to cles wrought by Jesus, but that he meet with, John i, 45, 46. John had endowed them with a variety vii, 52. Luke ii, 4, 7. Mark vi, of miraculous powers; and these 3. Matt. viii, 20. John vii, 48. they undertook to display not in It is certain that there are in such idle and useless tricks as sleight their writings the most genuine of hand might perform, but in such traces not only of a plain and solid and important works as ap

If

peared worthy of divine interpo-||and by miracles wrought by him, sition, and entirely superior to and by others in his name. human power. Nor were these we attend to these, we shall find things undertaken in a corner, in them to be no contemptible argua circle of friends or dependants;ments; but must be forced to nor were they said to be wrought, acknowledge, that, the premises as might be suspected, by any being established, the conclusion confederates in the fraud; but most easily and necessarily follows; they were done often in the most and this conclusion, that Jesus is public manner. Would impostors the Christ, taken in all its extent, have made such pretensions as is an abstract of the gospel revethese? or, if they had, must they lation, and therefore is sometimes not immediately have been expos-put for the whole of it, Acts viii, ed and ruined? Now, if the New 37. Acts xvii, xviii. See articles Testament be genuine, then it is MIRACLE and PROPHECY.-7. certain that the apostles pretend to The truth of the gospel has also have wrought miracles in the received farther and very considevery presence of those to whom rable confirmation from what has their writings were addressed; nay, happened in the world since it more, they profess likewise to was first published. And here we have conferred those miraculous must desire every one to consider gifts in some considerable degrees what God has been doing to conon others, even on the very per-firm the gospel since its first pubsons to whom they write, and they lication, and he will find it a farappeal to their consciences as to ther evidence of its Divine origithe truth of it. And could there nal. We might argue at large possibly be room for delusion here? from its surprising propagation in -5. It is likewise certain that the the world; from the miraculous apostles did gain early credit, powers with which not only and succeeded in a most wonder-the apostles, but succeeding ful manner. This is abundantly preachers of the gospel, and other proved by the vast number of converts, were endowed; from churches established in early ages the accomplishment of propheat Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Col-cies recorded in the New Testalosse, &c. &c. &c.-6. That, ment; and from the preservaadmitting the facts which they tion of the Jews as a distinct testified concerning Christ to be people, notwithstanding the varitrue, then it was reasonable for ous difficulties and persecutions their contemporaries, and is rea-through which they have passed. sonable for us, to receive the We must not, however, forget to gospel which they have transmit-mention the confirmation it reted to us as a divine revelation.ceives from the methods which its The great thing they asserted was, enemies have taken to destroy it; that Jesus was the Christ, and that and these have generally been he was proved to be so by pro-either persecution or falsehood, phecies accomplished in him, or cavilling at some particulars

in revelation, without entering||three distinct subsistences, yet disinto the grand argument on which tinguished in such a manner as it is built, and fairly debating what not to be incompatible either with is offered in its defence." The essential unity, or simplicity of cause has gained considerably by being, or with their personal disthe opposition made to it: the more tinction; each of them possesses it has been tried, the more it has the same nature and properties to been approved; and we are bold the same extent. This infinite to say no honest man, unfettered Being was graciously pleased to by prejudice, can examine this create an universe replete with system in all its parts without be-intelligences, who might enjoy his ing convinced that its origin is glory, participate his happiness, and imitate his perfections. But

divine.

III. CHRISTIANITY, general as these beings were not immutadoctrines of. "It must be obvious," ble, but left to the freedom of says an ingenious author, "to their own will, degeneracy took every reflecting mind, that, whe-place, and that in a rank of inther we attempt to form the idea telligence superior to man.

But

of any religion à priori, or con-guilt is never stationary. Imtemplate those which have alrea-patient of itself, and cursed with dy been exhibited, certain facts, its own feelings, it proceeds from principles, or data, must be pre-bad to worse, whilst the poigestablished; from whence will re-nancy of its torments increases sult a particular frame of mind and with the number of its perpetracourse of action suitable to the tions. Such was the situation of character and dignity of that Be-Satan and his apostate angels. ing by whom the religion is en-They attempted to transfer their joined, and adapted to the nature turpitude and misery to man, and and situation of those agents who were, alas, but too successful! are commanded to observe it. Hence the heterogeneous and irHence Christianity may be divid-reconcilable principles which opeed into credenda or doctrines, and rate in his nature; hence that inagenda or precepts. As the great explicable medley of wisdom and foundation of his religion, there-folly, of rectitude and error, of fore, the christian believes the benevolence and malignity, of existence and government of one sincerity and fraud, exhibited eternal and infinite Essence, which through his whole conduct; hence for ever retains in itself the cause the darkness of his understandof its own existence, and inherent-ing, the depravity of his will, ly possesses all those perfections the pollution of his heart, the irwhich are compatible with its na-regularity of his affections, and ture: such are its almighty power, the absolute subversion of his omniscient wisdom, infinite jus-whole internal economy. The tice, boundless goodness, and uni-seeds of perdition soon ripened inversal presence. In this indivisi-to overt acts of guilt and horror. ble essence the christian recognises All the hostilities of nature were VOL. I.

T

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