Now no objection exists against the morality' of the Gospel; and the question of its evidence will be considered in a subsequent Chapter (VII.)

1 Some, indeed, have objected to the destruction of the Canaanites, for instance, as unjust and immoral. But all human life is derived from God, who has a perfect right to revoke His gift when and how He pleases; either by flood, or fire, or by the sword of man. Hence its being done in obedience to His command, takes away all validity from the objection. Neither can injustice nor immorality be charged on the command itself: it was an insulated precept, to be executed on a special occasion, arising out of particular circumstances, viz. "the iniquity of the Canaanites being full ;"-very different from inculcating a continued system of treachery, ingratitude, and cruelty. [For a further elucidation of this point, see Part II. 'GRAVES;' Book III., Chap. I.]

CHAPTER IV.

OF CHRISTIANITY, CONSIDERED AS A SCHEME OR CONSTITUTION, IMPERFECTLY UNDERSTOOD.

ARGUMENT.-Objections against Christianity, as to the Wisdom and Goodness thereof, answered by the analogy of Nature: wherein (if the whole system could be comprehended by us) the very things objected to, might prove actual instances of wisdom and goodness. The great mystery of Christianity, like the vast scheme of Nature, not to be judged of, by the insulated portions man's mind can grasp. In each, the operations may be effected by general laws of wisdom. The Redemption being accomplished by progressive means, is analogous to results, similarly effected in Nature.

THE Analogy of Nature shows, that many things apparently objectionable, might be expected in a Reve

It

lation. But this, it may be alleged, does not prove that the things objected against can be wise, just, and good; or that it is even credible that they are so. has, however, been shown (Part I. Chap. VI.) that as the whole System of Nature is a scheme imperfectly comprehended by us, there may be many parts in it, the wisdom and goodness and justice whereof may be impugned, and which, nevertheless, could we see the whole, may not only be consistent with wisdom, justice, and goodness, but may be very instances of them; and thus the system of Nature may be perfect, in the highest degree. By the same mode of reasoning, precisely, objections against Christianity may be silenced; inasmuch as it is a system, the whole of which is not comprehended by us. For,

I. Christianity is a scheme quite beyond our comprehension. God's general moral government has been shown (Part I. Chap. III.) to be a gradual system, in which every one shall at last, and on the whole, receive his just deserts. And Christianity is a particular scheme connected with this; and consisting of a mysterious economy, commencing with the fall, and still carrying on, for the recovery of the world, by a Divine Person, the Messiah, who, in the fulness of time, was to take a human form,-to suffer, and die for man,-to rise again, and ascend, and be highly exalted in Heaven; at whose name every knee should bow, and every

tongue confess him Lord. Conjoined with this, also, are, the mission of the Holy Ghost, ordinary and extraordinary; Christ's present invisible government, and His future return to judgment, and to re-establish all things. This is evidently a great mystery of godliness; and we cannot seriously pursue any train of thought connected with it, but we run up insensibly into something beyond our reach. Our ignorance is as great respecting it,—as far as grounds of objection are concerned,—as it is with respect to the natural constitution of the world; and objections, therefore, against the perfection of the one, are just as futile as those against the perfection of the other.

II. The same reasoning applies, also, to the means which are made use of in the Christian scheme, as in the plan of Nature. However inefficient, or even foolish, they may appear, they may, in both cases, be the very best means of accomplishing the best ends.

III. Now, the probability that Christianity is carried on by general laws, is evident, by the analogy of Nature, whose course is admitted to be so, though we cannot comprehend the whole process. The general laws of matter, for instance, we know; and most of those respecting living agents. But when we come to the consideration of tempests, earthquakes, pestilences, &c. or to the questions of the diversity of tempers, capacities, and constitutions of men; then we are at a

loss, and call them the result of accident; though a reasonable mind admits that there is no such thing as chance, strictly speaking. And it is only by analogical reasoning, on the parts we do know to be governed by certain laws, that we conclude so of the whole. Hence the whole of Revelation, including its miraculous interpositions, may have been, after all, the result of general laws of wisdom: the affairs of the world going on for some time in a certain course;—and then having a new direction given them by certain interpositions, before such persons, and at such times, &c.: all, however, being the result of general laws; though as unperceivable by us, as the natural laws by which one person dies as soon as born, and another lives to extreme old age. And it is as absurd to suppose, that 'every exigence should be provided for by general laws and interpositions, as to expect every exigence in nature should, by the general laws of nature.

As, then, the appearance of deficiencies and irregularities in Nature is owing to its being a scheme only known in part; so it may be with Christianity; and it is as credible, that it may have all along been carried on by general laws, as that the course of Nature has.

Besides the general objections against Christianity, as a matter of fact, obviated in a former chapter (Part