An error com mon in India. Christianity. tural Religion have actually been discovered by the human mind without the aid of Assuredly, such is not the fact. Take an illustration. Suppose a man long shut up in a dark apartment, and having no idea where a door may be found by which he may escape. Suppose now a light is brought in for a few moments, and that, by its assistance, he sees where the door lies. Surely the man is not in the same state now, as he was before the light was introduced; and surely too, he would be a vain and foolish boaster, if he sried; "Take away the light,-it has been, and can be of no use to me." And yet this is the way in which man young Natives deal with Christianity. Keeping all these things in recollection, let us go on to compare Christianity with Natural Religion. All the truths I. The first remark I make on the subject is this There is not a single truth recognized h of Natural Reli- Natural Religion, nor a single duty incu gion are recognized by Christ-cated by it, which Christianity does no ianity. equally recognize and inculcate. Let any doctrine be mentioned respecting God, whic writers on Natural Religion generally admit to be in accor dance with the highest reason, and I undertake to she the same doctrine written in the Bible, in language mor beautiful and lofty than that in which any philosopher eve clothed it. Or, let the ethical philosopher, who analyze the conscience of man and thence deduces the laws o moral obligation, state any duty, public or private, whic can be demonstrated to be binding on human beingsand that duty shall undertake to shew, written as with sunbeam, on the pages of the Christian Revelation! There is, indeed, ne great principle that ought to be taken in connexion with what has been said;-it partly mo difies, though it does not in the least contradict, the asser on just made. It is this, that since Christianity (if it be from in advance of Christianity God) must be a perfect system of truth and duty, and since all our earthly systems are imperfect, Christianity must continually be in advance of human systems. It would be a singularly interesting fact, if some doctrines of Christianity which were objected to by one age, were yet recognized to be true by a subsequent age, wiser than its predecessors. The Bible is ever the same; but human knowledge is continually advancing, and men are becoming gradually wiser. Is it then the case that some things in Christianity were formerly found fault with, which are now admitted to be unexceptionable? Yes; even so. Take, as examples, the Christian doctrine regarding woman, as intended not to be the servant, but the companion, of man, and the prohibition of polygamy which naturally arises out of that doctrine. On the first promulgation of Christianity, these things were considered highly unreasonable; but no enlightened man now considers them unreasonable.-Again, the Bible exhorts men to cherish humility. The ancients ridiculed that quality, and despised a humble man as a creature of mean and abject spirit. But who, among enlightened men in modern days, does not profess to admire humility?Many other examples might be given; but these will suffice to illustrate the point contended for, viz. that Christianity is necessarily in advance of mere human reason, and that thus men often raise objections to the Scriptures simply from their own ignorance. The experience of the past ought to teach us lessons of caution for the future. Let rise from ig Objections us beware lest arguments be started which frequently a- will prove to posterity that we failed, only norance. because of our own blindness, to recognize the majestic beauty of the Christian faith. Let us, then, briefly enumerate some of the doctrines of Christianity; and let us see whether they are not in accordance with the highest reason. Doctrines in which In our standard works on Natural Christianity and Na- Religion we find such doctrines as the tural Religion agree. following enunciated regarding God. His eternity; self-existence; independence; unity; infinity; immutability; spirituality; omnipotence; omnipre sence; omniscience; holiness; justice; goodness; truth.He created all things. He preserves all things. He rules all things. Moral evil (or Sin) exists. God is not its author. He hates it. He punishes it. He is a Man is His creature, and dependent on Him for every blessing. It is his duty to serve God supremely. moral being. He is a subject of the moral government of God. He is destined for another state of existence, in which rewards or punishments await him. He is a sinner. He is in many respects unhappy. A breach exists between God and him. These doctrines concerning God and man the Scriptures confirm. The Scriptures speak thus: Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. (Psalm xe. 2.) God said unto Moses, 1 AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, "I AM hath sent me unto you." (Ex. îii. 14.) [The scriptural name of God,-Jehovahimplies that He is the centre and source of all being.] God is not worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life and breath and all things. (Acts xx. 25) Of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things. (Rom. xi. 36.) Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. (Deut. vi. 4.) The heaven, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain Him. (I Kings viii. 27.) Canst thou by searching find out God? (Job. xi. 7.) I, the Lord, change not. (Mal. iii. 6.) With the Father of lights is no variableness, neither any shadow of turning, (James iii. 7.) God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John iv. 24.) Is any thing too hard for the Lord? (Gen. xviii, 14.) With God all things are possible. (Matt. xix. 26.) Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jer. xxiii. 24.) Behold the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee. (I Kings viii. 27.) His understanding is infinite. (Ps, cxlvii. 5.) O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! (Rom. xi. 33.) Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, (Isai, vi. 3.) I am the Lord which execute loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (Jer. ix. 24.) The Lord is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Ps. cxlv. 9.) Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isai. xxv. 1.) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen. i. 1.) The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season, Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. (Ps. cxlv. 15, 16.) His kingdom ruleth over all. (Ps. ciii. 19.) The whole world lieth in wickedness. (i John. v. 19.) Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. (James i, 13.) The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord. (Prov. xv. 9.) Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished. (Prov. xi. 21.) In Him we live, and move, and have our being. (Acts xvii. 18.) Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (i Cor. x. 31.) Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Rom, xiv. 12.) These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. (Matt, xxv. 46.) All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. iii. 23.) Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. (Job xviii. 5.) We were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Eph. ii. 3.) Such is a very brief summary of doctrines in which Christianity agrees with Natural Religion. In regard to all such doctrines, it would be easy to find confirmation in the admissions of men of different nations and religions. No system indeed, except Christianity, ever acknowledged all these truths; and the creeds of most nations have been in direct contradiction to many of them;-nevertheless, we may set them down as truths of Natural Religion. Although she might probably never have discovered them, enlightened Reason at once admits them. So far, then, Christianity and Natural Religion agree,— the difference between them being this, that Christianity proclaims most of these great doctrines with a distinctness and emphasis that render them far more solemn and commanding than any mere philosopher ever made them. II. These considerations bring us to another great While Christianity never contradicts Natural Religion, she reveals a vast amount of truth more than Natural Religion reveals. fact. This of course, was to be expected. When we speak Revelation of a Divine Revelation, we mean a disclosure has necessa unknown to Natural Religion. man, rily doctrines by God of important truths which himself, could not have found out. Unless Christianity contained doctrines which man is unable to discover by his unaided faculties, where would have been the necessity for its being given? Christianity. then, if she be of divine origin, must contain important truths which are beyond the reach of the unaided human intellect. But it is of the utmost importance to observe that all the additional truths which Christianity discloses, require to be in perfect harmony with those of Natural Religion. Truth cannot contradict truth. The relation of Natural Religion and Christianity may be understood from the following illustration. Natural Religion resembles a building, which has been left in an exceedingly incomplete and fragmentary state. We trace Yet these must not contradict Nat. Rel. a deep and extensive foundation laid,-we see a massive wall, here and there, raised to a considerable height,-every thing seems begun on a vast and imposing scale of architecture; but the plan of the building is unknown, and there are many parts the use or purpose of which we cannot dis |