ON THE USE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE SCRIPTURES.LETTER I.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine.

SIR,

T is impossible to read the history of past ages without being struck with the reverence generally paid by mankind to religious institutions; from whence we may aaturally infer, notwithstanding their different practices, that something relating thereto must have been appointed originally by Deity; for although many immoral acts may have been incorporated with the rites and ceremonies of religion, and a variety of follies have been committed under the sanction thereof such things do not contradict the idea respecting the origin of religious observances, particularly when it appears how prone men have frequently been to corrupt the purest principles of religion. This at least has been the case oftentimes among those who have taken the lead in matters of religion, whenever their ambitious or interested views could be promoted thereby, or that of the governments which have been united with religion; instanccs whereof may be found both in sacred and profane history, especially the former, which, being the most ancient and most authentic, claims peculiar respect. Yet although the general mass of mankind have implicitly followed the leadings of the priest, there have been some who have denied the necessity of any religious observances whatever; having considered the idea of a revelation as absurd. And traits of infidelity have been exhibited amongst the Jews, who have generally been foremost in their attachment to religious observances; for the major part of that nation not only rejected their Messiah, but disregarded his teaching, although accompanied with such demonstrations of divine power, as proved him to be the person of whom Moses and the prophets had written-the seed promised to Abraham. This was the more extraordinary, because at this period their Messiah was generally expected. Under such considerations it perhaps is less to be wondered at, that there are so many at this time of a similar stamp among us, who deride revelation and despise the scriptures, which nevertheless prove an inexhaustible source of instruction and comfort to the upright and humble; as they abound with information of the most important kind: for what can be more interesting than a knowledge of the dispensations and designs of God towards his creatures? what so likely to impress the mind. with reverence and love to him as a knowledge of his good

ness? or what can tend more to excite confidence in him, than a persuasion of his unremitting superintendance over the works of his hand, and his faithfulness to all his promises? or what can fill the mind with such humility and awe, as a knowledge of his righteous judgments, whereby the enormity of sin and its bitter consequences are so clearly pointed out :-all which are set forth in the scriptures in so striking a manner, that thereby we have such a perfect exhibition of the divine character as can by no other means be obtained; which consideration alone renders them in the highest degree useful and important. The principal difficulty, however, is in convincing men that the scriptures are true; particularly those who have entertained a prejudice against them, which from length of time has become habitual.

That a revelation has been afforded, has been most ably argued by Christophilus, who although he did not assume the authenticity of the scriptures, has nevertheless evinced that the bible of the Christian teaches every thing that can be gathered from the book of nature; that it leads to greater depths of knowledge, and is easier to be understood by the illiterate, notwithstanding all the vaunts of the advocates for Deism. At the same time he has made it appear, that revelation agrees with the religion of nature; and, after explaining the meaning of the several terms applied to the scriptures, he has proved, from the effects which the knowledge of them has produced, that no other cause whatever, except a revelation from Deity, was capable of producing the like; and by a variety of very fair deductions, has inferred that they contain a history of a revelation from Deity, whereby mankind have been gradually enlightened, and from whence the knowledge they at present possess has been derived; and that the most perfect acquaintance with the whole phenomena of nature could not in any degree instruct mankind in a manner so perfect and complete and from hence, by deductions very justly drawn, he has proved that the Christian religion, which is the most enlarged discovery of the will of God to man, stands upou a basis as selid as the earth; that it presents hopes the nost animating, capable of drawing men to the practice of virtue from the expectation of a happy futurity, founded upon the resurrection of Jesus from the dead-a fact so indubitable, that all the sophistry of man has been insufficient to invalidate it, having been proved by such circumstances as are altogether undeniable, and to reject which must evince an incredulity the most obstinate and irrational.

To go into a similar train of argument, in order to strengthen that of Christophilus, perhaps wonld tend to obscure what is now lucid and clear, which, were my abilities equal to, would be foreign to my present design, which is to point out the excellency and importance of the scriptures, and the purposes for which they were written. If the clue to the better understanding of the scriptures which I shall offer, be admissible, and due attention be paid to their sacred contents, the object I have in view I trust will be attained.

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As a connected whole, the scriptures certainly present us with the truest picture of mankind that ever was exhibited, as well as the most perfect display of the character of God; not merely as the moral governor of the world, but as a being who possesses such wisdom, power, and benignity, as must necessarily entitle him to the utmost reverence of his rational creation; while the awful manifestation of his justice, and we will add, benevolence, in the correction of sin, so extensive and terrible, seem well calculated to excite such feelings as would necessarily deter men from the commission of those acts against which such severity appears to have been levelled. The chief thing necessary to establish the use and importance of the scriptures, and to prove that they contain the history of revelation which Deity has vouchsafed to grant, is to shew in the first place that man stood in need of a revelation, and that the revelation of which the scriptures give us the account is suited to his situation, and such as it might be expected the Deity would afford; and if this can be made apparent, there will be some reason to hope that those who are now inimical to the scriptures will review them, and reconsider the evidence of their truth and if, upon such an examination, they appear calculated to promote the real happiness of man, and that they furnish such motives as necessarily have a tendency to influence him to practise that which is truly good, as well as to deter him from every thing evil, then probably they will pay that respect and attention to them that every real Christian admits they are entitled to; the consequence of which must necessarily be an enjoyment of serenity and peace, such as before they were strangers to.

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As there are a variety of objections brought against the scriptures, perhaps some may think that, in order to establish their use and importance, it is first necessary to remove those objections by offering specific answers thereto; but as I consider that most of them are founded upon a mistaken view of the scriptures, in many cases, on the part of those who are advocates for their use, as well as of those

who deny them altogether, I shall only notice such as militate against the character of Deity, and his designs in affording man a revelation of his will, which the scriptures make known; for to follow objectors through all the mazes and perplexities their fancies have framed, would be to enter upon a discussion as hopeless as it would be endless, not so much from the difficulty in their solution, as from the obstinacy with which their objections are maintained. However great the hostility manifested against the scriptures has been, no one who seriously and attentively considers them, can avoid seeing that the various topics treated of therein are in the highest degree interesting, calculated to afford the most valuable information, and that every thing is properly adapted to the meatal faculties; for while some subjects are calculated for the exercise of the most enlarged capacities, there are others of so simple a nature as to suit the rudest and most illiterate; hence it is that the scriptures become so generally useful: from every view of the concition of man, and the various powers with which he is endued, as well as from the structure of the buman mind, it must be evident that such faculties were bestowed to promote his felicity, in the exercise of which it chiefly depen ded; for although every information is at first received through the medium of the senses, it is by reflection, comparison, and analogy, that it becomes enlarged. Thus, from a contemplation of the works of nature, we attain to some knowledge of the great source of all good; yet slow mast be the progress made therein, and subject to a variety of mistakes and misapprehensions, while destitute of that information which Deity has been pleased to afford, to aid us in our researches; for after we have arrived at the utmost limits we can reach, it will be just sufficient to shew how weak our powers are, and how great our ignorance; and to make us exclaim, with Job, "canst thou by searching find out God!" Were we to go the lengths that some do, who contend that by the mere exercise of the mental faculties upon the works of nature, we could infer the character and attributes of Deity, yet from thence alone we could not attain a knowledge of our duty, or what would be acceptable to God; for such a knowledge could only be communicated from himself, unless we admit, what is highly unreasonable, that man possessed it by intuition; and as very few are placed in such happy circumstances as not to labour for their subsistence, the bulk of mankind would be unable to exercise their faculties in such a way as to lead them to the knowledge'

they stand in need of: on which account a revelation becomes in the highest degree necessary.

Again, if we consider the character of Deity, and the dependent and necessitous situation of man, and the relation in which he stands as the moral offspring of God, we must from thence conclude, that whatever could conduce to his well being and happiness would be afforded, and on this account a revelation from him is in the highest degree probable. Nor can the urging the necessity of a revelation be deemed a means of describing what Deity ought to do, but a rational conclusion of what a being of so much benignity would do a thing that appears essentially necessary upon considering both the nature of God, and the situation of man as his creature; which, when we turn to the scriptures, short, summary, or figurative as they are, we find confirmed in a manner the most convincing; for, on man's first introduction into being, we read of an intimation of the divine will to him, suited to his circumstances, made known by such an intercourse as he was capable of understanding, being accompanied by such an assurance as must have removed every doubt respecting the source from whence it came : for without some such conviction it would have been impossible a proper respect could have been paid to it. Hence this deduction may be made, that man was not left totally unacquainted with the author of his being, or the obligations he was under to him for the blessing he enjoyed, or the means of their continuance; and what the history relates of the folly and wickedness of his conduct, and the bitter. consequences thereof, is a striking corroboration of the fact of a revelation having been afforded, such as he stood in need of Hence we may further infer, that if such was man's situation at his creation, notwithstanding such a change has taken place in consequence of his disobedience, the relation between the Deity and man is not dissolved, and the consideration of his more than ever standing in need of divine consolation and aid, renders the necessity of a revelation stronger than ever; though at the same time it may have been of a nature different from that which was afforded in his state of innocence; the design of which must have been to attract his attention, secure his cbedience, and consequently to restore his lost tranquillity for as the felicity of his creature man must ever have been an object with Deity, it appears absolutely impossible, while he remained a being of unchanging goodness, for him to deviate from his original design.

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I am, &c.

T. K.