the Father of Lights while he reads his word. And let Christians not be contented to know the truth for themselves: let them be zealous and unwearied in spreading abroad its proofs among others. The enemies of Revelation are active; let not the friends be remiss. "Truth is great and will prevail;" but in a fallen world it will only do so if appropriate means are perseveringly applied. I cannot better conclude, than in the solemn words of the great Andrew Fuller, spoken above forty years ago, but remarkably applicable to the present day. They should strike a note of warning into every Christian heart, and awake the faithful to new zeal and devotedness against infidelity in all its forms. "The human heart," says he, "has ever been averse from the Gospel of Christ, but the turn or temper of the present age is peculiarly favourable to infidelity. In much the same manner as in former ages men were violently attached to a persecuting superstition, they are now verging to the opposite extreme, and are in danger of throwing off all religion. Our temptations, and those which will attend our posterity after us, are likely, therefore, to be widely different from what they have hitherto been. Hitherto nominal Christianity has been no reproach, but reproach has attached itself to the other side. The case, in this respect, may soon be altered. Men grow bold in avowing their contempt of Christianity, and many among the dissipated part of the youth are following their example. Now, if characters of this description should spring up in sufficient numbers, not only to keep each other in countenance, but to turn the tide of reproach against Christians, as a company of wrongheaded enthusiasts, we shall soon see which side the mass of mankind will take. Their characters being loose and profligate, they have long felt themselves condemned by the Gospel, and this is a matter that does not sit very easy upon them. Nothing has kept them from rejecting it before, but the disgrace that would follow upon their becoming open infidels. Whenever, therefore, this disgrace shall be removed, we may expect them to go off in great companies. The slightest observation of human nature must convince us, that the greater part of mankind, even in religious matters, are governed by fashion. They go with the course of the world. So great an influence has the tide of public opinion upon them, that even where it is not altogether agreeable to their own views and inclinations, they are nevertheless frequently carried away by it; but if it be thus where public opinion and private inclination are at variance, it must, of course, be much more so in those cases wherein they are agreed. This will be a union of the wind and tide; and the vessel which is carried along by such a joint influence, can scarcely have any thing left to impede its progress It is not unlikely that almost all our religious controversies will soon be reduced to one, upon which the great body of men will divide. Is Christianity true or false? Is there a God? Is there a heaven and a hell? or is it all a fiction? Agitated by these important questions, the greater part of the inhabitants of Europe, and perhaps of America, including our own posterity, may rank either as real Christians or as open infidels." Vol. vii. pp. 141, 142. * * * Can any parent who loves Christianity, or loves his children, read these solemn sentences and not be aroused to the warfare against infidelity? Earnestly do I pray that the God of Truth may bless the present publication, and use it as armour which shall do good service, in defence of his own cause. He often honours the humblest means. It may be noticed, that the writers of the following excellent Tracts belonged to different denominations of professed Christians. Their perfect concurrence here is the more valuable. Principal Robertson, Principal Campbell, of Aberdeen, Dr Campbell, of Edinburgh, Mr Bonar, of Perth, were all ministers of the Church of Scotland. Mr Leslie was a minister of the Church of England; and Mr Carson, who is still alive, is a Dissenting minister in Ireland, of the Congregational body. GLASGOW, 15th January, 1839. JOHN G. LORIMER. CONTENTS. I'REFATORY ESSAY ON MODERN INFIDELITY. By a Proof of the Truth of Divine Revelation. A Short and Easy Method with the Deists. By The Success of the First Publishers of the Gospel The Truth of the Gospel Demonstrated from the Character of God Manifested in the Atone- Confessions of Infidels in favour of Christianity. THE CHRISTIAN'S ARMOUR AGAINST INFIDELITY. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCES. BY THE LATE REV. JOHN CAMPBELL, D.D., THOUGH the single argument handled in each of the Tracts, now for the first time collected together, would, by itself, establish the Divine truth of Christianity; yet it is desirable to have a brief but comprehensive summary of the whole question of the Evidences. We begin with a general outline of the entire field-an outline drawn by the pen of the late Rev. Dr Campbell of the Tolbooth church, Edinburgh. I am not aware that there is any shorter, or more correct and full, and beautiful statement, in the English language. In the original paper, he supports every position of importance by numerous learned notes, which it is not necessary to quote. * * * * * THE Scriptures contain strong internal characters of divinity. Certain books are put into our hands, confessedly of high antiquity, and purporting to have been given |