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RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS.-No. II.

207

ON THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN NATURAL AND REVEALED
RELIGION.

MANY, who reject the divine authority of the Bible, claim that they are believers in natural religion. While much has been said in praise of human reason, and much written in illustration of the truths of natural religion, we do not recollect to have seen any very satisfactory view of the distinction between natural and revealed .religion. We are not informed where the one ends and the other begins; nor what number of truths falls within the limits of natural religion: nor are we told of the repugnance which the truths of natural religion exhibit to those of revealed: in a word, we are in darkness in regard to any distinction between natural and revealed religion, which renders the truths of the one any more improbable than the truths of the other.

It is worthy of remark, that the opposers of Revelation are not agreed in respect to the truths, contained in natural religion: nor are they agreed in their use of the phrase. It has generally been used in a general and vague sense, without being defined in regard to its limits. We are at a loss what meaning to affix to it, when used in opposition to the Bible; for the obvious reason, that we find in the Bible all the truths which are embraced in natural religion. There is no one truth of natural religion, which is not found in the Bible. And because the Bible contains more truths than are found in natural religion, it affords no argument against the divine authority of the Bible, but merely shows, that the Bible embraces more of the system of truth than the book of nature.

In its literal sense, the phrase, natural religion, is that which belongs to mankind, in a state of nature, without any aid from revelation. It includes all the truths, which mankind in their fallen state, perceive and believe: but in this sense of the phrase we have no means of determining the truths of natural religion: for it is beyond doubt, that the knowledge which mankind actually have of God and his works, in their fallen state, was obtained originally from revelation. The experiment which has been made by Gentile nations for more than six thousand years, proves that sinful men are not agreed in any one article of natural religion. The deplorable decline of these nations from the knowledge and worship of the true God, and likewise the great disinclination which men in Christian nations feel to imbibing the knowledge of God, render it highly probable, that, had mankind immediately after the fall, been left to their own inclinations and the instructions of their own reason, without the aid of revelation, they would have lost all knowledge of the true God. This conclusion is likewise authorized, from the continued revelations, which God was pleased to make, to preserve in the world a knowledge of his character, and reverence for his authority. He selected one from the nations of the earth to be the depositary of these revelations; some knowledge of which was

doubtless obtained among the nations of the earth from this nation, which served to preserve some traces of their knowledge derived originally from God, and gradually lost from generation to generation, through forgetfulness of him, and disaffection to his character. Thus we are brought to the conclusion, that sinful men are indebted to revelation for all the knowledge of the true God, to be found in the world. At the same time, it is doubtless true, that the works of creation afford sufficient evidence of the existence and perfections of God, to leave all men without excuse, in denying his existence and refusing to worship him. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." We, who are furnished with the idea, that there is a God, find evidence, every where in the works of creation, of his existence, and are able to collect evidence in such a manner and to such a degree, as to exclude from our minds all doubts concerning this great truth. It is a truth, which when once made known to mankind, would not easily be forgotten; since few Gentile nations have been found without some indistinct impressions of the existence of an overruling power. But, it is questionable, whether, in their fallen state, mankind would ever have turned their attention to this subject, on account of the alienation of their hearts from God; it is very questionable, whether they would not have continued blind to all the evidence furnished in the works of creation, and have lived and died in ignorance of this great truth. It is doubtful, whether reason, in fallen man, unassisted by revelation, would ever have raised its eye to heaven, and enabled man to rejoice in the knowledge of God!-The same disaffection of heart to God which renders mankind unwilling to "retain God in their knowledge," after he had revealed to them his character, would probably have influenced them to remain in total ignorance, in disregard of all the evidence furnished in his works, had God left them without any revelation.

It ought never to be forgotten, that those who have written against revealed religion, have lived under the light of the gospel, and have gained that knowledge of which they boast as the attainment of their own reason, from revelation. Deistical and infidel authors are found in christian countries-they are educated under the light of the gospel; and from their earliest years, in one way and another, they have been favoured with religious instruction: of course they do not give us specimens of the effects of reason, unaided by revelation; their writings are productions of the human intellect, indebted for its knowledge of God, to the revelation, he has given, yet employed under the influence of depraved hearts in opposition to that very revelation.

We are aware, that there is a sense in which the phrase natural religion is sometimes used, which, in our opinion, is the proper use, and which is not in opposition to revelation. In this sense, it includes those truths of the Bible, which are capable of being proved from the works of creation. This is the fact in relation to some truths of the Bible, and not in relation to others. Some truths, when

once revealed, or when once the attention of the mind is turned to them, are found to rest on evidence, furnished us in the works of creation of this kind for example are the existence of God and the perfections of his nature, both natural and moral: while on the other hand the mode of his existence, and the wonders of his love in redemption, are subjects peculiar to revelation, in relation to which the works of creation furnish us with no evidence. In this sense of the phrase natural religion, its truths are all found in revelation, and the only distinction between them and the other truths of the Bible is this; they are capable of being proved by the works of creation, while some other truths cannot be satisfactorily proved in this manner. Of course there is no opposition, or contradiction between the two classes of truths; they are both contained in the Bible; and they are both supported by adequate evidence. The difference is not such, as to furnish any argument against the truth of revelation. No weapons can be taken from natural religion to oppose revealed religion. As formidable objections lie against the truths, which belong to natural religion, as against those, which are peculiar to revelation. We are confident that the same array of argument can be urged against those truths, which the opposers of revelation admit, as against those, which they deny. And we would impress on the minds of the readers of our pages, the importance of examining this subject with attention. The Bible is to us every thing, if it is any thing. They, who reject the Bible, have no guide to immortal life;-they are in darkness, however they may boast of the powers of their own reason; for without revelation reason in fallen man is an unsafe guide. The religion of the Bible contains all the truths of natural religion, in consistency with other truths peculiar to a revelation from God. The Bible is the book of books-it is above all price: nor can it be held in too high estimation by man.

RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

THE personal appearance of Christ, in his mission on the earth, was widely different from the expectations of the Jews. Their rulers regarded him as an impostor, and denied his claims to the Messiahship. In their opinion he was a deceiver, hostile to their religion, and unworthy of their confidence. The same was the opinion of the great body of the Jewish nation.

The evidence, which Christ exhibited of his Messiahship, could not be easily misapprehended. Of course it often carried conviction to the understandings of his opposers, while it was rejected by their hearts. Under the influence of deeply rooted prejudices in favour of a secular Messiah, and of a religion of external grandeur, and possessing hearts opposed to the holiness of his character, and the purity and sublimity of his precepts and doctrines, the Jews, as a nation, rejected his claims, and followed him with persecution even

unto death. The malignant cry, " crucify him, crucify him," was an expression of the cruel hatred in their hearts, and of their fixed determination to put him to death. He was condemned in compliance with their demand, and as a malefactor yielded up his life on the cross.

But the Jews were not satisfied with his death. They determined to prevent his resurrection, and to render it certain to the view of the world, that he was an impostor. With design therefore, to be secure against the possibility of being imposed upon by the friends of Christ, their rulers came together unto Pilate, and addressed him in the following manner :-" Sir, we remember that, that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days, I will rise again. Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people he is risen from the dead; so the last error shall be worse than the first."-The answer of Pilate was, " Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone and setting a watch." All this was done to secure the body of Christ to the tomb, and by that means demonstrate to the world, that he was a deceiver. His resurrection is related to have taken place, in opposition to their wishes, in accordance with his own predictions.

The certainty of his resurrection, and its importance, will now be illustrated.

The fact, that Christ arose from the dead, rests on the same evidence with any other fact contained in the sacred writings. This evidence is presented in the testimony of those, who saw him alive after his resurrection, and in the circumstances which attended that event. The latter we will examine first in order.

The predictions of Christ, excited an expectation that he would rise on the third day. It was this which prompted the Jewish rulers to request his sepulchre to be defended with all possible care, until after the third day. This precaution rendered it impossible that the body should be secretly taken away by any, who might be disposed to palm an imposition upon the world. It was therefore overruled in the providence of God, to corroborate the certainty of his resurrection, as it prevented the propagation of its belief, provided it were not true.

On the third day, early in the morning, at the rising of the sun, three pious women, who had been disciples of Christ, having prepared their spices, came to the sepulchre to anoint the body of their Lord. When lo! to their astonishment they found the sepulchre open, and seeing a young man sitting, clothed in a long white garment, they were affrighted. He saith unto them, be not affrighted, "Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he is risen, he is not here; behold the place, where they laid him; but go your way, tell his disciples, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." In addition to these circumstances, another Evangelist informs us, that this young man clothed in white was an angel,-that there was an earthquake at his descent from heaven, that through fear, the keepers did shake and became

as dead men,-that he rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre and sat upon it,-and that he testified, that Christ had risen. These circumstances soon came to the knowledge of the Jewish rulers, and it is evident that they credited them, from the story, which they fabricated to discredit them. The sanhedrim was immediately called, and it was debated in public council, what should be done. The fact was incontrovertible, that the body of Jesus was gone. Concerning this, there was not the shadow of doubt. Their object then was to pervert the belief, that he had risen. They had been informed of the circumstances attending his resurrection. These they did not deny, yet they chose to conceal them. And what measures do they take? Why, in the first place, they propose to bribe the soldiers, who were on duty, to declare a falsehood. They are to be hired to say, "That they fell asleep, and while they slept his disciples had stolen away the body of Jesus." You will recollect, reader, that this was the fabrication agreed on by the Jewish rulers assembled in common council. You will likewise recollect, that the law under which these soldiers acted was very strict; that it was death by the Roman law, at this time in force in Judea, for a soldier to be found asleep when on duty. Here then, you have an example of a court, bribing soldiers to assert a falsehood, which falsehood would expose them to the severest punishment, yet which they are induced to assert, from the persuasion, that this very court would have influence with the governor in procuring their release from punishment: The language of the court is, "We will persuade him and secure you." What stronger confirmation of the truth of Christ's resurrection can be desired than is furnished by these circumstances Who that contemplates them can doubt the fact, which the fabrication was designed to conceal ?

We are next to examine some of the testimony in proof of his resurrection.

We have in the first place the testimony of the angel, as above stated, who directed the pious women to inform his disciples of his resurrection, and promised that they should see him in Galilee Accordingly we find no less than eleven instances recorded of his being seen by some of the disciples, or their companions. He appeared to Mary and the women who were with her at the sepulchre, he appeared also to Peter,-to the two disciples going to Emmaus, to James,-to the ten, Thomas being absent,-to the eleven, he being present,-to the disciples again at the sea of Tiberias, and to above five hundred brethren at once. And as the writer of the Acts informs us, "he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of the Apostles forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Of whom Christ himself saith, in prospect of his ascension, promising them the gift of the spirit from on high-" Ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." And after he had said these things, they beheld him in his ascension to heaven. All these examples furnish us with the testimony of eye witnesses, who were

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