REVIEW. ARTICLE I. The sacred origin and divine authority of the Jewish and Christian Religions, argued from their internal evidences, in three Sermons. By ROBERT LITTLE. Minister of the First Unitarian Church, Washington City. Washington, 1823. THESE HESE sermons are preceded by a long and sensible preface, in which the author states his views of the manner in which revelation should be defended against infidelity, and pleads the claim of all who acknowledge the revelations of the Bible, to be called Christians. He thinks that much of the scepticism of the world has arisen from the indefensible things, which have been taught and insisted upon as essential parts of revelation; and that he consequently serves the cause of revealed religion most ef fectually, who shows, that the weak and vulnerable opinions, against which reason and wit have so often-and so successfully played off their artillery, in reality make no part of the system. In this persuasion, our author professes to abandon many points, in which some writers have entrenched themselves, 6 as merely clumsy, ill constructed outposts,' not in any degree necessary to the safety of the citadel. For why, he very reasonably asks, should we think it necessary to show our love to christianity, by defending all the foolish things which its advocates have ever said. It is these things, which have furnished food for the objections and cavils, the sneers and ribaldry, of infidel writers;who for the most part leave untouched the substantial and essential truths, to play off their argument and their wit against those things, which are either no part of the system, but only the fancies of its advocates,-or, if parts of the system, yet whose destruction would not affect the foundation and credibility of the whole. This idea is thus stated in the first sermon. 'Scepticks have dealt, I think, unfairly and unphilosophically with the records of the Mosaic institutions. They have exposed to the severest test of ridicule those parts of these ancient writings which either contain matter, or are couched in language, most alien from the purified principles of a better age, and incompatible with the fastidiousness of modern civilization; and because no well regulated mind can dwell with pleasure on the contemplation of such subjects, New Series-vol. V. 7 they conclude that the people who retained them with sacred reverence in the volume of their political and religious code, could have no pretensions to the peculiar interpositions of Deity on their behalf. In this way the traditionary accounts of the origin of mankind, and the introduction of evil, (evidently derived from a much earlier date than the time of Moses, and perhaps after all, chiefly allegorical; the vices and occasional brutality of some of the most distinguished ancestors of mankind, the cruel war of extermination which the Israelites waged against the inhabitants of Canaan-these and such like are triumphantly urged, as a sufficient refutation of all the claims set up on the behalf of that people, as the depositaries of a divine revelation. An impartial mind will pronounce the conclusion as too serious, and too weighty, for the premises to support.' pp. 3, 4. After an introduction, containing many remarks of this nature, the preacher proceeds to exhibit what he regards as strong internal evidences of the divine origin of the religion of the Jews. His first mark is, The pure and correct theology taught in their books and maintained by their public and earliest institutions. It is impossible to account for the prevalence of such a religion, among such a people as the Jews, at so early a period of time, except on the supposition of a revelation from God. Every other pretence is unsatisfactory. These grand truths and correct statements concerning the divine nature and perfections, are now so familiar to us. that we estimate too low the possession of them. Nature and reason, you say, will teach them. But why did not nature and reason teach them to the Chaldeans, from whom Abraham separated that he might escape their offensive idolatries? Why did not nature teach the Egyptian sages these truths? And why should the wise founders of the Gre cian republicks have been ignorant of them; and at a much later period, the polished and enterprising Romans also? Whilst the stupid, untractable, and ignorant Jews, discovered so clearly, and held so tenaciously, the sound, incontrovertible and immutable truth concerning God, and the worship due to him. There must be a reason for this, and let unbelievers assign an adequate and satisfactory one. on their principles if they can.' p. 8. 'We may challenge the world to produce any writings either ancient or modern, in which the demonstrable truths of religion are taught with the purity, perspicuity, sublimity and simplicity, which every where meets us in the writings of the Jewish prophets; and there were some of them composed before the boasted sages of Greece had existence, or their country a place among civilized nations.* There is but one satisfactory and sufficient cause that can be assigned for this distinction." P. 9. Homer the Greek Poet did not live till after the time of Solomon King of Israel: And Solomon was 500 years later than Moses. Now it is well ascertained The preacher, under a second head, draws the same inference from the sublime devotional services of the Jewish church. These far excel all similar writings which the world has seen. Yet they are the productions of a people far inferior to some others in science, knowledge, and refinement. In the most splendid eras of learning, civilization and philosophy, the religious hymns and devotional sentiments of men were full of superstitions and puerilities.' How can we account for it, that this inferior and more barbarous nation escaped them all, except by admitting the truth of their communications from heaven? The third mark of internal evidence which our author adduces, is, the prophetical anticipations with which these writings abound. Under this head, the prophecies of the Jewish scriptures are contrasted with the fabulous oracles of heathenism, and several predictions are cited, and compared with the events which have accomplished them; particularly the destruction of their own nation, and the springing up from the midst of them a prince who should establish a universal religion. Upon this last topic our author asks: 'How came these ancient Jews to know that their national religion was but a temporary and imperfect one; that it was preparatory to something better, brighter, more universal and permanent ? What could lead them to imagine and expect that this system, so narrow and exclusive as it was in their days; should have a general and perpetual influence on the affairs of all nations? That one of their own countrymen should arise, endued with heavenly wisdom and moral strength, sufficient to be light and salvation to the ends of the earth?' p 17 It seems to us that the case is not accurately stated here, and that the argument would be stronger if it were. For the Jewish people had by no means drawn the inference from their prophecies, that their religion was simply a preparatory dispensation; it is evident that they anticipated a very different result from that which has actually occurred. It is quite clear that neither the prophets themselves, nor the nation in general, understood the predictions in the sense in which they have been accomplished and are accomplishing. The conclusion therefore, that these that "as late as Homer's time the Greeks had not arrogated to themselves any superiority of national character; they seem not yet to have excelled their neighbours in any Science, Art or Civilization. The term Barbarian was not yet in use among them. They had not a name even for themselves collectively. A Peloponesian esteemed a Thessalian scarcely more his countryman than a native of Phoenicia or Egypt." None of the Grecian States had even their Laws put in writing until 250 years after Homer; that is, until more than 700 years after the Law of Jehovah had been given to Israel and committed to writing by Moses. Mitford's Greece, Vol, 1, prophecies must have been divine, rests upon the firmest possi ble foundations. Immediately following our last citation, there is an animated passage, which we quote as a specimen of our author's manner, 'If indeed this expectation had been fallacious; if mere gasconading nationality, in the delirium of casual success, could afford a key to these triumphant expectations, and subsequent events had given no confirmation of them; then indeed our argument would fall to the ground. But when we read, as we do, in the broad page of incontrovertible history, that a descendant of the house of David, a Jew by birth and education, a messenger of Heaven, to establish rules of conduct, and give hopes of eternal happiness to man, has actually communicated the light of truth and grace, to the most mighty and distant nations; that idolatry, once triumphant, alike over savages and civilized ́men, has been renounced and abandoned by almost all; that empires, and kingdoms and republicks have alike submitted to the governing genius of this new religion, and acknowledged the authority of this spiritual legislator; that the mighty tide of christian principles has spread with resistless energy over Europe, from east to west, from south to north; that it has crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and in this New World diffused, and is diffusing, its all-potent efficacy; that it has ameliorated, and is ameliorating the condition of man every where; that under its enlightening and purifying influence, the human character is elevated and improved; that a just sense of human rights and duties prevails, and that despotism and slavery are daily becoming more odious and verging to their final extinction ;-add to all this, when we perceive, as we may, an invincible re-action carrying back these principles to the source from whence they came, spreading the rays of christian truth, like returning morning, on the regions where a long dark night of Mahommedan superstition has usurped a dismal empire; and even further still, beyond where Ganges rolls its consecrated tide, presenting the simple volume of the Gospel to the inquisitive children of the east, that they may compare it with their Vedas and Shasters, and judge for themselves which points the way that leads to joys substantial and unfading; who can doubt but that this religion is destined to be universal? Who does not perceive that it sprang out of the Jewish code, developing more clearly its divine principles, and divesting itself gradually of every thing partial and superstitious? The prophets of old foretold all this; they "prophecied," says a New Testament writer, of the grace that shall come unto you-they testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter, i. 10, 11.) But if they foretold it, they must have been divinely assisted to do so; and if they had supernatural aid then the system itself was supernatural; and we arrive at this conclusion, that the God and the religion of Moses and the Prophets, was the true God and the true religion: that this was the pure fountain whence 60 the healing streams of genuine piety and virtue were to flow to all people. The Mosaic dispensation forms a link in the great chain that connects the intellectual and moral history of man. To make it a subject of derision is equally indicative of ignorance and impiety. To attempt to invalidate its general truth and importance, by selecting obscure, irrelevant, or perhaps interpolated passages, at variance with the general spirit and tenour of the whole; is unworthy of an impartial and philosophical enquirer, but may please superficial thinkers, who having adopted a prejudice, are willing to go ali lengths to justify it' pp. 17-19 The last of the three sermons is occupied in stating, in a similar manner, some of the internal evidences of Christianity. Having mentioned the things which constitute the substance of christianity, he observes as a first mark of divinity, that these things are such as required a divine commission and supernatural aid to introduce and authenticate them. This remark is founded on the counexion between Christianity and Judaism, or rather, it regards christianity in the light of an improvement and extension of Judaism; and, as the latter system was established by divine authority, argues that its improvement and extension must be by divine authority also. Under this head is introduced the argument drawn from the sublimity and excellence of our Lord's doctrine. The second remark is, that these sacred teachers and their contemporaries, have themselves assigned a reason, which it behoves us to submit to, unless we can refute it. That is to say, they declared that they received their doctrine by revelation from heaven. If we cannot prove the declaration false, we are bound to believe it true. The third remark is, that the lives and conduct of these distinguished teachers were incompatible with the belief that they could be deceivers, The character of these sermons must be evident to our readers, from the outline and extracts which we have given. They do not pretend to present a complete view of the internal evidences of revealed religion; this, as their author intimates, would require a volume rather than a sermon. Their only aim is to present in a clear and strong light, some of the most important considerations by which their divine original is manifested. This has been done, and well done; but more happily we think, in respect to the Jewish than the Christian evidences. This, however, is principally owing to the circumstance, that twice the space is allotted to the former; and who can despatch the internal evidences of christianity in one sermon? This subject too has been so entirely exhausted, that a preacher writes without a |