ligion, and to investigate the grounds on which the Old and New Teftament had been

received, during so many ages, as the Word of God. It is evident however, from a converfation with two of his clerical friends at Harrow at this time, when he was in his twenty-fourth year, that his belief in Chriftianity was not unmixed with doubts. These doubts were stated by him, in hopes of obtaining a folution of them; but being disappointed, he declared his determination to peruse the whole of the Scriptures in the original uninterruptedly, that he might be enabled to form a correct judgment of the connection between the two parts, and of their evidence both internal and external. The expofition of his doubts to those whom he thought qualified to folve them, was a proof of his anxiety to kn c the truth; and the determination which he formed in confequence of his disappointment, is no less a proof of his fincerity in the fearch of it. I cannot deny myself the fatisfaction of anticipating the conclufion to which his investi

gation led, a firm belief in the authenticity and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

In a Hebrew copy of the book of Hofea, I find a series of Propofitions in the handwriting of Mr. Jones, containing the sketch of a demonstration of the divine authority of the Christian Religion. These Propofitions appear to have been written near the period of the preceding converfation at Harrow. They are not expressed with such accuracy or elegance, as to justify a supposition that they were intended to be made public; but as I know that he always confidered the demonstration contained in them fatisfactory, I exhibit them as evidence of his early conviction of the truth and completion of the prophecies respecting our Saviour.

PROPOSITION I.

There is as much reason to believe, that the writings of Ifaiah and the Hebrew Prophets, as that thofe of Homer and the Greek Poets, "are more ancient than the time of Jefus.

Objection. Some men might have an in

terest in forging Isaiah.

Anfwer.

Forged writings would have been more in point. Thofe of Ifaiah bear no marks of forgery; and the Jews themselves, who were puzzled by them, acknowledged their antiquity.

PROPOSITION II.

These ancient writings, especially Isaiah, allude to fome great event, and to fome real extraordinary person, "who was put to "death, and complained not;" &c. Ifaiah, chap. liii.

PROPOSITION III.

The life and death of Jefus, his virtues and doctrines, though not his miracles, are as much to be believed, as the life and death of Socrates, his virtues, and his doctrine.

PROPOSITION IV.

No perfon in the hiftory of the Jews, be

fore or after Jefus, coincides with this account, except Jefus.

Therefore Jefus was the fubject of their writings, which are confequently inspired, and he a person of an extraordinary nature, that is, the Meffiah.

If this be just reasoning, we may believe his miracles, and must obey his law.

If difficulties occur, and we are asked, "how they can be folved," we may safely anfwer, "We do not know;" yet we may truly be, and juftly be called Christians.

:

To these Propofitions, the following note is fubjoined -"What must be the import"ance of a book," of which it may be truly faid, "if this book be not true, the religion " which we profess is falfe?"

Mr. Jones returned with his pupil from Harrow, in the Autumnal vacation of 1769, and availed himself of this opportunity to vifit his friends at Oxford. During his refidence there, he made an excurfion to Forest Hill, the occafional habitation of Milton; for

whose genius and learning, he early and ever entertained the highest veneration. The public will read with pleasure his own relation of what he faw and felt on this occafion, in an animated letter which he wrote to Lady Spencer.

To Lady SPENCER.

7th Sept. 1769.

The neceffary trouble of cor

recting the first printed fheets of my history, prevented me to-day from paying a proper respect to the memory of Shakespeare, by attending his jubilee. But I was refolved to do all the honour in my power to as great a poet, and fet out in the morning in company with a friend to vifit a place, where Milton spent some part of his life, and where, in all probability, he compofed feveral of his earliest productions. It is a small village fituated on a pleasant hill, about three miles from Oxford, and called Forest Hill, because it formerly lay contiguous to a forest, which has fince been cut down. The poet chofe