when that Prophet should arise from among his brethren, to whose injunctions he commanded the Israelites particularly to attend.*

Besides,

our Lord's commission had nothing to do with temporalities. The sentiments which he delivered in his sermon on the mount, had nothing to do, either with the authority of the Sanhedrim, or with that of Pilate. His law, therefore, was not intended to affect their jurisdiction, but for individual edification: not for the statutes of the country, but to be written in the hearts of his followers. Divorce, as allowed by Moses, was a temporal enactment, and allowed only on account of the hardness of the hearts of the Jews. Our Lord's declaration, therefore, on that subject, was intended to restore to its original purity, the law which had existed prior to that of Moses. His forbearing to give sentence against the woman taken in adultery, was only a forbearance to interfere with the duties of the Sanhedrim; and to meddle with a question, which, he must have known, was intended to involve him in difficulties.

The rite of circumcision, again, was merely temporary; and, as far as we know, it had no existence prior to the call of Abraham. There could be no reason, therefore, why it should con

Deut. xviii. 18, 19.

tinue, when the Jews should cease to be the peculiar people of God; or, that inspiration which had originated it, should not command its cessation. The same may be said of all the other particulars adverted to by our author, it will, therefore, be unnecessary to notice them severally.

But, supposing the whole to be unanswerable, it would not hence follow that Islamism is right. Prophecy knows nothing of it. The passages cited by our objector have either been totally misunderstood, or erroneously cited; and it will be found, that Mohammed opposes, not only Moses, but Jesus, and all the Prophets. If then the Scriptures, as we now have them, should propose difficulties infinitely greater than those alluded to, it would by no means follow, that Mohammed was a Prophet: and, as we have abundant reason for believing that he was an impostor, it is our duty to reject him.

As to the objection of Christ's being occasionally called the Son of God, the Son of Man, or the like, this, we shall perceive, is nothing more than might have been expected, when we consider his character.

With respect to the discrepancies found in the different accounts of the same events, however. irreconcileable they may appear, it will not hence

follow, either that Christianity is false, or that the Scriptures have been corrupted. But, the far greater part of the passages pointed out, are not irreconcileable. The daughter of Jaïrus, for instance, is said in one place to have been in the agonies of death, and in another to be dead ;* and, in either case we are informed, that she certainly was dead before our Lord came to her father's house. It is true, our Lord said that she slept, but this is nothing more than a common expression among the Jews, which seems to have originated from their belief in the resurrection. Our Lord also said that Lazarus slept, when it is certain that his disciples misunderstood him, by supposing that he meant the taking of rest in sleep. The discrepancy, therefore, remarked on this occasion, vanishes upon a little consideration : and, there can be no doubt, that others, on the differences observable in the genealogies as given of our Lord by Matthew and Luke, on the different accounts of the calling of Peter,—of his denying Christ, and the like, had we all the particulars of each case before us, would also vanish. Such apparent discrepancies, therefore, affect neither the veracity nor the inspiration of the Evangelists; and are nothing more than would

* Mark v. 23. εσχατως έχει. Luke viii. 42. απέθνησκεν,

be found in the accounts of any two or more persons, recording the same events in any age or country. It should be remembered too, that neither veracity nor inspiration consists in the adoption of an identity of words. Neither the Prophets nor Apostles contend for words. Their object is to present to our consideration things of mighty import, which they do in the simplest and plainest manner, sometimes adding additional circumstances, and sometimes forbearing to do

So.

The objection grounded on the consideration of the Apostles having been weak in the faith,— having denied or forsaken Christ previous to their mission, amounts to nothing. We are told that they were to be endued with power from on high for their undertaking; and we are also told that they' received it.*

The objections taken to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, from the circumstance of its being inexplicable, or from the consideration of the disputes of the Jacobites, Nestorians and others, must fall to the ground when we remember, that what God reveals it is our duty to believe, however inexplicable the thing revealed may be. There are things in nature, of the existence of

*Acts, chap. i. 2, &c.

which none doubt, but which all are unable to explain. The same may be true of the Trinity. In the Scripture, we know, God is represented as the Creator of mankind, and of all things visible and invisible: Christ as God, the word of God, the express image of his person, and as the Redeemer of mankind: and the Holy Ghost as the comforter and sanctifier of believers. This has been revealed for our instruction and encouragement, and it is quite sufficient for us. We have nothing to do with the disputes of Christians, whether Nestorians, Jacobites, or the like; it is our duty to search the Scripture for ourselves, and to obey its commands.

Nearly the same may be said, with respect to the gift of the Holy Ghost. With metaphysics and the doctrines about a first Cause we have but little to do in religion. It must rest on Revelation alone. And Revelation has declared, that God will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. The authenticity of such declarations as these, can never be made to depend on our knowledge or ignorance, as to the manner of their fulfilment. This we must leave to him, who is all-wise, and at the same time all-powerful.

The

It will not be necessary, I believe, to enter more particularly into these questions. reader, who wishes to do so, may consult the