falfehood and impofture, fpread to a great extent in a hort time. Why, it is faid, might not chriftianity prevail in the fame way withour fuppofing it divine?

But if the following things be confidered we will perceive a very great difference.

1. Let it be observed that the revolution in religious opinions and practices, which was effected by the introduction of mahometifm, was far from fo great as that brought about by the introduction of chriftianity. Let us only confider the state of the world, at the time when chriftianity was introduced. Not only pagan learning and philofophy, but pagan idolatry and fuperftition, were at the zenith of their glory. The religion then in the world had been established by long immemorial cuftom, and had never been called in queftion. It was fixed in men's minds as ftrongly as inclination, cuftom, prejudice, or human authority could fix it. How vaft the overthrow when chrif. tianity was establifhed! How ftrong the building, and how abfolute the destruction and how great, and how oppofite in its nature from that which had stood there before, was that which was erected on its ruins!

No fuch entire revolution, either in men's opinions or practices. was effected by the propagation of mahonetilm. It confifted either in the change made in heathen barbarous nations, defcended from the Scythians and Arabians, or in that effected among profeffed Chriftians. With refpect to the former, christianity had been fo long known in the world, that Heathens, who were mingled with them in fociety in general, had fome confufed notions of the true God, and of feveral truths of what was called natural religion, which had in fome measure weakened their prejudices in favour of heathen idolatry. The change then was but fmall, and the advancement but little, which they made by embracing mahometifm. And with refpect to the latter, the chriftian church in thefe parts had been rent to pieces by heretical opinions; the fpirit of chriftianity was in a manner gone; chriftian knowledge greatly on the decline, and fuperftitious practices had become fo general that the declenfion was finall and the change which took place by embracing mahomet

P

ifm hardly perceptible. In addition to this, Mahomet attempted no entire change in the customs or opinions of either Chriftians, Jews, or Heathens. He blended judaifm, paganifm, the opinions of feveral heretical fects among Christians, and fome Bible truths, together. He retained many of the customs of the Arabians; he mixed his doctrine with the fables of the Jews, and as far as they could be blended, adapted his fyftem to the fuperftitious cuftoms prevalent among Chriftians, Jews and Heathens.Still lefs of a change did he either attempt or effect_in the moral world. Here no change at all was effected for the better. The chriftian religion was holy and self denying. It was calculated to make an entire change, not only in the opinions, but in the morals and in the fpirit and temper of those who embraced it. No fuch change was attempted in mahometism. It lays no reftraint on fenfual gratifications. As the author of it was proud, crafty, fenfual, and libidinous, he formed a religion like himself. Agreeable to the nature of this religion, it promifes a paradife of fenfual delights hereafter. Every thing in the mahometan notion of a future ftate is calculated to allure the carnal heart, but nothing to fatisfy a holy or virtuous mind. All the virtue it requires in this life confifts merely in the practice of fuch religious rites as are confiftent with reigning wickedness both of heart and life. It has nothing to do with purity of heart. It is, therefore, not a matter of wonder that it prevailed to a confiderable degree among an ignorant, vicious, and licentious people.

2. The time when and place where mahometism was introduced into the world were very favourable to the propagation of fuch an impofture. It was ushered into the world in an age of darknefs and ignorance, when fuperftition was carried to a great height. It was first propagated among the ignorant Arabians, and others, although nominally Chriftians, among whom, at that time, the principles of chriftianity were greatly corrupted, and the knowledge of its doctrines in a great measure obliterated. And, as it was first propagated in an age of darknefs, fo it has always fhunned the light. It does not insite investigation and enquiry, it being a command of the

crafty Arab to his followers, not to difpute about religion, but to believe, on the alternative of being butchered alive in cafe of a refufal.

3. Let us confider in how different a manner mahometifm was propagated from chriftianity. The latter was propagated only by the force of light and truth; by the power of perfuafion, fupported by miracles and prophecies, aided by the special influences of the fpirit, in the face of the most violent oppofition from all quarters, and almoft conftant perfecution. But we do not find that mahometifm ever made head against perfecution; and while its founder relied on perfuafion alone, he had but few followers, and the progrefs of his impofture was but very flow flow Indeed, it was his declared principle, that God fent him to convert mankind, not by the power of perfuafion, nor by miracles, to the public working of which he made no pretenfions, but by the fword. This was, to a confiderable extent, effected in his life time; and foon after his death, both the conquefts and imposture were much farther extended by his followers. The chief Apoftles of this religion were, for the most part, generals of armies, potent fultans, and abfolute tyrants, aided by mighty armies, who propofed their doctrine on the alternative of believe or die. How different was the conduct of that blood thirsty tyrant and his followers, in the propagation of their relig ion, from that of the meek and lowly Jefus, in the propation of christianity. On the one hand we fee the weakest of men, unarmed with any other weapons than meekness, humility, love, miracles, clear evidence, moft virtuous, holy, and amiable examples, felf denial and fufferings. On the other we fee ambition, cruelty and blood, all the worft paffions of human nature. Thus, although the reJigion of Mahomet has been propagated to a very confiderable extent, and for a long time upheld in the world, although deftitute of any evidence of truth, when we bring into confideration the different nature of the two religions, and the different means by which they were propa gated, this will not at all weaken the force of the argu ment in favor of the chriftian revelation drawn from the extraordinary progrefs of chriftianity.

This leads me to obferve,

IV. That all these testimonies to the truth of christiane ity are farther strengthened by the effects which the chrif. tian religion has had, and ftill continues to have, on the hearts and lives of mankind.

The character of the founder of christianity was every way agreeable to the nature of the religion which he came to establish in the world. He was holy, harmless, and undefiled. To form a perfect character, and to fill it up with fuch traits as to make it appear like a real living and acting being, like one who has really lived and acted a part among mankind, is perhaps, one of the hardest tasks which human genius ever undertook.* How unamiable, and how grofsly immoral is the Eneas of Virgil, on whom the author beflowed the utmost pains to draw a perfect character. The fame obfervations are applicable to every character, attempted to be drawn by the greatest masters of antiquity. But, however difficult the task, it has been performed by the Evangelifts in the character which they give of Jefus of Nazareth. All the parts of it are exactly fuited to each other, and, when united, conftitute the fair et image of pure, uniform and exalted virtue. There is nothing in it either strained or unnatural, but, at the fametime, it is a character of finished perfection. The piety, wifdom, integrity and lovelinefs of the Redeemer have co rival, no fecond, even in the highest efforts of imagination. The Apoftles alfo lived in a manner in which no impoftors ever lived. They appear not only to have been virtuous and holy men, but to claim a high rank in the lift: of the virtuous. *- To establish this diftinction, nothing more is neceffary than to compare them with Philofophers. in general, either ancient or modern. Compare them. with Socrates, Plato, Cicero, Cato, and others of the greatest and beft men of antiquity; or let them be compared with infidel Philofophers, fuch as Voltaire, Roffeau, Bolingbroke, Hume, &c. and there will be found, not

*Dwight's genuineness and authenticity of the New Teftament.

barely no refemblance, but a ftriking contraft.

Nor are

they totally fuperior to infidels only, but greatly fo to other men of virtue and piety, among the followers of Chrift

In this refpect they stand alone and unrivalled. How are fuch characters to be identified with the propagation of a fyftem of fraud and impofture?

This effect of christianity was not confined to the A. poftles. It has had, in an almoft infinite variety of inftances, a remarkable influence in reforming men's lives, and in fubduing and mortifying their corruptions. In effects of this kind, chriftianity, (if I may be allowed the expreffion,) glories in a comparison with any other religion which ever appeared in the world. Indeed, if we except the religion of the Bible, fcarcely any other religion which has ever prevailed in the world, appears to have had any concern or connexion with, either purity of heart or of life. They have generally confifted, wholly, in a variety of rites and ceremonies falfely denominated religious. Diftinguished from all other forms of religion, the great aim of all the doctrines and precepts of christianity is to make men virtuous or holy; to promote piety towards God, and benevolence to men. And, as all gofpel precepts and exhortations are calculated to promote the Atrictest holiness and felf denial, fo it is evident that these. effects were, in a remarkable manner, produced among the first Chriftians. The fweetnefs of their tempers and their benevolence to men were fo remarkable, as to render this obfervation almost proverbial, See how the Chriftians love one another. This effect of chriftianity is not only attested by the Apostles in various parts of the New Teftament, which it is needlefs to cite, and by other chriftian writers who lived near the apoftolic age, but even by Heathens, and thefe not barely the more moderate fort, but, fome of them, their most bitter enemies and perfecutors. Befides the teftimony of Pliny already mentioned, Celfus, a most determined adverfary, owns that there were among Chriftians many temperate, modelt, and understanding persons ; and the Emperor Julian recommends to the heathen' Pontiff Arfacias, the example of Chriftians for their kindhefs and humanity to ftrangers, which was not confined