The Truth of the Gospel History fhewed, in Three Books. By James Macknight, D. D. 4to. 17s. Millar, &c.

HE profeffed defign of the laborious Author of this work, Tis, to difpofe the various arguments for the truth of the

Chriftian religion, into an orderly connected proof; that his Readers may be able to take a comprehenfive view of the whole évidence at once. This method of defending Chriftianity, has, in feveral refpects, the advantage of little detached pieces, written upon particular occafions, on fome particular branch of the evidence, and in anfwer to particular perfons: by being free from the ftyle of perfonal controverfy, of all others the moft difagreeable, it will be generally more pleafing; and by dif pofing the arguments into a clear and regular feries, they are more likely to produce a ftronger conviction.

The large and extenfive manner in which the controverfy concerning Chriftianity has been carried on, in this and the laft century, and the many writings which have been published on all fides, and on every branch of the evidence, are the materials from whence fuch a connected proof might well be drawn ; and a work upon this plan, executed in an able and masterly way, would doubtlefs be of excellent fervice. The learned Grotius, in his little treatife De Veritate religionis Christiana, feems to have had the fame view: but he has given little more than hints, having difcuffed the whole fubject in three of the fix books of which his work confifts. Our Author hath followed this model, but upon a more enlarged plan: rightly judging, that the whole ftreis of the caufe, lies upon the truth of the Gospel hiftory, it feems to have been his intention, to dif pofe the evidences of Chriftianity into fuch a form, as should lead directly to that conclufion, and at the fame time obviate the most material objections, which in the courfe of the deistical controversy, have been thrown out against Revelation. In what manner the Doctor hath executed his defign, is fubmitted to the judgment of our Readers: and for their affiftance herein, we prefent them with the following analyfis of the first part of his work.

The manner in which the fubject is introduced, is uncommon and remarkable.

My defign, fays Dr. M. is to fhew the truth of the Gofpels confidered as books of hiftory. From the truth of the Gofpels will follow, by juft confequence, the truth of the Christian religion. In this light the fubject propofed is great, comprehending

the scheme of Providence, whereby the moral government of the world is carried on. It is likewise important, as it hath a direct relation to the temporal and eternal interefts of mankind. And it is difficult, as it is connected with a variety of matters, which must all be examined, before the proper conclufion can be formed. So arduous an undertaking requires that we turn our wishes to God, and to his Son, to whom these mighty affairs belong.Thee firft, O Father! fountain of light, who prefideft in the government of the world, I beseech thee to affift me while I attempt to juftify thy ways. And Thou, Lord Jefus! the great Subject of the Golpels, enable me to speak fuitably of thy character and undertaking. Defend thine own caufe, and give its opposers attentive and unprejudiced minds; that they may not lightly treat a fubject of this importance, wherein if they reafon carelessly, they do injury to truth, to mankind, and to their own fouls.'

We now proceed to the work itfelf-The evidences of the truth of the Gofpel hiftory, are here diftributed into three claffes, to each of which a separate book is affigned. The first contains the internal proofs of the Gospel hiftory. The fecond, the collateral evidences. The third, the direct arguments.

In treating of the internal evidences, the Doctor obferves, that fince no hiftory which contains things plainly incredible, or which exhibits palpable figns of forgery, can be proved by any arguments whatever, the first thing to be confidered is, whether the matters contained in the Gospel be probable, and capable of proof. Accordingly he proposes to fhew the probability of all the events, characters, fentiments, and actions recorded in the Gospels.

Chap. I. Treats of the events in the Gofpels. Here the Author explains what he means by events, viz. fuch things as God brings to pafs without the affiftance of human agents: or, they are things, in producing which a number of human agents concur, under the direction of God;' and obferves, that the Gofpels contain but one event, viz. God's fending his Son to fave mankind, which he calls God's interpofition for the falvation of the world; all the other events in the Gospel being properly parts of this. This interpofition he fhews to be poffible and probable.

§ 1. Because all the parts of it are poffible. Here he endeavours to fhew the poffibility of the existence of the Son and Spirit of God, by obferving, that what is faid of these perfons in the Gospels, are mere affirmations of facts, which may be received

upon

upon the general credit of the revelation which affirms therri, though the manner of their exiftence be incomprehenfible. Bur left we, without intention, milead our Readers, it is proper that our Author speak for himself. Sure it implies no contradiction, that God has an only Son. That there is fuch a per1on as the Spirit of God. That God fent his Son into the world to lave men; that for this purpose he became man in a miraculous manner; that in exercifing his miniftry, he was attended by twelve perfons called Apoftles; wrought miracles, died, rofe again from the dead, and afcended up into heaven, &c.All thefe particulars being entirely free from contradiction, muft be cleared from the charge of impoffibility. Or, if any fcruple remains, it can only be with regard to God's having a Son, and that Son's becoming man, and there being fuch a perfon as the Spirit of God. The truth is, these are the facts in the Gospels which make the oppofers of revelation ftumble in the very entrance; and the rather, that they take their notions of them, not from the Scriptures, but from the writings of men, who have prefumed to fubftitute their own definitions, in place of the word of God.

That God may have an only begotten Son, the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, cannot, I think, be denied; if by the term begotten is meant, that this perfon exists in a way different from all created beings. They are created, but God's Son is begotten. The term begotten, denotes the manner in which the feveral kinds of living things are propagated. Applied to the Deity, who is a Spirit, every thing corporeal must be feparated from the idea. All that it means of a pofitive nature is, that as men beget their offspring in their own likeness, fo the Father has communicated his own likeness or nature to his Son. The manner of this communication callcd begetting, the Scripture has no where explained; probably because the human faculties are not capable of comprehending it. From the nature of God, we know that it bears no analogy to the generation of the human fpecies, From the diverfity of terms made ufe of to exprefs it, we know it is not creation. In fhort, the words begetting and begotten, applied to the Deity, convey ideas purely negative, and ought to be rested in as fuch, without attempting to explain the manner of the thing

at all.

In the fame manner, with refpect to the Spirit of God, who is faid to proceed from the Father. The term proceffion being different from that of generation, is understood to convey this negative idea, that the Spirit exifts neither by creation, nor generation, but in a manner different from both; of which, how

ever, we are equally ignorant as we are of the generation of the fon.

• If any one takes upon him to deny the poffibility of the exiftence of fuch perfons, as the Son and Spirit of God, and the relation which they bear to the Father, he muft fay, that he is perfectly acquainted with the manner in which the Deity fubfifts, with all the poffible ways in which he can communicate being, and with all the relations in which he can ftand to the beings, who derive their existence from him. Let thofe who have the highest ideas of their own understandings, confider whether pretenfions of this kind, at least in men, be not fomewhat more than prefumption.'

We acknowlege ourselves furprised, that our Author, whose declared intention it is, to exhibit a clear, striking, and comprehenfive view of the evidences for the truth of the Gospel, Thould thus fet out with bewildering the minds of men with fuch metaphyfical fubtleties as these, which have been fo long bandied about amongst the contending parties, without any advantage to either fide, and leaft of all to the progrefs of true Christianity. This furely can never be the method of recommending the Gospel to the intelligent and thinking part of mankind. It is very well understood, that when Jefus is faid to be the begotten, or the only begotten Son of God, thefe terms may be intended to exprefs the affection of the Supreme Being to him, on account of his virtue, merit, and the important errand with which he was commiffioned; and that in allufion to human affections, he was dear to him as a Son. Or if Dr. Macknight did not think this fatisfactory, he might have contented himfelf with the reason of Jefus being ftyled the Son of God, which St. Luke hath affigned, ch. i. ver. 35. And the Angel faid unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Higheft fhall overfhadow thee; therefore alfo the holy iflue which feall be born, fhall be called, a Son of God: which paffage afferts another very important reafon of his being called the Son of God; namely, the extraordinary and fupernatural manner in which he was introduced into this world; and in this fenfe, the title only begotten Son of God, can with propriety be afcribed to Jefus, and to him only, of all the defcendants of Adam; who, according to the language of this fame Evangelift, in the genealogy of Chrift, is alfo for the fame reafon ftyled the Son of God.

As to the word proceeding, applied to the holy Spirit, it has nothing to do with the manner in which that fuppofed Being derived his existence from the Father; the only paffage which we do at prefent recollect, in which the word is ufed, is John xv. 26. —0 Taga TH #alpos SKTogevers, and ought undoubtedly to REV. Mar. 1764.

have

have been rendered, which cometh forth from the Father, and is always reprefented as his gift: to have exprefled the other sense, it ought to have been ex T Talpos.There is little either of reafoning or criticism in our Author's manner, in this place.

His point, we apprehend, ought to have been, to have represented what the New Teftament does really affert with repect to the being of Chift, and the perfonality of the Holy Spirit; which, we doubt not, would have appeared both possible and treballs. Inftead of this, he hath confined himself to the technical terms of the old School Divinity; which hath very much darkened, and was never known to clucidate the divine original of the Gospel. He, doubtlefs, very well knows in what manner Chriftians are divided, as to the fenfe of the facred text in thefe particulars; and by good criticism to have endeavoured to afcertain this, would have been doing good service indeed, and have bid fair to have put the credibility of the Gofpel Titory in a juft and striking light.

The Doctor will recollet what he fays of the oppofers of revelation, that they ftumble in the very entrance, by taking their notions of the Goipels, not from the Scriptures, but the writings of men, who have prefumed to fubftitute their own definitions in place of the word of God.'

$2. The interpofition of God for the falvation of men, is thewed to be not only ple but proper, because the circumRances of mankind required it, inatimuch as the light of nature, being nothing but every man's own reason, must in the generality be altogether infufficient to lead them to the knowlege and practice of virtue: and in confirmation of this, appeal is made to the actual state of mankind, even in the most civilized countries, under the guidance of the light of nature.

$3. God's interpolition is fhewed to be agreeable to his perfections, and analogous to the other methods of his administration.

$ 4. This interpofition took place at the propereft time. B.Cafe in the firft ages the circumitances of mankind were fuch, that they could neither have received, nor preferved, the inftructions of Jetus.-It was neceflary that many ages fhould elapfe betore the Son et God appeared, in order that time might be allowed for the invention of the arts and feiences: for it was thus only that men could be put into a capacity of judging with certainty, concerning the actors, the deigns, and the miflion of the Sch of God.--It was proper, that all the different forms of civil government fhould be exerciied, and the light of nature be carried to its highest pitch, before the manifeitation of Jefus Chrift,

that