DRE CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION PART THE FIRST; In which the Holy nature of the Chrif Chriftianity reveals a God, glorious in Holiness: but Christianity teaches us to acknowledge God, and to The Christian standard of Morality is enlarged, and free from impurity: but Deism confines our obli- gations to those duties which respect our own fpe- Chriftianity furnishes motives to a virtuous life, which Deifm either rejects, or attempts to un- dermine The lives of those who reject the Gospel will not bear Chriftianity has not only produced good effects in thofe who cordially believe it, but has given to the 3 5 The Harmony of Scripture with Truth, e from its agreement with the dictates of an CONCLUDING ADDRESS PREFACE. THE ftruggle between religion and ir religion has existed in the world in all ages: and if there be two opposite interests which divide its inhabitants, the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God, it is reasonable to expect that the contest will continue till one of them be exterminated. The peaceful nature of Chriftianity does not require that we should make peace with its adverfaries, or cease to repel their attacks, or even that we should act merely on the defenfive : On the contrary, we are required to make use of those weapons of the divine warfare with which we are furnished for the pulling down of strong holds, cafting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itfelf against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift. The oppofition of the present age has not been confined to the less important points of Chriftianity, nor even to its first principles: Chriftianity itself is treated as imposture. The fame things it is true have been fre B quently advanced, and as frequently mer ages : but the adverfaries of the g couraged it should feem by the temper of renewed the attack with redoubled vigou most popular writers, hoping to avail circumstance, is pleased to entitle his pe Age of Reafon. This writer is awe is one of the most fuccessful means of ga to the human mind; fuch a compliment present Age was doubtless confidered as of policy. Nor is Mr. Paine less obla than to his readers, but takes it for gr cause for which he pleads is that of rec The confiderate reader, however, may those writers who are not ashamed to b in the title-page, are seldom the most lib tial in the execution of the work. One thing which has contributed to th Infidelity is, the height to which politica. arifen, and the degree in which they hav paffions and prejudices of mankind. Tho the fentiments of a set of men in one thin danger of thinking favourably of them least they will not be apt to view them in as if they had been advanced by persons of timents in other things as well as in re true there may be nothing more friendly a the nature of one political system than an that can justify profeffing christians in accusing one another, merely on account of a difference of this kind, of favouring the interests of atheism and irreligion : nevertheless it becomes those who think favourably of the political principles of infidels, to take heed left they be infenfibly drawn away to think lightly of religion. All the nations of the earth, and all the disputes on the best or worst mode of government, compared with this, are less than nothing and vanity. To this it may be added, that the eagerness with which men engage in political disputes, take which fide they may, is unfavourable to a zealous adherence to the gospel. Any mere worldly object, if it become the principal thing which occupies our thoughts and affections, will weaken our attachment to religion : and if once we become cool and indifferent to this, we are in the high road to infidelity. There are cafes no doubt relating to civil government, in which it is our duty to act, and that with firmness : but to make such things the chief object of our attention, or the principal topic of our conversation, is both finful and injurious. Many a promising character in the religious world has by these things been utterly ruined. The writer of the following pages is not induced to offer them to the public eye from an apprehenfion that the Church of Christ is in danger. Neither the downfall of popery, nor the triumph of infidels, as |