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that such as these should be conducted from a cordial obedience of the christian faith, to a total rejection of the divine nature and offices of Christ, furnishes no minor evidence, in proof of a doctrine now very unfashionable, and almost exploded from the circles of the great-that of the existence of evil agents, and their access to the heart of man

Whether the celebrated philosopher Voltaire, had any internal persuasion of the truth of this doctrine in his life time, is rather uncertain-but it is pretty certain that his writings in several places speak a different language-Toward the close of life, however, it is said that his sentiments began to alter-In his last illness, sending for Monsieur Tronchin, the physician of the Duke of Orleans, it is reported that he addressed him in the following manner, "Sir I desire you would save my lifeI will give you the half of my fortune, if you lengthen out my days only for six months-if not I shall go to the devil, and shall carry you along with me",

Can any thing more clearly prove the existence of evil intelligences, and their access to the mind of man, than this instance of Voltaire? How feeble are the powers of man compared to theirs, who could pervert with success the judgment of so great man

How many thousands was Voltaire the instrument of convincing, that the doctrine of evil spirits, was the mere offspring of ignorance and fraud-and how immoveable was his credulity, who would take upon trust,

* See the letter from which this extract is taken, dated Nyon, July 15, 1778, in Fletcher's Posthumous Pieces.

the reality of Romulus and Reinus being the founders of Rome-and would probably receive as true narrative, the prominent transactions of the Trojan war from the pen.of a heathen poct; and yet reject as spurious, the evidences of the christian religion, much more recent, and accompanied with visible marks of the divine powerInfidelity speaks the same language now that it did in Paradise," Ye shall not surely die"-It aims at corrupting our reason-it would fain persuade us that there can be no harm in eating fruit that looks so fair;-It diverts our attention from the positive command of Godfrom the permanent gratification that must result from obedience to the divine will-it would fain represent this and the other command, as too frivolous to proceed from a Being of such dignity; not considering that man is a creature of imperfection—that a law apparently frivolous in itself, calls forth all the powers of his soul to observe and keep it—and that even the utmost exertion of those powers, without divine assistance, is incompetent to maintain the warfare between duty and inclination.

Infidelity also applies itself to our passions as it did in Paradise it holds the forbidden fruit in its teeth-it wastes its eloquence in describing the charming flavour— and, oh, what a sea of trouble must we pass through-or how deeply must the divine fear be implanted in us-or how powerfully must the love of God have seized, our affections, before we push from us the delicious poisonIts object is to excite rebellion-and so it watcheth its opportunity to corrupt us, when we have rambled from our head-from the immediate cognizance of our go

vernors--when the populace within us on a day, of feasting and good cheer, have got a little unruly-in this posture it found poor Eve and overcame her-There is nothing therefore more evident, than that in order to maintain christian morality, christian faith is indispensible, for if faith without works is dead," good works without faith for their foundation, will not long continue France, which, in its revolution, rejected and set aside the christian religion, is a proof of this let the reader turn to the index, and he will be instructed where to find a transcript of its moral character, in the year 1803-the Author is not insensible to the beauty and political greatness of its revolutionary code, as Rabaut St. Etienne has published it to the world-but he is deeply persuaded, that the noblest flights of the human soul-the most superb political edifice that its fancy can form; having any thing less than the gospel for their foundation and object, will be carried down the tide of popular corruption; or swept away by the overflowing scourge of military despotism'

* Has not this terminated the French revolution, notwithstanding its fair appearances!-a despotism that may perhaps be indulgently administered, but which nevertheless contains within it the seeds of oppression-Was the spirit of infidelity able to preserve the liberty for which it so strenuously contended ?-Can any thing do this but a faithful spirit of martyrdom? Whether is it to the first or to the last of these, that Europe is indebted for the measure of civil and religious liberty which she now enjoys?

To form some idea of the question, let England's revolution be considered-Were not the first stones of its foundation, cemented with the blood of the martyrs, in the reign of Mary-Has not the edifice of liberty, or justice, or natural right, so far as it has yet been erected, been the fruit of the toil, or pain, or sweat, of

Even in a national point of view, how true is that passage of the gospel-" He that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, is like unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock; and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock"That the peculiar grace of building both legislative and moral happiness upon this rock, as the only sure foundation, may be granted to all nations and individuals, is, candid reader, the heartfelt prayer of thy friend and fellow-sinner,

THE AUTHOR.

those who in all ages have been martyrs to justice In England particularly I repeat the question, were not the martyrs in the reign of Mary its first instruments?-and is not England indebted, however insensible of the fact, to the labors and sufferings of the Puritans and Quakers who succeeded them, for that measure of civil and religious liberty which we now enjoy? A steady and faithful testimony borne for the truth; and a patient submission to the sufferings which arbitrary power may be permitted to inflict; will always do more toward promoting the best interests of mankind, than the most furious and bloody efforts of infidelity-the latter may effect political revolutions, and prepare the way; but the former only will lay the lasting foundations of a state, in those principles of piety and reason, which promote its moral happiness; and which it is no superstition to say, as they render it acceptable to Heaven, must in the end secure its continuance and protection

England which in its revolution, had some regard to the gospel; and which still contains within its bosom, in connection with several unreformed errors, many amiable constitutional principles, and many men devoted to the God who made them; has on these accounts no doubt, been an object of divine protection, in the midst of those convulsions, which have long agitated Europe-How many critical escapes has England had, since the commencement of the present war, for which she has been mora indebted to the remaining measure of her constitutional and individual virtue, than to her fleets and armies-a little more corruption in both, and the scale might have been turned for ever! and the name of England known no more in the Geography of the Work, as a distinct and independent state !

DIALOGUE

BETWEEN A

CHRISTIAN AND A DEIST,

ON THE NATURE AND DUTIES OF MAN.

D. What is man?

C. A being composed of matter and spirit, with faculties suitable to each.

D. As inferior creatures are composed of the same, what gives man the superiority?

C. A higher and deeper measure of reason—and certain faculties of the soul, which render him capable of comprehending spiritual and invisible things, and of being exalted by them.

D. Has man a power of improving or degrading these faculties?

C. He has, and happiness or misery are consequent upon the choice he makes.

D. I suppose by those faculties of the soul which brutes have not; yoù principally mean conscience; and by the power of improving or degrading those faculties; you mean free-will?

C. The same.

D. Will the right use of these conduct us to the end of our creation?

C. He who shuns the evil, and pursues the good he knows, will never want God's assistance.

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