excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed."

The book of the Acts of the Apostles contains a history of the progress, but no detail of the preaching, of Christianity. Many of the discourses mentioned as having been delivered, are not themselves recorded: the object and design of the work being (as in the case of the Four Gospels) not to teach Christianity to its readers, who were already Christians, but to give them a history of its propagation."

Our chief source, therefore, of instruction, as to the doctrines of the Gospel, must be in the apostolic epistles; which cannot, indeed, be expected to afford a regular systematic introduction to Christianity, an orderly detail of the first rudiments of faith, calculated for the instruction of beginners entirely ignorant of it, since all of them were written to those who were already converts to Christianity; but yet, from the variety of the occasions on which they were composed, and of the persons to whom they

d See Hinds's "History of the Rise and Early Progress of Christianity." Part II. chap. 2.

were addressed, and from their being purposely designed to convey admonition, instruction, and exhortation as to christian doctrine and practice, (which is not the case with any other part of the Sacred Writings), the apostolic epistles do contain, though scattered irregularly here and there, according to the several occasions, all the great doctrines of the Gospel, as far as it has yet been revealed to men; explained, enforced, repeated, illustrated, in an infinite variety of forms of expression; thus furnishing us with the means, by a careful study of those precious remains, and by a diligent comparison of one passage with another, of attaining sufficient knowledge of all necessary truth, and of becoming "wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus."e

The most precious part of this treasure we have from the pen of the Apostle Paul; he

e To the Scriptures therefore was assigned the office of proving, but to the Church, that of systematically teaching, the Christian doctrines. [See Dr. Hawkins's excellent little work on Tradition.] This circumstance seems to me to afford a powerful evidence of Christianity. See Essay VI. First Series.

being the author of the far greater part of the Epistles, (about five-sixths of the whole), and also furnishing even a greater variety still of instruction than in proportion to this amount, on account of the variety of the times, and circumstances, and occasions, which produced them, and of the persons to whom they were written :-individuals and entire churches; Jews and Gentiles; converts of his own making, and strangers to his person; European and Asiatic; sound and zealous Christians, and the negligent or misguided. The same faith is taught to all; the same duties enforced on all; but various points of faith and of practice are dwelt on in each, according to the several occasions. This very thing, however, the variety of the circumstances, the temporary and local allusions, and, in short, the thorough, earnest, business-like style of his letters,-cannot but increase the difficulty, in some places, of ascertaining the writer's meaning; and those who are too indolent to give themselves any trouble on the subject, shelter themselves under the remark of the Apostle Peter, that the Epistles of Paul contain "things hard to be understood, which

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they that are unlearned wrest to their own destruction." Unlearned, i. e. not in systems of human philosophy, but in the truths revealed in the Bible. No doubt his writings do contain things hard to be understood," but that is a reason why Christians should take the more pains to understand them, and why those who are commissioned by the chief Shepherd for that purpose, should the more diligently explain them to their flocks.

Nay, but his doctrines, it seems, are not only difficult, but dangerous also, and, therefore, had better be kept out of sight, lest the unlearned should not only fail to understand them, but should "wrest them to their own destruction." Then let us throw aside the whole Bible at once, and invent a safe religion of our own. For hear but Peter's words:"which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." So that if this inference is to be drawn at all, from the danger to the unlearned of wresting doctrines to their own destruction;—if to avoid the danger of misinterpretation, we are to seal up the book

which contains them, the book so sealed up must be the Bible.

Dangerous indeed! yes; most good things are dangerous; and the more, in proportion to their excellence; to those "who are unlearned, and unstable;" i. e. who will not learn how to use them aright, and who are unstable,-unsteady in giving their attention to gain right knowledge, and to apply it in practice. Meat and drink are dangerous; for what multitudes fall a sacrifice to intemperance! Shall we then resolve to perish with famine, and let our children starve around us, lest we and they should thus wrest to our destruction the good gifts of God? Shall the pastors, who are commissioned to feed Christ's flock, shut them out from the principal pasture designed for their use, lest they should stray beyond its bounds, or come to some harm there? What are Christian ministers appointed for, but to instruct the people in the Scriptures, to explain to them those Scriptures,and to warn them against the errors arising from the wresting and perverting of God's word? Ill would they perform 'their office should they dare to mutilate God's word, by leaving out

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