Discourses on the evidence of the Jewish and Christian revelations

Preface

In the following Discourses, the author has had no other object, than to collect the leading facts, on which the evidence of the Jewish and Christian revelations depend ; and to represent them in a connected view, within such a narrow compass, as should render them accessible to common readers.

They contain sketches, and nothing more, of what has been much more completely discussed by Mill, Wetstein, Jones, Sherlock, Lardner, Michaelis, Watson, Paley, and many others ; though he is not aware, that the several parts of the argument in the following Discourses have before been stated in a continued series.

He has availed himself of whatever has been written by others, without reserve ; and is at least as sensible as his readers can be, i vi

PREFACE.

thai he has no claim to any personal merit from such a compilation.

He has arrived at that period of life, when the humblest sphere of usefulness should be more interesting, than any degree of literary reputation. And his object will therefore be gained, if the following Discourses shall be found to contain any thing which shall serve to add to the information, or to remove the doubts, or to confirm the faith, of the least informed of those who shall peruse them.

He is sensible that they have not the correctness which, with more leisure, he might have given them ; and that there are sometimes repetitions, and frequently a diffuseness, which might have been avoided.

They have been written at intervals, in the midst of many avocations ; and he has only to express his hope> that their defects shall be ascribed, not to the subject, but to the author. However he may have failed in the execution of his plan, he allows himself to

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vii believe, that his general object will not be thought unworthy of attention.

He is persuaded, that Judaism and Christianity are inseparably conjoined as the revelations of God ; and that everything which is most important to mankind, and to every individual, — to the prosperity of the present world, and to every expectation beyond it, — depends on the influence and progress of genuine Christianity.

H. M. W.

Edinburgh, <ZQth February 1815.