An Apology for the Bible Author:Richard Watson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: the earlieft ages, fenfible and extraordinary proofs of his exiftence and attributes ; in having made the jewifh and chriftian difpenfations mediums to convey to... more » all men, through all ages, that knowledge concerning himfelf, which he had vouchfafed to give immediately to the firft. I own it is ftrange, very ftrange, that he mould have made an immediate rnanifeftation of himfelf in the firft ages of the world ; but what is there that is not ftrange? It is ftrange that you and I are here?that there is water, and earth, and air, and fire?that there is a fun, and moon, and ftars?that there is generation, corruption, reproduction. I can account ultimately for none of thefe thing, without recurring to him who made every thing. I alfo am his workmanfhip, and look up to him with hope of prefervation through all eternity ; I adore him for his word as well as for his work : his work I cannot comprehend, but his word hath allured me of all that 1 am concerned to know?that he hath prepared ever- lafting happinefs for thofe who love and obey him. This you will call preachment,?I will have done with it; but the fubject is fo vaft, and the plan of providence, in my opinion, fo obvioufly wife and good, that I can never think of it without having my mind filled with piety, admiration, and gratitude. In addition to the moral evidence (as you are pleafed to think it) againft the Bible, you threaten, in theprogrefs of your work, to produce fuch other evidence as even a pried: cannot deny. A philofo- pher in fearch of truth forfeits with me all claim to candour and impartiality, when he intreduces railing for reafoning, vulgar and illiberal farcafm in the room of argument. I will not imitate the example you fet me ; but examine what you fhall produce, with as much coolnefs and refpecl, as if you had...« less