Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1802-07-26

10 bt fcve the Coipes a mere nction
"WITH rtfpea 10 Revelation, were more
in0rueed than am, perhaps migbr'Pereieve
its truth, and It's utility TO isoh as are 70 happy
as 10 embrace ii. Bot | perceive on the one
hand. arguments in favor Of ChriIiianity, which
am unabl. to apfwer fee on the other, OBJ
jettions, agaiuit which cannot relieve. There
are 10 many fold reafons for and sgaint II,
thar, not knowing on which fide the truth lies,
and unable 10 come TO fixed determination,
remain, 10 fi,fpence, and neither acknowledge or
reieeit. Infead Of dib-lieving. only doubt !;
and even my doubt is full of refpstf. have
not the prefumption to think myfelf infallible.
acknowledge, at the fame time, that the
rnale(ly which reigns in the iacred writings fl
me with folemn kind of aaonilhment and the
anetity of the Cofpsl fpeaks in powerful and
commading language to the feelings OF my
heart Car your eyes on TIE writings oil Philcf
ophers, behold them in all their ltudied pomp !;
and Zee how triling, how inignifcant they APP
pear, when compared with the facred records
of the Cofpel Is it poiIib'e that a book 70
fublme, and yet 70 artefs and limple, can be
production merely human Is it pofible that
the perfon Whole hiltory it unfold., can be con
fidered as a mere man Hear him fpeak Be-
hold his actions Is that the language of en-
thuGsas Is that The lordly tose of an ambitious
fingleader |. On the contrary, what gentlenefs
and purity in his manners What mildnefs and
affecting grace in his inlfru6fions What elava-
ton and dignity in his maxims What deep
wifdom IN his difcourft What prefence Of
mind, what delicacy, what precifion in bis an
fwers to the demands OF the ignorant, the
objections of the perverfe what an amazing
Empire over his patrons, did his whole conduit
and CONVEX lation Iiicoverl Where is the man,
where is the fage that has 10 far attained the
perfection OF widnm or virtue, a. TO live, act fuf
fer, and die, without veaknef. on enc hand, or
onentation on the other? That fige is CHI ri.
When Plato drew the ideal Portrait Of a
good man, covered with ri- reproach that IS
due to inilnity, while he drferved the immortal
prize of virtue, he dew exattiy thu character ct
Iefus. The resemblance was 60 ariking that it
was perceived by al the Chrilsian fathers, and,
indeed, il was imp iliole To milt4ke il. Who,
but fneh as the tyranny Of prejudice and will
full bindnefs hinder from pereeiving things in
their true light, would dare 10 compare the fon
of Sophronicus with the fon Of Muy9 What
an mmsnfe difance is there between theie two
characters Socrates, expiring without pain or
dlgrace aaed his part, aad fu(tained It TO the end
without much effort ADD If that eafy death
had not reflected luire on his lie, Il would
BE a queaion, whether Socrates with all his
Wit and fagacity, was any thing more than
afophia he was, fly fome, tbs Inventor OF
morality but what DO fueh mean, Morality
was prassifed long before Socrates and he had
only the merit OF laying what oilers bad dore,
and of slplaying, in bis initruelion, what they
exhibited in their samples. Ariitides had
been Jua before Socrates had defined what sl-
tice was. LeoniJas had laid down bis lie tor
his country, before Socrates bal commended
rhe love OF our country as moral duty. Spar
"a was frugal before Socrates had praIird frugal
ity and Greece abounJed with virtuous men,
before he had explained the nature Of virtue.
Bur was IL from the morals and examples of
his couniryman, thar Jefus derived the lines of
thar pare and iublime morality that was iucul-
Gated 70 bis inftruefons and fhone forth in his
example, and which he alone taught and
praailed with an equal degre- of perfection !?
in The midi of people. where the mott iurious
fana,aeifm reigned, mott exalted widom RATED
her voice, and the grand fmplcity Of the mot
heroic virtues. cah luare opor the vileft and
mot wo,hlefs OF all the nations. The death
of Socrates, who breathed his LAT in phio.
!ophical convention with his friends, is the
mil6ef death thar nature or wilaom could de.
ere, while the death of Jefus, expiring in tor
ments, injured. inhumaniy treated, Knocked and
cufed by an aAembled people, is the mott hor
rible one that a mortal could comprehend.
Socrates while he takes the poifoaed cup, gives
his blefIing to the perion who prefents il TO him.
with the tendereR marks of forrow. Jefus, in
the midl of his agonies prays-for whom
for his executioners, who were foaming with
rage aeaini his peron All ! if the life and
death Of Socrates, carry the marks Of faye,
the life and death of Jeius proclaim God
Will any one Gay that the gofpel hilsry is
ali mere 6etion? Believe me, my friend, il is
not 70 that Importers go to work. fee
nothing hare that has the air Of 6aion ADD
The fats relating to Socrates, OF which no NOR
tai en,ertains the lean doubt, are not 70 well
atteaed as ,hcie tha, are recorded in the hiitoly