A DIVINITY TREATISE. BY JOHN JEBB, A.B. PRIVATE IMPRESSION. DUBLIN MDCCXCIX. REPRINT. LONDON: MDCCCXXX. IN Trinity term, 1797, the following little production was delivered, in the Divinity-School, of Trinity College, Dublin: and to it was adjudged, by the Provost, and Senior Fellows, the first of the Prizes, recently bequeathed, by the late Dr. Downes, for the promotion of theological studies. Candidates were required, each to recite, without the assistance of notes, a composition, on some subject of ethics or divinity; its nature, and length, to be determined by the Board. The following subject was proposed: and, for obvious reasons, the time of recitation was limited, to a quarter of an hour. This treatise, therefore, which is now printed, at the request of a few friends, for their immediate use, is nothing more than a brief compend: as it was necessary to compress a great variety of materials, into a very small compass. TRINITY COLlege, June 10. 1799. 213 A DIVINITY TREATISE. THE advantages and necessity of revelation, have been frequently denied. But, as often, as new enemies have attacked the bulwark of our faith, so often, have they been repelled, by the resistless force of truth. Among the many arguments, urged with acuteness, and confuted with ability, the sufficiency of human reason to discover all truths, moral, and religious, is not the least remarkable. With one branch of this argument, we are at present concerned. It is the object of this discourse to prove, that the nature and attributes of the Deity cannot be sufficiently demonstrated by human reason, to render revelation unnecessary.' If we look to the civil, or popular religions of antiquity, we shall there find little to direct us, in our search after the one true God. In the monstrous polytheism, of the Greeks and Romans; in the stupid idolatry, of the Egyptians, Persians, and Chaldeans; in their sacrifices of human beings; in their prophane ceremonies, shocking to the eye of modesty, and the ear of virtue; in their worship of evil beings; in the enormities which they attributed, to their more benevolent deities; in a word, in their whole system, we are involved in such a labyrinth of ignorance and folly, that, the farther we advance, the more we are removed, from the knowledge, of the one, supreme, all-powerful, and just God. If, again, we are led to the pagan mysteries, we shall find them, promulgated but to a few; instituted by those legislators, who promoted polytheism; and holding out deification, as an inducement to the practice of the social virtues, and civil duties. We shall also find the initiated, professing the religion of the state, however monstrous or absurd. Thus we see, that the mysteries led not to a knowledge of the true God; and, even if they had, we perceive, that, their influence must have been very confined. Nor does the religion of philosophy, among the ancients, afford much light, on this important subject. Little less absurd, than the systems of the lawgivers and poets, it is involved in difficulties and contradictions, inexplicable by the wisest. Each sect, had its peculiar deities, and its peculiar faith; and whether we consider, |