THE BELLES LETTRES, j 



" paint you to pofterity, fuch as you really are. 

 " Hiftory flatters not : it is the witnefs, not the 

 " adulator of mankind." 



VI. We muft here make a few obfervations 

 on the degree of credibility that a rational mind 

 Jhould give to the truth of hiftory, or, in other 

 words, on biftoric faitb. No act or event can 

 poffibly happen, but fuch as is the refult or pro- 

 duce of human actions, or the effects of nature : 

 all actions muft therefore arife from fituations, 

 circumftances or relations. We may be well 

 allured, that all human actions, however extra- 

 ordinary and wonderful, never have been, nor 

 ever can be fupernatural or miraculous -, ex- 

 cept thofe fignal miracles only which God 

 vouchfafed to operate, in order to eftablifh the 

 Judaic and Chriftian religions ; and of which 

 they are the foundations. Thefe objects of our 

 religious faith, of our piety and profound vene- 

 ration, are as much above our weak comprehen- 

 fion, as facred revelation is above philofophy, 

 or mere human reafon. It is with a lively, 

 evangelic faith, that we are to acknowledge the 

 truth and evidence of thefe facts. The hiftoric 

 on the contrary is, if we may uie the ex- 

 on, ftrictly argumentative. It examines, 

 it doubts , and here doubt is the beginning of 

 \vifdom, for, as abbe Vallemont has very juiHy 

 obferved, there is no merit, cither before God 

 pr man, in a (tupid credulity. 



VII. We 



