the act of revealing, or making a thing public that was before unknown; it is also used for Revelation, for the discoveries made by God to his prophets, and by them to the world; and more particularly for the books of the Old and New Testament. See Bible, Christianity, Miracle, Religion, and Theology.

The principal tests of the truth of any revelation, are the tendency of its practical doctrines; its consistency with itself, and with the known attributes of God; and some satisfactory evidence that it cannot have been derived from a human source.

Before any man can receive a written book as a revelation from God, he must be convinced that God exists, and that he is possessed of almighty power, infinite wisdom, and perfect justice. Now should a book teaching absurd or immoral doctrines (as many chapters of the Koran do, and as all the traditional systems of Paganism did), pretend to be revealed by a God of wisdom and justice, we may safely reject its pretensions without farther examination than what is necessary to satisfy us that we have not misunderstood its doctrine. Should a book claiming this high origin, enjoin in one part of it, and forbid in another, the same thing to be done under the same circumstances, we may reject it with contempt and indignation; because a being of infinite wisdom can never act capriciously or absurdly. Still, however, as it is impossible for us to know how far the powers of men may reach in the investigation or discovery of useful truth, some farther evidence is necessary to prove a doctrine of divine origin, than its mere consistency with itself, and with the principles of morality; and this evidence can be nothing but the power of working miracles exhibited by him by whom it was originally revealed. In every revelation confirmed by this evidence, many doctrines are to be looked for which human reason cannot fully comprehend; and these are to be believed on the testimony of God, and suffered to produce their practical consequences. At this kind of belief the shallow infidel may smile contemptuously; but it has place in arts and sciences as well as in religion. Whoever avails himself of the demonstrations of Newton, Bernoulli, and others, respecting the resistance of fluids, and applies their conclusions to the art of ship-building, is as implicit a believer, if he understand not the principles of fluxions, as any Christian; and yet no man will say that his faith is not productive of important practical consequences. He believes, however, in man, while the Christian believes in God; and therefore he cannot pretend that his faith rests on a surer foundation.

Mr Locke, in laying down the distinct provinces of reason and faith, observes, 1. That the same truths may be discovered by revelation which are discoverable to us by reason. 2. That no revelation can be admitted against the clear evidence of reason. 3. That there are many things of which we have but imperfect notions, or none at all; and others, of whose past, present, or future existence, by the natural use of our faculties we cannot have the least knowledge: and these, being beyond the discovery of our faculties, and above reason, when revealed, become the proper object of our faith. He then adds, that our reason is not injured or disturbed, but assisted and improved, by new discoveries of truth coming from the fountain of knowledge. Whatever God has revealed is certainly true; but whether it be a divine revelation or not, reason must judge, which can never permit the mind to reject a greater evidence to embrace what is less evident. There can be no evidence that any traditional revelation is of divine origin, in the words we receive it, and the sense we understand it, so clear and so certain as that of the principles of reason: and, therefore, nothing that is contrary to the clear and self-evident dictates of reason, has a right to be urged or affented to as a matter of faith, wherein reason has nothing to do.

Revelation of St John. See Apocalypse.