kind of evidence, which they have a relish and respect for, they still hold out against the reception of the Gospel, this must aggravate the weight of the threatening which lies upon them; "How shall they escape, if they neglect so great a salvation?"

It will be a great satisfaction to the writer of the following pages, if any shall rise from the perusal of them, with a stronger determination than before to take his Christianity exclusively from his Bible. It is not enough to entitle a man to the name of a Christian, that he professes to believe the Bible to be a genuine communication from God. To be the disciple of any book, he must do something more than satisfy himself that its contents are true-he must read the book-he must obtain a knowledge of the contents. And how many are there in the world, who do not call the truth of the Bible message in ques. tion, while they suffer it to lie beside them unopened, unread, and unattended to!

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

On the Principles of Historical evidence, and their applica

tion to the Question of the Truth of Christianity

CHAP. II.

On the Authenticity of the different Books of the New Testa-

ment

CHAP. III.

On the Internal Marks of Truth and Honesty to be found in

the New Testament

CHAP. IV.

On the Testimony of the Original Witnesses to the Truth of

the Gospel Narrative

27

.39

53

CHAP. VIII.

On the Internal Evidence, and the Objections of Deistical In-

On the Way of proposing the argument to Atheistical Infidels 124

EVIDENCES

OF

CHRISTIANITY.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE PRINCIPLES OF HISTORICAL EVIDENCE, AND THEIR
APPLICATION TO THE QUESTION OF THE TRUTH OF
CHRISTIANITY.

WERE a verbal communication to come to us from a person
at a distance, there are two ways in which we might try to sat-
isfy ourselves, that this was a true communication, and that
there was no imposition in the affair. We might either sit in
examination upon the substance of the message; and then from
what we knew of the person from whom it professed to come,
judge whether it was probable that such a message would be
sent by him; or we may sit in examination upon the credibility
of the messengers.

It is evident, that in carrying on the first examination, we
might be subject to very great uncertainty. The professed au.
thor of the communication in question may live at such a dis-
tance from us, that we may never have it in our power to veri-
fy his message by any personal conversation with him. We
may be so far ignorant of his character and designs, as to be
unqualified to judge of the kind of communication that should pro.
ceed from him. To estimate aright the probable authenticity of
the message from what we know of its author, would require
an acquaintance with his plans, and views, and circumstances,
VOL I.-2

CHAP. VIII.

On the Internal Evidence, and the Objections of Deistical In-

On the Way of proposing the argument to Atheistical Infidels 124

CHAP. X.

On the Supreme Authority of Revelation

129