of the goods of the earth. That they do good; be rich in good works; ge, nerous, and impart willingly; and thereby affure themselves of eternal life.'-And it is particularly worthy of remark, that they did not preach this moft enlivening and comfortable system of morals, like Seneca or Plato, poffeffed of all the enjoyments of life, but under every species of tribulation and affliction".

The writers of the New Teftament are, therefore, far removed from the pride of thinking themselves the efpecial favourites of God; they produce with method and perfpicuity a connected, harmonious fyftem of religion; they are great advocates for written revelation; they infift on the neceffity of their religion, and condemn indeed all spirit of perfecution, but at the fame time all religious indifference ;

1 Tim. iv. 14. vić 17-19. Compare with 2 Corinth. iv. vi. xi.

the central point of their system of morals, and of their conduct, is philanthropy, embracing and promoting the happiness of all; they exhibit under afflictions and torments a truly heroic courage; they cenfure all melancholy and gloom, recommend the use and enjoyment of earthly pleafures, and direct them to the nobleft aim, the good of human fociety.They are confequently diametrically oppofite to Fanatics.

SECT. V.

They were, on the contrary, Men of Integrity.

THE writers of the New Teftament have given strong proofs of their integrity, I have already remarked",

• See Lyttleton's Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul, in which this is proved particularly in regard to that Apoftle.

See above, 11, and following pages.

that

that the ftyle of their writings, and the choice of the events which they relate, contain strong arguments for their honefty. But it may be neceffary in this place to extend this examination fomewhat further.-In the hiftorical books written by Jewish and heathen contemporaries, who were not Chrif tians, many events of the Gofpelhistory are confirmed. I will not delay the reader by proving, that every thing which the writers of the New Teftament cafually relate of the Roman emperours, Auguftus, Tiberius, and Claudius; of the kings and confiderable perfons among the Jews; of the magiftracies and cuftoms of the Romans, Greeks, and Jews; of the civil rights and conftitutions of the Jewish ftates; of the religious fyftems and opinions which then exifted among them exactly coincides with the information of foreign hiftorians on these fubjects. Lardner has difcuffed this

fubject

fubject in the first part of his Credibility of the Gofpel-history with extraordinary labour, accuracy, and folidity. It is fufficient for my present purpose to select from the great mafs of events which he has produced, fome of the principal, which either belong to the history of Christianity itself, or are intimately connected with it.

Of the Taxing, (more properly, Enrolment, aroypapn) which, according to St. Luke', compelled the Parents of Jefus to leave Nazareth their place of refidence, and go to Bethlehem, we find indeed no mention in foreign writers'. But the fpeech of Gamaliel, which

In the fecond volume (firft edition) of the Credibility of the Gospel-history: or the facts occafionally mentioned in the N. T., confirmed by paffages of Ancient Authors, who were contemporary with our Saviour or his Apostles, or lived near their time.

rii. 1-5.

The information itself of the Evangelift is of very doubtful interpretation. It is uncertain whether

he

which is given us in the Acts of the Apoftles, makes mention of an enrolment" which happened at the time when Judas the Galilean excited a fedition among the Jews. And in Jofephus we find, that after the banish

W

he speaks of a taxation of the whole Roman empire, or only of the whole Jewish territory; (for yn may signify either world or country.) And the words urn à απογραφή πρωτε εγένετο ἡγεμονευοντα της Συρίας Kugne, are tranflated by the commentators in three different ways: 1. This taxation was the firft when Cyrenius was governour of Syria: 2. This taxation was made before Cyrenius was governour of Syria: 3. This taxation was the firft of those which were made by Cyrenius (afterwards) governour of Syria. Lardner has treated most amply of this matter, Credibility of the G. H. Part I. vol. ii. p. 1–188. 1ft edit. But what he afferts, p. 70, is very improbable; that the adminiftration of the oath to the Jews, which, according to the information of Jofephus (Antiquit. XVII. cap. ii. § 6) happened at the time of Herod, is the fame event as the enrolment of St. Luke: that this affertion is unfounded is evidently seen by comparing together the two accounts.

I v. 34-39.

u v. 37.

Antiquit. XVIII. chap. i. § 1. p. 869, 870.

ment