"upon this fubject (the authenticity of the New Testament) are Lardner's Credibility of the Gofpel-Hiftory, and Lefs's Truth of the Chriftian Religion (the subject of the following fheets). The former of these works, which has been cenfured for its prolixity, contains a very large collection of teftimonies from the Fathers and other ancient writers, and is highly va luable to those who would examine the whole: series of evidence for the authenticity of the New Teftament. The works of Lardner have been lefs read, than they deferve: every one interested in this inquiry fhould possess them, were it only for occafional reference, and they are indifpenfible to a clergyman, who cannot remain indifferent on fo important a subject, and whofe duty is not only to believe but to convinced. The latter of thefe works is more agreeable to read because prolixity is avoided, and it is easy to oversee the whole chain of reafoning at a fingle view. Various teftimonies which Lardner had quoted, are omitted by Lefs, because they were not fuf-, ficiently convincing, and he has fupplied what Lardner had omitted. Every reader will remark, in perufing this treatife, what I have learnt in frequent conversation with the author, 1 that 1 that it is the refult of a confcientious, even anxiously. confcientious inquiry, which he had inftituted for his own private conviction. Doubts on which Lardner never thought, he has felt and proved."-Thus far Michaelis: and his learned tranflator has borne his tef timony to the value of the prefent work in a note to the paffage juft quoted: "It would be impoffible” says he " to give an abridgement of it in these notes, as the author himself is very concife: but the whole deferves to be tranflated in a feparate work."-To the tef timony of fuch authorities I will add nothing: that which has obtained the praise of Michaelis, and the recommendation of Marsh, needs no further panegyric. I have only to fay a few words in refpect to the tranflation.-It is made from the laft edi tion of the Original printed at Gottingen 1786, and is always, it is hoped, faithful to the fenfe of the author, and generally as literal as the peculiar idioms of the different languages will allow. The whole work of Dr. Lefs, which is called by the general name of Geschichte der Religion, or Hiftory of Religion, is comprised in three volumes. The firft is employed on the hiftory of both natural and revealed Religion. a 4 ligion. In the fecond the divine origin of Christianity is proved at large. And the third is occupied with the examination and refutation of objections to the Chriftian Religion. As the following treatise is taken from the body of a work of fuch magnitude, which is only divided according to the grand divifions of the fubject, I conceived it neceffary to alter its form by breaking it into the fubdivifions of books, chapters &c.; in order that the connection of one part with another might be more readily perceived, and the whole more easily comprehended. From the fame cause I have fometimes omitted a word, a sentence, or even a whole paragraph, which appeared unneceffary in the prefent inquiry, and had an evident reference to parts of the work unconnected with the subject of these sheets. In the quotations from the Holy Scriptures, Lefs has frequently paraphrased the paffage, from a defire to convey the sense without retaining the obsolete phraseology of the authorised translation of his country. It was my wish to have always adhered literally to our English verfion; but, as a tranflator, I have been obliged, in order to retain my author's argument, to retain the form in which it is con conveyed, and have therefore been sometimes compelled to render his paraphrase word for word, when I could not introduce the common verfion. I have ventured in one or two cafes to change the examples adduced by the author for others more familiar to an English reader; these are so unimportant that I do not think it neceffary to indicate the particular instances. However unimportant in point of magnitude may be the prefent work, yet it contains a large body of information. The subject matter, which if dilated in the modern fashion, would fill a folio, is here condensed into one fmall volume. This concifeness, has tended to render the style of the Original extremely inelegant; and may perhaps have had a fimilar effect on the Tranflation. To which muft be added, that conceiving perfpicuity in a work of this kind to be a paramount quality, I have studied to make my book rather lucid than elegant, and have been more anxious that the reader fhould be convinced by the folidity of the argument, than delighted by the beauty of the expreffion. Some time fince I had formed an intention of publishing in the English language Dr. Lefs's larger |