very incredible, Collins, in oppofition to the unanimous affertions of fo many and fuch credible witneffes, attempts to prove the corruption of the New Teftament. But, even if we should grant, that this information delivered by an African Bishop of an event which is faid to have happened at Conftantinople, is deserving of credit; yet the alteration would not have taken place in all the manufcripts which existed in the Eaftern church; for, according to his own information, it is faid to have been made only in the manufcripts at Conftantinople. And if it had been actually put in execution in all

e In his Discourse of free-thinking,' p. 69-73. In order to prove that the Scriptures of the New Testament are perfectly uncertain, he introduces the following arguments:-1. Because the Canon of the New Teftament was not made until fixty years after the death of Chrift.-(But it could not have been formed earlier, for before that time all the Holy Scriptures had not been composed).-2. From the thirty thousand dif ferent readings in Mill.-And 3. From the paffage of Victor, alluded to above.

Fur

the Oriental manufcripts, yet the manufcripts of the Western church, over which Anaftafius had no authority, would have remained unaltered. ther, if we fhould grant even this, yet it was impoffible to alter all the manufcripts of all the verfions. Had therefore fuch an alteration been actually undertaken, it could not have been univerfal; but there would ftill have remained either the manufcripts of the Weft, or at least the verfions, from which we might have been enabled to restore the original text. Since therefore not only all the Oriental and all the Western manufcripts of the Greek Gofpels perfectly coincide with each other; but also all the old translations, and all the citations and commentaries of the primitive ecclefiaftical writers are in perfect harmony with them,it is moft evident, either that the relation of Victor is a mere fable, or that fuch an alteration, fhould it even have

been

been refolved on, was never actually put into execution.

Had the enemies of Chriftianity ftudied the proofs of our holy religion with more diligence and impartial care, they would not at least have confidered fuch palpable abfurdities as objections to its truth. The objection of Collins has perhaps a femblance of reafon. But when Chubb fays-'It is abundantly evident that the Bible has been corrupted in the dark ages of popery by the clergy, in whofe hands it at

go

f See Remarks upon a late discourse of free-thinking, by Phileleutherus Lipfienfis,' Cambridge, the fixth edition, 1725, in 8vo. Dr. Richard Bentley, the author of this work, defends the authenticity of our New Teftament, particularly against the objections which are drawn from the Various Readings, and from the above-mentioned information of Victor, p. 61-84.In all probability this story of Victor took its origin from his having misunderstood the account concerning Macedonius, Patriarch of Conftantinople. See loc.

g In his Pofthumous Works, vol. i. p. 65, 66, 118, 121, 122, &c.

that

that time exclufively exifted,'it is in fact to affert, that the Pope and his clergy had brought together all the manufcripts of the New Teftament, and the almoft innumerable manufcripts of the different verfions, and all the works of the ecclefiaftical fathers; and when, with wonderful fagacity, they had projected and carried into execution fuch an almost miraculous undertaking, that with inconceivable ftupidity they altered not a fingle one of thofe paffages which evidently contradict their erroneous ténets, for inftance, concerning papal fupremacy, the worship of faints, the mafs, celibacy, monaftic vows, purgatory, and indulgences.

PART

PART II.

THE CREDIBILITY OF THE NEW

TESTAMENT.

BOOK I.

The Authors of the New Teftament poffefs in a very high Degree all the requifite Qualities of credible Evidences.

IF

F we now unite the propofitions already proved; if we confider the great number of credible witneffes, who unanimously relate, that foon after the death of Jefus four Gofpels, and the fame number of Epiftles as ftill exift in the collection of the New Teftament, were written by the Apoftles and Difciples of Jefus; that these books, as we poffefs them at prefent, are the

very