very fame in all the tranflations and manufcripts of the original; and perfectly coincide with the quotations and commentaries of the primitive writers;

we muft either reject the writings of Xenophon, Thucydides, Livy and Tacitus, for whofe authenticity neither fo many nor ftrong arguments can be found, and, in a word, all the ancient writings in the world, as not genuine, -or we must acknowledge, that the fcriptures of the New Teftament are authentic, and in every matter of importance, perfectly uncorrupted.

But from this alone we cannot determine their Credibility. An author may write of events, which happened in his time and in the place of his refidence, but should he be either credulous or a fanatic, or fhould we have reafon to fufpect his honefty, his evidence is of no value. In order, there

fore, to establish the Credibility of an

author, we must examine more clofely

into his particular character, and inquire whether he poffeffed abilities fufficient to fcrutinize the truth, and honefty enough faithfully to relate it as it happened.

Now the hiftorical writers of the New Testament are diftinguished also from all others whofe credibility has never been called in queftion by any reafonable man, in this refpect- -that if hiftorical fubjects were capable of mathematical demonftration, we must acknowledge that their credibility has been not only morally proved, but even demonstrated mathematically.

SECT. I.

They were immediate Witnesses.

THE writers of the New Teftament lived at the time, and in the place, of the actual occurrence of the events, which are the fubject of their hiftory. St. Matthew, St. John, St. Peter, St. James,

James, and St. Jude, were Jews by birth, and lived in the reigns of Auguftus and Tiberius, at Jerufalem, the fcene of the hiftory which they relate. They were all, moreover, immediate difciples of Jefus, and the facts contained in their hiftories had been fubject to the fcrutiny of their own fenfes. -It is true that St. Paul was a native of Tarfus, and not among those who had been the friends of Jefus, and the eye-witneffes of his actions. Yet he had lived a long time at Jerusalem, had ftudied Theology under Gamaliel, a Jewish scholar at that time in the greatest repute, and diligently employed himself in acquiring a thorough knowledge of the Jewish religion.-We have but few biographical memoirs extant of St. Mark and St. Luke: Yet thus much we do know, that the former compofed his history under the immediate infpection of St. Peter, and the

h See the teftimonies of Clement of Alexandria, Papias, and Tertullian, on this fubject. 1

latter

latter his narration under the immediate infpection of St. Paul'. Their hiftories must therefore be confidered to poffefs the fame authority as if they had been written by the eye-witnesses themselves, whom we have named above k

SECT. II.

They were alfo competent Witnesses.

THE writers of the New Testament had the most important reafons, and fufficient abilities, to examine into the truth or falfhood of their hiftories.

i See the teftimonies of Tertullian and Origen. * The Acts of the Apoftles and the Gospel by St. Luke form but one book. For in the Acts of the Apoftles i. 1. the writer names his Gospel rewro λoyov, librum primum, the firft part; he continues immediately from thence, where he had left off in the Gofpel; and has dedicated both to one man, namely, Theophilus.-Confequently, whatever is faid by the ancients concerning the Hiftory of St. Luke, is to be understood not only of the Gospel, but also of the Acts of the Apostles.

They

They relate their memoirs, not for the purpose of delighting future ages, or of conveying information in the ufual method of hiftorical writings; but they build on them a Syftem of Religion, from which alone they expected their temporal and eternal welfare. • If Christ be not rifen,' fays St. Paul', then is our doctrine and your faith false; then are we yet in our fins; then they who have died in the belief of the truth of our religion are perifhed for ever; then are we perfecuted Chriftians of all men the moft miferable.' A hiftory which they conceived to be fo effential, the very foundation of all their hopes and of all their faith, had been undoubtedly fcrutinized and proved by them with the most anxious

care.

II Corinth. xv. 13—19.

SECT.