"God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth HE any man." To tempt means either to try, that is, to test a man's faithfulness and sincerity; or to induce or entice to evil. In the former sense, God often tempts (tries) men: in the latter, God never tempts (entices to evil) any man. See Evil. TESTAMENT. The New Testament does not abrogate the Old; but is a fulfilment of it. (See Christianity. Ceremonies.) The council of Laodicea, A. D., 364, did not pretend then first to settle what the canon of the New Testament was, but simply to give their sanction, as a public body, to those books which had from the first century been recognised by separate churches as constituting the sacred canon; and thus to guard the world against imposition and counterfeit books. The books of the New Testament were referred to both by friends and by foes, from the very beginning. Moreover, none of the spurious or apochryphal gospels were quoted or referred to (except to censure them) for three hundred years after the birth of Christ. In corroboration of the antiquity of the New Testament we may observe, 1. We have a number of manuscripts, found in different countries, all anterior to the art of printing. 2. We have some versions of these written in languages which have not been for many ages spoken in any part of the world. 3. The very style and language in which the Gospels were originally written, prove incontrovertibly that they were written by men who lived in those very times; for it is not the style either of the classic authors, or of the ancient Christian Fathers; but Greek coming from men of Hebrew origin! Who could have forged them? The Christian Fathers were for the most part ignorant of Hebrew: they, therefore, could not! And it is equally certain the Greek classic authors could not, for they were Heathens. 4. The Gospels were written in Greek, (a peculiar kind of Greek it is admitted, that is, abounding with Hebrew and Syriac idioms,) because Greek was then the most generally spoken language in the East: it was 'like the French language in modern times in Europe, almost generally understood. And the power with which the Apostles were endowed, of speaking in all languages, peculiarly facilitated the spread of the Gospel, and the translation thereof into other languages. 5. That the New Testament was written by men who actually lived at the very time we say they did, that is, before the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, within forty years after the resurrection of Christ, is incontrovertibly proved, not only by the preceding internal evidence, but by numerous external circumstances, consisting of no less than FORTY-ONE distinct historical events, related by the sacred writers, and corroborated by the works of enemies; collected together by Dr. Lardner, and epitomised by Paley. See Appendix, G. Paley, after adducing by name the testimony in relation to this subject, states the following allegations as incontrovertibly established by proof: 1. That the historical books of the New Testament, meaning thereby the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, are quoted or alluded to by a series of Christian writers, beginning with those who were contemporary with the Apostles, or who immediately followed them, and proceeding in close and regular succession from their time to the present. 2. That when they are quoted or alluded to, they are quoted or alluded to with peculiar respect, as books sui generis; as possessing an authority which belonged to no other books; and as conclusive in all questions and controversies amongst Christians. 3. That they were, in very early times, collected into a distinct volume. 4. That they were distinguished by appropriate names and titles of respect. 5. That they were publicly read and expounded in the religious assemblies of the early Christians. 6. That commentaries were written upon them, harmonies formed out of them; different copies carefully collated, and versions of them made into different languages. 7. That they were received by Christians of different sects; by many Heretics as well as Catholics; and usually appealed to by both sides in the controversies which arose in those days. 8. That the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of Saint Paul, the first Epistle of John, and the first of Peter, were received without doubt by those who doubted concerning the other books which are included in our present canon. 9. That the Gospels were attacked by the early adversaries of Christianity, as books containing the accounts upon which the religion was founded. 10. That formal catalogues of authentic Scriptures were published; in all which our present Sacred histories were included. 11. That these propositions cannot be affirmed of any other books claiming to be the books of Scripture; by which are meant those books which are commonly called apocryphal books of the New Testament. The following corroborating testimony is taken from the writings of TWELVE of the GREATEST ENEMIES Christianity ever had: six or seven of whom were actually contemporaries with the Apostles; three were contemporaries with the disciples of the Apostles; and the remaining two, removed from the latter by only one generation. These extracts corroborate the New Testament in no less than TWENTY-FIVE IMPORTANT EVENTS-including the time, country, character, miracles, death and resurrection of JESUS the CHRIST, &c. During the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, while Herod was Tetrarch of Gallilee, and Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, a country inhabited by a people called Jews, and tributary to the Romans, there appeared in that place a good man, a doer of wonderful works, called Jesus the Christ. He made many disciples both of Jews and Gentiles, who are hence called to this day Christians. He was condemned, by Pilate the Procurator, to the cross; but appeared again alive, after three days, to his disciples. He enjoined on them the strictest morality. He had a brother, by name James, who was also put to death by Herod. Although the sect of which this man ⚫ was the founder are harmless, and have not been actually convicted of any crime, except hatred to our gods, yet they are punished with the greatest severity-many are put to death-some thrown to wild beasts-some burnt alive, and others crucified: but, at these punishments, some appear to rejoice, declaring they are confident of everlasting happiness. They are detested by all men for their superstition and bigory; and so they ought, for they will not worship any of our gods, neither the image of Cæsar, nor of Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Bacchus, nor Venus; but only this Christ, who was put to death; but whom they confidently affirm (even after the most excruciating tortures) to be alive. Notwithstanding all this persecution, and in defiance of the exertions of our government to extinguish this detestible superstition, it has spread rapidly like a pestilence from Judea, where it first commenced, throughout the whole world; and has infected not only the country parts and villages, but our chief towns and cities, even to Rome, where every bad thing finds its way. So that the temples of our gods have been almost totally forsaken, and there are but few purchasers for the sacrifices. At length our great emperor Constantine has been contaminated, and now openly professes Christianity. The life of this Christ has been written by his disciples. He was preceded by another good man called John the Baptist: who commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness to one another and piety towards God, and so to come to his baptism in water. Herod sent this man to prison, and afterwards had him put to death. The authors from whose works the substance of the above facts is taken, are―Tacitus, Josephus, Suetonius, Juvenal, the younger Pliny, Martial, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Lucian, Celsus, Porphyry, the Emperor Julian; corroborated by the following friends: Barnabus, Clemens, Polycarp, Irenæus, Ignatius, Quadratus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Eusebius. Still further corroborated by one hundred and twenty other Christian authors, within the first four or five centuries of the Christian era. Thus stands the external testimony: Sacred writers, Enemies, Friends, 7 12 120 Total, 139 |