the New Teftament, which point out inconteftibly the time when they were written. Palestine is divided into three provinces Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. This country at that time is fubject to the Romans, but had been heretofore ruled by its own kings; the Jews have not the abfolute power of life and death; at Jerufalem is a Roman Governour. The nation is difcontented with the Roman fovereignty; refuses to pay tribute, and is inclined to revolt. Two religious fects have the principal fway among them, viz. the Pharifees and the Sadducees; the former, who teach a mechanical religion, deceive and tyrannize over the people, and yet are almost idolized by them; the latter, who adopt an epicurean philofophy, are strongly supported by the principal characters of the nation. The temple of Jerufalem is still ftanding, and is annually vifited by a great number of the Jews who are fcattered abroad abroad in different parts of the world. Thefe, and fimilar circumftances, are rather prefuppofed as univerfally known, than related by the authors of these writings; and they agree moft exactly with the condition of the Jews and the Roman empire in the first century of the Roman monarchy.-More will be faid on this fubject hereafter, in the inquiry into the Credibility of thefe writers. BOOK BOOK II. The external or decifive Evidence for the Authenticity of the New Teftament, viz. the pofitive Teftimonies of Witneffes in the three first Centuries. CHAP. I. Witneffes in the firft Century. NOTWITHSTANDING what has been faid above, I confefs that it is not abfolutely impoffible but that a man of very great talents and extenfive learning might, as it were, abfolutely forget himself; might, for a time, lay afide his natural modes of thinking and manners, and change himself into a perfectly different perfon. But the teftimonies of the oldest and most credible writers place it beyond all doubt, that the Books of our New Testament were written by the pretended authors, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, St. John, John, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. James, and St. Jude, and at the pretended times. In this proof I fhall quote fuch paffages only, wherein these writers appeal either by name, or expressly to thofe books; and honeftly confefs the doubts which, to an impartial fearcher after truth, will occur in this inquiry. I fhall thus hinder the enemies of Chriftianity from ufing that argument which Bolingbroke has brought against it'; and if in this examination nothing be overcharged; but, on the contrary, if the love of truth, and the strictest severity of inquiry, be every where difcoverable, additional weight, I trust, will be given to my proof. SECT. I. The Origin and State of Chriftianity in the first Century. JESUS, the Chrift, was born in the forty-first year of the government of i See above, page 8. the the Roman Emperour Auguftus, confequently four years earlier than the commonly received computation, or one thousand eight hundred and eight years before the present time; he taught perfonally during three years and a half in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee; and at his death left one hundred and fifty followers of his religion, who were all perfons of low birth, and entirely deftitute of that confequence which learning or temporal greatnefs can bestow*. About feven weeks after his death, the twelve men, who had been his moft intimate friends, began to preach his religion in the world. On the first day of their preaching, they established in Jerufalem a community of Christians, confifting of more than three thousand perfons'. And in lefs than fixty years there exifted numerous and flourishing communities of Chriftians in Afia, as well in the eastern parts towards Perfia k AЯs i. 1 Acts ii. and |