writings even of the apostolic age: and their authority was received as a perfect proof of any disputed doctrine. Every sect of Christians, in all ages, grounded its opinions on the very same gospels which we now possess ; and received, with very few exceptions, the same canon of Holy Scripture. And all their adversaries, in the height of their hostility, always recognized these books as the foundation upon which the Christian faith was built. Besides, the books of the New Testament were at an early period translated into different languages, and circulated in various parts of the civilized world. These versions, besides being corroborative proofs of the genuineness of the sacred writings, are also a security against their having been materially altered in the course of ages. Whoever will examine with care these proofs, which have been collected for the purpose of establishing by external evidence the authenticity of the Scriptures of the New Testament, will receive from his research the fullest satisfaction.

To these proofs is to be added the strong internal evidence which the books themselves contain. The language in which they are written is a very peculiar language; sufficiently varied to shew that they were not all composed by the same writer, yet in every

To

book highly characteristic of the age and persons of their alleged authors. The style is, however, very difficult to be successfully imitated, much more to have been invented. this consideration must be added the circumstantiality of the narrative; the natural manner in which the names of places and persons are introduced: the perfect acquaintance which the writers incidentally display with all the minutest circumstances of the history of the Jewish people, and of the world at the period in which they are stated to have been written: the air of sincerity, and absence of artifice which pervade them: the close, though evidently undesigned, connection between the several relations of the Evangelists, and between the Epistles of St. Paul and his history, as written by St. Luke.

2. The writings of the New Testament having been in this manner proved to be, as they purport, the artless composition of sincere men, let us observe the nature of the facts which they disclose, sometimes by express assertion; and sometimes by indirect allusion. The Gospel history, although very simple in its language, relates events of the most astonishing kind. It declares that the ordinary course of nature was repeatedly interrupted. Now very strong evidence is undoubtedly required

H

to establish the reality of a miraculous fact. And such evidence is afforded. We know, as an indisputable historical truth, that the apostles passed through the most grievous perils and sufferings in attestation of those miracles, of which they had been eye-witnesses; miracles in which they could not have been deceived. We know that they gave up the whole of their time and labour, sacrificed all prospects of advancement, in the mode of life in which they had been brought up; were exposed to continual danger, and finally suffered a painful death, merely because they persisted in the belief of those facts. Therefore no reasonable man can doubt for a moment that those facts were true: that is, he cannot doubt that a person named Jesus appeared upon earth, and declared himself to be come down from heaven to do the will of God, and that he was the Son of God: that he performed miracles of wonder which proved his divine commission: for he gave sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf; he fed multitudes by a morsel; healed the sick by a touch, by a word, or by a distant command; calmed the raging elements ; restored the dead to life: that his miracles were also such merciful works, that as his adversaries could not deny them, so they could not attribute them to any evil principle.

Knowing then these facts to be true, no reasonable man can for a moment doubt, that the precepts and commands, which these miracles introduced, were from God. This was the very acknowledgment forced from one, who certainly at first had no favourable prepossessions for the gospel of Christ. "Rabbi," said a ruler of the Jews, "we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."b

Besides, in the Epistles of St. Paul, frequent reference is made to the miraculous powers, the gift of tongues and prophecy, possessed by himself and by those to whom he wrote. These allusions are made in such a plain, simple manner, and arise so naturally out of the circumstances of his address, that every one must feel convinced that they refer to facts. They are made, too, not with an intention of setting forth those gifts as preeminent marks of divine favour; but frequently. with the view of shewing that they were, in themselves, inferior in value to the more practical graces of the Christian character. Now, besides that this is a conduct entirely irreconcileable with the supposition that the apostle was an enthusiast, and the gifts

b John iii. 2.

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imaginary, it is quite impossible that these references should have been made, unless the powers which they imply had been really possessed. A credulous mind might believe a miraculous tale, upon insufficient evidence: but no men, however ready to be deceived, could be persuaded that they had witnessed, and themselves possessed, preternatural powers, when in reality they had never witnessed any miracle, nor possessed any such powers.

We must conclude, therefore, that the apostles themselves were endowed with miraculous powers for the propagation of the truths, which they employed their lives in disseminating.

The truth, then, of our religion is thus established upon the firm foundation of undoubted miracles, performed for that purpose both by Christ and his apostles.

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3. "The testimony of Jesus" also, "is the spirit of prophecy." We have recently had occasion to notice several of the more remarkable

d

predictions which he uttered; and observed, that in the course of his teaching he delivered to his followers many proofs of his perfect foreknowledge of futurity. He predicted the events which should happen to himself and

Rev. xix. 10.

d See the VIth Hulsean Lecture for 1826.