of an hiftorian writing of another man; Paul alludes to them with the modefty, or appeals to them with the reluctance of an honest man constrained to fpeak of himself,

Any difcerning perfon, reading the writings of the New Teftament, and comparing them together, will find decifive evidence of their genuineness and authenticity.

تیم.

But we have ftill farther evidence in their favor. Every man, in the leaft acquainted with hiftory, knows, that, in the time when the books of the New Teftament are fuppofed to have been written, there were those perfons who are here mentioned; as Auguftus, Tiberius, Claudius, Herod, Pilate, Felix, Feftus, Caiaphas, and many others: And that there were those seats and claffes of men, which are here defcribed; as Pharifees, Sadducees, Scribes and Herodians And that there were thofe cuftoms and ufages, which are here related; as the feafts of the paffover and pentecoft, the ceremony and circum cifion, a great fritnefs in obferving the fabbath, and in reading the law. It is well known that the Jews were under the Roman government, paid tribute to the emperor, received their chief magif trates by his appointment, could put no man to death without his permiffion; and many other things too numerous to be here mentioned.

Now if the writings of the New Teftament exhibit a true account of the fate of things in that age, we must believe, they were extant in, or near that age. And if the authors have ftrictly regard. ed the truth in every thing elfe, why fhould their veracity be queftioned in things, which concern the Lord Jefus. If we believe, there were fuch men as Celar, Herod and Pilate, who performed the works afcribed to them; Why may we not believe, there was fuch a perfon as Jefus Chrift, who per formed the works afcribed to him?

That there was an extraordinary perfon called by this name, who did many wonderful things, and was put to death under Tiberius; and that there was such a fect as Chriftians, denominated from him, which made a great noife, and became very numerous in the world, foun after the death of their founder, we have evidence from Heathen, as well as Chriftian writers!

The books of the New Teftament were early re ceived as the genuine works of the men, whofe names they bear; and in this character they have been handed down to the present time. Of this we have as good evidence, as we have of any ancient facts. Writers who flourished foon after the Apostles, and who were converfant with them, or with their immediate difciples, can even now, at this distance of time, be produced as witneffes of the genuineness of almost all the books of the New Teftament; as the four Gospels, the Acts, thirteen Epiftles of Paul, the first of Peter, and the first of John. And writers but little later bear witness to the authority of them all.

A certain writer named Papias, who lived foon after the Apoftles, and was converfant with their immediate difciples, is quoted by Eufebius, a church historian, in confirmation of the gospel of Matthew. Juftin, Irenæus and Clement of Alexandria, who wrote about the middle of the fecond century, quote feveral paffages out of Mark's gospel, and prove that he wrote it, and that it was feen and commended by the Apostle Peter. Paul himself has given his fanation to Luke's gospel by quoting a paffage from it in his first epiftle to Timothy. The ancients generally apply to Luke thefe words of Paul to the Corinthians, We have fent the brother, whofe praife is in the gospel through all the churches. Origen declares, that Luke's gospel was approved by Paul. It is quoted by Juftin and others in the fecond century, near the times of the

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Apoftles. Irenæus, who was acquainted with Po lycarp, a difciple of the Apoftle John, has with great accuracy proved the genuineness of the gofpel received under the name of that Apoftle. Several other early fathers afcribe it to him, and fay, that the authority of it was never controverted in the church. Eufebius informs us that John read and approved the gofpels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and added his own as a fupplement to them. The book called the Acts of the Apofiles, compared with Luke's gofpel, appears to have been written by the fame author. All the ancients agree that it was compofed by Luke, and received in the church as an authentic history. As fuch it is quoted by Cle ment of Rome, who was a companion with Paul; by Papias, who converfed with men of the Apof tles' times; by Polycarp, who was John's difci ple; and by Irenæus, who lived in the fecond century.

f

Thirteen of Paul's epifles, with the first of Peter, and the firft of John, were never queftioned; for there were particular churches or perfons, to whom all the originals, except the two laft mentioned epiftles, were directed. Thefe originals were carefully preferved in the churches which received them, as Tertullian fays, down to his time, which was the third century. They were acknowledged, without hesitancy, by the whole Chriftian church, as Clement and Origen affirm. They were cited as Paul's epiftles, in the very age in which they were written, and in the next fucceeding age, and fo on in every age fince.

The epiftle to the Hebrews, that of James, and that of Jude, the fecond of Peter, the fecond and third of John, and the Revelation, were not at first univerfally received: But we find, by the testimo ny of a number of the before mentioned fathers, that, after fome inquiry, they were admitted as genuine and authentic in the earliest times, As

thefe books were written either to Chriftians dif perfed abroad, or to private perfons, it was not fo eafy at once to ascertain their authority, as it was that of the other books, which were directed to particular churches; for there the author's handwriting, and the character of the meffengers who brought them were well known, and there they were immediately and repeatedly read.

The caution with which the churches received fome of the books of the prefent canon, fhews that, in this important matter, they did not act with a hafty credulity, but with a juft concern to avoid impofition. So that the canon of the New Teftament stands on better footing, than if no doubts had arifen about any part of it.

And

Not only were these books universally received by Chriflians of the early ages, but publicly read in the churches. Paul orders his first epiftle to the Theffalonians to be read to all the holy brethren; and his epiftle to the Coloffians to be communicated to the church of the Laodiceans. Peter, in his fecond epiftle, fignifies, that Paul had written a number of epiftles, which were generally known in the churches. Juftin Martyr, in a book which he wrote about forty years after the Apoftolic age, fpeaks of the writings of the Apostles, as read every Sabbath in the Chriftian congregations.

From thefe teftimonies it appears, that the books of the New Teftament were, in that age in which they were written, and in the next fucceeding age, received as the genuine works of the men whose names they bear. And from age to age the tefli. monies of their reception became more and morenumerous. Yea, we find, within about fifty years after the Apostles, the teftimonies of heathens and infidels, that there were fuch books extant as thofe which we now receive, and that thefe books were acknowledged and revered by Chriftians.

Thefe writings were early, probably within forty or fifty years after Chrift's afcention, collected into a volume, and treated by Christians with peculiar marks of faith and reverence.

Now if thefe books had not been genuine, it is impoffible that they should have gained fuch univerfal credit among Chriftians. If there had been no fuch men known as their reputed authors, they never could have obtained any credit at all. The authors appear under appropriate names and characters, call themfelves apoftles and difciples of Je fus; relate many remarkable facts as then recent and notorious; mention many miraculous works performed, and fupernatural gifts exercised by them, in such places, and in the presence of fuch perfons and churches; appeal to the public for the truth of many of the facts related; represent themfelves and other apostles as having been prefent in these and thofe places, and there preached, wrought miracles, made converts, formed churches, and imparted fupernatural gifts. Now it is impoffible that any perfons, efpecially focieties, fhould have received thefe books, if they had never feen fuch men, known fuch facts, or heard of fuch churches. Every one who faw the writings would naturally inquire, Where are the churches which are here addreffed? Who are the men that speak of themfelves as fo generally known? Who has ever been acquainted with the matters which they relate with fo much affurance? Afk yourselves: Would the hiftory of the late American war, and the revolution which followed, be received with any regard among the people of America in the prefent age, if no fuch events had taken place? Or would fuch a fictitious hiftory go down with credit to fucceeding ages? The reception of a history relating to facts of recent exiftence and public notoriety, is an evidence of

its truth.