CHAPTER II.

OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ARISING FROM CONSIDERATIONS SUGGESTED BY ITS CONTENTS.

THE preceding chapter presents a system of religious principles, with which every one fhould be well acquainted, who means to study, with advantage, the evidences of chriftianity. They indeed themselves form a body of evidence, of which those who are in queft of truth from pure motives, will feel the force in no ordinary degree. For want of the knowledge of these principles, many valuable treatises have been read with little effect. But when the nature of chriftianity is understood, its excellence feen, and its importance felt, there is a field prepared by previous cultivation for the reception of the feed of evidence, which, there is reason to believe, will fpring up, and bring forth fruit abundantly unto everlafting life. So long as the mind is ignorant of the principles of the gofpel, reading on its evidence is like fowing on the highway, or on a rock.

Befides the evidences arifing from the doctrines of the gospel, there are fome confiderations closely connected with them, and fuggefted by the contents, spirit, ftructure, and defign of the New Testament, which merit particular attention. If they do not of themselves amount to a full proof that it is divine, they at least render it plain, that it is the most extraordinary book which was ever written: they ftrengthen the prefumption in its favour; and they lay a ftill ftronger and furer foundation for external evidence to reft upon.

SECTION I.

The New Teftament conveys more improvement 10 the Mind than any oiber Book.

Most of the men who compofed this book, spent their early days in manual employments. They lived about three years with Chrift, as his difciples. After his death they became teachers of his religion; and they wrote the New Teftament. The Grecian Philofophers, and fome Romans, fpent all their days in the purfuits of literature, and in the acquifition of knowledge. They alfo wrote books. On a comparison, judging merely from the character of the writers, which may be expected to excel!— Can it be a queftion? Can any imagine these unlettered Jews capable of writing a book to be even named after the works of men of such exalted genius as the Grecian fages? But let both be examined with impartiality; and it will be found, that with respect to real information and knowledge, the New Teftament is as far above the best heathen writings, as the heavens are above the earth. It may indeed be juftly afferted, that the New Teftament, connected with the Old, here ftands alone; and has neither equal, nor fecond. The knowledge it conveys concerning God, his perfections, and government; concerning man, his nature, duty, and happiness; concerning the prefent world, and a future ftate of retribution; in fhort concerning every object which it is important for us to be acquainted with, is unequalled.

The ideas are most excellent, most abundant, and expreffed with clearness and fimplicity. The imagination may be more entertained with the deco

rations of fancy in other books; the tafte may be more gratified with elegant compofition; but no where else is there fuch a mass of interefting truths, on every fubject which concerns man as a citizen of this world, and as an immortal creature. In both these respects the New Teftament contains the greatest measure of mental improvement; and tends to make men not only more pious and moral than all other books can, but likewife more ration al and wife.

The argument will derive ftill more weight from the confideration, that the whole mafs of truth in the gospel is not difcerned at once. From the

day when it was written to the prefent time, every age has found out fomething new. During the two laft centuries, how many important difcoveries have been made of latent truths, which are now clear as the light of day. Nor is the mind exhausted. From the fame field, wife and good men will by perfevering research continue to prefent to the world their precious and ample treasures, as the reward of pious industry.

If any thing more be thought necessary to produce a conviction of its fuperior excellence, let it be compared with other books. I need not fay,

compare it with the Koran:" for the good ideas there are borrowed from the New Teftament. Or fhall I fay, compare it? and you will perceive the man of Mecca corrupting what he pilfers, defiling it with prejudices and paffions while it paffes through his mind, and blending it with his own abfurd reveries. I need not compare it with the books of chriftian writers; because they glory in having derived their fentiments from the code of their religion. You urge me to compare it with

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the writings of modern Deifts. But the compari fon would be unfair. They borrowed their ideas of moral truths from the New Teftament: they lighted their taper at the fire of this fun. If you can point out one good principle in them, which is not contained in it, there will then, and not till then, be room to boast. But But compare them if you will; I am not afraid of the iffue.-The juft line of comparison is with the most celebrated books, in the eastern and western parts of the world, before the coming of Chrift. Let the fages of Greece and Rome; let the votaries of Brahma, and of Fo, produce their facred books for a critical infpection on this point. I am confident that every fair opponent will, without a moment's hefitation, give the palm to the men of Galilee.

But whence comes it to pass, that these unlettered men should be able to write the best, the most inftructive book which the world contains; and that none fince, in any country or age, have been able to improve upon it, or write a better? Some adequate cause must be affigned. Those who, inftead of a fatisfactory anfwer, would laugh, and ridicule the book, muft retire from the field occupied by fair reafoners and refpectable antagonifts, to the ground allotted to the unreputable corps of buffoons. When they are gone, let the others judge, who acts the wifeft part, the opponent of the gofpel, who rejects the most improving book that was ever written? or the chriftian who receives it, and accounts for its pre-eminence, from its being written by the inspiration of infinite wisdom?

SECTION II.

There are no falje principles in the New Teftament. WHEN I read the writings of thofe ancient historians, orators, poets, or philofophers, which are fo highly celebrated as to form the text-books of modern education, I am grieved to fee the multitude of falfe principles with which they abound. Ambition is foftered and recommended: the love of fame encouraged: military glory is difplayed before the youthful throng, in the moft facinating colours: and thofe are reprefented as the firft of human kind, who bear away the laurels from the enfanguined field. Literary pride is fanned, and incenfe offered to adepts in science. Admiration of wealth and diftinction is generated; and the profanum vulgus (the poor people) is pointed at as an object of hatred or contempt.

From these revered, may I not add idolized authors, I turn to the New Teftament; and I find myself in a new world. What a difference of mind and heart! A fpark of the fame fpirit I do not perceive: I cannot difcover a falfe principle from beginning to end. If it be faid, I am a partial judge, I challenge the acuteft unbeliever to peruse the book with this view. Let him point out one false principle stated with approbation, or recommended to imitation; and I will give up its claim to divine authority. But no fuch thing is to be found. Here is a remarkable phenomenon which must be accounted for by Deifts, in a fatisfactory manner. Will it be faid, They were Jews?" But does this remove the difficulty? How came they to be wiser than other people? Merely their