CHRISTIANITY. 151 



and arguments which prove the authenticity, credibility, and divine 

 authority of the Holy Scriptures. They constitute a subject of the 

 highest interest; and one which has been fully treated, by the ablest 

 writers, in reply to the cavils of infidelity. These evidences may be 

 arranged as either external or internal ; and the former, as either col- 

 lateral or direct. Among the collateral evidences, we may adduce, 

 the imperfect state of man ; and the necessity of some religion, to 

 guide him in his search after truth and happiness ; and to satisfy his 

 moral faculties and nobler aspirations. The view which we have 

 already taken of other religions, will show that this one, alone, is at 

 the same time rational, pure, and adapted to the highest wants, and 

 greatest improvement of both our sentient and our intellectual nature. 

 It is farther so proved, by the fact that those nations, whose religion 

 is the purest Christianity, are the most enlightened and happy ; and 

 that other nations approach this state, in proportion as their religion 

 approaches to that of the Gospel. 



The direct external proofs of Christianity, include the historical 

 proofs of the authenticity of the New Testament. We know that its 

 books were received by the early Church, as genuine and authorita- 

 tive ; from the testimony of the Christian Fathers, already mentioned ; 

 and from the great events with which it was connected ; including 

 the conversion of the Roman empire. We know it, in short, by a 

 complete chain of the highest evidence, from the apostolic age to the 

 present. The genuineness of these books was admitted, even by the 

 early opposers of Christianity: as by Celsus, in the second century; 

 Porphyry, in the third ; and the apostate Julian, in the fourth ; nor 

 do Josephus, and the other Jewish writers, deny either the currency 

 of these works, or the truth of their historical statements. These 

 statements are directly corroborated by the evidence of Tacitus, the 

 Roman historian ; and the sufferings of the early Christian martyrs 

 are mentioned by the younger Pliny, by Suetonius, Martial, Juvenal, 

 and other Heathen writers. These sufferings are, in themselves, a 

 strong proof of the credibility of those truths which thousands died 

 to substantiate. Not only had the apostles, and other Christian mar- 

 tyrs, no interest in sustaining their doctrines, if false, but they had 

 the strongest temporal interest in abandoning them, even if true : and 

 yet they persevered. The institution of the Christian Sabbath, and 

 Sacraments, continuously kept, ever since the events occurred which 

 they commemorate, may also be adduced as tangible proof, relevant 

 to this subject. 



To the Miracles of our Saviour, recorded in these well authenti- 

 cated books, we may next appeal, in support of the divine authority 

 of the New Testament. They were beyond the reach of human art: 

 acts of godlike beneficence, performed in the presence of multitudes, 

 and in plain day ; miracles which not even the irritated Jews could 

 either conceal or deny. They were performed for a purpose worthy 

 of such acts, to evince the promised Saviour; and similar acts were 

 permitted to be performed by the apostles, so long as was necessary 

 for this purpose ; but no longer. Next to the incarnation, temptation, 

 resurrection, and ascension of our Saviour, we would adduce the 

 conversion and ministry of Saul of Tarsus, the apostle Paul, as the 



