5th. By the miraculous harmony of all the books, and by the other phenomena of supernatural knowledge which they present.
6th. By the character of the moral system they teach.
7th. By the character of its Founder.
8th. By the spiritual power of Christianity, as testified in the religious experience of its individual subjects, and also by its wider influence over communities and nations in successive generations.
9th. By the history of its early successes.
2. How can it be proved that a supernatural revelation from God to man is antecedently probable ?
We have already exhibited the evidences derived from the evident traces of design in the creation, and from the no less evi- dent character of that design in its relation to sensitive creatures, and from the phenomena of conscience, that God is infinitely in- telligent, benevolent, and righteous. He not only^provides for all the wants of his creatures as they occur, but he always adapts their condition and circumstances to the nature with which he has endowed them.
But the preeminent characteristics of man are : 1st. That he is a moral agent, and therefore needs a clearly revealed rule of duty. 2d. That he is essentially religious. Universal history proves the universality and supreme power of this principle in the ,human heart.
In a state of nature this craving after God uniformly reveals
SCRIPTURES AUTHENTIC HISTORY. 51
man's moral and religious darkness. Fear and uncertainty char- acterize every one of the thousand forms assumed by false re- ligions, and the heart of man everywhere longs for light and cer- tainty.— Acts xvii., 23.
The intelligence of God leads us to hope that he has adapted the means to the end, and that he will crown a religious nature with a supernatural religion.
The benevolence of God leads us to hope that he will relieve the grievous bewilderment and avert the danger of his creatures.
The righteousness of God leads us to hope that he will speak in distinct and authorative tones to the conscience.
Having already revealed himself in nature, though only suf- ficiently to stimulate us to uncertain and painful action, we may surely hope that by a second revelation he will lead us to cer- tainty, if not to peace.
3. What two points are involved in the proposition, that the sacred Scriptures, luhether the ivord of God or not, are yet un- questionably genuine and authentic historical records ?
1st. That the Old and New Testaments were written respec- tively by the several writers, and in the several ages which they themselves set forth, and that they have come down to us without- material change.
2d. That these writers were honest and intelligent, men who proposed to themselves to write authentic history.
4. Hoio can it be proved that these books were ivritten by the authors, by ivhom, and at the times in which they respectively profess to have been written ?
The evidence establishing this fact in behalf of both Testa- ments is greater than that establishing the genuineness of all other ancient writings put together, This evidence is set forth at large under Chapter VI., on the Canon. They may be summarily indicated thus : —
1st. These writings are in the precise language, dialect, and general style which are known to be proper to their professed authors and age.
2d. The Jews and Christians, who were cotemporaries of the authors of these books, received them as inspired, circulated them
52 THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.
in all synagogues and churches, transcribed and preserved them with superstitious care.
3d. There remain to this day, among both Jews and Chris- tians, those institutions and monuments the origin of which these records relate as part of their cotemporaneous history ; the fact of the institution verifying, of course, both the credibility of the writings and the cotemporaneousness of their origin respectively with that of the institutions they describe.
4th. As to the Old Testament. The Pentateuch has been in the keeping of hostile parties, Jewish and Samaritan, since at least six or seven hundred years before Christ. The whole Old Testament has been in the custody both of Jews and Christians ever since the birth of Christ.
5th. The evidence borne by ancient versions.
6th. The testimony of Josephus and the Christian Fathers of the first three centuries, presented in their lists of the sacred books and numerous quotations from them.
5. How can it be proved that these writings contain authentic history ?
1st. Leslie, in his "Short Method with the Deists," sets down the four following marks as establishing, when they all meet to- gether, beyond all doubt the truth of any matter of fact.
(1.) That the matter of fact be such that men's outward senses may be judges of it.
(2.) That it be done openly in the face of the world.
(3.) That not only public monuments be kept up in memory of it, but some outward action be performed.