The authenticity of the Old Test, is abundantly proved — (1) by the unintentional testimonies of profane authors, who speak in a corroborative manner of the persons and facts mentioned in it; such profane au- thors being unquestionably proved to have lived at a later period than the sacred writers whom they corrob- orate, such as Diodorus Siculus, Longinus, Porphyry, etc., who corroborate Moses; (2) bj' the fact testified by (irotius that there do not appear in any genuine ancient record any testimonies that contradict those produced in the Old Test.; (3) bj' tlie corroboration of many traditions preserved among ditferent and remote nations; (4) by the collation of many hundreds of MSS. of the Old Scriptures written at different periods and by various persons, in all of which MSS. the most wonder- ful similarity is to be observed, the only variations be- ing some trifiing ones easily accounted for and explain- ed, and not of the slightest consequence as to doctrine or fact (Dr. Kennicott collated seven hundred Hebrew MSS. without finding one various reading of any actual importance) ; (5) by the agreement of ancient writings, such as the Samaritan Pentateuch, with the Hebrew, which, from the violent enmity between the Jews and Samaritans, could never have been by collusion (the old Chaldee Targnms, or paraphrases, agree so remark- ably with the Hebrew as to be more properly transla- tions than paraphrases) ; (6) bj^ the extraordinarj' can- dor of the Hebrew writers, who detail simjily the frail- ties of their great men and their own national crimes, instead of seeking to exalt themselves and their nation like other historians.
2. The New Testament. — From the time thecanon of the Old Test, was completed till the ]niblieation of the last of the books of the New Test., about four hundred and sixty years ela]ised. During the life of Jesus Christ, and for some time after his ascension, nothing on the subject of his mission seems to have been committed to writing, for the purpose of publication, by his follow- ers. During the period between his resurrection and the publication of the last of the books of the New Test., the churches possessed miraculous gifts, and the apostles and disciples were enabled to explain the pre- dictions of the Old Test., and to show their fulfilment. After the Gospel had attracted attention, and Christian- ity was planted, not only in Judtea, but in the cities of Italy, (ireece, and Asia Minor, the Scriptures of the New Test, were written by the apostles and other inspired men, and intrusted to the keeping of the churches. Al- ready had others written narratives on the rise of the new religion, but they were not authenticated (Luke i, 1). AVhen autlientic documents were required for the information of the churches, and for the promotion of life and godliness in every region, six of the apostles and two disciples, all of whom were contemjiorary with the Master, were divinely inspired to write them. The evangelists may. under divine guidance, have made use of the earlier narratives of others, also of public records, and even of private memoranda; but the fact must not be lost sight of that all the sacred writers were divinely guided as to what they should write.
These several pieces which compose the Scriptures of the New 'I'est. were written in the (ireek language, which was then almost universally understood. They were not oidy received by the churclies with the high- est veneration, but were immediately copied and hand- ed about from one Church to another till each was in
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possession of the whole. From the manner in which they were at first circulated, some portions were neces- sarily longer in reaching certain places than others. While copies of each book wouki be extensivelj- multi- plied, it is, at the same time, a certain fact that no otlier boolvs besides those which at present compose the vol- ume of the New Test, were admitted by the early churches. The original collection of the several booi\S for the formation of the canon of the New Test, evi- dently took place in, or iminvdhitely ofltr, the apostolic age; but it was not any council convened by any bish- op or Church that first ascertained and determined tlieir canonical authority. Indeed, the books admitted into the canon were never supposed to derive their au- thority and validity from any council, inasmuch as the authority of tlie books existed before any council, and Consequently prior to any official or ecclesiastical dec- larations concerning them. As the several books were assumed to be of complete authority as soon as they were published by their inspired autliors, the churches were eager for their possession, and had them tran- scribed and freely circulated everywhere. Thus, even in the apostolic age, several churches would be in pos- session of all tlie writings of the New Test., for the gen- uineness and authenticity of which they had all the requisite ■evidence from the highest sources. Though the books of the New Test, were written in the Greek language, the writers were Jews, hence, as might be expected, their compositions evidence Jewish thought, which everywhere gives a Hebrew coloring to the style of their several writings. We have no evidence that the books of the New Test, were ever corrupted; in- deed, as these books were the foundation of the Chris- tian faith, alterations were both impossible and imi)rac- ticable without detection. These books are quoted or alluded to by a series of Christian writers, as well as by the adversaries of the Christian faith, who may be traced back in regular succession from the |)resent time to the apostolic age. Some of the ancient versions, as the Syriac, and several Latin versions, were made at the close of the first, or at the commencement of the second, century. Now the New Test, must necessari- ly have existed previously to the making of those ver- sions; and a book wiiich was so e.'trly and so univer- sally read throughout the East in the Creek and in the Syriac languages, and throughout Europe and Africa in the Latin, must be able to lay claim to a high an- tiquity; while the correspondence of those versions with our copies of the original Greek attests their gen- uineness and authenticity.