Inftances of fpurious miracles fupported by ftrong apparent teftimony undoubtedly demand examination. Mr. Hume has endeavoured to fortify his argument by fome examples of this kind. I hope in a proper place to fhew that none of them reach the ftrength or circumftances of the Christian evidence. In these, however, confifts the weight of his objection. In the principle itself I am perfuaded there is none. PART PART I. OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE DENCE ALLEDGED FOR OTHER MIRA- THE two propofitions which I shall en deavour to establish are thefe: I. That there is fatisfactory evidence that many, profeffing to be original witneffes of the Chriftian miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of those accounts; and that they also fubmitted from the same motive to new rules of conduct. VOL. I. C II. That II. That there is not fatisfactory evidence that perfons profeffing to be original witneffes of other miracles, in their nature as certain as thefe are, have ever acted in the fame manner, in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and properly in confequence of their belief of those accounts. The first of these propofitions, as it forms the argument, will ftand at the head of the following nine chapters. CHAP. I. There is fatisfactory evidence that many, profeffing to be original witnesses of the Chrif tian miracles, passed their lives in labours, dangers and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts; and that they alfo fubmitted from the fame motives to new rules of conduct. To fupport this propofition, two points are neceffary to be made out: first, that the founder of the inflitution, his affociates and immediate followers, acted the part which the propofition imputes to them: fecondly, that they did fo in atteftation of the miraculous hiftory recorded in our fcriptures, and folely in confequence of their belief of the truth of this hiftory. Before we produce any particular tefti C 2 mony |