PART I.

OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY, AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE EVIDENCE ALLEDGED FOR OTHER MIRACLES.

THE two propofitions which I shall en

deavour to establish are these :

I. That there is fatisfactory evidence that many, profeffing to be original witnesses of the Christian miracles, passed their lives in labours, dangers and sufferings, voluntarily undergone in attestation of the accounts which they delivered, and solely in confequence of their belief of those accounts; and that they also submitted from the fame motive to new rules of conduct.

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II. That

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II. That there is not fatisfactory evidence that perfons professing to be original witnesses of other miracles, in their nature as certain as these are, have ever acted in the fame manner, in attestation of the accounts which they delivered, and properly in consequence of their belief of those accounts.

The first of these propositions, as it forms the argument, will stand at the head of the following nine chapters.

CHAP. 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 attestation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of those accounts; and that they alfo fubmitted from the same motives to new rules of conduct.

To fupport this propofition, two points

are necessary to be made out: first, that the founder of the institution, his associates and immediate followers, acted the part which the propofition imputes to them: fecondly, that they did so in attestation of the miraculous hiftory recorded in our fcriptures, and folely in consequence of their belief of the truth of this history.

Before we produce any particular tefti

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mony to the activity and sufferings which compose the fubject of our first assertion, it will be proper to confider the degree of probability which the affertion derives from the nature of the cafe, that is, by inferences from those parts of the cafe which, in point of fact, are on all hands acknowledged.

First then, the Christian religion exists, and therefore by fome means or other was established. Now it either owes the principle of its establishment, i. e. its first publication, to the activity of the perfon who was the founder of the institution, and of those who were joined with him in the undertaking, or we are driven upon the strange fuppofition, that, although they might lie by, others would take it up; although they were quiet and filent, other persons bufied themfelves in the fuccess and propagation of their story. This is perfectly incredible. Το me it appears little less than certain, that, if the first announcing of the religion by the founder had not been followed up by the zeal and industry of his immediate disciples,

the

the attempt must have expired in its birth. Then as to the kind and degree of exertion which was employed, and the mode of life to which these persons fubmitted, we reasonably suppose it to be like that, which we observe in all others who voluntarily become missionaries of a new faith. Frequent, earnest and laborious preaching, constantly converfing with religious persons upon religion, a sequestration from the common pleasures, engagements and varieties of life, and an addiction to one ferious object, compose the habits of such men. I do not fay that this mode of life is without enjoyment, but I say that the enjoyment springs from fincerity. With a confciousness at the bottom of hollowness and falsehood, the fatigue and refstraint would become insupportable. I am apt to believe that very few hypocrites engage in these undertakings; or, however, persist in them long. Ordinarily speaking, nothing can overcome the indolence of mankind, the love which is natural to most tempers of cheerful fociety and cheerful scenes, or the defire, which is

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