spicacity of intellect, his sobriety of judgment, his unbiassed love of truth, and his patient investigation of all circumstances, fitted him peculiarly for the defence of the great principles of natural and revealed theology. If any fraud or imposture had existed in regard to the Christian religion, by which the minds of others had been blinded, it would be difficult, from the whole catalogue of the learned, to select a man better suited to detect and dispel the illusion. He less profound than Butler, but his views and reasonings are much more on a level with the understanding of the bulk of mankind. The former collects and converges to a focus the feeble and scattered rays of light which pass unnoticed by others; the latter, neglecting weak arguments, seizes on the strong points of evidence in every subject, and exhibits them in a light so clear and steady, that he carries along with him the convictions of every mind, not closed against the force of truth, by strong and inveterate prejudice. Thus in his EVIDENCES he fixes on a single fact, the truth of which cannot be denied; namely, that in the commencement of the Christian religion many persons did voluntarily undergo the severest sufferings and persecutions in confirmation of their faith in this system. This fact, as we have seen, is fully attested by the highest Heathen as well as Christian authorities, and is now questioned by none. On this single point PALEY erects his battery, and his conclusion cannot be evaded without a renunciation of common sense, or of the commonly-received laws of evidence. It detracts something from the interest, and in my opinion, from the effect of this treatise, that the author considered it necessary to descend to so many minute details, in establishing the authenticity of the sacred books of the New Testament. To others, however, this work of Paley seems, in all respects, to approximate perfection. The pious and philanthropic Douglas, of Scotland, in a late work, expresses it as his opinion, that EUCLID'S ELEMENTS, and PALEY'S EVIDENCES, are the only two treatises which are perfectly adapted to the business of elementary instruction. This opinion from a mind so comprehensive and so highly gifted as that of the gentleman above mentioned, cannot but recommend this work to the careful perusal of all such persons as wish for full information and complete satisfaction on this momentous subject.' CONTENTS PALEY'S EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. That there is satisfactory evidence, that many, professing to be original witnesses of the Christian miracles, passed their lives in labors, dangers, and sufferings voluntarily undergone in attesta- tion of the accounts which they delivered, and solely in conse- quence of their belief of those accounts; and that they also sub- mitted, from the same motives, to new rules of conduct.. CHAP. I.-Evidence of the sufferings of the first propagators of ....... ....... SECT. I. Quotations of the historical Scriptures by ancient SECT. II. Of the peculiar respect with which they were quoted 87 SECT. III.-The Scriptures were in very early times collected SECT. VII.-They were received by ancient Christians of differ- SECT. VIII. The four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thir- teen Epistles of Saint Paul, the first Epistle of John, and the First of Peter, were received without doubt by those who doubted concerning the other books of our present canon..... 103 SECT. IX. Our present Gospels were considered by the adversa. ries of Christianity, as containing the accounts upon which SECT. X.-Formal catalogues of authentic Scriptures were pub- lished, in all which our present Gospels were included... SECT. XI.-The above propositions cannot be predicated of any That there is NOT satisfactory evidence, that persons pretending to be original witnesses of any other similar miracles, have acted in the same manner, in attestation of the accounts which they de- livered, and solely in consequence of their belief of the truth of CHAP. IV. Identity of Christ's character... CHAP. V.-Originality of Christ's character... CHAP. VI.-Conformity of the facts occasionally mentioned or re- CHAP. I.-The Discrepancies between the several Gospels CHAP. II-Erroneous Opinions imputed to the Apostles... CHAP. III.-The connexion of Christianity with the Jewish History 230 CHAP. V. That the Christian miracles are not recited, or appealed to by early Christian writers themselves so fully or frequently as CHAP. VI.-Want of universality in the knowledge and reception of Christianity, and of greater clearness in the evidence.......... 216 CHAP. VII.-The supposed Effects of Christianity... ......... 251 B |