volved them. That this discourse was obscure even at the time, is confefsed by the writer who has preserved it, when he tells us at the conclusion, that many of our Lord's difciples, when they had heard this, faid, "This is a hard saying, who can bear it?" Chrift's taking of a young child, and placing it in the midst of his contentious disciples (Mat. xviii. 2.), though as decisive a proof, as any could be, of the benig. nity of his temper, and very expressive of the character of the religion which he wished to inculcate, was not by any means an obvious thought. Nor am I acquainted with any thing in any ancient writing which resembles it. The account of the institution of the Eucharift bears strong internal marks of genuineness. If it had been feigned, it would have been more full. It would have come nearer to the actual mode of celebrating the rite, as that mode obtained very early 1 Carly in Christian churches: and it would have been more formal than it is. In the forged piece called the apoftolic conftitutions, the apostles are made to enjoin many parts of the ritual which was in use in the second and third centuries, with as much particularity as a modern rubric could have done. Whereas, in the history of the Lord's supper, as we read it in St. Matthew's gospel, there is not so much as the command to repeat it. This, furely, looks like undefignedness. I think also that the difficulty arifing from the conciseness of Christ's expreffion, "This is my body," would have been avoided in a made-up story. I allow that the explication of these words, given by Proteftants, is satisfactory; but it is deduced from a diligent comparison of the words in question with forms of expression used in scripture, and especially by Chrift, upon other occasions. No writer would arbitrarily and unnecessarily have thus cast in his reader's way a difficulty, which, to fay the least, it required research and erudi tion to clear up. ! H Now Now it ought to be observed, that the argument which is built upon these examples, extends both to the authenticity of the books and to the truth of the narrative : for it is improbable, that the forger of a hiftory in the name of another should have inferted such passages into it: and it is improbable also, that the perfons whose names the books bear should have fabricated fuch passages; or even have allowed them a place in their work, if they had not believed them to express the truth. The following observation, therefore, of Dr. Lardner, the most candid of all advocates, and the most cautious of all enquirers, feems to be well founded :- " Christians are induced to believe the writers of the gospel, by observing the evidences of piety and probity that appear in their writings, in which there is no deceit or artifice, or cunning, or defign." "No remarks,” as Dr. Beattie hath properly faid, are thrown in to anticipate objections; nothing of that caution, which never fails to diftinguish the teftimony 66 testimony of those who are confcious of imposture; no endeavour to reconcile the reader's mind to what may be extraordinary in the narrative." 1 I beg leave to cite also another author*, who has well expressed the reflection which the examples now brought forward were intended to suggest. "It doth not appear that ever it came into the mind of these writers, to confider how this or the other action would appear to mankind, or what objections might be raised upon them. But, without at all attending to this, they lay the facts before you, at no pains to think whether they would appear credible or not. If the reader will not believe their testimony, there is no help for it: they tell the truth, and attend to nothing else. Surely this looks like fincerity, and that they published nothing to the world but what they believed themselves." * Duchal, p. 97, 98. As As no improper supplement to this chapter, I crave a place here for observing the extreme naturalness of some of the things related in the New Testament.: Mark ix. 24. Jesus said unto him, " If thou canst believe, all things are poffible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." The struggle in the father's heart, between folicitude for the preservation of his child, and a kind of involuntary diftrust of Christ's power to heal him, is here expressed with an air of reality, which could hardly be counterfeited. Again, (Mat. xxi. 9.) the eagerness of the people to introduce Christ into Jerusalem, and their demand, a short time afterwards, of his crucifixion, when he did not turn out what they expected him to be, fo far from affording matter of objection, represents popular favour, in exact agreement 7 1 |