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A CONCISE VIEW OF THE EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 1. Christianity rests on a Basis of Historic Facts inseparably connected from First to Last--2. This Basis to be maintained against Unbelievers--3. General Plan of Inquiry--Christ's Advent the Central Point--From this We look forward and backward to the Beginning--4. Importance of viewing Revelation as a Whole--5. Fragmentary Method of Objectors--Particular Order of the Parts in this Investigation

UNCORRUPT PRESERVATION OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES. 1. What is meant by an Uncorrupt Text--2. Ancient Materials for Writing--Palimpsests--Uncial and Cursive Manuscripts--3. The Apostolic Autographs have perished, but We have their Contents--This shown from the Agreement of Manuscripts--From the Quotations of the Fathers--From Ancient Versions--Character of the "Various Readings"--They do not affect the Substance of the Gospel--4. The Ancient Versions made from a Pure Text--This shown from the Public Reading of the Gospels from the Beginning--From the Multiplication of Copies--From the High Value attached to the Gospels--From the Want of Time for Essential Corruptions--From the Absence of all Proof of such Corruptions--5. The Above Remarks apply essentially to the other New Testament Books

AUTHENTICITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES. 1. General Remarks--2. Their Authors Sincere and Truthful--3. Competent as Men--4. And as Witnesses--5. Character of the Works which they record-- Supernatural Character of our Lord's Miracles--They were very Numerous and Diversified, and performed openly--6. And in the Presence of His Enemies--7. The Resurrection of Jesus--Its Vital Importance--8. The Character of Jesus proves the Truth of the Record--Its Originality and Symmetry--It unites Tranquillity with Fervor--Wisdom with Freedom from Guile--Prudence with Boldness--Tenderness with Severity--Humility with the Loftiest Claims--He is Heavenly-minded without Asceticism--His Perfect Purity--His Virtues Imitable for All alike--Our Lord's Character as a Teacher--His Freedom from the Errors of His Age and Nation--His Religion One for All Men and Ages--This explained by its Divine Origin--Our Lord's Manner of Teaching--His Divine Mission--Divinity of His Person--Originality of its Manifestations--God His Father in a Peculiar Sense--He is the Source of Light and Life--He has Inward Dominion over the Soul--He dwells in Believers, and they in Him--The Inference--His Power over the Human Heart--Supernatural Character of the Gospel--A Word on Objections

THE DISPUTED BOOKS. 1. The Question here simply concerning the Extent of the Canon--2. The Primitive Age One of Free Inquiry--3. Its Diversity of Judgment no Decisive Argument against a Given Book--4. The Caution of the Early Churches gives Weight to their Judgment--This Judgment Negative as well as Positive

INSEPARABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENT. General Remarks--1. Previous Revelations implied in Christ's Advent--2. In the Character of the Jewish People--3. Proved from the New Testament-- Christ's Explicit Declarations--4. The New Testament based on the Facts of the Old--The Fall of Man--The Abrahamic Covenant, which was conditioned on Faith alone, and fulfilled in Christ--Christ the End of the Mosaic Economy--In its Prophetical Order--In its Kingly Office--In its Priestly Office--5. The New Testament Writers the Interpreters of the Old

AUTHENTICITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE PENTATEUCH. 1. Its Historic Truth assumed in the New Testament--This shown by Examples--2. It was the Foundation of the Whole Jewish Polity--And could not have been imposed upon the People by Fraud--Contrast between Mohammed and Moses--3. Scientific Difficulties connected with the Pentateuch--4. Alleged Moral Difficulties--Exclusiveness of the Mosaic Economy--Its Restrictions on Intercourse with Other Nations--5. Its Numerous Ordinances--The Mosaic Laws required Spiritual Obedience--6. Objections from the Toleration of Certain Usages--7. Extirpation of the Canaanites--8. The Mosaic Economy a Blessing to the Whole World

REMAINING BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 1. General Remarks--2. The New Testament assumes their Divine Authority--Historical Books--3. Books not strictly Historical or Prophetical--4. Prophetical Books--Argument from Prophecy for the Divine Origin of the Old Testament--5. Christ the Fulfilment of Prophecy--In his Office as a Prophet--as a King--as a Priest--6. The Jewish Institutions and History a Perpetual Adumbration of Christ preparatory to His Advent--7. Remarks on the Canon of the Old Testament--8. Principle of its Formation--9. Inspiration of the Old Testament

EVIDENCES INTERNAL AND EXPERIMENTAL. 1. External Evidences Important, but not Indispensable to True Faith--2. Internal Evidences--View which the Bible gives of God's Character--3. Code of Morals in the Bible--It is Spiritual, Reasonable, and Comprehensive--Obedience to It the Sum of all Goodness--4. All Parts of the Bible in Harmony with Each Other--5. Power of the Bible over the Conscience--6. Argument from Personal Experience--7. From the Character of Jesus--8. From General Experience--The Love of Jesus the Mightiest Principle of Action--Persecution first winnows, then strengthens the Church--The Church corrupted and weakened by Worldly Alliances--9. The Gospel gives an Inward Victory over Sin--It purifies and elevates Society--10. Its Self-purifying Power--11. The Argument summed up

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT.

FIRST DIVISION--GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

NAMES AND EXTERNAL FORM OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 1. Origin and Meaning of the Word Bible--Jewish Designations of the Old Testament--2. Origin of the Terms Old and New Testament--Earlier Latin Term--2. The Unity--Scripture has its Ground in Divine Inspiration--Its Great Diversity in Respect to Human Composition--4. Classification and Arrangement of the Old Testament Books--Classification of the Hebrew: of the Greek Version of the Seventy; of the Latin Vulgate--No One of these follows entirely the Order of Time--5. Original Mode of Writing called Continuous--6. Ancient Sections--Open and Closed; Larger Sections called Parshiyoth and Haphtaroth--7. Chapters and Verses--Caution in Respect to our Modern Chapters

THE ORIGINAL TEXT AND ITS HISTORY. 1. Chaldee Passages in the Hebrew Scriptures--Divisions of the Hebrew and Cognate Languages--2. The Assyrian or Square Character not Primitive--Jewish Tradition respecting its Origin--3. The Hebrew Alphabet and its Character--4. Change in the Language of the Hebrew Nation--5. Introduction of the Vowel-Points and Accents--The Question of their Antiquity--6. Jewish Rules for the Guidance of Copyists--Their Deep Reverence for the Sacred Text--Its Uncorrupt Transmission to Us--7. Age and Character of Hebrew Manuscripts--8. Form of Hebrew Manuscripts--the Public in Rolls, the Private in the Book Form, Poetical Passages, Columns, Pen and Ink Accompaniments--9. The Samaritan Pentateuch

CRITICISM OF THE SACRED TEXT. 1. The Object to ascertain its Primitive Form--2. Means at Our Disposal--Ancient Hebrew Manuscripts--Remarks on their Quality and Age--3. Ancient Versions--4. Primary Printed Editions--5. Parallel Passages--6. Quotations from the Old Testament in the New--7. Quotations in the Talmud and by Rabbinical Writers--8. Critical Conjecture

SECOND DIVISION--PARTICULAR INTRODUCTION.

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AS A WHOLE. 1. Province of Particular Introduction--The Necessity of Understanding the Unity of Divine Revelation--2. Relation of the Old Testament as a Whole to the System of Revelation--It is a Preparatory, Introductory to a Final Revelation, of which the Gospel everywhere avails itself--the Unity of God; Vicarious Sacrifice; General Principles; Well-developed State of Civilization-- Connection of the Hebrews with the Great World Powers--Their Dispersion through the Nations at our Lord's Advent--Relation of the Gospel to Civilization--3. A Knowledge of the Preparatory Character of the Old Testament Revelations enables us to judge correctly concerning them-- Severity of the Mosaic Laws; Their Burdensome Multiplicity; Objection from their Exclusive Character answered--4. Office of each Division of the Old Testament Revelations--the Pentateuch; the Historical Books; the Prophetical Books--Character and Officers of the Hebrew Prophets-- Era of Written Prophecy--The Poetical Books--5. Each Particular Book has its Office--6. The Old Testament was a Revelation for the Men of its Own Age, as well as for those of Future Ages--the Promise made to Abraham; the Deliverance from Egypt; the Mosaic Law; the Words of the Prophets; the Psalms of David: the Wisdom of Solomon--7. Value of the Old Testament Revelations to us--the System of Divine Revelation can be understood only as a Whole; Constant Reference of the New Testament to the Old; the Old Testament a Record of God's Dealings with Men; the Principles embodied in the Theocracy Eternal; the Manifold Wisdom of God seen only when the Whole System of Revelation is studied

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT.

FIRST DIVISION--GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

Language of the New Testament--1. God's Providence as seen in the Languages of the Old and New Testaments--Fitness of the Hebrew for its Office in History, Poetry, and Prophecy--2. Adaptation of the Greek to the Wants of the New Testament Writers--3. Providential Preparation for a Change in the Language of the Inspired Writings--Cessation of the Hebrew as the Vernacular of the Jews, and Withdrawal of the Spirit of Prophecy Contemporaneous--4. Introduction of the Greek Language into Asia and Egypt--Its Use among the Jews, especially in Egypt--Its General Use in our Lord's Day--5. Character of the New Testament Greek--Its Basis the Common Hellenic Dialect, with an Hebraic Coloring received from the Septuagint, and an Aramaic Tinge also--The Writers of the New Testament Jews using the Language of Greece for the Expression of Christian Ideas--Technical Terms in the New Testament--6. Adaptation of the New Testament Greek to its Office

External Form of the New Testament--1. The Three Main Divisions of the New Testament Writings: Historical, Epistolary, Prophetical--2. Natural Order of these Divisions--3. Subdivisions--In the Historic Part--In the Epistolary Part--Diversity of Arrangement in Manuscripts--4. Arrangement of the New Testament Writings not Chronological--Importance of Knowing this--5. Continuous Writing of the Ancient Uncial Manuscripts-- Stichometrical Mode of Writing--This led gradually to the Present System of Interpunction Cursive Manuscripts--7. Ancient Divisions in the Contents of the Sacred Text--Ammonian Sections and Eusebian Canons-- 8. Divisions called Titles--9. Divisions of the Other New Testament Books--10. Chapters and Verses--Church Lessons--11. Remarks on the above Divisions--Paragraph Bibles--12. Titles and Subscriptions

FORMATION AND HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON--1. General Remarks--2. Different Periods to be noticed--3. Apostolic Age--4. Age of the Apostolic Fathers--Remarks on their Quotations--5. Age of Transition--Events of this Age which awakened the Christian Church to a Full Consciousness of the Divine Authority of the Apostolic Writings--Execution of Versions--6. Age of the Early Church Fathers--They recognized a Canon, though not yet Complete--Canon of the Syriac Peshito, Muratorian Canon--Canon of the Councils of Laodicea and Carthage--7. Closing Remarks

SECOND DIVISION--PARTICULAR INTRODUCTION.

THE APOCALYPSE--1. Meaning of the Word "Apocalypse"--Abundance of External Testimonies to this Book--2. Internal Arguments considered--Use of the Apostle's Name, Devotional Views, Spirit of the Writer, Style and Diction--Here must be taken into Account the Difference between this Book and John's other Writings in Subject-Matter, in the Mode of Divine Revelation, in the Writer's Mental State and Circumstances; also its Poetic Diction--General Results--3. Date of the Apocalypse and Place of Writing--4. Different Schemes of Interpretation--The Generic--The Historic--5. Symbolic Import of the Numbers in this Book--The number Seven, Half of Seven, Six; The Number Four, a Third and Fourth Part; the Number Twelve; the Number Ten--6. Office of the Apocalypse in the System of Revelation

WRITINGS OF THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS, WITH SOME NOTICES OF THE APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT WRITINGS--1. The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers distinguished from the Proper New Testament Apocrypha--Some Remarks on the Character of these Writings

A DISCUSSION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS--1. Definition of Certain Terms--Hermeneutics, Exegesis, Epexegesis--2. The Expositor's Office--Parallel between his Work and that of the Textual Critic--3. Qualifications of the Biblical Interpreter--A Supreme Regard for Truth--4. A Sound Judgment with the Power of Vivid Conception--Office of Each of these Qualities and their Relation to Each Other--5. Sympathy with Divine Truth--6. Extensive and Varied Acquirements--The Original Languages of the Bible; Sacred Geography and Natural History; Biblical Antiquities; Ancient History and Chronology--7. General Remarks on the above Qualifications--8. The Human and Divine Side to Biblical Interpretation--The Importance of observing Both

FIRST DIVISION--INTERPRETATION VIEWED ON THE HUMAN SIDE.

SECOND DIVISION--INTERPRETATION VIEWED ON THE DIVINE SIDE.

SCRIPTURAL TYPES--1. Types distinguished from Analogy--2. And from the Foreshadowing of Future Events by the Present--3. The Type defined in its Three Essential Characters

INTERPRETATION OF PROPHECY--1. General Remarks

QUOTATIONS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE NEW--1. General Remarks on the Authority of the New Testament Writers--2. Outward Form of their Quotations--Its very Free Spirit--This illustrated by Example--3. Contents of the New Testament Quotations--The So-called Principle of Accommodation; in what Sense True, and in what Sense to be rejected--4. Quotations by Way of Argument--5. Quotations as Prophecies of Christ and his Kingdom--Remarks on the Formula: "That it might be fulfilled"--6. Prophecies referring immediately to Christ--7. Prophecies referring to Christ under a Type--Closing Remark

EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION.

PREFATORY REMARKS.

Then there is a class of earnest inquirers who find themselves perplexed with the difficulties which they hear urged against the gospel, and which they find themselves unable to solve in a satisfactory way. It is of the highest importance that such persons be met in a candid spirit; that the immense mass of evidence by which the Christian religion is sustained be clearly set before them; and that they understand that a religion thus supported is not to be rejected on the ground that there are difficulties connected with it which have not yet been solved--perhaps never can be solved here below.

Are you, reader, such an earnest inquirer after truth? We present to you in the following pages a brief summary of the historic evidence by which the Bible, with the plan of salvation which it reveals, is shown to be the word of God; and we wish, here at the outset, to suggest to you some cautions respecting the state of mind with which this great inquiry is to be pursued.

First of all, we remind you that, whatever else may be uncertain, you know that you must soon die, and try for yourself the realities of the unseen world. The question now before you is, Whether God has spoken from heaven, and made any revelations concerning that world. If so, they are more precious than gold; for in the decisive hour of death you will wish to know not what man, the sinner, has reasoned and conjectured concerning a future judgment, forgiveness of sin, and the life to come; but what God, the Judge, has declared. Now the Bible claims to contain such a message from God. If its claims are valid, it will not flatter you and speak to you smooth things, but will tell you the truth. And you must be prepared to receive the truth, though it condemn you. Sooner or later you must meet the truth face to face: be ready to do so now; you have no interest in error; falsehood and delusion cannot help you, but will destroy you.

And since the question now before you is not one of mere speculation, but one that concerns your immediate duty, be on your guard against the seductive influence of sinful passion and sinful habit. There is a deep and solemn meaning in the words of Jesus: "Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." Corrupt feeling in the heart and corrupt practice in the life have a terrible power to blind the mind. The man who comes to the examination of the Bible with a determination to persist in doing what he knows to be wrong, or in omitting what he knows to be right, will certainly err from the truth; for he is not in a proper state of mind to love it and welcome it to his soul.

Remember also that it is not the grosser passions and forms of vice alone that darken the understanding and alienate the heart from the truth. Pride, vanity, ambition, avarice--in a word, the spirit of self-seeking and self-exaltation in every form--will effectually hinder the man in whose bosom they bear sway from coming to the knowledge of the truth; for they will incline him to seek a religion which flatters him and promises him impunity in sin, and will fatally prejudice him against a system of doctrines and duties so holy and humbling as that contained in the Bible. Take, as a comprehensive rule for the investigation of this weighty question, the words of the Saviour: "If any man will do his will"--the will of God--"he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." So far as you already know the will of God, do it; do it sincerely, earnestly, and prayerfully, and God will give you more light. He loves the truth, and sympathizes with all earnest and sincere inquirers after it. He never leaves to fatal error and delusion any but those who love falsehood rather than truth, because they have pleasure in unrighteousness. Open your heart to the light of heaven, and God will shine into it from above; so that, in the beautiful words of our Saviour, "the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

COMPANION TO THE BIBLE.

EVIDENCES OF REVEALED RELIGION.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

Nor is this all. It is the constant doctrine of Christ and his apostles that he came in accordance with the scriptures of the Old Testament, and that his religion is the fulfilment of the types and prophecies therein contained: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matt. 5:17. "All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me." Luke 24:44. The facts of the New Testament connect themselves, therefore, immediately with those of the Old, so that the whole series constitutes an indivisible whole. The Bible is, from beginning to end, the record of a supernatural revelation made by God to men. As such, it embraces not only supernatural teachings, but supernatural facts also; and the teachings rest on the facts in such a way that both must stand or fall together.

GENUINENESS OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES.

The narratives referred to by Luke were earlier than his gospel. They were not spurious, nor, so far as we know, unauthentic; but rather imperfect. They must not be confounded with the apocryphal gospels of a later age.

With the above preliminary remarks, we proceed to consider the evidences, external and internal, for the genuineness of the gospel narratives.

The attempt has been made in modern times to set aside Justin's testimony, on the alleged ground that he quotes not from our canonical gospels, but from some other writings. The groundlessness of this supposition is manifest at first sight. Justin had visited the three principal churches of Rome, Alexandria, and Ephesus. It is certain that he knew what gospels were received by them in his day as authentic, and that these are the very gospels which he quotes, affirming that they were the writings of apostles and their followers. Now, that the gospels which Justin used should have been wholly supplanted by others in the days of Irenaeus, who was of full age at the time of Justin's death, is incredible. But Irenaeus, in common with Clement, Tertullian, and others, quotes our four canonical gospels as alone possessing apostolic authority, and as having been always received by the churches. It follows that the "Memoirs" of Justin must be the same gospels. We cannot conceive that in this brief period an entire change of gospels should have been made throughout all the different and distant provinces of the Roman empire, at a time when concerted action through general councils was unknown; and that, too, in so silent a manner that no record of it remains in the history of the church. The supposition that the gospels known to Justin were different from those received by Irenaeus ought not to be entertained without irrefragable proof. But no such proof exists. "An accurate examination in detail of his citations," says Semisch, Life of Justin Martyr, 4. 1, "has led to the result that this title"--the Memoirs of the Apostles--"designates the canonical gospels--a result in no way less certain because again called in question in modern days."

The agreement of his quotations with our present gospels is of such a character and extent as can be explained only from his use of them. The variations are mainly due to his habit of quoting loosely from memory. "Many of these citations," says Kirchhofer, "agree, word for word, with the gospels; others with the substance, but with alterations and additions of words, with transpositions and omissions; others give the thought only in a general way; others still condense together the contents of several passages and different sayings, in which case the historic quotations are yet more free, and blend together, in part, the accounts of Matthew and Luke. But some quotations are not found at all in our canonical gospels," "some, on the contrary, occur twice or thrice." Quellensammlung, p. 89. note. Two or three more important variations are, perhaps, due to the readings in the manuscripts employed by Justin, since the later church fathers, who, as we know, employed the canonical gospels, give the same variations. Finally, Justin gives a few incidents and sayings not recorded in our present gospels. As he lived so near the apostolic times he may well have received these from tradition; but if in any case he took them from written documents, there is no proof that he ascribed to such documents apostolic authority. In one passage, he accurately distinguishes between what he gives from tradition or other written sources, and what from the apostolic records. "When Jesus came," he says, "to the river Jordan, where John was baptizing, as he descended to the water, both was a fire kindled in the Jordan, and as he ascended from the water, the apostles of this very Christ of ours have written that the Holy Spirit as a dove lighted upon him." Dial., ch. 88.

Eusebius notices, for example, Hist. Eccl. 4. 14, the fact that Polycarp, in his letter to the Philippians, "has used certain testimonies from the First Epistle of Peter;" but says nothing of his many references, in the same letter, to the epistles of Paul, in some of which he quotes the apostle by name. We have, nevertheless, through Eusebius, an indirect but valid testimony from Papias to the authorship of the fourth gospel, resting upon the admitted identity of the author of this gospel with the author of the first of the epistles ascribed to John. Speaking of Papias, Eusebius says: "But the same man used testimonies from the First Epistle of John." Hist. Eccl., 3. 39, end. The ascription to John of this epistle, is virtually the ascription to him of the fourth gospel also. Eusebius speaks of Papias as a man "of very small mind." The correctness of this judgment is manifest from the specimens which he gives of his writings; but it cannot invalidate the evidence we have from the above passages of the existence, in Papias' day, of the gospels to which he refers. As to the question whether these were our present canonical gospels of Matthew and Mark, it is sufficient to say that neither Eusebius nor any of the church fathers understood them differently.

In addition to the above testimonies might be adduced some fragments of early Christian writers which have been preserved to us by those of a later day; but for brevity's sake they are omitted.

The testimony of other apocryphal writings of early date might be adduced, but for the sake of brevity it is here omitted. It may be seen in the essay of Tischendorf, already referred to.

As to other gospels of the second century, which are occasionally mentioned by later writers, as "The Gospel of Truth," "The Gospel of Basilides," etc., there is no evidence that they professed to be connected histories of our Lord's life and teachings. They were rather, as Norton has shown, Genuineness of the Gospels, vol. 3, chap. 4, doctrinal works embodying the views of the sectaries that used them.

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