any minuteness important events passing upon such

a scene.

Of Hebrew literature, then, we have the Talmuds, collections of Jewish traditions, the compilation of which was commenced as early as the second century. They speak of Christ, and of several of the disciples, by name. They speak also of his crucifixion. They admit, also, that he performed many and great miracles, but impute his power to his having learned the right pronunciation of the ineffable name of God, which, they say, he stole out of the Temple, or to the magic arts which he learned in Egypt. These writings are specific in their statements respecting the destruction of Jerusalem, and throw much light on the sects and customs of the Jews.*

Of Greek writers, we cite first Josephus, who, though he was a Jew by birth, and a Roman by association and habits, yet wrote in Greek-which, together with the fact that the books of the New Testament were most, if not all of them, written in the same language, shows how extensively it was used in those days. Josephus lived at the time many of these events are said to have happened, and was present at the destruction of Jerusalem. In him, therefore, we have the most ample means of ascertaining every thing relating to Jewish sects, and customs, and opinions, and of testing the accuracy of our books respecting many dates and names of persons and places.

And, on all hands, it is agreed that, so far as Josephus goes, he confirms in every thing the accuracy of our books. Every thing said in relation to the sects

* See Horne.

of the Jews, and the Herods, and Pilate, and the division of provinces, and Felix, and Drusilla, and Bernice, and John the Baptist, has just that agreement with our accounts which we should expect in independent historians. The account given by Josephus of the death of Herod is strikingly similar to that of Luke. The account by Luke you will remember. Josephus says that Herod came into the theatre early in the morning, dressed in a robe or garment made wholly of silver, and that the reflection of the rays of the rising sun from the silver gave him a majestic and awful appearance, and that in a short time his flatterers exclaimed, one from one place and another from another, though not for his good, that he was a god, and they entreated him to be propitious to them. He then adds, "Immediately after, he was seized with pain in his bowels, extremely violent, and was carried to the palace." Luke gives the cause of the pain, saying he was eaten of worms. Do we find in the New Testament the Jews calling upon Pilate to crucify Jesus, and saying, We have no power to put any man to death? Josephus says that they had the free exercise of their religion, and the power of accusing and prosecuting, but not of putting any man to death. Do we find the Roman captain, when Paul was arrested, asking, "Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?" We find in Josephus a full account of the transaction, which happened under the government of Felix, and, what is remarkable, Josephus does not mention his name, but every where calls him "the Egyptian," and "the Egyptian false prophet." Do

our books speak of Pharisees, and Sadducees, and Herodians? Josephus confirms all that is said of these in the minutest particulars. Does Luke speak of soldiers who went to John the Baptist, using a word (στρατευομενοι) which indicates that they were then under arms and marching to battle? Josephus tells us that Herod was then at war with Antipas, his fatherin-law, and that a body of soldiers was at that very time marching through the region where John was. Does Luke speak of Herod as reproved by John for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife? Josephus tells us it was on her account that Herod had sent back his wife, and that the war was undertaken. Does Paul say of Ananias, when reproached for reviling God's high priest, "I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest"? We find, from Josephus, that Ananias had been deposed, and his successor murdered, and that in the interim, when there really was no high priest, Ananias had usurped the place. Does Luke speak of a body of soldiers stationed at Cæsarea, called the Augustan band? Josephus says, that though that garrison was chiefly composed of Syrian soldiers, yet that there was a small body of Roman soldiers stationed there, called by this title, and he applies to them the very Greek term used by Luke. So minute and perfect are these coincidences, that no one can resist the conviction that the writers of our books lived and acted in the scenes which they relate.

But it is said that Josephus is silent respecting Christ and Christianity. This is not true, if we admit as authentic a passage which is found in all the manuscripts, and which has strong external testimony. The following is the passage: "Now there was, about

this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he performed many wonderful works. He was a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many of the Jews, and also of the Gentiles. This was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the instigation of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him from the first did not cease to adhere to him. For he appeared to them alive again on the third day; the divine prophets having foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, subsists to this time."* He says in another place, and subsequently, "Ananias assembled the Jewish Sanhedrim, and brought before it James, the brother of Jesus, who is called Christ, with some others, whom he delivered over to be stoned as infractors of the law." The authenticity of these passages has been controverted. But, if we suppose Josephus silent, then it is certain, from Tacitus, that his silence was not from ignorance, and, inasmuch as he continued a Jew, it thus becomes an indirect testimony. He could not say any thing to contradict our books. He says nothing different from our historians; he brings no charge of falsehood against them. He confirms them in all incidental points.

But, again; does Luke speak of the Athenians as spending their time in hearing and telling some new thing? We find Demosthenes, long before, inquiring of them whether it was their sole ambition to wander through the public places, each inquiring of the other,

* For a vindication of the genuineness of this passage, see the recent edition of Horne, vol. 1. p. 463.

"What news?" Does Paul speak of the Cretans as liars? We find that to "Cretize" was a proverbial expression, among the ancients, for lying.

Before citing two celebrated Latin authors, I will say a word of the testimony of Pilate. It appears that the Roman governors sent to the emperors an account of remarkable transactions which took place in their provinces, and these accounts were preserved as the acts of that government. Eusebius, speaking of this custom, says, "Our Saviour's resurrection being much talked of throughout Palestine, Pilate informed the emperor of it." These accounts were never published; but Justin Martyr, in his first Apology, presented to the Emperor Antoninus Pius and to the senate of Rome, only about one hundred years after the death of Christ, having mentioned the crucifixion, and some of the attending circumstances, adds, " And that these things were so done, you may know from the Acts made in the time of Pontius Pilate." And again, speaking of the miracles of Christ, he refers in the same words to these Acts of Pilate. Tertullian also speaks expressly of them, and states some things they contained. If such Acts had not existed, it would have been mere foolhardiness in Justin to refer to them when writing to the very person in whose hands they were; and if they did exist, how perfect the evidence!*

But I pass to Tacitus, whose testimony even Gibbon admits must be received. In connection with an account of the burning of Rome, in the tenth year of Nero, which was imputed by Nero to the Christians, he tells us that Christ was put to death by Pontius

Horne, to whom, and Paley, I have chiefly referred in this part of the lecture.