blush at my objection, and acknowledge the unreasonablenefs of my defires. The only thing which makes them appear pardonable in my own eyes is, that they were formed in the fincerity of an honeft heart, earnestly inquifitive after truth, but not discovering it at the firft view (y). (y) I might have eafily entered into more minute patticulars on the authenticity of the facred books, the alterations of various kinds to which these books have been fubject, the various readings, the fuppofititious pieces, and many other points of hiftory and criticifm, which I have hardly touched upon. I have frequently reverted to this remark, and I could not too frequently recur to it, that the nature and design of my work might not be misunderflood. So much has been written by men of learning, within the two last centuries, that much erudition may be difplayed at a very small expence, by consulting and making abstracts from their works. But, as I had no wish to make a fhew of borrowed erudition, and as I never approved of mere compilations; as my intention was not to write a compleat historical and critical treatise on the proofs of Christianity; as I wifhed only to feize, and impress on others, the philofophical and moral parts of these proofs, it was my bufinefs to apply myself chiefly to that which constituted this philosophical and moral part. I endeavoured to cling to the body and main branches of the tree, and to give up the boughs and leaves to the philologift by profeffion, who is better able than I am to manage manage the thorns of criticism. The readers, alfo, whom I had peculiarly in view, would give me little credit for these scientific details. It is, moreover, well known, that in treating a subject extremely copious, one may eafily become diffuse, but that much art is required to be concife. Laftly, The proportions of a well-made book ought to be like those of the human frame; their extremities must bear a relation to the head and body. If, therefore, I am cenfured by any critic for not having enlarged further on any particular article, I intreat him to confider, that it is my work, not his, that I am compofing. A philofopher would never engage in the proofs of Chriftianity, if these proofs refted on the almost infinite multiplicity of minute details, which form the labyrinth of modern criticism. The ftately temple of truth is not placed in this labyrinth-SUPREME WISDOM has made its access easier to mankind-The roads leading to it are neither intricate nor dark-Good fenfe and reason ftand at the entrance, and are commiffioned to introduce the fincere friends of truth and virtue. CHAP. CHA P. IV. THE TRUTH OF THE WRITTEN EVI DENCE. F I have fufficiently fatisfied myself of the authenticity of this evidence, which is the great object of my inquiries; if I am morally certain that it has been neither forged nor effentially altered; is it poffible for me, with any reafon, to entertain the leaft doubt of its truth? I have already obferved, that the truth of an historical work, is its conformity with fact. If I have fufficiently proved to myfelf, that the miraculous facts contained in the written evidence of Chriftianity, are of fuch a nature, as renders them incapable of being forged, or of being admitted as true, if false in themselves; if it has been established, alfo, on the most folid grounds, that the witneffes who publicly and unanimously atN tested tefted them, could neither deceive nor be deceived concerning them-can I poffibly reject their evidence, without doing violence not only to all the rules of found logic, but even to the most common principles of human conduct (z)} A striking reflection here occurs to me :were it even poffible that I could entertain any reasonable doubts concerning the authenticity of the historical writings of the witneffes; if my doubts arofe from the circumstance of these writings (a) not having been delivered to any particular fociety, with a direct charge of preferving them; still, however, I should not be able to form the smallest doubt, refpecting the epistles addreffed by the witnesses themselves, to those particular and numerous focieties which they had founded and governed, efpecially if I confider how greatly thefe focieties were concerned in the prefervation of these invaluable letters of their own founders. I (z) Vide ch. i. ii. iv. v. viii. book ii. therefore |