and heresies soon arose in the Christian church, and each of these appealed to the scriptures for the truth of their doctrines. It would, therefore, have been utterly impossible for any one sect to haye made any material alteration in the sacred books, without being immediately detected and exposed by all the others. Their mutual jealousy and suspicion of each other, would effectually prevent any gross adulteration of the sacred volumes; and with respect to lesser matters, the best and most able critics have, after the most minute examination, asserted and proved, that the holy scriptures of the New Testament have suffered less from the injury of time, and the errors of transcribers, than any other ancient writings whatsoever.†

* Beattie, Vol. I. p. 188.

+ The style, too, of the gospel (says the amiable and elegant author of the Minstrel) bears intrinsic evidence of its

D

PROPOSITION IV.

The scriptures of the Old Testament, which are connected with those of the New, are the gen. uine writings of those whose names they bear, and give a true account of the Mosaic dispensation, as well as of the historical facts, the divine commands, the moral precepts, and the prophecies which they contain.

THAT part of the Bible, which is called the Old Testament, contains a great variety of very different composi

truth We find there no appearance of artifice or of party spirit; no attempt to exaggerate on the one hand, or depreciate on the other; no remarks thrown in to anticipate objections; nothing of that caution which never fails to distinguish the testimony of those who are conscious of inposture; no endeavor to reconcile the reader's mind to what may be extraordinary in the narrative: All is fair, candid, and simple. The historians make no reflections of their own, but confine themselves to matter of fact, that is, to what they heard and saw; and honestly record their own mistakes and faults, as well as the other particulars of the story-Beattie's Evidences, v. 1. p. 89.

tions, some historical, some poetical, some moral and preceptive, some prophetical; written at different times, and by different persons, and collected into one volume by the care of the Jews.

That these books were all written by those whose names they bear, there is not the least reasonable ground to doubt; they have been always considered as the writings of those persons by the whole Jewish nation (who were most interested in their authenticity, and most likely to know the truth) from the earliest times down to the present; and no proof to the contrary has ever yet been produced.

That these writings have come down to us in the same state in which they were originally written, as to all essential points, there is every reason to believe. The original manuscripts were long preserved among the Jews. A copy of the book of the law was pre

served in the ark; it was ordered to be read publicly every seven years, at the feast of the tabernacles, as well as pri vately, and frequently, in every Jewish family.

There is a copy still extant, of the five books of Moses (which are called the Pentateuch) taken by the Samaritans, who were bitter enemies to the Jews, and always at variance with them; and this copy agrees, in every material instance, with the Jewish copy.

Near three hundred years before Christ, these scriptures were translated into Greek, and this version (called the Septuagint) agrees also in all essential articles with the Hebrew original. This being very widely spread over the world, rendered any considerable alteration extremely difficult; and the dispersion of the Jews into all the different regions of the globe, made it next to impossible.

The Jews were always remarkable for being most faithful guardians of their sacred books, which they transcribed repeatedly, and compared most carefully with the originals, and of which they even numbered the words and letters. That they have not corrupted any of their prophetical writings appears from hence; that we prove Jesus to be the Messiah from many of those very prophecies which they have themselves preserved; and which (if their invincible fidelity to their sacred books had not restrained them) their hatred to Christianity would have led them to alter or suppress. And their credit is still further established by this circumstance, that our Saviour, though he brings many heavy charges against the Scribes and Pharisees, yet never once accuses them of corrupting or falsifying any one of their sacred writings.