COMPENDIOUS INTRODUCTION

ΤΟ

THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE,

ETC., ETC.

PART I

ON THE GENUINENESS, AUTHENTICITY, INSPIRATION, ETC., OF THE

HOLY SCRIPTURES.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE NECESSITY, ETC., OF A DIVINE REVELATION,

1. REVELATION defined.

Revelation is a discovery by God to man of Himself or of his will, over and above what He has made known by the light of nature, or reason.

II. A DIVINE REVELATION possible.

No one, who believes that there is a God of infinite wisdom, power, and knowledge, can reasonably deny the possibility of His making a revelation of Himself, and of his will to men, in an extraordinary way, different from the discoveries made by men themselves, in the mere natural and ordinary use of their own powers. To admit the existence of a God, and to deny him such a power, is a glaring contradiction. Though we cannot explain in what manner ideas originate, or are impressed upon the human mind; yet, since we know that this is effected in various ways, it is reasonable to suppose that God can act upon the mind, in order to impart to us the knowledge of his will. And, if so, he can do it in such a manner as to give those, to whom such revelation is made, an assurance that it proceeds from himself.

III. The PROBABILITY of such Revelation appears from the two following arguments:

1. From the general sense of mankind in every age, who believed that divine revelations were probable: and from the credit given to pretended revelations, thus evincing a consciousness of their own ignorance, and the need of a supernatural illumination.

2. From the confession of some of the wisest philosophers, that they stood in need of such a revelation, and the hope they expressed that God would at some future time vouchsafe to make one

IV. Divine revelation is not only possible and probable, but NECESSARY:

1. From the utter inability of mere human reason to attain any certain knowledge of the will or law of God, of the true happiness of man, or of a future state, as is evident from the endless differences and inconsistencies, which prevailed among the most celebrated ancient philosophers, some of whom taught immoral doctrines, while the influence of all was very inconsiderable, both in rectifying the notions, and in reforming the lives of mankind.

Thus

(1.) Their ideas respecting the Nature and Worship of God were dark, confused. and imperfect.

(2.) They were ignorant of the true account of the Creation of the World. Also,

(3.) Of the origin of Evil, and the cause of the depravity and misery which actually exist among mankind.

(4.) Of any Method by which a Reconciliation could be effected between God and man.

(5.) Of Divine Grace and Assistance towards our attainment of Virtue and perseverance in it.

(6.) They had only dark and confused notions of the Summum Bonum or Supreme Felicity of man:

(7.) They had weak and imperfect notions concerning the Immortality of the Soul; and also concerning

(8.) The Certainty of the Eternal Rewards and Punishments of a Future State, and the Resurrection of the Body.

2. From the defective instructions of the best of the philosophers, which, moreover, were unsuited to the common people, and which they wanted authority to enforce in practice.

3. From the gross ignorance and idolatry universally prevalent among unenlightened heathen nations.

V. Refutation of the OBJECTION that Philosophy and Right Reason are sufficient to instruct men in their duty.

ANSWER 1. It is a fact, that the doctrines of Christ have had a more powerful influence upon men, than all the reasonings of philosophers: and though modern opposers of Revelation ascribe the ignorance and corruption of the heathen, not to the insufficiency of the light of reason, but to their non-improvement of that light; yet, if this were true, it would not prove that there is no need of a revelation, because it is certain that the philosophers wanted some higher assistance than that of reason.

2. Notwithstanding the pretences of modern deists to superior wisdom, it is a fact that they have borrowed almost all their wise and true observations from divine revelation. It is one thing to perceive that the rules of life, which are laid before us, are agreeable to reason, and another thing to discover them by the mere light of reason.

3. Besides, the speculations of modern deists, concerning religion, are so glaringly contradictory, and their ethical precepts are so utterly subversive of every principle of morality, as to demonstrate the necessity of a divine revelation now, in order to lead mankind to the knowledge of God, and of their duty to one another.

VI. POSSIBLE MEANS of affording a Revelation.

There appears to be only two ways of doing this, viz. 1. An immediate Revelation to each individual; or, 2. A Commission given by God to certain persons to make known his will, accompanied with indisputable credentials of their being delegated by him. The former method would be ineffectual: for either the freedom of the will must be destroyed, or else it would fill the world with continual impostures and pretences to revelation. The latter method, therefore, is the most eligible and satisfactory; and writing was the best means of transmitting such a revelation, on account of

1. The uncertainty and insecurity of oral tradition. 2. The greater security and permanence of writing. 3. The fairness and openness, which is the result of writing.

4. The importance of the matter, the variety of the subjects, and the design of the institutions contained in the books, which Jews and Christians receive as containing a divine revelation.

CHAPTER II.

ON THE GENUINENESS AND AUTHENTICITY OF THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW

TESTAMENT.

SECTION L-Genuineness and Authenticity of the Old Testament.

I. GENUINENESS and AUTHENTICITY defined.

A Genuine Book is one, that is written by the person whose name it bears.-An Authentic Book is one in which matters of fact are related, as they really happened.

There are two classes of proof; 1. Historical Testimony or External Evidence; and 2. Internal Evidence arising from an examination of the Books themselves.

II. HISTORICAL TESTIMONY, or External Evidence. 1. The persons, contemporary with any Hebrew writer whose books they transcribed, knew by whom they were written; and, having a certain knowledge of the author and of the age in which he lived, delivered them to their descendants, and these again to their posterity.

2. The small number of books, extant at the time when the books of the Old Testament were written, would render fault impossible.

3. The Hebrews or s, by testifying that these books are genuine, become witnesses against themselves, and their testimony consequently is unexceptionable.

4. A particular tribe was consecrated for the express purpose of watching over the preservation of these books.

5. The testimony of the ancient Jews, of which we have an unbroken chain; and the fact that the Greek version of the Old Testament, usually called the Septuagint, was executed at Alexandria two hundred and eighty-two years before the Christian era.

III. INTERNAL EVIDENCE, arising from an examination of the Books themselves.

ARG. 1. The difference in language, style, and manner of writing, proves that the Books of the Old Testament must have been written at various times and by different persons. As Hebrew ceased to be spoken as a living language soon after the Babylonish captivity, all those books must be nearly as ancient as that captivity: and