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A. D. 107, together with that emperor's reply or rescript, are valuable documents, corroborating the truth of the New Testament, inasmuch as they attest

(1.) The great progress made by the Christian Religion in a short space of time.

(2.) The fortitude of the Christians in suffering, and their steady perseverance in the faith of Jesus Christ.

(3.) That they disowned all the Gods of the Heathens, paid divine worship to their God and Saviour Jesus Christ, and devoted themselves to the practice of moral virtue.

(4.) The innocent and virtuous lives of the first Christians, whose religion was their only crime.

Further, Celsus ridicules the Christians for their worship of Christ, and attests the gradual increase of their numbers. He also acknowledges that there were modest, temperate, and intelligent persons among them; and bears witness to their faith in Christ. Lucian also, another bitter enemy of the Christian Faith, has borne testimony to its principal facts and doctrines, as well as to the upright character of the Christians: and their fortitude and constancy under persecution are referred to by the philosopher Epictetus (A.D. 109,) the emperor Marcus Antoninus (A.D. 161,) and by Galen. (A.D. 200.) Porphyry also, (A.D. 270,) and the emperor Julian (A.D. 361,) have both attested the truth of many facts and things related in the New Testament.

VI. Refutation of the OBJECTION to the Credibility of the Scripture History, which has been raised, in consequence of the silence of profane historians to the facts therein recorded.

That silence may be satisfactorily accounted for, by their great ignorance of facts which occurred very long before their own time, and by the peculiar contempt which several of them entertained both for Jews and Christians, arising from the diversity of their customs and institutions. To these considerations we may add

1. That many books of those remote ages are lost, in which it is very possible that some mention might have been made of these facts.

2. Some of the Roman Historians, whose works have come down to our time, are defective.

3. That of the few remaining historians, who wrote about the ages in question, most were engaged upon other subjects. Besides, no profane historians, whether Jews or Gentiles, take notice of all occurrences.

4. That several of the facts relating to Christ and his miracles, coming from Jews, would be slighted as fabulous by the Gentile writers, especially considering, on the one hand, how common prodigies and magical stories were; and, on the other, how superstitious and credulous the Jews were reputed to be;

and

5. That the first appearance of the Christian scheme would

shock them, as seeming so improbable, and so contrary to their received maxims, that it cannot excite surprise, that many of them cared but little to inquire into the evidences and facts relating to Christianity. Many, however, who did inquire, doubtless became Christians; their testimony therefore is not to be reckoned in this place.

§ 3. Collateral Testimonies to the Truth of the Facts recorded in the Scriptures, from ancient Coins, Medals, and Marbles.

These are confessedly among the most important proofs of ancient history in general; and the confirmation which they afford of many particulars recorded in the Scriptures, is not less important and decisive than the series of evidence, furnished by profane historians in the preceding sections. Thus,

1. The MOSAIC NARRATIVE of the DELUGE

Is confirmed by a coin, struck at Apamea in the reign of Philip the elder; which commemorates the sending forth of the dove by Noah. (Gen. viii. 7-11.) On one of the front pannels of the chest or ark, which is represented on the reverse of this medal, is the word NOE in ancient Greek characters.

II. The account of PHARAOH-NECHO'S WAR against the Jews and Babylonians, which is related in 2 Chron. xxxv. 20-24, and xxxvi. 1—4,

Is confirmed by Herodotus, (Hist. lib. ii. c. 159,) and especially by the discoveries of the late Mr. Belzoni, in the tombs of the Egyptian sovereigns. (See his Narrative of Operations in Egypt, &c. pp. 242, 243. 4to. edit. and Nos. 4, 5, and 6, of his folio Atlas of Plates.)

III. The INVASION of the Kingdom of Israel, by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, and the carrying of the ten tribes into captivity, which are narrated in 2 Kings, xvii. 6, and xviii. 10,

Are confirmed by certain ancient sculptures on the mountains of Be-Sitoon, near the borders of the ancient Assyria, which are described in Sir Robert Ker Porter's Travels in Georgia, Persia, &c. vol. ii. pp. 154-162.

IV. ACTS xiii. 7, is confirmed by a coin, proving that the island of Cyprus was at that time under the government of a proconsul.

On this coin the same title ANOYIATO, or Deputy, is given to Proclus, which St. Paul gave to his predecessor, Sergius Paulus.

V. In Acтs xvi. 11, 12, the evangelist Luke says, "We came.........to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony."-This passage may more correctly be rendered-" Philippi, a city of the first part of Macedonia, or of Macedonia Prima."

The province of Macedonia had undergone various changes, and had been divided into various portions, particularly into four, while under the Roman government. Many medals of the first province, or Macedonia Prima, are extant, with the inscription MAKÉAON2N IIP£THE, or the "first part of Macedonia," which confirm the accuracy of Luke, and show his attention to the minutest particulars. Further, by using the term KOANIA, (which was originally a Latin word, Colonia,) instead of the corresponding Greek word anoikia, the historian plainly intimates that it was a Roman colony, which the twentyfirst verse certainly proves it to have been. Now, among some coins that have been discovered, in which it is recorded under this character, there is one in particular, which explicitly states that Julius Cæsar himself bestowed the privileges of a Roman colony on the city of Philippi, which were afterwards confirmed by Augustus.

VI. In Acts xvi. 14, we read that Lydia, a dealer in purple, from Thyatira, had settled at Philippi.

Now, among the ruins of Thyatira, there is an inscription extant with the words OI BADEIΣ (the diers ;) whence we learn that the art and trade of dying purple were carried on in that city.

VII. In Acts xvii. 23, Paul relates his having found an altar at Athens, with the inscription AгNQTN OEN,

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

We know from the testimony of Lucian, that there was such an inscription: and the occasion of this altar being erected, in common with many others bearing the same inscription, is related at length by Diogenes Laertius (in Epimenide, lib. i. c. x. § 3.)

VIII. In Acтs xix. 35, the word NE KOPON (in the English version rendered a worshipper) is very emphatic.

It properly signifies a person dedicated to the service of some

god or goddess, whose peculiar office it was to attend the temple, and see that it was kept clean. At length the NENKOPOI became persons of great consequence, and were those who offered sacrifices for the life of the emperor. Whole cities took this appellation, as appears on many ancient coins and medals. Ephesus is supposed to have been the first which assumed this title; and there is a medal extant, in which it is given to that city.

IX. The TRIUMPHAL ARCH erected at Rome in honour of Titus, (where on are represented certain vessels used by the Jews in their religious worship, agreeably to the statements in the Old Testament,*) is an evidence to the truth of the historic accounts, which describe the dissolution of the Jewish State and Government, and relate the conquest of Jerusalem.

Further, there are extant numerous MEDALS of Judæa vanquished, struck by order of the Roman general Titus, (who was afterwards emperor,) in order to commemorate the conquest of Judæa and the subversion of the Jewish state and polity.

The following representation of the reverse of one of these is given from the original very rare coin, preserved in the cabinet of the British Museum.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed]

It represents the conquered country as a desolate female sitting under a tree, and affords an extraordinary fulfilment of Isaiah's prediction (iii. 26. She being desolate SHALL SIT upon the ground,) delivered at least eight hundred years before, as well as a striking illustration of the Lamentations of Jeremiah (ch. i. ver. 1.) How doth the city SIT solitary, that was full of people! How is she

* The vignettes, given in the subsequent part of this volume, are copied from this arch.

become as

a widow! she that was great among the nations, princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

CHAPTER IV.

ALL THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS ARE OF DIVINE AUTHORITY, AND THEIR AUTHORS ARE DIVINELY INSPIRED.

SECTION I.-Preliminary Observations.

I. INSPIRATION defined.

It is the imparting of such a degree of divine influence, assistance, or guidance, as enabled the authors of the several Books of Scripture to communicate religious knowledge to others, without error or mistake.

II. Such Inspiration is both reasonable and neces

sary.

1. It is reasonable that the sentiments and doctrines, delivered in the scriptures, should be suggested to the minds of the writers by the Supreme Being himself; since they relate to matters, concerning which the communication of information to men is worthy of God.

2. Further, Inspiration is necessary; for,

(1.) Some past facts are related in the Bible, which could not possibly have been known, had not God revealed them.

(2.) Some events are prédicted, which God alone could foreknow.

(3.) Other things also are contained in the Scriptures which are far above the capacity of man.

(4.) The authoritative language of Scripture argues the necessity of inspiration, admitting the veracity of the writers. They do not present us with their own thoughts, but exclaim, "Thus saith the Lord;" and on that ground they demand our

assent.

III. The Scriptures could not have been the invention of men. Wicked men would not have produced books which condemn every thing that is unholy, even if they were capable of doing so; and good men could not deceive.

IV. Criteria of Inspiration.

These are twofold, viz. Miracles and Prophecy.

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