place that would be honoured with his birth. Herod, upon this, convened the Sanhedrim, where, in public council, its learned members deliberated upon this question; the bloody massacre of all the infants in Bethlehem. Archelaus, Herod's fucceffor, is mentioned. Auguftus then filled the imperial throne. Quirinius was governor of Syria. Judæa a province of Rome. An edict was issued by the emperor, that all Judea fhould be enrolled. Simeon taking the infant in his arms, publickly in the temple, and in a flood of transport, before all the people, paffionately wishing for his own immediate diffolution, now his eyes had seen the falvation of Ifrael, and the light of the world." His public converfation with the Rabbies in the temple, when he was twelve years old. The commencement of John's public miniftry is fixed in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, Pontius Pilate being then governor of Judea, Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip, of Iturea and Trachonitis, Lyfanias of Abilenè, and Annas and Caiphas, high priests. The inceftuous marriage of Herod with Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; the imprifonment of John for his remonftrances against this adulterous commerce; the decollation of the Baptift, and the circumftances of it are specified. The trial, condemnation, and crucifixion of CHRIST, facts of the most public nature, are recorded. The darkness at mid-day, from twelve to three in the afternoon, which inveloped the whole land of Judea, and an hiftorical account of which, published in the very age in which it

happened,

happened, would have been an infult upon the world if it had been falfe, is a public appeal to all mankind, which was never contradicted *. The written accounts of thefe princes, who were contemporaries with Chrift, and of thefe + public tranfactions which happened in his time, are an inconteftable proof of the historical truth of these records, and an uncontrovertible monument of the veracity and faith of this hiftory. It was a public theatre on which our Lord's actions were displayed. In the face of day - at the moft frequented feftivals in the capital-in the temple before Herod and Pontius Pilate witneffing a good confeffion. Add to this that the ac

* Eodem momento dies medium orbem fignante sole subducta eft; deliquium utique putaverunt, qui id quoque fuper Chrifto prædicatum non fcierunt: ratione non deprehenfâ, negaverunt: et tamen eum mundi cafum relatum in arcanis veftris habetis. Tertullian. Edit. Rigaltii Paris 1641, p. 22. B. Irenæus lays great ftrefs upon this public phænomenon. Eum occafum folis, qui crucifixo eo fuit ab horâ fextâ, p. 363. Again, p. 366. Argumenta autem quæ prædicta funt dominicæ paffionis, in nullo altero facta funt. Neque enim Sol medio die occidit aliquo de veteribus mortuo. Irenæus, Edit. Grabe.

The primitive Chriftians in their Apologies frequently appeal to the ads of Quirinius and of Pilate. Κωμη δε τις Έσιν εν τη χωρα Ιεδαίων, απέχεσα ταδίες τριακονταπεντε Ιεροσολύμων, · ή εγενήθη Ιησες Χριτος, ως και μαθειν δύνασθε εκ των απογραφών των γενομένων επι Κυρηναία το ύμετερε εν Ιεδαία πρωτο γενομένη επιτρωπε. Juftin Martyr. p. 75. Και ταύτα ότι γεγονε δύνασθε μαθειν εκ των επι Пovie Пikato yevoμevwv antwv. p. 76. Edit. Paris, 1636. And again, p. 84. Ότι τε ταύτα εποίησεν, εκ των επι Ποντιο Πιλατε γενομένων αυτῷ μαθών δυνασθε,

in which Christianity [Chap. I. counts of thefe tranfactions were published very near the times in which they happened, but were never fhown to be inaccurate and falfe.

I have confined myself to the national acts and illuftrious perfons, that in the writings of the four evangelifts only, appear on the public ftage-but if we include the external evidences of this kind to the truth of the gospel hiftory, recorded in the Als of the Apoftles, they form fuch a cloud of witnesses to the truth of our religion as must one would think be irresistible to every attentive and intelligent mind.

SECT. XI.

The age in which Christianity made its appearance was learned and inquifitive.

IT

T was a providential circumftance for the honour and credit of the Chriftian religion, that the age, in which it was promulgated, was not barbarous and uncivilized. Had Christianity been nurfed in times when the god of dulnefs and darkness held univerfal empire-when Gothic and Vandalian ignorance reigned triumphant -when erudition and learning, and a tafte for knowledge and enquiry were held in univerfal difrepute and contempt-in future more enlightened ages, it might have been decried as a cunningly devised fable and fiction, that owed its origin and establishment to nothing but the fabulous times in which it firft made its appearance, and to the credulity of an ignorant group of kings,

and

and priests, and people. But the Auguftan, was the most learned and polite age the world ever faw. The love of arts and fciences, and literature, was the universal paffion. The many celebrated poets, hiftorians, and philofophers, who then flourifhed, had diffufed an ambition for mental improvement, and circulated a tafte for literature among all orders and claffes of men in all the provinces of that vast empire. They vied with each other, who could produce the most perfect piece, who could carry philofophy and morals to their highest perfection, and cultivate the powers of the human mind with most fuccefs. Another happy circumstance was, that + peace had now extended her olive o'er the world-on which account, in the long reign of Augustus, a literary intercommunity was established through all the provinces of his immenfe dominions, and the most favourable opportunity afforded for the fuccessful study of philofophy and the investigation of truth. This happy diftinguifhed æra of uni verfal concord and peace, fo favourable to the mufes, faw genius produce all its stores, the human mind difplay all her ample powers, and the nobleft monument of fame begun and finished, that ever adorned the republic of letters. And it is to the everlasting honour of Christianity that

+ Quando pax lætior Diffufa in Orientis Occidentifque tractus, et quicquid meridiano aut feptentrione finitur, pax Augusta per omnes terrarum orbis angulos a latrociniorum metu fervat immunes. Vell, Paterculus, Lib. ii. Cap. 126.

it rofe, flourished, and established itfelf in this learned, inquifitive, and difcerning age, amidst that univerfal paffion, which then prevailed, for philofophy and knowledge, and made a moft rapid and amazing progrefs through that immenfe empire to its remoteft limits, at a time when the world was in its most civilized ftate, and in an age that was more univerfally distinguished for science and erudition than any one prior or fubfequent period the world ever faw.*

SECT. XII.

The teftimony of adverfaries and heathens to the principal fats in the NEW TESTAMENT.

T

HE truth of the principal facts recorded

in this hiftory is corroborated by the teftimony of adverfaries and heathens. To the innocence of our Saviour's character we have an illuftrious atteftation in Judas-and it is not with, out its juft intended fignificance, that the evange lifts have related this remarkable circumftancewho, when he faw his master capitally condemned, an event he never expected, rufhed like one diftrated into the temple, threw down the wages of corruption before the priests and rulers, and with great emotion, publickly told them, he had betrayed INNOCENT blood. This is the testimony

'of

* See fome excellent remarks in the very learned Dr. Law's Theory of Religion, p. 126. 4th Edit. 1759.