Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-10-23
VOL. XII. No. S.

hrm the existence of some other books Of
Inc New Testament; and a multitude of
illusions or references of the third kind.
70 Inc writings of the evangelisis, the Acts
OF the Apostles, and great many of those
eplstles which have bsen admitted into the
New Testament. We have similar tesli-
monies from some more Of The fathers ~ no
nsea ana eonveised with Jesus Christ--
BESIDES many references of Ihe second
and third kind, We have also other In
stances of the same kind of testimony
when Clement gave 10 81. PauRs frsr
| Epistle TO the Corinthians, than which no.
thing can be conceived more indispensable.
lgnal;us, writing 10 the church Of Epbe-
sus, takes notice of ST. Paul's epistle TO
that church; and Polycarp, an immediate
disciple of The apostles, makes the same
express reference 10. ST. Paul's epistle to
the Philippians 10 letter addressed 10 The
people. In carrying our attention down
from the apostolic fathers, we follow an
uninterrupted series or testimonies to the
authenticity of the canoGical scriptures
They get more numerous and circumstau.
tlal as proceeds thing 10 be expected
from the progress of Christianity, and the
greater multitude OF writers, who came
forward in lis defence and illustration.
La pursuing the series of writer's from
the days ofthe apostles down to about $50
years after the publication of The pieces
which make up the New Testament, we
come down to Tertullian, of whom Lard.
ner says, THAT there are perhaps more
and longer Quotations of the small volume
OF the New Testament ~ this one Chris
tan author, than Of all the works OF C;-
cero. though Of so uncommon excellence
Tor thought and STYLE, In the writers of all
characters for several ages
We feel ourselves exposed, IN this part
OF our investigation. TO the suspicion which
adheres 10 every Christian its,imony.-
We have already made some attempts TO
anaiyze that suspicion into It's ingredients.
and we conceive. that The circumstance OF
the Christians being an interested party,
is only one, and not perhaps The principal
OF these ingredients. Al alt events, this
may be the proper place for dlsposing Of
that one ingredient. and for Offering few
general observations on the strength Of
the Christian testimony.
In estimating the value Of any testimo-
ny. there are two distinct objects of con.
s;deiatlon; the person who gives The tes,i-
mony, and the people 10 who m the testi.
mony is addressed. Ii is quite needless To
enlarge on the resources which, In the
present instance. we derive from both
these considerations, and how much each
OF them contributes TO the triumph and So
ldny of the Christian argument. Ia an
tar as the people who give the testimony
are concerned, how could they be mistaE.
IN IN their account of the New Tesla.
ment, when some of them lived in the
same age with the original writers, and
were their intimate acquaintance, and
when all Of them had the benefit of an I'm.
controlled series of evidence, reaching
down from the date of the earliest pubIica.
tons to their own times Or, how can
we suspect that they falsified, when there
runs through their writings The same tone
Of plainness and sincerity, which is allow
ed 10 stamp The character Of authenticity on
other productions; aud, above all, when,
upon the strength even Of heather. tes,i.f
nony, We conclude that many of them. by
their sufferincs and death, gave the HIGH.
est evidence that man can give. of his
speaking under The influence Of real and
honest convictions In as far as the peo-
pie who received the testimony are CON.
cerned, 10 what other circumstances can
we ascrlbe their conc urrence, than 10 The
truth Of that testimony? La what wav
was il possible 10 deceive tn m upon a
point OF general noloriety? The books
nj fl,s,N
the ancient fathers. as writings generally
kno"n and respected by the Christians Of
that period. Ii they were obscure writ.
lngs, or had no existence at he time. how
can we account for the credit and autbori-
iy OF those fathers who appealed to them.
and had the effrontery 10 insult their fel-
low Christians by f1lsehood so palpa.
bic, and so easily detected Allow them
TO be capable OF this trrachery, we have
sill TO explain. how .be people came 10
be the dupes Of SO glaring an imposition:
how they could BE- persuaded to give I'D
every thing Tor religion, whose teachers
were so unprincipled as to deceive them,
aud so unwIse as 10 commit themselves
upon ground where it was impossible TO
feiude discovery. Could Clement have
dared 10 refer the people of Corinlh to an
Epistle said 10 be received by themselves,
and which had no existence? or could be
nave referred he Christians al large TO
writings which they never heard of And
it was no, enough 10 maintain the SEM
blance Of truth with The people Of their
own party.
Where were the Jews all the time p
and how was it possible to escape the cor