Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-01-22

epiSiles, where there is no delusion, an
no prejudice in the mind of the inquire,
must make greater impression. The,
are more ancleat, and were he'd to be O
greater authority by competent Judges
lheY were held sufficient by the men o
'hoSe days who were nearer 10 the sourc
Is OF evidence; and they ought there
, lore to be held sufficient by U.s. The
earl J prosecuted Christians had too grea
an interest IN the grounds of their faith
70 make a light and superficial examlna.
tloh' We may safely commit the deciS-
ION 10 them; and the decision :hey have
made, is, that the authors of the different
ePlStles IN the New Testament, were wor-
thier of their confidence, as witnesses OIL
the truth, than the authors OF those com
positions which were left out of the co!lec-
Iloh' and MAINTAIN IN our eye, the form
Oh separate testimony. By what unac-
countable tendency is it, that we feel dis
posed to reverse this decision, and 10 re-
pose more faith In the testimony of suisse
quent and less esteemed writers? Is
there any thing In the confidence given to
Peter and Paul by their contemporaries
which render them uoworthy of ours p
OF, IS the testimony Of their writings less
valuable and less Impressive, because the
! Christians of old have received them as
the best vouchers of their faith 2
II gives US tar more SATISFYING i'm
preston than ever OF the truth of our re-
Lyon, when, in addition 10 several dis
tinct and independent narratives Of its his
tory, We meet with a number Of coD,em
poraneous productions addressed 10 differ
ent societies, and all proceeding upoD the
truth OF that history, as an agreed and I'M
questionable point among the different
parties IN the correspondence Had that
history been fabrication, in what man
ner, we ask, would it have been followed
up by the subsequent compositions ofthose
numerous agents in the work of decep-
ton How comes it, that they have be-.
"ayed no symptoms Of that insecurity
which 1t would have been so natural to
eel III their circumstances THROUGH
the whole of these epist!es, we see no;h-
ing like the awkward or embarrassed air
OF lmpostors. We see no anxiety, either
to mend or to confirm the history that had
already been given. We See no coptas,
which they might have been called upon
10 maintain with the Incredibly of their
converts, as to the miracles of the GOSPEL.
we see the most intrepid remons,rance
against errors of conduct, or discipline, or
doctrine. This savors strongly of up
right and independent teachers Lut is it
not a most striking circumstance, that
among the severe reckonings which St.
Paul had with some of his churches, he
was never once called upon to school their
doubts, or their suspicious, as 20 the reaIi-
" OF the Christian miracles? This is a
point universally acquiesced in; and
from the general strain of these epistles
we collect, not merely the testimony Of
their authors. but the unsupported testimo-
ny OF all TO whom they addressed them
selves
And let 1t never be forgotten, that the
Christians, WHO compose these churches.
were III every way we'll qualified to be ar.
bIterS 10 this question. They had the first
authorities within their reach Fhe five
hundred who Paul says to them, had
seen our Savior after his resurrection,
; ~ON'A W SOUS III uIlGI anu, III not 10 De
found, Paul would have had his assertion
to answer for. In some cases, they were
the first authorities themselves, and had
( therefore no confirmation to 90 in search
of. He appeals to the miracl,s which
had been wrought among Them and in
/ this way he commits the question to their
own experience. He asserts this to the
L T2l1tI1nS and If . be- Il
ne is delivering against them most Sc
we're and irritating invective. He irti-
mates the same thing repeatedly to the
Corinthians; and after be had put his
honesty to so severe trial. does he be-
tray any insecurity as to his character and
reputation among them2 So far from
this, that IN arguing the general doctriae
; of the resurrection from the dead, as the
: most efectual method of securing assent
to it, he rests the main part Of the argu.
5 ment upon their confidence in his fidelity
as witness. But if there be no resuf
: reclion from the dead, then is Christ not
risen Yea, and we are found false wit
1 ,nesSes Of God, because we have testified
: of God, that he raised up Chris, whom
> he raised not up, if so be that the deac
rise not Where, we ask, would hav,
e been the mighty charm of this argument
: if Pau's fidelity had been questioned )
d and how shall we account for the free AM
1 intrepid manner 10 which he advances ii
e if the miracles which he refers to, a
S wrought among them, had been nuIiiue
; OF his own invention :?
n For the truth of the Gospel history, "
can appeal 10 one strong and unbrok ken st
d ries OF testimonies from the day of III
6 apostles. But the great strength Of III
S evidence lies in that effuIgence of TESTING
n ny, which enlighlens this history at il