Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-02-26
W L..
Minot. Jan. 2, 1910.
EVIDEECGS Of Ci.I;:sTIANETY.
Chapter VIII.
On THE ENG21.t.SAE4 EVIDENCE, AND
TIE OEsJECTIoNS o. DEIsTECAL
IHFlDEE.S.

There is another species Of evidence
for Christianity, Wnlcn We have not yet
Loticeu, what is commonly called the tn
ieraat evidence, consisting OF those proofs
ina. Caristianitv is Il d.s,oensation from
h9aveo, which are founded upon the ia
ture OF lis doctrines, and the character Of
the dIsocnsaton Itself. The term inter-
uIl evidence may be made, indeed, to
take UP more than this. We may take
up the New Testament as human com-
position, and without any reference 10 lis
subsequent history, or to the direct aid eX-
ternai testimonies by which it is support
ed. We may collect lronI the perform
ance itself such marks Of truth and hon
esty, as entltie US 20 conclude, that the hu-
man agents employed in the construction
t OF this book We're men Of vefacitV and
principle. This argument has already
been resOrled to, and very Substautiai
argument it is. l. is Of frequent apoiica-
ition in questions of general criticism =
aud upon Its authority alone many OF the
writers OF past times have been admitted
iaIo CT, dit, and many have been condemn
ed as unworthy Of il. The numerous
and correct illusions TO the customs ana
E institutions, and other statistics OF the ag.
, in which the pieces OF the New Tesla
, meat profess to have been written, Civ,
eyidence OF their antiquity. lac arli"s
ana unlesj gned way in which these ala
s.0nS are II4lcrWOVrn with the whole his
tory, inp.esScS upon US the perfect Sin
: piicitv oi The authors, and the tJ.al 40
sc"ce Of every wish OF intention 10 pair
s "n lmQ0Sture upon The world. And Their
4 Is such thing too us a general air OF au
i then;iclty, which, however Iitlicuit to r
i solve lao particulars, gives a very clos
e and powerful Impression of tcoth to III
. narrative. There is nothing lanclful
lie this species Of internal egiIeIce. [. ca
ries il it ali the certainty Of expericnc
and experience too upon Il familiar al
weiI-kuown subject, the characters
=" honesty in the write testimony of OF
a. fellow men. We are otjcn called upon
III private and every duV lie to exercise OF
judgment upon the spoken testimony
[ others, and we both lee! and uadefs!ar
st the powerful evidence which lies N Il
CO tone, the manner, the circuns:on.!alIt
the number the agreement OF lbe wines
20 es, and the consistency of all the partic
as lars with what we already know fro
- other sources of information. Now it
-. unieniable, that all those marks WIN
give evidence and cgedIbility TO spok
testimony, may also exist 10 Il very Ii
on pressive degree in written testimony; a
Ia the argument founded upon them, so
~ from being flnciin or ilegitimate, has |
,ck sanction of principle which no philo:
yea pher will refuse; the experience OF
I'd; human mind on a subject On which II
MS much exercised, and which lies complt
Jay V within the range OF lis observation.
We cannot say so much, however,
as the other species of internal evlden
g that which is founded upon the reaso
nth bleness of the doctrines, or the agreem
liar which is conceived TO subsiSt between
vho nature of the Christian religion and
ows character of the Supreme Beng.
the have experience of man, but we have
ONE experience of God. We can reason