тер

اد

be

LET. IV.]

CHARACTER OF THE WRITERS.

29

nied, Muhammad on his extraordinary journey? Did any of his disciples? Did any of those who relate the story? The answer is, not one. Observe, I am now neither asserting, nor denying, the truth of the narrative,-all I say is this, that a story of this kind cannot easily be proved to be true. Those who believe it, believe it simply on Muhammad's authority. They may be right, or they may be wrong, in doing so; but it is important to note the fact. It was "done in a corner."

Although a few of the wonderful events recorded of Jesus Christ took place in secret-such as his temptation in the wilderness,-yet the far greater number of them were performed in public. He taught openly-in the presence of thousands. When, therefore, his followers gave an account of his teaching, those thousands could say whether the account was correct or not. The works of Christ were also openly performed; and thousands could testify whether he had really made the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear. Moreover, the historians of Christ's life (or Evangelists, as they are usually called) published their works in Judea, the very country in which the events which they relate, took place. Consequently, both the Jews, and many Romans resident in Judea, could instantly have detected and exposed any error which the works contained.

The Jews.

erroneous

And what they thus could have done, they assuredly would have done, if any errors had been diswould have coverable in the writings of the Evangelists. exposed any The Jews were bitter enemies of the Chrisstatements. tians. They had put Christ himself to death, and they wished to sweep away the Christian religion from the face of the earth. Very soon, also, the Heathen began to persecute the Christians, and in every way assail their faith. Had, then, the writers of the New Testament departed from the truth in a single instance; had they exagLivin

When

gerated what was honorable to Christianity, or palliated, in one jot or tittle, that which seemed dishonorable; had they claimed for Christ a power of working miracles that he did not really possess, or a purity of life which was not universally confessed, -the enemies of the Christian religion would eagerly have availed.themselves of the mistake, in order to overturn the authority of those who had fallen into it. But this, as we shall see, the enemies never did.

III. In the third place, the credibility of the New TestaCharacter of ment is proved by the character of the writers.

the writers.

We have already seen that they had full opportunities of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the facts which they relate. I now proceed to shew that it is certain they desired to make a good use of their opportunities.-They were honest men. The whole strain of their writings proves this. Every impartial reader must be impressed with Their honesty the tone of simplicity, sincerity, candour, self-evident. and truthfulness, which pervades their writings. They exaggerate nothing-they conceal nothing. Their Master's lowly birth-his poverty,-their own humble condition-their slowness to comprehend-their unwillingness to believe their temporary desertion of their Master, -his death on the cross, a fact which both the Jews and the Heathen have in all ages regarded as utterly disgraceful both to Christ and Christians, these, and many similar things, however much opposed to the natural vain-glory of man, are quietly related by the writers of the New Testament without the least attempt to prevaricate, conceal, or gloss them over. Honest men, truth-speaking men, they were, beyond all question-if we try their character by the principles which regulate all our judgments of men in general. This, then, is proved by the whole character of their Also proved writings. It is also proved by the whole by their suf- character of their lives. They, as well as the other followers of Christ, were sub

ferings.

*

jected to numberless and most severe sufferings on account of their religion. Excommunication-infamy-persecution-imprisonment-death,-these were the lot of Christians in those days.* You know very well, my young friend, what severe sufferings must be endured by those of your own countrymen who leave the religion of their fathers and enter the Christian Church-sufferings which look so formidable in prospect, that many young men who are entirely convinced of the truth of Christianity, yet tremble, and hesitate, and shrink, and finally turn away from Christ altogether. But the sufferings of converts in India now, are almost nothing in comparison with the sufferings of converts in the early ages of which we have been speaking. Truly the young and tender plant of the Christian religion was watered with blood!

ers.

What does all this prove? It proves most convincingly that the converts were sincere. They were no deceivThey believed what they professed. When a man dies for his faith, no one in the world would think of calling him a hypocrite. No one could doubt that the language of his life was also the feeling of his heart.

They testified of facts

-events.

I

But next, let us inquire what it was for which the disciples of Christ had such fearful trials to undergo-what it was that they believed. beg you to observe that they suffered for believing in facts-events-things they had seen-things they had heard. There is a most important difference between matters of opinion and matters of fact-between points of speculation, and circumstances occurring in some definite place and time. Let us suppose that a philosopher who professes to hold certain opinions respecting God or the human mind, is, like Socrates of old, accused by his ene

* I take it for granted that the reader is acquainted with Ancient History. If he is so, he will know that the statements here made are facts universally admitted.

mies of maintaining dangerous doctrines. Let us also suppose he is told that, unless he renounce those doctrines, he must die. Three things are possible in such a case. First, if the philosopher be not sincere in his professionsif he do not really believe what he says-then, there can be little doubt that he will at once recant, and save his life. Or secondly, even although he may in his heart be persua ded of the truth of what he has maintained, still the prospect of death may shake his firmness, and in this case again he may recant and save his life. We know that something like this happened in the case of the celebrated Galileo. But a third thing is possible. The philosopher may be not only sincere, but also firm in his belief and ready to die rather than renounce it. Let us just suppose Shankar Acharya (of whom you have often heard,) imprisoned by some of those Buddhists or Jainas with whom he was in the habit of disputing, and told that unless he renounce the tenets of the Vedanta philosophy, he must be put to death. Finally, let us suppose that the sage stands firm, and the threat is carried into execution. What does this prove? It proves that the philosopher is sincere in his professions-it proves that he really believes as he speaks. It does not, in the least degree, prove that the Vedanta philosophy is true. The philosopher dies for an opinion. Very well; but he may be mistaken in holding that opinion. We admit, and we admire, both his sincerity and his firmness; but the correctness of his views is quite another thing. After all, he may have thrown his life away, and died for a delusion. This is when a man Matters of opi- dies for a matter of opinion. But the disciples nion and mat- of Christ died in attestation of the truth of

ters of fact. Their

difference. a matter of fact. The great fact for which the disciples of Christ suffered, was that their master had risen from the dead, had appeared' after his resurrection to multitudes of people, and had in their own sight ascended in their own sight

into heaven.

senses,

This was no point of mere speculation, but

this important circumstance.

a question of things visible, tangible, and cognizable by the The writers of the New Testament often refer to "We declare unto you that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled.' "We have seen and testify-"t

"This voice which came

--

from heaven, we heard."'t Such is their pointed language. Are men to trust their senses. to believe what their eyes, ears, and hands, announce to them? If not, the world must at once come to a stand-still. We must believe our

Their senses

senses we cannot do otherwise. Our Maker intends that we should; and, if we do not, we cannot live in this world. But perhaps some one may make a desperate attempt to get rid of this argument, and remind us that could not have it is possible very weak, very credulous, fanadeceived them. tical people might have imagined that they saw, and heard, and handled, things which they never actually did see, or hear, or handle. Let us grant to this objection all the weight which can possibly be asked. It is true that people under powerful excitement have imagined that they saw or heard things that did not exist—as superstitious people may imagine that they see ghosts, and as insane people fancy they see and hear many things that others cannot see or hear. Still, this has no resemblance whatever to the case of the early followers of Christ. Strong temporary excitement, in solitude and darkness, may make a superstitious man fancy he sees or hears a spectre; but the apparition will vanish with the dawn or the approach of another person. But the early disciples of Christ testify that, for forty days after he rose from the dead, he continued to appear to them, sit with them, walk with them, converse with them, eat with them, and satisfy all their doubts as to the reality of his resurrection, on one occasion no fewer than five hundred specta

* 1 John i. i. +1 John iv. 14. +2 Peter i. 18.