and Cicero. It appears that Socrates represented the worship, not of one god, but of the gods, as the most universal law of nature, and that he was in the habit of consulting oracles, to know the will of the gods. Plato held to two principles of things, God and matter; but according to him, God was not concerned in creation, nor in the government of the world. Aristotle held, that there was one first eternal Mover, but that the stars are true, eternal deities. Cicero, in arguing for the existence of God, leads to the belief of a plurality of deities, asserts that the Dii majorum gentium, were taken from among men, and approves of the custom of worshipping distinguished men as gods. Socrates held to the transmigration of souls. The common sort of good men he supposed to "go into the bodies of animals, of mild and social kind, such as bees, ants," &c. Plato also held to transmigration, and argued for the immortality of the soul, on the ground of its pre-existence.

These men, were those who take the highest rank in respect to reasoning powers; and we see that in these, and many other particulars, they followed out the natural deductions of reason, as founded on experience.

In regard to the necessity of a revelation, it is very evident that the wisest among the heathen, both felt the need of one, and from a course of reasoning, expected one. Tully exclaims, "O that I could discover truth, with the same ease that I can detect error." Plato concludes that, we cannot, of ourselves, know, what petition will be pleasing to God, or what worship to pay him, but that it is necessary that a lawgiver should be sent from Heaven, to instruct us, and such an one he did expect. "O," said he, "how greatly do I desire to see the man, and who he is." Thus it appears, that the deductions of reason, so much the boast of those who despise revelation, would lead to some conclusions which even infidels despise, while those which accord with revelation, they often pronounce absurd, and contrary to reason.

CHAPTER XVII.

ON REVELATION.

There is a volume in the world, which professes to be the records of certain men, who were the accredited organs of communication between the Creator and mankind. It has been shown, that the most natural way by which God would communicate with men, is by means of sounds, or visible appearances; and that the best mode by which he could convince them of his claims to be the Creator, is by some interruption of the laws of nature. It has been shown also, that it would be impossible for God thus to commune with all mankind, and give proof of his Divinity, without destroying these laws entirely, and therefore, that it would be necessary to select men, for agents, who should be accredited, as the messengers of God, by the power of controlling the laws of nature by their word.

The writers of the New Testament, claim that the Creator was "manifest in the flesh,” and dwelt in Judea among mankind, for thirty-three years. That He appointed them as His agents, in communicating His will to mankind, and gave them power to work miracles in proof of their authority.

A belief in the truths of Christianity, and in the authority of the Bible, depends upon establishing these claims, by sufficient evidence.

It has been shown, that all knowledge, except that gained by the senses, is derived from human testimony; that this cause of belief is infallible, when it can be shown, that witnesses have opportunities to know the truth, are competent in intellectual powers, are honest men, and thus free from habits of falsehood, and have no selfish good to be gained to themselves, or others, by telling untruths.

It has been shown also, that evidence is strongest where there is a great variety and abundance, and no contradictory evidence. In establishing the claims of the writers of the Gospels, the Acts, and the Epistles, it can be shown, that they were intelligent men, from the style of their writings, and the fact that their testimony was so soon, and so universally believed. It can be proved that they were honest men, because no proof was ever brought of their violation of truth, but much proof in favour of their veracity; such, for example, as the perfect simplicity of their narrative, its agreement with that of their fellow writers, in all important particulars, and some discrepancies in little things, enough to show that they had not compared notes. They also are men who advocate truth and righteousness, and threaten eternal death to all who violate such obligations. Their writings likewise, are in agreement with the other records that were made, both by Jews and Heathen, of that age.

It can be shown also, that no selfish good was to be gained to them, or their friends, by originating and propagating the assertions contained in their writings, unless they were true. On the contrary, it can be proved, that unless they were good men, who looked beyond the grave for a reward, they gave up every source of comfort, ease, and pleasure, in propagating such doctrines.

There is evidence also, that they were not credulous enthuthusiasts, from their writings; while the miracles they record were those in which they could not have been deceived.When a man has been dead four days, and is raised from the tomb; when one who was blind from his birth, is restored to sight; when those who have lost whole limbs, have them renewed, these, and various other miracles which they record, as being performed before thousands, both friends and enemies, are such as it is impossible to be deceived about.

It can also be proved. that the books were written by the men who professed to write them, by abundant evidence ;

that they were written at the time they claim to have written them; and that they have been correctly preserved. In short, there is no proof that can be desired, which cannot be furnished, to establish their character as competent witnesses.

In addition to this evidence, in reference to the competency of the witnesses, there is abundance of evidence from other sources, to prove the events they record. There are writings preserved of men who were Christians, beginning with the age of the apostles, and continuing in unbroken series down to this day. In these are recorded evidence of the belief of multitudes of men, that such miracles were performed at the time and manner, described by the Apostles.

John wrote his Gospel the last of the Evangelists. After him we have the works of his disciple Polycarp remaining, in which are forty allusions to the New Testament, as books which he considered as true, and which were regarded as true, by multitudes.

Hermas, mentioned in the New Testament, as a cotemporary with St. Paul, left a work which gives the same kind of evidence. Clement, Bishop of Rome, who was the fellow labourer with Paul, has left writings which are preserved, and bear the same testimony.

Barnabas, another labourer with Paul, has left an epistle, in which he furnishes the same kind of evidence.

Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, in Asia, was well acquainted with the Apostle John, and his disciple Polycarp, and bears express testimony to the Gospels; quotes several epistles, the Acts, and Revelation, as of standing authority for truth.

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, was born before the Saviour left the earth, and has left several epistles which bear the same testimony.

Justin Martyr, was an eminently learned man, converted from heathenism to Christianity, about thirty years after the death of the Apostle John. He wrote several pieces to the Roman Emperor, and vindicated the truth of facts recorded

by the Apostles, and this, and several other works still remain, which attest, both his belief, and that of great multitudes, in whose behalf he wrote.

Tatian, was a disciple of Justin Martyr, and has left records that furnish the same kind of evidence.

Ireneus, was a disciple of Polycarp, who was the disciple of the Apostle John. He was Bishop of Lyons, in France, where the Christian religion was so soon established. He has left abundant testimony on this subject, which proves his belief in the narrative of the Gospels, and the belief also of many others.

About the same time lived Athenagoras, a native of Athens, in Greece, who embraced the Gospel, and in his Apology for Christianity, presented the Roman Emperor, Marcus Antoninus, which is still preserved, he proves his belief of the truth of the New Testament. About the same time lived Tertullian, a man distinguished for his learning, who was a presbyter at Carthage, in Africa, and left a great amount of evidence which has been preserved.

The learned Origen, less than two hundred years after Christ, lived in Egypt, and wrote largely on the Sacred Scriptures.

These are some among the most distinguished Christian writers, who give evidence of the truth of facts recorded in the New Testament. It will be seen that they all lived, either at the time of the Apostles, or very soon after, and were resident in all parts of the civilized world.

But the best evidence of truth, is from the forced acknowledgment of enemies. Both Jews and Heathens hated the Christians with constant and bitter animosity, and made every effort to prevent the extension of Christianity, and to exterminate it from the earth.

Among these witnesses, may be mentioned Celsus, who lived 150 years after the Ascension, a bitter enemy to Christianity, who quotes from the New Testament, acknowledges