both of Jews and of Christians in all parts of the world; and have not only been perused by all parties as a rule of faith, but produced and quoted as criterions of the truth in every religious difcuffion: the watchful jealoufy of Jews against Chriftians, and of contending Christian fects against each other, would immediately have detected any material variation, whether introduced by inadvertence or by defign. But, in the next place, the integrity of the Scriptures does not reft on fpecu lative arguments. It is afcertained by indif putable facts. We are in poffeffion of a Samaritan copy of the Pentateuch made above two thousand years ago; which varies from the Hebrew original in very few cafes, and thofe immaterial, and admitting an obvious explanation. We are in poffeffion of an entire Greek verfion of the Old Teftament, called the Septuagint version, from a tradition that once prevailed refpecting the number of perfons employed in the tranflation: a vérfion, the whole of which was confeffedly made long before the birth of Chrift, and thoroughly confirms the accordance of the original Hebrew copies from which it was rendered with those which we now retain (y).

Add

(5) The Chaldee paraphrafes, called Targums, of the Old Teftament, which were made for the benefit of the Jews on

Add to these facts, that nearly feven hundredHebrew manufcripts of the Scriptures difperfed in various parts of the world have been recently compared with each other by Dr. Kennicott and his affiftants, and a very large additional number by De Roffi. The refult of these highly meritorious labours has demonftratively proved, that, although many verbal variations have found their way into particular manufcripts through the erroneous. proceedings of tranfcribers; and have thus created in detached paffages incidental obscurities, which, by means of these collations have been happily removed; the integrity of our Hebrew text is indifputable.

Concerning the apocryphal books, as they are not of infpired authority, though unaccountably received as fuch, the prayer of Manaffeh excepted, by the church of Rome, it is not neceffary to enter into detail (x). From the perufal of them, though human compofitions, much religious inftruction may

their return from the Babylonian captivity, during which great numbers of them had adopted the Chaldee language, a dialect of their native tongue, and could not easily understand the ori ginal Scriptures, (fee Nehem. viii. 8) confirm the integrity of our Hebrew text.

(2) A particular account of each of thefe Looks may be found in Gray's Key to the Old Testament.

be drawn; particularly from the book of Ecclefiafticus. And the author of the first book of Maccabees exhibits many strong marks of hiftorical knowledge and fidelity.

The statement of particulars contained in the prefent chapter ftrongly suggests the duty of gratitude to God, for having attested, by fo many proofs, the Divine authority of the canonical books of the Old Teftament, "which are able to make us wife unto fal"vation through faith which is in Christ Jefus :" and loudly calls upon us habitually and diligently to apply them, with a pious and humble heart, to the momentous purpose. for which they have been bestowed.

CHAP. V.

ON THE BOOKS

OF THE NEW TESTA¶ MENT.

Ir the enquiry pursued in the preceding chapter refpecting the canonical Jewish Scriptures be a matter of high importance to Chriftians; a fimilar enquiry respecting the books of the New Teftament is of ftill greater moment. For the Divine authority of the latter books is not only the ground, on which the most obvious proofs of the authenticity and infpiration of the former depend; but is the foundation of the whole fabric of Chriftian faith.

The most perfpicuous method of conducting the present investigation will be to state, in the first place, the nature and purport of each of the books of the New Teftament : and, in the fecond place, to lay before the reader a brief account of the concurring proofs which demonftrate that the books, fingly and collectively, were written by the perfons whose names they feverally bear, and under the fuperintending guidance of the Holy Spirit of God.

The writings comprised in the New Testament (a) may be divided into three claffes; historical, epiftolary, and prophetical. In all of them doctrinal truths of the utmoft confequence are included: and in the hiftorical and epiftolary books prophecies are occafionally delivered. With this explanation the preceding divifion may be ufcfully made. The historical books are the four Gospels (b) and the Acts of the Apoftles. The epiftolary books are thofe to which the title of Epiftles is always prefixed. Of the prophetical clafs there is only one book, that of the Apocalypfe (c), or Revelations.

(a) The original word, Aaben, fignifies either a teftament. (that is to fay, a will), or a covenant. It is exprefsly applied by St. Paul, 2 Cor. iii. 14. with the epithet "Old" to the Jewish Scriptures. From this circumftance, and from the repeated use of the term by Chrift and his difciples as characteriftic of the Chriftian difpenfation, Matt. xxvi 28. Hebrews, vii. 22. viii. 8. it has been affigned from a very early period of the church to the Chriflian Scriptures. The term "Covenant" would however have been on the whole a more appropriate tranflation. The word "Teftament," in its natural meaning is not very applicable to the Jewish canon: but may be afcribed with pertinence to the collection of the facred writings of the Apoftles and Evangelifts; as implying a book wherein the inheritance of the kingdom of Heaven is bequeathed and fealed to true Chriftians, as children and heirs of God, through the death of Jefus Christ, and the death of Jefus Chrift as the testator is recorded and applied to their full advantage. See Hebrews, ix. 15.-17.

(b) Gospel, a word of Saxon etymology, has precifely the fame meaning as the Greek word Evayyerov, good tidings.

(c) Amoxas, a revelation.

The