serted by the first Christians, establishes their truth beyond all possibility of doubt. It can never be accounted for on any other principle than that their statements were not only true, but that they were so generally known to be so, that it would be vain to charge them with falsehood. Even the truth of the things recorded would not have screened them from the charge of forgery, had not the notoriety of their truth rendered it impossible to assail them in that quarter.

On the whole, then, we may judge of the strength of evidence that arises to the Christian religion, from there having never been any contradictory statement from any quarter, opposed to the testimony of the apostles.

TESTIMONY TO THE FACTS OF THE GOSPEL HISTORY, FROM THE ADMISSIONS OF THOSE WHO

PROFESSEDLY

CHRISTIANITY.

OPPOSED OR WROTE AGAINST

IN the year 140, TRYPHO, a Jew, with four companions, all equally with himself violently opposed to the Christian religion, held a dialogue at Ephesus with Justin Martyr, which the latter committed to writing. In the course of this discussion, Justin often mentioned the facts contained in the Gospels, and appealed to particular miracles which Jesus Christ had wrought; yet Trypho and his companions, who joined in the dispute, never denied these miracles, nor called in question any of the facts mentioned by the Evangelists. All the objections which he raised against the Gospels, were taken from the supposed absurdity of certain particulars affirmed in them. For example, he says, 6 it is foolish to suppose that Christ is God, and became man ;" and he affirms it to be incredible that Jesus was born of a virgin. What his opinions on such things were, is of no consequence in the question before us. But we here find all that can be required in point of testimony. The facts which lie at the foundation of the Gospel, were admitted by Trypho; while, as a Jew, he had the best means of information as to what had taken place in his own country, on so important a sub

ject, but a few years before his birth. As the Apostle John lived till about the year 101, Trypho must have been born either before, or soon after, John's death.

Justin having cited the prophecy, Dan. vii. 13, which describes the kingdom of the Son of Man, Trypho replied, “These, and suchlike Scriptures, constrained us to expect him great and illustrious, who, as the Son of Man, was to receive from the Ancient of Days the eternal kingdom; but he who is called your Christ was without reputation and glory, so that he fell under the greatest curse of the law of God, for he was crucified." In the following passage, Trypho bears a testimony to the character of Jesus: "In the fables of the Greeks, it is said, that Perseus was born of Danae whilst a virgin, he who is called by them Jupiter, having fallen upon her in the form of gold. Now, ye who affirm the same thing ought to be ashamed, and should say rather that this Jesus was man of man. And if you could show from the Scriptures that he is the Christ, because he lived according to the law, and perfectly, you might say he was thought worthy to be chosen Christ, and not dare to speak wonders, lest you be convicted of equal folly with the Greeks."

Justin affirmed that the Jews knew that Jesus arose from the dead, and ascended to heaven; and this was not contradicted by either Trypho or his companions. "The other nations," says Justin," have not proceeded to such a degree of wickedness against Christ as you, who are even to them the authors of evil suspicions against that holy person, and against us his disciples. For after ye had crucified that only blameless and just person, by whose stripes healing has come to all who approach the Father through him; when you

knew that he was risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, as the prophets foretold should happen, you not only did not repent of the evil things you had committed, but, choosing chief men at Jerusalem, you sent them forth into all the earth to publish that the sect of the Christians were Atheists, spreading in their discourses those evil things concerning us, which all who are ignorant of us affirm; so that you are not only the cause of this iniquity among yourselves, but among all other men whatever."

The following view which TRYPHO takes of the prophecies of the Jewish Scriptures is worthy of notice, as coming from a Jew. Justin having shown, by many quotations from these Scriptures, that another besides the Father is called God, Trypho replied, "You have, my friend, strongly, and by many passages, demonstrated this: it remains that you show that this person, according to the will of his Father, submitted to become man of a virgin, to be crucified, to die, to arise afterwards, and to return to heaven.'

LUCIAN was a native of Samosata, in Syria; he was born some time in the reign of Adrian, which began in the year 117, and terminated in 138. Although he did not expressly write in opposition to Christianity, he was strongly prejudiced against it. He gives the following account of Peregrinus, who publicly burnt himself in Greece soon after the Olympic games, about the year 165. Peregrinus, or Proteus, appears for a while to have imposed on the Christians, and to have joined himself to them. Lucian, after saying that " Peregrinus learned the wonderful doctrine of the Christians by conversing with their priests and scribes near Palestine," and after going on to observe, that they "still worship that great man

who was crucified in Palestine, because he introduced into the world this new religion," he adds-"For this reason Proteus was taken up and put in prison, which very thing was of no small service to him afterwards, for giving reputation to his impostures, and gratifying his vanity. The Christians were much grieved for his imprisonment, and tried all ways to procure his liberty. Not being able to effect that, they did him all sorts of kind offices, and that not in a careless manner, but with the greatest assiduity; for even betimes in the morning, there would be at the prison old women, some widows, and also little orphan children; and some of the chief of their men, by corrupting the keepers, would get into prison, and stay the whole night there with him: there they had a good supper together, and their sacred discourses. And this excellent Peregrinus (for so he was still called) was thought by them to be an extraordinary person, no less than another Socrates. Even from the cities of Asia, some Christians came to him, by an order of the body, to relieve, encourage, and comfort him; for it is incredible what expedition they use, when any of their friends are known to be in trouble. In a word, they spare nothing upon such an occasion; and Peregrinus's chain brought him in a good sum of money from them; for these miserable men have no doubt but they shall be immortal, and live for ever; therefore they contemn death, and many surrender themselves to sufferings. Moreover, their first Lawgiver has taught them, that they are all brethren when once they have turned, and renounced the gods of the Greeks, and worship that Master of theirs who was crucified, and engage to live according to his laws. They have also a sovereign contempt for all the things