markable in his infidelity. We find him confiding almost implicitly in the statements of Lardner, Fabricius, Tillemont, and other laborious investigators into the real history of those times, and treating Voltaire, and others like him, with quiet contempt; yet desirous, when Christianity was concerned, of believing the latter rather than the former. Gibbon has, in a great measure, enabled us to account for his infidelity; and the facts of the case remain unimpeached, notwithstanding his scepticism. You are both of you aware, no doubt, that Dr. Watson published the "Apology for Christianity," in reply to him; a work deservedly popular. In his reply to Davies, Gibbon has made some remarks on others of his antagonists, not destitute of justice; but it is hardly worth your while to spend much time on the controversy. In the Encyclopædia Britannica you will find an examination of the reasons assigned by Mr. Gibbon for the success of Christianity; and in the first chapter of Paley's Evidences, some very judicious observations connected with the subject.

Edward. I do not see how it can be denied, unless all confidence in history be shaken, that Christianity was indeed established at the time, by the person, and under the circumstances alleged, so far as merely the ordinary course of nature is concerned: and it appears certain that the contemporary Pagans regarded the professed belief of the Christians as proceeding from conviction; so that I would allow the sincerity as well as the zeal of the early Christians; but we yet appear too far removed from the first century, to have any certainty that what we now call Christianity is really the religion originally promulgated by Christ. It appears probable, that for some time it did not excite such attention from those without the pale of the church, as would be a security to us that no material alterations, additions, or omissions, had been made in it from time to time.

4 What inconsistency appears in the conduct of Gibbon?-5 Does his urbelief affect the facts in the case?-6 What is said of Watson's Apology for Christianity?-7 In what works is an allusion to this subject?-8 What does Edward think cannot now be denied?-9 But of what does he think we have certainty?

Maria. It is even to this day disputed what is Christianity, among those who profess it; and the answer, that it is the religion founded by Jesus Christ, is not sufficient.

Mr. B. It is only part of the answer which is requisite: and I add, therefore, that Christianity is the religion taught in the New Testament.

Maria. But do all Christians allow this?

Mr. B. I think I may say it is universally allowed; but from the multitudes of sects now existing, which assume the Christian name, it is not in my power positively to assert the fact. I can, however, do what is of more importance; I can prove that from the earliest times this has been the case with regard to the great mass of Christians; and as the nature of the subject evidently prevents the possibility of proving more, this ought to be sufficient. Edward. It will be quite sufficient.

Mr. B. In the first place, then, I must observe, that though we have some information on the subject from the adversaries of Christianty, we must of course look to the Christian writers for the knowledge of what, in their time, was regarded as constituting the sum and substance of the Christian religion and having established the great facts of the existence of Christianity, at different periods, and under peculiar circumstances, from the testimony of enemies alone, I am certainly at liberty to argue from thence, in order to account for any deficiency of their testimony in other respects. Now when we find the religion in question despised and treated as madness, looked upon as the offspring of excessive credulity, and regarded as unworthy the attention of sensible men, you cannot be surprised that its enemies should not be acquainted with its authentic documents, and that they should give us little information on the subject.

Edward. From those who more particularly attacked it in their writings, we might, however, expect more.

10 Wliat does Mr. B. say that Christianity is -11 What will he attempt to prove in relation to this position ?-12 What does he in the first place observe ?-13 How will he then proceed?-14 On what account is it rational to conclude that the enemies of Christianity would know but little of its real nature?

Mr. B. We might, and here we have; for Julian, Porphyry, and Celsus, do confirm not only the existence of the New Testament, at the periods in which they wrote, but even direct their attacks against its statements and reasonings, as being the great foundation of Christianity.

Maria. This would establish the fact of its being generally regarded as one of the statements on which Christianity rested, but not as being the only one.

Mr. B. But as their attacks do not extend to any other, we cannot infer even the existence of any other, as received by the Christians, as of authority among them; and by the works of Christian writers we may prove that no other was then so received.

Edward. Will you then establish that point?

Mr. B. We may divide the Christian world into four great classes—the Protestant, the Roman, the Greek, and the Oriental churches. I need hardly remind you that the Bible, and consequently the New Testament, is the basis of the religion of Protestants; and you will easily ascertain, by referring to the decrees of councils and confessions of faith, that the same is true of the other churches, though they have, in the course of time, made additions unknown to the Christians of an earlier period. Let us then advance to those regions where Christianity was first established, and ascend to those times in which it may be reasonably supposed to have existed in greater purity.

Maria. But what is the New Testament? How would you define it, relatively to this inquiry?

Mr. B. The New Testament is a collection of writings purporting to give an account of the life and doctrine of the Founder of Christianity, and other important documents relative to his religion, which has in all ages been regarded by Christians as sacred, and of Divine authority.

Maria. That sacred writings should exist, is probable

15 In what way do Julian, Porphyry, and Celsus make an exception? -16 What does Mr. B. in reply to Maria, say cannot be inferred ?-17 Into what four classes does he divide the Christian world -18 How do these different classes of Christians view the Bible?-19 What is the New Testament defined to be?

from most religions having had such; that such did exist, is also probable, from the objections of the adversaries of Christianity being directed against particular statements and doctrines; but that those which are now regarded as such were the same, can only be established by a complete chain of testimony from that time to this. Can such be produced?

Mr. B. It can. The objections of Julian and others clearly identify the writings against which they directed their attacks with those now reverenced by Christians. Our manuscripts of the New Testament reach, at least, to the fifth century, if not higher; and we can both prove the existence of sacred writings among the primitive Christians, and identify ours with theirs. According to the best accounts we have, (Pagan and Christian), the four great cities, from which this religion spread itself into all parts, were Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople; the destruction of Jerusalem having, at an early period, deprived it of the importance otherwise due to it as the mother church. But our manuscripts of the New Testament are traced to these sources; and beyond the time to which these manuscripts reach, we have other means of continuing the chain of evidence to the earliest periods.

Maria. But if the New Testament be a collection of writings, there must have been a time when those writings were not collected. How far, then, can you trace the New Testament, as an authoritative collection? and what possessed authority before the time of the collection being made?

Mr. B. At the conclusion of the fourth century there appears no reason to doubt, that the collection now admitted as of authority, was then so esteemed universally, (or with very slight exceptions, which do not affect the main argument as to the truth of Christianity.) At the conclusion of the third century, you will recollect, that

20 What does Maria say is probable; and what question does she ask? -21 How far back can our manuscripts of the New Testament be traced? -22 To what four sources can they be traced ?-23 What question does Maria ask concerning the New Testament as an authoritative collection? -24 What is said of it at the conclusion of the fourth century?

the contest between Paganism and Christianity was very violent, and that, from the known state of the Christian world, as ascertained from our former examination, it would be very improbable that all parts of it should be strictly in union with each other as to the details of Christianity, though they would probably agree in the main. We also learn from the Christian contemporary writers, that in the last persecutions their sacred writings were more particularly sought for and destroyed. From the degree to which the Christians were scattered over the empire, it is also probable, that the collections in all cases might not be complete; and if the reverence paid to these writings depended upon the credit due to their authors (a supposition extremely probable in itself,) it seems not unlikely that some parts would be only partially received for a time. Now let us examine into the facts of the case. Augustine, in the fourth century, speaks of the Scriptures being read publicly in the churches as of authority. Cyprian in the third of the same; Tertullian and Justin in the second of the same. Maria. The publicity which was given to them is some security for their preservation in the same state.

Mr. B. These writings were also held in the very highest estimation: Cyprian calls them Books of the Spirit, Divine Fountains, Fountains of the Divine Fulness. In the preceding century, Theophilus designates them as the Evangelic Voice; Clement of Alexandria, as Sacred Books, Divine Scriptures, Divinely Inspired Scriptures, Scriptures of the Lord, the True Evangelical Canon; Irenæus also, as Divine Scriptures, Divine Oracles, Scriptures of the Lord, Evangelic and Apostolic Writings; and not to mention the additional testimonies of Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, and Justin Polycarp, whose own writings have the greatest weight, as living immediately after

25 At the conclusion of the third century, what took place?-26 What do we also learn from Christian contemporary writers?-27 What is said of the Scriptures in the fourth, third, and second centuries, by Augustine, Cyprian, Tertullian, and Justin?-28 What does Maria suppose would have tended to preserve them in the same state?-29 What do Cyprian, Theophilus, and Clement, respectively designate them to be?-30 What does Irenæus call ther'