The believers in this religion, who had been denominated by the Jews Nazarenes, or Galileans, and by each other, disciples, brethren, or saints, were first called CHRISTIANS at Antioch, A. D. 43. Witsius thinks it a circumstance of remarkable wisdom that this celebrated name should arise from Antioch, a church consisting of a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, rather than from Jerusalem, dignified in so many other respects; and that it was a kind of victory gained over Satan, who from Antioch had, some ages before, raised so many cruel persecutors of the church of God. And Doddridge remarks-"With pleasure let us reflect upon this honourable name which the disciples of Jesus wore at Antioch, and would to God that no other, no dividing name, had ever prevailed among them as for such distinguishing titles, though they were taken from Apollos or Cephas, or Paul, let us endeavour to exclude them out of the church as fast as we can, and while they continue in it let us take care that they do not make us forget our most ancient and most glorious title! Let us take heed that we do not so remember our difference from each other in smaller matters as to forget our mutual agreement in embracing the gospel of Christ."

As to the progress of Christianity, it suffered during the first three centuries some grevious persecutions, under which, however, it flourished after a wonderful manner, till the conversion of Constantine, 314 A. D. when it became the established religion of the Roman empire. The principal persecutions were those under Nero, A. D. 64; Domitian, 93; Trajan, 104; Hadrian, 125; M. Aurelius, 151; Severus, 197; Maximin, 235; Decius, 250; Valerian, 257; Aurelian, 272; Numerian, 283; Dioclesian, and Maximian, and Licinius, 303-313. It was relative to these persecutions, that an ecclesiastical historian observes, that the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church! From the 6th to the 16th century was little else than one black record of ignorance, superstition, and tyranny. The Roman pontiff, by his monstrous usurpations over conscience, disposed of the property and the lives of men. It cannot be expected that the reader should

be furnished with a detail of ecclesiastical history, but a subsequent article on the Reformation, to be found in this work, should be read with attention, because the reformed religion is indissolubly connected with the present happiness and eternal welfare of mankind.

It would be as useless as it is impossible, to refer the reader to all the principal treatises which have been written at different periods for the defence and illustration of the Christian religion. But a few ought to be mentioned, in justice to the subject, and those alone shall be specified which are easiest of access. The student may consult Lardner's "Credibility," Watson's "Theological Tracts," Priestley's "Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion," Butler's "Analogy," Chalmers's "Internal Evidence," and Paley's "View of the Evidences of Christity.' For the use of private Christians, read Doddridge's "Thee Sermons on the evidences of the Christian Religion, and Plain Reasons for being a Christian." Nor must I omit mentioning two works of eruditon, "An Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures," by Thomas Hartwell Horne, A. M., and "The Truth of the Christian Religion;" by John Jones, LL. D.author of various publications illustrative of the genius and tendency of Christianity.

I shall present the young reader with my own "Epitome of the Evidences of Christianity," drawn up for my pupils for the ministry; possessing some little degree of novelty, it may generate an impression upon the minds of the rising generation.

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

Upon the immoveable pillars of testimony borne by well accredited witnesses, rests the simple but divine fabric of Christianity. "We have not followed cunningly-devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, 'This is my beloved Son, in

whom I am well pleased;' and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him on the holy Mount."

Two qualifications attach to witnesses whose assertions are entitled to belief-competency and honesty.

By competency is understood the possession of common sense, exercised by individuals upon objects which have been brought before them. To have seen and heard what they relate are indispensably necessary on such occasions. Thus seeing and hearing the subjects of their testimony, they have it in their power to communicate it to others. Indeed, without this personal knowledge, no sufficient evidence could be yielded, at least to such a degree as to produce a rational and permanent conviction.

By honesty I would be understood to mean, characteron which due reliance might be placed. Hence I look for an individual whose motives are above suspicion; who is under no temptation to employ his information for a sinister purpose. The human mind is capable of being impelled by considerations of a very various and even opposite description. Vanity, interest, and ambition, exercise a powerful sway in the production of human affairs. In recieving the truth from others, it behoves us to institute a rigorous scrutiny respecting the conduct of our fellow-creatures. Thus alone shall we avoid becoming a prey to imposition.

The qualifications of competency and honesty will be found to distinguish the original witnesses of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence this circumstance has been dwelt upon by the intelligent defenders of Christi anity. The religion of the New Testament disdains the aid of implicit faith. It calls on individuals of every rank to "search the Scriptures; to judge even of themselves what is right;" and having made every proper inquiry into this most important of all subjects to render unto others "a reason of the hope that is in them," neither rashly nor dogmatically, but "with meekness and fear."

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were competent witnesses, because they were not only contemporaries, but

they were the associates and followers of Jesus Christ. Matthew was found "sitting at the receipt of customs," an office of respectability under the government of his country. Luke," the beloved physician," must have possessed some degree of education, as he filled up one of the liberal professions. Mark and John may have possessed a certain portion of knowledge. All the original propagators of the Christian religion were men of plain sense, and of uncorrupted understanding. They saw and heard what they testified. They were competent to form an accurate judgment.

As Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were competent, so they were likewise honest witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Viewing them in every possible situation, there is no reason to suspect their integrity. Jesus was the reputed son of a carpenter, and born in Nazareth, out of which obscure, as well as despised place, no good was expected. His followers were fisherman, men possessing neither rank nor consequence in society. In quitting their respective situations, they did not improve their circumstances: they were insulted and reviled-they were thrown into fetters consigned to the darkness of a dungeonwhilst some of them perished upon the ensanguined scaffold.

The end also must be considered for which Jesus Christ came into the world. The Messiah employed himself in the dissemination of knowledge-in the inculcation of repentance-in the bestowment of forgiveness-in the exemplification of every good work-as well as in the disclosure of a future state, by his resurrection from the dead, and ascension up into heaven, accompanied by the solemn assurance of his "coming a second time without sin unto salvation!" Cunning and fraud would never have conspired to introduce such a system. The kingdom of Satan would be thus divided against itself. It is the cause of God and of truth. Righteousness alone can have suggested, sanctioned, and established the reign of Jesus Christ. "Him hath God exalted (Acts v. 31, 32,) with his right hand, to be a Prince and Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgivness of sins. And we are

his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit whom God had given to them that obey him."

Having offered these preliminary remarks concerning the nature of testimony, upon which rests the entire gospel of Jesus Christ, I present you with a brief summary of the leading facts of the New Testament. And here I shall confine myself to the four Gospels, and to the Acts of the Apostles, as explanatory of these gospels. Paley remarks" It hath been my care to preserve the separation between the Evidences and Doctrines as inviolable as I could; to remove from the primary question all considerations which have been unnecessarily joined with it, and to offer a defence of Christianity which every Christian might read without seeing tenets in which he had been brought up attacked or denied. And it always afforded a satisfaction to my mind to observe that this was practicable-that few or none of our many controversies with one another affect or relate to the proofs of our religion that the rent never descends to the foundation."

FACTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

These facts of the New Testament may be introduced by remarking, that, at the period of our Saviour's appearance, an expectation of the event prevailed throughout the Jewish nation. This arose from that long series of prophecies delivered by divine messengers at various times and on various occasions. The augustæra of prophecy commenced immediately after the fall of our first parents, when, distracted by remorse, and covered with shame, an assurance was given them, (Gen. iii. 15,) that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head!" Then followed intimations of the person, character, death, and sufferings of the Messiah, in whom all "the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Hence the expectation of such a personage prevailed. In him all the luminous prophecies of the Old Testament centred, and by his advent they met their consummation.

The Hebrew appellation Messiah, or anointed, alludes to a custom of the Jews, by which their kings, their high