of these histories. Let us proceed then to add the last link to the chain, by giving their testimony.

19. 100-33, the date of the death of Christ. PoLYCARP was the disciple of the Apostle John, and received instruction from him ccncerning the religion of Christ, which of course throws his testimony as far back as the year 90, as John died about the year 100. His Epistle to the church at Philippi abounds with references to the books of the New Testament. Though the whole letter occupies no more than four small quarto pages, yet in this brief space there are ten or fifteen clear allusions to, and twenty-five distinct quotations from, the books mentioned. The principal quotations are from Matthew, Luke, Acts, the Epistle to the Romans, first and second to Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Ephesians, first to Timothy, first of Peter, and first of John. The exactness of his quotations is perfect, "Judge not, that ye be not judged-with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again.” Luke vi. 36, 38. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matth. v. 3. "He who confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is Antichrist." 1 John iv. 3. "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Matt. xxvi. 41. Matt. xxvi. 41. "We brought nothing into this world; we can carry nothing out." 1 Tim. vi. 7. These examples are sufficient to show that the Gospel histories were in existence at this age. And it is a strong argument in support of their general notoriety, that Polycarp does not name the books from which these quotations were taken, notwithstanding they are so numerous. This shows that they were books generally known at that time, and therefore that it was unnecessary to mention where the passages would be found. This is precisely as we do at the presesent day; in writing to a friend on a subject which should call for it, we quote the words, "Judge not that ye be not judged," without stopping or thinking

to name where they may be found, taking it for granted that the Bible is so generally known and read, that every one must know whence they came. This was the manner of Polycarp.

20. IGNATIUS was bishop of Antioch in the year 70, about thirty-seven years from the crucifixion, and of course was contemporary with the Apostles .In his Epistles, of which there are seven, he has distinctly alluded to, or quoted the Gospels of Matthew and John, the Acts and most of the Epistles. The following are examples"The spirit knows whence it comes, and whither it goes." John iii. 8. "Christ is the door by which we enter in." This is from Christ's words in John x. 9. "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." Again," Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as a dove." This is from Matt. x. 16.

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21. Next appears CLEMENT of Rome. This was one of the companions of Paul, of whom he speaks in his Epistle to the Philippians, iv. 3. "With Clement also, and others my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life." The Epistle which we have from Clement was in great repute among the first Christians, and so much was it admired by all, that it was publicly read in the churches. Irenæus, of whom we have before spoken, says, "It was written by Clement, who had seen the blessed Apostles, and conversed with them; who had their preaching still sounding in his ears, and their declarations before his eyes." He quotes from the books of the New Testament after the same manner with Polycarp; he does not name the book, but goes upon the presumption that those to whom he wrote were perfectly acquainted with the source from which the passages came; which shows us how well the books were known, and how faithfully they were read by the first Christians. His letter was addressed to the church of Corinth, and he tells them to

pay attention to the Epistles which Paul had written them. From the evangelical histories, or the Gospels, he quoted such passages as these-" Be ye merciful, that ye may obtain mercy; as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; with what measure ye mete, with the same it shall be measured unto you." Again, he says, Remember the words of the Lord, for he said, "Wo to that man by whom offences come; it were better for him that he had not been born, than that he should offend one of my elect; it were better that a millstone should be tied about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the sea, than that he should offend one of my little ones." Here are direct quotations, word for word, from Matthew and Luke, which prove that these histories were written at that time.— Now, it must be evident that Clement knew whether these books were written by the disciples or not, and if they were spurious histories, or, in other words, if the companions of Christ were not the authors, then he would not surely have acknowledged them. He might have gone direct to Paul for information, had there been any doubt, and have satisfied himself. The fact therefore that Clement quotes them, and bears witness to their genuineness, is equal proof that they were acknowledged by Paul, other

wise Paul would have corrected him. It may not be

out of place here to say, that there are points of striking resemblance in thought and diction, between Clement's Epistle and that to the Hebrews, which may perhaps be attributed to the fact that he was so much in the society, and heard so much of the preaching and conversation of Paul.

22. BARNABUS next calls our attention. He was also a fellow-laborer with Paul, and is frequently mentioned by him in his Epistles. Luke has also given us an account of his travels with Paul, as may be seen in Acts xiv. xv. He has given his testimony to the existence of the Gospel

histories by quotations from them, such as follows:-"Let us therefore beware lest it come upon us as it is written : There are many called, few chosen." Again, "Christ showed that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It will be observed that Barnabas quotes these passages with the preface, it is written, showing thereby that the book from which it is taken was one of authority. This expression was in frequent use, and is indeed at this day employed in the same manner. We often say, when about to produce a passage from Scripture, “it is written," by which it is always understood that such passage is taken therefrom. We learn from it too, that the Gospel histories as early as the days of Barnabas, were generally known, and appealed to as authority. The same remarks made in relation to Clement apply equally here-Barnabas being constantly in Paul's company for several years, and often meeting the other disci

ples, must have known whether they wrote the books ascribed to them. Had they not been the authors, they would have denied them, and Barnabas instead of quoting them, would have repeated the denial. The evidence then is decisive; the Gospel histories were written at that age, and the disciples of Christ were the authors.

23. We have now arrived at the end of the chain of evidence to be produced. We begun with our own day, and we have from this followed up the Gospel histories from year to year, until we have at last carried them to the very feet of the disciples of Christ. And now we would ask, Where is the man who would remove them from this? Where is the man who can steadily look this mass of historical evidence in the face, and not blush to affirm that these books were written two or three hundred years after Christ? Yea, where is he who would not blush to deny that they were written in the days and by the very hands of the disciples themselves? The man who would deny

this, is bound to deny, if he would be consistent, the truth of all history-he should refuse to believe that such men as Alexander, Julius Cæsar, or Brutus lived, or performed the works attributed to them; he should reject the histories of Tacitus, which are not supported by half the evidence; and he should deny that Cicero ever wrote the Orations, or that Dion Cassius was the author of the histories which go in his name-yea, he should deny the genuineness of John Calvin's works, and affirm that they were written long after his time; and by the same rule should in twenty years from this time, or even now, reject the letters of Washington and the works of Franklin, and assert that they were forged years after their death. This is consistent, this is fair: we only ask him to treat all other history as he treats the Christian history; and this is surely a reasonable and proper request. If he believes that the Æneid was written by Virgil, and at the time stated, because this is the voice of all history, let him by the same rule believe that the Gospels were written by the disciples of Christ, and at the time stated.

24. But if he persists in refusing credit to the Gospel histories, we ask him to give a reason for it; we cannot take the broad unsupported assertion that they are not the works of the disciples, as proof that they are not; we must have something more than this. We have given him our reasons for believing that they are; we have produced an unbroken series of proof from our own day to that of the disciples, every part of which testifies to this fact. Now if he does not believe it, let him produce a like unbroken series of proof to the contrary. Let him begin at this date and go back, as we have done on the other side, with an array of historical evidence which shall testify at every step that these books were not writ- ten by the disciples-let him do this, (and we shall be satisfied with nothing less,) and we will then confess that