miracle. The introduction of this remark by the way plainly shows that it was made, or otherwise the writer would not have thought of it. It does not belong to the miracle—it makes no part of the story-it seems to have been mentioned, not because it was necessary, but because it was true. It was an incidental remark of the Jews; the writer recollects it, and therefore mentions it. 9. The same remarks are applicable to the next verse: "And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?" In this there is an undesigned allusion to another miracle; it does not appear to be forced in—it is perfectly natural, and just such an observation as we should expect from those who had witnessed the miracle mentioned. If the history was forged, the resurrection of Lazarus doubtless made a part of the writer's plan; but this speech of the Jews could not, for it had no connection with the event. It seems to us to be one of those many particulars in the Gospel histories which never would have been thought of, if they had not been true. The object of the writer is to give an account of the raising of Lazarus; as he proceeds, this observation of the by-standers appears to have come into his mind, and he notes it down as he goes along. 10. In chapter xx of Acts we find another example. Paul had been preaching at some considerable length, and the writer in his account of it takes occasion to say "there were many lights in the upper chamber," where they were assembled. He had already said that it was near midnight, which fact presupposes there were lights, and the observation seems to be made simply because the writer chanced to recollect the circumstance. An instance is found in chapter xxvi. 29.-Paul pleading before Agrippa forces him to exclaim, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Paul replies, "I would to God that not only This thou, but also all who hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds." last, " except these bonds," is a singular expression, and is called forth by the chain upon Paul's hands, as it was the custom to place them upon the Roman prisoners. We say this is a very peculiar expression, and it would seem that it never would have been thought of, had it not actually have been made under the circumstances mentioned. Had the history been forged or invented, this idea would not have occurred to the writer; it is plainly the offspring of reality, and goes to confirm the truth of the narrative. In Acts ix. 43, it is written of Peter-" And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner." Would the person who composed this narrative, if it were all an invention, have added that Simon was a tanner? It seems to us that the incidental mention of this fact looks very much like truth. There was no call for it if it was all fiction; it has nothing to do with the objects of the history; it appears to have been noticed without any design, not because it had any connection with the story, but because this was the fact. 11. Once more, and we have done. In Matthew xviii. 28, it is said that Christ was led from the presence of the high priest to the place of trial as follows:-" Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment; and it was early." Now, this last circumstance has no connection with the portion of history where it is found; there is no reason why he should have mentioned that it was early. It does not help us to understand the history at all; the story is just as intelligible without it; and there seems to be no other cause for its mention than that the writer recollected that it was early, and so noted the fact. In the account of the resurrection by John, we have the following:-"Then cometh Simon Peter, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie; and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself." Now, would any one be likely to invent this circumstance of the napkin's being wrapped up in a place by itself? It does not seem so to us, and it is hardly possible that it should to any candid mind. There is no cause for this statement unless it was true; it has nothing to do with the narrative; it was a matter of no consequence whether the napkin was by itself, or with the rest of the clothes; it is altogether an unimportant fact, and seems to have been mentioned only because it was a fact. 12. In concluding this section, we have only to ask any fair minded man to look at these few examples of undesignedness in the notice of small particulars, and inquire of himself if they are the marks of imposture or fiction. Yea, let him ask if they do not carry with them an air of truth and reality. It appears to us that they constitute one of the strongest internal evidence of the authenticity of the Gospel history, of the actual occurrence of the events mentioned therein. They are not what are denominated striking proofs, but they are convincing; they are not the blustering assertions of the writer that he is telling the truth, but they are retired, and must be brought out by careful examination. For this, however, they are the more valuable, and fully repay the labor of search, in strengthening the conviction of the honesty of the writer, and of the truth of what he relates. SECTION V. THE FACTS MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, IF FALSE, WOULD HAVE LED TO IMMEDIATE EXPOSURE. 1. In this section we shall bring forward some examples of events recorded in the Gospel histories, which, had they never taken place, would have exposed the fraud as soon as these histories were published, and Christianity would have been smothered in its very birth. The evidence gathered from this source we regard as of great importance in our inquiry, and it is hoped that the reader will give his undivided attention to it, and weigh with candor the inferences which shall be drawn from it. 2. The first example which we shall offer is that found in the history of the raising of Lazarus, and the son of the widow of Nain. John xi. Luke vii. We take them together, because they are of the same character, and what is applicable to one, is equally so to the other. Now, if the statement made in relation to these two individuals was false, how easy it would have been to prove it so. If no such miracles had ever been wrought, no one could have known any thing in relation to them; but if they were wrought, then thousands must have known it, and have been acquainted with the circumstances. Suppose then, when the Gospels were published, some one takes them up, and reads the account of these two persons restored to life. He doubts the truth of it, perhaps, and immediately proceeds to make inquiries. He goes to the neighborhood in which they are said to have been performed; he asks of the people there if they had seen any thing of the kind; they tell him, No. He asks if they knew any one who did see these things? They answer, No. Again he asks if they had ever heard of any person's being raised from the dead in their vicinity? They still answer, No. He would conclude after this investigation, that the history was false. Now, is it not reasonable to suppose that some one, yea, that hundreds would have made these inquiries in relation to such remarkable events, had there been any doubt of their truth? And is it not plain that, had they been false, the wicked imposition would have been exposed at once, and the just condemnation of fraud and lying been fixed upon the writers? And would not their histories, containing such abominable falsehoods, have been given to the winds on their first appearance, instead of being believed by thousands who lived on the very spot where these miracles are said to have been performed ? 3. Another instance of bold statement which, if false, might have been proved so at the outset, is the feeding of five thousand men, beside women and children, with five small loaves and two fishes; and afterwards the feeding another multitude of four thousand men with women and children, with seven loaves and a few small fishes. Matt. xiv. xv. What we wish the reader to observe here, is the number of witnesses that are honestly brought forward. There are in these two cases nine thousand men, and if we allow the women and children to be two thirds as many, we have at least fifteen thousand witnesses to this miraculous event. How easy for any one to have ascertained whether the history was true or false, when such a multitude were associated with it. If the number was |