Page.

16

17

CHAPTER II.
The moral Precepts of the Bible, with the Characters which

it is designed to form, and its Superiority in these and vari-
ous other respects to the Hindoo Shasters,

Section 1,
Of the moral Precepts of the Bible,

SECTION 2.
The Characters which the Bible is designed to form,

SECTION 3.
The Hindoo Religion produces no beneficial Effect on the moral
Character,

SECTION 4.
The Characters most in repute among the Hindus,

Section 5.
General concluding Remarks on the internal Evidence,

23

30

33

36

PART II.

THE

HISTORICAL & AUXILIARY EVIDENCES

FOR THE

DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE,

AND

The Preponderancy of these Evidences to any of a similar nature which

can be brought forward in Support of the Claims of the Hindoo Shasters.

CHAPTER I.

Of Miracles. Principles of the Argument derived from Miracles,

42 SECTION 1.

1

Page.

43

The Evidence for the Divine Authority of the New Testament,

arising from the Number, Variety, and Nature of the Miracles
therein recorded,

SECTION 2.
Collateral Observations referring to the Christian Miracies,

SECTION 3.
Of the Hindoo Miracles,

48

52

57

CHAPTER II.

Of Prophery. Of the Argument derived from Prophecy,

SECTION 1.
View of the Prophecies recorded in the Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament,

SECTION 2.
Of the alleged Prophecy of the Hindoo Shasters,

.

74

77

CHAPTER III.

On the Resurrection.
The Argument which is derived from the Resurrection stated,

SECTION 1.
View of the Evidences of the Resurrection,

SECTION 2.
Further Remarks on the Resurrection, with the Evidence which

is derived from it, in Support of the Divine Authority of the
sacred Scriptures,

78

83

CHAPTER IV.
On the Sufferings and conduct of the Apostles.
Principles of the Argument, derived from the Sufferings and
Conduct of the Apostles in the Cause of Christianity,

SECTION 2.

Page.

97

On the Sufferings and Persecutions which the Apostles under-

went in the Cause of Christianity,

Section 3.

On the Conduct and Motives of those who suffer according to

the Rites of the Hindoo Religion,

103

1'07

CHAPTER V.

On the Spread of the Gospel.

Of the Evidence which is derived from the rapid Spread of

the Gospel on its first Publication,

Section ).

Of the extraordinary Spread of the Gospel at the Commence-

ment of the Christian era,

SECTION 2,

Of the Spread of Mahomedanism,

108

113

CHAPTER VI.

Of the Objections commonly advanced by the Hindoos against

the Christian Religion,

Concluding Observations,

118

129

PART 1.

OF THE INTERNAL EVIDENCES

1

OF THE

DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE,

AND

THE DEFICIENCY OF THIS EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE CLAIMS

OF THE

Hindoo Shasters.

1. LEARNED

EARNED men of past ages have employed their talents, and greatly benefitted posterity, by writing the history of the times in which they lived. In examining these histories, so far as they respect civilized nations, we cannot find an account of any people that have ever been without a government, and the establishment of a supreme authority for the regular administration of its laws. The wisdom and policy of men convince them of the uti, lity of such an establishment, and the experience of all ages, whether past or present, shews its absolute necessi; ty to the maintenance of social order in a well regulated community.

2. If the wisdom of men convinces them of the bene. fits of a good government, and its necessity to the maintenance of tranquillity and order, what establishment of this nature may we reasonably suppose, the superior wisdom of God will lead him to adopt for the maintenance of his authority in the world? Certains ly, as God is much wiser than man, we must necessarily

B

suppose that he also has established that system of moral government which shall most conduce to general good; i. e. that he also has given laws by which men are required to regulate their conduct, and that he will ultimately reward or punish them according to their obedience or disobedience to those laws, so far as they have had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with them.

3. If we cast our eyes around, and survey the present state of the world, we must be convinced, by the ignorance of spiritual things which men universally manifest, and the endless variety of opinions which prevail amongst them as to the character of God, the duties which all men owe to him, and the means of their being accepted by him, that such a revelation is absolutely necessary; i. e. this diversity of opinion evidently proves, that unless God gives a revelation of himself, shewing men what he requires then to do, they can never arrive at any certain and satisfactory conclusion as to what is true, and what is false on this subject.

4. That such a revelation is not only absolutely necessary, but that it has actually been given by God, may be strongly inferred from the variety of opposite claims which the different nations of the earth make to their having received such a communication from him, each asserting that its own sacred books are of divine authority, and contain the revelation required. Hence a difficulty arises. Those professed revelations are almost all of them totally opposed to each other, consequently all of them cannot be' true. We never heard of a king who established a separate code of laws, totally opposed to each other, for every province of his dominions; such a system would be productive of endless disorder and confusion. Every monarch establishes one universal law, which is binding upon all his subjects; and for their disobedience to this one law, all will be alike punished. On the ground, therefore, of reason and observation, we may infer, that the majority of the claims which men make to having each received a separate divine revelation must be false. There is a unity in all God's proceedings, and all are cha