confider martyrs as proofs, in fact, of the truth of any particular opinion: but if virtuous men, men of found sense, suffer martyrdom in fupport of an opinion, I may lawfully conclude, that they were at least fully convinced of the truth of that opinion. It will be proper therefore to enquire into the foundations of their opinion; and, if I find that the facts were fo palpable, so numerous, so diversified, fo united together, and fo connected with the most important end, that it was morally impoffible for these men to have been imposed upon in these facts; I fhall then confider their martyrdom as the final feal of their testimony.

CHA P. XII.

CONCESSIONS OF THE ADVERSARIES OF

CHRISTIANITY.

I

F after having heard thefe witneffes, who fealed with their blood the teftimony they had given to thefe miraculous facts, I learn that their most openly declared enemies, their own countrymen and contemporaries, have attributed to magic the greater number of these facts, this accufation of magic will appear to me an indirect avowal of the reality of these facts. This avowal will, in my opinion, acquire a ftill greater weight, if the enemies of thefe witneffes are at the same time their natural and legitimate superiors; and if, being able to employ all the means which power and authority can administer to expose that which they presume to be an imposture, they never have fucceeded. If, moreover, in the progrefs of my inquiries,

inquiries, it appear further, that these very witneffes, who could not be confuted by their own magiftrates, have conftantly perfevered in charging thefe magiftrates with the greatest of crimes, and that they even dared to accufe them to their face; in this cafe, I think the inference will be infinitely more ftriking. If afterwards it appear, that 'other enemies of thefe witneffes have alfo attributed to magical arts the miraculous facts they attested; if I am convinced that these enemies were as enlightened as the age in which they lived admitted; that they were equally knowing, artful, vigilant, and inveterate; if I know that most of them existed in times not very diftant from thofe of the witneffes; if, finally, I know that one of those enemies, the moft fubtle, the most artful, the most obftinate of them all, and feated too on one of the moft illuftrious thrones in the world, has admitted feveral of these miraculous facts; is it poffible for me, confiftent with the rules of found criticism, not to confider these avowals as strong prefumptions

G4

prefumptions in favour of the reality of the facts in question (1) ?

(1) I again repeat it, the nature of my plan does not admit historical and critical details; the reader will meet with the most material of these conceffions of Celfus, Porphyry, Julian, and the other adversaries of the evangelical witneffes, in the excellent treatises of Grotius, Ditton, Vernet, Bergur, Bullet, &c. Many of the best apologifts for these witnesses might however, perhaps, be charged (and not without reason) with having confidered rather the number of their arguments than their weight, See alfo Campbell on Miracles,

BOOK

CHARACTER OF THE WRITTEN EVIDENCE, AND OF THE WITNESSES.

ΤΗ

HE witneffes to these miraculous facts have undoubtedly handed down to pofterity, in some book, the testimony which they fo publicly, fo invariably, and fo unanimously gave of these facts. Accordingly, a book is exhibited as the genuine narration of the witneffes,

I examine this book with all the attention of which I am capable; and I freely own, that the more I examine it, the more I am ftruck with the characteristics of truth, the originality, and fublimity, which I dis

cover.

This book appears to me unexampled, and absolutely inimitable, The fublimity of thought,