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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ♦• signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN ". ■2 Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds A des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque !e document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd A partir de i'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 2' 11 IHE mHENIICITIf Of THE BIBLE DElNSmiEO, V I.KCTinE HY J". L. n^-A.K.a-.^^cii. PlCKKIfl.VU, O.VT,, /SSO. U'r ,„„ „:,f In; ,.,/ f, ,»} .,>1 ull ! h Tin f.ii/h /., //•///,•// „:• in„ In: l,r,n;lf, ,,,,.1 ,//, /,/ /„,/,., ,„,,st l„ a ,:,l,ii,il,i. s,, f,, r 'IS if /,n,irss,s fu i„ u i;r,th ui all. ,„- ;/ ;. „nll,;.n,. Fl; K. II.- I„ir, ,1 )•;,,}, I t,. ..if i„ ,,nl,,„i.„t nr.r ll,. r,: ,1. nliuls „/" liv,i,',„'s ,n„l,(iss,„l,,r. I, III ii; l„ir, ,„, rn/hl tu .-it /, j,,,!,; Ilh'iif ni-rr f/,r I iijt If iiiil f in,i li, ijifi's us. < 'l| \ I.M KItS. ' I OSIIAW.V. >'i(i\ii:i. i!v K Mi\ii\ Kim, Stkkkt Kast. I,S,S(I. ft ---^ ^ ^ Mnnst, , iij AiiiititllniK. I I - ^ ^ " The Authenticity of the Bihlo Dpnion!=^tnte(l." :o- -Mil) (lie coiitlicliiii; jiliilosopliics of (lie IH'iscilt ^ff^il^ ■•'«'■. tV.M|ii,.iitl\ il.r Ik. 11. St iiiiil iiitiliiir« lit iii- i|nirti' ii.is iiiiiiiy tiiiils ImIoic |ir (■.•m cinss tlic ^..Jr^':- ^"iitriiii; wiilns ot iiiKrrtaiiity wliidi tf lie. The Muhaiiimtvlan t-irst liclie\cs that the Koran is the U oril of (uiil, ami then liclicxcs what it savs. SimilarU, i'vi'vy false system of religion is foumlcil on i.elief, instead of knowledj,',.. Chrisfiaiiity is then,//,/ system of reli-,'ion not foiiiidid (.11 the l.elifi of iis (li.--ci|i!( >. It ;. fonml ■(! on knowledov, icali/cd l.y faith, and exhiliitcd l,v works. Christ and his .\|.ostl»s only dcniaiKh d credence ii|.()n evidence adduced, ('hiisf said to his |ierscciitor-. '• If I do not •he works of .My Father l.elieve .Me not, Imt il I do. tliou:;li ye lielievc not .Mc. Iieliesc the works : th;;! ve nia\ know ami liclicve. that the l-'aihei is ir, .M.. a:id I in Him." I le I hiis |ilaces knowledge lieforc helief. and claims, after that, faith av a just due. In like manner the ,\|iost.|cs appealed to the miracles which tliev performed as pid()f of (IihI's complete concurrciice. When a person sliows yon a Itook cr anv otlier article, you are (jonscious that the article exists, '{"his convinciii;,', through t]-e sense of si^dlt, ur any other sense, is called, l.y I : ^ ^■ ■^ ^ ^ 1 1 » l«)]l{l('iaii.s, st'iisiKiiis iliiiionslralinii. Tlial wliicli tlicv ilcHi;^liu(t' iis Id^iciil ilciiidiislnil inii iiuiv lie illu -t i.tli'il l.y ll.l s (■uiniiioii f.\.'iiii|il« All IIK'tl Mil' IIIDltill. .SocTiltcS IS II lllilll, 'riit'rft'nrf Sdciatcs is uiortal. Tl IDS, ill)' niDi'talitv ot •latrs is ilt'iiuHistratfil (ir sliiiwii lifcaiist', iVoiii tills cDiu'liisioii, tlnic can 1 <• no appeal, it AM, iiicn an- mortal anM "^(m ratcN liiloii',,'s to tlial class of licinirs, tor tlicii tin- "Tiirral hiMliiation cr assiT- ,| . ... . ' ' lion of iiiortalily wliidi a|i|ilii's to i'\( ly iinli\ iilual in the class must apply tu liim : oi'. a loyi.'al 'It iiiuiist latitin may 1m' csplaincil to !ir . Tlic inakiiiy tlic inilli of an assertion us (".idrnt as i.•^ tlic s('lt('\ idi nl. I''\ iilrnrc m.iy lie aiidiii'i'il. in ciNil c. .■,<•;<, wliirli yon mnst accept as pi'oof, tlioii^li new ami pel haps surprising, liut, in a demonstration, only tacts wliich are known, to tlie parties .iddresseil. can he ns"(| as foundation lacts or .lata, and all that the demonst ratoi ran do, is to aiialiye lliose ficls foi them ami apply •hem t<) the case in (picstion. We shall show. Iir>t. that the New Testament i^ixes a true account of the •xt'ritnl lives o| ('hrist and his Apostles, and. as a tirst step in that work, leter to the mi'thod, usnally adopted, ot pid\inL; the Ljenuinene.ss of the New Testament, hy following the moile, much alilire\ iated, (.if presenting the lacts developed hy the |{e\. Henry Allon. in his K.\eter Hall lecture of I S.")i'. as we know of no olhei' form so well adapted foi the outlining of the his- torical eviileui'es ot ( 'li risiiaiiit V. During; the last three hundred \eiirs there has lieen a constant hostility iietA-cen the Clnuchof iJonie antanl ini>|ili' and :ill ills adlincnts. and. witii <'<|Mal ardor, the i'ltiiait-li i('|ilici| in kind. Tsso jnindicd vt- tis In'toic i Ins Wn-v had drni- alinul tln'sani<' tliiiii;. w Idcli is sliown li\ tlic lii.-^lorv of cai-li (Lninli JMstifxiny it-, own action. As lar liack as tla- \tai- ."i I 7 tlicsc cliiiiclifs liait'H«'nl, as wonld |H(\cnl tla' |io.»iliilily (liad tiny liccn so inclined* of tla'ii cntciiiiL; into any con>|iiiacy \\licrcl)\ a siniflc line coiiM Iia\e lieen changed in tin- liooks tlien acknowlid^ed as of hiviiie anlliority, anil tliese cliuicho present iih with id»'ntical niannscii|it copies of tla- (Jospcl.s widih aiv, today, rej,'arded as llu most \aliialiic lieasiri's of the inonastaiies ot the east and the liliiaries of the ivest. So far then, ;is oiir ;ir:;iinient i> concciiied. w c aie nou -"tandini,' in the middle of the fourth centuiy with oiii New 'restanaai' in oaf hands \{ the ('ouncil of Nice, in the yeai' .")'_'.'•, when the .\ii;tn I (inli(i\ eisy cailsi'd the dispiilants to ipiole the New 'Te.Ma- ment. especially the ( lospels, we lind that llav ipiuted oiii- New 'I'eslaiiieiit and neithef party ohjected. A similar ar;;iinant louiided vipon ihe conlroveisies w ith JH'retics diiiiiii; the pievions hiinilreij years,wonld show, liv the ipiot.itions on lioth sides, that it was our New 'I'esia- nn-nt whii-h was held as the .^taiidaid of tiiith. <)ri<4en, iJishop of .Mexanilria, who was lioni alioiit the y(!ar I'OO, was one of the mos^ celeltrated scholars in that ur;,'unH'ntati\ (• aLje, aial he has >pioled in lii.s \aiied woiks nearly two-thiids of onr New Ti'stanienl. l-'nither, ue are intiM'med hy llena'Hs, and se\eial olhei- w ritms. that the fonr (Jospels in llieii- present foiin were received in the yeiii' 177 liy all the ('hristian Chnrclies. it wonld take too much sp.ice wtne we to ;;ive the facts, names and ipio'alions which pro\e that assertion, Itnt we m.iy spaie the elloit, for onr present jairpose, as the evidence is so clear and con viiK'in:^ that not only are the pai'tie.s in the chiiii-h agreed in rei;aid to it, luit ev«!n inlidels of the most prononnced f JS ^ ^ 5^ If 6 cliiuii'tci fVfi'lv mliiiit tlir III'. Nt)\v III- if o'>H('rv«!(l (liii ill till' yiMi' 177 vvi« iwi' Hilly 77 yus tioiii thf (r i wo \ |io|.ii(i«'s tor the ( 'hiistians to the KmiHidi. In ihosr liooks li»> ilt'sciiiii's the ii'liijions liooks in use ainiaii.' ( 'hri.^tians as t li»' Mi'iiioiials of tilt' Apostlrs ami their ( "oiii|ianions. *' Now," say iiiliili'ls. " those Menioiials wiir not the same, as those called the New 'reslaineiit ," that l^, not the same as those nseil liy licna'Ms iiml the rliiiieh in 177. whieh they fieely ailmil was the same as our New Ti'stiiie'iit. The facts, however, are thai .lustin wrote his tirst A|m) lo,|,'y in he year I I'l, hence only .■>7 years at most had eia|ised lietweeii Ireiia'iis iii;d Justin, and it cannot l»e ?on cei\e.l that, in that shoit sjiace of time, one set of (Jospcls had ilisa|t|ieaied which had lu'cn read in all the ('hiistian ('hiirches till all (hiistians had Weeome i|Hitf tamiliai with liiem, and aiiotlit r set had sji'iini; n|i in their strad coii tainin;,' accoiinis nt the most iucn-dil'lp miiacles. Mow thi.-coiild lia\i l,.ij'|.>iud >.it!iou* a [aote'-t, <»i' even the tradition of a protest, having come down to iis is inconeeiv- alile, when we consider tiie ninltitude of miliar matters whose history has reached ns t'loai so many dill'eicnt sources. Uiit .Fiislin'.s wiuks render 'his arj,Miiueht un necessary, for he has (|Uoted lai'^'ciy from the .Memorials, and not only do theM' (piotatioiis a:,'ief wit h our .Memorials. as \\v. ha\e them in the New 'restament. lait. in many instances, they are the accounts of what iiitidels es|iecially aliluir, th.at is, ai-ccamts of miracles, and these the most stupendous. .J ustin says I ha! •'('hrist lualeil all maimer of di.sease rose from the dead and a;-ceudcd into Iieaxcn," with many more of those wcimlers related in the New Testament, while he contradicts none- of its statements and died .a luarfyr for his testimony. I'>ui we caiir.ot dwell on the histor\ of tliese 77 years, tor it is \oluiuinous and \aried. yet we pie.-tiiliiilil in 177. IiciiMMis in ii Ifttn to FIoiiniiM, wlijrh Iuih Iutii |ut"siT\i-(l I'V Kusf'liiuH, si^VH : I saw yon, wlicn I was \v\y .v<"iii;;. in I.i.wci .\>ia with rcre tliose ill his own |ios.se>sioii, for this letter was wii'teii in lh< ir defence, .Old they ha\ ■ lieen admiited. Ipv ''lirisiian and Inlldel. to tir the same as otirs. Ireiia-iis sealed his testimony with his Mood in the year •_'()!'. 'j',, diow how fully ihe-e St riiitnres were tin.-t.d. hy those who were tia» near the toiintaiii head of sensnoiis demonstration to lio niistakeii. we have i idy to note thai at this lime. .A. D, -jOi', lit. 111)11 Ct'iistiaiis siifl'-ied martyrdom rather than d.-iiv what they l^iiew to l.e tnie. \\ v may also he reminded, that, save the .\|M)stles and their er)m|)aiiioiis. no other Hiilhorship has really Keen claimed for the New 'I'estanient . This sketch will show how the historicd evidences have lifcn and may he arranged, lait. as many authorities, si.cli as Paley and ChaliiuMS. may lie coii.nlted tor t'-illei' infor- mation, wc procPfd to onr special work. Sujipose we were lo liiid a hook which stateil that L',i"l() years ago a man named TIiom[i.son owned a largu fiini-,and ! ^ ^^ tlmt II iiiiin of tin- II, HID- iit'Siiiitli IikI t'i)i;4''.i|»i'i>, drcilH. ^^'^., IIM'I I'V fllC.Sf ll|f'llll^ (|iH|»ilKH«»HNiM| 'rilMIII|m()n, i«lpl tllllt Uc, lit tilis l|i^lllll• ilair, wric irtjiiiini to |>i()\i- tliiit tlit'H- liifji lijiil livt'd :iiii| ;ict»i| kept ll|) till- liM uliaii*'!, iiiitl liiitl cDiitcstcil tli»- |n»iii», ill i'V»TV roiirt ill tlic wdiIiI, fidiii tin first 'rii«Jii|t>-d in tlir DiiiliDi'i' iiSHi-rtcd. Now, till roiitin'iioiis iictwiiii tin- Jews and ( 'liristiaii.s lire, for cons tain-y and noiorifty, para I li I to thin supposition. 'I'lii^ of itself would l'ii<. TU E I) A'. 1/ 0.\ 'S TKii TIQ.\ ', '■"^ Tliinl - lie iniglit lie alilc to lit'. Kitlici' ut' tlif tirsL two, tliat is to say, liis altsence or in- aliility to jiidgi', iiicvciits the assured certainty that lie knows the truth, ami the thiid, tiiai it is jiossilde h)r liiiii to lie. (hunajL^es liis evi(hMK:e fur lo^jical (hita. Ihit, when the e\idenee in t'aver of tl;e truth of an asM-itioii has none of those def»'i'ts, that assertion must lie true. To ]iro\e that the evid^'nee it tlie .Xposth's, ie-ardini,' the (ios|ii'l, is not tliu.s IdeuiisIieiK is our work, and is eijual to |iro\in^ that tlie Aimstles kn- ir and /mA/ the tnitli. 'I'hei'et'ore we sliall prove : I. Tiiat the Aposth's weic present and liad e\>'i y facility for jndginif. II. That they were s. When we prove these two statements it will he eviderit that they knew the tiaitli. III. We shall estahlish that what they told was what they knew ; and hence, tliey told tlie truth. FlltsT. — We prove that the Apostles were not deceived, hut had every ficility fo\' judging of th" reality of the works called miracles. To see that the Apostles were provided with all the aids which would completely tit them to judge, whether the so- called miracles were due to supernatural agency or not, we have only to read their narrative, and, as we read it, assume Sg I 1 I I i Of II 11 tililt f/n>/ trrr,' „f,/r /,,,»,/;,,. 'I'lljs COIUKC W i 1 1 1„. |(.^MC,llly I«'^'itiiiiat<'. M,. we sli;ill /,/v./v. I.y Mririuiifiits, \v wliidi tlif point iiou under .•i.iisidciatioii uillnot I.h i, noli, •,!, that tliey /'■'/•' (////> to jii(l<'e. P>oin the history ol their r,,:h-r,H>J lives uc select toiii sets of facts that cxhil.it their , opportunities for ju.I^dn- aml theii (hsire to investi'^ate 1. ^evel^•li of tiie uiiracles uliieh Christ perfoi-nied were of siu'ii a icind, on su/li a seah', and llie .\p(;st!es were so eonneeted with the eiieunistanees. tIla^ they conM not l.e mistaken, if they were men of even inediinn natuial al.ilitv. Kdiicatioii or scientitic tiaining was not a H' -ui.^ite V example, wlien ("lnist fed in the (hjsert — mark wliere i th(' desert, far from phtces of eoncealmejit, Hve thousand men, liesides women and eldhlren. on five h,aves and two tishes. Tlie disciples hanrdeassions o tlieir imaginations, who leil tlicni (;a|itiv(; on the thiy of J*eiitecost, yet they liecaine tlie conscious sid)jects of a change wliich was so peneti'atiiig and thorougjt that thence- foith all theii scepticism teased. They only saw cloven tongues joid heard syndiolic sounds, yet thev knew witliout stud V and cou dd speal \vi thout a itroinpter anv laniruaue Now if they cotdil li(ili(ne that they were thus gifted, while they were TU)t, they must have heen either mad or idiotic, lull we shall pi'ove to the contrary of that presently. I. After Christ's ascension tin- Apostles weie the miracle woikui's, and they knew whetlier these woiks were ot ov,. th- l.est of thos. whom rl,. world 'q#inds as the chief,aiu. of scho'astic phih.sophv. (Jenius still stamlsonthetop,.,- hi. highest tli^ht lookiie^ up to '•ead the marvel of (ime the history of .Jesus as i, is written hy Ifis Apostle.-, ..nd disciples, for it reaches the heights ot .sul.lindty i.y the st<.p.s of simplici, v . gar'ands the rugged strength of reason and logic with the lu-auties ot the "Hose of Sharon and the Lily ot the Valley" wakes the .slumhering echoes of woe, to turn them into 'a retrain ol promise and pardon an.I takes off the saekejotli of sorrow and sadness that i: may clothe with the loben Ji u of riglitoonsiKs.", aii'1 vcjoicing. If thpsp writers wero not itispiu'il, ami were nat'Uiil fools, tlic |(Ow«t of their jK-iKua- sioii would lie more wondtM-fiil tliaii all tln-ir iiiiiaclcs. It would lie uiitliiukaMc. for it would l>c l I i 1 1 1*) Tin' ApOHtlfH togutlii-r with Immlieils who kut-w tli<» g(.'iieml facts and most ot' thi' [tartii'iihirs is well as ihry (lid, agri'c and c'oiiil)im' to |inniinlj4at<', in tlif most [niltlic nianntr and with iincjualiticd iiei.istt'iici', a ^vstt•ln of religion, having, so far as tin' world could s(!t', for its main ol>jt^ct the overthrowing and snperst'ding of every other system of religion extant, while they, Iiy their miracles, called (iod to witness that Ife was the authoi- of this religi»)i; which, they said, was destined to l)ecom« univei-sal Sii|)|)ose they weie liars, 'j'his would lead to tliu in«iuiry : What earthly iiMvanl did they expect or recei\e, for, according to their own teaching and the verdict of common sense, they coulil have no hope, if liars, of a hea- veidy one ! The following was [irovcd to We the only true reply, when it was shewn that the New Testament history oi the I'.et'ii'imllivt'ii of the Apostles was triu'. This hi.itory and the proofs of its genuineness tell us that from those they taught, they r(!cei\ed so little, like thi'ir Master, thev had scarcely wiiere to lay their heads, while, fr(jm the world, instead of reward they rec* ived all manner of pei-- secution becaust; they preached ('Inist and the rt^siirn-ction. Some have urged that v.-hile the Apostle^ were with <'lirist they expected an earthly rewaid, as they supposed that Fie had come to free their nation from ivoman thrall, and would restore tlu' civil supremacy of the dews, and that this hope lingered with them and >ustaiiu' suspicions abroad that it had lieen Hied l>y the Kinperor's order, Tacitus says : — " Ihit neither tliese exeriions, nor iiis largesses to the '• peo}ile, nor his otlerings to the gods, did away the in- " iVimous imputation under whicli Nero lay, of having " ordered the city to he set on fire. To put an end, there- " fore, to this i('|>ort, he laid the guilt, and inflicted the " most cruel ])unishnients, upon a set of |)eople who were " holden in abhorrence for their crimes, and ca'lcd liy the " vulgar, C/iristidiis. The Founder of that name was " Christ, who suflered death in the reign of Tiberius, under " his procurator Pontius Pilate. This pernicious supersli- " tion, thus checked for a while, l)roke out again ; and " »i)rcad not <ad upon the " earth finds its way and is practi.sed. Some who confessed '* their sect, were first seized, and afterwards, liy their in- " formation, a vast multitude were api)i'eiieiuled, who were " convicted, not so much of the crime of burning Rome, as " of hatred to mankind. Their sutlt'iings at their execu- " tion were a^i^ravated bv insult and luockerv ; for some " were disguised in the skins of wild i)easts, and woiiicd " to death l>y dogs ; some were ciucitied ; and others were *' wrappeil I'p in pitched shirts, and set on fire wiien the '' day closed, that they might serve as lights to illiuiiinatc " the night. Nero lent his own gardens t\)r these execu- " tions, and exhibited at the same time a mo"k Cir(>ensian " entcu'tamment ; l)eing a spectator of the whule, in the *' dress of a cliarioteer ; sometimes mingling with the crowd " on foot, and sometimes viewing the spectad'^ irom his car. " This conduct made the sutlerers pitied ; and tlioiigh they " werv! crimiuals, and deser\ing the severest 1 unishnients, sf 17 " yet they were ronsitleretl us HneriHocastle.s were certain that h»lx)nng for (,'hrist wouKl not l>€' urwhictive of teuipoial l>enetit, ane siiu|>Iy ioo ahsiini tu suppose that tliey tohl the most Uiipopiilar of lies, in ti)e face of present ignominious piinishntent, for tlie inn)io'»aJ.le chance of posthumouH fame. Nor is ihe argument of any vahu*, " that the Aj>08tle» miglit have been kept from changing tlieir story, after it l>ecame unjiopular, for the sake of apl)earing consistent," for such a reason is not in keeping with the circumstances, because they were driven from phiee to place and could liave ceased to n»ention tlie matter had they Wen so inclined. Instead of this, however, they p.-e.ssed on the work, in each new field, proclaiming the (jrOS|)el of Redeeming lA)ve whilst the devisings of pei-secut- ing hate continued to consume the charred remains of their ever scant earthly enjovments. Kiom these facts it is evi- dent that they did not hailK)r a hope of an earthly lewai'd, hut, on the contrary, were beini: continually punished either actiially or l>y anticipation. 1. It has I>een demonstrated that sane men do not lie for punishment. 2. The Ai)0stles have been proved sane. 3. They were constantly piuiished for what they con- tinued to tell. Hence, what they told was not a He. Therefore, the stoiy of the Cross is true. By linking what has l)een proven with an objection often urged bv infidels and sceptics, it will be manifest that tiie Apostles were unalde to lie and preserve unchanged the circumstances which environed them throughout their Apostolic life. The objection is that the Apostles were only human and that " to err is human," and these ol»jec- toi-s appear to forget that liability to err is but a negative condition and that there aio other attendants, positive and J» 18 potent, as inevitaldy attai-liwd lo liuiiiaiiity as that of err- ing, une. of wliicli in itaiii-liating. Take the following faots, Ahifli were ostaltlislied as our argiuiient (leveloped, and conteiiiplate tliein in conjuin'tioii with their hun>aiiity, and it will be seen that the coiiiliina- tion et)uld not exist if tin* Apostles were liars. For, they lied — if th(>y did lie -knowingly and unitedly, and hence, if not inspired — and that is what sceiiticisni would show — they were mental 'dants, plavin'' the fool con tinnonsly and collectively that they might make their own present punishment a certainty. This woiild he nn iinpos- sihle basis foi' a puiely ttunmn co-partnership, incon- eeivahle as a lt(»nd of union between jxilit/i'if'rs, seeing that any one of tliein, at any time, could have caused his persecution to cease liy merely admitting that what he had been telling was untrue. F'or, as tln^y knew the tiuth - being miriicle workers — if they persisted in sticking to a lie, which they saw could produce thtm nothing but evil even unto death, then, they, individually and jointly, would have Ixen suicides from malice aforethought ngain.st their own fle.sh, which would indicate frantic insanity, while we have [oroved thom sane and truly intelligent, yia, without a trace of mental aberration or flaccidity. Now. if they were eipial to all this, a set of men can be l)ereft of reason while they are peerless [irodigies of wisdom, or they can be silly incapables, while their intellectual feats reach beyotid the range of all unaided mentality, either of which is impossible. Thus, Vjecanse of their humanity and its environment, they were unable to lie, and we previously proved that their story was true. 80, from two lines of argument, we have reached the same conclusion. Each has shown that the Apostles told the truth, otherwise the inconceivalile has become a reality and the impossible practicable, which would be as if absurdity itself were concordant with common sense. Now as there aie only three things which destroy testimony, and as it has been shown that not one of the.se has in any degree tainted the Apostolic testimony : there- (on; their testimony is true, aiul the New TesUiufm is. what it ehjiiiis to be, tlie inspiivd Word of (Jod. it iH an arknowledyed fact that at the time of ("hiist the nil Testament was th<' same as it is now, and. while He an! Hii. Aj.ostles oondemned «11 Jewish innovations, they reeeived and ., noted it witliont correetion or anv .|ualifying comment. The Jews held it to he the Word of (Jod. Christ received it as such, and so must we, else we shall set K8i