erseded others. They soon acquired a character and established a
reputation which does not appear to have belonged to any other: that, at
least, can be proved concerning them which cannot be proved concerning
any other.

But to return to the point which led to these reflections. By
considering our records in either of the two views in which we have
represented them, we shall perceive that we possess a connection of
proofs, and not a naked or solitary testimony; and that the written
evidence is of such a kind, and comes to us in such a state, as the
natural order and progress of things, in the infancy of the institution,
might be expected to produce.

Thirdly: The genuineness of the historical books of the New Testament is
undoubtedly a point of importance, because the strength of their
evidence is augmented by our knowledge of the situation of their
authors, their relation to the subject, and the part which they
sustained in the transaction; and the testimonies which we are able to
produce compose a firm ground of persuasion, that the Gospels were
written by the persons whose names they bear. Nevertheless, I must be
allowed to state, that to the argument which I am endeavouring to
maintain, this point is not essential; I mean, so essential as that the
fate of the argument depends upon it. The question before us is, whether
the Gospels exhibit the story which the apostles and first emissaries of
the religion published, and for which they acted and suffered in the
manner in which, for some miraculous story or other, they did act and
suffer. Now let us suppose that we possess no other information
concerning these books than that they were written by early disciples of
Christianity; that they were known and read during the time, or near the
time, of the original apostles of the religion; that by Christians whom
the apostles instructed, by societies of Christians which the apostles
founded, these books were received, (by which term "received" I mean
that they were believed to contain authentic accounts of the
transactions upon which the religion rested, and accounts which were
accordingly used, repeated, and relied upon,) this reception would be a
valid proof that these books, whoever were the authors of them, must
have accorded with what the apostles taught. A reception by the first
race of Christians, is evidence that they agreed with what the first
teachers of the religion delivered. In particular, if they had not
agree