ork on "the Dissonance of the four
Evangelists," has collected a mass enough, I should think, to terrify
the most determined Reconciliator that ever lived. It is a little
remarkable, that Mr. Evanson has asserted, and has proved, the
spuriosness of the Gospel ascribed to John, which Semler spared,
in the general wreck which he made of the authenticity of the
other books of the New Testament. Mr. Evanson says, in his
examination of it, what has been said before, that the speeches
ascribed to Jesus in it, are most incoherent, contradictory, and
falsified by well known facts. And indeed the author of the book
itself, sterns to be sensible of this; for he very naturally represents
the Jews repeatedly accusing Jesus of being mad. "He hath a
devil, and is mad, (say they to the multitude) why hear ye him?"
and so in other places. Mr. Evanson considers this work as the
composition of a converted Platonist or of a" Platonizing Jew; the
latter we think to be the most correct opinion; since it is evident
that the author of that gospel had the works of Philo at his fingers'
ends, which is more than can be supposed of John. As Semler
excepted the Gospel of John only, so Mr. Evanson excepts the
Gospel of Luke only from the charge of spuriousness: though he
says that it is grossly corrupted, and interpolated. From these
corruptions and interpolations, he endeavours to purify it; in which
attempt wo think he has had very indifferent success. In short, his
work has proved, (what he did not himself contemplate) that the
providence of the God of truth has taken care, that so many
absurdities and contradictions, should be contained in these books
of the New Testament which were written to establish a mistake, as
must I conceive, satisfy any man, who has them once pointed out
to him, that the doctrine of those books is not, and cannot be from
God.

But it may be still asked, "how did this notion of the resurrection
of Jesus become current?" "How can you account for the apostles
believing such a thing?" We answer sincerely--we cannot
absolutely ascertain. The Jews of that age have left no documents
upon this business. The origin of the Christian religion is so
extremely obscure, that Josephus takes no notice of it at all, (for
the passage relating to Christian affairs now found in Josephus are
notorious interpolations.) And it is evident from the Chronological,
and other mistakes about Jesus, in the Talmud, that the curiosity of
the learn