to this test, and be obliged either to renounce their reason, and the common reason of mankind, or to submit to the clear proof, from reason, of the Christian religion; which must be such a proof, as no imposture can pretend to, otherwise it cannot prove the Christian religion not to be an imposture. And, whether such a proof, one single proof, (to avoid confusion,) is not to be found out, you desire to know from me. And you say, that you cannot imagine but there must be such a proof, because every truth is in itself clear, and one; and therefore that one reason for it, if it be the true reason, must be sufficient; and if sufficient, it is better than many; for multiplicity confounds, especially to weak judgments. Sir, you have imposed a hard task upon me: I wish I could perform it. For though every truth is one, yet our sight is so feeble, that we cannot always come to it directly, but by many inferences, and laying of things together. But I think, that, in the case before us, there is such a proof as you require, and I will set it down as short and plain as I can. op 97 Tor II. First, then, I suppose, that the truth of the doctrine of Christ will be sufficiently evinced, if the matters of fact, which are recorded of him in the gospels, be true; for his miracles, if true, do vouch the truth of what he delivered. The same is to be said as to Moses. If he brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea in that miraculous manner which is related in Exodus, and did such other wonderful things as are there told of him, it must necessarily follow that he was sent CHAP. II. The Christian Religion considered, CHAP. III. On the Evidence of Miracles, CHAP. IV. On the Evidence from Prophecy, CHAP. V. Proofs of Christianity from the New Testament. The Gospel so proved, deserves our firmest assent and adherence to its Doctrines, 392 BY JOHN OWEN, D. D. ON THE DIVINE ORIGINAL, AUTHORITY, AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, ¦ 423 CHAP. I. The divine original of the Scripture the sole foundation of its authority, CHAP. II. How we may know assuredly the Scripture to 425 435 444 CHAP. IV. The Self-Evidencing efficacy of the Scriptures, 453 CHAP. V. Of the Testimony of the Spirit. Traditions. 463 CHAP. VI. Consequential considerations for the confirmation of the divine authority of the Scripture, 481 A SHORT AND EASY METHOD WITH THE DEISTS. SIR, I. IN answer to yours of the third instant, I much condole with your unhappy circumstances, of being placed amongst such company, where, as you say, you continually hear the sacred Scriptures, and the histories therein contained, particularly of Moses and of Christ, and all revealed religion, turned into ridicule, by men who set up for sense and reason. And they say that there is no greater ground to believe in Christ than in Mahomet; that all these pretences to revelation are cheats, and ever have been, among Pagans, Jews, Mahometans, and Christians; that they are all alike impositions of cunning and designing men, upon the credulity, at first, of simple and unthinking people, till, their numbers increasing, their delusions grew popular, came at last to be established by laws; and then the force of education and custom gives a bias to the judgments of after ages, till such conceits come really to be believed, being received upon trust from the ages |