The Evidences of the Genuineness of the Gospels Volume 1 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. ARGUMENTS DRAWN FROM OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. Beside the argument already adduced, there are others, to which we will now advert. I. It would have been inconsistent with the common sentiments and practice of mankind, for transcribers to make such alterations and additions as have been imagined, in the sacred books which they were copying. No one can be so dull as not to feel the importance and propriety of preserving the genuine text of books, which are regarded as works of authority, or as possessing a peculiar character in consequence of their having been composed by a particular author. In proportion as a work is of higher authority, this sentiment will be stronger. It would be idle to imagine, that the habit of making additions and alterations at will, which is attributed to the transcribers of the Gospels, was common in ancient times, and practised in the transcription of other writings, the histories, for instance, of Thucydides or Tacitus. But with the great body of believers, the Gospels were peculiarly guarded from corruption; and what we apprehend so little concerning other writings, is still less to be apprehended concerning them. The Christians of the first two centuries, it cannot be doubted, valued very highly their sacred books, and none more highly than those which contained records of the actions and discourses of Christ. But they valued them, as sacred books, and as authentic histories, and not as the patchwork of unknown transcribers. They would not, therefore, suffer them gradually to assume the latter character. They would not cause, or permit, alterations and additions to be silently introduced into books of history, the authenticity of which would be thus destroyed; and sacred books, the peculiar character of which Avould in consequence...