Essay was translated into the Italian language by a Neapolitan bishop, and an edition of it

Une chose que distingue cet Essai, et qui doit augmenter le nombre de ses lecteurs, c'est le ton d'aménité, d'affection, de philantropie, qui y respire d'un bout à l'autre. David Bogue ne paroît avoir été animé que par le désir de faire du bien à ses semblables, et de leur montrer la véritable route de la sagesse, de la vertu et du bonheur. C'est dans ce sentiment qu'il puise cette affectueuse douceur qui donne un caractère bien intéressant d'originalité à son livre. Ces matières ont éte si souvent traitées avec la rebutante pretention du ton doctoral. On a vu si souvent les theologiens regenter, avec âpreté, leurs lecteurs, au lieu de les instruire; prendre, avec eux, le langage guindé qui en impose, au lieu du langage simple qui eclaire; qu'on ne sera pas peu etonné de trouver, dans l'auteur de cet ouvrage, le ton paternal d'un homme de-bien, qui ne veut devoir la conviction qu'à la force du raisonnement, et la foi qu'à la lumière.

Il a principalement dirigé ses vues contre les deistes. Comme c'est pour combattre ce genre d'adversaires qu'il s'est armé, c'est dans le sens de cette intention qu'il a dirigé son offensive et sa défensive. Après avoir etabli, dans divers chapitres, les évidences de la divine autorité du Nouveau Testament, il a discuté les objections principales que le deisme dirige contre la religion Chretienne ; et il a mis, dans cette discussion, la decence, la dignite d'expression avec lesquelles les deistes devroient traiter les ministres de la religion, lorsqu'ils attaquent l'Evangile.

Quant a l'atheisme, l'auteur ne s'en est point occupé. Que dire, en effet, en faveur de la religion Chretienne, a des hommes qui ne lisent pas dans le firmament la preuve de l'existence de Dieu ? Raisonner avec eux c'est ressembler

was likewise published at Paris. I am not suf ficiently acquainted with that tongue to form a judgment of it; but I am informed, that to a high degree of elegance it unites the strictest fidelity.

The English edition being sold off, a second has been called for, and is now presented to the public with various corrections, which, it is hoped, will be found to be improvements. That the divine blessing may accompany it, and render it profitable to every reader, and to those especially for whose use it was designed, is the author's fervent prayer.

à ce Romain, qui enseignoit a sa pie à saluer l'Empereur; c'est perdere oleum et operam.

Le style de cet ouvrage est celui qui convient au sujet. Du naturel, de la simplicite, point de luxe, point de clinquant oratoire. Un livre de raisonnement ne doit point être ecrit comme un livre d'imagination; et l'austère langage de la raison ne veut pas que la clarte soit sacrifiée aux ornemens, ni la justesse des expressons 2. leur enluminure.

CONTENT'S.

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1.

OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHORI-

TY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ARISING FROM

THE PRINCIPLES WHICH IT CONTAINS

Sect.

Page

I. The Character of God as delineated in the

New Testament

II. The Character of Jesus Christ

III. The delineation of human nature

IV. The doctrine of a Mediator, and redemp-

tion through him

V. The moral precepts of the Gospel

1

14

15

19

29

31

39

44

48

51

VI. The manner in which a future state is rep-

resented in the New Testament

VII. The motives proposed by the Gospel

VIII. The characters which the New Testament

is designed to form

IX. The happiness which results from the Influ-

ence of the Gospel in forming such char-

acters

X. There is every thing in the New Testament

which a revelation from God may be ex-

pected to contain

OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHORITY

OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ARISING FROM CON-

SIDERATIONS SUGGESTED BY ITS CONTENTS

I. The New Testament conveys more im-

provement to the mind than any other

book

II. There are no false principles in the New

Testament

III. The New Testament is in direct opposition

to every depraved principle in human

nature

Sect.

Page.

76

79

IV. Men never get before the Testament
V. The fullness of the New Testament
VI. The scheme of the divine government as
represented in the New Testament is vast
and extensive

82

VII. The appearance and tendency of the moral world confirm the principles of christianity 84 VIII. The manner in which the New Testament addresses men

XI. The harmony of the writers of the New
Testament

89

91

CHAPTER III.

OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHORITY
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ARISING FROM THE
TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

99

103

105

I. The quality and number of the witnesses
II. Their qualifications for bearing testimony
to Christ

III. Their sincerity and personal conviction of
the truth of their testimony

IV. Their constancy and perseverance in bearing testimony

V. Their sufferings for the sake of their testimony

VI. Their martyrdom as a seal to their testimony 113 VII. It could not be the design of the apostles

to accomplish a good end by bad means 116

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF
THENEW TESTAMENT, ARISING FROM SOME AD-
DITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH FURTHER
CONFIRM THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES 118
I. The improbability of the apostles contriv-
ing a new religion

119

II. The divine origin of the New Testament
may be inferred from the talents of the
writers

121

III. The penmen of the New Testament wrote with ease on every subject

123

IV. The serious spirit with which the apostles write gives weight to their testimony

124

Sect.

Page.

V. No little or evil passions are betrayed by the
writers of the New Testament

VI. The humility of the writers of the New
Testament

VII. The apostles acted as men believing their

testimony to be true

VIII. The apostles do not encourage the prejudices, nor flatter the passions of men

IX. The high tone of authority which the writers of the New Testament use

X. The character in which the founder and
first teachers of christianity appeared

CHAPTER V.

OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHORITY
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ARISING FROM MIR-
ACLES

I. The possibility and existence of the mira-
cles of the New Testament

125

127

130

133

136

138

144

II. The number, variety, and manner of the miracles performed in confirmation of the christian religion

III. The design of the miracles recorded in the
New Testament

IV. The time and place of the miracles of the

New Testament considered as furnishing
evidence in favor of christianity

145

148

150

V. Evidence of the reality of the miracles of the New Testament

152

VI. A review of some particular miracles of the New Testament

II. The nature, minuteness, and extent of

prophecy

III. The design of prophecy

IV. The degree of clearness in prophecy

161

162