CHAPTER III

CREDIBILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES.--The number of the witnesses who testify to the facts detailed in the New Testament. How the credibility of a historical book is to be ascertained. The rule as applied to Christian writings. Their genuineness proves their credibility. The writers of the New Testament could not have falsified the facts relative to Jesus Christ. The objection on the ground that the Jews rejected the claims of Jesus Christ. Its confutation. The conduct of the Jewish nation in rejecting Christ accounted for. The conversion of many of the Gentiles proves the credibility of the book. The character, circumstances, and conduct of the men who testify of Jesus prove their credibility. Difficulty to be surmounted by those who maintain that the apostles and evangelists were impostors. Summing up of the argument on the credibility of the witnesses 125

SECTION I.--Collateral testimony of the truthfulness of the writers of the New Testament. Testimonies to the truthfulness of St. Matthew's statement concerning Herod and Archalaus. Testimony to the truthfulness of the statement of Luke concerning Herod, Tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Phillip, Tetrarch of Itruria. Testimony to the truthfulness of the evangelists relative to Herod marrying Herodias. Josephus corroborates Luke's account of the death of Herod Agrippa. Testimonies of the truthfulness of the statements in the Acts concerning Felix. A number of notices, by profane authors, of Pilate, confirmatory of the truthfulness of the evangelists. Testimonies to the truthfulness of the evangelists in their statements of the treatment of Jesus Christ upon trial and when crucified. Testimonies confirming statements of the evangelists concerning the burial of Jesus Christ. Notice taken of John the Baptist by Josephus. What he says concerning Jesus Christ. Notices of Jesus Christ from the ancient Jewish Talmudical writings. Testimony of the heathen adversary to the leading facts detailed by the evangelists. Summing up of the argument 140

SECTION II.--The same ground retraced, and the objections of Mr. Taylor considered and answered. Representation of Taylor's third and fourth propositions. The falsehood of Mr. Taylor's assertion that no such person as Jesus Christ ever existed, proven by the testimony of Tacitus, of Suetonius, of Martial, of Pliny the Younger. Mr. Taylor's assertion that some, many, or all, of the events related of Jesus Christ by the evangelists had formerly been related of the gods and goddesses of Greece and Rome. Its confutation to be found in any of the Pantheons or mythological dictionaries. Exposure of the malignity and falsehood of Mr. Taylor exhibited in his attempt to identify Jesus Christ with the heathen idol Crishna. Citations from Sir W. Jones concerning Crishna. The testimony of Sir W. Jones impartial. The unreasonableness and absurdity of Mr. Taylor's conclusions 164

SECTION III.--The last refuge of the infidel is to maintain either that Jesus Christ was a mistaken enthusiast or a wicked impostor. Mr. English's argument to prove that Jesus was a mistaken enthusiast. Its confutation 181

SECTION IV.--Argument by Mr. Olmsted to prove that Jesus Christ was a wicked impostor. Its confutation 190