degree to excuse your Lordship's judgment of its author, I shall be gratified by the reflection, that, to a kindness flowing from public principles, I have made the best public return in my power.

In the mean time, and in every event, I rejoice in the opportunity here afforded me of testifying the sense I entertain of your Lordship's conduct, and of a notice which I regard as the most flattering distinction of my life,

I am,

MY LORD,

With sentiments of gratitude

and respect,

Your Lordship's faithful

And most obliged Servant,

W. PALEY.

OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANI-

TY, AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE

EVIDENCE alleged fOR OTHER MIRACLES.

Propositions stated

PROPOSITION I.

- 15, 16

That there is satisfactory evidence, that many professing

to be original witnesses of the Christian miracles,

passed their lives in labours, dangers, and sufferings,

voluntarily undergone in attestation of the accounts

which they delivered, and solely in consequence of

their belief of those accounts; and that they also

submitted, from the same molives, to new rules of

conduct

17

- PAGE 17

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Evidence of the sufferings of the first propagators of

Christianity, from the nature of the case

CHAPTER II.

Evidence of the first sufferings of the propagators of

Christianity, from Profane testimony

CHAPTER III.

Indirect evidence of the sufferings of the first propa-

gators of Christianity, from the Scriptures and

other ancient Christian writings

39

51

That the story for which the first propagators of

Christianity suffered, was miraculous

CHAPTER VII.

That it was in the main, the story which we have

now proved by indirect considerations

CHAPTER VIII.

The same proved, from the authority of our histori-

cal Scriptures

CHAPTER IX.

Of the authenticity of the historical Scriptures, in

eleven sections

89

99

107

133

158

SECTION III. The Scriptures were in very early times

collected into a distinct volume

1

226

SECTION VII. They were received by ancient

Christians of different sects and

persuasions

SECTION VIH. The four Gospels, the Acts of the

SECTION IX.

Apostles, thirteen Epistles of Saint

Paul, the First Epistle of John,

and the First of Peter, were re-

ceived without doubt by those

who doubted concerning the other

books of our present canon

Our present Gospels were considered

by the adversaries of Christianity,

as containing the accounts upon

which the religion was founded

255

269

277