CHAPTER VII.

"THE INEXORABLE LOGIC OF FACTS."-THE TRUTH OF

CHRISTIANITY RESTS ON THE CERTAIN EVIDENCE OF UNDENIABLE FACTS.-THOUGH WE ADMIT THE COGENCY OF OTHER EVIDENCE, AS THE PURE MORALITY OF THE GOSPEL, THE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, THE INEXPRESSIBLE COMFORT OF A CHRISTIAN FAITH, WE SHOULD NEVER FOR A MOMENT LET GO THE CERTAIN TESTIMONY OF FACTS.DEAN MANSEL'S OPINION.

"THE inexorable logic of facts." I do not know who may have been the originator of this phrase, but it will serve well enough to characterise the subject which I design to bring before my readers -viz., the convincing evidence of the facts by which the truth of the Gospel is substantiated.

First, consider the present facts of the Christian Church. The belief in Christianity is widely spread amongst the civilised nations of the world, and is extending more or less rapidly to nations who had not before accepted it. If it be said by some, though it is contradicted by others, that the Gospel makes few converts from amongst the Mahometans and Buddhists, yet Christians are spreading everywhere throughout the world.

FACTS OF CHRISTIANITY.

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Three Continents, North and South America and Australia, besides New Zealand and parts of Africa have been lately added to the Christian Church. And what are the grounds on which the Christian doctrine is received amongst us, and preached to the heathen? Simply the facts recorded in the Bible, and taught by the Church.

Well, let us carry our view backward some seventeen or eighteen centuries-say to the second century of the Christian Era. Still essentially the same state of things, or nearly so, existed. We have the evidence of Pagan, as well as Christian, writers, that throughout a great part of the then civilised world there existed communities of Christians in the cities and the country, who had accepted the Christian faith and brought up their children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. No one now, not even the bitterest sceptic, is bold enough, or rather foolish enough, to assert that the Epistles of S. Paul, at least the greater part of them, are not genuine communications of that great Apostle to Christian Churches then existing at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, &c. To affect to believe the contrary to imagine that the Epistles were not genuine, but fabricated for the purpose of deception, is too absurd a notion to be for a moment maintained by the opponents of the truth. Here, then, is another fact as undeniable as the fact

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CHRISTIANITY FOUNDED

that we in the present day have our Bibles and our Churches, that there existed in the first and second centuries, communities of Christians who accepted the truths and doctrines of Christianity.

But how came these various Churches, or communities of Christians, at that early age to be living in the Christian faith? We have a general account of the beginnings of Christianity in the book of the Acts of the Apostles; and even if we had not that historical document, it is a fact, which cannot be disputed, that Christianity was spread by preachers first, and after a short time was committed to writing. The discussion of these matters with sceptics and unbelievers has had the good effect of clearing many of these points from the misty uncertainty with which the deniers of the faith had clothed them. Renan, Strauss, and the most inveterate unbelievers all admit that Christianity grew up by the preaching and testimony of the first Apostles.

Then come some further facts. Who was it that sent them forth to preach and convert the world? What disposed them to undertake so mighty a task?—and still more, What induced them to persevere in their labours when they found that it brought them persecution and suffering? There cannot be a question that the account we read in the Acts of the Apostles is the true one-none other can be imagined. There

BY TESTIMONY OF MIRACLES.

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can be no question that they were commissioned by the LORD JESUS CHRIST to proclaim to the world the account of His life and death, and doctrine. It is impossible to conceive any other motive which could have induced the Apostles, and Evangelists, and first preachers of the Gospel, to undertake and persevere in their arduous mission-except the command of JESUS that they should be witnesses to the world of the mighty deeds and words which they had seen and heard during their companionship with Him in His ministry.

They proclaimed to the world that JESUS was "a Man approved of GOD by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." And specially they appeal to the fact of His resurrection from the dead. There can be no doubt that the Apostles thoroughly believed the statements of the miracles recorded in the Gospels. But, say some, "Don't talk to us of miracles, we don't believe a word of them. Miracles are impossible." This is mere blustering. You may believe that miracles are impossible, but other people as clever as you are, not only believe that miracles are possible, but believe them to be the most natural and obvious means whereby GOD could verify the mission of His SON. We tell you it is quite unphilosophical to deny the possibility of miracles;

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they are just as much facts as anything that you can find by your philosophy. It was on the strength of their belief in the supernatural character and power of JESUS that the Apostles went forth to preach the Gospel to the world and endured so much trouble and persecution. No men would go through such labours to publish statements which they did not know to be true. Then it was impossible that they should be mistaken, because they preached only the things which they had seen with their own eyes, and heard with their own ears.

Observe, also, that the accounts of the miracles of JESUS are mixed up with the rest of the narrative: take almost any chapter. The first at which I open the Bible is S. Matth. ix. : JESUS cures a man sick of the palsy; soon after He sees a publican, "named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him." Then we read many other ordinary circumstances, which happened in the house of Matthew. Now, on what principle are we to believe these ordinary circumstances which resulted in the calling of S. Matthew, and not the other circumstances which preceded it? "Miracles are impossible," says the sceptic; "On the contrary," says the believer, "not only are they possible, but most probable." "Nature," says the sceptic, "goes