moral sentiment, some parts of these sermons are equal if not superior to any of his other works. In the pulpit he was one of those preachers who excelled in bringing the most important truths home to men's interests and bosoms.-Though a few will rejoice, yet the majority of readers will lament, that in these sermons the author has abandoned his usual reserve with respect to certain doctrinal matters, which it is more easy to find in the liturgy and the articles of the church, than in the precepts of Christ, or the writings of the Evangelists.Those doctrines which tend-only to engender strife and to produce vain logomachies, would always be better omitted in the pulpit: and it is greatly to be deplored that in these sermons Dr. Paley has sanctioned their introduction. The great end of the commandment is charity; but can these doctrines conduce to that end? If this question had been proposed to Dr. Paley, it is not difficult to conjecture what would have been his reply, if that reply had been in unison with his unsophisticated senti ments. The reader will perhaps not be displeased, if we add to this biographical sketch of Dr. Paley the following interesting anecdote which he related to a friend at Cambridge in the year 1795, while they were conversing on the early part of his academical life. "I spent the first two years of my undergraduateship," said he, "happily, but unprofitably. I was constantly in society, where we were not immoral, but idle, and rather expensive. At the commencement of my third year, however, after having left the usual party at rather a late hour in the evening, I was awakened at five in the morning by one of my companions, who stood at my bed-side, and said, Paley, I have been thinking what a d****₫ fool you are. I could do nothing, probably, were I to try, and can afford the life I lead: you could do every thing, and cannot afford it. I have had no sleep during the whole night on account of these reflections, and am now come solemnly to inform you that, if you persist in your indolence, I must renounce your society.' I was so struck," Dr. Paley continued, "with the visit and the visiter that I lay in bed great part of the day and formed my plan. I ordered my bed-maker to prepare my fire every evening, in order that it might be lighted by myself. I arose at five; read during the whole of the day, except during such hours as chapel and hall required, allotting to each portion of time its peculiar branch of study; and just before the closing of gates (nine o'clock) I went to a neigh. * bouring coffee-house, where I constantly regaled upon a mutton chop and a dose of milk punch. And thus on taking my bachelor's degree I became senior wrangler." Anecdotes of this kind, which have something of the marvellous, are seldom related with a punctilious adherence to truth; but if here be no erroneous statement, or inaccurate representation, Mr. Meadley appears to ascribe too much to the occurrence when he attributes to it," not only his (Paley's) successful labours as a college tutor, but the invaluable productions of his pen.' A mind like that of Paley could not have been long so indolent as is represented without some compunctious visitings of remorse. It is more than probable that when he first received this friendly admonition, his bosom was a prey to some lurking pangs of selfcondemnation; and he was consequently predisposed instantly to put in force a plan of more systematic and more vigorous application. Where the matter of combustion already exists, a little spark will set in a blaze. That there is satisfactory evidence, that many, professing to be original witnesses of the Christian miracles, passed their lives in la- hours, dangers, and sufferings voluntarily un- dergone 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 motives, to new CHAP. I.-Evidence of the sufferings of the first CHAP. II. Evidence of the sufferings of the first propagators of Christianity, from Profane CHAP. III. Indirect evidence of the sufferings of the first propagators of Christianity, from the Scriptures and other ancient Christian wri- CHAP. IV.-Direct evidence of the same 74 PAGE CHAP. VI. That the story, for which the first CHAP. VII.-That it was, in the main, the story SECT. III. The Scriptures were in very early times collected into a distinct volume 149 tians SECT. VI.-Commentaries, &c. were anciently SECT. VII-They were received by ancient Christians of different sects and persuasions 154 SECT. VIII. The four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of Saint Paul, the First Epistle of John, and the First of Peter, were received without doubt by those who SECT. IX. Our present Gospels were consi- dered by the adversaries of Christianity, as containing the accounts upon which the reli- SECT. X.-Formal catalogues of authentic Scrip- OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY, AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTIN- CHAP. I. That there is NOT satisfactory evi- deuce, that persons pretending to be original witnesses of any other similar miracles, have acted in the same manner, in attestation of the accounts which they delivered, and solely in CHAP. IV.-Identity of Christ's character CHAP. V.-Originality of Christ's character CHAP. VI. Conformity of the facts occasionally mentioned or referred to in Scripture, with the state of things in those times, as repre- sented by foreign and independent accounts 264 |