General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1859 Original Publisher: s.n. Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: BOOK III. I. – In Defence Of The Atjthobity Op The Books Of The New Covenant. He, who (having been already persuaded by these arguments, which have been adduced, or – by any other arguments – if there are any other besides these) shall believe1 that, which the Christians profess, to be the true and the best Religion, – in order that he may learn thoroughly all the parts of it – must be sent to the most ancient Books, which contain (lit. containing) that Religion, which we call the Books of the New Testament, or, rather, the New Covenant. For he would act unjustly (or unfairly), whoever denies, that that Religion is contained in those Books, as all Christians affirm; since it is right (or fair) for every sect, whether good or bad, to be believed, in that which they assert, viz., that
their dogmas (or tenets) are contained in this or that Book, – just as we believe the Mahometans, that
the religion of Mahomet2 is contained in the Alcoran. Wherefore – since the Truth of the Christian Religion Has, just before, Been Proved, and since, at the same time, It is EVIDENI, THAT THAT SAME Religion IS CONTAINED IN THESE Book s – r Heir Own Authority, even On This ground Alone, IS SUFFICIENTLY ESTABLISHED BY THE BOOKS.3 If any one, notwithstanding, demand that this [authority] be more particularly shown to him, we shall first lay down that rule, customary among all impartial judges, viz., That
upon him, who- ever would (lit. wishes to) impugn any writing, which has been received for many ages, the onus must lie of adducing arguments, which detract (lit. detracting)…