ies will be produced in the next
chapter. It being difficult, however, to ascertain in what degree this
notion prevailed, especially the superior ranks of the heathen
communities, another, and think an adequate, cause has been assigned for
their infidelity. It is probable that in many cases the two causes would
together.

CHAPTER V.

THAT THE CHRISTIAN MIRACLES ARE NOT RECITED, OR APPEALED TO, BY EARLY
CHRISTIAN WRITERS THEMSELVES SO FULLY OR FREQUENTLY AS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
EXPECTED.

I shall consider this objection, first, as it applies to the letters of
the apostles preserved in the New Testament; and secondly, as it applies
to the remaining writings of other early Christians.

The epistles of the apostles are either hortatory or argumentative. So
far as they were occupied in delivering lessons of duty, rules of public
order, admonitions against certain prevailing corruptions, against vice,
or any particular species of it, or in fortifying and encouraging the
constancy of the disciples under the trials to which they were exposed,
there appears to be no place or occasion for more of these references
than we actually find.

So far as these epistles are argumentative, the nature of the argument
which they handle accounts for the infrequency of these allusions. These
epistles were not written to prove the truth of Christianity. The
subject under consideration was not that which the miracles decided, the
reality of our Lord's mission; but it was that which the miracles did
not decide, the nature of his person or power, the design of his advent,
its effects, and of those effects the value, kind, and extent. Still I
maintain that miraculous evidence lies at the bottom of the argument. For
nothing could be so preposterous as for the disciples of Jesus to
dispute amongst themselves, or with others, concerning his office or
character; unless they believed that he had shown, by supernatural
proofs, that there was something extraordinary in both. Miraculous
evidence, therefore, forming not the texture of these arguments, but the
ground and substratum, if it be occasionally discerned, if it be
incidentally appealed to, it is exactly so much as ought take place,
supposing the history to be true.

As a further answer to the objection, that the apostolic epistles do not
contain so frequent, or such direct and circumstantial recitals of
miracles as might be expected, I would add, that the apostolic epistles
resemble in t