PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

418 Of l~cligj()Us E!tablish1nelZfJ,
vt.-'ry unlike any which are found amongst mankind
at pr:;osento Moreover, this religion, having been first
publi~hed in the country of Judea, and being built
upo '!1 the 0l0re ancient religion of the Jews, is neces.
sarily and illtimatdy connected with the sacred wri.
tings, with the history and polity of that singular
people: to which mu~ t be added, that the records of
both revelati'.1ns are preserved in languages, which
have long ceased to be ~poken in any part of the world.
Btl:Jks \\;'hich ·COllle do\vn to us from times so remote,
and under so many causes of unavoidable obscurity,
cannot, it is evident, be understood without study
and prcparatio:1. 1-'he languages must be learnt. The
variou~ writings Wllich these volumes contain must
be carefully com' ared with one another, and with
th~mselves. \\That" remains of contemporary autht)rs,
or of authors connected with the age, the
country ~ or the subject of our scriptures, must be
perused and consulted, in order to interpret boubt ..
ful forn15 of speech, and to explain allusions which
refer to objects or usages that no longer exist. Above
all, the modes of expression, the habits of reasoning
and argumentation, which were then in use, ar1d to
wh,ch the di~courses ev~n of inspired teachers were
neces~arily adapted, nlust be sufficiel1tly known, and
can only be known at all, by a due acquaintance with
ancient literature. Aild, lastly, to establish the genuinene~~
and integrity of the canonical scriptures
themselves, a serifS of t(o'stimony, recognizing the
notoriety and reception of these hook~, must be de ..
duced frf'ln times near to those of tl1cir first l)ublication,
down the succes~ion of ages through which they
have been transmitted to us. The qualifiCJtions ne"
c(lssary for such researches demand~ it is confessed, a
degree oflei ure, and a kind of educJtion, inconsist.
ent with (he exercise of any other profession; but
how few are there amongst the c!lergy, from whom
any thing of thi~ sort can be expected! I-Iow small
a proportion of their number, who seem likely either
to augmt'nt the fund of sacred literature, or even to
collect what is already known !-To this objection it
may be replied, that we sow many seeds to raise one