Evidence of Christianity

Evidence of Christianity

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Evidence of Christianity, by William
Paley
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Title: Evidences of Christianity
Author: William Paley
Release Date: January 24, 2005 [eBook #14780] [Date last updated:
February 9, 2006]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EVIDENCE
OF CHRISTIANITY***
E-text prepared by Michael Madden

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY
by

WILLIAM PALEY, D.D.
A New Edition
London: Printed by W. Clowes and Sons, Stamford Street
1851

THE HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND
JAMES YORK, D.D., LORD BISHOP OF ELY
My LORD,
When, five years ago, an important station in the University of
Cambridge awaited your Lordship's disposal, you were pleased to offer
it to me. The circumstances under which this offer was made demand a
public acknowledgment. I had never seen your Lordship; I possessed
no connection which could possibly recommend me to your favour; I
was known to you only by my endeavour, in common with many others,
to discharge my duty as a tutor in the University; and by some very
imperfect, but certainly well-intended, and, as you thought, useful
publications since. In an age by no means wanting in examples of
honourable patronage, although this deserve not to be mentioned in
respect of the object of your Lordship's choice, it is inferior to none in
the purity and disinterestedness of the motives which suggested it.
How the following work may be received, I pretend not to foretell. My
first prayer concerning it is, that it may do good to any: my second
hope, that it may assist, what it hath always been my earnest wish to
promote, the religious part of an academical education. If in this latter
view it might seem, in any degree, to excuse your Lordship's judgment
of its author, I shall be gratified by the reflection that, to a kindness
flowing from public principles, I have made the best public return in
my power.
In the mean time, and in every event, I rejoice in the opportunity here

afforded me of testifying the sense I entertain of your Lordship's
conduct, and of a notice which I regard as the most flattering
distinction of my life.
I am, MY LORD, With sentiments of gratitude and respect, Your
Lordship's faithful And most obliged servant,
WILLIAM PALEY.

CONTENTS
Preparatory Considerations--Of the antecedent Credibility of Miracles.
PART 1.
OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY,
AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE EVIDENCE
ALLEGED FOR OTHER MIRACLES.
Proposition stated
PROPOSITION I.
That there is satisfactory Evidence, that many professing to be original
Witnesses of the Christian Miracles passed their Lives in Labours,
Dangers, and Sufferings, voluntarily undergone in Attestation of the
Accounts which they delivered, and solely in consequence of their
Belief of those Accounts; and that they submitted, from the same
Motives, to new Rules of Conduct.
CHAPTER I
Evidence of the Suffering of the first Propagators of Christianity, from
the Nature of the Case.
CHAPTER II

Evidence of the Sufferings of the first Propagators of Christianity, from
Profane Testimony.
CHAPTER III
Indirect Evidence of the Sufferings of the first Propagators of
Christianity, from the Scriptures and other ancient Christian Writings.
CHAPTER IV
Direct Evidence of the same.
CHAPTER V
Observations upon the preceding Evidence.
CHAPTER VI
That the Story for which the first Propagators of Christianity suffered
was miraculous.
CHAPTER VII
That it was, in the main, the Story which we have now proved by
indirect Considerations.
CHAPTER VIII
The same proved from the Authority of our Historical Scriptures.
CHAPTER IX
Of the Authenticity of the historical Scriptures, in eleven Sections
SECT. 1 Quotations of the historical Scriptures by ancient Christian
Writers. SECT. 2 Of the peculiar Respect with which they were quoted.
SECT. 3 The Scriptures were in very early Times collected into a

distinct Volume. SECT. 4 And distinguished by appropriate Names and
Titles of Respect. SECT. 5 Were publicly read and expounded in the
religious Assemblies of the early Christians. SECT. 6 Commentaries,
&c., were anciently written upon the Scriptures. SECT. 7 They were
received by ancient Christians of different Sects and persuasions. SECT.
8 The four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of St.
Paul, the first Epistle of John, and the first of Peter, were received
without doubt by those who doubted concerning the other Books of our
present Canon. SECT. 9 Our present Gospels were considered by the
adversaries of Christianity as containing the Accounts upon which the
Religion was founded. SECT. 10 Formal Catalogues of authentic
Scriptures were published, in all which our present