REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY IN A SERIES OF LECTURES, DELIVERED IN BROADWAY HALL, NEW-YORK, To which is prefixed, an extract from WYTTENBACH'S OPUSCULA, ON THE ANCIENT NOTICES OF THE JEWISH NATION PREVIOUS TO THE TIME OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT. BY ABNER KNEELAND. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”—PAUL. THIRD EDITION. ; BOSTON: Published and sold at the office of the Investigator, No. 9, Merchants' G. H. Evans, office of the Daily Sentinel, 176 Chatham-square, New-York. レ HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY GIFT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2-200 10. 1938 Southern District of New-York, ss. BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the 3d day of November, A. D. 1829, in the 54th year of the Independence of the United States of America, ABNER KNEELAND, of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit: "A Review of the Evidences of Christianity; in a Series of Lectures, delivered in Broadway Hall, New-York, August, 1829. To which is prefixed, an extract from Wyttenbach's Opuscula on the ancient notices of the Jewish nation, previous to the time of Alexander the Great. By Abner Kneeland. 'Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.'-Paul." IN conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled, "An Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled, an Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." FRED. J. BETTS, Clerk of the Southern District of New-York. PREFACE. KIND AND Gentle Reader, Ir thy mind is already made up, with a determination never to alter it, right or wrong, that the Bible is of divine origin, and comes to thee, claiming thy belief by divine authority, and that the christian doctrine is certainly true, so true, that it is impious to re-examine the evidences on which it is founded, then I would advise thee not to read this book; for notwithstanding all thy prepossessions and prejudices in favor of the Bible and christian doctrine, thy faith will be most assuredly shaken, if not wholly destroyed, on perusing this work. But if thou art still an enquirer after truth, and art ready to receive and be contented with whatever is true, more or less; if thou art satisfied that truth never loses any thing by investigation, but like the precious diamond, the more it is rubbed the brighter it will shine, then I sincerely entreat thee to lay aside thy prepossessions, and candidly examine the following pages. Like many others, I once thought that a belief in future existence was absolutely necessary to present happiness. I have discovered my mistake. Time, a thousand years hence, is no more to me now, than time a thousand years past. As no event could have harmed me, when I existed not, so no event can possibly harm me when I am no more. By anticipating and calculating too much on future felicity, and dreading, or at least fearing, future misery, man often loses sight of present enjoyments, and neglects present duties. When men shall discover that nothing can be known beyond this life, and that there is no rational ground for any such belief, they will begin to think more 1* |