Jesus for an external reality, considered and refuted, 368. The fact to be accounted for is not only that single persons mistook such visions for realities, but that the disciples did so in bodies, 370. The difficulties attending this supposition, 372. The existence of the Church as a visible institution an important testimony to the reality of the Resurrection, 374. The objection that Mahometanism is a great institution founded on a visionary delusion considered, 375. Further difficulties with which this theory is encumbered, 377. Objections from the standpoint of Dr. Carpenter's explanations of the phenomena of spiritualism, and other kindred delusions, considered, 379. Answer to these objections, 383. The state of mind of the followers of Jesus during the days which followed his Crucifixion the opposite of that which would have caused them to see visions of him risen from the dead, and to mistake them for realities, 387. Points in which the evidence of the Resur- rection is contrasted with that of all visionary appearances which have been mistaken for realities, 389. Solution of the difficulty that Our Lord was not easily recognized by his disciples after his resurrection, 392. The theory that Our Lord did not die from the effects of crucifixion, but slowly recovered, and that his recovery was mistaken for a resurrection, 393. This theory unknown to the Jewish and Pagan opponents of Christianity, 394. Its inherent difficulties, 395. Presupposes that the belief in the Resurrection owed its origin to a deliberately concocted fraud, 397. Results of the foregoing The circumstances attending the appearance of Our Lord to St. Paul different from those of his appearances to the other Apostles, 400. The theories propounded by unbelievers inconsistent with the unquestionable facts of history, 403. The objection that St. Paul was incapable of distinguishing DR. CARPENTER'S OBJECTIONS TO THE EVIDENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN MIRACLES CONSIDERED. Dr. Carpenter's objections stated, 410. The fallacy of urging objections against the miracles in the Bible in a mass as though they were all equal in point of attestation and evidential value, 414. The question whether some of the miracles in the New Testament may not have had a foundation in certain natural agencies, as for example, the action of the mind on the body, 417. The influence which powerful faith is capable of exerting on our bodily frames, 420. The question of Possession, 422. The existence of numerous narratives of false miracles does not justify us in rejecting all miracles, The important bearing of existing theories of inspiration in the controversy between Christianity and scientific unbelief, 428. The functional character of inspiration analogous to the mode of the divine action in the constitution of our ordinary faculties, 432. The real points of danger in the controversy, 433. The positions laid down by Butler respecting the nature of inspiration adequate to meet the chief difficulties, 437. Nine propositions which he has enunciated on this subject, 438. Stated generally, they affirm the invalidity of all purely à priori theories as to what must be the extent of the supernatural assistance afforded to those through whom a revelation is communicated, 440. The mechanical and verbal theories, 442. The dynamical theory, 443. "Plenary" inspiration, 444. The theory of superintendence, 445. The theory of special inspiration vouchsafed to the writers of the New Testament as distinct from their ordinary inspiration, 446. All these theories invalidated by their à priori character, 447. The results to which they inevitably lead when applied to the facts of the universe: Mr. Mill's reasoning on this subject, 449. Principles which are invalid when applied to the facts of the universe, and lead to false conclusions as to the mode in which God must have acted in His creative work, must produce similar results when applied to the phenomena of revelation, 449. A careful induction of the facts and phenomena of the New Testament the only safe guide in constructing a theory of inspiration, 451. No definite theory as to the nature or extent of inspiration laid down in the Bible, 452. Our Lord's promises of supernatural assistance made to the Apostles their extent, 454. The assertions made on this subject by the sacred writers in the Epistles, 456. The nature of the inspiration afforded by the supernatural gifts of the Spirit, 458. Application of Butler's principles to the first chapter of Genesis, 460. The alleged antiquity of man-its bearing on this question, 466. The gradual growth of civilization and language, 467. The Bible not pledged to a system of chronology, 469. The universality of the deluge—its bearing on the question of inspiration, 470. Similarly, the question of the authorship of the Sacred Books, 471. The alleged discrepancies in the LECTURE I "Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every Scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth out of his treasure things new and old."-MATT. XIII. 51, 52. THE subject which it will be my duty to bring before you in the present course of Lectures, is "Christian Evidences viewed in relation to modern thought." Not only will the treatment of such a subject carry out the intention of the Founder of this Lectureship, but its careful examination is imperatively demanded by the exigencies of the times in which we live. We are all of us painfully aware, that a large number of men who are eminent in various departments of philosophy, science, and criticism, have ceased to believe in Christianity as a divine revelation. Nor is it less certain that the wide diffusion of their principles has had the effect of suggesting anxious doubts, and even of shaking the faith of a still larger number of persons who would not willingly range themselves in the ranks of unbelief. That this latter class is a very numerous one, is a fact which it is impossible to question. Such persons have a right to our utmost sympathy, especially in those cases, which I fear are numerous, where many of the difficulties which they experience have their origin in some imperfection in our mode of stating the Christian argument. Nor is it less our duty, in accordance with the emphatic warnings of our divine Master, to do our utmost to remove every stumbling-block out of the way of professed unbelievers, by placing before them in the simplest form, the grounds on which we claim their acceptance of Christianity as a divine Revelation. It is useless to close our eyes to the fact, that the progress of philosophical, scientific, and critical inquiry during the present century has suggested difficulties which were unfelt when our great defences of Christianity were composed. We need not therefore wonder that they are inadequate to meet them. On the other hand, it is no less certain that the same causes have disclosed reasons for the acceptance of Christianity which were only imperfectly appreciated by our predecessors. This being the case, a careful reconsideration of the Christian position in relation to the requirements of modern thought is become indispensable. I propose therefore, as far as the conditions imposed on me by these Lectures will allow, to take a view of our position, in relation to the chief difficulties which the progress of modern thought has suggested in connection with the evidences on which we have been accustomed to rest the claims of Christianity to be accepted as a divine revelation; and to point out the nature of the ground which the new positions which have been taken by opponents, require us to occupy in its defence. In doing this it will be necessary to take a careful survey of those points in the Christian position which require to be defended as essential; and that I should separate from them those which, however interesting they may be in relation to several important questions of theology, are really non-essential to the defence of Christianity as a divine Revelation. It will then be my duty to examine how far our old forms of evidence are valid for the purpose of meeting the difficulties which have been suggested by modern philosophical and critical thought, and to sketch the general outline of the defence necessary to meet the exigencies of our present position. To this latter point the seven concluding Lectures of this course will be exclusively devoted. I am deeply conscious of the responsibility which is involved in the treatment of this subject, which renders it necessary that I should deal with several of the most critical points of modern controversy. Still it has become the plain duty of Christian men, not to hesitate to meet all difficulties honestly, fearlessly, cautiously and calmly. The time is past for propounding inadequate solutions or for attempting to hold ground which is evidently untenable. Such a course can only be damaging to the Christian cause. Its abandonment, instead of weakening, will strengthen our position. If on the other hand there are important branches of evidences which have been but imperfectly recognized by our predecessors, our duty is without delay to assign them their proper place in the Christian argument. To effect this will be the aim of the present course of Lectures. In the mode of treatment I shall take the text as my motto. It contains a profound and far-seeing truth, which theologians have been greatly prone to overlook. In it the great Teacher affirms that it is the duty of every subordinate teacher of his Gospel to bring out of his treasures things both new and old. Not the old only: for then progress would be impossible. Not the new only: for this would destroy that principle of continuity by which the works of God are linked together; but the new in union with the old, and the old in union with the new. Such a union it is the special glory of Christianity to have effected. Revelation, as it is recorded in the Bible, has not been imparted to us at the first complete and entire, as a rigid code irrespective of the ever-changing conditions of humanity; but it is a plant which has grown in a succession of gradual stages until its culmination in Jesus Christ, just as the Creator has effected His work through a succession of developments, each one of which has been closely interwoven with that which preceded it, until it has culminated in man. In maintaining this analogy to the workings of God in nature Christianity stands in striking contrast to all other professed Revelations ; and even to the opinions of no inconsiderable number of those who accept it as divine. Our Lord Himself affirmed |