THE

EDITOR'S PREFACE.

THE credibility of Scripture History has been established by a combination of evidence, altogether incontrovertible. This is the more remarkable and satisfactory, as the Bible contains not only the most ancient records, but exclusively makes known to us the origin of all things, and the transactions of those ages, which will in vain be sought for elsewhere, or found involved only in fable.

That, however, some difficulties should occur in perusing such venerable documents, may easily and reasonably be conceived; but they are not such as affect their authenticity, or even weaken their evidence. It is not impracticable to solve or remove most of them; and the obscurity which remains after the fruitless efforts of sober criticism, may fairly be imputed to the want of information, of which the distance of place, and time has deprived us. A remarkable consistency and harmony characterises the historical parts of the Bible;-delivered down to us as they have been in separate books, and written by various inspired penmen, the slightest comparison will serve to force upon our minds the conviction that they are genuine, as far, at least, as veracity may be inferred from an agreement of the various branches of a subject,

There are different modes of ascertaining the integrity of the canon of scripture: learned men have with great success performed this task-evidence to confirm the claim of the inspired writers to the characters they assume, has been adduced and

admitted. Testimony of an external nature has, likewise, been brought forward, to corroborate the general contents of the Bible, or its particular parts and facts. Tradition furnishes us with some proof, though prudence requires a careful investigation of its documents, and a cautious admission of them; but, however they may be exaggerated or obscured, they must have had some foundation, which, if it can be traced, will deserve attention, from its correspondence to the great original. In some instances it is so very remarkable and striking, that the boldest scepticism cannot well refuse and discard its aid.

But a still more important and useful guide in exploring the path of scripture history, is the light shed upon it by the study of Jewish and Oriental Antiquities. The subject is copious, but amply repays the attention it demands. Of course, in the former branch of it, Jewish writers deserve our primary notice, because it may reasonably be presumed that they are better acquainted with the affairs of their own nation than other persons. They are accustomed, indeed, to blend in their accounts the mention of circumstances which judicious readers will not receive; but this does not detract from the value of the sound information which they communicate. Our business in this case is to separate the dross from the pure metal: and while we reject the one, to value the other. Among the most ancient, authentic, and interesting authors of this denomination, Josephus may certainly be placed. His works have always been highly esteemed, and were considered by the early Christian writers as peculiarly valuable: what he has recorded is in general harmonious with the scripture history, though, in some instances, he either enlarges upon or deviates from it. I shall endeavour, therefore, to ascertain the weight of his testimony, and to shew in what degree of esteem he ought to be held. This cannot be done with more accuracy and certainty than in the words of the learned Dr. Lardner, Jewish Testimonies, chap. iii. and iv.

"When Jotapata, in which Josephus was shut up, was besieged and taken by Vespasian, strict search was made for him, for if that general was once taken, Vespasian reckoned that the greatest part of the war would be over. However, he had hid himself in a deep cavern, the opening of which was not easily discerned above ground. Here he met with forty persons of eminence, who had concealed themselves, and had with them

provisions enough for several days. On the third day the Ro man soldiers seized a woman that had been with them. She made a discovery of the place where they were: whereupon Vespasian sent two tribunes, inviting him to come up, with assurances that his life should be preserved. Josephus, however, refused. Vespasian therefore sent a third tribune, named Nicanor, well known to Josephus, with the like assurance. `Josephus, after some hesitation, was then willing to surrender him. self. But the men who were with him exclaimed against it, and were for killing him and themselves, rather than come alive into the hands of the Romans. Hereupon he made a long speech to them, shewing that it was not lawful for them to kill themselves, and that it was rather a proof of pusillanimity than courage but all without effect. He then proposed an expedient; which was, that they should cast lots, two by two, who should die first. He who had the second lot should kill the first, and the next him, and so on, and the last should kill himself. It happened that Josephus and another were preserved to the last lot. When all the rest were killed, he without much difficulty persuaded that other person to yield up himself to the Romans. So they two escaped with their lives. This has been judged to be a remarkable providence, by which Josephus was preserved to write the history, of which we are now able to make so good a use.

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Though the Jewish people never had any great respect for the writings of Josephus, yet the have been much este med, and often quoted, by Christian, and other writers, in early and latter times.

"The works of Josephus, notwithstanding many things in them liable to exception, which may be observed by careful and impartial readers, are very valuable. In his larger work, the Jewish Antiquities, he confirms the truth of the history of the Old Testament; and, as in several of the last books of that work, he has brought down the Jewish history from the ceasing of prophecy among them to the Twelfth of Nero, he has let us know the state of affairs in Judea during the time of the Evangelical history; and he had before done the like in the first two books of the Jewish War. What he has therein said of Herod and his sons, of the Roman governors in Judea, the Jewish sects and their principles, the manners of the Jewish peo

ple, and likewise concerning the Samaritans, greatly confirms and illustrates the history of our Evangelists.'

Dr. W. Wotton says of Josephus, " He is certainly an author very justly to be valued, notwithstanding all his faults. His history of the Jewish war is a noble demonstration of the truth of the Christian religion: by shewing, in the most lively manner, how the prophecies of our blessed Lord, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, were literally fulfilled in their fullest extent." Preface to Miscellaneous Discourses relating to the Traditions and Usages of the Scribes and Pharisees, p. 49.

In reference to the account Josephus gives of the destruction of Jerusalem, Archbishop Tillotson says, "We have this matter related, not by a Christian, (who might be suspected of partiality and a design to have paralleled the event with our Saviour's prediction,) but by a Jew, both by nation and religion, who seems designedly to have avoided, as much as possibly he could, the very mention of the Christian name, and all particulars relating to our Saviour, though no historian was ever more punctual in other things." Vol. ii. p. 563. Serm. 186.

Similar to this is the testimony of M. Tillemont. "God has been pleased to choose for our information in this history, not an apostle, nor any of the chief men of the church, but an obstinate Jew, whom neither the view of the virtue and miracles of the Christians, nor the knowledge of the law, nor the ruin of his. religion and country, could induce to believe in and love the Messiah, who was all the expectation of the nation. God has permitted it so to be, that the testimony which this historian gave to an event, of which he did comprehend the mystery, might not be rejected either by Jews or Heathens and that none might be able to say, that he had altered the truth of things. to favour Jesus Christ and his disciples." Ruine des Juifs. Art. 1. p. 722.

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Dr. Doddridge, in his notes on Matt. xxiv. says, "Christian writers have always with great reason represented Josephus's History of the Jewish War, as the best commentary upon this chapter. And many have justly remarked it, as a wonderful instance of the care of Providence for the Christian church, that he, an eye-witness, and in these things of so great credit, should (especially in so extraordinary a manner) be preserved to transmit to us a collection of important facts, which so exactly il

Pustrate this noble prophecy in almost every particular circumstance."

Isidore of Pelusium, who flourished about the year 412, in one of his epistles, has these expressions; "If you have a mind to know what punishment the wicked Jews underwent, who ill treated the Christ, read the history of their destruction, written by Josephus, a Jew indeed, but a lover of truth, that you may see the wonderful story, such as no time ever saw before since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall see. For that none might refuse to give credit to the history of their incredible and unparalleled sufferings, truth found out, not a stranger, but a native, and a man fond of their institutions, to relate them in a doleful strain."

Eusebius often quotes Joephus, and, in his Ecclesiastical History, has transcribed from him several articles at large.→→ Having rehearsed from the gospels divers of our Lord's predictions of the evils then coming upon Jerusalem, and the Jewish people, he adds, "Whosoever shall compare these words of our Saviour with the history of the whole war, published by the above-mentioned writer, must admire our Lord's great wisdom, and acknowledge that his foresight was divine."

In his Chronicle, as we have it from Jerom in Latin, Eusebius says, "In subduing Judea, and overthrowing Jerusalem, Titus slew six hundred thousand people: but Josephus writes, that eleven hundred thousand perished by famine and the sword, and that another hundred thousand were publicly sold and carried captives; and he says that the occasion of their being so great a multitude of people at Jerusalem was this, that it was the time of the Passover: for which reason the Jews, having come up from all parts to worship at the temple, were shut up in the city, as in a prison. And indeed it was fit they should be slain at the same time in which they crucified our Saviour." The following general character of Josephus from the pen of Dr. Lardner, concludes his observations on his works. "Josephus was a man of great eminence and distinction among his people: but we do not observe in him a seriousness of spirit becoming a Christian, nor that sublimity of virtue which is suited to the principles of the Christian religion. Nor do we discern in him such qualities as should induce us to think he was one of those who were well disposed, and were not far from the