=2.= It embraces a vast variety of other topics; natural and moral. 1.) Thus furnishing the largest scope for criticism. 2.) So that _doubts_ of its truth confirm that truth, for in this enlightened age the claims of a book of such a nature could be easily and finally shown to be false, if they were so. 3.) None who believe in natural religion, hold that Christianity has been thus confuted. =3.= It contains a minute account of God’s selecting one nation for his peculiar people, and of his dealings with them. 1.) Interpositions in their behalf. 2.) Threats of dispersion, &c. if they rebelled. 3.) Promises of a Messiah as their prince; so clearly as to raise a general expectation, &c. 4.) Foretelling his rejection by them, and that he should be the Savior of the Gentiles. =4.= Describes minutely the arrival of the Messiah, and his life and labors; and the result, in the establishment of a new religion. II. _As to the authenticity of this history._ Suppose a person ignorant of all history but the Bible, and not knowing even that to be true, were to inquire into its evidence of authenticity, he would find, =1.= That natural religion owes its establishment to _the truths_ contained in this book. This no more _disproves_ natural religion, than our learning a proposition from Euclid, shows that the proposition was not true before Euclid. =2.= The great antiquity of revelation. =3.= That its chronology is not contradicted but confirmed by known facts. =4.= That there is nothing in the history itself to awaken suspicion of its fidelity. 1.) Every thing said to be done in any age or country, is conformable to the manners of that age and country. 2.) The characters are all perfectly natural. 3.) All the domestic and political incidents are credible. Some of these, taken alone, seem strange to _some_, in _this_ day; but not more so than things now occurring. 4.) Transcribers may have made errors, but these are not more numerous than in other ancient books; and none of them impair the narrative. =5.= That profane authors confirm Scripture accounts. =6.= That the credibility of the _general_ history, confirms the accounts of the miracles, for they are all interwoven, and make but one statement. =7.= That there certainly was and is such a people as the Jews; whose form of government was founded on these very books of Moses; and whose acknowledgment of the God of the Bible, kept them a distinct race. =8.= That one Jesus, of Jewish extraction, arose at the time when the Jews expected a Messiah, was rejected by them, as was prophesied, and was received by the Gentiles, as was prophesied. =9.= That the religion of this Jesus spread till it became the religion of the world, notwithstanding every sort of resistance; and has continued till now.