Authenticity and credibility of the gospel narratives. 1.  General Remarks—­2.  Their Authors Sincere and Truthful—­3.  Competent as Men—­4.  And as Witnesses—­5.  Character of the Works which they record—­ Supernatural Character of our Lord’s Miracles—­They were very Numerous and Diversified, and performed openly—­6.  And in the Presence of His Enemies—­7.  The Resurrection of Jesus—­Its Vital Importance—­8.  The Character of Jesus proves the Truth of the Record—­Its Originality and Symmetry—­It unites Tranquillity with Fervor—­Wisdom with Freedom from Guile—­Prudence with Boldness—­Tenderness with Severity—­Humility with the Loftiest Claims—­He is Heavenly-minded without Asceticism—­His Perfect Purity—­His Virtues Imitable for All alike—­Our Lord’s Character as a Teacher—­His Freedom from the Errors of His Age and Nation—­His Religion One for All Men and Ages—­This explained by its Divine Origin—­Our Lord’s Manner of Teaching—­His Divine Mission—­Divinity of His Person—­Originality of its Manifestations—­God His Father in a Peculiar Sense—­He is the Source of Light and Life—­He has Inward Dominion over the Soul—­He dwells in Believers, and they in Him—­The Inference—­His Power over the Human Heart—­Supernatural Character of the Gospel—­A Word on Objections

CHAPTER V.

The acts of the apostles and the acknowledged epistles. 1.  These Books a Natural Sequel to the Gospels—­2. The Acts of the Apostles—­External Testimonies—­3.  Internal Evidence—­4.  Credibility—­5.  Date of Composition—­6. The Acknowledged Epistles—­Distinction of Acknowledged and Disputed Books—­7.  First Group of Pauline Epistles—­Second Group, or the Pastoral Epistles—­Their Date—­Their Peculiar Character—­8.  First Epistles of Peter and First of John—­9.  Mutual Relation between the Gospels and Later Books—­10.  Argument from Undesigned Coincidences

CHAPTER VI.

The disputed books. 1.  The Question here simply concerning the Extent of the Canon—­2.  The Primitive Age One of Free Inquiry—­3.  Its Diversity of Judgment no Decisive Argument against a Given Book—­4.  The Caution of the Early Churches gives Weight to their Judgment—­This Judgment Negative as well as Positive

CHAPTER VII.

Inspiration and the canon.  General Remarks—­1.  Rule of Judgment determined—­It is the Writer’s Relation to Christ—­2.  Christ Himself Infallible—­3. The Apostles—­They held the nearest Relation to Him—­Their Infallibility as Teachers shown—­From the Necessity of the Case—­From Christ’s Express Promises—­From their Own Declarations—­ Summary of the Argument in Respect to the Apostles—­4.  Inspiration of the Apostolic Men—­5.  Argument from the Character of the Books of the New Testament—­6.  The Inspiration of the Sacred Writers Plenary—­ 7.  Principles on which the Canon is formed