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INTRODUCTION

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CHAPTER I.
MIRACLES.

Miracles the vital point in the investigation—Their modification to suit scientific theologians—Antecedent credibility—Miracles not super-Satanic—Profane oaths—Counterfeits—Christianity misrepresented—J. S. Mill—Appeal to reason—The Fourth Gospel ignored—Intellectual condition of the age when miracles occurred—Royal College of Physicians—French Academy—Priests ordained to forgive sins—Paul the only educated man of his generation—Perfection and invariability of the order of Nature in contrast with the wickedness of mankind—Abstract question as to the credibility of miracles—Matthew Arnold and J. S. Mill reject Hume's argument—Recent German criticisms in favour of Christianity—Dr. Christlieb's "Modern Doubt and Christian Belief"—Baur and the Tübingen School

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CHAPTER II.

THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS.

The argument from the silence of early writers—Limits of the inquiry—Quotations from unknown sources and tradition—The summary of what the author of "Supernatural Religion" alleges his investigation produces—His plausibility, special pleading, and boldness of assertion—His line across history—Verbal testimony in the first two generations—Inscription over the cross—Clement of Rome—Verbatim quotations—Tischendorf and early translations of the New Testament into Latin and Syriac—Pretensions on behalf of the Synoptics—Rénan's views of the Gospels—Uniform plenary and verbal inspiration—Perversion of Scripture—Epistle of Barnabas—The ninth chapter of Matthew dissected and the miraculous eliminated—Tischendorf's opinion ridiculed—Quoting unfairly—The Pauline and Petrine contention—The Second Epistle of Peter—The Pastor of Hermas