Abbadiesaysinhisfamousbook，thattheGospelofSt。MatthewiscitedbyClemens，bishopofRome，adiscipleoftheapostles；thatBarnabascitesitinhisepistle；thatIgnatiusandPolycarpreceiveit；andthatthesamefathers，thatgivetestimonyforMatthew，giveitlikewiseforMark。Nayyourlordshipwillfind，Ibelieve，thatthepresentbishopofLondon，inhisthirdpastoralletter，speakstothesameeffect。Iwillnottroubleyounormyselfwithanymoreinstancesofthesamekind。Letthis，whichoccurredtomeasIwaswriting，suffice。Itmaywellsuffice；forIpresumethefactadvancedbytheministerandthebishopisamistake。Ifthefathersofthefirstcenturydomentionsomepassagesthatareagreeabletowhatwereadinourevangelists，willitfollowthatthesefathershadthesamegospelsbeforethem？Tosaysoisamanifestabuseofhistory，andquiteinexcusableinwritersthatknew，orshouldhaveknown，thatthesefathersmadeuseofothergospels，whereinsuchpassagesmightbecontained，ortheymightbepreservedinunwrittentradition。Besideswhich，IcouldalmostventuretoaffirmthatthesefathersofthefirstcenturydonotexpresslynamethegospelswehaveofMatthew，Mark，Luke，andJohn。Tothetworeasonsthathavebeengivenwhythosewhomakedivinitytheirprofession，shouldstudyhistory，particularlyecclesiasticalhistory，withanhonestandseriousapplication；inordertosupportChristianityagainsttheattacksofunbelievers，andtoremovethedoubtsandprejudicesthattheunfairproceedingsofmenoftheirownorderhaveraisedinmindscandidbutnotimplicit，willingtobeinformedbutcurioustoexamine；tothese，Isay，wemayaddanotherconsiderationthatseemstomeofnosmallimportance。WritersoftheRomanreligionhaveattemptedtoshow，thatthetextoftheholywritisonmanyaccountsinsufficienttobethesolecriterionoforthodoxy：Iapprehendtoothattheyhaveshownit。SureIamthatexperience，fromthefirstpromulgationofChristianitytothishour，showsabundantlywithhowmucheaseandsuccessthemostopposite，themostextravagant，nay，themostimpiousopinions，andthemostcontradictoryfaiths，maybefoundedonthesametext；andplausiblydefendedbythesameauthority。Writersofthereformedreligionhaveerectedtheirbatteriesagainsttradition；andtheonlydifficultytheyhadtoencounterinthisenterpriselayinlevellingandpointingtheircannonsoastoavoiddemolishing，inonecommonruin，thetraditionstheyretain，andthosetheyreject。Eachsidehasbeenemployedtoweakenthecauseandexplodethesystemofhisadversary：and，whilsttheyhavebeensoemployed，theyhavejointlylaidtheiraxestotherootofChristianity：forthusmenwillbeapttoreasonuponwhattheyhaveadvanced。“Ifthetexthasnotthatauthenticity，clearness，andprecisionwhicharenecessarytoestablishitasadivineandacertainruleoffaithandpractice；andifthetraditionofthechurch，fromthefirstagesofittillthedaysofLutherandCalvin，hasbeencorrupteditself，andhasservedtocorruptthefaithandpracticeofChristians；thereremainsatthistimenostandardatallofChristianity。Byconsequence，eitherthisreligionwasnotoriginallyofdivineinstitution，orelseGodhasnotprovidedeffectuallyforpreservingthegenuinepurityofit，andthegatesofhellhaveactuallyprevailed，incontradictiontohispromise，againstthechurch。“Thebesteffectofthisreasoningthatcanbehopedfor，is，thatmenshouldfallintotheism，andsubscribetothefirstproposition；
hemustbeworsethananatheistwhocanaffirmthelast。Thedilemmaisterrible，mylord。Partyzealandprivateinteresthaveformedit：thecommoninterestofChristianityisdeeplyconcernedtosolveit。Now，Ipresume，itcanneverbesolvedwithoutamoreaccurateexamination，notonlyoftheChristianbutoftheJewishsystem，thanlearnedmenhavebeenhithertoimpartialenoughandsagaciousenoughtotake，orhonestenoughtocommunicate。Whilsttheauthenticityandsenseofthetextofthebibleremainasdisputable，andwhilstthetraditionofthechurchremainsasproblematical，tosaynoworse，astheimmenselaborsoftheChristiandivinesinseveralcommunionshavemadethemappeartobe；Christianitymayleanonthecivilandecclesiasticalpower，andbesupportedbytheforcibleinfluenceofeducation：buttheproperforceofreligion，thatforcewhichsubduesthemind，andawestheconsciencebyconviction，willbewanting。
Ihadreason，therefore，toproducedivinity，asoneinstanceofthoseprofessionsthatrequireaparticularapplicationtothestudyofsomeparticularpartsofhistory；andsinceIhavesaidsomuchonthesubjectinmyzealforChristianity，Iwilladdthisfurther。Theresurrectionofletterswasafatalperiod：theChristiansystemhasbeenattacked，andwoundedtoo，veryseverelysincethattime。Thedefencehasbeenbettermadeindeedbymoderndivines，thanithadbeenbyancientfathersandapologists。Themodernshaveinventednewmethodsofdefence，andhaveabandonedsomepoststhatwerenottenable：butstillthereareothers，indefendingwhichtheylieundergreatdisadvantages。Sucharevariousfacts，piouslybelievedinformertimes，butonwhichthetruthofChristianityhasbeenrestedveryimprudentlyinmoreenlightenedages；becausethefalsityofsome，andthegrossimprobabilityofothersaresoevident，that，insteadofansweringthepurposeforwhichtheywereinvented，theyhaverenderedthewholetenorofecclesiasticalhistoryandtraditionprecarious，eversinceastrictbutjustapplicationoftherulesofcriticismhasbeenmadetothem。Itouchthesethingslightly；
butifyourlordshipreflectsuponthem，youwillfindreasonperhapstothinkasIdo，thatitishightimetheclergyinallChristiancommunionsshouldjointheirforces，andestablishthosehistoricalfacts，whicharethefoundationsofthewholesystem，onclearandunquestionablehistoricalauthority，suchastheyrequireinallcasesofmomentfromothers；rejectcandidlywhatcannotbethusestablished；andpursuetheirinquiriesinthesamespiritoftruththroughalltheagesofthechurch；withoutanyregardtohistorians，fathers，orcouncils，morethantheyarestrictlyentitledtoonthefaceofwhattheyhavetransmittedtous，ontheirownconsistency，andontheconcurrenceofotherauthority。Ourpastorswouldbethus，Ipresume，muchbetteremployedthantheygenerallyare。Thoseoftheclergywhomakereligionmerelyatrade，whoregardnothingmorethanthesubsistenceitaffordsthem，orinhigherlifethewealthandpowertheyenjoybythemeansofit，maysaytothemselves，thatitwilllasttheirtime，orthatpolicyandreasonofstatewillpreservetheformofachurchwhenthespiritofreligionisextinct。ButthosewhomImentionedabove，thosewhoactforsurvivalnottemporalends，andaredesirousthatmenshouldbelieveandpractisethedoctrinesofChristianity，aswellasgotochurchandpaytithes，willfeelandowntheweightofsuchconsiderationsasthese；andagree，thathoweverthepeoplehavebeen，andmaybestillamused，yetChristianityhasbeenindecayeversincetheresurrectionofletters；andthatitcannotbesupportedasitwassupportedbeforetheera，norbyanyotherwaythanthatwhichIpropose，andwhichadueapplicationtothestudyofhistory，chronology，andcriticism，wouldenableourdivinestopursue，nodoubt，withsuccess。
Imightinstance，inotherprofessions，theobligationsmenlieunderofapplyingthemselvestocertainpartsofhistory，andIcanhardlyforbeardoingitinthatofthelaw。initsnaturethenoblestandmostbeneficialtomankind，initsabuseanddebasementthemostsordidandthemostpernicious。