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THE

NEW TESTAMENT,

ARRANGED IN

CHRONOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL ORDER.

WITH COPIOUS NOTES

ON THE

PRINCIPAL SUBJECTS IN THEOLOGY

THE GOSPELS ON THE BASIS OF THE HARMONIES OF LIGHTFOOT, DODDRIDGE,
PILKINGTON, Newcome, and MICHAELIS; THE ACCOUNT OF THE
RESURRECTION, ON THE AUTHORITIES OF WEST, TOWNSON,

AND CRANFIELD: THE EPISTLES ARE INSERTED IN
THEIR PLACES, AND DIVIDED ACCORDING TO

THE APOSTLES' ARGUMENTS.

BY THE

REV. GEORGE TOWNSEND, M.A.

OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE;

AND DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO THE BISHOP OF DURHAM.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

London :

PRINTED FOR C. & J. RIVINGTON,

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD, AND WATERLOO-PLACE, PALL-MALL.

847.7

Printed by R. Gilbert, St. John's-square, London.

THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

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CHAPTER IX.

From the Ascension of Christ to the termination of the
Period in which the Gospel was preached to the Prose-
lytes of righteousness, and to the Jews only'.

SECTION I.

After the Ascension of Christ the Apostles return to Jeru

salem.

ACTS i. ver. 1-3. and 12-14.

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of Jerusalem. all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

We

1 Having thus far proceeded through the magnificent temple
of the Christian religion, till we have arrived at that holy altar
on which the great sacrifice was offered, we are about to con-
template the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit which the now
glorified victim sent down from the Holy of Holies.
will pause, however, at the threshold of the rising Church,
and appeal to all who have hitherto refused to enter in and
worship, if they have been able to discover any God so wor-
thy of their homage, as the God of Christianity;
or any
temple so firmly established as this beautiful fabric of eternal
truth. The Christian challenges the world to produce ano-
ther system which is at all comparable to Christianity, in the
evidences of its truth, the purity of its precepts, the philosophy
of its discoveries, both concerning God and man; or in all the
other essential qualities which the speculations, the fancy, or the
sober reason of the reflecting or the learned in all ages have
considered essential to any proposed scheme of religion. The
Christian world has hitherto been, for the most part, too patient
under the repeated attacks of their antagonists. They have
been contented with defence, and with maintaining the walls of
their fortress; in replying to, rather than assailing the enemies
of their sublime and holy faith. It is true that one considerable
advantage has accrued to the cause of truth from this plan of
action. Every argument which sophistry has been able to in-
vent, and ignorance or vice to advance, has been fully and
fairly met, discussed, and refuted. The external and internal
evidence of Christianity has been so amply displayed-the facts
on which the whole system rests have been so ably and repeat-
edly enumerated, that no possible danger can be apprehended,
if the Church of God continues its vigilance, from any future
efforts of the great adversary of mankind. The danger to
which alone it is exposed, is the offence which arises from the

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