A Series of Ten Lectures
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Ten Lectures by A. P. Peabody |
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This series of Lectures was delivered, by appointment,
as the third course on the foundation established in the Union Theological
Seminary by Mr. ZEBULON STILES ELY, of New York, in the following terms:
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"The undersigned gives the sum of ten thousand dollars to the Union Theological Seminary of the city of New York, to found a Lectureship in the same, the title of which shall be 'THE ELIAS P. ELY LECTURES ON THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.'"The course of Lectures given on this foundation is to comprise any topics that serve to establish the proposition that Christianity is a religion from God, or that it is the perfect and final form of religion for man.
"Among.the subjects discussed may be,--
"The Nature and Need of a Revelation ;
"The Character and Influence of Christ and his Apostles ;
"The Authenticity and Credibility of the Scriptures, Miracles, and Prophecy;
"The Diffusion and Benefits of Christianity ; and
"The Philosophy of Religion in its Relation to the Christian System.
"Upon one or more of such subjects a course of ten
public Lectures shall be given at least once in two or three years.
The appointment of the Lecturer is to be by the concurrent action of the
directors and faculty of said Seminary and the undersigned ; and it shall
ordinarily be made two years in advance. " The interest of the fund is
to be devoted to the payment of the Lecturers, and the publication of the
Lectures within a year after the delivery of the same The copyright of
the volumes thus published is to be vested in the Seminary.
"In case it should seem more advisable, the directors have it at their discretion at times to use the proceeds of this fund in providing special courses of lectures or instruction, in place of the aforesaid public lectures, for the students of the Seminary, on the above-named subjects.
"Should there at any time be a surplus of the fund, the directors are authorized to employ it in the way of prizes for dissertations by students of the Seminary, or of prizes for essays thereon, open to public competition.
"ZEBULON STILES ELY.
"NEW YORK, May 8th, 1865."
Table of Contents - Detail Science and Christianity defined
Their Sources of Evidence
I. Testimony
Dependence of Science on Testimony
Antiquity of the Gospels
Genuineness of the Gospels
Testimony of Christian Fathers
Of Heretics
Of Enemies
Rules of Evidence
Authenticity of the Gospels
Their Authors competent Witnesses
The Gospels complementing and interpreting one another
Internal Evidence of Authenticity
The human Virtues of Christ
His ethical and religious Teachings
His Influence
The Divine Side of his Character
His superhuman Works neither Imposture nor Delusion
Mutual Resemblance of the Synoptic Gospels
Their Sameness of Style and Language accounted for
Genealogies in Matthew's and Luke's Gospels
Proofs of the Genuineness of John's Gospel
Its Relation to the Synoptic Gospels
Proof of its Antiquity from the History of Gnosticism
Miracles an Obstacle to Faith
Pantheistic Objections
Objections from the Sovereignty of Law
Objections from Experience
Need and Use of Miracles
Miracles consonant with the Person and Mission of Christ
Verified by human History
Consistent with the known Methods of the Divine Administration
Paul's Testimony to Christ's Resurrection the earliest extant
Its Source and Validity
Accounts of the Resurrection in the Gospels
The Apostles believed in Christ's Resurrection
The Church built upon it
Christ's supposed Reappearance not an Hallucination
Not Revival from a Swoon
Uses of the Resurrection
Its Proof grows with Time
Alleged Deficiencies of Christianity
Its Completeness as to individual Needs
Reasons for its Silence
Its Silence a Proof of its Divinity
Its Treatment of Courage
Of Patriotism
Of Friendship
Summary of the Evidence from Testimony
II. Experiment
Experiment as a Test of scientific Truth
Claimed as a Test by the Author of Christianity
Christianity as a Factor in the Formation of Character
As a Source of Energy
As a Support in Trial
As sustaining Hope in Death
Cumulative Argument from Experiment
Christianity as a renovating Power in human Society
What it promises to accomplish
Its rapid Progress in the first Christian Centuries
Influences opposed to it
Its Power over public Sentiment
Its Agency in domestic Life
As regards Slavery
In the Theory and Practice of Government
In the Relief of human Want and Suffering
No other Religion to be compared with it
III. Intuition
Scientific Intuition
Christian Intuition
Intuition defined
Objective Intuition
Subjective Intuition of Christian Ethics
Of Truths appertaining to God
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