The Correspondent (Volume 5)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1829. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... THE CORRESPONDENT. MAGNA EST VERITAS ET PREVALEBIT. BY GEORGE HOUSTON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. No. 20. NEW-YORK, JUNE 6, 1829. Vol. 5. CORRSSFONDENCS. EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. Mr. Editor--Since my last, the 63d number of the North American Review, for April 18-9, has appeared; wherein there is a disquisition relating to historical evidence, that will form a sequel to my preceding observations so appropriate, that long us it is, I must request the favor of you to make from it the following extract, which I am sure your readers will not blame you for inserting, although it will occupy several pages of your Correspondent. Wishing my own series of papers to be a brief and condensed summary of objections, constituting a whole in itself, I hope you will oblige me by adding this extract to my preliminary remarks; especially as it is manifestly the production of an able but very disingenious Christian. 1 say disingenious because he commenced by calling Gibbon the historian a disingenious writer. 1 challenge the author of that Review, to shew me an instanee of disingenious reasoning in Gibbon's sixteenth chapter: or of disingenious quotation. 1 am satisfied the writer in question is competent to the discussion, and he has no doubt the advantage of the library at Harvard College: let him use it. I tell him he cannot prove his assertion. Gibbon was not a hired and paid advocate of one side of a public question: the author of that Review probably is. Gibbon did not shape his course according to the road pointed out by popular prejudice; he dared to run counter to it. The reviewer in the North American, has the advantage of popular prejudice, and popular bigotry, and all fashionable opinion in his favor. He swims with the stream. Let him shew Gibbon's disingenuit...