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Paley, William, 1743-1805

"Evidence of Christianity"

5. "Pro ductique omnes,
virgisqus caesi, ac securi percussi."
A modern example may illustrate the use we make of this instance. The
preceding of a capital execution by the corporal punishment of the
sufferer is a practice unknown in England, but retained, in some
instances at least, as appears by the late execution of a regicide in
Sweden. This circumstance, therefore, in the account of an English
execution, purporting to come from an English writer, would not only
bring a suspicion upon the truth of the account, but would in a
considerable degree impeach its pretensions of having been written by
the author whose name it bore. Whereas, the same circumstance in the
account of a Swedish execution would verify the account, and support the
authenticity of the book in which it was found, or, at least, would
prove that the author, whoever he was, possessed the information and the
knowledge which he ought to possess.
XXVI. [p. 353.] John xix. 16. "And they took Jesus, and led him away;
and he bearing his cross went forth."
Plutarch, De iis qui sero puniuntur, p. 554; a Paris, 1624.


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