Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Wherein we further examine the Epiſtles of St▪ Paul.
THe third thing to be obſerv'd in the Epiſtles of St. Paul, is, that they are as it were a continual repetition of the Death, Reſurrection, and Aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt, or at leaſt of ſuch things as eſſentially belong to them: ſo that altho the four Goſpels ſhould be loſt, ſtill the Subſtance and Eſſentials of the Goſpel are to be found in the Writings of St. Paul. Now this appears in the beginning of almoſt every one of his Epiſtles. Concerning his Son, ſays he in his Epiſtle to the Romans Chap. 1. v. 4. which was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the ſpirit of holyneſs, by the Reſurrection from the dead of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. But this appears yet more expreſly in ſeveral other places, as in the 15. Chap. of his firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians, v. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. For I delivered unto you firſt of all, that which I alſo received, how that Chriſt died for our ſins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he roſe again the third day according to the Scriptures; and th… he was ſeen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After th… he was ſeen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain unto this preſent, but ſo… are fallen a ſleep. After that he was ſeen of James, th… of all the Apoſtles. And laſt of all he was ſeen of … alſo, as of one born out of due time.
So boldly does this Apoſtle ſpeak of the Reſurrection of Jeſus Christ. He does not only ſay in general terms that Jeſus Chriſt was ſeen after his Reſurrection; but in particular that he was ſeen of Cephas, of James, of the other Apoſtles, and of himſelf; that he was ſeen by five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greateſt part was then living, whom he appealed to as witneſſes of the Truth of what he ſaid, and who might eaſily have contradicted him if it had been falſe. But if ſo great a number of people really ſaw Jeſus Chriſt after his Reſurrection, that matter of fact can never be falſe. For how is it poſſible that five hundred, three hundred, nay fifty perſons, ſhould maugre all puniſhments, conſpire together to maintain a fiction? But if ſuch a number of perſons neither ſaw, nor certified they had ſeen Chriſt after his Reſurrection: how ſhould St. Paul have preſumed to write this to an infinite number of perſons, who ſeeing and converſing with the Apoſtles, muſt have known the certainty of it? How durſt he name thoſe whom he pretends that Jeſus Chriſt appeared to after his Reſurrection? How great was his boldneſs to aſſign ſo great a number of Witneſſes of that Truth, and to affirm that the greateſt part of them were ſtill living? How comes he to ſpeak of it ſlightly, by the way, or only as a thing univerſally known? He tells it, but not with any turn of Wit or fineneſs of Expreſſion, which Impoſtors uſe to varniſh over a ſpecious lye, who uſe the more art and inſinuation, the more incredible the things are they would induce men to believe. But why ſhould not he boldly aſſert the Truth of the Reſurrection, ſince as he pretends, the Holy Ghoſt evidently bare record of it?
In a word, St. Paul ſpeaks in his Epiſtle of miracu…ous gifts as of a thing univerſally known. He calls them the Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, and ſometimes only the Holy Ghoſt. He that ſhould attempt to cut off from his Epiſtles every place wherein he men…ions them, would certainly take away the moſt conſiderable part of them. To one, ſays he, is given …he ſpirit, the gift of Wiſdom, to another the gift of Knowledge by the ſame ſpirit; to another Faith by the ſame ſpirit, to another the gift of healing by the ſame ſpirit; to another the working of Miracles; to another Prophecy; to another diſcerning of ſpirits; to another divers kind of tongues: but all theſe worketh that one and the ſelf ſame ſpirit, dividing to every man ſeverally as he will, 1 Cor. 12. 8, 9, 10, 11.
You ſee how St. Paul curſorily mentions this matter of fact, as a matter of unconteſted Experience. Mean while 'tis obſervable that we have not to do with one ſingle gift, but ſeveral miraculous gifts, in which there was no Artifice or Illuſion. For tho' it might be pretended that ſome certain people had received the gift of tongues, and altho' thoſe very people ſhould not immediately be found out by thoſe, who perfectly underſtood thoſe Languages; yet how could there be others who expounded divers Languages, and underſtood men of all Nations, others who healed the Sick, others who by Faith wrought miracles, &c.
But perhaps the Incredulous will not be ſatisfied with that one Text of Scripture, and therefore here is another of the ſame ſtamp, 1 Cor▪ 13. 1, 2. Tho' I ſpeak with the tongues of Men and of Angels, &c. and tho' I have the gift of Prophecy, and underſtand all Mysteries, &c. And tho' I have all Faith, ſo that I could remove Mountains, &c. 1. Cor. 12. 29, 30, 31. Are all prophets? ſays he in the foregoing chapter. Are all workers of Miracles? Have all the gift of healing? Do all ſpeak with tongues? Do all Interpret? But covet earneſtly the beſt gifts: and yet ſhew I unto you, a more excellent way. 'Tis then he begins his Encomium of Charity, and prefers it before all other miraculous gifts. In like manner he ſpeaks in this place indirectly, and as it were by the by of thoſe gifts; and the manner of his Expreſſion manifeſtly ſhews, that this matter of fact was publickly known.
But if they ſhould ſtill require a greater demonſtration of this Truth, ſuch a demonſtration as ſeems to me above all ſubtilty of Cavils and Exceptions, it's ſufficient to obſerve that among all thoſe Gifts, that of Tongues was ſo common (by reaſon it was very often imparted by the Apoſtles's impoſition of hands) that there aroſe a great Diſturbance and Confuſion in the Church of Corinth upon the account of it; becauſe all thoſe who had received that gift, being deſirous to ſpeak ſtrange Languages in the Church, the Congregation was not in the leaſt edified by it. And it obliged St. Paul to write to them very ſharply thereupon, to which end he particularly deſigned the 14. Chap. of his firſt Epiſt. to the Corinthians, I would, ſays he to them, v. 5. that ye all ſpeak with tongues; but rather that ye prophecied that the Church may receive edifying. Now to prophecy in the ſenſe of this Apoſtle, is to declare the word of God, and expound it to the people, I thank my God, adds he further v. 18, 19. I ſpeak with tongues more than you all. Yet in the Church I had rather ſpeak five words with my Ʋnderſtanding, that by my voice I might teach others alſo, than ten thouſand words in an unknown tongue. Wherefore, adds he a little further v. 22. Tongues are for a ſign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophecying ſerveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. That is, as any one may eaſily conceive, that the gift of tongues which God had granted to the Church after a moſt extraordinary and wonderful manner, was deſigned either to confound, or convert the Infidels by that evident teſtimony of the Divinity of Chriſtianity: whereas the gift of prophecying, that is, of declaring God's Will, and expounding it to the people, had been wholly given men for the good and Edification of the faithful. Now to theſe miraculous Gifts St. Paul certainly alluded, when he ſaid in his firſt Epiſt. to the Theſſalonians, Chap. 5. v. 19. Quench not the ſpirit. And tis concerning thoſe ſame gifts and ſignal miracles that he ſays to the Galatians, O fooliſh Galatians, &c. Chap. 3. 5. He therefore that miniſtreth to you the ſpirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the Law, or by the preaching of the Faith? Laſtly, 'tis concerning theſe miraculous gifts that the Apoſtle ſpeaks, when he ſays, that the ſign of his Apoſtleſhip was manifeſted among the Corinthians, in all Patience, in Signs, and Wonders, and mighty Deeds.
We may ſee to what perplexity and confuſion the Incredulous are reduced; and how angry ſoever they may be, there are but two ſides they can take. They muſt either aſſert that St. Paul had loſt his ſenſes, when he wrote thoſe things we juſt now mention'd; which they'll never do, becauſe their opinion is that St. Paul wanted no cunning to deceive a great many perſons: or they muſt confeſs that the faithful very frequently received many miraculous gifts in the Ancient Church; that thoſe gifts were various; that there had actually been ſuch perſons in the Church of Corinth, who had cauſed ſome kind of diſturbance in it, by ſpeaking divers Languages as they were inſpired by the Holy Ghoſt; and conſequently they muſt own the Divinity of our Religion.