Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
That the Diſciples of Jeſus Chriſt could not impoſe upon men in the matter of their Writings, or Preaching.
SInce the principal deſign of an Impoſtor is to conceal the cheat he intends to play, it is very eaſy to obſerve his Intention and Cunning in his choice of the Circumſtances he relates.
For if he invents a matter of fact, he will certainly pretend either that it happen'd long ſince; or 'twas in a remote Country; or that there were but few Spectators of it, who are ſince dead; or that …t is a ſingular matter of fact which drew no Con…equence after it, and of which there can be no ſen…ible Evidence given. In ſhort, whatever a man invents, he ſtill reſerves to himſelf ſome means or other to bring himſelf off in caſe he were too far urged by ſome people who might intereſs themſelves in the thing related.
But here we obſerve on the one hand, that men are more particularly concerned in the matters of fact which the Apoſtles relate, nay and all mankind. The Jews who are repreſented in them as moſt abominable Parricides, could not look upon them without ſome concern. The Chriſtians whom the truth of theſe matters of fact engag'd to ſuffer Martyrdom, could not but examine them with attention. And the Heathens whoſe Religion thoſe matters of fact would certainly ſubvert, if once acknowledged to be true, were very much concerned not to conſent to ſuch a forgery. Laſtly, the High-Prieſts were too jealous of their Authority, the Magiſtrates too much averſe to all new Sects, and the People too much devoted to prejudice and ſuperſtition, ever to admit of theſe matters of fact without a ſtrict examination.
We obſerve on the other hand, that thoſe very men who publiſhed them, were ſo far from being ſparing or cautious in their choice of the Circumſtances they related, that they ſet down expreſly ſo many that muſt needs have been well known; that either they muſt have been immediately convinced of their falſhood, or we acquieſce in what they told us.
For I. if you ask, in what place did they teſtifie and affirm the truth of theſe matters of fact? We anſwer at Jeruſalem, and in Judea, the very places where all theſe things occur'd. And leſt you ſhould any ways queſtion it, we will prove further by the Teſtimony of all Antiquity, that the Apoſtles eſtabliſh'd by their Preaching a Church at Jeruſalem.
II. Would you know the time? 'Twas in the ſpace of three years that the Miracles of Jeſus Chriſt, his Death, Reſurrection, and Aſcenſion were brought to paſs: and a few Weeks after the Aſcenſion, the Apoſtles begun to Preach publickly in Jeruſalem.
III. Would you know the witneſſes of the truth of theſe matters of fact? We can produce a great number of perſons who both lived and converſed with Jeſus Chriſt himſelf.
IV. Would you fain know the nature of the matters of fact here atteſted? We ſhew you that they are very evident and ſingular ones; that the Sick are healed, the Winds and Seas huſh'd, the Dead raiſed, a man put to death who convers'd with his Diſciples, and aſcended into Heaven, &c.
V. If you would know their number: we can ſhew that the whole Life of Jeſus Chriſt was but one continual ſeries of Miracles.
VI. Laſtly, Would you know the proofs of all this? The Apoſtles themſelves boaſt of having received miraculous gifts, and that too by a good Title, as we ſhall ſhew in the ſequel of this Work.
In the interim do but unite all theſe Circumſtances together, and ſee what an irreſiſtible evidence ariſes from their Union? How could the Apoſtles perſwade ſo many perſons concerned in this thing, ſo many that had both known and ſeen Jeſus Chriſt? Would they not ſoon have loſt all Credit, if ſearch had been made into the places, and the truth of what they affirmed ſtrictly examin'd? Or rather, how is it poſſible that whilſt they ventur'd to publiſh ſuch things in the very places where they muſt neceſſarily have been brought to paſs, the Jews ſhould not have ſtopt the progreſs of the Goſpel, by diſcovering to the World ſo viſible and evident an Impoſture? For the Apoſtles did not publiſh only one ſingle matter of fact of this nature. They affirm'd alſo that their Maſter had raiſed Lazarus from the Dead, together with the Son of the Widdow of Naim, and the Daughter of Jairus; that he had heal'd almoſt an infinite number of people poſſeſſed with the Devil, Deaf, Blind, and ſick of the Palſy; and that his fame had ſpread throughout all Syria.
Nor were the Apoſtles content barely to preach all theſe things, they put them alſo down in writing, and their Writings are diſpers'd throughout all the World. Therefore they hid not themſelves, but were willing every one ſhould know the certainty of what they teſtify'd, and examine as much as they pleaſed the matters of fact they related. They gave them out to the World, and expoſed them to be ſearch'd all manner of ways. But ſuppoſing I ſhould grant thoſe Books to be written forty, fifty, or ſixty years after the Death of Jeſus Chriſt, ſtill is it evident that before that time there was a Church at Jeruſalem founded by the preaching of the Apoſtles; and it is certain that the Apoſtles had declared by word of mouth the Miracles and Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, which are the eſſential matters of fact contained in thoſe Books.
For how could they otherwiſe perſwade the World to worſhip a crucified man? or convince them that Jeſus Chriſt was the true Meſſias? How was it poſſible the Chriſtians ſhould look upon that Book as Divine, which went upon a ſuppoſition of what was never done? By what kind of agreement ſhould four perſons who wrote in different times and places, and copy'd not one anothers Writings (as is plain if we read them over with never ſo little attention, and conſider their different manner of relating the ſame things) I ſay by what kind of agreement ſhould they have conſpired to inform us of the ſame matters of fact, if the Apoſtles had not firſt of all unanimouſly and univerſally publiſh'd them? How could the Apoſtles have perſwaded men to turn Chriſtians, had they not declared the Miracles, Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt; ſince Chriſtianity can't ſubſiſt without theſe matters of fact? Thus we ſee 'tis to no purpoſe for Impoſtors to diſguiſe themſelves, for all their ſhifts and tricks ſerve only to diſcover them.