Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Where we ſhall examine the matters contained in the Goſpels, and ſee whether they are capable of Illuſion or Impoſture.
THoſe Books contain an infinite number of extraordinary, divine and admirable things; but the principal of them are reducible to theſe four heads, I. The Birth, Genealogy, and Education of Jeſus Chriſt, with all the Circumſtances of them, which we ſhall not ſpeak of at preſent, leaſt we ſhould be too tedious, having already mention'd them in our firſt part of this work. II. The Exerciſe of his Office, confirmed by an infinite number of miracles from his Baptiſm to his Aſcenſion. III. The holineſs of his life and converſation ſeen clearly in ſeveral occaſions, and ſhining throughout the various Actions of his life. IV. His Doctrin and his Prophecies. From theſe four different heads ſpring forth ſuch beams of Truth as wonderfully illuſtrate this whole matter. Let us therefore examine them in their order, and keep ſtill to our uſual method, which is to raiſe as we go along as many difficulties as we can, and urge them on with all their force, to ſtop if it be poſſible the complaints of the Incredulous againſt us.
We may very well conſider in the miracles of Jeſus Chriſt, their number, variety, and greatneſs, the noiſe they made in the World, and the manner in which they were received. And firſt the Evangeliſts make appear the number, variety and greatneſs of them, in telling us that he changed Water into Wine in Cana, that he reſtored ſight to the Blind, hearing to the Deaf, and health to the Sick; that he cleanſed the Leprous, healed the ſick of the Palſy, cured one of a withered Hand, another of a Dropſy▪ a third diſeaſed with an Iſſue of Blood, that he caſt out many Devils, raiſed the Dead to Life, appeaſed the ſtormy Winds and Tempeſts, and at ſeveral times wonderfully fed many thouſands in the Wilderneſs. Theſe Miracles are very numerous indeed, ſeem very much different from one another, and cannot proceed but from a Divine Power.
To this we muſt further add, that they are of ſuch a nature as could not be concealed from the knowledge of men, that they muſt neceſſarily have an infinite number of witneſſes, ſo that had the Apoſtles purely invented them, they might ſoon have been contradicted by an infinite number of people.
And yet it ſeems the moſt inveterate enemies of Jeſus Chriſt durſt not altogether deny the evidence of them; becauſe they accuſed him of healing the ſick on the Sabbath Day, and pretended he caſt out Devils by Belzeebub, the Prince of the Devils: this ſort of calumny being as it were an extorted confeſſion of his infinite Power, and a Teſtimony which they bore in ſpite of themſelves to the Truth of his Miſſion.
Beſides, 'tis eaſy to believe that the Evangeliſts did not invent of themſelves what they make the Scribes and Phariſees utter on this account, becauſe they unanimouſly agree in the relation they give us of it; they repreſent Jeſus Chriſt refuting this calumny, and aſſuring us in this occaſion, that blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt would never be forgiven, a thing which could not eaſily enter into any mans mind: In a word, the Jews that came after, being compelled to own that Jeſus Chriſt had done ſeveral miracles, were obliged to ſay that he had found out the true pronunciation of the great word Jehovah, and that 'twas by the help of this pronunciation (a pattern whereof he had found in the Temple) that he wrought ſo many miracles. See into what extravagant opinions men neceſſarily fall into, when they endeavour to ſhun the force of Truth.
But not to inſiſt on all theſe vain Chimeras, methinks neither of theſe two Truths can reaſonably be conteſted. The firſt is that Jeſus Chriſt pretended to have work'd many miracles. This is what his enemies reviled him with, when ſtanding round about his Croſs they ſaid, he ſaved others, himſelf he cannot ſave. Let him now come down from the Croſs, and we will believe him. The ſecond is, that the Diſciples who followed him, knew for certain whether he wrought any miracles or not. For ſince we have here to do with evident and ſingular miracles above the reach of Human Power, they could not but certainly know the truth of them.
Things being thus ſuppoſed, I further conſider, that of the many Diſciples Jeſus Chriſt had, there were but two that proved unfaithful to him: but it was not long before they did right to the Truth, tho each of them in a very different manner. The one was moved with a ſenſible regret, and wept bitterly, the other was ſo tormented with the remorſe of Conſcience, that he was forced to make himſelf away.
Had Jeſus been an Impoſtor, how came Peter to repent, and Judas to deſpair. If he falſly boaſted of many miracles, thoſe two men, thoſe two conſtant and perpetual witneſſes of his Actions, muſt needs have known it; and and if they did certainly know it, whence could then proceed the Repentance of the one, and the Deſpair of the other?
'Twould be to no purpoſe to uſe any Evaſions in the hiſtory of Judas, which the Writers of the New Teſtament have repreſented to us as a thing publickly known to the World. This man (ſays St. Peter, in the firſt Chapter of the Books of Acts verſe 18.) purchaſed a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, burſt aſunder in the midſt, and all his Bowels guſh'd out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jeruſalem, inſomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to ſay the field of Blood. Is it poſſible to be more particular in any thing? And could the Author of the Acts be ſo fooliſh to imagin he could invent all theſe Circumſtances, and make St. Peter utter them without making him ridiculous and himſelf liable to be contradicted
In like manner the Evangeliſts tell us all the Circumſtances of the Death, and Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt. They ſay that at his death there was a great Darkneſs, and a dreadful Earth-quake, that the Rocks burſt, and the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. If all this were meer Invention, thoſe Writers ſhew'd but little reaſon in chuſing ſuch ſtrange Circumſtances to impoſe upon mens belief. Was it ſuch an eaſy matter to perſwade all the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem that on the day Jeſus Chriſt was crucified, the vail of the Temple rent in twain, and ſeveral other notable Prodigies were ſeen? Was it not a pretty way of getting credit amongſt men? And thoſe men too who related ſuch ſtrange things contrary to the certain knowledge of every one, and ſo ſoon after they muſt have been brought to paſs, could they gain over to their ſide ſo many thouſand people?
As to the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, the Evangeliſts relate that the Stone of his Sepulchre was ſealed, and a watch ſet over it; that the Soldiers ſaid the next day that the Diſciples of Jeſus came by night and ſtole away his body whilſt they ſlept, &c. If you doubt whether the Souldiers were ſuborned by the chief Prieſts, and gave out that the body of Jeſus Chriſt had been ſtole away by his Diſciples, St. Matthew will inform you of it in ſuch a manner as will infallibly clear all your doubts. Now, ſays he, ſome of the watch came into the City, and ſhewed unto the Chief Prieſts all the things that were done. And when they were aſſembled with the Elders, and had taken Councel, they gave large money unto the Soldiers, ſaying, ſay ye, his Diſciples came by night and ſtole him away while we Slept. And if this comes to the Governours ears, we will perſwade him and ſecure you. So they took the mony, and did as they were taught: and this ſaying is commonly reported among the Jews unto this day. Chap. 28. v. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
Here the Evangeliſt is far from deſigning to deceive the Publick in thoſe things he pretends were publickly known. It is therefore to be confeſs'd that a watch was ſet over the Sepulchre of Jeſus Chriſt, and that ſome of the watch reported ſuch things as are mentioned by the Evangeliſts, or at leaſt that it was ſuppoſed, that that ſame was their report. The queſtion therefore is, whether the Diſciples did really ſteal away the body of Jeſus Chriſt from the midſt of a company of Soldiers that were appointed to guard it. But do but only reflect a little on the perſon of the Diſciples, who were no better than poor and fearful Fiſhermen, on their Diſperſion, their trouble and heavineſs, the triple denial of the ſtouteſt of them all, together with all other Circumſtances of that Event; and it will appear that they were ſo far from executing ſo dangerous an undertaking, that it was impoſſible ſuch a deſign could have ever entred into their heads.
And therefore Pilate was ſo truly convinced of the Truth of the Reſurrection of Jeſus Christ, that he wrote to Tiberius about it. And 'twas on the account of Pilate's Letter, that this Emperour went …o the Senate, and propoſed the inſertion of Jeſus Chriſt among the Gods. We have no Reaſon to ſuſpect this hiſtory, eſpecially if we conſider that Tertullian himſelf relates it in the Apology which he addreſſes to the Senate and the Roman Emperour, who needed only to have conſulted their Regiſters to find the actions of Pilate, as they were ſo often deſired to do by all thoſe who wrote Apologies in behalf of the Chriſtians.
In the mean time we have no great occaſion of this outward Teſtimony, becauſe there can be nothing more inſeparably interwoven than theſe truths are: And we need only read carefully the Goſpels over to be ſatisfied therein. We have ſeen the miracles of Jeſus Chriſt with all their Circumſtances; we ſhall now ſhew that his holineſs of life was no leſs extraordinary than his Miracles.