Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 2 · Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. IX.
Wherein we ſhall examine the matters contained i… the Book of Acts.
THe matter of this Book may be reduced t… theſe three heads, viz. the Aſcenſion of Jeſu… Chriſt, the coming down of the Holy Goſt upon th… Apoſtles, and the Eſtabliſhment of the Chriſtia… Churches by the ſucceſsful preaching of the Apoſtles All theſe things are of ſuch a nature as could no… poſſibly be forg'd.
The Aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt is related with to… many Circumſtances to leave us any reaſon to believe that the Diſciples themſelves were deceive… therein. The Author expreſly affirms that Jeſ… converſed the ſpace of forty days with his Diſcipl… after his Reſurrection; that he promiſed them the… ſhould be baptiſed with the Holy Ghoſt, and commanded them to wait at Jeruſalem for the effect of that promiſe, that he carried them to the Mount of Olives; that he was taken up in a Cloud, which carried him out of their ſight; and that as they ſtedfaſtly looked up towards Heaven, as he went up, two men ſtood by them in white apparel, and promiſed them that Jeſus Chriſt would come again in like manner as they had ſeen him go into Heaven. So that …t is no longer a queſtion whether the Diſciples were deceived in this reſpect; but rather whether they had a mind to deceive others by a falſe Relation of ſo Chimerical an Event.
For the perfect underſtanding of this Matter, it is ſufficient to obſerve the time in which the Diſciples begun to declare it. And when the day of Pentecoſt was fully come, ſays St. Luke, they were all with one accord in one place. And ſuddenly there came a ſound from Heaven, as of a ruſhing mighty Wind, and it filled all the houſe where they were ſitting. And there ap…eared unto them Cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it …at upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghoſt, and begun to ſpeak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jeruſalem, Jews, devout Men, out of every Nation under Heaven. Now when this was noiſed abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, becauſe that every man heard them ſpeak in his own Language, &c. But Peter ſtanding up with the eleven, lift …p his voice, and ſaid, &c. Then they that gladly received his Word, were baptiſed: and the ſame day there were added unto them about three thouſand Souls, &c. And fear came upon every Soul, and many wonders and ſigns were done by the Apostles, Acts Chap. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 41, 43.
That this matter of fact was not invented, appears by the bare Conſideration of it: becauſe this is a thing as muſt have been brought to paſs at Jeruſalem upon a ſolemn feaſt day, before men of all ſorts of Nations, and as I may ſo ſpeak, in the ſight of all the Univerſe; and which Conſequently is ſuch as could not poſſibly have been forg'd or invented.
What then can be objected to ſhake the Certainty of this Hiſtory? Can it be ſaid that this Matter of fact was inſerted in the Writings of St Luke, long after the Death of that Author? But then it muſt at the ſame time be confeſſed, that the whole Book was forg'd, becauſe that is an eſſential and fundamental matter of fact, on which the other things contained in the Book of Acts altogether depend. Thus for inſtance, the preaching of the Apoſtles and the ſucceſs of it wholly depend upon it. Whatever is contained in their Epiſtles abſolutely relates to it. And laſtly, every thing in the New Teſtament is forg'd, if the coming down of the Holy Ghoſt on the Apoſtles be a meer Invention.
Shall I believe that St. Luke himſelf invented this matter of fact, and that no one ever ſpoke of it before him? If ſo, what was it the Apoſtles ſaid to thoſe they preach'd the Goſpel to? What did they ground their preaching upon, but only on the Miſſion of the Holy Ghoſt? What other right but that had they to preach?
Did the Apoſtles themſelves to deceive Mankind, pretend that they had received the Holy Ghoſt? This is the only plauſible ſuſpicion the Incredulous can entertain; yet for all that it is abſurd. For when was it they made this Pretenſion? It muſt neceſſarily be either after they had founded a Church at Jeruſalem, or ſome time before. If it was after they had founded a Church therein, how was it poſſible this Church ſhould have been afterwards perſwaded that the Apoſtles had received the Holy Ghoſt; that they had publickly ſpoken all ſorts of Languages, and that their preaching attended with ſeveral ſtrange prodigies, had been the occaſion of the forming that Church?
But if the Apoſtles pretended they had received the Holy Ghoſt, before there was ever any Chriſtian Church eſtabliſhed in Jeruſalem, nay if it were by a falſe atteſtation of this matter of fact, and many other ſuch that they founded this Church: the Apoſtles muſt of neceſſity have learned all the Languages in the World ſince the death of their Maſter, and together with that the ſecret of making the lame walk, and healing the ſick: becauſe theſe are what they call the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt.
But perhaps 'tis a queſtion whether there was ever any Chriſtian Church founded at Jeruſalem? If ſo, then muſt the Ancient Doctors of the Church who lived in different times and in different places, have conſpired together to deceive us in this reſpect; and the Jews and Heathens, and all other profeſs'd Enemies of our Religion, as well Ancient as Modern, who never conteſted the truth of this matter of fact, muſt utterly have loſt their Reaſon.
In a word, ſuppoſing the Book of Acts compoſed long after the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, that is, when there could be no longer any flouriſhing Church in that City, yet there is no point gained. For it is true ſtill that the Apoſtles ſet down the matter of fact we ſpeak of, and that their Epiſtles are filled with ſuch things as viſibly relate to it.
I ſhall not here further add that the Book of Acts mentions nothing of the Death of the Apoſtles; which manifeſtly ſhews that it was compoſed during their lives, and conſequently in a time wherein the Church of Jeruſalem flouriſh'd: nor that it mentions nothing of the laſt deſtruction of Jeruſalem, no not ſo much as any of the ſigns or preſages of it; which induces us to believe that that Book was compoſed ſome time before that great Event; it being very probable that the Author who compoſed it meerly for the Glory of the Apoſtles and of the Chriſtian Religion, (as the Incredulous undoubtedly imagin) would never have failed to have inſerted in it the Hiſtory of all thoſe dreadful Misfortunes which fell upon the Jews, and which the Chriſtians look upon as the effect of their rejecting the Meſſias.
But ſince my deſign is not to leave the Reader the leaſt ſhadow of a doubt, I promiſe to prove by and by, that the Apoſtles both received and imparted many miraculous gifts. In the mean while till the Method I have preſcribed to my ſelf, gives me leave to enter upon that ſubject, I think it fit to make ſome few Reflexions concerning the ſucceſs of the Apoſtles's preaching, which is that eſſential head to which all other matters contained in the Book of Acts relate.
CHAP. X.
Wherein we ſhall take into Conſideration what ſucceſs the Preaching of the Apoſtles had.
THis matter of fact is related with very remarkable Circumſtannces. As I. That thoſe men who firſt preached the Goſpel were Fiſhermen, that is, groſs and ignorant people, of no appearance, or authority in the world. II. That thoſe men went about preaching that they had ſeen Jeſus Chriſt riſen from the Dead, and aſcending into Heaven, and that they had long before been Eye-Witneſſes to his Miracles. III. That they offended by their preaching all the Powers of the World, and expoſed their perſons to an infinite number of Dangers and Misfortunes. IV. That they ſuffered them with Patience, or rather with Joy. V. That the ſucceſs of their preaching was ſo ſwift and ſudden, as is almoſt inconceivable.
In all this St. Luke has told us nothing but what our own Reaſon would tell us. We may conclude that they were men of no extraordinary birth, or credit in the World that firſt preached the Goſpel, ſince no body has ever ſaid any thing to the contrary.
'Tis manifeſt that thoſe men ought to have teſtified that they had ſeen Jeſus Chriſt work many miracles, ſeen him riſen from the Dead, and aſcending into Heaven: becauſe they would never have converted ſo many Nations as they did, had they only ſaid they knew all thoſe things by hear ſay: and beſides that the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles inform us that that was the ſubject of their preaching.
There is no doubt but all the Powers of the World perſecuted theſe men: for as much as Policy is an Enemy to all new Sects, and the People themſelves are always Jealous of their Religion.
It cannot be doubted neither, but that the Apoſtles very couragiouſly ſuffered the effects of that perſecution: becauſe had they recanted, or drawn back for fear of puniſhments, their deſign would have miſcarried in its very beginning.
Laſtly, who can deny but that the ſucceſs of their preaching was very ſwift and ſudden; in as much as in a ſhort time there were ſeveral Churches eſtabliſhed in all parts of the known World? This is a matter of fact which was never conteſted.
And therefore Reaſon, as well as St. Luke, tells us all theſe things. The Book of Acts informs us of the Truth of them; and the Nature of things will not ſuffer us to doubt but that they were ſo: which utterly deſtroys the ſuſpicion we might entertain, that they were all forg'd or invented.
In the mean time I cannot conſider all theſe matters of fact, nor unite them together, and obſerve the proportion they have one with another, without preſently believing the Truth of that Religion which they ſo plainly Prove and Eſtabliſh.