Vindication of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Religious treatise · Section 3 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The fourth Center of Truth. A particular Conſideration of the Effuſion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt upon the Diſciples.
THE laſt Degree of Evidence that occurs in the Demonſtration which ſenſibly proves to us the Truth of the Chriſtian Religion, is, the Truth of a fourth matter of fact, naturally proved by its own proper Characters; and that is, the Effuſion of the Holy Ghoſt on the Diſciples of Jeſus Chriſt.
This Demonſtration of the truth of Chriſtian Religion has three different Degrees of Evidence, which alſo conſiſt in the three Parts of the Teſtimony of the Apoſtles. The firſt whereof is this; Jeſus Chriſt the Son of Mary did ſuch Actions as cannot but be ſupernatural and miraculous; ſuch are, for inſtance, the Reſurrection of the Dead which we have been Eye-witneſſes of. The ſecond is, We, even we our ſelves, have received the Power to work Signs and Wonders, and ſuch as are equal to thoſe of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, as he foretold and declared it ſeveral times unto us. The third is, We have not only the power to do thoſe Miracles, but can alſo impart it to others: and thoſe we ſhall hereafter convert will know themſelves to be the true Diſciples of Jeſus Chriſt, in that they ſhall work Signs like unto ours, and to thoſe which Jeſus Chriſt himſelf wrought.
The firſt Degree of this Evidence muſt neceſſarily convince us. For it is a very convincing Demonſtration indeed, to have preſent to one's Eyes, nay in ones own Diſpoſal and Power, the Witneſſes of the Miracles of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſuch Eye-witneſſes too, that both heard what he ſaid, ſaw every thing he did, familiarly converſed with him, and often queſtion'd him concerning the Difficulties that offered themſelves to their Mind; and laſtly, ſuch Witneſſes who all unanimouſly depoſed the very ſame matter of fact, and boldly maintain'd it even in the midſt of the moſt cruel Torments; And yet ſuch Witneſſes as theſe had thoſe who were firſt converted to the Chriſtian Faith.
But it is a thing yet ſomewhat more perſwaſive to hear thoſe Men affirm, that they had not only ſeen the Miracles of Jeſus Chriſt, but that they themſelves were able to work the ſame Miracles. Certainly, of all the Witneſſes in the World, thoſe are ſooneſt to be received and believ'd, who proffer to ſhew you the very Things they teſtify.
But what ſeems to me to be the laſt Degree of Evidence, and the cleareſt Demonſtration, is, that thoſe very Witneſſes undertook to convince Men of thoſe matters which they affirmed to be true, not only by relating thoſe Miracles which they ſaw Jeſus Christ do, not only by profering to do the like themſelves, but alſo by promiſing to enable thoſe People (who ſhould believe their Words) to operate the very ſame things: For they imparted the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt to their Proſelytes, as it appears by the Example of the Centurion Cornelius. And thoſe Gifts became afterwards ſo frequent and viſible, that Simon Magus would have bought them for Mony: They were ſo very remarkable, that they made great and publick Impreſſions on the Minds of ſeveral Jews, who were already converted to the Goſpel of our Lord, and praiſed God for his having alſo viſited the Gentiles. Laſtly, the Goſpel which thoſe Diſciples preached, tells us that ſuch ſhould be the Signs that followed the true Diſciples of Jeſus Chriſt, namely, that they ſhould heal the Sick, &c.
Certainly how ſtrong ſoever the obſtinacy and prejudices of the Incredulous may be, yet they cannot any longer hold out againſt the powerful Convictions of that threefold Truth. It is impoſſible that the Diſciples ſhould bear witneſs to the Miracles of Jeſus Chriſt, if they had not been true; neither can we ſuppoſe they would have had the Boldneſs, Power, or Will to do it. It is impoſſible they ſhould have contrived together ſuch an unparallel'd Impoſture, by agreeing among themſelves to preach the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt, of which they were never Witneſſes.
But it is extravagant to imagin that the Apoſtles boaſted they were able to do Miracles, meerly to have other Men believe thoſe of Jeſus Christ, and it argues yet a greater Extravagance, to ſuppoſe they promiſed all thoſe they ſhould convert to him, to make them able to work the very ſame Miracles they atteſted.
Beſides, we are to conſider two things in the Revelation made to the Apoſtles on the day of Pentecoſt: viz. the Symbol or Token of the Preſence of the Holy Ghoſt, and the Effects or Gifts of the ſaid Holy Ghoſt. And it is not eaſie to imagin how the Diſciples could be deceived in either reſpect: I am willing, however, for once to ſuppoſe that they might have been deceived in thoſe external and corporeal Symbols; that they might fancy they heard a mighty ruſhing Wind, of which there was really no noiſe; that their Eyes being dazzled they might have taken that for Fire which was not Fire; yet this Suppoſition would certainly be a little too extravagant. For tho the Apoſtles, by reaſon of ſome Imperfection in their Organs, or ſome outward Illuſion, may have fancy'd that they ſaw Fire where no Fire was, yet it is a very difficult matter for a wandring Imagination (as they muſt be ſuppoſed to have had then according to this Notion) to have joyn'd Fire and a Sound together; and much more difficult alſo to have perceiv'd that Fire in a form which was moſt agreeable to their Miniſtry: and that muſt have been a very fortuitous Chance indeed, that could thus modify that Fire, and make it appear as Cloven Tongues like as of Fire, which ſat on each of the Diſciples when they were aſſembled together. Beſides, it would be very ſtrange they ſhould be all of them liable to the ſame Deluſion. But what then? ſtill this Suppoſition is too extravagant. Is it ſo? If you will, we'll ſuppoſe it true. But then tell us, how we ſhall expreſs the wonderful Effects of that Effuſion, thoſe durable and laſting Effects which were ſtill extant, tho' the Wind had ceaſed blowing, tho' that Sound which had filled the whole Houſe was no longer to be heard, and tho' that Fire and thoſe Tongues had vaniſhed away.
For certainly 'twas never intended thoſe ſurpriſing Effects ſhould be concealed. The Apoſtles immediately ſpoke all ſorts of Languages, and that too before all Nations of the World. They converted one while ſix thouſand People, at another three thouſand by one ſingle Sermon, and only ſpeaking this to their Auditors, Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the Promiſe of the Holy Ghoſt, he hath ſhed forth this, which ye now ſee and hear, Acts. 2. 33.
We'll grant, if you will, that Jeſus Chriſt did no manner of Miracles; It will produce no great Conſequence, ſo long as it appears that the Apoſtles did ſeveral: Nay, they choſe for that very end, the Sick that were moſt known. They took a lame Perſon, for inſtance, that was publickly known to all the City of Jeruſalem for ſuch a one, to make him walk and leap before all the People of that great and flouriſhing City.
'Twould have been a ſtrange thing indeed, if the Apoſtles had attempted to ſhew falſe Miracles to thoſe People that were ten thouſand times more ſubtle and refined than themſelves: But it would be yet far more ſtrange, that after having preached a falſe Reſurrection of their Maſter, they ſhould have undertook to prove it by working a falſe Miracle, which muſt neceſſarily have been immediately diſcover'd.
But I'll grant, if you will, that they might have been ſo extravagant, as to undertake it, and that the Jews whoſe chief Intereſt it was to diſcover their Cheats and Artifices, might have been ſo far void of Common ſenſe as not to make the leaſt Inquiry into it, or Examination about it. But what then will you ſay to this, which in my Opinion may ſerve for an invincible Demonſtration; namely, that the Apoſtles not only pretended themſelves able to work Miracles, but alſo to give their Diſciples Power to do the ſame?
Did any one ever hear of a Society form'd by the preaching of certain Impoſtors, who gave this Character of the Truth of their preaching, that they would impart to others the Power of working the ſame Miracles with themſelves, who confer'd miraculous Gifts upon thoſe they baptiſed, but miraculous Gifts ſo evident and ſo ſenſible, that they themſelves could not doubt but that they had truly received them; nor they on whom they were confer'd form any lawful or reaſonable Objection againſt them?
This Conſideration is ſo much the more convincing, becauſe thoſe Gifts we here ſpeak of were durable and permanent, at leaſt, during the Infancy or firſt Age of the Church. I confeſs indeed, that the Holy Ghoſt foretold that Prophecy ſhould vaniſh away, and the Gifts of Tongues ſhould ceaſe; which is a very good Reaſon to prevent our wondering at the Ceſſation of thoſe Gifts in our days. There were none but Faith, Hope, and Charity that were to endure to all Ages. But I am alſo certain, that the miraculous Gifts laſted as long as the Apoſtles themſelves, nay they were yet extant long after their days, till God himſelf had ſettled Chriſtian Churches in all Parts of the World, the Scaffolds having been only taken down, when the Building was finiſhed. And this no Man of ſenſe can reaſonably doubt of, eſpecially when he ſees that the Apoſtles ſo frequently allude to this Matter of fact, after ſo ſimple and ſo natural a Manner. The Gift of Tongues therefore, and all other miraculous Gifts, were durable and permanent in reſpect of thoſe they had been confer'd upon. The Father was ſeen to diſcourſe about them with his Son, and the Son with his Father. And it gave Occaſion to the Jews who wondered that the Holy Ghoſt was alſo imparted to the Gentiles, to giorify God for it.
But I am willing ſome Men ſhould make the moſt violent Supoſitions they can; at leaſt, they will not refuſe to allow that the Apoſtles, who pretended to impart the Holy Ghoſt to other men by the Impoſition of their hands, and who proffered to make it deſcend upon their Proſelytes by baptiſing them; who went about preaching every where that the Time was come, wherein according to the Prophecy of Joel, the Holy Ghoſt was to be poured upon all Fleſh; and who in their Goſpels and Hiſtories they compoſed of the Life of their Maſter, affirm'd upon ſerious Reflection, that, theſe ſigns ſhould follow them that believed, &c. I ſay, it is to be preſumed they will not refuſe to allow, that thoſe Men ſincerely believed they had received, and were able to impart the Holy Ghoſt to others. Perhaps it was their Miſtake, if you will have it ſo; but that is not the thing I now contend about. Whether they were miſtaken indeed, or not, ſtill it is evident, that unleſs they had ſincerely believed that Miſtake, or that profeſs'd Opinion, they durſt never have made ſuch Promiſes: 'Tis plain enough, that a Man who did not think within himſelf that he had received the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, would never promiſe to impart them to others.
Now I would deſire the Reader carefully to conſider this laſt Principle, it being neceſſary to give an invincible Demonſtration of the Truth of Chriſtianity. In a word, if the Apoſtles ſincerely believed they could ſpeak all ſorts of Languages, and had received the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, I affirm, that it was abſolutely impoſſible they ſhould have been Deceivers as to the other matters of fact: For it is impoſſible they ſhould believe they had received thoſe miraculous Gifts, unleſs they alſo believ'd the Miracles, Reſurrection, and Aſcenſion of Jeſus Christ to be true; and it is impoſſible they ſhould have believed the Miracles, Reſurrection, and Aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt to be true, if all thoſe Events had not been true indeed; becauſe, as we have already plainly made it appear, it is not poſſible that thoſe matters of fact ſhould have been capable of Illuſion and Deceit.