‘ eH Bri) eh Beal u iy Pe THE EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY, - DERIVED FROM ITS NATURE AND RECEPTION. BY J. B. SUMNER, M. A. PREBENDARY OF DURHAM; VICAR OF MAPLEDURHAM, OXON. AND LATE FELLOW OF ETON COLLEGE. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY ; SOLD ALSO BY C. AND J. RIVINGTON AND Co. ST. PAUL’S CHURCH-YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE. 1824. >, ~ ee re Printed by S. Gosnell, Little Queen Street, London. PREFACE. Tue idea, which the following pages are designed to illustrate, is briefly this: that a religion like the Christian could never have existed, unless it had been intro- duced by divine authority. It could not have been invented: it would not have _ been received. This line of argument has at least. one advantage; at the same time that it proves, if well founded, that the religion is true, it shows also what the religion is. - Lam by no means confident, however, that the field into which I have been led in pursuit of the idea above mentioned, is sufficiently unoccupied to justify this addi- A 2 iV PREFACE. tion of another volume to the numberless treatises already existing on the evidences of Christianity. But I am disposed to imagine, that an attack upon unbelief, or a confirmation of faith, can never be su- perfluous. Many books are in constant circulation, and almost universally read, in which the Scriptures are passed by as if they had no existence, or tacitly assumed to be an invention of priest-craft, sup- ported by state policy. The most popular historian of our own country is not likely to produce a different impression ; and a very important portion of ancient history is still chiefly known through the medium of a writer who professedly treats the origin and progress of Christianity as an event which need excite no more wonder than the rise of Mohammedanism. Not to mention, that the rude and direct assaults upon Revelation, which, for some years past, have been constantly issuing from PREFACE. , V the press, can hardly fail to have some effect in keeping the minds unsettled, even of a class above that for which they are avowedly written and designed. _ In fact, though there is just cause for believing that real religion never flourished ‘more in any age or country than at the present time in Britain, yet it is certain that a vast number of persons reject it, either avowedly or virtually; and that even more, convinced by the evidences, still hover on the confines or lie loosely on the surface, and enter very little into the vital principles of the Gospel. Neither of these facts can excite surprise, when we consider how many young persons are thrown upon the world, and plunged in the busy concerns of life, with no other know- ledge of the claims of Christianity on their belief, than that it is by law established as. the national. religion ; and with no Aa vi PREFACE. further acquaintance with its nature, than that it forbids the practices to which they are attached, and which most of those around them follow. Now, I am far from asserting, that an ‘ntimate knowledge of the historical evi- dences of the Gospel is necessary to faith. Happily there is evidence of the truth of our religion, which does not arise from external testimony; and multitudes, be- fore they have ever felt the want of exter- nal testimony, are impressed with this evidence, which sets them above doubt and beyond the reach of scepticism. No- thing leads them to hesitate respecting the certainty of that which they find gene- rally confessed, and publicly taught, and which from their infancy they have been accustomed to venerate. And this con- fidence is supported and confirmed by the impressions resulting from habitual ac- PREFACE. VIL quaintance with the Scriptures, and the irresistible conviction which they are cal- culated to fix upon the devout and humble mind. ; _ Others, however, are differently -eon- stituted, and differently circumstanced. It strikes them at once, how much that is contradictory to the usual experience of the world is involved in the Scripture histories. It. strikes them, that in the naked delineation of the history of Jesus Christ there is nothing to command im- mediate assent; and it is notorious, that many persons, in different countries, have advanced pretensions like his, with various degrees of success. Then in the myste- rious doctrines of thc Gospel there is much that the mind, which has once been allowed to hesitate, is very ill disposed to receive, till the authority has been con- firmed by irresistible evidence. Even with AA Vill PREFACE. many who have not given themselves up to avowed scepticism, and who have a Stecade respect for Christianity in the ab- stract from the benefits which it confers upon society, vague notions of uncertainty in its evidence, and of difficulties in its doctrines, float upon the mind, and keep it in a most unprofitable state of hesita- tion. In persons thus circumstanced, be- fore any thing like Christian faith can exist, the origin of Christianity must be examined more narrowly, and clearly seen to be divine. And these are the persons whose case I have particularly in view in the present Treatise. Every Christian is exhorted in Scripture to know why he be- lieves': and considering the authority which Christianity bears upon its front ; and considering the weight which that au- thority has derived: from the character of those whom it has satisfied, and from the 5 1 Pet. iii, 15. PREFACE. 1X ‘general assent of the civilized world ;—it surely is reasonable to expect, that as many refuse or delay their assent, they should know why they do not believe. I have therefore endeavoured to put my argu- ment in such a shape, as may give a sub- stantive form both to belief and unbelief. pea ya dng. vig Vai t 2 ay. © Aoiledau bris Tailed — “<4 ge x“ hen ‘ ‘ Ne iy 7 g 7; a ; CONTENTS. —— CHAPTER I. InrrRopucrory. On THE ORIGIN OF THE Curistian RELIGION Preliminary remarks 1. Indisputable proofs of the t2me when Diente was first preached "2. On the actual evistence of Jesus CHAPTER II. Opposition OF CHRISTIANITY TO THE OFINIONS PREVAILING AMONG THE JEWS Page }3 4-25 State of opinions in Jerusalem when Jesus appeared. “br. Character of the Messiah expected by the Jews 2. Authority over the Mosaic law assumed by Jesus 3. Admission of Gentiles to the religion of Jesus ~4-Destruction of Jerusalem foretold by Jesus * Recapitulation 4 L SH. 3 or S$ 37 45- 4S a 4y 4 xii CONTENTS. | | CHAPTER III. OrIGINALITY OF THE CurisTIAN DOCTRINES 1. Basis of the Christian religion, the alienation of | mankind fron God. : - 64 5G Jews and Gentiles alike unprepared to receive this 70" @ ( 2. Redemption of mankind by Jesus, an original idea both to Jews and Gentiles. j - 82 Og 3. Peculiar obstacles, from the crucifixion of Jesus 96 yi . CHAPTER IV. ConNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH THE JEWISH Hisrory AND SCRIPTURES . 405 FG \ {a | 1. Sacrifice of Isaac : : ; : . Hb § 2° Brazen Serpent: °° WO OO a. x5 3. Institution of the Passover ; ; ; . Wr fs 4. Law of Moses called a covenant . . . 6 ¥¢ 5. Appointment of High Priest : : - 107 $€ 6. Covenant ratified by sprinkling of blood . . 107 #4 Jews unaccustomed to application of types . 8 § Argument arising from their fulfilment , » HOw Gr _IL. Prophecies : HRSG y © ... Time and place of birth pe apie Rate . KA q é x . Appearance of John Baptist Y Character and death of Jesus described . «Hele y Argument from the accomplishment of prophecies . +e / CONTENTS. Xiil CHAPTER V. Page ‘Purassotocy oF CuristiAN ScripTuRES . Ba /GZ ee paige hy Original phrases. Glad tidings, or Gospel. ‘Grace. Salvation. Righteousness. The flesh. Faith. (4A , &e. _ «Argument deduced from these terms —. : es ae % CHAPTER VI. AGREEMENT OF CuriIsTIAN SCRIPTURES WITH SUBSEQUENT EXPERIENCE ma //9 I. Persecution foretold +4 WH Hide SZ If. Divisions foretold : ; ‘ : “HI. Progress and reception of the religion described +69 7 & _IV. Prophetic parables : ; . ter Jd . V. Excellence of the parables ; ; 7 CHAFi nn Van - Wispom | . ANIFESTED IN THE pe Cristian Scrip. I. Reserve as to the Suture world 165, Rag - Compared with Mohammed . c : 3 ’ _~ . ° . ° itr ‘2 Human liberty and Divine prescience } a oa Compared with Mohammed , : % 3. Confident assertions of Jesus 4. Directions E i : | — ( - . ? / Ling 9 alm ) < Xu CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Page ORIGINALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN DOcTRINES pide 1. Basis of the Christian religion, the alienation of a mankind from God. : . 64~ 5G week Jews and Gentiles alike unprepared to receive this FO~ GG 2. Redemption of mankind by Jesus, an original a idea both to Jews and Gentiles ~~. ‘ - Boe GG 3, Peculiar obstacles, from the crucifixion of Jesus = 96— A ’ CHAPTER IV. CoNNEXION oF CHRISTIANITY WITH THE JEWISH Bt : History A ; ; fy) \\ 2 ND SCRIPTURES ; +03 £4 1. Sacrifice of Isaac : 2. Brazen Serpent. 5 3. Instimatise S24, | ; CHAPTER %.- oe nine : ie First ProMULGATION or CHRISTIANITY Account given in the Acts of the Apostles —- ‘ > Proceedings in heathen countries : , ; Probability of miraculous interference - gayi Gis considered rey Objections from experience, | Unbelief of the Jewish people, considered = - : CONTENTS. xii CHAPTER V. Page _ Purasrotocy or Curistian ScriprureEs . BA SFL ; Original phrases. Glad tidings, or Gospel. ‘G?ace. Salvation. Righteousness. The flesh. Faith. 48, &e. -- Argument deduced from these terms —. d - We JZ 2 CHAPTER VI. AGREEMENT OF CurIsTIAN SCRIPTURES WITH SUBSEQUENT EXPERIENCE. ; : - HO LE I. Persecution foretold : : : : - tk Hb II. Divisions foretold : ; : ; Lge FZS_ “TIL. Progress and reception of the religion described +695 (© IV. Prophetic parables : : : . er fd , V. Excellence of the parables . . wee KE Are? _ WO ee et Ek NIA > wie CHAPTER XIIL. ConcLusion : : Ss ae ; - ee 3S Recapitulation ; ; : 413 hes. 1. Nature of the Evidence of Christianity 4Qt 30 2. Agrees with the general character of divine go- vernment . . : +24. 3 ry Z, 3. Suitable to a probationary state Heb. \3 xiv CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. Onro1nagiry OF THE CHurisTIAN CHARACTER I. Hamility, exemplified in St. Paul. . _.» Argument deduced from this . j . IL. Peculiar benevolence enforced in the Gospel — Ill. Meekness and patience prescribed IV. Suitableness of these qualities to their object ow CHAPTER IX. . REASONABLENESS OF CuRISTIAN DocTRINEs ‘I. Condemnation of mankind, considered “IY. Christian doctrine of redemption, considered IIT. Indirect results of the incarnation a CHAPTER ee First PROMULGATION OF CHRISTIANITY Account given 1n the Acts of the Apostles ‘Proceedings in heathen countries Probability of miraculous Oe. A Objections from experience, considere Unbelief of the Jewish people, considered CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER XI. Page Firsr Reception or Curisttanity - B88 246 Change of moral character, in first Christians 339 2. Yh Examples, from their earliest writings 253 60, Ke. Lhe principles on which their character was founded 36% 25°@ Ditticulty of producing such a change sir 2 S685 Ke. Evidence resulting from it That evidence strengthened by the persecution to which they were exposed CHAPTER XII. Errects oF CHRISTIANITY Some considerations on the partial effect of Chris- tianity on human happiness Its positively beneficial effects 1. It consoles affliction ox ; : 2. It provides for establishing religious principles 3. It provides for improving the moral und intellec- tual character of mankind CHAPTER XIII. ConcLusion Recapitulation ; ; : 1. Nature of the Evidence of Christianity 2. Agrees with the general character of divine go- vernment 3. Suitable to a probationary state Sd 271 376. 27% o- 274 see 2 7 ea 21. 50 Sy 262 ms 25Y 44. a9 t. 46-3 O0_ ag 3644 44-304 ae 306 426. oe : oh ae ae Z ip ae sevitynd “ %- *, ‘eet adit: 14:9 RO HAT i hd | | Ee RIS I i aoaedy y she a Ye o an. ‘Ss eects baie ’ Nears ver tot on % sent gash 1 ay ig Ba RG fyi ed ihak ibaa THE EVIDENCE, ia coe. CHAPTER I. Inrropuctory.—On the Origin of the Christian mm Religion. A Book is put into my hands, professing to give an account of a revelation from God. I find this revelation established as the religion of my country, under the name of Curisrianrry. J] find the laws acknowledging it, and taking cognizance of any very gross insults against its divine authority. I find a maintenance for ministers who teach, explain, and enforce it, making part of the constitution of the State. I see a great variety of persons, who do not re- ceive or claim any participation in that public maintenance, also endeavouring to extend a B 2 ON THE ORIGIN OF belief in its truth, and an observance of its precepts. A slight acquaintance with the nature of Christianity, assures me also, that such a reli- gion is expedient for the public good. It teaches men to consider themselves as placed under the eye of their Creator. It declares the importance of human conduct and character to be such, as to have occasioned the interference of a Divine Person, called the Son of God. It demands a very pure morality. It regulates the lives and habits of men by sanctions so awful, as must affect and influence all that are capable of extending their view to things future and: invisible. These circumstances, however, though they may justly be considered as presumptions in favour of the truth of Christianity, are not decisive. It is a presumption in its favour, that a our ancestors should have made Christianity a part of the law of the land; because we are entitled to suppose that they had reason for THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. | what they did. It is in its favour, that they should have provided for its support and exten- sion; and that so many persons should take an evident interest in its success. It is still more in its favour, that its doctrines should be bene- ficial to the morality and happiness of men. But then I find some of these circumstances.on the side of cther religions also. The ancient inhabitants of Europe had a religion prior to Christianity, which they maintained at a con- siderable expense of statues, sacrifices, temples, and ministers. They defended this religion care- fully. Their wisest men, though they perceived its absurdity, still supported it, on the express fround of its utility to the state. Again, the religion of Mohammed is established over an immense and populous region; and has its priests and temples, publicly acknowledged and maintained. The Hindoos and the Chinese have a religion and a priesthood, whose power over their people is not inferior to that of the ministers of Christ. In fact, no civilized country exists without some form of religion; the members of which, whatever it be, are no less vehement B 2 A ON THE ORIGIN OF in its support, and often no less confirmed in its belief, than the professors of Christianity. The morality, indeed, of these religions, is very dif- ferent from that of the Gospel, and_ their effect upon the mind and upon the happi- ness of their votaries very different. But as the moral state of different nations, independent of . religion, is also unequal; the purer morality and general superiority of the Gospel may, it is possible, have arisen from the, exercise of a nobler intellect and a happier combination of circumstances, and are not alone a sufficient reason for my embracing it as divine. England has a better religion than Turkey or Hindostan. But then England has made a far greater ad- vance in arts and sciences; has a wider field of literature; is in every respect a more enlight- ened country; and its superior religion may be no more a result of divine interference, than its better constitution and more equal laws. Be- sides which, the Gospel, in proportion as it is purer than the religions of Brahma or Mahom- med, demands greater sacrifices; and requires, therefore, to be confirmed by a proportionate 4 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. dD force of evidence. And I cannot but be aware, that although this religion is countenanced by the State, and defended by the laws, and cor- dially believed by many; yet it is also disbe- lieved by many, neglected by more, and openly assaulted by some. So that it appears, on a cursory view, to be placed in much the same circumstances, as most other religions which have prevailed in different countries and dif- ferent ages of the world. For these reasons, I must have a stronger ground for believing Christianity, than that it is the established religion of my own age and country. This fact, together with its obvious utility to the public morals, may secure my re- spect to its institutions, and my compliance with its forms: Socrates and Cicero offered sacrifice to the deities of their ancestors. But if Iam required to go further, I must inquire deeper, and have a surer foundation of my faith. And the slightest consideration shows me, that I am bound to make this inquiry; and that if I neg- BO 6 ON THE ORIGIN OF lect Christianity unexamined, I neglect it at my peril. I must, therefore, trace back this revelation to its origin. It may not have had the origin to which it pretends. But it must have had some origin. As there are those who deny its origin to have been divine, what other account is given of its existence? The common account is of a general nature; and speaks of the New Testament as an impos- ture, a fiction: and so, if not true, it must have been. But an imposture must have had designers: a fiction must have been framed. Who and what were those who framed it? And how did they succeed? how prevail to get their fabrication recognised? Pursuing this inquiry, I find that the origin of Christianity, as declared in its own records, is briefly this. About eighteen hundred years ago, a person, born in one of the provinces of Judea, went through that country, and attracted o fol THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. i attention by the exercise of miraculous powers. He affirmed, that he had descended from heaven, to recal men from ignorance and sinfulness, and to bring them to the knowledge and service of their Creator. He instructed those who flocked to him in the rules of life which they should obey, and the dispositions they should cultivate; and promised to all, who should believe and obey him, everlasting happiness in a future state. After a short period of time, probably three years, passed in this manner, he was put to death, at the instigation of the chief persons among the Jews; but not until he had predict- ed this event, and declared it to be an essential part of the mystery of his incarnation; and not until he had attached to himself a certain num- ber of disciples, and taken measures for their disseminating and establishing in the world the religion which he had introduced and founded. Now, is there any certainty that this indeed took place at the time and in the manner which the history records? Antichristian wri- ters, I observe, affect to throw an air of obscu- B4 8 ON THE ORIGIN OF rity over the first appearance and promulgation of the religion. One of them asserts, that the system was gradually formed out of what he calls the chaos and anarchy of the three first centuries. And others generally assume, that the testimony to the introduction of Christianity is confined to the Church itself, which must not be solely trusted in its own cause. The grand point is, to obtain something de- finite: we cannot lean upon a shadow. At what time did the religion of Jesus Christ super- sede what was believed before? We know that _ it exists, and is established, now; but we know likewise, that it did not always exist; that it gradually took the place which had been occu- pied by Judaism and Paganism, and flourished upon their ruins. There is, however, indisputable testimony, that the religion was first preached and received at a time which exactly corresponds with the death of its Founder, as related in the Scrip- tures. We have no occasion, on this head, to THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 9g appeal to the Church: that is, to rely on Chris- tian writers alone. The foreign and collateral testimony fails in no point where it can be reasonably demanded. It has, indeed, been the fashion to complain of the silence or inattention of the contemporary historians, as to what has since assumed such vast importance. But the truth is, that they are not silent. They are not, indeed, full: but they tell us all that we require, and all which they could be expected to tell. As early as the time of Claudius, who died within twenty years of the crucifixion, Christians had occasioned some confusion, by preaching, and prevailing on men to quit the worship of the heathen gods; and they were so numerous, that Claudius judged it most advisable to check them, by ordering what he thought would be most effectual for this purpose, and for- bidding their religious meetings. This we learn from the Roman historian of the age’. : 12! See Suetonius in Claud. 25. The emperor, he says, banished the Jews from Rome; who, impulsore Chresto, made continual tumults. Christianity passed at first among the heathens for a sort of Judaism; a mistake easily accounted for: as also the error of the common word xenoros, for the UNCOMMON yYeiotos. 10 ON THE ORIGIN OF Another contemporary annalist relates, that about thirty years after the death of Christ, his disciples at Rome were numerous enough to be well known and distinguished in that populous city, and generally styled Christians, after the name of their Founder ; who, he adds, was put to death in the reign of Tiberius, by his Procurator, Pontius Pilate. The same au- thor proceeds to describe the sufferings which they endured from the tyranny of Nero, who endeavoured to divert from himself the accusa- tion of having set fire to his capital, and to fix the stigma upon them’. Another sort of collateral evidence, equally unexceptionable, is furnished bya long epistle of Clement, Bishop of Rome, which was addressed by him to the Corinthian Christians, about fifty years after the death of Jesus: the whole tenour of which proves, that the society of Christians had been long established in that city. Several letters of another bishop, Ignatius, dated twenty- * Tacitus, Annal. xy. 44. THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, ll five years later, confirm the same point, with re- gard to many Christian communities in Asia. About the same period we have similar testi- mony from Pliny, proconsul under Trajan, who describes the Christian churches, in Bithynia and Pontus, as consisting of many of all ages and of both sexes; and calls the religion a con- tagious superstition, which has spread not only through cities, but over villages and the whole country °. To this open testimony it would be easy to add allusions, more or less clear, from almost every writer of note during that period, whose works have remained. But my only object was to show, that we have firm ground to set out upon. If Christians were known as a tangible body in Rome, upon whom a popular stigma might be attached, within thirty years of the death of Jesus; and if they could be collectively ad- dressed in epistles sent to various parts of Greece and Asia; and if within seventy years of § Epist. Lib, x. Ep. 91. 12 ON THE ORIGIN OF the same event they could be described as “ a vast multitude, numbers of every age, of both sexes ‘;” it is quite clear that the system was not gradually formed, but regular and authoritative from the first; and also, that we may assume the date to which the origin of Christianity is commonly referred, as one which is probably exact to a year, and even a day; but which cannot possibly be materially wrong. 9. Having settled this preliminary question, we come to another of more importance, re- specting the Author of this religion. Did such: a person as Jesus exist, or no? Antichristian writers do not seem to have made up their mind upon this point. Some assert that he did exist, and some that he did not*: and others, + Ingens multitudo, multi omnis etatis, utriusque sexs. Pliny. 5 Volney: who accounts for the origin of Christianity in the following summary way: ‘The great Mediator and first Judge was expected, and his advent desired, that an end might be put to so many calamities. This was so much the subject of conversation, that some one was said to have seen him ; and a rumour of this kind was all that was wanting to establish a general certainty. The popular report became a 4 THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 15 strange to say, suppose both®. And the reader, into whose hands this treatise may fall, must make up his mind one way or other. The reli- gion may be an imposture, though Jesus did exist. But it must have been an imposture if — he did not: if his name were merely ascribed, like those of Hercules or Bacchus, to adven- tures which never took place; or, like that of Brahma, to doctrines which had no divine au- thority. On the supposition, however, that no such person ever really existed, but was merely an allegorical or imaginary personage, or the hero of aromantic tale, we must believe what follows ; we must believe, that a set of persons undertook to persuade their countrymen that a man had demonstrated fact. The imaginary being was realized; and all the circumstances of mythological tradition being in some manner connected with this phantom, the result was a regu- lar and authentic history, which from henceforth it was blasphemous to doubt.” Such is infidelity ! , © Paine, in different parts of his ‘ Age of Reason.” I should not notice such writers as these, if any thing more rational had been advanced by others, {4 ON THE ORIGIN OF grown up and lived among themselves, and had rendered himself conspicuous by his works and doctrines, and had at last been put to death at the most solemn and frequented festival of their own nation ;—when no such person had ever been executed, or even seen, or heard of. And more, that they did persuade their countrymen to believe all this. For the first Christians were converts from the city in which the principal scene was laid, and became so at the very time when these transactions are said to have hap- pened. It is disagreeable to speak of the Gospel as : an imposture. Jam sure that many, who do not in any real sense believe it, would start at the idea of using so harsh a term. But we must not deceive ourselves. If Jesus did not exist, nay, further, if he were not, indeed, the Son of God, it is an imposture. Those, therefore, who framed it must have considered how they could in the surest and easiest manner deceive the world. And certainly they would not begin by asserting such a fact as the birth, public ministry, and THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 15 execution of a man who had never been born, | or known to teach, or put to death at all. Still less could a religion, founded on such false as- sertions, be received and prevail, in the very place and from the very time when these things were said to have occurred. The only ground, then, which a sceptic can take, who means his statements or Opinions to be examined, is, that Jesus did exist, and that the main circumstances of his history are true ; but that with respect to his divinity, or his divine mission, he probably deceived himself; but cer- tainly he deceived others, when he persuaded them to worship him, and to teacha religion under his authority and name. I will consider the question on this ground. I will take the life, ministry, and public execu- tion of Jesus as an historical fact. It may be denied ; as men may deny any thing which they do not actually see, or hear, or feel. But it has this advantage over every other historical fact ; that it has been regularly attested by per- 16 ON THE ORIGIN OF sons believing it, and staking all that was most valuable to them upon its truth, from the date assigned to its occurrence to the present hour. It is not extravagant to say, that no memorial which was ever preserved of any past event has a thousandth part of the same title to be trust- ed, as the memorial of the life and death of Jesus, which is the Christian religion. We may challenge the ingenuity of all the world to show how that religion ever came to be set up, unless the main facts which it records did ac- tually happen. That religion was set up; and therefore it must be argued, that Jesus, having attracted some attention and raised a party in Judea, during his life, with hopes which were cut short by his execution ;—his followers, from some un- known motive, conspired to introduce a new religion, of which Jesus was made the author and head; and attributed to him such adven- tures, endowments, and doctrines, as might best suit their object. “Ret, THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 17 It were too much to say, that this was im- possible; and the phenomenon before us, the existing religion, if its origin were not indeed divine, may be accounted for on this supposi- tion, and on no other. | re ega4s CHAPTER I” Opposition of Christianity to the Opinions prevailing amongst the Jews. Wauar objection is there to the supposition stated at the conclusion of the preceding chap- ter, viz. that a party of Jews fabricated the re- ligion, which they set out to teach in the name and under the authority of Jesus? Before I can reply to this question, I must consider the nature of the religion, and of the people among whom it originated, and to whom it was proposed. Truth is lost in generalities. Any thing appears possible, or even probable, on cursory reflection, in a distant country, and when eighteen centuries have intervened. But whoever is in earnest, and afraid to judge wrong in SO serious a question, must not lose himself in an imaginary period of confusion or anarchy, but carry himself back to the time and place CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO JEWISH OPINIONS. 19 where the religion originated which it is sup- posed so easy to fabricate. The scene of what is related in the Gospel is laid in Jerusalem. And there seems no room to deny that the religion of Jesus was there first formed into a system, promulgated, and practised. We shall be assisted in our judgment, by considering what was the state of Jerusalem at this time, as to size, civilization, religion, and - popular opinion. Jerusalem, at this period, was a city of con- siderable population. It was also a place of great resort, for those especially whose minds had been in any degree awakened to the subject of religion. Jews of wealth, talents, or learn- ing, who were spread in the course of their various pursuits over the continent of Asia, were drawn annually to the capital of their na- tion, for the purpose of legitimate worship in the temple of their ancestors’. And we inci-— 1 Acts, ii. 5. | e2 20 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO dentally learn, that foreigners also, who had never embraced the law of Moses, but had be- come acquainted, through the Jewish Scrip- tures, with a purer faith and a more rational worship than prevailed around them, were often attracted to the metropolis of the religion’ which they had learned to hold in veneration’. We perceive at once, that in a place like this, the idea of introducing a new religion is more. likely to have occurred, than in a country wholly barbarous and unenlightened. At the period in question there was more probability of such an adventure being undertaken in Greece or Italy, than in Britain or Gaul. But it does not follow that the attempt was more likely to sueceed. Men’s minds are pre-occupied; and every novel opinion, before it can establish itself, must dislodge a system already in possession. At the period we speak of, three remarkable sects are known to have existed in Jerusalem, 2 Acts, yill. 27. JEWISH OPINIONS. oe] which divided the attachment of the people, ac: cording to their several dispositions. The Pharisees adhered strictly to the letter of the Mosaic law, and even united to it works of supererogation, fasts, abstinences, and mor- tifying devotions, to which they ascribed a high degree of importance. Hence they were fol- lowed generally by the lower classes, who are commonly disposed to venerate austerity?; and as it may be supposed, by that large majority who in all countries are willing to compound for the want of spiritual religion by a strict ob- servance of prescribed ceremonies. The Sadducees denied any future state, any resurrection of soul or body. A lax morality could not fail to attend such opinions, especially when maintained in the teeth of the Jewish Scriptures. These had fewer followers; but those were important from their rank and opu- lence. 3 Tots Onuoss mibscvclolos tulyovecn.—JOs. ag 22 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO The Essenes, though few in number, at least in Judea*, were remarkable for the singu- larity of their tenets and habits. They main- tained the immortality of the soul; but seem to have borrowed their ideas upon that subject from Pythagoras, rather than the Scripture. They held their public worship separately, and in some respects differently, from the rest of their countrymen. They professed the most exemplary strictness of morals. But the pecu- liar characteristic of the sect was, an entire com- munity of goods, and the austerest celibacy: so that their number was chiefly continued by the accession of persons advanced in life, who were disgusted with its cares, or wearied by misfortune °. These are the several opinions which existed in Judea, at the time when the Gospel was first preached, But Ido not find that those who in- 4 Josephus says, 4000. The greater part of this peculiar sect resided in Egypt. See Plin. Nat. Hist. v. 17. 5 See Joseph. Antiq. xiii. 5; xviii. 1. Bell. Jud. ii. 8. Philo Frag. p. 632, y.i. Ed, Mangey. JEWISH OPINIONS. 23 troduced that religion belonged to any of these sects; they betray no attachment to any of their peculiar doctrines ; they rather oppose them all; not, indeed, systematically, like the partizans of a different faction, but wherever their tenets are contradictory to enlightened reason, or incon- sistent with the general good of mankind. If not actually biassed towards any sect, we might expect, as a matter of precaution, that they would seek the countenance and support of some who were in possession of public favour; would try to engage on their side some of those who were opulent, or powerful, or respected in their nation. But the plan which they pursue is directly opposite to all this. Their religious precepts are levelled against the self-indulgence of the rich; against the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees; against the immoral and de- grading principles of the Sadducees; against the unsocial and levelling tenets of the Essenes. In all human appearance, this was to set at work against the system which they were intro- ducing a counteracting influence which must c4 ; 24 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO at once be fatal to its progress. Unknown and unprotected men, entering upon a new and ha- zardous enterprise, begin by arming against themselves all the learning, power, wealth, and influence existing in their country. This is an important point, and requires to be accurately examined. The Gospel was en- -grafted upon the Jewish religion. The Jews, we know, derived from their peculiar religion very peculiar sentiments; certain national opi- nions and prejudices were universally received among them, in which every sect agreed. Did the Christian religion agree or disagree with these prevailing opinions? because, upon this question the chance of its being a Jewish inven- tion, or of its being embraced by any of that people, will materially depend. I. There is no doubt, that at the time when Jesus appeared, the Jews were expecting a pro- phet, or a king, or a deliverer, known from their ancient writings under the title of the Messiah. This expectation had even extended through JEWISH OPINIONS. Q5 other parts of the East. Such a belief is im- plied in the inquiry of the Magi who came to Jerusalem to pay homage, asking ‘‘ Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” We read, too, of ‘“‘ devout men,” who were “ waiting for the con- solation of Israel.” All were desiring “one who should come.” He was anticipated, more- over, under the very title which Jesus assumed. The Samaritan woman spoke the general opi- nion, when she said, I.know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things’. And the im- pression produced by the appearance of Jesus is represented as this; ‘“‘Come, see a man which told me all that ever I did: is: not this the Christ ? When Christ cometh, will he do greater things than these 7B Now, suppose the case assumed : that a per- son, with no divine commission, resolved to claim to himself the character of the expected Messiah. He would lay hold of the popular hope of such an appearance, as the most reason- 6 John, iv. 25. ~~ 7 John, iv. 29. 26 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO able chance of his success. Such an expecta- tion would be likely to go far towards accom- plishing the event to which it referred *. There- fore he would ascertain what sort of deliverer his nation anticipated, and assimilate himself as nearly as possible to that character. But it happens very unaccountably, that the actual character of Jesus was decidedly opposed: to the expected character of the Messias. They looked for a conqueror, a temporal king; and had been accustomed to interpret in this sense all the prophecies which foretold his coming. And whether we suppose Jesus to have been im- postor or enthusiast, this is the character which he would naturally assume. If he were an enthu- siast, his mind would have been filled with the popular belief, and his imagination fired with the national ideas of victory and glory. If he ® Volney treats this as so certain and important, that he thinks little else necessary in order to account for the origin of Christianity, than to be able to assert, that a mediator or deliverer was expected, who should relieve the nation from its present calamities. See the quotation, p. 12. JEWISH OPINIONS. 27 were an impostor, the general expectation would coincide with the only motive to which his con- duct can be attributed, ambition, and the desire of personal aggrandizement. How, then, can we explain his rejecting from the first, and throughout his whole career, all the advantage which he might have derived from the previous expectation of the people, and even his turning it against himself and_ his cause?’ Why should he, as a Jew, have inter- preted the prophetic Scriptures differently from all other Jews?) Why should he, as an impostor, have deprived himself of all personal benefit from his design? We are told, that when he perceived that they would come, and “ take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone®.” That his constant declaration was, “ My kingdom is not of: this world’’.” ‘That being asked by the Pharisees, 9 Luke, vi. 16. *¢ John, xviii. 36. 28 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO “When the kingdom of God should come: he answered, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation ''. Neither shall they say, Lo here, and lo there; for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” The writers of his history were well aware how entirely the real appearance of Jesus dif- fered from all previous expectations of the Mes- siah. They describe him as losing no opportu- nity of removing these popular notions from the minds of his followers. ‘ From that time forth began Jesus to show unto hes disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the _ third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord ;. this shall not be unto thee"3.” It was incom- patible with their notions of a Messiah, that such a fate should befal him. And Peter's 11 Or, outward show, Marg. Meta wagalnpncews. 12 Luke, xvii. 20. 13 Matt. xvi. 21, 22. ‘ JEWISH OPINIONS. 29 mind was not yet weaned from his national pre- possessions. So, likewise, after that consider- able experience of his doctrine and ministry might have established juster views, the “‘ mother of two of the disciples requested that her two sons might sit, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left, i his kingdom +.” Even to the latest discourse which is recorded, the idea still remained; and “ his disciples asked of him, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom unto Israel 5?” Here, then, is conduct which is inexpli- cable on the supposition of imposture. Opi- nions are combated, which would have been peculiarly advantageous to the design; and a character is maintained, which was alike self- denying and unpopular. And the natural con- clusion on this head is strengthened by histo- rical fact. Several impostors did appear in Judea, relying upon the general expectation; and they uniformly claimed to themselves tem- 14 Matt. xx. 21. 1 Acts, i. 6. 30 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO } ‘poral power and authority. Theudas, whose insurrection is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, appears, by the way in which he is there spoken of, to have founded a political dis- turbance upon some high pretensions. Of him, however, we know little. But Bar Cochab, in the reign of Hadrian, assumed the title of the son of a star, in allusion to the ancient prophecy of Balaam, and pretended to be the Messias. He collected an army, and was crowned by the Jews. Moses Cretensis did the same in the days of Theodosius. Another, named Julian, at a later period, was set over the Jewish ar- mies to destroy the Christians; and after he had obtained some temporary success, the people owned him as the Messias **. These instances are sufficient to show what sort of Messiah the nation expected, and was ready to receive; and also prove what manner of persons impostors were, and what character they were inclined to appear in, 1 See Kidder’s Demonstration of the Messias. JEWISH OPINIONS. $l IL. Proceeding from the title assumed by Jesus, to the authority which he exercised, I read this, among other sentences—‘‘ The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached.” This was a bold declaration. He was come to make an entire change in their religion. It was say- ing, in effect,—you have obeyed the ceremonies of the law, and you have honoured the admoni- tions of the prophets for fifteen hundred years. From henceforth a new authority is to be paramount. Jam come to supersede or to con- firm them. _ Now no feeling could be stronger in any nation, or better founded, than the veneration of the Jews for the Mosaic law. It was impossible that they should not hold this in the devoutest esteem, connected as it was with their very ex- istence as a people. The account of its origin, which had come down to them from their an- cestors; its singularity; the effect which that singularity had produced, in establishing a wide Separation between themselves and other na- 32 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO tions; above all, the important results which they expected from obeying it, as entitling them to the favour and protection of God: all these circumstances united to render that attachment to their national law, which is com- mon among every people, inconceivably strong = in the case of the Jews. - But here, in Jesus, or in the authors of Christianity, whoever they are supposed to be, - are Jews who have none of this natural par- tiality. Professing the fear of God beyond other men; acknowledging him as having sanctioned the law given by Moses; they yet dare to pass judgment on his ancient institutions”. Jesus is made to intimate, that the reign of the cere- monial law is over: and he claims the right of introducing new explanations of the moral law. He openly condemns the glosses of this law; erroneous indeed, but generally received: he extends some of its provisions; he elucidates its remote intentions, and even repeals its enact- frye ssi 7 Matt. xix. 8. JEWISH OPINIONS. ao’ ments. The listening multitude were astonish- ed at the authority with which he uttered his edicts :—‘ Ye have heard that it has been said by them of old time, an eye for an eye, anda tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil.” He goes on to condemn exist- ing opinions through many other instances; and sweeps off, by a single sentence, many false interpretations which long usage had author- ized; declaring, “ Ke know not what that meaneth; I will have mercy and not sacrifice : the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” The Jews of that day knew not what this meant ; they contradicted it in principle and in practice. Born and_ bred among Jews, how came he to throw off Jewish prejudices ? Educated in the midst’ of “prevail- ing errors, whence did he derive the wisdom which rejected them? Accustomed to the rule, love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy, how -eame he to say, “ Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you ?” When his countrymen were convinced of the legality and sanctity of vows, how came he to say, “ Swear neither by D 34 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO heaven, nor by the earth, nor by Jerusalem? Swear not at all.” Accustomed to the law of retaliation, a law sanctioned by national pre- scription as well as by the natural bent of the human heart, how came he to say, “‘ Resist not evil ;” and to teach others to say, ‘‘ overcome evil with good?” Accustomed to the ceremo- nious observance of the Sabbath, how came he to seize that truth, so agreeable to our enligh- tened reason, but so contradictory to the pre- vailing usage of his country, “ It is lawful to. do ... good on the Sabbath day ?” Pia any The authority which Jesus exercised over the law, he equally claimed over the interpreters of the law. We learn from various incidental no- tices, how highly the Scribes and Pharisees were esteemed among all those over whom religion possessed any hold. They “ sat in Moses’s seat *, and partook of the reverence paid to the me- mory of the original lawgiver. The subtle question, “ Have any of the rulers or of the Pha- risees believed on him?” evidently shows, that if he could have obtained their countenance, or 8 Matt, xxiii. wae JEWISH OPINIONS. -_ 35 even have escaped their hostility, he would have gained no slight accession to his cause. But it is strange, that neither the habits of his country and of his education impressed him with veneration for these teachers, nor did his imterest lead him to pretend it. He alone, of all his countrymen, saw through the veil of sanctity which they spread over their corrup- tions. He alone dared openly to rend it off, and expose their hypocrisy. “ Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin,]and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judg- ment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which, indeed, appear beautiful outwardly, but are within Full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of Ryrcricg and iniquity fos "9 Matt. xxiii. 23, &c. Whoever would see the prayenent in its just light, must read this whole chapter. p2 oe gene 36 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO In this manner a way was prepared for the total abrogation of the ritual law, and the sub- stitution of a new mode of propitiating and worshipping God. This is openly declared by Paul to the Jews: “ Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses*.” Who had taught this “¢ Hebrew of the Hebrews,” in contradiction to — all that he had learnt and professed from his Ser: youth, that any thing could be wanting to the completeness of the law of Moses? So he argued afterwards in his epistle to the Romans, ‘‘ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law”’.” 22 Acts, xiil. 2t Rom, ix. 30. JEWISH OPINIONS. 37 One epistle of this writer is almost wholly occupied in reproving the Galatians for having relapsed into a dependence on that very law, in which he himself had been taught from his youth to trust exclusively. The course of his argument leads him to insist particularly upon the original intent of the law, as tending, in the providence of God, to that dispensation which had now succeeded it; and about to merge, as it had now merged, in that mission of Jesus, by which the prophetic types of the law were fulfilled, and the divine will, in instituting them, more clearly displayed. And here he utters senti- ments which astonish us not a little, as coming from a Jewish pen. That-no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident. A man is not justified by the works of the law, but’ by the faith of Jesus Christ ; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto Christ *. 12 Gal, ii. 16; iii, 10, 24. d3 35 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO Thus does he annul the practice, and con- tradict the belief, of fifteen hundred years: the belief of his own country, that country prover- bial for zealous attachment to their law; his own belief: for he had been once eager beyond others to maintain the ritual, which he now de- clares to be set aside. Is it easy to explain this inconsistency ° It appears tco throughout the history of the early Christian church, that the national feel- ing upon this point was one of the strongest obstacles to the reception of the Gospel. The accusation against the Apostles was, that they persuaded men to worship God contrary to the law **. Even the converts obstinately adhered to the ceremonies of their ancestors, and desired to. impose them on the heathen*. Against this feeling a few men, themselves of the same country, having learnt nothing from foreign intercourse, imbued from their infancy with the 23 Acts, xviii. 3. 4 Acts, xv.5—31. The deliberations, there recorded, will illustrate the whole of this argument. JEWISH OPINIONS. 39 same prejudices, stand up alone; take upon themselves the character of oracles; reprove the national attachment, and spiritualize the literal law. To say nothing of the success which attended this attempt, how shall we ac- count, on any common principles, for the spirit which excited it ? Til. Inquiring further into the agreement of the doctrines of Jesus, with the temper of the people to whom they were proposed, we find the following declaration. “J say unto you, that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with (the ancestors you so highly venerate) Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” “ Think not to say, among yourselves, we have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” “TI say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, n 4 40: CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof 75.” These sentences contain evident allusions to a popular opinion. And looking into the Jewish character, we find that the purpose here an- nounced assails a very distinguishing feature of their belief. That people conceived, that their law had been prescribed to them by the Creator of the world, for the express purpose of separating them from other nations. Certainly it had produced that effect. Without entering upon the origin of that law; without going back to the primary causes of that peculiarity which distinguished the Jews from all the rest of the world ;—we cannot deny that the peculiarity existed; because the Jews are spoken of by such heathen writers as allude to them at all, as being no less singular and exclusive in their 25 See Matt. viii. 11. Luke, i. 8. Matt, xxi. 43. Le JEWISH OPINIONS. Al speculative creed than in their national wor- ship. In consequence of this marked difference from the nations by which they were surround- ed; in consequence of their belief of the crea- tion and the unity of God, and their freedom from the polytheism, and idolatry, which prevailed in all other parts of the world; the Jews, toa man, plumed themselves on their peculiar claim to the favour and protection of God: a privilege which their archives gave them reason to be- lieve they had enjoyed for fifteen centuries. ‘Other nations were distinguished by an appel- lation which implied inferiority, as Gentiles, the common herd of mankind: while they were “ children of the covenant ;” “ a holy nation; a peculiar people *°.”. And the internal evidence of all Jewish records proves how closely this con- viction was interwoven among all the ideas and customs of the country, both civil and religious. 6 Acts, iil. 25... Deut. xiv, 2. 42 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO This then is another point, on which Jesus directly opposes the popular prepossession, in- stead of turning it to his advantage. He in- troduces a new and most contrary principle. He begins by warning his countrymen no longer to imagine themselves the favourites of Heaven, who were to enjoy alight which shone the brigh- ter from the contrast of surrounding darkness. He was come to “ enlighten the Gentiles’ also. The religion, which God was now about to establish, was offered to his people Israel first ; but not to Israel exclusively: it was de- signed for all the nations of the earth, that they might become one fold under one Shepherd. How strange, and how unpopular as well as strange, would it sound in Jewish ears, to hear the promise of divine favour, instead of being limited to the posterity of Abraham, universally proposed to the Greek and to the barbarian, to the Jew and to the Gentile. And this new doctrine is not confined to a few detached pas- Sages ; it pervades the whole ministry of Jesus ; and forms the leading object, sometimes di- rectly and sometimes indirectly, of many of those 4 JEWISH OPINIONS. 43 parables which so peculiarly distinguish the Christian writings. Under various figures, he warns his nation of the approach of that time when they should find themselves disinherited, deprived of the peculiar glory of their history, and yielding the honour of the service of God to nations which they had hitherto despised for their idolatry. It was extraordinary enough in Jewish im- postors to think of converting other nations, from which they were separated by so broad a line. ‘The obligation of preaching to the Gentiles the faith of Moses, had never been in- culcated as a precept of the law; nor were the Jews inclined to impose-it on themselves as a voluntary duty ”’.” Such had never been the na- tional practice; but on a sudden the practice of centuries is changed ; the prejudice of centuries removed; and the individuals of this exclusive and unsocial people begin to convert other na- tions, by disinheriting their own countrymen. *7 Gibbon, i. 453, quarto ed. He passes over the dif- ferent intention of the G ospel, as if it required no explanation. 44 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO All national prejudices are strong; they are strongest when founded on_ religion; and. if there is any truth in history, they were stronger among the Jews than among any other people. The authors of Christianity were alone without them. And yet they were not without them. It appears from the history, that many remark- able circumstances wrought conviction on the mind of Peter, before he was brought to ac- knowledge, “ Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him**.” In the subsequent narrative, Peter clearly intimates, that he should not have ventured to receive Gentiles into the religion which he was promulgating, if he had not re- ceived indisputable proof of the will of God concerning them. ‘‘ While Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision which be- 22 Acts, x. 34. | JEWISH OPINIONS. 45 lieved were astonished (as many as came with Peter), because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and mag- nify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man Jorbid water, that these should not be baptized Ba have received the Holy Ghost as well as we iad If a sceptic refuses his assent to the parti- culars of this narrative, he cannot deny that the framers of it were aware of the difficulty which their liberal principles would occasion. It is constantly alluded to as forming a subject of dispute between the Jewish and Gentile prose- lytes; and causing a division among those who could only prevail, we should have supposed, by the most unanimous consent and agreement. “The apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, thou wentest in to 2 46 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO men uncircumeised, and didst cat with them.” He explained and defended his conduct. And when they were, at length, convinced by his narrative, the result strikes them as wholly un- expected and surprising, “ Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” On the part of the majority of the Jews, who opposed the new religion, this admission of the Gentiles was all along an occasion of great hos- tility. The Jews, as a body, could not bear to be united with strangers in the same synagogue, to hear them instructed out of the same Scrip- tures, and encouraged by the same promises. This was as unpopular among them, as the abrogation of the Mosaic law. We are told, that “ when they saw the multitudes, and that al- most the whole city came together to hear the word of God, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken of Paul, contradicting and blaspheming*®.” On another occasion, “ the Jews which were of 29 Acts, xi, 1, &c. 30 Acts, xl. 45. JEWISH OPINIONS. 47 Asia stirred up all the people, crying, Men of Israel, help; this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place; and further, brought Greeks also into the temple, and has polluted this holy place.” These disputes and outrages, of which we find many incidental notices throughout the history and writings of the apostles, sufficiently show how strong the current of popular opinion ran; and that the religion of Jesus directly op- posed it. Placing ourselves, as we are reasonably bound to do, in the situation of those who first promulgated that religion, must we not be sur- prised that the countrymen of persons so bigoted should have conceived the idea of proselyting Gentiles, a thing not customary with their nation, but at variance with all their prejudices? Or even allowing that they believed such preju- dices to be narrow and groundless :—which, however, had a strong foundation in the national law, a law impressed with the seal of God him- 31 Acts, xxi. 28. 48 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO self :—would they risk the success of their cause by offending universal opinion ; would they avew a principle which was unpopular, even among the friends of the new religion, and gave an additional and more plausible ground of opposition to its enemies? IV. But Jesus, I observe further, goes be- yond the mere abolition of the law. He fore- tels the approaching destruction of the temple, nay, the city too. This prophecy makes a pro- minent figure in his discourses. He only inti- mates it obscurely, when he says to the Sama- ritan, «“ Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jeru- salem, ye shall worship the Father *.” If this stood alone, it might pass for a random insina- ation. But elsewhere it is declared, in a manner which cannot be mistaken. ‘“ As Jesus went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and. what buildings are here. And Jesus answer-_ 32 John, iy. 21. JEWISH OPINIONS. 49 ing, said unto him: Seest thou these great build- ings? There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be cast down?3.” In ano- ther passage it assumes the form of a more so- lemn warning: “ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it ; saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this. thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and com- pass thee round, and keep thee in on every side ; and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation *,” Now, if we believe that Jesus said these words, according to the-date of his history, and that about forty years after he had spoken them, Jerusalem was destroyed, under circumstances unusually calamitous, and the temple. in parti- 33 Mark, xiii. 1. - 34 Luke, xix. 41, &c. 50 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO cular overthrown, in spite of the endeavours of the conqueror himself to preserve it standing ; an event which no one ventures to deny: we have arrived at the conclusion of our inquiry, and Jesus confirmed his divine mission by this display of supernatural knowledge. But I wave, at present, the point of pro- phecy. I am considering the probability of imposture. And would the framers of a new religion unnecessarily encumber their own cause, a cause which certainly wanted no gratuitous impediment, with a prediction as improbable as it was unpopular ? The threatened destruction of Jerusalem struck at the root of all the national prejudices. The Jews confidently relied upon divine protec- tion. The idea of being deserted by that care, and of seeing their city in the hands of fo- reigners, was not more shocking to their pride, than contradictory to their faith. Such an event was treated by their writers not as a danger, or a disgrace, or a calamity, but as an abomina- 4 ad JEWISH OPINIONS. 51 tion*5. And we know, from history, that when the catastrophe really happened, they obstinately shut their eyes to the nearness and extent of the danger; they would not believe that Gentile hands would ever be suffered to pollute the sanctuary which they so highly revered; and expected to the last that a divine interposition would preserve their temple, at least, from the general overthrow. | Now, would men belonging to a country in which the national feeling was so enthusias- tically strong, partake in no share of that feel- ing? Indeed, the feeling is admitted, and avowed: we read, that when the author of this very prophecy beheld the city, he wept over it. The writers, therefore, at all events, were not ignorant of this feeling, whether they shared in it, or no; and being aware of it, would they openly outrage it, with no apparent benefit to their undertaking? For we do not easily per- ceive how this prediction was to forward their 35 Daniel, xi. 31; xii. 11. Matt. xxiv. 15. to Bd:auype. BQ Sad 52 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO cause. No inference is drawn from it; neither is it advanced in the way of argument : it stands as a naked assertion ; from which it might have been expected that either patriotic enthusiasm, or calculating prudence, whichever feeling pre- dominated, would equally have induced them to abstain. a § + a But are we sure, that these passages always existed where we now find them? — The Chris- tians have for many, very many centuries, had the possession of these title-deeds of their reli- gion; may they not have introduced into them, from time to time, additions of this nature, with the desire of propping their cause °°? We sometimes meet with these insinuations ; but they admit of a most complete and satisfac- 36 Volney, I suppose, takes this for granted; because he assumes that the national calamities, in consequence of the destruction of Jerusalem, made the Jews ready to hail the very phantom of a Messiah. I mention this, not because such a writer deserves an answer; but toshow what a shadow those are following, who think that the truth of Christianity must be doubtful, because such and such persons have de- nied it. 3 JEWISH OPINIONS. 53 tory reply. Before the destruction of Jerusalem took place, there were Christian churches, ac- cording to undeniable testimony, in Smyrna, i Antioch, in Damascus, and allfthe w of Asia; in Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth, and every part of Greece; in Spain, in Italy, and in Gaul; there were Christians, and the writings on which their religion was founded, in the principal cities of the civilized world: what magic or miracle could insert unauthorized addi- tions in all the copies scattered throughout these countries? It is favourable to the evidence, though not to the peace of Christianity, that the religion has never attained a state, which might render such collusion practicable : it has always had too many enemies, both public and private, to allow of such surreptitious insertions, with- out immediate detection. Let us put the ques- tion to ourselves, how could this be practised now? Yet it was never more feasible; for, in proportion as the difficulty is increased, as no doubt it is, by the multiplication of copies, the possibility is also increased by the inven~ E3 54 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO tion of printing, and the facilities of commu-_ nication. Such was the unaccountable conduct of the authors of the Christian religion. It will not be denied that they were Jews. We shall not diminish our difficulties, by supposing that a party of Greeks or Syrians entered Judea, and affirmed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that a teacher named Jesus had wrought great mi- racles in that city, and had preached new doc- trines among them, and that they had put him | to a public death. Such a case will hardly be supposed, independently of the exact knowledge of the Jewish history, religion, manners, and sentiments, which is found throughout the Christian Scriptures. Here, then, were Jews, undertaking to in- vent a religion; and having the field open before them, they were bound to nothing but the ge- neral records, traditions, and opinions of their age and nation. Yet these dre the very points which they oppose. JEWISH OPINIONS. BY) There existed in their country, men of power and authority, who were reverenced as oracles in matters of religion. These they make no attempt to conciliate ; but expose, without he- sitation, to contempt and reprobation. — Their countrymen expected a_ temporal prince; and were, at the time, suffering under a foreign yoke, which they bore with great un- easiness and impatience. Yet they persisted in asserting, that the Messiah's kingdom was not of this world. It was a favourite belief among the Jews, confirmed by the whole course of their his- tory, that their nation enjoyed the exclusive regard and protection of the true God. But the first principle of the Christian religion tended to dislodge the Jews from these high pretensions, and to admit all other nations indiscriminately within the pale of God's church. E4 56 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO ‘These men had been educated in a belief, that a strict compliance with the Mosaic law was prescribed by the command of God, as — an indispensable condition of his favour. “Yet they set this law aside, both with respect to- its supposed efficacy, and its prescriptive obli- ¢ gation. The city of Jerusalem was universally be- lieved to be secure under the especial care of God, as being the seat of the only true religion; and its temple consecrated to his peculiar ser- vice, by divine institution, and ancient usage. Yet these men declared, that total destruction was quickly approaching both the temple and the city. | Now we find an equal difficulty meeting us, whether we consider the improbability of men bred up in these prejudices, becoming, by some unknown process of reasoning, superior to them all; or whether we consider the impolicy of fa- bricating a religion which ran counter to these well known prepossessions in the minds of those "st ak JEWISH OPINIONS. 57 to whom it was proposed. Yet they did that, which, to every common apprehension, must ap- pear most impolitic; and they succeeded in that which, according to every known principle, must Pent equally improbable. For it must be remembered, that these were not unfounded or unreasonable prejudices, such as a superior understanding might be expected to sweep away. The hope of a temporal deli- verer rested on the interpretation of prophecy, which had represented the Messiah under the character of a conqueror and a king. The re- liance on exclusive favour was Supported by the express word of God, who had avouched the Jews to be a holy and peculiar people unto him, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and to hearken unto his voice*’, The attachment to the Mosaic law was founded on its divine ap- pointment: the reputed sanctity of the temple on the positive command, that worship should 37 Deuter. xxvi. 18, &c. 58 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO be regularly offered there by all who professed the Jewish faith. All this renders any attempt to abolish these opinions more bold and extraordinary. I do not desire to assume the actual authority of those sacred records to which the Jews appealed. It is enough for my present purpose, that the Jews bad no doubt of that authority; they con- sidered it indisputably divine. | But it is material to remark, though I shall not here dwell upon the argument, that from the moment when we admit the authors of the Christian religion to be what they pretend to be, the instruments of God, all that has been hitherto pointed out as so improbable is reason- ably accounted for, and exactly accords with our natural expectations. It would be very extraordinary if a divine person, visiting the world under the character assumed by Jesus as the Messiah, should have proposed the present evil world, and not a fu- JEWISH OPINIONS. 59 ture and better dispensation, as the final object of his coming. Nothing is more intelligible to us, than that the Scribes and Pharisees had fallen into the natural error, of substituting the form and ceremony for the spirit and reality of religion. Nothing was more to be expected, than that a final revelation of the will of God to mankind, such as the Gospel professes to be, should be intended and adapted for the whole human race, rather than a single country. And ifso, the abrogation of the Jewish law natu- rally follows: it had performed its purpose with regard to that particular nation, and was little calculated for more general reception. Neither was it extraordinary that a people, which had been always placed under a very peculiar dispen- sation, should be visited with a punishment so signal as the ruin of their country, when they persisted in rejecting the message of God, and the blessings which he brought within their , power. That, therefore, which is altogether inex- plieable, if we consider the Evangelists to have 60 CHRISTIANITY OPPOSED TO JEWISH OPINIONS. acted on their own authority as the inventors of a new religion, is precisely what we should ex- pect and deem most probable, if they were in- deed the instruments and ministers of God. , 61 CHAPTER III. Originality of the Christian Doctrines. Ir was argued in the preceding chapter, that several of the leading doctrines taught by Jesus and his followers, are such as could not be ex- pected to originate from Jews. This appears on the surface. The Messiah desired by the Jews was conspicuous and powerful. The Christian Mes- siah was humble and unknown. The Jewish re- ligion was national and unsocial: the Christian religion was open and universal. The character- istic of the Jewish religion was its ceremonial Strictness: the characteristic of the Christian religion is spirituality. The Jews adored their city: Jesus foretold its destruction. So that Christianity cannot be said to have grown up _ out of Judaism, though it was grafted upon a Jewish Stock ; its character was entirely new, and as much opposed to the common prin- 62 ORIGINALITY OF ciples existing among Jews, as to the habits of polytheism. If we examine the matter further, we shall find much more that is equally surprising. Let "ne remind the reader, that unless Christianity was of divine origin, it waS a system invented by human ingenuity. And the authors who invented it, invented it with a view to its being received. If I imagine the case of persons em- bracing such a design, I must suppose them considering, both what doctrines it were pos- sible for them to propose, and what doctrines were likely to prove acceptable. The success of Mahommed’s imposture may be ascribed in a great degree to the simplicity of what he taught, and its agreement with hu- man reason, as well as with the previous belief of many of his disciples. “ There is one God” a truth however obscured by the errors of idolatry, or lost in the darkness of ignorance, such as reason is willing to acquiesce in, and finds confirmed by the general appearance of the THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 63 world. ‘“ Mohammed is his prophet.” In de- claring this fundamental part of his creed, he was careful to disturb no prejudices, and treated the feelings both of Jews and Christians with tenderness. While he asserted his own su- periority, he gave station and authority in his scheme to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, and to Jesus. There is nothing in his Koran which we are surprised to find there: no- thing which may not be traced back to existing opinions, or to books within his reach. The truth to which he owed his success, and to which the long duration of his religion must be chiefly at- tributed, the unity of the godhead, he found in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures: he had only to pronounce it anew, and to clear away the intrusive worship of images and martyrs, saints and angels, which had corrupted the chureh in that dark age and country. | | fr | a | 4 | F no such result appears. I cannot account for When I subject Christianity to a similar test, its fundamental doctrines. They are agreeable, Indeed, to experience and observation: they 64 ORIGINALITY OF explain appearances which are and always have been universal throughout the world: they suit the character and meet the necessities of man- kind; but they are so far from being on that ac- count “as old as the creation,” that a moment's reflection on what the tenets of the Gospel really are, will show them to be in the strictest sense original. Like the theory of attraction, they explain phenomena long observed and every where observable; but like that theory, the ex- planation was perfectly novel. It is difficult. to suppose that unauthorized men, of any rank, education, or country, could ever have under- taken to promulgate such doctrines. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”-—“ So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that all that believe in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life '.” It is implied in. these passages, and others ~~ which confirm them, that mankind are under the © Matt. xviii. 11; John, im. 16. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 65 wrath and condemnation of God; who had sent his Son, in the form and nature of man, to _ undergo in his own person the penalty incurred by sin, and to proclaim the offer of eternal hap- piness to as many as became his faithful and obedient disciples. Now, when we reflect on these propositions, and divest our minds of the familiarity derived from long acquaintance with them, do they ap- pear such as would be likely to occur to any man, or party of men, as the foundation of a religious system, which they were intending to promulgate to the world? Can we believe that imposture, having an unlimited field open be- fore it, would choose this ground to expatiate upon? There is no reason to think that, as - Jews, the authors would entertain this view of the state of mankind ; still less, that supposing such to be their opinions, they would make this the groundwork of a religion which was to be proposed for acceptance to their countrymen, and to all nations. 66 “ORIGINALITY OF _ These, however, are the doctrines on which the religion of Jesus is built. The basis of the whole, is the alienation of mankind from God, and their consequent state of darkness, error, and condemnation. This is no after-thought, or comment of a later age:.it is declared by Jesus himself, in express terms, and in various ways. It is declared by him, when he explains the object of his coming into the world, and applies to himself the prophetic passage of — Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to “ heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord?.” He affirms it expressly, when he says, “ T am the way, and — the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me*.” He implies it, when he affectionately complains of those who rejected his message, < Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life’.” He implies it, when he 2 Luke, iv, 18, 19. 4 John, xiv. 6. 5 John, v. 40. y Wy i THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 67 i says, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is passed from death unto life°.”’ He implies it, in ascrib- ing his incarnation to the merciful design of God: who “had not sent his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not ts condemned already, because he hath not appear on the name of the only begotten Son of God. This point, so laid down by the Author of the religion, is mainly insisted on by its teachers after him. It is affirmed by Peter, in his ad- dress to his countrymen, when he says, “ Re- pent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins *.” And, again, when he calls upon them to: repent and be converted, that their sins may be blotted out°: and assures them, “ Unto you first, God * John, v. 24, § Acts, ii 26, _ 7 Thid. iii. 17, 18. 9 Tbid. iti, 19, FZ ‘ 68 ORIGINALITY OF having raised up his Son Jesus, sent hum to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities °.” And on another occasion he ‘de- clares, “‘ Neither is there salvation m any other ; for there is none other name under heaven given ion among men, whereby we must be saved" ‘The same point is very particularly urged by Paul, as the foundation of Christian truth taught by him to those who professed the reli- gion. He systematically argues, from a com- prehensive view of the actual state both of Jews and Gentiles, that “ every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through ‘ the redemption that is in Christ Jesus : whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus ?.” In another epistle he affirms more generally ; “ the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that 10 Acts, iil. 26. Thid.iv.12. ™ Rom. iii, 23, &c. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 69 the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” And throughout his writings, without making such elaborate statements, he so alludes to this as an acknow- ledged doctrine, as to prove that it was fami- liarly received and understood to be the basis of the Christian faith. He teaches the Colos- sians to be thankful to the Father, who had “ delivered them from the power of darkness, and translated them into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom they had redemption through his blood, even the Sorgiveness of sins 4.” And to the Ephesians he writes, very remarkably, “* You hath he quickened, who were dead in tr eSpasses and sins: wherein in times past ye walked ac- cording to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience : among whom also we all had our conversation In times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind : and were by nature the children of wrath, even others +5,” o 2! Gal. fi: 29. % Col. i. 13, 15. Eph, ii, Les F3 7 #. Ais 70 | ORIGINALITY OF Such was the doctrine proposed both to Jews and Gentiles. But from what existing opinions, among either, was it derived? The Jews, we know, as a body, were entirely satis- fied with themselves. And this, for two reasons. They had very low notions of morality” ; and further, that sect among them which had the most pretensions to religion, never seems to have doubted but that their scrupulous attention to the ceremonies and prescriptions of their law entitled them to the especial favour of God ’’. 16 Trypho says to Justin, “ Your precepts in the Gospel are so strong and extraordinary, that we conceive it impossible for any to observe them.” Orobio says the same. x7. So Orobio, in his conference with Limborch: and in the Answers to Questions proposed to the Jews, published by Brenius; “ Spiritualis liberatio solum-modo dependet ab ob- servatione legis quam Deus in Monte Sinai promulgavit.” See Owen on Hebrews, i. 81. Turretin alleges it as one of the Jewish notions refuted by Jesus, “ that all Jews would cer- tainly be saved.” He adduces afpassage from the Codex Sanhedrim, which affirmed that “ every Jew had a portion in the future world ;” and another, from the Talmud, in which it is said, that “ Abraham is sitting near the gates of hell, and does not permit any Israelite, however wicked he may be, to descend into hell.”—-See Horne’s Introd. v. iii. p. 73. «The Jews thought that no Israelite should be deprived of future happiness, whatsoever his faults had been, unless he were guilty of apostacy, idolatry, and a few other crimes, which they specified.” —Jortin, from Just. Mart. Dial. p. 433. Thirlby. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 71 Probably the general feelings of their party are accurately characterized by the Pharisee’s prayer, in which their self-complacency is described to the life: Lord, I thank thee, that [ am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulierers: E- fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess *°.” Tt is impossible that men who sup- ported those interpretations of the law which Jesus so forcibly confutes; men who eluded the obligations of filial duty by dedicating their money to the uses of the temple, and censured acts of mercy, because they interfered with the sanctity of the Sabbath—should be awake to those spiritual views of human obligation, and of the extent of the divine laws, and of the sub- mission of the heart required by true religion, which would enable them to discover the truth, that “ all have sinned;” or that those who “ have. done all,” are still to call themselves “ unpro- fitable servants.” “ The school of Elias used to say, that whosoever learned the traditions of the Misnah might be assured he should have eternal life.”—-Id. Disc. on Christ. Relig. p. 28, 8 Luke, xviii. 10. '9 Luke, xvii. 10, F 4. 4 ORIGINALITY OF We may affirm this with more confidence, from the pains which St. Paul takes to establish the point in question on the consciences of the Roman Jews, when they had embraced Chris- tianity. ‘‘ Behold (he says) thow art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law*.” In this he lays hold of the national prejudice ; their self-complacency; their assumed superi- ority ; their confidence of the divine favour. He knew it well; for he describes his own altered | state of feeling, which led him to condemn him- self, although he had before been, touching the righteousness which is of the law, blameless”. Indeed, nothing from the beginning had excited so much malignity against Jesus, as the little respect which he paid to the legal or formal righteousness on which the Pharisees depended, and the boldness with which he laid open the 20 Rom. ii. 17. 2" Phil. ii. 9. See the whole passage. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 73 real corruption of their hearts, concealed as it was, even from themselves, by a thick veil of ignorance and error. The other prevailing party in the nation, the Sadducees, would be in no respect more likely to invent or receive these humiliating doctrines. Denying altogether the immortality of the soul, and the providence of God, and that not in the total absence of religious instruction, like the heathens, but in spite of a revelation which was generally received by their countrymen; it was not probable, that they should embrace the no- tion of a Moral Governor in controversy with them, or believe the danger of a resurrection to condemnation. These were the sceptical por- tion of the people; the free-livers and free- thinkers of their day. We can tell, from our own experience, what chance there was of a doctrine proving accept- able to men of this sort, which began by im- - peaching them as offenders against a righteous and holy God, who looked on all iniquity with 14 ORIGINALITY OF abhorrence. The two classes of men whom it is most difficult to bring. over to a right ac- knowledgment of the Christian faith, are those who, like the Catholics at the period of the | Reformation, have rigidly, but too exclusively adhered to the formal ceremonies of religion ; and secondly, those whose consciences have been seared by habitual carelessness or profligate ha- bits, indulged in defiance of the warnings which the Gospel sounds throughout our land, as the. law and the prophets sounded them in Jerusa- lem. The former would not come to Jesus. “ that they might have life,’ because they doubted not their having it in themselves; the. others “loved darkness rather than light, be-, cause their deeds were evil.” But the conversion of the Jewish nation. made a very small part of the object of these ‘teachers. It may be thought, as they purposed to carry this new doctrine among the heathen world, that their task would become easier as_ they proceeded. Once awakened to a know-. ledge of their Creator; once acquainied with his. 2 THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 13 holiness, and the purity of his precepts, and his unlimited demand of obedience on the part of man; the heathen could but prostrate them- selves in the dust, in humble conviction of the difference between their practice and the law now revealed to them. Yess they would do so, when the impression was really made; but how > difficult to introduce the light: to create the first conviction! Every thing was to be done. When they had been untaught the errors with which their minds were possessed, they had still to learn the unity of God, and his perfect purity; they had to become practically con- vinced of his moral superintendence; of the faithful service and obedient love which he re- quires; and of the resurrection to a future state, in which he will recompence all men according - to their conduct in this”. Every article in such 22 Expressions of humility may be found in Antoninus and Seneca; which, taken separately, appear to convey a sense of personal demerit; and have been sometimes quoted for the purpose: but, examined with the context, have no reference to any debt due to a Supreme Judge; but are only ‘introduced, in the way of argument, to recommend clemency in the punishment, or moderation in the censure of others. —See examples in Seneca de Clem. i. 6. Anton. 1. xi. c. 18. 76 ORIGINALITY OF a creed was new. They had been accustomed to some general belief in superior beings, but those beings little different from themselves, except in the supposed power of doing them good or evil. They had entertained little idea. of moral inspection on the part of their deities; little sense of personal responsibility. The im- mortality of the soul was discussed among their philosophers, but not with any practical view: it was a speculative question, affirmed by some, and denied by others *3._ Nor was there ever any sect among them, perhaps never an individual, upon whom it gained such an ascendancy, as to become a check upon corrupt habits or natural desires **. Tradition, or probability, had intro- *8 Juvabat de zternitate animarum querere, imo mehercule credere. Credebam enim sane opinionibus magnorum viro- rum, rem gratissimam promittentium magis quam probantium. —Sen. Ep. c. 11. | *4 “« We are sufficiently acquainted with the eminent per- sons who flourished in the age of Cicero, and of the first Cesars, with their actions, their characters, and their mo- tives, to be assured that their conduct in this life was never regulated by any serious conviction of the rewards or punish- ments of a future life.”—Gibbon, i. 558. *« That part of repentance which is a religious sorrow, an acknowledgment of past offences to God, our Maker and THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 77 duced among the Greeks certain vague ideas concerning future punishments for extraordinary crimes; but so mixed up with fiction and fable, that they carried no weight, even among the lowest vulgar. No dread of something after death, prevented their rushing upon it with eagerness, or meeting it with indifference: in their discourses, and even prayers, at such times, many of which have come down to us, no sense appears of any need of repentance, no pious sorrow, or acknowledgment. of offences. One philosopher writes, “death is the boundary; and the dead appear to be incapable of good or evil**.” Was he, or were his disciples prepared to put the question, or admit its force, “ what shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole Governor, and prayers to him to forgive them: the Gentiles seem to have overlooked, both in the course of their life and at the end of it.”—Jort. Disc. p- 265. *5 Tspos yap? xa Sdev vy tw reOvewss Sones dre ayeboy Bre xaxoy tivo. Aristot. Ethic. 1. iii. Cesar, in a well-known passage, makes this argument practical, and urges it as a reason for not inflicting capital punishment on the Catilinarian conspirators, “* mortem om- nia mortalium mala dissolvere: ultra neque cure neque gaudio locum esse. An assertion which his rival and oppo- nent scarcely ventures to censure.—Sall, Bel. Cat. 50. 18 ORIGINALITY OF world, and lose his own soul >” Another says, There may be something felt in the act of dying ; after death we shall either feel nothing, or enjoy happiness”®. Would such an one have re- ceived the warning: “ Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The same man, and he was one of the wisest of the ancients, he says it too, writing as a moralist, “ Keep faithfully to what you have promised seriously as in the sight of God; for this is necessary, 20? on account of the divine anger, which has no reality, but for the sake of justice and good faith *.” How un- like the language, which speaks of a “ day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by patient continu- ance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality—eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, 26 Cicero de Senectute. 27 Num iratum timemus Jovem ? Hoc quidem commune _est omnium philosophorum, nunquam nec irasci Deum, nec nocere.—-Cic. de Off. ii. 28. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 79 but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil®.” ien with regard to the Jews themselves, the views concerning a future state which ex- isted among them, were of a fluctuating, inde- finite nature, the glimmering rather than the clear light of truth, altogether unlike what we meet with in the discourses of Jesus and his followers. Though the immortality of the soul was the prevailing sentiment of the synagogue, this did not prevent the existence of a sect ‘among them, in considerable celebrity, and strictly attached to the Mosaic law, who yet ‘denied any resurrection. In the Old Testament, the state of the de- ceased is spoken of very briefly and obscurely. It is represented to us rather by negative than by positive qualities; by its silence, its darkness; by the coef of the living about it”. So | 28 iivevana: ii, 5—9. | : - 29 See Campbell on the Gospels. Preliminary Disser- tation. 80 ORIGINALITY OF that the Jews, at least about the time when Christianity was first introduced, were in the habit of treating the subject of a future state as.a matter of philosophy, rather than of reli- gion. For their opinions on this head had un- dergone some variations, as well as those of the heathen. The immortality of the soul had been much more generally believed among the earlier Greeks, than in later times, and among the Romans. And from the subjection of the Jews, first to the Macedonian empire, and afterwards to the Romans, they imbibed many of the sen- timents of the people with whom they had inter- course, particularly on those subjects where the law was not explicit. Several speculative tenets from the philosophy of other eastern nations also gained admission among them *. 30 This is evident, from the account given by Josephus of the sentiments of the Pharisees. Antiq. 18. 2. Bell. Jud. ii. 12. Their prevalent opinion was, that the soul survived the body: that vicious souls would suffer imprisonment in Hades: that the souls of the virtuous would be happy there, and in time be privileged to transmigrate into other bodies : which was their dyasacis twv vexpwr.—Campbell, ubi supra. See also Horne’s Introd. vol. ii. p. 618. - 4 THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 8] Hence it arose, that with regard to a future state, a great difference is observable between the language of the ancient prophets, and the popular opinions of the Jews at the Christian era. It may seem surprising now to us, when we read their Scriptures with eyes enlightened by subsequent discoveries, that there should have been any dissentients from the doctrine of the future existence and responsibility of man- kind. But their example shows us the differ- ence between prophetic hints or allusions to a truth, and positive declarations: between ana- ~ logical conclusions, and the explicit assertions of a law, of which future rewards and punish- ments are the sanction. The Jew, then, speaking of the nation gene- rally, was no more in a State, than his heathen neighbour, from his previous habits of thinking, to invent or receive a religion like the Chris- tian. His views of futurity had nothing clear or positive about them. His usual train of thought seldom carried him beyond this world; and when it did, he was under no apprehension : G 82 ‘ORIGINALITY OF therefore he was not prepared, without further conviction, to believe any thing, or to resign any thing, for the sake of an uncertain future. He was no more ready to embrace, than he was likely to conceive, the precept, “ Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth.” It would be new to him to hear the positive assurance, “These shall go away into everlasting punish- ment; but the righteous into life eternal.” II. If there was no acknowledgment of sin- fulness, if there was no feeling of consequent danger, no “ fearful expectation of judgment ee —there could be, of course, no preparation for the great and leading article of the Gospel, the “doctrine of redemption. That in pity for the condition of mankind, God had sent his Son into the world to make an atonement for their sins, and to ransom from eternal condemnation as many as should believe in his name, and re- Ceive him as their Saviour: this was a declara- tion, which nothing in the previous opinion or expectations of either Jews or heathen tended to make credible or popular. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 83 The heathen, indeed, had been accustomed to propitiate their deities by sacrifice; and such offerings made an important part of their na- tional worship. We find, too, from history, that among nations as widely separated from each other, as the Druids in Gaul, and the Per- sians and Indians in the East, the remarkable custom of offering human sacrifices prevailed. And although we are not acquainted, from any clear authority, with the notions upon which this custom was originally founded, we cannot easily account for its existence, except from a dread of divine anger, and a vague hope of averting this from the head of one victim to that of another*. The explanation is most pro- bable, if I do not assume too much in saying so, which represents it as a fragment of early reve- lation, broken off from the system, of which it 31 The position Laas. by Dr. Priestley, that ‘in no nation, ancient or modern, Jew or heathen, has any idea of a doctrine of atonement, or of any requisite for forgiveness, save repentance and reformation, ever existed,” is so incon- sistent with fact, that it is surprising he should have ventured the assertion. Magee, i. 292. Yet the ideas which did exist on that subject were far too vague and indefinite to become a foundation for the doctrines of the Gospel. Gv, 84 ORIGINALITY OF formed a part, and carried down along the stream of time after its object and purpose had been forgotten. For, whatever may have been the origin of the practice, we know enough of the heathen sacrifices, and the prayers which ac- companied them, to be assured that this mode of worship was rather a compliance with ancient custom, than a solemn offering of which any reasonable account could be given. It did not convey, generally, any idea of substitution, or arise from any sense of personal danger. It had been the practice of their ancestors, the practice of the country; and as such it was maintained. _ And the idea which attended it was rather that of expensive purchase, than of vicarious suffering”’. When Jesus declared, that he came “ to give his life a ransom for many;” and when Peter affirms, “ that Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree; that he once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God®, we are presented with a clear and definite idea; nothing like which was conveyed by the hea- 32 Awpa Osag meter, xork cudorees GactAnes. Placatur donis Jupiter ipse datis. 33 Matt. xx. 28. 1 Pet. ii, 24. i. 18. - THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 85 then sacrifices, or the petitions offered together with them, which expressed the anxiety of the worshippers for some temporal good, and, at the same time, betrayed their ignorance and in- difference concerning a future state. Saini the Jews, vicarious sacrifices formed | | Saye vs SBR) ~ 5 CEL ee we ncgl ie ; > ff v. | ohh a 34 Dan. ix. 26. avery remarkable part of their worship; and, by the law which enacted them, were declared to convey an acknowledgment of demerit, and to be intended as a propitiation for sin, in lan- guage too clear to be mistaken. But the Jews did not look to any thing beyond the actual sa- crifice ordained by their law. They considered it as being perfect and sufficient in itself, and did not expect any ulterior fulfilment, much Jess such a fulfilment as the Gospel declared. They had never been accustomed to interpret their Scriptures in this way. It was there pre- dicted in a prophecy, confessedly relating to the Messiah, that he should “ be cut off, but not for himself**.”" But they had never applied this and other passages of similar import to the ac- e3 86 ORIGINALITY OF tual circumstances of the expected Messiah ; nei- ther could they be persuaded to apply them so, against the stream of a contrary prepossession. So far from this being their previous idea or ex- pectation, Jesus is represented as employing frequent pains, and for a long time owe effect, even to convince his immediate followers ». that such was the purport of their ancient pro- phecies *. Under these discouragements, with no party on hisf&ide, and no feeling in his favour, Jesus 35 A remarkable passage occurs in Philo, concerning the Aoyos, not indeed as Redeemer, but as Mediator. Tw dpxay- yEAw xorb TpecGurary Aoyw dwpecy e E csiperoy EdwKEY 0 TH OAG ryEvynoes TATND, byob petBoptos _ OTS TO VEVOLLEVOD Svouxpivn TH WeTOKNXIl0s, with more to the same purpose, (V.i. p. 501. edit. Mangey). “On this and other coincidences between the Christian writers and Philo, Bryant observes, ‘‘ If we admit these doctrines of Philo, and excuse his prejudices and misapplication, we shall find some wonderful truths afforded. And these could not be borrowed from his brethren the Jews; for whatever knowledge they had of these mysteries, it was by no means adequate to the intelligence which he has given.” Tis Dis- course on Repentance, however, as well as the general tenour of his works, shows, that whether he derived his ex- pressions from Christian sources, as Bryant supposes, or ‘not, his knowledge was merely theoretical: he had no practical understanding of the doctrine of mediation. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 87 began to proclaim to his disciples and country- men, that he had come into the world as a peacemaker between God and men, by offering himself a sacrifice in their stead. Declaring “that God so loved the world, that he had sent his only son, to the end that all that believe in him might not perish, but have eternal life.”— That “the Son of man was come, to give his life a ransom for many.” That “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,” that they might look on him, and be saved. Which assertion was more fully explained by the apostles, after the event of his crucifixion; when they affirmed in plain terms, that he “was delivered for our offences ;” that “ whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us;” that “‘ when we were ene- mies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;” that “ we have redemption through his blood ;” that “ he was once offered, to bear the sins of many ;” that “ God sent his Son to make propitiation for our sins:” G 4 88 ORIGINALITY OF Now, whatever may be thought of this de- claration, one thing, at least, can never be pre- tended: that it was conformable to any opinions existing among the Jews of that age. Other- wise, why did they revolt from his claims? Yet we are told, that when he had been explaining more particularly than before, the entire reliance and dependance upon him which the regenera- tion and salvation of their souls required: many said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can bear it? And from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him®.” On another occasion, ‘‘ Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man; how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Jf the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed *’. This assertion was very ill received by the generality; and that it would be so, he was well aware, and often spoke 3© John, vi. 60. 66. 37 John, vin. 31. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 89 to this purport : “ Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me>°.” © Tf aman keep my saying, he shall never see death. My sheep hear my voice; and I~ know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and none shall piuck them out of my hand®.” Now, is this a pre- tension which Jesus was likely to assume, from a desire of gaining reputation, or converting proselytes? We have seen that there was no- thing in the state of the public mind, either among Jews or heathens, which could have led to his taking upon himself the character of Me- diator between the world and God. He had not the advantage of coming to the world, as one who preached his religion in these latter times came to an Hindoo suffering under the torment of some self-inflicted penance, and pointed out the uselessness of such voluntary martyrdom, since God had “ laid on one the iniquity of us all;” and “the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.” He found none ready 38 Matt. xi. 6. 39 John, vili. 51; x. 27. — 90 ORIGINALITY OF to exclaim, “ This is what I want,” as the Hin- doo replied, and threw away the instruments of his torture. Before men could be persuaded to trust in him as their Mediator, they must be first convinced of a future state; then of a fu- ture judgment; and then of their incompetency to meet that judgment; their liability to the divine wrath. We know this, from what we know of their previous sentiments; we perceive it from the general strain of his declarations; which aim at proving the value of the soul; its imminent risk; the certainty and strictness of the divine tribunal; the misery of punishment ; the blessedness of Heaven. We collect the same from the few addresses of the apostles to the heathen, which are recorded. Before the court of Areopagus, Paul makes it his first ob- ject to prove the existence of the Creator, and the resurrection of the dead*. And to the Roman governor, Felix, he began by “ reason- ing of temperance, and righteousness, and judg- ment to come*.” Till he had laid this founda- = 4° Acts, xvii. 24, &c. 41 Tbid. xxiv. 25, THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 9] tion, there was nothing for the Gospel to stand upon. ig There would be no justice, therefore, in com- paring the impression made by the doctrines of the Christian teachers with that of any modern impostor or enthusiast, who easily persuades the ignorant to receive his pretensions. He takes advantage of the belief already existing, and supported on other grounds, and on that he founds and establishes his claim to attention. All that he needs to prove is this, that he is an interpreter of the Bible, which his hearers al- ready believe, on widely different evidence, to be the word of God. Jesus, on the contrary, came, not to interpret a revelation, but to make one ; to make one in open contradiction to the na- tural opinions and popular belief of all who heard it. And the little probability which existed of such. a revelation as his being believed, or in- vented. in order to its being believed, is suffi- ciently plain from what we ourselves know, and 92 ORIGINALITY OF feel, and have constant opportunity of observing. The doctrines in question, that Jesus came to make atonement for the sins of men; for that ‘“‘ all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” and that “ eternal life is the gift of God through him,” or for his sake: how are these statements usually received? Are they the first or the last doctrines which mankind are willing to acquiesce in? Are there not mul- titudes who do not dispute or doubt the evidence which confirms the authority of the Scriptures, and yet refuse their assent to this leading tenet? Is it not generally understood to be so contrary to the prepossessions of mankind, that it is often kept out of sight, and has been seldom insisted on as the main object of the Gospel, in treatises which were intended to give a popular view of the evidences of Christianity? Notwithstanding the clearness with which it is laid down, and the various proofs which can be alleged to show that divine revelation, from the beginning, has. hinged upon this as its principal point: we know that a considerable body, even among those whe do not neglect religion, labour te THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 93 exclude this article from the Gospel, on the express plea, that it is contrary to the suggestions of our reason, and, therefore, cannot be ad- mitted by those who profess themselves “ ra- tional Christians.” The proposition which they maintain is, that * God freely forgives the sins of men, upon re- pentance; and that there can be no occasion, properly speaking, for any thing further being done, to avert the punishment with which they had been threatened **.”. On this ground, the sacrifice which Jesus declared that he came to make, and which his apostles affirmed that he had made upon the cross, is explained away. His death is sometimes said to have confirmed the truth of his mission. Others treat it as an ‘¢ illustrious example, showing us the most per- fect. obedience to God, and the most generous goodness and love to man, recommended to our imitation by all possible endearments and en- gaging considerations.” And they object against _ # Priestly, Hist. of the Corruptions of Christianity. 94 ORIGINALITY OF the doctrine of atonement, “as having greatly debased the truths of the natural placability of the Divine Being, and our ideas of the equity of his government *.” So they consider Jesus as a man commissioned by God to make a fuller communication of his will, and teach a purer morality than the world had known before ; by his life to set an example of perfect obedience ; by his death, to manifest his sincerity; and by his resurrection, to convince us of the great truth which he had been commissioned to teach, _ our rising again to fature life“. If those who do not discard the authority of Scripture, nay, who profess to revere it, can be thus induced to bend and distort its plain de- clarations, in order to bring them to the level of their previous opinions: we have a striking argument to prove what I began this chapter by alleging, namely, that the purpose which Jesus assigns for his appearance in the world was very 43 Taylor’s Key to Apostol. Writings. For the whole subject, see Archbishop Magee on the Atonement, passim. 44 Magee, i. 12. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 95 little likely to have been fabricated in order to deceive; and if invented, either by fraud or en- thusiasm, very little likely to have obtained at- tention and credit, without overpowering evi- dence. Ill. The peculiar death of Christ opposed an additional barrier to the reception of his religion. “ Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ*.” So Peter affirmed, in a full assembly of his country- men. But was it probable, that he should be believed in this, on his bare and unsupported assertion? Neither would the apostles, we must — imagine, be listened to abroad, when they came to declare among foreign nations, that he who was now held up as the Saviour of the world, and who was to become the object of universal faith and trust, was a Jew, who had been cru- cified at the instigation of his countrymen. Such a death was certainly an essential part of 45, Acts, uu. 36. 96 ORIGINALITY OF the whole system; but it was long before that system could be explained, and longer still be- fore it could be understood and comprehended by Gentile hearers, to whom every thing relating to the Jewish law, its rites, and typical sacrifices, was new. ‘“ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world*®.” Such a sentence fills the Christian with love and admi- ration; and even to the sceptic of the present day, the idea which it conveys is familiar; and from the effect of early association, and popular reverence, carries with it so much that is vene-. rable, that we are unable to judge how strange, not to say revolting, the doctrine must have appeared to the minds of a Grecian or - Roman audience. The plan of redemption disclosed in the Gospel, comes to us united with the Jewish Scriptures and Jewish history; many circum- stances of which concur to introduce it eradu- ally to our minds. But, to a Jew, the Cross was 4° John, i, 29. % THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 97 an object of peculiar abhorrence. They had a proverbial sentence in their law, “ Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Their firm belief that the Messiah should be a prince and a conqueror, sufficiently disinclined them to re- | ceive any one in that character, who had no outward splendour that man should admire. But a disgraceful death was a still more decided disqualification. And they seemed to them- selves to have given a death-blow to his preten- sions, when they had succeeded in contriving for him a punishment so mean and degrading. “ Come down from the cross, if thou be the Son of God.” —“ He saved others, himself he cannot save.” Among the other nations to which Chris- tianity was first proposed, this obstacle would _ be no less invincible. That one who had been - condemned by his own countrymen to death: that one who had actually suffered that death, by an execution reserved for the vilest malefac- tors; which it was not permitted to inflict on ~ the most notorious offender, if a Roman citizen: i | 98 ORIGINALITY OF that he should be now proclaimed as one sent from God to call the world to repentance, and through whom alone was an opening of accept- ance with God: all this would appear so con- tradictory to the natural feelings and habitual associations of the persons to whom it was ad- dressed, that it could not be received on any common authority. It seems impossible that men should venture to propose it, without some strong confirmation, to which they might ap- peal. The difficulty is acknowledged in the history itself. The whole matter is there re- presented as quite inexplicable, even to the Apostles, till the entire system of the Gospel was laid open to them; and they were enabled to perceive, that the expected Messiah “ ought to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory“’.” During their Master's life-time, all intimations from him of what he was about to undergo were met with an indignant or in- credulous repulse. “ Be it far from thee, Lord. This shall not happen to thee.”—“ And if to men so prepossessed as were the Jews, this doc- 47 Luke, xxiv. 26. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 99 trine could not fail to appear impious and exe- crable; to men so prepossessed as were the Gentiles, it could not fail to appear nonsensical and absurd. In fact, it is manifest from the writings of the apologists for Christianity, in the second and third centuries, that this doc- trine long continued to be a principal matter of offence to the enemies of Christianity, and was regarded by such as an insurmountable objec- tion. They treated it as no better than madness, to place confidence in a man whom God had abandoned to the scourge of the executioner, and the indelible reproach of the cross “*.” Now, if the followers of Jesus had been conscious that they were promulgating an un- 48 Campbell. Serm. lk v. 2, p. 23. — Aoyoy “Ereaipyal dopiavon Uiov Etvers 78 ce, ebaroDésnsypser 8 Aoyoy xocfacpoy KOs cyto, CARY cty= Spwmov a lcloclov, cman Oevla nous axcluprancbevia.—Cels, ap. Orig. - p- 79. Ed. Spencer. Nexpe tivos Qnuny bis tov vuelegoy (SC. Deorum) Eyndlertnce xAnpov. Libanius, de Constantino loquens, Paneg. Julian, 253. "Emile 0 youobdlns ¢ Tpwlos ewemey cvlus, ws EA Por waves esey aAANAWY, EW hooey amek papas Orss feey TSS “EAAnuenes em epynowy- Text, Toy dE @ AVLTKOAOTIT MEVOY Exeivoy LoQiorny av wy TPorKuywor. Lucian de Morte Peregrini. H 2 100 ORIGINALITY OF | supported fable, they mould surely have kept out of sight this part of their leader’s history. Or, if it were too notorious to be omitted in the narrative, we should find them always on the watch to cover the disgrace, and remove the impression which it was ‘naturally calculated to raise. Yet this precaution was neglected, or very imperfectly used by any of the Evangelists. They record the crucifixion as faithfully as they record many other things which might be likely | to create a prejudice against the religion: but the explication is left for the more complete developement of the doctrines which-was to follow. Neither did the Apostles, in their sub- sequent ministry, ever conceal this revolting fact, or cloak the disgrace of their Lord under the general dignity of a divine teacher, whose zeal had made him a sacrifice to popular fury. St. Paul is ‘constantly repeating, “ I preach Christ, and him crucified’—<1 glory in the cross of Christ?’ though he was well aware, at the same time, that this very reproach of the cross made his religion “a stumbling-block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks.” He ¥ ie tape Oo ee ate OE ET ee Le ne a a ee ON Se aE a Oe ee ne ee A THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. 101 . acknowledges the “offence” taken at the Cross ; and speaks of ‘ enemies of the cross of Christ :” confessing, that in the doctrines which he pro- claimed there was much to contradict the no- tions of human wisdom, and which human wis- dom would reluctantly receive“. All this has very little the appearance of fa- brication. No one has ever shown what could induce men to impose a religion on the world, when, by doing so, they risked every thing and could gain nothing. If they were led by in- terest, where was their profit? If they were hurried along by enthusiasm, whence came their sobriety? why was there so much method in their madness? But if this argument is set © aside; if it is thought that the anomalies of - human nature make it impossible always to de- termine, from any ordinary rules of conduct, what enterprise men may or may not take in hand: then I look to another test, to the reli- gion itself, instead of the persons who intro- et Cor. 1. from v. 17 to the end of the chapter. H3 102 ORIGINALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES. duced it. And I argue, that the main doctrines of Christianity—the condemnation of mankind as corrupt in the sight of God, and the atone- ment made upon the cross by Jesus as a Me- diator between the offenders and their Judge,— are doctrines which we cannot, on any rational or probable grounds, attribute to imposture. Taking them as maintained by the Apostles, with all their attending circumstances of the re- surrection of the dead, the future judgment, the final punishment of the wicked, and the eternal happiness of the redeemed, we cannot trace their origin to any known or accessible source in the belief of those times and countries. Nei- ther can we account for their reception. There was nothing in the doctrines themselves to al- lure or conciliate; and the minds, both of Jews and Gentiles, were utterly unprepared to em- brace a religion which had nothing in common with their former opinions, and directly opposed some of their strongest prejudices. 103 CHAPTER IV. Connexion of Christianity with the Jewish Eistory and Scriptures. Tue inquiry of the preceding chapter came to this result: that the Christian religion sets out upon a view of the state of mankind which was original, and proclaims a method of recovery from that state, which was also original: the expectation of such an event, to be so accom- plished, having never entered into the minds of Jews or Gentiles. But is it not a possible case, that the fol- lowers of Jesus, being disappointed by his death, and required to account for it, or to give up their purpose, and confess themselves deluded ; should have struck out the idea of atonement, and affirmed that he died a sacrifice? Then having hit upon this explanation, they supported it as they could out of the institutions of their law, and the facts related in their history. H4 104 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH There certainly are points in the law, and circumstances in the history, of the Jews, to which the death of Jesus appears to bear a more or less direct relation. 1. In a very early part of their history, the father of the nation, Abraham, 1s represented as receiving a command from God to offer his only son, Isaac, as a@ victim to be sacrificed on the altar by his own hand. [ Abraham obeyed the extraordinary command; and to the full extent | of purpose and intention the sacrifice was con- summated; being only restrained at the very ‘crisis of accomplishment, by divine interposi- tion?. Do we see here the germ of the doctrine that “God so loved the world as fo send his only begotten son,” to make “ a propitiation for their sins 2?” 2. Again, jn the journey through the wilder- ness, we find it related, that when the camp of the Israelites was infested with venomous ser- pents, sent as a judicial chastisement for their 1 Gen. ch. xxi. THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 105 disobedience; Meses erected, by divine com- mand, a serpent of brass: numbers of the people had perished; but as many as looked up to this brazen figure, were healed of their wounds. To this the crucifixion of Jesus is explicitly com- pared: “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up*.” 3. The departure of the Israelites from Egypt was attended with this remarkable cir- -cumstance. That they might avoid the fate with which the Egyptians were threatened, the Israelites were ordered, in every family, to kill alamb, and sprinkle the doors of their houses with its blood, under a promise that the im- pending calamity should be averted from every house on which this token was displayed. The anniversary of this great event in their history, their departure from Egypt, was to be carefully celebrated; and their preservation commemo- _ rated in every family by the annual sacrifice of * Numbers, xxi. 8.—John, in, 14. 106 GONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH a lamb slain in a manner particularly prescrib- ed. This greatest of the Jewish festivals was termed the Passover, from the peculiar circum- stances of its institution 3. This custom is alluded to, when Jesus is de- signated as “ the Lamb of God ;” and he is spe- cifically styled “ our Passover, who is sacrificed for us +.” 4. The establishment of the law of Moses, which followed the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, is represented as a covenant; in which a rich and fruitful country is promised to that people, | together with an abundant store of temporal blessings, if they continued obedient to the prescriptions of the law. The Gospel is also represented as a covenant, of which Jesus is the Mediator’; ‘a new and better covenant,” sanctioned not by transitory or earthly rewards, but by the promise of eternal life to as many 3 Exod. xii. 27, &c. 4 John, 1.29. Revelation, passim. 1 Cor. v. 7. 5 Hebr. xi. 24; ix. 15. THE JEWISH HISTORY AND ScriprurEs. 107 as embrace that covenant through faith in its author. 5. By the Mosaic law a high priest was ap- pointed, who should “ offer gifts and sacrifices” in the name of the people. The teachers of the Gospel stated, that by this appointment the purpose of the incarnation of Jesus was pre- figured: who was to appear as the great, and acceptable, and final Intercessor for mankind, and who, “ by the sacrifice of himself,” ‘the offering of his body once for all,” should “ put away sin®.” 6. It was part of the ceremonial of the Jewish law, that the altar, and the vessels used in sacrifice, should be washed, and the people sprinkled, with the blood of the victim’.” On one occasion, the ratification of the covenant be- tween God and that people, was solemnized in this way. And the reason of the original ap- pointment is expressed in these words—“ the blood is the atonement for the soul *.” | © Heb. ix. 26; x. 10. - 8 Levit. xvii. 18. 7 Exod, xxiv. 6, &c. 108 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH This custom is declared in the New Testa- ment to have been a type of the purpose of God, to sanctify for himself a people through the blood of Christ; which is said to have ratified an “everlasting covenant ;” to be sprinkled upon the conscience; to be the “ price of re- demption and forgiveness of sins,” the object of faith, and the medium of justification °. Now the question is, whether the authors of Christianity took advantage of these and other circumstances belonging to their history and law, and adapted them to their purpose, in order to make out a plausible explanation of their leader’s death. It was before mentioned, that no expecta- tion of any such fulfilment of the law existed among the Jews. They observed the type, with- out looking towards the antitype. They consi- dered their law to be perfect in itself; and it does not appear that they generally interpreted — 9 Heb. xiii. 20; x. 22. Eph.i.7. Rom. ili. 26; v. 9. THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 109 it in a figurative point of view. Jesus was not understood, when he made allusions to the historical types. and applied them to himself. And the apostle, who explains, in an elaborate treatise, the prophetical institutions of the law, and their fulfilment in what Jesus had done and — suffered, thinks it necessary to prove the agree- ment point by point, as if he was laying before | his countrymen a novel and unexpected inter- pretation *° Fin have, therefore, little reason to suppose that these men, in opposition to the current of public opinion, would recover from the dismay into which their leader’s death had thrown them, to exhibit him in the new character of a sacrifice: would affirm, contrary to every re- ceived idea, that it was the object of the pre- dicted Messiah’s appearance to make that sacri- fice: would have the ingenuity to support their fiction by appealing to the ceremonies of the national worship; and would ultimately suc- J° See the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. vii.—x. and passim, 110 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH ceed in converting a number of their country- men to their side. But, waving this improbability, how are we to account for the existence, in the Jewish law, of those typical institutions which allowed of such an application? Now are we to account for the historical facts which illustrate the Gos- pel, and receive illustration from it? In pro- portion as these are suitable to the purpose for which the Apostles employed them, the wonder is increased that they should be found in the history at all. 1. That God should send his Son into the world, to suffer a judicial death for the sins of mankind, is an idea so astonishing, that we re- ceive it with difficulty and hesitation. It is extraordinary too, that the Jewish history should relate how the greatest patriarch of their nation was commanded to make a similar sa- crifice, by the offer of his only son upon the altar to God. The resemblance, in a matter so remarkable, seems to indicate connexion ; espe- cially when we consider the minute circum- THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 1]] stances to which that resemblance extends. Each individual concerned was an only and a beloved son of his father. Each was doomed by his father to be made a sacrifice. Each bore upon his own shoulders the wood upon which he was to suffer. Each willingly gave up the life he was requested to resign; and, “as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so opened he _ not his mouth.” Each was accounted dead in the sight of men, yet each was raised again, and returned unto those he had left. Each was the heir of promise by descent, and to each has the promise been fulfilled. The seed of each has been multiplied “as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and in their seed have all the nations of the earth been blessed '.” 2. “ Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” This was the Christian doctrine; but it was unlike any thing which the world had heard or conceived before. So it was a singular fact, which occurs in the Jewish * Benson’s Lectures, vol. ii. Lect. xiv. 112 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH annals, that the people, when wounded and dying by the bite of poisonous serpents, should be told to lift up their eyes towards the image elevated above them, and so receive a cure. The remedy, to which the party requiring aid contributed nothing, and to which the pre- scribed means appeared wholly inadequate, is ‘n both cases annexed to the act of faith. Can we suppose such coincidence to have. been casual ? 3. The Jews were in possession of a law peculiar to themselves, which differs in its nature and provisions from that of every other country, and receives its easiest explanation, when considered as an apparatus for intro- ducing the religion of Jesus. The sacrifices ordained by Moses were. not treated as in the worship prevalent elsewhere, in the light of compensations ; but clearly conveyed the idea of substitution. The offender was instructed to bring his offering, a male without blemish, and to lay his hand upon its head, and to kill it as a sin-offering; and the priest should ‘make atonement for the sin that he had com- yi THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 113 mitted, and it should be forgiven him:.” An- other appointment ordered, that the priest should lay both his hands upon the head of the victim, and “ confess over him all the Iniquities ef the children of Israel, and all their trans- gressions in all their sins, putting them upon his head ?.” This agrees both with what was propheti- cally said concerning the death of Jesus, and with what was subsequently declared to be its effect. “ He was wounded for our transgres- sions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the Chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. The Lord hath Jaid on him the iniquity of us all. For the transgression of my people was he stricken.” “ Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” “ He himself bore our sins in his own body.” “ We are sanc- tified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all 3.” ' Levit. iv. 24, 35. > Levit. xvi. 21. * Isaiah, lili, 1 Pet. iii. 18. Hebr. x, 10. i 114. CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH With respect to the paschal lamb, the law directed that on the tenth day of the month Abib, in which they left Egypt, every family should select a lamb, a male of the first year, without spot or blemish, and keep it up unto the fourteenth day, when the whole congrega- tion should kill it in the evening. It was to be slain and eaten in a particular manner, so that no bone should be broken; and no part was to be suffered to remain unto the morning *. Now the existence of an institution so sin- gular is a remarkable fact; and its agreement with transactions which happened so long after its appointment, is still more remarkable; a re- semblance which the agents in those transac- tions did not intend or perceive ; and de- pending upon circumstances which those who were interested in the resemblance could no way command. Jesus, on the tenth day of the same month Abib, came up to Jerusalem, four days before 4 Exod. xi. THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES, 115 the Passover. His judge was led to declare that he could “ find no fault in him;” and thus affirmed him to be without blemish. It was contrary to all previous probability, that he should be executed under the Roman jurisdic- tion. Pilate even strove to prevail with the Jews, to deal with him after their own law. Had he succeeded, or had he refused to gratify their wishes, the death of Jesus would not have been crucifixion. Had it not been crucifixion, the resemblance would not have been made good, which required that the blood should be poured out; that “a bone of him should not be broken.” Neither could there have been room for the application of the prophecy, “ They shall look on him whom they pierced.” Neither was it within the reach of anticipation, that the crucifixion should take place on that particular evening, which was the anniversary of the first sacrifice of the passover, at a distance of fifteen hundred and twenty-four years; or that as it was ordered that no part of the victim lamb should remain until the following morning, SO the body of Jesus was buried, notwithstanding 12 116 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH the circumstances of his death, without delay; or / that he should be condemned by the whole Le assembly of the people. We have it in our choice, either to believe that all this concurrence of circumstances was purely accidental; or to suppose that the Jew- ish history and the Mosaic law were connected from the beginning with the death of Jesus, which had been determined in the counsels of God. Had this been God's purpose, it cannot be considered unnatural that he should have given such gradual intimations of it, as are Con- veyed in the Jewish law and history. The ex- istence of such intimations affords strong evi- dence to us at the present day, confirming other testimony, and proving the truth of what is implied throughout the Gospel, that the eruci- fixion of Jesus was the divine purpose from the earliest ages. It might have afforded in a higher degree this evidence to a Jew. When the teachers of the Gospel first claimed his at- tention, “the Jew should have reasoned thus with himself. Do they say that Jesus died for 4 THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 117 our redemption? So did the paschal lamb die to redeem our whole nation in Egypt. Did he ascend afterwards into heaven? So did our high priest go yearly into the most holy place, carrying thither the blood of a sacrifice slain in the worldly sanctuary. Is there no remission of sins without shedding of blood? There certainly was none under the law. Has Jesus appointed a baptism with water? So had our law its pu- rifications for the washing away of uncleanness. Numberless other questions might be asked, which would bring their own answers with them out of the law of Moses; and such was the use which the Jew ought to have made of it 5.” I think, then, it must be allowed, that the existence of these points in the Jewish law and history, affords additional authority to the Christian religion, instead of diminishing any thing from it. That it did not grow naturally out of the Jewish religion, is clear as was before Shown, because it opposed the existing opi- * Jones on Figurative Language of Scripture. 13 118. CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH nions of those who professed that religion at the time of its promulgation. If I divert into a new channel a stream which has been long. flowing in its native bed, and so make it contri- bute to serve and aid some important purpose, that effect cannot be ascribed to the natural cur- rent of the stream, which, but for my interfer- ence, would have continued to flow on as before. My purpose may indeed receive great advantage from the stream originally existing. But the new direction has a cause independent of the original stream. So in the case we are consi- dering: a party of adventurers, educated, as far as they were educated at all, ina bigoted attachment to the practice of their ancestors, rise up and oppose the current of the national belief: announce the termination of their law, and point out indications in their ancient his- tory and institutions, which prove that such was the original purpose of its author. But whence came the impulse which urged them to this at- tempt? And how came they to meet with con- firmation and collateral support from institu- THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 119 tions and occurrences over which they could have no control? These difficulties vanish, if we believe that the Christian religion .really came from God. Allowing this, we should expect it to agree with his former revelation, and to belong to a con- nected plan. And it does so, in a remarkable degree. It gives to the leading features of the Jewish law a consistency which they are other- wise in want of, and it affixes a reasonable sig- nification to facts which cannot otherwise be easily explained. It does not only fulfil pro- phetic words, but accomplishes prophetic facts. And this, it must be acknowledged, greatly increases the difficulty of supposing that it was the invention of a body of Jews who had been deluded to follow a pretended Messiah. II. It may be thought, further, that a design _like that attributed to the followers of Jesus would be greatly assisted by the prophecies re- corded in their national Scriptures, and point- 14 120 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH ing to some remarkable personage who was expected to appear. 1. For example: the time of this appear- ance was fixed by the prophet Daniel at about four hundred and ninety years from his own days; which so closely corresponded with the birth of Jesus, that such an event was looked for, by ‘“ devout persons,” at the very period when it occurred®. This would be, as was before observed, a circumstance greatly in their favour. 2. The next thing to be considered by the framers of this deceit, would be the place of their leader’s birth. Jesus was born at Bethlehem. Upon consulting their Seriptures, they would find this passage respecting Bethlehem: ‘ Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be a ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been 6 Dan. ix. 24. Luke, ii. 25. ee ee eee ee é THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 12] from of old, from everlasting’.” This would prove, beyond what could be anticipated, an assistance to their design. ~ 3. It seemed to be intimated in the prophe- cies, that the deliverer who was to come should be preceded by a forerunner, who might awaken the attention of the people to him. For it was written, “ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God *.” And again, ‘Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his temple®.” Now it was notorious that a singular character, John, called “ the Baptist,” had appeared a short time before Jesus began his ministry, pretending to be this mes- senger, and nothing more, and directing’ his followers to one who was to “ come after him.” .7 Micah, v. 2: 8: Tsai. xl. 3. 9 Malachi, iii, 1. 122 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH This was another coincidence equally wonderful and favourable ”. 4. Further, as to the most important point; the way in which Jesus had lived, and been re- ceived, and died. His character, as represented in the Gospels, had been peculiar in every re- spect ; but especially remarkable for the union of meekness and constancy which it displayed. Of unknown origin and humble parentage, | he had attracted considerable notice, and many followers; yet he had not been generally ac- knowledged among {his countrymen, and those who adhered to him were not the great and powerful. His life, upon the whole, was one of trial and hardship, not one of triumph and exaltation. In the end, he was sentenced to death, with those notoriously wicked; and suf- 10 If it should be thought that there is too much assump- tion here, in taking it for granted that the ministry of the Baptist, and the time and place of the birth of Jesus, were real facts; the objection has been met and answered in Chap. 1. p. 7—14. ee a _— — s. THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 123 fered a punishment, which even his judge con- fessed that his conduct had not deserved. Yet though dying with malefactors, he was laid in a rich and honourable tomb’. A character answering this description was pourtrayed by that prophet, who had always been considered as most particular in what respected the future Messiah. ‘“‘ Who hath believed our report; and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and re- jected of men; a man of sorrows, and ac- quainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our trans- 1 Matt. xxvii. 57—60. 124 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH gressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, and have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaugh- ter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, even so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgres- sion of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no vio- lence, neither was any deceit in his mouth ’.” It cannot be denied that the existence of these ancient prophecies would be very advan- tageous to men setting out with the purpose in question. But it is time to ask, in our turn, 2 Tsai. liii. | ! | | } | | 7 THE JEWISH HISTORY AND scriptuRrES. 125 how they came to find these prophecies ready to their hand? Prophecies of such a nature, that no man could have contrived a scheme depend- ent upon them, because they could not com- mand the facts by which they were to be ful- filled. With respect to the birth-place, for ex- ample: in order that it might happen to be Bethlehem, it was requisite that a general cen- sus should be held, convening all the inhabit- ants of the country to their chief town; by which means alone the mother of Jesus was called away from her usual residence, and her infant born at Bethlehem, instead of Naza- reth. The preparatory ministry of the Baptist was equally beyond the control of the disciples. So were the minute details of incidents, which agree in a wonderful manner with the circum- stantial narrative. The entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, at once humble and triumphant 3. The manner of his death, and his own country- 3 “ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.”—-Compare Matt. xxi. 1, &c.; and Zech. ix. 9. | 126 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH men the cause*. The peculiar indignities which he underwent: the very words of mockery used against him®. The price which Judas received for his treachery. The purpose to which that money was applied °. « Passages of this nature could not have been introduced by the apostles into the existing Scriptures, because, as their countrymen were generally hostile to the design, such an attempt 4 <« And one shall say unto him, what are these wounds an thy hands? Then he shall answer, those with which Iwas wounded in the house of my friends.” —Zech. xiii. 6. 5 « T gave my back to the smiters; and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”—Isai. 1. 6. ‘‘ The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet: they stand staring and looking upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, and shake the head, saying, he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.”—Ps. xxii. ‘‘ They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” —Ps. lxix. 20. Com- pare Matt. xxvii. 6 « They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter; a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the pieces of silver, and east them to the potter in the house of the Lord.” —Zech. xi. 12. Matt. xxvi.15. xxvii. 3, &c. ee THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 127 must have proved fatal to theit pretensions. ‘And further, because the books among which these scattered sentences are found, had now been extensively diffused during a period of three hundred years in a foreign language, defying the imposture of the whole nation, if the whole nation had concurred in the design. We are reduced, then, to the necessity of supposing, that the followers of Jesus, desiring to deify their teacher, selected from their na- tional Scriptures these pointed allusions to cir- cumstances like his which happened to be writ- ten there, and brought them forward to confirm his pretensions. - But surely to ascribe coincidences like these to chance; to allege that all. these passages were thrown out at random in the Jewish Scrip- tures, and that the circumstances of the birth, and life, and character, and death of Jesus turned out so as to agree with them; is to at- tribute to chance what never did or could take place by chance; and in itself far more impro- 128 CONNEXION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH bable than the event which such a solution is intended to disprove. For, allow to Jesus the authority which he claims, and every difficulty vanishes. We should then expect to find pro- phetic intimations of his great purpose, and of the way in which it was to be effected. We should expect to find them, too, just what they are; not united and brought together in a way of formal description, which could only be a- provision for imposture ; but such scattered hints and allusions as after the event has oc- curred serve to show that it was predicted, by a comparison of the event and the prophecy. It ought to be observed, in addition, that if the disciples of Jesus had framed their story and their representation of facts, with a view of obtaining this collateral support, they would have been more diligent and ostentatious in pointing out the circumstances of resemblance. They would have anticipated the labours of those writers who have made it their business to show the completion of prophecy in the events related in the Gospels. But, on the contrary, y THE JEWISH HISTORY AND SCRIPTURES. 129 they bring these things forward in an historical, rather than an argumentative way ; and com- monly leave the deductions which may be drawn from them to the discernment of after times. On these grounds I think myself justified in concluding, that the divine mission of Jesus re- ceives a strong confirmation from the historical facts, the ceremonial rites, and the ancient pro- phecies which corresponded with the circum- stances of his life, and the alleged object of his ministry and sufferings. 130 CHAPTER V. On the Phraseology of the Christian Scriptures. In examining the Christian writings, I am struck with the original and peculiar phrases by which the teachers of the Gospel recom- mended it to the notice of their countrymen. We have seen that they were innovators in doc- trine. They were innovators in language too. Their writings abound with terms which can only be understood by reference to these doc- trines, which were novel when they were first’ used; and, although they have now obtained such universal currency as to sound familiar to our ears, derive their meaning entirely from the religion which they were employed to com- municate and explain. 1. “ Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people’.” It is remarkable, that these words assume the truth 1 Luke, ii. 10. _PHRASEOLOGY OF THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. 13] of all which the religion purposes to declare. These. good tidings were, the reconciliation of God with man. But why should this be pro- claimed as good tidings to those who were feel- ing no distress, who were not aware that God was at enmity with them? So the proper term by which the religion was distinguished, was not the law of Christ, or the doctrine of Jesus, as might be expected ; but che good tidings ; the message of joy. Jesus, we are told, went about <« preaching the Gospel.” i.e. the glad tidings “ of the kingdom of God.” His command was, “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the glad tidings to every creature.” Paul declares, that his object. was to “ testify the glad tidings of the grace of God.” He says that Christ commissioned him to preach the joyful message: i. e. the Gospel. Now, though it was very soon after the pro- mulgation of the religion, that theword signifying * Mark, i. 15; xvi. 15. Acts, xx. 24. 1 Cor. i, 17. K 2. 182° _. .., ON THE . PHRASEOLOGY OF good tidings, which we translate Gospel, became comprehensively used for the religion itself* yet there must have been a time when it bore no such meaning; but simply expressed to them who heard it the idea of favourable news*. When it expressed this idea, and this idea alone, the authors of Christianity seized upon it to communicate the import of the religion which they intended to teach. And yet to un- derstand that import, requires a previous know- ledge of what the religion declares. ‘To believe that it brings good tidings, is to admit its truth. If, indeed, the new religion had consisted merely in a promise of eternal happiness to all - who embraced it, we could more easily account 2 Mark, vii. 35. Rom.i.1.. 1 Thes.i. 5. 1 Tim. 1.11. » 3-66 The Greek verb évayferov, when first used by the Evangelists; or the Hebrew bashar, when used by the pro- phets; or the Syriac sabar, as most probably used by our Lord and his Apostles, conveyed to their countrymen only one and the same idea, which is precisely what the phrase, to bring good tidings, conveys to us.”—Campbell, Prel. Disc! if149.°>7" | Evaiyfersoy, translated’ Gospel, bears the sense of «good news five times in the Septuagint: once, the reward of good news. The word Gospel, in its Saxon etymology, is an exact counterpart of the Greek tvayfer. bid. | “ hiya THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, 133 for the term by which it was introduced. But the answer to the question which must have been often put, What good tidings do you ac- quaint us with? would be to this effect: God has so loved the world as to send his only Son to make atonement for sin, that all that believe in him may not perish, may be saved from everlasting condemnation, and enjoy everlast- | ing life. The angels, who made known to the shepherds the birth of Jesus, are represented as giving this very explanation. [| bring you good tidings, “ for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour.” Those who have been brought to acknowledge the promises on which the Gospel rests, will understand that these are glad tidings. But I cannot believe that this is language which any set of men, undertaking the scheme -ascribed to the Apostles, would Stumble upon by accident, or select from deli- beration. It would not naturally occur: and It would involve them in unnecessary difficul- ties. They would surely have chosen some term more simple and less embarrassing. K 3: 4 SAAS 134 ON THE PHRASEOLOGY OF 9. Another term which is frequently used to express the new religion, conducts us to the same conclusion. Our translators render it grace. The original word simply bears the meaning of favour, kindness, or mercy ; and, of course, when put for the religion itself, must imply that this was viewed in the light of mercy or favour. Thus it was contrasted with the Jewish dispensation. «We are not under the law, but under mercy.”——“ The law was given by Moses, but grace (favour, mercy) came by Jesus Christ 4 So when the disciples are exhorted to constancy in their profession, this is expressed by their continu- ing “ in the grace of God: implying that this religion had restored them to his favour’. By unworthy conduct, on the other hand, some are said to have “< fallen from his grace,” or mercy; and others are warned against similar transgression, lest they should “ recewe the grace’ or favour “of God in vain®.” This again displays, ‘na strong light, the view 4 Rom. vi. 14. John, i. 17. s Acts, xili. 43. 6 Gal. v. 4. 2-Cor. vi. 1. —— ——— —————— E | ee Le — = L THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. 135 which its teachers entertained of the nature of the religion, and the way in which they had accustomed their converts to regard it, as a merciful interposition on the part of God; and increases the difficulty of supposing that they spoke the language of imposture, and not of conviction. 3. There is less to surprise us in the title ascribed by the Apostles to Jesus, as the Sa- viour, because the Jews were expecting a deliverer, and that expectation has been sup- posed to pave the way for the new religion. But the usage of the word saved throughout the Christian Scriptures is very peculiar’. It is used to signify escape from the divine wrath, in a positive and naked manner, which is different 7 Schleusner’s interpretation sufficiently shows this :— _ owltobai, felicem esse, vel fieri; eternam felicitatem consequi ; -amplecti religionem Christianam, et per eam emendari ac remissionem peccatorum et felicitatem perennem obtinere. So that the word cwf:cla: cannot be adequately rendered, ex- cept by a periphrasis to this effect, «to embrace the Christian faith, and through that to obtain pardon of sin and eternal happiness.” K 4 136 ON THE PHRASEOLOGY OF from any thing occurring elsewhere, even in the Jewish writings®. “J esus Christ came into the world to save sinners.”-—“ It pleased God to save them that believe.”—“ I became all things to all men, that I might save some.”—-“ Who then shall be saved 2” —“ Are there few that shall be saved 2”-—“ The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved®.” This expression is not derived from any ideas previously existing. It originates altoge- ther in the purpose borne on the face of the religion which its authors were employed to ‘ntroduce. It proves how closely the object professed by that religion was interwoven with the thoughts and imprinted on the language of its teachers. To embrace Christianity, was ‘0 be saved. A confidence in the truth of what they preached is implied in this, which could scarcely be assumed where it was not felt, and 8 The passage most similar is found in Jeremiah, xvii. 17. Tacos pt, KUpbE, KO iaOnoopcu TWTOY ME, KOb TwOnToprcls OTs KOUX NAO Ke ov be 9 Tas cwQopevss. those (that were) saved. “hets,g i. 47. THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. 137 scarcely felt without strong grounds for con- viction. 4. The word translated righteousness, also bears an entirely new sense in the Christian Scriptures. Its original meaning is justice, in- tegrity; sometimes, goodness, benignity. In the Gospel it often carries a distinct meaning, acquittal or acceptance with God. We read of “the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ :” we read, that “ the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righte- ousness which is of faith: but Israel, which fol- lowed after the law of righteousness, hath not at. tained to the law of righteousness ».” These, and many other sentences of the same import, are absolutely unintelligible, without an acquain- tance with the religion to which they refer. But when the principles of the Christian doc- trine are explained, we perceive what is meant ; © Rom. iii. 22; ix. 30, 31. 138 ON THE PHRASEOLOGY OF namely, that the heathens, who, being ignorant of their Creator, sought no acquaintance with him, have obtained acquittal through faith in Christ ; but that the Jews, who did seek accept- ance with him through observance of the Mo- saic law, have not obtained acquittal. So the Christian faith is called the “ way of righteous- ness:” its doctrine, “ the word of righteous- ness :” its ministers, “ the ministers of righ- teousness:” its profession, “ the righteousness of God.” When these phrases are examined, — they are found to imply, that righteousness, Lee justification in the sight of God, as a moral Governor, and acquittal before him as our Judge, is to be obtained in no other way than through reliance on the atonement made by Jesus on the cross. And this usage of the word is only warranted by the fact which is the groundwork of the Gospel: that God has cove- nanted to accept those as righteous, i. €. as justified at his bar, who embrace the way of salvation offered in the Gospel. The belief is strongly impressed upon our natural feelings, that, “if there is a God, he must delight in 9° THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. 139 virtue.” But experience universally declares, that no human virtue will bear examination according to the law of perfect holiness. Tried therefore by that law, no man is righteous, ac- quitted, or justified in the sight of God. This opens the way for “ the righteousness of faith ;” for that justification or acceptance with God, which follows a trust in Jesus. And such is the new sense which is attached to the word righ- teousness by the Apostles «. aia. * Ameuocvn, Justitia, est doctrina Christi, Matt. v. 10 ; vi, 33; xxi. 32. 2 Pet. ii. 20. et in Epistola ad Romanos passim. Wetstein. The title, “ the Lord our righteousness,” Jer. xxiii. 6, is easily explained from the New Testament ; but without it, would not have established any such doctrine. It is scarcely necessary, in the present day, to allude to Taylor’s bold substitution of the words deliverance or salva- tion tor righteousness. If St. Paul, in the first chapters of his Epistle to the Romans, is not inquiring how mankind may be justified, in a forensic sense, at the bar of God, he cannot be said to argue at all. Neither does he argue, according to Taylor’s translation. As in the passages, ‘ that he might be gracious, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus,” Where is the antithesis of the original, zs: to Ewa avloy AIKAION xa: AIKAIOYNTA toy 2x miorewe Ince? And what would be the purpose of the succeeding question, “ where is boasting then?” .So again, he translates, Rom. iii. 3. Abraham believed, and it was counted tofhim for a grant of favour ; and, v. 5, his faith is counted for salvation. Paraph. on Rom. ch. 16, in his ‘* Key to the Apostolic Writings,” A yay ON THE PHRASEOLOGY OF “Now, we know that it is a long process by - which a word comes to bear a particular sense, especially if that sense be complex, and include more than one idea. The process is more diffh- cult when the word is of common use, and is wrested from its natural or conventional import. So that we may reasonably be surprised to find that a word so familiar as that which expresses _ justice or goodness, should, within the short space of fifteen or twenty years, be habitually employed to signify acquittal before God, or all that is contained in the theological term juséi- fication. The idea that justification is to be sought through Jesus, must have been familiar | to the mind of the writers, in a degree which can scarcely be imagined without supposing personal conviction. The employment of this ordinary word in an extraordinary signification, proves also the novelty of the doctrine conveyed by it. Had there been nothing original in that doctrine, it would not._have- required an original term. Had the Christian religion been nothing more THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. 14] than a modification of the Jewish faith, the phrases which had been employed in the one would not have been changed, or extended their signification in the other. Z | Do. The corruption of human nature, and the necessity of regeneration, as it was the pro- fessed cause of his appearance in the world, so it forms a prominent part of the teaching of Jesus and his Apostles. This leads to the usage of the word flesh and its derivatives, for cor- rupt nature, in a sense altogether original ?. “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh.” “The natural (or fleshly) man cannot receive the things of God*.” What a volume of doc- trine is concentrated in these short sentences! To “ live in the flesh,” to “ walk after the flesh,” are phrases familiarly used in Scripture for a life led after the natural desires and pro- pensities of the heart. But what meaning have they, till the difference between the spiritual 2 The existence of the term in the Septuagint, Gen. vi. 3, will hardly be thought to invalidate this assertion. 3 John, ii. G6. ¥uxsnos. .1.Cor, il. 14. 142 ON THE PHRASEOLOGY OF and carnal life is first established? till it is understood to be the object of a religion divinely instituted, to take men out of a state of nature, in which they are enemies of God through the corruption that is in them, and to renew their hearts after the divine image, which bears the stamp of “righteousness and true holiness +?” These do not sound like the inventions of human teachers. I cannot think that it was a self- instructed or unauthorized reformer who first laid down the distinction, “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit °.” 6. The word faith affords a similar instance. For by the terms faith, or believing, inthe New Testament, that is not generally meant which is required, as of course, in the case of any divine | revelation, a belief of its truth, and a patient expectation of its promises. The sense which the word often bears in the apostle’s language is as peculiar, as the doctrine on which its mean- 4 See Col. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 24. 5 John,. iii, 6. THE CHRISTTAN SCRIPTURES. 1438 ing depends, is original. Faith is represented as the channel through which the benefits of the death of Jesus are conveyed to the believer. For as the doctrine of Christianity is, that he has undertaken to deliver from divine wrath all who trust in him, and to bestow on them eter- nal happiness ; the characteristic of the religion is faith; and those who are invited to receive the religion, are invited to rely upon Jesus; to put their confidence in him; to depend upon him. To see the force of this argument, consider the phrases: * Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” «“ Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” “« Do we then make void the law through faith?” «The Gentiles have attained the righteousness which is of faith®.” All this, written within twenty years of the death of Jesus, shows the substan- tial and solid form which the religion early at- tained, and the deep roots which its leading doctrine had struck. The wor ds, trust in Christ; ° Acts, xvi..3i.. Rom.v: 1.‘ iik.31. ix. 30. 144 ON THE PHRASEOLOGY OF by trust we are saved ;—what idea would they convey, when heard for the first time? How much must be explained, to render them intel- ligible? Yet all this had been so explained as to become familiar, and to enable the apostles to write, without circumlocution, of salvation through faith in him, who, but a few years be- fore, had been despised, rejected, and con- demned. Even to this day the phrases here discussed would appear too singular, too technical for general conversation, or writings of a general nature. How can this be accounted for, if there was nothing extraordinary in their origin, no- thing beyond the thoughts naturally occurring to men, and very ordinary men? Here, again, I cannot fail to observe, that this is exactly what we should expect if the re- ligion were divine. It was an original revelation of the purpose of God. Therefore it required fresh phrases to convey it. For words follow ideas. If the ideas were new, they could not be THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. 145 expressed without some innovation in language. But can we be contented with believing, that such an innovation was attempted and effected by such persons as the first Christian teachers were, if they were not what they professed to be; i.e. if they had no authority to warrant them, and procure them attention? Did such men give a new turn to language, and strike out no- tions whieh they could not even express in terms hitherto employed? ei way oF $s, a