Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

tries; that the converts were numerous; that they | another passage allowed by many, although not suffered great hardships and injuries for their pro- without considerable question being moved about fession; and that all this took place in the age of it, we hear of "James, the brother of him who the world which our books have assigned. They was called Jesus, and of his being put to death.”* go on further, to describe the manners of Chris- In a third passage, extant in every copy that retians in terms perfectly conformable to the ac-mains of Josephus's History, but the authenticity counts extant in our books: that they were wont to assemble on a certain day; that they sang hymns to Christ as to a god; that they bound themselves by an oath not to commit any crime, but to abstain from theft and adultery, to adhere strictly to their promises, and not to deny money deposited in their hands; that they worshipped him who was crucified in Palestine; that this their first lawgiver had taught them that they were all brethren; that they had a great contempt for the things of this world, and looked upon them as common; that they flew to one another's relief; that they cherished strong hopes of immortality; that they despised death, and surrendered themselves to sufferings.t This is the account of writers who viewed the subject at a great distance; who were uninformed and uninterested about it. It bears the characters of such an account upon the face of it, because it describes effects, namely, the appearance in the world of a new religion, and the conversion of great multitudes to it, without descending, in the smallest degree, to the detail of the transaction upon which it was founded, the interior of the institution, the evidence or arguments offered by those who drew over others to it. Yet still here is no contradiction of our story; no other or different story set up against it: but so far a confirmation of it, as that, in the general points on which the heathen account touches, it agrees with that which we find in our own books.

of which has nevertheless been long disputed, we have an explicit testimony to the substance of our history in these words:" At that time lived Jesus, a wise man, if he may be called a man, for he performed many wonderful works. He was a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many Jews and Gentiles. This was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the instigation of the chief men among us, had condemned him to the cross, they who before had conceived an affection for him, did not cease to adhere to him; for, on the third day, he appeared to them alive again, the divine prophets having foretold these and many wonderful things concerning him. And the sect of the Christians, so called from him, subsists to this time." Whatever become of the controversy concerning the genuineness of this passage; whether Josephus go thewhole length of our history, which, if the passage be sincere, he does; or whether he proceed only a very little way with us, which, if the passage be rejected, we confess to be the case; still what we asserted is true, that he gives no other or different history of the subject from ours, no other or different account of the origin of the institution. And I think also that it may with great reason be contended, either that the passage is genuine, or that the silence of Josephus was designed. For, although we should lay aside the authority of our own books entirely, yet when Tacitus, who wrote not twenty, perhaps not ten, years after JoThe same may be observed of the very few sephus, in his account of a period in which JoseJewish writers, of that and the adjoining period, phus was nearly thirty years of age, tells us, that a which have come down to us. Whatever they vast multitude of Christians were condemned at omit, or whatever difficulties we may find in ex- Rome; that they derived their denomination from plaining the omission, they advance no other his-Christ, who, in the reign of Tiberius, was put to tory of the transaction than that which we acknow-death, as a criminal, by the procurator, Pontius ledge. Josephus, who wrote his Antiquities, or Pilate; that the superstition had spread not only History of the Jews, about sixty years after the over Judea, the source of the evil, but had reached commencement of Christianity, in a passage ge- Rome also-when Suetonius, an historian connerally admitted as genuine, makes mention of temporary with Tacitus, relates that, in the time John under the name of John the Baptist; that of Claudius, the Jews were making disturbances he was a preacher of virtue; that he baptized his at Rome, Christus being their leader; and that, proselytes; that he was well received by the peo- during the reign of Nero, the Christians were ple; that he was imprisoned and put to death by punished; under both which emperors, Josephus Herod; and that Herod lived in a criminal co-lived: when Pliny, who wrote his celebrated habitation with Herodias, his brother's wife. In

*See Pliny's Letter.-Bonnet, in his lively way of expressing himself, says,-" Comparing Pliny's Letter with the account of the Acts, it seems to me that I had not taken up another author, but that I was still read ing the historian of that extraordinary society." This is strong: but there is undoubtedly an affinity, and all the affinity that could be expected.

"It is incredible what expedition they use when any of their friends are known to be in trouble. In a word, they spare nothing upon such an occasion;-for these miserable men have no doubt they shall be im mortal and live for ever: therefore they contemn death, and many surrender themselves to sufferings. More. over, their first lawgiver has taught them that they are all brethren, when once they have turned and renounced the gods of the Greeks, and worship this Master of theirs who was crucified, and engage to live according to his

laws. They have also a sovereign contempt for all the
things of this world, and look upon them as common.'
Lucian de Morte Peregrini, t. i. p. 565. ed. Græv.
Antiq. I. xviii. cap. v. sect. 1, 2.

epistle not more than thirty years after the publication of Josephus's history, found the Christians in such numbers in the province of Bithynia, as to draw from him a complaint, that the contagion had seized cities, towns, and villages, and had so seized them as to produce a general desertion of the public rites; and when, as has already been observed, there is no reason for imagining that the Christians were more numerous in Bithynia than in many other parts of the Roman empire; it cannot, I should suppose, after this, be believed, that the religion, and the transaction upon which it was founded, were too obscure to engage the attention of Josephus, or to obtain a place in his history. Perhaps he did not know how to represent the business, and disposed of his difficulties by passing it over in silence. Eusebius wrote the

Antiq 1. xx. cap. ix. sect. 1.
† Antiq. 1. xviii. cap. iii. sect. 3.

religion; the persecution of its followers; the miraculous conversion of Paul; miracles wrought by himself and alleged in his controversies with his adversaries, and in letters to the persons amongst whom they were wrought; finally, that MIRACLES were the signs of an apostle.*

life of Constantine, yet omits entirely the most remarkable circumstance in that life, the death of his son Crispus: undoubtedly for the reason here given. The reserve of Josephus upon the subject of Christianity appears also in his passing over the banishment of the Jews by Claudius, which Suetonius, we have seen, has recorded with an In an epistle, bearing the name of Barnabas, express reference to Christ. This is at least as the companion of Paul, probably genuine, cerremarkable as his silence about the infants of tainly belonging to that age, we have the sufBethlehem. Be, however, the fact, or the cause ferings of Christ, his choice of apostles and their of the omission in Josephus,t what it may, no number, his passion, the scarlet robe, the vinegar other or different history on the subject has been and gall, the mocking and piercing, the casting given by him, or is pretended to have been given. lots for his coat,t his resurrection on the eighth But further; the whole series of Christian (i. e. the first day of the week,) and the comwriters, from the first age of the institution down memorative distinction of that day, his manifestato the present, in their discussions, apologies, tion after his resurrection, and lastly, his ascenarguments, and controversies, proceed upon the sion. We have also his miracles generally but general story which our Scriptures contain, and positively referred to in the following words:upon no other. The main facts, the principal Finally, teaching the people of Israel, and do agents, are alike in all. This argument will aping many wonders and signs among them, he pear to be of great force, when it is known that preached to them, and showed the exceeding we are able to trace back the series of writers to a great love which he bare towards them."s contact with the historical books of the New Tes tament, and to the age of the first emissaries of the religion, and to deduce it, by an unbroken continuation, from that end of the train to the present.

[ocr errors]

In an epistle of Clement, a hearer of St. Paul, although written for a purpose remotely connected with the Christian history, we have the resurrrection of Christ, and the subsequent mission of the apostles, recorded in these satisfactory terms: The remaining letters of the apostles, (and The apostles have preached to us from our what more original than their letters can we Lord Jesus Christ from God:-For, having rehave!) though written without the remotest de-ceived their command, and being thoroughly sign of transmitting the history of Christ, or of assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christianity, to future ages, or even of making it Christ, they went abroad, publishing that the known to their contemporaries, incidentally dis kingdom of God was at hand." We find noclose to us the following circumstances:-Christ's ticed also, the humility, yet the power of Christ, ¶ descent and family; his innocence; the meekness his descent from Abraham, his crucifixion. We and gentleness of his character; (a recognition have Peter and Paul represented as faithful and which goes to the whole Gospel history;) his ex-righteous pillars of the church; the numerous alted nature; his circumcision; his transfigura- sufferings of Peter; the bonds, stripes, and stoning tion; his life of opposition and suffering; his pa- of Paul, and more particularly his extensive and tience and resignation; the appointment of the unwearied travels. eucharist, and the manner of it; his agony; his confession before Pontius Pilate; his stripes, crucifixion, and burial; his resurrection; his appearance after it, first to Peter, then to the rest of the apostles; his ascension into heaven; and his designation to be the future judge of mankind :—the stated residence of the apostles at Jerusalem; the working of miracles by the first preachers of the Gospel, who were also the hearers of Christ ;*—the successful propagation of the

*Michaelis has computed, and, as it should seem,

fairly enough, that probably not more than twenty children perished by this cruel precaution-Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, translated by

Marsh, vol. i. c. ii. sect. 11.

There is no notice taken of Christianity in the

In an epistle of Polycarp, a disciple of St. John, though only a brief hortatory letter, we have the humility, patience, sufferings, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the apostolic character of St. Paul, distinctly recognised.** Of this same father we are also assured by Irenæus, that he (Irenæus,) had heard him relate, "what he had received from eye-witnesses concerning the Lord, both concerning his miracles and his doctrine."+t

In the remaining works of Ignatius, the contemporary of Polycarp, larger than those of Polycarp (yet, like those of Polycarp, treating of subjects in nowise leading to any recital of the Christian history,) the occasional allusions are proportionably more numerous.-The descent of

Mishna, a collection of Jewish traditions compiled about the year 10; although it contains a Tract Detation; for, whatever doubts may bave been raised cuitu peregrino," of strange or idolatrous worship; yet it cannot be disputed but that Christianity was perfeetly well known in the world at this time. There is extremely little notice of the subject in the Jerusalem Talmud, compiled about the year 300, and not much tore in the Babylonish Talmud, of the year 500; al though both these works are of a religious nature, and although, when the first was compiled, Christianity was on the point of becoming the religion of the state, 471 when the latter was published, had been so for 200 years.

¡Heb. ii. 3. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which, at the first, began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing them witness, both with ng and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost?" I allege this epistle without hesi 20

about its author, there can be none concerning the age in which it was written. No epistle in the collection carries about it more indubitable marks of antiquity than this does. It speaks, for instance, throughout, of the temple as then standing, and of the worship of the temple as then subsisting. Heb. viii. 4: "For, if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing there are priests that offer according to the law." Again, Heb. xiii. 10: "We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."

Ibid. c. vi.

Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds."-2 Cor. xii. 12. † Ep. Bar. c. vii. Ibid. c. v. Ep. Clem. Rom. c. xlii. Ep. Clem. Rom. c. xvi. ** Pol. Ep. ad Phil. c. v. viii. ii. iii. tt Ir. ad Flor. ap. Euseb. I. v. c. 20.

(25)

tion.

Christ from David, his mother Mary, his miracu- | as the cause, or as the pretence of the institulous conception, the star at his birth, his baptism by John, the reason assigned for it, his appeal to the prophets, the ointment poured on his head, his sufferings under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarchi, his resurrection, the Lord's day called and kept in commemoration of it, and the eucharist, in both its parts,-are unequivocally referred to. Upon the resurrection, this writer is even circumstantial. He mentions the apostles' eating and drinking with Christ after he had risen, their feeling and their handling him; from which last circumstance Ignatius raises this just reflection;-"" -"They believed, being convinced both by his flesh and spirit; for this cause, they despised death, and were found to be above it."*" Quadratus, of the same age with Ignatius, has left us the following noble testimony:-"The works of our Saviour were always conspicuous, for they were real; both those that were healed, and those that were raised from the dead; who were seen not only when they were healed or raised, but for a long time afterwards: not only whilst he dwelled on this earth, but also after his departure, and for a good while after it, insomuch that some of them have reached to our times,"t

Now that the original story, the story delivered by the first preachers of the institution, should have died away so entirely as to have left no record or memorial of its existence, although so many records and memorials of the time and transaction remain; and that another story should have stepped into its place, and gained exclusive possession of the belief of all who professed themselves disciples of the institution, is beyond any example of the corruption of even oral tradition, and still less consistent with the experience of written history: and this improbability, which is very great, is rendered still greater by the reflection, that no such change as the oblivion of one story, and the substitution of another, took place in any future period of the Christian era. Christianity hath travelled through dark and turbulent ages; nevertheless it came out of the cloud and the storm, such, in substance, as it entered in. Many additions were made to the primitive history, and these entitled to different degrees of credit; many doctrinal errors also were from time to time grafted into the public creed; but still the original story remained, and remained the same. In all its principal parts, it has been fixed from the beginning.

Thirdly: The religious rites and usages that prevailed amongst the early disciples of Christianity, were such as belonged to, and sprung out of, the narrative now in our hands; which accordancy shows, that it was the narrative upon which these persons acted, and which they had received from their teachers. Our account makes the Founder of the religion direct that his disci

Justin Martyr came little more than thirty years after Quadratus. From Justin's works, which are still extant, might be collected a tolerably complete account of Christ's life, in all points agreeing with that which is delivered in our Scriptures; taken indeed, in a great measure, from those Scriptures, but still proving that this account, and no other, was the account known and extant in that age. The miracles in particular, which form the part of Christ's history most ma-ples should be baptised: we know, that the first terial to be traced, stand fully and distinctly recognised in the following passage:-" He healed those who had been blind, and deaf, and lame from their birth; causing, by his word, one to leap, another to hear, and a third to see: and by raising the dead, and making them to live, he induced, by his works, the men of that age to know him."t

It is unnecessary to carry these citations lower, because the history, after this time, occurs in ancient Christian writings as familiarly as it is wont to do in modern sermons;-occurs always the same in substance, and always that which our evangelists represent.

This is not only true of those writings of Christians, which are genuine, and of acknowledged authority; but it is, in a great measure, true of all their ancient writings which remain; although some of these may have been erroneously ascribed to authors to whom they did not belong, or may contain false accounts, or may appear to be undeserving of credit, or never indeed to have obtained any. Whatever fables they have mixed with the narrative, they preserve the material parts, the leading facts, as we have them; and, so far as they do this, although they be evidence of nothing else, they are evidence that these points were fired, were received and acknowledged by all Christians in the ages in which the books were written. At least, it may be asserted, that, in the places where we were most likely to meet with such things, if such things had existed, no relicks appear of any story substantially different from the present,

Christians were baptised. Our account makes him direct that they should hold religious assemblies: we find, that they did hold religious assemblies. Our accounts make the apostles assemble upon a stated day of the week: we find, and that from information perfectly independent of our accounts, that the Christians of the first century did observe stated days of assembling. Our histories record the institution of the rite which we call the Lord's Supper, and a command to repeat it in perpetual succession: we find, amongst the early Christians, the celebration of this rite universal. And indeed, we find concurring in all the abovementioned observances, Christian societies of many different nations and languages, removed from one another by a great distance of place and dissimilitude of situation. It is also extremely material to remark, that there is no room for insinuating that our books were fabricated with a studious accommodation to the usages which obtained at the time they were written; that the authors of the books found the usages established, and framed the story to account for their original. The Scripture accounts, especially of the Lord's Supper, are too short and cursory, not to say too obscure, and, in this view, deficient, to allow a place for any such suspicion.*

Amongst the proofs of the truth of our proposi tion, viz. that the story, which we have now, is, in substance, the story which the Christians had

* The reader who is conversant in these researches, by comparing the short Scripture accounts of the Christian rites above-mentioned, with the minute and circumstantial directions contained in the pretended aposAd Smyr. c. iii. † Ap. Euseb. H. E. lib. 4. c. 2. tolical constitutions, will see the force of this observaJust. Dial. cum Tryph. p. 258. ed. Thirl. tion: the difference between truth and forgery.

[ocr errors]

writer whose mind was in the habit of considering John's imprisonment as perfectly notorious. The description of Andrew by the addition "Simon Peter's brother,"* takes it for granted, that Simon Peter was well known. His name had not been mentioned before. The evangelist's noticing the prevailing misconstruction of a discourse, which Christ held with the beloved dis

were already public. And the observation which these instances afford, is of equal validity for the purpose of the present argument, whoever were the authors of the histories.

then, or, in other words, that the accounts in our Gospels are, as to their principal parts at least, the accounts which the apostles and original teachers of the religion delivered, one arises from observing, that it appears by the Gospels themselves, that the story was public at the time; that the Christian community was already in possession of the substance and principal parts of the narrative. The Gospels were not the original cause of the Chris-ciple, proves that the characters and the discourse tian history being believed, but were themselves among the consequences of that belief. This is expressly affirmed by Saint Luke, in his brief, but, as I think, very important and instructive preface:-" Forasmuch (says the evangelist) as These four circumstances; first, the recognition many have taken in hand to set forth in order a of the account in its principal parts, by a series of declaration of those things which are most surely succeeding writers; secondly, the total absence of beliered amongst us, even as they delivered them any account of the origin of the religion substanunto us, which, from the beginning, were eye-tially different from ours; thirdly, the early and witnesses and ministers of the word; it seemed extensive prevalence of rites and institutions, good to me also, having had perfect understand- which result from our account; fourthly, our acing of all things from the very first, to write unto count bearing, in its construction, proof that it is thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that an account of facts, which were known and bethou mightest know the certainty of those things lieved at the time;-are sufficient, I conceive, to wherein thou hast been instructed."-This short support an assurance, that the story which we introduction testifies, that the substance of the have now, is, in general, the story which Chrishistory, which the evangelist was about to write, tians had at the beginning. I say in general; was already believed by Christians; that it was by which term I mean, that it is the same in its believed upon the declarations of eye-witnesses texture, and in its principal facts. For instance, and ministers of the word; that it formed the ac- I make no doubt, for the reasons above stated, but count of their religion in which Christians were that the resurrection of the Founder of the reliinstructed; that the office which the historian gion was always a part of the Christian story. proposed to himself, was to trace each particular Nor can a doubt of this remain upon the mind of to its origin, and to fix the certainty of many any one who reflects that the resurrection is, in things which the reader had before heard of. In some form or other, asserted, referred to, or asSaint John's Gospel, the same point appears sumed, in every Christian writing, of every dehence, that there are some principal facts, to scription, which hath come down to us. which the historian refers, but which he does not And if our evidence stopped here, we should relate. A remarkable instance of this kind is the have a strong case to offer: for we should have to ascension, which is not mentioned by Saint John allege, that in the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, a cerin its place, at the conclusion of his history; but tain number of persons set about an attempt of which is plainly referred to in the following words establishing a new religion in the world: in the of the sixth chapter:*-"What and if ye shall see prosecution of which purpose, they voluntarily the Son of man ascend up where he was before?" encountered great dangers, undertook great laAnd still more positively in the words which bours, sustained great sufferings, all for a miracuChrist, according to our evangelist, spoke to Mary lous story which they published wherever they after his resurrection, "Touch me not, for I am came; and that the resurrection of a dead man, not yet ascended to my Father: but go unto my whom during his life they had followed and acbrethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my companied, was a constant part of this story. I Father and your Father, unto my God and know nothing in the above statement which can, your God. This can only be accounted for with any appearance of reason, be disputed; and by the supposition that Saint John wrote un-I know nothing, in the history of the human speder a sense of the notoriety of Christ's ascen- cies, similar to it. sion, amongst those by whom his book was likely to be read. The same account must also be given of Saint Matthew's omission of the same important fact. The thing was very well known, and it did not occur to the historian that it was necessary to add any particulars concerning it. It agrees also with this solution, and with no other, that neither Matthew, nor John, disposes of the person of our Lord in any manner whatever. Other intimations in Saint John's Gospel of the then general notoriety of the story are the following: His manner of introducing his narrative (ch. i. ver. 15:) "John bare witness of him, and cried, saving,"-evidently presupposes that his readers knew who John was. His rapid parenthetical reference to John's imprisonment, "for John was not yet cast into prison," could only come from a

[blocks in formation]

CHAPTER VIIL

There is satisfactory evidence that many professing to be original witnesses of the Christian miracles, passed their lives in labours, dangers, and sufferings, voluntarily undergone in attestation of the accounts which they delivered, and solely in consequence of their belief of those accounts; and that they also submitted, from the same motives, to new rules of conduct.

THAT the story which we have now is, in the main, the story which the apostles published, is, I think, nearly certain, from the considerations which have been proposed. But whether, when we come to the particulars, and the detail of the

[blocks in formation]

narrative, the historical books of the New Testament be deserving of credit as histories, so that a fact ought to be accounted true, because it is found in them; or whether they are entitled to be considered as representing the accounts which, true or false, the apostles published;—whether their authority, in either of these views, can be trusted to, is a point which necessarily depends upon what we know of the books, and of their authors.

tion; both living in habits of society and correspondence with those who had been present at the transactions which they relate. The latter of them accordingly tells us, (and with apparent sincerity, because he tells it without pretending to personal knowledge, and without claiming for his work greater authority than belonged to it,) that the things which were believed amongst Christians, came from those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word; that Now, in treating of this part of our argument, he had traced accounts up to their source; and the first and most material observation upon the that he was prepared to instruct his reader in the subject is, that such was the situation of the au- certainty of the things which he related.* Very thors to whom the four Gospels are ascribed, that, few histories lie so close to their facts; very few if any one of the four be genuine, it is sufficient historians are so nearly connected with the subfor our purpose. The received author of the first, ject of their narrative, or possess such means of was an original apostle and emissary of the re-authentic information, as these. ligion. The received author of the second, was The situation of the writers applies to the truth an inhabitant of Jerusalem at the time, to whose of the facts which they record. But at present we house the apostles were wont to resort, and him- use their testimony to a point somewhat short of self an attendant upon one of the most eminent this, namely, that the facts recorded in the Gosof that number. The received author of the third, pels, whether true or false, are the facts, and the was a stated companion and fellow-traveller of the sort of facts, which the original preachers of the most active of all the teachers of the religion, and religion alleged. Strictly speaking, I am conin the course of his travels frequently in the cerned only to show, that what the Gospels consociety of the original apostles. The received au- tain is the same as what the apostles preached. thor of the fourth, as well as of the first, was one of Now, how stands the proof of this point? A set these apostles. No stronger evidence of the truth of men went about the world, publishing a story of a history can arise from the situation of the composed of miraculous accounts, (for miraculous historian, than what is here offered. The authors from the very nature and exigency of the case of all the histories lived at the time and upon the they must have been,) and, upon the strength of spot. The authors of two of the histories were these accounts, called upon mankind to quit the present at many of the scenes which they de- religions in which they had been educated, and to scribe; eye-witnesses of the facts, ear-witnesses take up, thenceforth, a new system of opinions, of the discourses; writing from personal know- and new rules of action. What is more in attes ledge and recollection; and, what strengthens tation of these accounts, that is, in support of an their testimony, writing upon a subject in which institution of which these accounts were the fountheir minds were deeply engaged, and in which, dation, is that the same men voluntarily exposed as they must have been very frequently repeating themselves to harassing and perpetual labours, the accounts to others, the passages of the history dangers, and sufferings. We want to know what would be kept continually alive in their memory. these accounts were. We have the particulars, Whoever reads the Gospels (and they ought to be i. e. many particulars, from two of their own numread for this particular purpose,) will find in them ber. We have them from an attendant of one of not merely a general affirmation of miraculous the number, and who, there is reason to believe, powers, but detailed circumstantial accounts of was an inhabitant of Jerusalem at the time. We miracles, with specifications of time, place, and have them from a fourth writer, who accompanied persons; and these accounts many and various. the most laborious missionary of the institution in In the Gospels, therefore, which bear the names his travels; who, in the course of these travels, of Matthew and John, these narratives, if they was frequently brought into the society of the really proceeded from these men, must either be rest; and who, let it be observed, begins his nartrue, as far as the fidelity of human recollection is rative by telling us that he is about to relate the usually to be depended upon, that is, must be true things which had been delivered by those who in substance, and in their principal parts (which were ministers of the word, and eye-witnesses of is sufficient for the purpose of proving a super- the facts. I do not know what information can natural agency,) or they must be wilful and medi- be more satisfactory than this. We may, perhaps, tated falsehoods. Yet the writers who fabricated perceive the force and value of it more sensibly, if and uttered these falsehoods, if they be such, are we reflect how requiring we should have been if of the number of those who, unless the whole we had wanted it. Supposing it to be sufficiently contexture of the Christian story be a dream, sa-proved, that the religion now professed among us, crificed their ease and safety in the cause, and for a purpose the most inconsistent that is possible with dishonest intentions. They were villains for no end but to teach honesty, and martyrs without the least prospect of honour or advantage.

The Gospels which bear the name of Mark and Luke, although not the narratives of eye-witnesses, are, if genuine, removed from that only by one degree. They are the narratives of contemporary writers; or writers themselves mixing with the business; one of the two probably living in the place which was the principal scene of ac

owed its original to the preaching and ministry of a number of men, who, about eighteen centuries ago, set forth in the world a new system of religious opinions, founded upon certain extraordinary things which they related of a wonderful person who had appeared in Judea; suppose it to

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »