of a Future and Aweful Judgment and do what lay in their Power to gain the Favour of the Blessed God the Creator and Supream Disposer of the Universe I say do's it stand to Reason that such a one so serviceable to promote the Glory of God and the Welfare of precious and immortal Souls shou'd be so far from being born in a miraculous Way as to be of a base and illegitimate Extraction I ask the Greeks and particularly Celsus who whether he be a Platonist or no thinks he has sufficient Authority for what he says if he do's but quote a Passage out of the learned Plato whether it be not a Reflection upon one who holds the Doctrine of the Transmigration of Souls and by Consequence that every Body has a proper Soul to act and animate it to deny that our Saviour was born in a lawful Manner who engag'd in so difficult and important a Work instructed so many ignorant and seduc'd Persons and happily and suddenly recover'd 'em from that Deluge of Immorality in which they had been so long and so deeply plung'd Is it not more rational to think according to the Opinion of Pythagoras Plato and Empedocles on the Testimony of which learned Authors Celsus himself do's very much rely that there are some secret Reasons why every Soul shou'd have a Body appropriated to it self that is a fit Receptacle for it and suited to the good or bad Qualities which it had in its State of Pre-existence Is it not just and reasonable that a more than humane Soul that do's more Service to the World than many Thousands of others to say no more lest my Discourse shou'd be thought to savour of Prejudice shou'd be united to a Portion of Organiz'd Matter that is more excellent than the Generality of Bodies are For if those Souls which by the Virtue of some secret Causes are of too noble a Nature to be united to an inanimate Creature and are not worthy to animate a Body that is compleatly form'd have one that is adapted to 'em the Head of which being disproportionable to the rest of its Members do's in a great Measure hinder the free Exercise of Reason and others that are more perfect act a Body that is more duly dispos'd and so others according to the several Degrees of their native or acquir'd Excellencies are sent into more or less perfect Bodies why may not a particular Soul assume a Body in a miraculous Way a Body that has something in common with the rest of Men that may render it fit for humane Conversation and something wherein it differs from 'em that may in some Measure secure it from the sad Contagion of a neighbouring and distemper'd Mind In short if we give any Credit to them who are skill'd in Physiognomy such as Zopyrus Loxus Polemon and others who have directly handl'd that difficult Subject and pretend to find out extraordinary Mysteries by observing the Rules which that Science proposes what Absurdity is there in asserting that all Bodies are suited to the Qualities of the Soul that acts em Is there then the least Probability that a Soul so excellent in it self and form'd for such great and truly-generous Designs as the Humane Soul of our Blessed Saviour shou'd animate a Body which as Celsus represents the Matter was begotten in Adultery by a wicked Souldier on the Body of a lustful Female One wou'd rather think that a Mad-man or a Person who prov'd a constant Plague to the Age and Place he liv'd in or a Teacher of Intemperance and Injustice and an impudent Encourager of all Manner of Vice shou'd owe his Birth to so impure a Copulation and not a Teacher much less an eminent Practicer of Temperance Justice and all other Virtues CHAP. XXX THIS was plainly foretold by the Prophet and exactly agrees with the promis'd Sign that we read of in the Prophecy of Isaiah where 't is said That our Blessed Saviour wou'd by the Course of his Actions make good his Name and prove himself to be Emmanuel God with us And I think it may not be improper to mention the Prediction of the fore-mention'd Prophet that our Saviour shou'd be born of a Virgin which Celsus takes no Notice of tho' he pretends to be perfectly acquainted with what the Christians hold either not having read it or cunningly concealing his Knowledge lest he shou'd unawares overthrow his own belov'd Opinions and advance any Thing to the Prejudice of the Cause which he espouses and uses his utmost Endeavours to maintain The Words of the Prophecy are these Moreover the Lord spake again to Ahaz Isaiah vii V. 10. saying ask thee a Sign of the Lord thy God ask it either in the Depth or in the Height above But Ahaz said I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord and he said hear ye now O House of David is it a small thing to weary Men But will ye weary my God also Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and call his Name Emmanuel That Celsus discover'd his Malice in not mentioning the fore-going Prophecy I gather from his passing over it in a profound Silence when he quotes some Passages in St. Mathew's Gospel and particularly makes mention of the Star that appear'd at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour But if the Jew whom Celsus personates being us'd to make critical Remarks on Words shou'd tell us that the Word which is translated Virgin shou'd be render'd Young Woman I answer the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint translate Virgin tho' Others favour his Meaning of the Word is understood of a Virgin in the Book of Deuteronomy If a Damsel that Deu. xxii V. 23. is a Virgin be betroth'd to an Husband and a Man find her in the City and lye with her then ye shall bring 'em both out to the Gate of the City and ye shall stone 'em with Stones that they dye the Damsel because she cry'd not being in the City and the Man because he has humbl'd his Neighbour's Wife So thou shalt put away evil from among you But if a Man find a betroth'd Damsel in the Field and the Man force her and lye with her then the Man only that lay with her shall dye But to the Damsel thou shalt do nothing there is in the Damsel no Sin worthy of Death But not to dwell too long upon the Hebrew Word which perhaps few Persons understand I shall endeavour to prove from the Context that according to the Prophetick Oracle Emmanuel was to be born of a Virgin The Lord said to Ahaz ask thee a Sign of the Lord thy God either in the Depth or in the Height above Then 't is said that this Sign was to be giv'n Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son But what Sign cou'd a young Woman's Conceiving be if it was not meant of a Virgin And to which of the two
was the Resurrection of the two Children before-mention'd a great and diffusive Blessing to Mankind as we know the Resnrrection of our Saviour was when the Power of God did so eminently accompany the Preaching of the Gospel and caus'd it to make so deep and lasting an Impression upon the Minds of so many of his Hearers who at first were strangely prejudic'd against him CHAP. XXXI THE pretended Jew goes on and is ready to split his Sides with Laughing at the Earth-quake and ridicules the more than ordinary Darkness that were the AWFVL CONCOMITANTS of our Saviour's Sufferings But this I have already answer'd according to my weak Ability and produc'd the Testimony of Phlegon who acknowledges that these wonderful Events did really happen at the Time of our Saviour's Passion Then the Jew has the following Words You say that he rose from the dead tho' he was far from being able to secure his Person while he remain'd on Earth and shew'd upon his Body all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of the Nails with which his Hands and Feet were pierc'd But what dos this Gentleman mean by saying He wa'n't able to secure his Person If he means that our Blessed Saviour wa'nt able to secure himself from the common Contagion of Vice and Immorality what he says is absolutely and manifestly false For he never spoke a Word or did an Action that was in the least indecent or unworthy of an INCARNATE GOD. He was led as a Sheep to the Mat. 27 V. 2 Slaughter and as a Laneb before her Shearers was dumb so he open'd not his Mouth Viz. By way of Complaint or Uneasiness as St. Mathew acquaints us But if Celsus means that he didn't exert his Power to secure himself from the outward Calamities to which he was expos'd which morally consider'd were neither Good nor Evil I have prov'd already from the Gospels that he submitted to 'em with the greatest Readiness imaginable and shew'd the Reasons which justify'd his Conduct Then the pretended Jew having spoke of our Saviour's shewing all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of his Nails says There was no Witness of the Truth of this strange Account but one Fanatical Woman designing to ridicule Mary Magdalen who saw him after he was ris'n from the dead as we are told in the Gospels and because we are inform'd that he was seen by others he thought fit to add the following Words And perhaps some Body else of the same wretched Cabal Then he plainly discovers that he is one of those who admire the Epicurean Hypothesis when he endeavours to shew how a lively Idea of a deceas'd Person may be form'd in the warm Imagination in the following Words Who was deluded by her own idle Whimsies or too easily believ'd what she wou'd have to be true as we know it frequently happens There 's a great Deal of Force if we must give any heed to his idle Whimsies in this scurrilous Language But ev'n from hence we may be furnish'd with an Argument to prove the IMMORTAL SVBSISTENCE of HVMANE SOVLS when they are separated from their Bodies and the unavoidable Consequence of what he here asserts amounts to this at least that it survives the Body For if as Plato observes in his Dialogues about the HVMANE SOVL there are certain Images of dead Persons that are seen near their Tombs then they must be owing to some Cause or other And no Cause can be so rationally assign'd as the Soul of the deceas'd Person that assumes a Body which is adapted to it But Celsus who advances the fore-mention'd Notion wou'd make People dream while they are thoroughly awake and have their Sences about 'em and says They too easily believe what they wou'd have to be true Such Dreams indeed as he talks of are common when the Bodily Sences are lock'd up by Sleep but I think we can't easily account for 'em when Persons are awake unless they be troubl'd with Melancholy or fall'n into a Fit of the Frenzy Celsus it seems wa'n't ignorant of this and that made him call Mary Magdalen a Fanatick tho' the Scripture-History says nothing like it and our Saviour's Appearing after he was ris'n from the dead and showing all the Marks that were made in his Crucify'd Body must according to Celsus be solv'd by the Doctrine of the Images of deceas'd Persons but according to the Scripture-Account which he 's so cunning as to use when he thinks that it serves his purpose the Matter of Fact stood thus Our Saviour call'd one of his Disciples to him who cou'dn't for his Life believe that he was ris'n from the dead with the same Body I say with the same Body For the Appearance of Humane Souls after Death don't seem to be the least Matter of his Doubt Therefore 't is remarkable that he dos'n't say Except I see him but Except John 20. V. 25 I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Sides I will not believe He didn't question but that the Soul of a deceas'd Person might animate a Body which wou'd be visible to the corporeal Eye and bear a Resemblance to that from which 't was separated by Death not only with respect to the Eyes and Voice and Mien but also Sometimes appear in a like Habit cloath'd Hom. Il. Book 23 V. 67. Therefore our Saviour call'd Thomas to him and said Reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach John 20 V. 27. hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be not faithless but believing And by the Way 't was agreable to the many Prophecies which we meet with concerning him the many evident Miracles he wrought and unusual Accidents that befell him that he shou'd rise from the Dead and that this considerable Circumstance shou'd as it were crown and compleat the rest The Prophetical Psalmist speaking in the Person of our Saviour has this Prophecy relating to him My Flesh also shall rest in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor Psalm 16 V. 9. suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption And the Body with which our Saviour rose from the Dead did neither consist of such gross Matter as it consisted of before nor of such subtil Matter as that with which separate Souls are cloath'd when an Apparition appears Therefore St. John has the following Words His Disciples were within and Thomas with em Then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the Midst and said Peace be unto you And he adds these Words Then says he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger St. Luke tells us that When Simon and Cleopas were talking of the Things Luke 24 V. 14. that had happen'd to him Jesus himself drew near and went with em But their Eyes were holden that they shou'd not know him And he said to 'em What Manner of Communications are these that ye
other innumerable Excellencies that adorn'd his Person and might sufficiently recommend him to the World He did'n't act like a Tyrant who by the Help of a prevailing Party takes Occasion to violate the known Laws of the Land in which he lives nor like a Robber who comes with Armed Men against them who innocently pass by the King's High-Way about their necessary Affairs or like a Wealthy Man who by the Help of Bribes induces Persons to come over to his Interest whether by right or wrong or like many others that might easily be mention'd whose Proceedings do manifestly deserve our Censure but like one who came to teach an ignorant and degenerate World what Thoughts they shou'd entertain of God and how they might so regulate their Morals as to maintain an humble and familiar Correspondence with his Blessed Majesty And as for Themistocles and several other Persons who gain'd a more than common Reputation and did real and extraordinary Service to their Native Country this must be said to draw a Shade over their greatest Glory that ev'ry Thing seem'd to smile on their just and honourable Attempts and as it were pave the Way for their glorious Victories and immortal Triumphs But as for our Blessed Saviour besides what I have already said which upon the first View one wou'd think was enough to have eternally conceal'd or shamefully fully'd the Name of the greatest Heroe that the World cou'd ever boast of the ignominious Death which he suffer'd on the Cross if he had had the fairest Character wou'd have giv'n his Followers just Cause to suspect him of being a vile Impostor if we may give any Credit to our Adversaries or at least have drawn a most dismal Veil over the few bright and entertaining Scenes of the most Aweful Tragedy that was ever acted CHAP. XXVIII AND 't is Matter of Wonder that our Saviour's Disciples who in the Judgment of our Enemies were not Eye-Witnesses of the Truth of his triumphant Resurrection and saw nothing but what was common and ev'n contemptible in his Person shou'dn't be afraid to imitate him in his Sufferings to encounter the most imminent and threat'ning Dangers and leave their Native Country to publish the Doctrine which their crucify'd but blessed Lord had taught em For I believe that no Person who laying aside his Prejudice examines these Matters duely will say that they wou'd ever have undergone the Fatigue of Ttinerant Preaching if they had not been fully perswaded of the vast Obligations that lay upon 'em both from Reason and Gratitude not only to conform their Manners to the holy Precepts of the Christian Religion but also to do what lay in their Power to bring many others under the same honourable and happy Bonds when as Matters went at that Critical Juncture they were sure to incur the Displeasure of the Heathen World who were zealous for their ancient Laws and Customs and cou'dn't endure the least seeming Innovation especially with respect to the pompous Ceremonies of their religious Worship But all these Difficulties were light and trivial in the Esteem of those who had Courage not only to prove to the Jewish Nation that our Blessed Saviour was frequently and expresly foretold by their own Prophetick Oracles but also to make it appear to others as Occasion offer'd that this very Person was the true Messiah who was crucify'd but t'other Day and willingly and ev'n chearfully laid down his precious Life for the whole Race of Men after the same manner tho' with unspeakable Advantage in which some others have sacrific'd all that 's near and dear to 'em for the good of their Native Country to free it from a raging Pestilence a threat'ning Famine or some violent impending Tempest that greatly endangers Ships and puts a Stop ev'n to Navigation which is so convenient and necessary for promoting an advantagious Trade into Foreign and very distant Parts For there are some secret Reasons in Nature which very few understand why the Death of one virtuous Man who readily suffers the greatest Evils that can possibly befall him for the real and perhaps lasting Welfare of the Place of his Nativity shou'd destroy or at least severely check the usurp'd Power of those infernal Daemons who are the Cause of Plagues Famines Storms and the like evident and great Disorders which frequently happen in the World And I wou'd fain know of them who don't believe that our Saviour dy'd for the general Benefit of the humane Race whether they won't give easie Credit to many Histories that are extant both of the Greeks and Barbarians which furnish us with frequent and remarkable Instances of Persons who have freely laid down their Lives for the publick Good and whose Death has been happily instrumental to purge away those threat'ning and grievous Calamities that infected Cities and perhaps whole Nations or whether on the Supposition that these are Matters of Fact it be in the least improbable that one cloath'd with humane Nature shou'd be nail'd to a Cross to destroy the Works of the Devil who before did often and too successfully exercise a Tyrannical Power over the Bodies and Souls of Men. Our Saviour's Disciples observing these Things and many Others of the like Nature with which in all Probability their prudent and indulgent Master thought fit to acquaint 'em and being fill'd with the Spirit of God for they were not inspir'd with their unusual Courage by the Virgin which the Poets speak of but by the true Wisdom of God they made haste Thro' the wide World their Fame to spread Hom. Il. Lib. 5. v. 2 CHAP. XXIX BUT 't is Time to return to the Jew whom Celsus personates who says That the Virgin Mary being big with Child was divorc'd by her Husband the Carpenter for committing Adultery with one Panthera a Soldier and being got with Child by that scandalous Wretch Let us see therefore whether the Inventors of this Story don't give a false and obscure Account of the Matter and whether by all that they have to say they are able to overthrow the Doctrine of our Saviour's miraculous Conception by the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost For so surprizing a Passage as this is might very easily be falsify'd and 't was possible they might deny the Truth of it tho' they were inwardly convinc'd that our Saviour was not conceiv'd in the common Way of humane Generation And methinks it wou'dn't have been incongruous at all that they who didn't believe or rather wou'dn't acknowledge the Miracle shou'd invent a Fiction to serve their malicious and base Design But to invent one that was so far from having a plausible Appearance that 't was a great and notorious Untruth was to discover their Weakness to them who are able to distinguish Truth from Falsehood For do's it stand to Reason that one who was so useful to the World in general and express'd a most tender Concern both for the Greeks and Barbarians that they might reform their Manners from a Sense
the Profession which I make of the Christian Religion which is built on the Jewish Prophets as well as on our Saviour's Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone but I wou'd Eph. ii V. 20. convince him if it be possible upon the Principles in which we both agree that we have far more Reason to give Credit to the Report of our Blessed Saviour who is reported to have seen and heard such Things and for ought we know did acquaint his Disciples with the Vision which he saw and the Voice which he heard from Heav'n Perhaps it may be objected against us That ev'n they who have giv'n us an Account of the Holy Spirit 's Appearing in the Resemblance of a Dove and of the Voice that came from Heav'n hadn't these Things so much as from our Saviour's Mouth since ev'n according to our own Notions the same Spirit which inspir'd Moses to write a History of what pass'd for many Ages before ever he was born ev'n from the Creation of the World to the Time of Abraham who in some Sence was the Father of the Jewish Race might also immediately reveal the strange Passages which happen'd at our Saviour's Baptism to the four Evangelists But to this I answer that one who is favour'd with what the Scriptures call the Gift of Wisdom can easily account for the Opening of Heav'n and assign a Reason why the Holy Spirit appear'd to our Blessed Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove rather than in the Shape of any other Animal However these are Niceties that are foreign to our present Purpose All therefore that I shall do at present shall be to shew that Celsus did not only want the Innocence of the Dove but ev'n the Subtilty of the Serpent when he put such Discourse as this into the Mouth of one whom he calls a Jew who if he be not false to his Pretensions must believe several Things that are much more improbable than any Thing related in the History of which I am now discoursing CHAP. XXXIX I Remember in a Disputation I had with some Celebrated Jewish Doctors and before a great Deal of Learned Company who were at once Witnesses and Judges of what I said I us'd this Argument against 'em Pray Gentlemen let me know said I since two Persons have appear'd upon the Stage of the World who are confidently reported to have done such Things as were vastly beyond the Sphere of Nature viz. Moses the Lawgiver of the Jews who has writ the History of what he did and JESUS our Master who has not left behind him in Writing an Account of any of the Actions which he did but has the concurring Testimony of the four Evangelists I say let me know on what Grounds you can justify the vast Difference which you make between 'em that we must believe forsooth that Moses deliver'd nothing but what was true tho' the Egyptians reproach him as one that dealt with the Devil but must look upon our Saviour as a vile Impostour on the Account of the severe Accusations which you bring against him We see that both these Persons have their Authority supported by the Testimony of a great Body of People Moses has his supported by the ready and joint Testimony of the Jewish Nation and our Saviour his by the General Suffrage of the Christians who don't deny Moses to be a Prophet sent from God but confirm the History of our Saviour ev'n by the Sacred and Undisputed Authority of your celebrated Moses If therefore you desire us to justify our Conduct in paying so awful a Regard to our Blessed Saviour do you first assign some Reasons why you believe in Moses who came into the World many Ages before the incarnate Jesus and then it may be time to acquaint you with the rational Grounds on which our Faith is built But if you refuse to give us any Reasons why you believe in Moses neither shall we think fit to acquaint you with those we have for believing in our Saviour or if you are not able to offer any Demonstrative Arguments in favour of your justly celebrated Moses be pleas'd to hear what Arguments we can bring ev'n from the Law and the Prophets to prove that our Jesus is the true Messiah And which is something strange those very Arguments which we bring from the Old Testament Writings to prove that our Saviour had a Divine Commission do at the same Time prove that Moses and the Prophets were Persons who were immediately inspir'd But to return The Law and the Prophets abound with as strange Stories as that of the Dove that appear'd to our Saviour at his Baptism and the Voice that came to him out of Heav'n and that it was the Spirit of God that appear'd to him in the Resemblance of a Dove do's I think at least seem highly probable from the Consideration of the Miracles which our Saviour wrought which Celsus says he did by the Help of Magick which he had learn'd in Egypt Here I think it may not be improper to mention not only the Miracles of our Saviour but also those which were wrought by the Apostles who were every Way qualify'd for that great Work in which their Master did engage em For if their Ministry hadn't been accompany'd with Miracles they wou'd never have been able so happily to prevail with their Hearers to renounce the Religion in which they had been born and bred and to embrace a new discountenanc'd Doctrine the Profession of which wou'd expose 'em to the greatest Dangers ev'n to an ignominious and painful Death and some remarkable Footsteps of that Holy Spirit who appear'd to our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove do remain among Christians to this very Day They disposses Daemons perform many wonderful Cures and sometimes when God sees fit they foresee and foretel future distant and very contingent Events And therefore let Celsus and his Jew ridicule us as much as ever they please yet 't is plain and I think undeniable that many Persons have embrac'd the Christian Religion in Spite of all the Force of Prejudice the Spirit of God making so sudden and so powerful an Impression on their Minds whether in a Dream or Vision or some other Way that instead of being implacable Enemies to Christianity as once they were they have chearfully and ev'n triumphantly laid down their Lives for the Sake of their Profession and seal'd the Truth with their warmest Blood If I shou'd only relate those Things that have fall'n within the Compass of my own personal Knowledge and frequent Observation I shou'd furnish Infidels with abundant Matter of Laughter who wou'd be ready to suspect us Christians as we do them of inventing Fictions to support a bad and sinking Cause tho' the Searcher of Hearts can bear me Witness that my Design and Endeavour is not to maintain our Religion by fabulous and ridiculous Narrations but by a Variety of proper Evidence to recommend it to the World
Jesus ever do that was truly Great and any Way Worthy of a God Did he baffle his Enemies and disconcert their most Politick Measures To this I answer that we are told in the Gospels that the Earth shook the Rocks were rent the Graves were open'd the Vail of the Temple was rent in two the Sun suffer'd an Eclipse and the Earth was cover'd with thick Darkness ev'n such as might be felt These were some of the Aweful Circumstances that attended the most bitter Passion of our Blessed Lord. And I think Celsus wou'd have discover'd much more of an ingenuous Temper if instead of relying on the Authority of the Evangelists only when they offer any Thing that makes as he thinks for the Cause which he espouses he had either wholly rejected the Gospels or else wholly admitted 'em and had but thankfully admit'd the Amazing Condescension of the ETERNAL WORD who willingly became Incarnate with this great Design to recover a Degenerate World from the sad Ruines of their First Apostacy Another very considerable Circumstance that makes for the Honour of our Blessed Saviour is this viz. That ev'n at this Distance of Time His NAME has such an Admirable Virtue that it infallibly and easily cures the most dangerous Distempers both of Body and Mind And as for the Sympathy which the Sun if I may so say discover'd when the Sun of Righteousness it self was suffering a more dreadful Eclipse which happen'd in the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius and as for the stupid Earth which trembl'd when the God of Nature groan'd and was ready to expire We have the concurring Testimony of Phlegon if I mistake not in the Thirteenth Book of his Chronicon Then the Jew thinking to ridicule our Saviour quotes those Words of Bacchus in Euripides when e'er I please Euripid. Bacc. Heaven for my Rescue daigns to interpose But here in the first Place I can't but make this obvious Remark that the Jews of all People in the World are least fond of the Heathen Poets However for once we 'll suppose our Jew to differ from all his Country-men and to express a singular Affection for the Learning of the Greeks And I ask him whether according to the Rules of any Logick that he ever read it ev'n seems to follow that because our Saviour didn't avoid his Sufferings he cou'dn't have freed himself from 'em if he pleas'd I think he ought much rather to believe what is related to us in the Acts of the Apostles that an Angel shook off St. Peter's Chains and deliver'd him from Prison and that Paul and Silas who were put into the Stocks at Philippi a City of Macedonia escap'd out of Prison by a Miracle and much more wou'd the Power of God have been engag'd to preserve our Saviour from the grievous Sufferings which he underwent if the Decrees of Heav'n and the Reason of Things hadn't conspir'd if I may so say to render 'em most highly necessary For ought I know Celsus wou'd be ready to ridicule those Stories or perhaps might never take the Pains to read 'em since in all Probability if he had ever minded 'em at all he wou'd presently have resolv'd 'em as he do's our Saviour's Miracles into the Power of Magick Then Celsus has the following Words The Person that condemn'd your Pretended Saviour didn't endure a Punishment comparable to that of Pentheus who was depriv'd of his Senses and torn to Pieces But he 's so horribly ignorant as not to know that Pilate consider'd in his Publick Capacity was not so properly concern'd in Condemning our Blessed Saviour as the whole Body of the Jewish Nation which we see is for that Reason dispers'd over the whole habitable World and suffers a far worse Distraction than ever Pentheus did But why do's he make no Mention at all of the troublesome Dream that the Wife of the Roman Governor had insomuch that she said to her Husband Have thou nothing to do with Matxxvii V. 19. that just Man for I have suffer'd many Things this Day in a Dream because of him Then he leaves out those Things that are evident and remarkable Proofs of the Divinity of our Saviour's Person and Commission and takes Abundance of Pains to dress up the LORD of GLORY in a Fool 's Goat by the disadvantageous and ludicrous Relation which he gives of the horrid Affronts that were offer'd him viz. The Scarlet Robe that they put upon him in a Way of Mockery the Crown of Thorns that they put upon his Head and the Reed that they put into his Hand But it may not be amiss to ask you the following Question From whence cou'd you learn these Things but from those very Gospels which you take the Liberty to reject at Pleasure And if this be the true State of the Case how comes it to pass I beseech you that such Persons as you are can take Occasion to reflect upon our Saviour from those very Passages of Scripture which as many others with great Reason judge do leave an Eternal Brand of Infamy on those who had the horrid Impudence to insult him I think you shou'd rather admire the Remarkable Integrity which appears in the Writings of the Evangelists and be fill'd with a Holy Awe when you consider the Amazing Condescention of the Blessed Jesus who seal'd his Doctrine with his most precious Blood For we have no Account that after the Sentence of Condemnation was pass'd upon him he made the least Complaint or ever utter'd a Word that ev'n seem'd to be unworthy of the Greatest Hero that the World cou'd ever boast of Then Celsus says One wou'd think that now if ever he had a fair Opportunity to give full Proof of his pretended Deity and in the Face if I may so say of the whole habitable World to be reveng'd of the Jews for the base Affronts which you see were offer'd both to him and to his Dearly-belov'd and Highly-honour'd Father But here I ask those of the Greeks who believe an Over-ruling Providence and grant that Miracles have been wrought Pray why don 't the injur'd Deity take that Advantage as on your Hypothesis he might easily do which is plainly giv'n him by those innumerable and great Affronts which are daily offer'd him by the bold Assertors of a Blind Fatality And when they return an Answer to this single Question all the Arguments which they bring may easily be retorted on themselves CHAP. XXIII THEN says the pretended Jew What! Shall we say that this vile Fellow that was crucify'd t'other Day had Such Blood as from th' immortal God do's flow Hom. Il. l. 5 v. 340 This we must suppose to be spoken by him in his usual Way of Banter which seems to me to be his peculiar Talent But I shall show that the Evangelists who relate these Matters with a becoming Gravity and prudent Care have left behind 'em a true and sufficient Account of the most considerable Passages that occur'd let Celsus say what
The Account which he gives us of Rampsinitus and Ceres wou'd have come with a much better Grace from the Mouth of an Egyptian who to lessen the Authority of Moses might say that 't was much more probable that the fore-mention'd Persons shou'd play at Dice together in the Region of the Dead and that he as a Proof of his Descent thither shou'd produce the embroider'd Handkerchief which he took from the Goddess than that Moses went into the Darkness which God himself did inhabit and that he alone had the Honour to come near him as he himself gives us an Account And we who are the Followers of the Holy Jesus may make the following Address to the pretended Jew when he talks at so extravagant a Rate Pray how do you answer the Greeks and Egyptians who raise many of the same Objections against Moses that you offer against our Blessed Saviour When you have heap'd up all the Arguments you can think of in Defence of Moses tho' we think at the same time that we can solidly and clearly prove him to be a True and very Eminent Prophet you 'll be forc'd unawares to acknowledge ev'n according to those Arguments which you your Selves make use of that our Blessed Saviour did vastly and indeed infinitely exceed him But because Celsus's Jew makes meer Game of the Histories which give us an Account of the Descent of some Heroes into the Region of the Dead and their Return from thence and thinks that their pretended DIVINE SORT OF ABSCONDING for a Time and then coming back again and making an Appearance upon the Stage of the World was all Artifice and Delusion as he plainly intimates when he speaks of the Opinion that the Odrysians had of Orpheus the Thessalians of Protesilaus and the Inhabitants of Toenarus entertain'd of Hercules and Theseus I shall make it appear that there is no Manner of Comparison between these Fables of the Greeks and the Account that the Evangelists give us of the Resurrection of Our Saviour 'T is obvious to remark that these Fabulous Heroes cou'd descend into the Region of the Dead whenever the Fancy took 'em and return as soon as they saw Cause to do so But since our Saviour was crucify'd in the open View of the Jews and Romans and after his Death was tak'n down from the Cross in the Sight of so many Witnesses what Reason have we to imagine that he feign'd his Descent into the World of disembody'd Spirits and his Return to our World again as the Greeks have feign'd their Heroes to have often done Nay I 'm inclin'd to think that from the Story of these Ancient Heroes we may be furnish'd with an Argument that will take away in a great Measure the SVPPOS'D INFAMY of the CROSS of CHRIST Had our Saviour dy'd in a common Way and giv'n the Jews and Romans no convincing Proof of the Reality of his Death he had certainly been liable to Suspicion as well as many of the Heroes of the Greeks tho' he had really been loos'd from the strong Bonds of the Grave in which he was some Time held I humbly conceive therefore that one principal Reason why he dy'd in so publick a Manner was this that no Person might have the least Umbrage of Jealousy that he crafâ—ily retir'd from the World and feign'd himself to be gone down to the Region of the Dead and took his own Time to appear again making the World believe that he was ris'n from the Dead when in Truth he was all this While as much alive as ever But to remove any such foolish Suspicion we need only consider that his Disciples most willingly expos'd themselves to imminent Dangers in publishing his Doctrine to the World tho' they were not ignorant of the rooted Prejudices of Men against it This certainly they wou'd never have been tempted to do if their Lord's Resurrection had been no more than an emty Fiction especially if we consider they not only perswaded others to lay down their Lives for the Cause of Christ but with the greatest Readiness wou'd if it were possible have dy'd Ten Thousand Deaths to promote it Then Celsus's Jew as if 't was impossible that any one shou'd rise from the Dead with the same Numerical Body makes Use of this rash Expression We must says he consider whether any Person that was really dead did ever rise with the same Numerical and Proper Body This One wou'd think shou'dn't come from the Mouth of one who bears the Character of a Jew who is suppos'd to believe what we find recorded in the two Books of Kings 1 Kin. 17. V. 22. concerning two Children one of which was restor'd to Life by Elijah 2 Kin. 4. V. 34. and the other by Elisha And I believe 't was Matter of our Saviour's Choice to be educated among the Jews because they were accustom'd to Miracles that so by comparing what he did with what had been done in the former Ages of the World they might be forc'd to acknowledge that his Miracles deserv'd the Preference by whom and in whose Name far greater Things were perform'd than had been done in the Memory of Man Then the pretended Jew having produc'd the Histories of the Greeks to shew us the strange Artifices which the Ancient Heroes us'd that People might imagine that they were ris'n from the dead directs his Discourse to those of his Native Country that were converted to the Christian Faith in the following Words Do you look upon the Accounts that are giv'n by others as trifling Stories and imagine that the Catastrophe of your Senseless Drama is ever the more just or probable because you endeavour to adorn it with some Fine Inventions because your Crucify'd Jesus gave a most dreadful Out-Cry when he lay at the very Point of Death To this I answer we believe that the Account which you have giv'n of the Ancient Heroes of the Greeks is grosly Fabulous but we are fully perswaded and I think on very rational Grounds that the Account which is giv'n us of our Blessed Saviour in those Holy Scriptures which are common to us both and of which we make our Boast as much as you your is far from deserving that contemptible Character which this Gentleman is pleas'd to give it Therefore we can never grant that the Glorious Miracles which were wrought in raising some Persons from the dead as we are credibly inform'd were no better than empty Fictions and vain Amusements We believe that our Saviour did really rise from the dead as the Prophets and he himself had foretold he shou'd and one Thing among others that makes his Resurrection the more remarkable and in which it excell'd that of any other Person is the following Consideration that he wa'n't rais'd from the dead by a Prophet such as Elijah or Elisha was but by the IMMEDIATE INFLVENCE of rhe GOD-HEAD Hence it came to pass that the happy Effects of his Resurrection were so Exrraordinary and so General Pray