present and narrow Capacity he might have shock'd their Faith in him as the SON of the LIVING GOD. And I leave any one to judge whether this be not the most natural Sence of the following Words I have yet many Things to say unto you but ye John xvi V. 12. can't bear 'em now For there were several Explications to be giv'n of the Law with Respect to its Spiritual Meaning which ev'n our Saviour's Disciples at that Time were not duely dispos'd to hear because they had been born and bred among the Jews and since their Religion consisted very much of those Things which were Types and Shadows of the Gospel-Dispensation I 'm inclin'd to think that 't is upon that Account that our Saviour makes Use of the following Words When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth as if he had V. 13. said he shall lead you into the true and full Sence of those Things viz. Types and Figures which you were conversant with and whereby you imagin'd you paid God the true Worship which was due to him and requir'd by him And the fore-mention'd Promise which our Saviour made to his Disciples was abundantly fulfill'd to the Apostle Peter when the Spirit of God shew'd him in a Vision all Sorts of Animals Birds and Four-footed Beasts and creeping Things and said to him Rise Peter kill and eat And indeed at that Juncture of Time he was so fond of his former Religion that he return'd this Answer ev'n to the Voice which he heard from Heaven Not so Lord for I have never eaten any Thing that is common or unclean But at length his Understanding was enlighten'd as appears from the following Words What God has cleans'd call not thou common And after that Instructive Vision the Spirit of Truth leading Peter into all Truth acquainted him with those Things which he cou'dn't bear while our Saviour was present with him in the Flesh But I shall have Occasion hereafter to speak of those who adhere to the litteral Sence of the Mosaick Law CHAP. III. MY Business at present is to shew that Celsus betrays his wretched Ignorance in representing a Jew addressing himself to those of his Native Country who were converted to the Christian Faith in the following Words What 's the Matter my dearly beloved Country-men that you have renounc'd the Law of your Fathers For how can they be said to renounce the Law of their Fathers who severely blame Persons for not adhering to it Tell me says the Apostle ye that desire to be under the Law do ye Gal. iv V. 21. not hear the Law For 't is written that Abraham had two Sons and so on to those Words Which Things are an Allegory And how can they be said to renounce the Law of their Fathers who are continually making mention of it as if they were proud of shewing the honourable Regard which they still pay to it and argue after the following Manner Say I these Things as a Man 1. Cor. ix V. 8. or says not the Law the same also For 't is written in the Law of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treads out the Corn. Do's God take Care for Oxen Or says he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written And how confus'd is Celsus's Discourse and how do's it want ev'n a plausible Appearance to recommend it to the World when he talks after the following Manner Some of you says he have forsak'n our Excellent Religion under a Pretence of giving Allegorical and Mystical Explications of the Law Others of you are great Admirers of a spiritual Sence as you are pleas'd to term it and yet are diligent Observers of those outward Ceremonies which make so considerable a Part of the Religion which we embrace There remain some others who adhere to the literal Sence of Scripture thinking that Abundance of spiritual Matter is wrapt up in the very Letter of the Law and profess that Jesus of Nazareth was the Person who was foretold by the Jewish Prophets and at the same Time observe the Precepts of Moses and the Traditions of their Ancestors But how cou'd it be expected that Celsus's Jew shou'd give us a true and clear Account of Matters of this Nature since in the Sequel of his Discourse he mentions several very great and notorious Heresies And there were some Jews who turn'd their Backs as he says upon the Creator of the Universe and didn't know that the believing Israelites did live in the strict Observance of the Law of their Fathers For his Design was not to act the Part of an impartial Enquirer into Truth who readily submits to the Evidence which it carries with it but to vent his Malice and right or wrong to make a Vigorous Opposition to the Christian Religion and as he vainly thought to expose it to the highest Contempt imaginable CHAP. IV. THE Jew continues his Discourse 'T was but t'other Day says he that we severely punish'd the Person who led you aside like a Company of silly Sheep and by Consequence 't was very lately and on a sudden that you renounc'd the Law of your Fathers But to this I have already return'd a sufficient Answer What he adds I confess carries with it a much greater Force With what Face says he or Colour of Reason can you despise those Sacred Rites which not long agoe you held in very great Esteem and especially when the Law of Moses is the Foundation on which the Doctrine of your Jesus is built as you your acknowledge That the Christian Religion is founded on the Jewish Law and Prophets as well as upon Christ and his Apostles is what I readily confess But we must also consider that they naturally lead us to the Mistery which was hid from Ages but is now made manifest Eph. iii. V. 9. by the Appearance of our Blessed Saviour And we don't despise the Law because we have a clearer Revelation but instead of that have the greater Veneration for it and endeavour to shew what Depths of Divine Wisdom there are ev'n in the Legal Dispensation which the Jews themselves know little or nothing of And why shou'd we think it strange that the Gospel shou'd be founded on the Law of Moses when our Saviour speaking to those that refus'd to believe in him has the following Words Had ye believ'd Moses ye John v. V. 46. wou'd have believ'd me for he wrote of John v. V. 46. me but if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words And the Evangelist St. Mark begins his Gospel thus The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God as 't is written Mark i. V. 1. in the Prophets Behold I send thy Messenger before thy Face which shall prepare thy Way before thee intimating to us that the Gospel is founded on the Scriptures of the Old Testament it self I can't conceive therefore what Celsus's Jew proposes to himself
as being deriv'd from no other than a Divine Original And since 't is a pretended Jew who calls in Question the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove one might well demand who is it that says thus in Isaiah's Prophecy Now the Lord God Isa xlviii V. 16. has sent me and his Holy Spirit which Words are ambiguous and may either signify that the Father and the Holy Spirit sent our Blessed Saviour or that the Son and Spirit were both sent by the Father the latter of which two Interpretations seems to me I confess to be true and genuine and because our Saviour was sent first and then the Holy Spirit that the Prophecy might be fulfil'd the Accomplishment of which was reserv'd for Future Ages for that Reason among others I judge it is that Things are related as they are by the Evangelists CHAP. XL. AND since Celsus's Jew do's in some sort acknowledge that our Saviour was baptiz'd by John the Baptist I wou'd produce the Testimony of a Famous Author who liv'd quickly after I mean Josephus who in the 18th Book of his Jewish Antiquities says That John the Baptist was invested with Authority to baptize and promis'd Remission of Sin to them that came to his Baptism The same Author tho' he don't believe that our Saviour was the true Messiah and when he enquires into the Cause of the Taking of Jerusalem and the Destruction of the Temple don't ascribe this grievous and surprizing Calamity as he ought to have done to the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour yet is fore'd to make some slender Approach to Truth and to acknowledge that 't was a remarkable Judgment which God sent upon the Jewish Nation for killing James the just who was Brother to Jesus who is call'd by the Name of Christ and was without doubt a very virtuous and pious Man This James was the same Person St. Paul that sincere Follower and eminent Apostle of our Blessed Lord tells us that he went to visit because he was the Brother of Christ which Title was proper for him not so much by Reason of their being in a peculiar Sence of the same Flesh and Blood as on the Account of the admirable and manifest Agreement both of their Doctrine and their Morals If then the fore-mention'd Author says That the Destruction of Jerusalem was owing to the Barbarous Death of James the just how much more Reason is there to believe 't was really and principally owing to the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour whose Divinity is so frequently attested by so many large and united Bodies of Men that consist of such Persons as have left their vicious Practices devote themselves to the Service of their great Creator and liberal Benefactor and in all their Actions have a most serious Regard to his Honour and Interest in the World And tho' the pretended Jew shou'd make no Apology for the Prophet Ezekiel and Isaiah since we meet with Passages in their Writings and in the rest of the Prophets which are no less strange I am sure than those which are related in the Gospels concerning our Blessed Saviour viz. That the Heavens were open'd and that he heard a Voice from thence I shall endeavour to shew that all who believe an over-ruling Providence acknowledge there have been praeternatural Visions and such wherein future Events relating to the Affairs of humane Life have been more clearly or more obscurely represented to the warm Imagination I say I shall endeavour to shew that the Assertors of Providence acknowledge that such Visions have been seen by Persons in their Sleep and that 't is no difficult Matter to conceive upon this Hypothesis that the same Impressions may be made on the Imagination when a Person is awake Whether they be design'd by God for the private Benefit of some particular Persons or to promote the spiritual Advantage of Mankind in general and as in our Sleep tho' there be nothing to strike upon our Sense of Sight or Hearing yet we strongly imagine that we see such Objects and hear such articulate Sounds when 't is our rational Faculty that 's all this while at Work and undergoes these various and strange Sensations So there 's no Absurdity in supposing that the same Thing might happen to the Prophets when we read that the Heav'ns were open'd to 'em that they saw strange Sights and heard the Voice of the great God himself For my Part I don't suppose that the visible Heavens were open'd and in a literal Sence were cleav'd asunder to give the Prophet Ezekiel an Occasion for writing as he do's And I am fully satisfy'd that they who read the Gospels with any Measure of Judgment won't understand our Saviour's Vision in the gross Sense of the Words of Scripture tho' I am not a little sensible that the ignorant Sort of People who at every Turn and to support an idle Whimsy of their own will allow the Frame of Universal Nature to be shak'd from off its Hinges and imagine that so vast and compact a Body as that of the Heavens was rent in two will be offended with any Discourse in Divinity that do's in the least interfere with the literal and most obvious Sence of Scripture But one who dives to the Bottom of Things will find that according to the Account we have in Holy Writ there is a certain Divine Knowledge which none but a few happy Persons have as Solomon says Thou shalt find the Knowledge of the Lord Prov. ii V 5. and that the several Branches of it are such as follow viz. A Sight adapted to the Contemplation of Objects that are beyond the Sphere of unassisted Nature such as Cherubims and Seraphims a Hearing suited to the Perception of Sounds vastly different from those which are form'd in the Air a Tast that can relish the living Bread that came down from Heaven a Smell that can distinguish that Heavenly Perfume of which the Apostle speaks when he says We are unto God a sweet Savour of Christ and a Touch of which 2 Cor. ii V. 15. St. John speaks when he says Our Hands have handl'd of the Word of i. John i V. I. Life The Blessed Prophets therefore being Partakers of these Divine Sensations and seeing hearing tasting and smelling in a Way that is perfectly supernatural we must understand these Things in the same Sence in which we must take that Place in Ezekiel where he 's said to have eat the Book that was deliver'd him In this Sence it was that Isaac smelt the sweet Savour of the Divine Garments of his Son and pronounc'd this Blessing upon him See the Smell of my Son is as the Smell of a Field which the Lord has bless'd And after the same Manner our Saviour touch'd the Leper which I think must be understood of a Spiritual rather than a Corporeal Touch that he might not only cleanse him as some think from his bodily Distemper but chiefly that he might
the Opinions of the Philosophers among the Pagans and wou'd manifestly have had its Foundation laid in the Wisdom of Men rather than the irresistible Power of God Now what Person who looks on these Fisher-men and Publicans who were not so much as taught the very first Principles of Humane Literature as the Gospels acquaint us and as Celsus is ready enough to believe and yet had such a Presence of Mind that they were able not only to discourse to their Country-men the Jews concerning Faith in Christ but also to preach the same Doctrine to other Nations and were favour'd with most wonderful Success I say what Person who looks on these Fishermen and Publicans will not presently enquire whence they deriv'd this uncommon Power of Perswasion and acknowledge that our Saviour's Promise in the following Words Come after me and I will make you Fishers of Men was evidently Mat. iv V. 19. and remarkably accomplish'd in that Divine Power which accompany'd the Preaching of the Apostles 'T was this to which St. Paul has so plain a Reference when he says My Speech aad my Preaching was not 1 Cor. ii V. 4. with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that your Faith shou'dn't stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God For as the Prophetical Psalmist speaks who fore-told the Preaching of the Gospel The Lord gave the Word great was the Company of those that publish'd it Ps lxviii V. 11. and as it is fore-told in another Place His Word runs very swiftly Ps cxlvii V. 15. We see that The Voice of the Apostles was heard thro' all the Earth and their Doctrine and Fame too was spread to the most distant Regions They also who hear this Doctrine are fill'd with the Spirit of God who accompanies the Preaching of it as abundantly appears by the Disposition of their Minds the Tenor of their Conversations and their vigorous Defence of the naked Truth ev'n to the apparent Hazard of their Fortunes their Reputations and their Lives tho' it can't be deny'd but ought to be deeply lamented that too many who have tak'n upon 'em the Ministerial Function after all the Profession which they make of believing in God thro' Christ and after having seem'd to be wonderfully attracted by the bright and almost irresistible Charms of Gospel-Grace 't is to be fear'd did never feel the saving Impression of it on their Hearts attended with a suitable Influence on their Lives and Conversations And tho' I have already mention'd that Expression in the Gospel according to St. Mathew The Harvest is great but the Labourers are few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he wou'd send forth more Labourers into Mat. ix V. 37. the Harvest I think it mayn't be improper to repeat it to shew that our Saviour's Foreknowledge of the Entertainment which his Doctrine wou'd meet with in the World was a Divine Proof of its future happy and more than ordinary Effect upon the Minds of Men a Doctrine the good Success of which was far from depending on the Assistance of the most Learned Doctors but was owing to that Divine and Miraculous Power that accompany'd the Apostles in their SACRED MINISTRATIONS CHAP. LII AND because Celsus represents 'em not only as a Parcel of ignorant Fellows but also as a Club of most scandalous Creatures vile Publicans and Mariners I answer it seems he assents to some Passages in the Gospels whereby he thinks he can support his Cause but rejects when he thinks fit the Authority of the Evangelists themselves that he may not be oblig'd to acknowledge and reverance thâ—se Characters of Divinity which are so legible in their Writings But when he sees with what Faithfulness they relate ev'n those Things that seem to lessen their Esteem and manifestly expos'd 'em to the greatest Dangers he ought certainly to believe the rest as being divinely inspir'd and by consequence infallibly true and of the highest Importance to us Barnabas I confess in his Catholick Epistle from whence 't is probable that Celsus has borrow'd his disadvantageous Remarks upon the Apostles of our Blessed Saviour says That Jesus chose such Persons to the Apostolical Function as were wicked to the last Degree And in the Gospel according to St. Luke St. Peter says to Jesus Lord depart from me for Luke v. V 8. I am a sinful Man And St. Paul in one of his Epistles to Timothy says This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came 1 Tim. 1. V. 15. into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief tho' at last he became a most Eminent Apostle And I know not whether Celsus's Memory or his Judgment is most defective when he makes no Mention of St. Paul who next to our Blessed Saviour was the most remarkable Founder of the Christian Churches But 't is probable he thought it wou'd not serve his Cause and that if he had tak'n Notice of him he had oblig'd himself to have giv'n a rational and distinct Account how a Person who once persecuted the Church of God spit his Venom and employ'd his most vigorous Endeavours in Opposition to the Christians insomuch that he thirsted for their Blood was so strangely alter'd on a sudden that he spread the Gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum endeavouring to avoid building on the Foundation which another had laid and making it his Choice and Business to preach to them who had never heard the glad Tydings of Salvation by a Crucify'd Redeemer CHAP. LIII WHAT Absurdity is there then in supposing that our Saviour being desirous to shew Mankind what Sovereign Remedies he had and was willing to apply to the distemper'd Souls of Men shou'd make Choice of Persons that were notoriously wicked and work such a sudden and surprizing Change upon 'em that by the Purity of their Lives they became very honourable Examples to them who were afterwards converted by their Ministry If they who have reform'd their Manners must be upbraided with the Crimes which they formerly committed then we may as well bring in a most heavy Charge against Phaedon himself ev'n after he had devoted his Time and Strength to the Study of Philosophy because History acquaints us that Socrates took him from a Place where Debauchery was practic'd without Fear or Regret and put him upon rational and learned Studies in which in Process of Time he was far from being a mean Proficient We might also condemn Philosophy it self by Reason of the extravagant Courses which Polemon the Successor of Zenocrates had formerly tak'n But in Truth this Consideration do's greatly brighten and recommend their Character that by the Help of so Divine a Thing as Philosophy they cou'd be brought to resolve on a virtuous and severe Course of Life in Spight of those bad Impressions with which they were forc'd to struggle and over which they did with no small Difficulty obtain an honourable and happy
II. THEN Celsus goes on and asserts That Judaism with which the Christian Religion has a very close Connection has all along been a barbarous Sect tho' he prudently forbears to reproach the Christian Religion as if it were of a mean and unpolish'd Original since he had commended the Barbarians as being the Inventers of several excellent and very important Maxims and he adds That those Things which were indeed invented by the Barbarians have been improv'd and more accomodated to Moral Virtue by the Greeks Now I think I may justly take this Advantage in Defence of the Christian Religion from the very Concession which Celsus makes to observe that one who leaves the Opinions and the Learning of the Greeks and embraces the Doctrine of our Blessed Saviour don't only assent to those Truths and useful Rules which it recommends to his Consideration and Choice but the more he 's vers'd in the fore-mention'd Sort of Learning the more he 's confirm'd in his Judgment and borrows from the Christians where-ever he perceives that the Greeks themselves are defective To this I might add that the Christian Religion may justly boast of a peculiar Demonstration such a One as is truly Divine and vastly exceeds all the Logick of the Greeks The Apostle calls it A Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power A Demonstration of the Spirit in as much as the Spirit of God do's in a secret but powerful Way convince the Reader of the Truth of the Scripture-Prophecies efpeally of those which have an evident and near Relation to the expected Saviour of the World And of Power in as much as Miracles have been wrought to attest the Truth of the Christian Religion some remarkable Footsteps of which do remain at this very Day among those who do what lies in their Power under the Guidance and Influence of the Spirit of God to live up to its holy Precepts CHAP. III. THEN Celsus having spoke of the Private Meetings of the Christians in which they exercis'd themselves and instructed one another in their particular Way and having confess'd that one very politick Reason might be assign'd for what they did viz. The Preventing of that severe Penalty to which their Practice render'd 'em extreamly liable compares the Danger that threatn'd them with the Difficulties and Calamities to which Socrates and Pythagoras and other Heathen Philosophers expos'd themselves by maintaining the Reputation and promoting the Interest of that comparatively-vain Philosophy of which they were the admir'd and truly-learned Professors But to this I answer That the Athenians soon repented of what they had done to Socrates nor did they long retain their Spite against Pythagoras For the Pythagoreans had Schools for a considerable Time in that Part of Italy which went by the Name of Greece the Great But the whole Roman Senate the Emperors during the several Persecutions the Soldiers the common People and ev'n they who were nearly related to the Christians wag'd open War as it were against the Religion which our Blessed Saviour introduc'd and wou'd easily and quite have stop'd its happy Progress if a Divine and Miraculous Power had not seasonably interpos'd and made it overcome the whole habitable World who exerted all their Malice and us'd their utmost Endeavours towards its sudden and entire Extirpation CHAP. IV. NOW let us see how Celsus reproaches the practick Part of our Religion as containing nothing but what we have in common with the Heathens nothing that is New or Truly-great To this I answer That they who bring down the just Judgments of God upon their Heads by their notorious Crimes wou'd never suffer by the Hand of Divine and Inflexible Justice if all Mankind had not some tolerable Notions of Moral Good and Evil. Therefore we needn't wonder that God who is the common Father of his Creatures shou'd plant in the Minds of Men those natural Principles which the Prophets and especially our Blessed Saviour do's so frequently impress upon the Minds of Men that So every one might be left without Excuse at the Day of Judgment having had the Sence and Substance of the Law engrav'd upon his Heart in very legible Characters This was obscurely represented to us by the Scripture which speaks of God's Writing the Two Tables of the Law as it were with his Finger and his giving 'em to Moses and acquaints us that they were afterwards broke by the Wickedness of them who made the Golden Calf as if it had been said that they were broke by the Sins of Men and that when the Law was writ the second Time on Tables of Stone he deliver'd 'em to Moses to signifie that the Law which was defac'd by the Original Apostacy shou'd be re impress'd on the Minds of Men by the Preaching of the Gospel CHAP. V. THEN Celsus speaking of Idolatry do's himself advance an Argument that tends to justifie and commend our Practice when he says That the Christians can't think those to be Gods which are made by the Hands of Men and very often of such as are wicked and unjust and wallow in all manner of Debauchery Therefore endeavouring to shew in the Sequel of his Discourse that our Notion of Image-Worship was not a Discovery that was owing to the Scriptures but that we have it in common with the Heathens he quotes a Passage in Heraclitus to this Effect That they who pay Divine Worship to inanimate Creatures do just as if they shou'd address and invocate the Walls To this I answer That since I have already granted that some common Notions of Moral Good and Evil are originally implanted in the Minds of Men we needn't wonder that Heraclitus and Others whether Greeks or Barbarians have publickly acknowledg'd to the World that they held the very same Notion which we maintain And Celsus quotes a Passage in Herodotus to shew that the same Notion which Heraclitus held did obtain among the Persians And I cou'd quote a Passage in Zeno Citiensis who in his Book call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says That the Building of stately Temples is altogether needless and indeed ridiculous since no Piece of humane Architecture how pompous soever it may be is truly sacred and valuaable in the Nature of the Thing it self 'T is plain therefore that this practical Notion is engrav'd in Divine and Legible Characters on the Minds of Men. CHAP. VI. THEN Celsus says That all the Power which the Christians had was owing to the Names of certain Daemons and their Invocation of 'em tho' I can't well conceive what shou'd induce or ev'n tempt him to talk at so extravagant a Rate I suppose he obscurely hints at the Account we have of some who cast out Devils But this is a most notorious Calumny for the Power which the Christians had was not in the least owing to Enchantments but to their Pronouncing the Name of JESVS and making Mention of some remarkable Occurrences of his Life For by these and no unlawful Means have Daemons been
Followers of Aristotle and Epicurus think it is but has certain stated Rules as they that are skill'd in it do know and can easily demonstrate I say if I can make this appear I think I may then safely affirm that the Name Sabaoth Adonai and other Names for which the Jews have so profound a Veneration were not design'd to denominate any created Beings much less those of an inferiour Order but do contain some sacred Mystery which has an immediate Reference to the great and adorable Creator of the Universe These Names therefore have an Efficacy when they are duly pronounc'd by any Person whatsoever There are other Names which being pronounc'd in the Egyptian Language are prevalent with certain Daemons whose Power is limited to such or such a Sphere and others which being pronounc'd in the Persian Language are prevalent with other Daemons And I might instance in several Nations of the World that use other Names applying 'em in very different Sences and so we shall find that the terrestrial Daemons which have particular Places assign'd 'em have Names giv'n 'em according to the Language which the People speak Any Man of Sence therefore one wou'd think that bestows but the least Thought on this important Subject will scruple to make use of Names foreign to the Things which they represent least he shou'd unawares be guilty of the same Fault with them who use such improper and harsh Expressions concerning God himself that they don 't at all stick to give him the false and vile Appellation of inanimate Matter or run into the Error of those unhappy Persons who greatly derogate from the infinite Honour which is due to the supream and original Cause and disparage true Virtue and Piety by mis-applying the Sacred Name of Summum Bonum to a little glittering but perishing Dust or a happy Constitution of Body or that which is falsely but too commonly call'd an Honourable Descent Noble Princely or Royal Blood And surely the Danger of mis-applying the Name of the Aweful Majesty of Heav'n or the Chief Good is at least equal to that of changing the stated Names which are us'd in Magick and have a Mystical Sence and giving the Names of Superiour Powers to infernal Spirits and on the contrary those of infernal Spirits to Superiour Powers I need not say that at the very mention of Jupiter is understood the Son of Saturn and Rhea the Husband of Juno the Brother of Neptune the Father of Minerva and Diana and the Person that committed Incest with his Daughter nor need I say that at the mention of Apollo is understood the Son of Jupiter and Latona the Brother of Diana and Brother to Mercury by the Fathers side or need I speak of many other Things that were related by the Ancient Heroes whom Celsus has with so much Honour enumerated or contain'd in the old and admir'd Theology of the learned Greeks Pray how comes it to pass that Jupiter is call'd as he is and that the Son of Saturn and Rhea is not the Name that 's given him The same Question may properly enough be ask'd concerning the rest of the Riff-raff of the Heathen Gods This Consideration I think has a manifest Tendency to favour and justify the Practice of those Persons who have some mystical but solid Reason for using the Name Sabaoth or Adonai and some other Names when they speak of GOD since they who understand any Thing of the true Nature of Names will easily find that some sacred Mystery is veil'd under the Names which are giv'n to the Angels one of whom is call'd Michael another Gabriel and another Raphael each having a Name affix'd to him by the Father of Spirits agreeable to the Nature and Extent of that honourable Work in which his great Creator has thought fit to employ him And the Virtue which accompanied the Pronunciation of our Saviour's Name and by which cruel and obstinate Daemons were frequently and publickly dispossess'd both of the Minds and Bodies of Men must I think be resolv'd at least in some Measure into the natural Efficacy of Names I might add one Thing here and that is this that they who are skill'd in Enchantments tell us that if they make use of such and such Words in the Original Language the End propos'd will certainly be obtain'd but if the very same Words be chang'd and others be made use of which convey the very same Idea they will immediately and strangely lose their extraordinary Virtue So that the Power which they have is not owing to the Things of which they are the external Signs but to certain unknown Properties that belong to the Names themselves CHAP. XXI THIS may serve as an Apology for the Christians who willingly and ev'n triumphantly embrace Death it self in the most horrid Shapes rather than call God by the Name of Jupiter whatever Intention or Mental Reservation they might have or give him those Names which are us'd in the Languages and adapted to the Religions of other Countries For either they call him by the general Name of God or they bestow such Epithets as these upon him The Creator of the World the Former of Heav'n and Earth or might express themselves by the following Periphrasis He who has sent some wise and virtuous Men into the World whose Names being honourably blended with his own have a strange and ev'n miraculous Power Here I might enter into a long Discourse in Opposition to them who eagerly contend for the promiscuous Use of the most sacred Names For if Plato be so much and not undeservedly commended who brings in a Person upon Philebus's calling Pleasure a Goddess making use of the following Expression For my part Protarchus I have a profound Veneration ev'n for the Names of the Gods which like themselves I esteem sacred and inviolable how much more ought Christians to be commended who make Conscience of applying those Names to God which are unhappily but too commonly borrow'd from the empty and ridiculous Fables of the Poets But so much of this Matter for the present CHAP. XXII LET us now see how Celsus loads the Jews with Reproaches which don't well suit with his horrid Presumption in professing that he was perfectly acquainted with the Opinions of the Christians They give themselves says he to the Worship of Angels and to Magick following therein the Precepts of their celebrated Moses Let him therefore since he 's so well acquainted with the Jewish and Christian Doctrine shew where there 's any Precept in all the Pentateuch that can be brought in Favour of Angel-Worship and acquaint us how 't is possible that Magick shou'd be in Vogue with a Nation that observes the Law of Moses who has left the following Words upon Record Regard not them Lev. xix V. 31 that have familiar Spirits neither seek after Wizards to be defil'd by em CHAP. XXIII THEN Celsus undertakes to shew That the Jews by reason of their monstrous Ignorance tamely suffer'd themselves
return him a proper and sufficient Answer I have resolv'd to examine every Material Article tho' I cannot observe so strict a Method as I wou'd but am forc'd so far to comply ev'n with the Folly of my Adversary as to trace him thro' the Labyrinth of his confus'd Discourse Let us see then what he has to offer against the Descent of the Holy Spirit on our Blessed Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove CHAP. XXXVII THE Jew whom Celsus personates directs his Discourse to our Saviour in the following Words You pretend says he that a Bird appear'd to you at your Baptism but can you produce any credible Person that was present to see it Or heard the Voice from Heav'n by which you say you were declar'd to be the Son of God besides your self and if we may take your Word another Person of the same pityful Class But before I return him a direct and full Answer I must beg Leave to make one Remark that 't is very difficult and in some Cases impossible to give evident and undeniable Proofs of the Certainty of undoubted Matters of Fact Suppose any One shou'd say there never was such a Scene of Action as the Trojan War grounding his bold Affirmation on the seeming Impossibility of some of the material Circumstances which attended it and not conceiving how there shou'd be In rerum natura such a Person as Achilles is represented to us the Son of Peleus and Thetis the Goddess of the Sea or Sarpedon the Son of Jupiter or Ascalaphus and Jalmenus the Sons of Mars or Aeneas the Son of Venus how cou'd we convince him of his gross Mistake when so many Fables being interwoven with the Body of the History are so readily and so universally believ'd Or suppose any Person shou'd call into Question the Story of Oedipus and Jocasta and Eteocles and Polynices their Sons by reason of what is confidently related concerning the Sphinx a certain Monster that was half a Virgin how cou'd we demonstrate that the whole Account is true I might say the same concerning the second Theban War which was continu'd by the Posterity of them who had lost their Lives in the first tho' that be more free from the Appearance of Fiction than the former Story and concerning the Return of the Heraclidae to Peloponnesus and I might instance in many other Things of the like Nature which are recorded in the Histories of the Greeks But he who reads 'em without a Tincture of Prejudice and with a sincere Desire that he may not be deceiv'd will judge how far he is requir'd to yield his ready and firm Assent what Passages he must take in an Allegorical Sence and what he must reject as being writ in Favour of some particular Persons and will endeavour to find out the true and full Meaning of those who were the Original Authors of these Stories which the Greeks who are a learned Nation do so generally believe I wou'd lay down this Praeliminary with respect to the entire and amazing History of our Saviour's Life as 't is impartially related in the Gospels and I don't mention this as if I wou'd have the more intelligent and learned Sort of People to take Things on trust but to shew that the Reader has great Need of Candor joyn'd with a severe Application and must penetrate if I may so say into the very Spirit of the Authors if he wou'd take their Writings in their true Sence and utmost Latitude I answer then in the first Place that if the Person who rejects the Account that 's giv'n of the Spirit 's appearing to our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove was a Follower of Epicurus Democritus or Aristotle there wou'd be some plausible Ground for his Incredulity because then I confess he wou'd observe his Character CHAP. XXXVIII BUT Celsus with all his Wisdom seems to me to have quite forgot that all this while he was speaking in the Person of a Jew whom we must suppose to yield a firm Assent to many Passages in the Prophets that wou'd sooner be liable to shock our Reason than any Thing related in the History of which I am now discoursing For one might ask this pretended Jew who wo'n't believe that the Holy Spirit appear'd to our Blessed Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove Pray Sir how will you be ever capable of giving evident and undeniable Proof that God spoke to Adam Eve Cain Noah Abraham Isaac or Jacob as your Scriptures do plainly assert he did And to set History against History I wou'd address this Jew after the following Manner Dear Sir you can't be ignorant that Ezekiel who is one of your own celebrated Prophets has these very Words The Heavens were open'd and I saw Visions of Ezek. i. V. 1. God and he adds This was the Appearance Ezek. i. V. 28 of the Likeness of the Glory of the Lord and he said to me Now if those Things that are related of our Saviour must be acknowledg'd to be false because as you think they have not sufficient extrinsick Evidence to recommend 'em to the World since you affirm They were seen and heard by no Person but himself and another of the same pityful Class Have we not more Reason to suspect that Ezekiel impos'd upon us when he said that the Heav'ns were open'd to his View And tho' the Prophet Isaiah says I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up above it stood Isa vi V. 1. the Seraphims each one had six Wings Pray Sir what rational Assurance have you that he really saw this entertaining and amazing Sight You believe that these Things are true and come from the Spirit of God who neither can be deceiv'd nor will deceive us and are perswaded not only that the Prophet saw 'em but also that he was Divinely-inspir'd when he committed these Things to Writing But I ask which of these three is it most fit we shou'd believe Ezekiel Isaiah or our Blessed Saviour The two former did nothing that deserves to be compar'd or ev'n mention'd with what the latter has done whose Power was not only most gloriously display'd when he appear'd and dwelt on Earth but shines with a happy and remarkable Lustre at this Distance of Time in the Conversion and exemplary Reformation of those who believe in God thro' him And that all those wonderful Effects which we frequently see are owing to his infinite Power I infer from hence that as he said and as constant Experience may convince us the sincere Labourers are few in a Mat. ix V. 37. comparative Sence and yet the Harvest of Souls is great that is vast Numbers ibid. V 38 are every where almost continually brought into God's Threshing-Floor if I may so say I mean the visible Church This I say to a Jew not as if I had the least Design to derogate from the Honour which I am sensible is due to Ezekiel and Isaiah for that wou'd be very inconsistent with
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
Now any one who reads this Prophecy which is of greater Antiquity than their celebrated Moses tho' perhaps some Infidels may suspect it can't but wonder how Jacob cou'd foretell that the Rulers of the Jewish Nation which consisted of no less than Twelve Tribes shou'd come of the Tribe of Judah This we see has been so evidently and so remarkably verify'd that the whole Body of the Jews do take their Name from the fore-mention'd Tribe which held the Reins of Government in their Hands and manag'd 'em as they pleas'd and 't is Matter of Wonder to all who are not biass'd by Prejudice that the fore-mention'd Patriarch shou'd not only foretell that the governing Power shou'd be lodg'd in the Tribe of Judah but also that it shou'd come to a Period at a prefixed Time as the following Words import The Scepter shall not depart from Gen. xlix V. 10. Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his Feet 'till Shiloh come c. And he is come for whom the Supream Authority was reserv'd I mean the Messiah by whom the True Glory of the Tribe of Judah was advanc'd to its greatest Height he I say who was the Prince whom God had promis'd who might have laid a fairer Claim to that Title The Desire of Nations than any Person who ever went before and I may safely say than any who ever did or will succeed him For all Nations almost have believ'd in God thro' him and have plac'd their Confidence in his Name according to that Prophecy in Isaiah In his Name shall the Gentiles trust This is he who proclaim'd Liberty to them who were held fast in the Bonds of Sin and Satan as all Men naturally are and said to them who were cover'd with spiritual Darkness be ye Light in the Lord according to that Famous Prophecy I will preserve Isa xlii V. 6 7. thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People to establish the Earth to cause to inherit the desolate Heritages that thou may'st say to the Prisoners go forth to them that are in Darkness shew your And the vast Number of Persons who flock'd from all Parts to our Blessed Saviour did abundantly make good the Words which follow They shall feed in the Ways and their Pastures shall be in all high Places CHAP. XLIV BUT because Celsus who pretends he don't want to be inform'd of what the Christians hold reproaches our Saviour as if either he was not assisted by his Father or was unable to help himself when he came to suffer I must add one Thing here and that is this that the Prophets foretold his Sufferings and the Reason why he underwent 'em that they shou'd conduce to the Advantage of Mankind in general that he shou'd ev'n sacrifice his Life for 'em and be treated for their Sakes as a condemn'd and most vile Malefactor They also foretold that the Gentiles who had no true Prophets shou'd acknowledge him to be sent from God and that he himself with respect to his outward Appearance in the World shou'd be a mean and very contemptible Person The Words of the Prophecy are these Isa lii V. 13. 14 15. Behold my Servant shall deal prudently he shall be exalted extoll'd and be very high As many were astony'd at thee his Visage was so marr'd more than any Man and his Form more than the Sons of Men so shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their Mouths at him for that which had not been told 'em shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider Who Isa liii V. 1. 2 has believ'd our Report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord reveal'd For he shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a Root out of a dry Ground he has no Form nor Comeliness and when we shall see him there is no Beauty that we shou'd desire him He 's despis'd and rejected of Men a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief And we hid as it were our Faces from him he was despis'd and we esteem'd him not Surely he has born our Griefs and carry'd our Sorrows Yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruis'd for our Iniquities The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are heal'd All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turn'd every one to his own Way and the Lord has laid on him the Iniquity of us all He was oppress'd and he was afflicted yet he open'd not his Mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opens 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 Trangression of my People was he stricken I remember I made use of this Prophecy in a Disputation which I formerly had with some Jewish Doctors and one of 'em return'd the following Answer that we must understand it as relating to the whole Body of their own Nation whose Dispersion and many other Calamities were Means to gain Proselites to their Religion And he explain'd those Words He has no Form nor Comeliness and those Words That which had not been told 'em shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider and those Words He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruis'd for our Iniquities I say he explain'd 'em all in Favour of the Sence which he had giv'n em On the contrary I offer'd several substantial Arguments to prove that this Prophecy must be understood of a single Person and by Consequence is not to be refer'd to an entire Nation or great Number of People I ask'd of whom those Words were spoke He has born our Griefs and carry'd our Sorrows and those Words He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruis'd for our Iniquities and those Words By his Stripes we are heal'd For they are plainly meant of those Persons who whether Jews or Gentiles were cur'd of their spiritual Diseases by the Sufferings of our Blessed Saviour to whom the Propher inspir'd by the Spirit of God accommodates these several and extraordinary Characters But that which most perplex'd 'em was that Expression For the Transgression of my People was he stricken For if this Prophecy has a Reference to the whole Body of the Jews 't is difficult to make Sence of the foregoing Words We must therefore understand 'em of some single Person and not of the whole Jewish Nation and who can that Person be but our Blessed Saviour by whose bloody Stripes all they who believe in him are immediately and will at length be compleatly heal'd I say who but our Blessed Saviour who has spoil'd Principalities and Powers that usurp and too long maintain a Tyranny over the Souls of Men and has made a Shew of 'em openly upon his HONOVRABLE CROSS But the
critâ—cal and full Examination of this Prophecy I shall reserve to a more proper Place tho' I thought 't was necessary for me to dwell a little upon it on the Account of what Celsus's Jew thought fit to object against us CHAP. XLV ONE remarkable Thing that has led Celsus and other Infidels into gross Mistakes in this important Affair is their not knowing or at least their not considering that the Prophets speak of a twofold Coming of the Messiah his first Coming at which he was to appear cloath'd with all the innocent Infirmities of humane Nature and strâ—â—ling with the pressing Inconveniencies of a mean and despis'd Condition that so living among Men he might the more feelingly instruct 'em in those Moral and Divine Truths which were important and highly necessary and inculcate upon 'em that aweful Account which they must shortly give when they shall be summon'd to appear before the Bar of God and his second Coming at which he will appear free from the least Allay ev'n of natural Imperfection and shine with the united and unfully'd Rays of his Original and in some Sence naked Divinity Twou'd be tedious to relate all the Prophecies that have an immediate and manifest Reference to our Blessed Saviour I shall therefore at present confine my self to that which we meet with in the Forty fifth Psalm which is entitul'd A Song of Loves and where our Saviour is expresly call'd by the Name of GOD. The Words are these Grace is pour'd into thy Lips therefore Psal xlv V. 2 3. God has blest thee for ever Gird thy Sword upon thy Thigh O most Mighty with thy Glory and thy Majesty and in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of Truth and Meekness and Righteousness and thy right Hand shall teach thee verrible Things Thine Arrows are sharp in the Heart of the King's Enemies whereby the People fall under thee Thy throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest Wickedness therefore God thy God has anointed thee with the Oil of Gladness above thy Fellows Where take Notice that the Prophetical Psalmist making his Address to God Whose Throne is for ever and ever and the Scepter of whose Kingdom is a right Scepter says that this Person was anointed by God who was his God and that he was anointed above his Fellows with the Oil of Gladness because he lov'd Righteousness and hated Wickedness I remember that once I horribly baffl'd a Jewish Doctor with this very Prophecy who being at a grievous Loss to know what Answer he shou'd give me had seasonable Recourse to a pityful Evasion which was suitable enough to the false Principles he endeavour'd to maintain viz. That those Words Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter were spoke of the Great God himself and those Words Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest Wickedness therefore God ev'n thy God has anointed thee with the Oil of Gladness above thy Fellows must be understood of the Messiah CHAP. XLVI CELSVS's Jew continues his Discourse with our Blessed Saviour and says If as you your self acknowledge every Person who comes into the World by the general Concourse of Providence is a Son of God What special Prerogative is there which you can justly claim To which I answer that they who are no longer acted by a Spirit of Bondage as St. Paul expresses it but choose Virtue for its intrinsick Worth may in a less noble Sence be call'd the Sons of God But there 's a vast Disproportion between those who are the Sons of God as they are imperfectly endu'd with Moral and Christian Virtues and our Blessed Saviour who is the inexhaustible Fountain from which their borrow'd Good do's entirely and will for ever flow The Words of St. Paul which I just now refer'd to are these Ye have not receiv'd the Spirit of Bondage again Rom. viii V. 15. to fear but ye have receiv'd the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Jew continues his Discourse in the following Words Abundance of Persons will find Fault with your pretended Saviour for applying those Prophecies to himself which they think may at least as justly be apply'd to them To this I answer that I am apt to think that Celsus didn't know of any Persons who rival'd our Saviour in his Miracles and justly claim'd the Title of Sons of God or The Power of the Supream Majesty But because the sincere and strong Affection which I have for Truth won't suffer me to pass by any Thing that ev'n seems to oppose the Christian Cause I readily acknowledge that before our Saviour's Incarnation there was a certain Person whose Name was Theudas who appear'd among the Jews pretending to be a mighty Man after whose Decease his deluded Followers were soon dispers'd Some Time after in the Days of the Taxing during which as far as I can gather from Scripture our Blessed Saviour was born one Judas of Galilee drew after him a considerable Number of weak and credulous Jews who affecting Novelties cry'd him up as a Man endu'd with more than ordinary Wisdom and was no sooner brought to condign Punishment but his Doctrine came immediately into Disrepute or at best was only secretly maintain'd by some few Persons of mean Rank and Figure And after our Saviour appear'd upon the Stage of the World one Dositheus a Samaritan endeavour'd to perswade his Country-men that he was the very Person to whom the Prophets had so plain a Reference when they foretold the Coming of the Messiah and some few Persons I confess there were who seem'd heartily to embrace his Doctrine Here I think it will not be improper to mention that wise Expression of Gamaliel which we meet with in the Acts of the Apostles to shew beyond all Contradiction that the fore-mention'd Persons were not intended in the Promise which God gave of sending the Messiah and that neither of 'em deserv'd the honourable Title of The Son or Power of God but that of all the Men who ever appear'd and made a Figure in the World our Blessed Saviour was the only Person who cou'd justly claim it If this Counsel said he or this Work be Acts. v. V. 38. of Men 't will come to nought but if it be of God ye can't overthrow it lest haply ye be found ev'n to fight against God There was also one Simon a Magician of Samaria who endeavour'd by his Magick to draw People after him and for some Time he wasn't without his Followers but I believe there are now scarce thirty Simonians in the whole habitable World Nay perhaps I have exceeded the Number since there are only a few near Palaestine and that Doctrine which they embrac'd did never obtain in any other Parts tho' its Authour did fondly imagine that it wou'd soon and easily reach and happily engage the most distant and barbarous Nations in it's Favour For they
Conquest And I scarce know whether the Greeks can produce any Instances of this kind in any other Persons besides Phaedon and Polemon or at best they can name but very few Persons who ever left their Intemperance and Debauchery to apply their Minds to the entertaining and useful Study of Philosophy But in the School of Christ besides the twelve Apostles who had the Honour to be contemporary with him we see daily a far greater Number of Persons that become virtuous and pious and join in a Blessed Chorus acknowledging with the deepest shame and Sorrow the many false and almost fatal Steps which formerly they took We our says the Apostle were sometimes Tit. iii. V. 3 4. foolish and disobedient deceiv'd serving diverse Lusts and Pleasures living in Malice and Envy hateful and hating one another But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour toward Man appear'd not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he sav'd us by the Washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly For as the Prophetical Psalmist speaks He sent his Word and heal'd 'em and deliver'd 'em Psal cvii. V. 20. from their Destructions I might add that Chrysippus in a Book which he has writ Entitul'd The Art of Curing the Disorders of the Humane Passions endeavours to lay down proper and effectual Rules for the Management of those which disturb the Peace of the Mind and to that end he argues upon the Principles of several Sects of Philosophers not examining which of 'em are most agreeable to Truth and has the following Words If says he Pleasure be esteem'd the chief Good the Passions may and ought thus to be cur'd and if there be three Kinds of Good they are to be cur'd after this different Manner Now they who find Fault with the Christian Religion do wilfully Neglect to consider how many unruly Passions are successfully govern'd by it what a Stop it puts to that rapid Torrent of Vice and Immorality which is too visible in the World and what extravagant savage and ev'n Diabolical Tempers it has frequently happily and very suddenly conquer'd Certainly it ought to raise their Admiration and constrain 'em to make the most thankful Acknowledgements to Almighty God to consider what vast and apparent Advantage the Publick reaps from those proper and most excellent Methods which our Saviour took for the Reformation of Manners and one wou'd think that if they won't allow Christianity to be the True Religion yet they must confess that it conduces very much to the true Interest of Manking and which is more has an Immediate and Principal Regard to their better and immortal Part. CHAP. LIV. AND our Saviour has so effectually consulted ev'n the Temporal Advantage of his Followers that he wou'dn't have 'em to be rash and precipitate but gives 'em this necessary Lesson When they persecute you in one City flee unto another and teaches 'em by his own Example not to run into needless Dangers Celsus takes Occasion ev'n from hence to form an Accusation against him in the Person of a Jew in the following Words You run up and down with your Disciples But as for the Charge which is here brought against our Blessed Saviour we meet with a Parallel Case ev'n in the Histories which the Greeks have publish'd For Aristotle that Famous Philosopher when he saw he shou'd be condemn'd as a wicked Person by reason of some peculiar and in some Sence dangerous Notions he advanc'd which as the Athenians thought did give too great Encouragement to Licentiousness took an Opportunity to go from Athens and remov'd his School to Chalcis making the following Apology to some of his Acquaintance Let us leave Athens says he that we mayn't suffer it to be in the Power of the Athenians to re-act that horrid Impiety which they plainly discover'd by their ill Treatment of so great a Genius as the World knows Socrates to have been and to commit a most grievous Offence against so sacred a Thing as Philosophy CHAP. LV. CELSVS adds That our Saviour running up and down with his Disciples was forc'd to beg his Bread like a sordid Wretch But pray let him inform us where he has rak'd up all these scurrilous Expressions I confess we read in the Gospels that certain Women that were cur'd of their Infirmities among which was Susannah did readily distribute some Part of their Substance to furnish the Disciples with what was necessary for the Support of Life But pray what Philosopher who employs his Time and Strength with some Regard to the Benefit of his Relations and Friends and indeed of Mankind in general wou'd refuse to have his Wants supply'd Or did it become the Philosophers to accept the seasonable and generous Assistance of their Friends and others but argue a base and sordid Spirit in our Blessed Lord or those who became his Followers CHAP. LVI THEN the Jew whom Celsus personates continues his Discourse with our Saviour in the following Words What Necessity was there that when you were an Infant you shou'd be carry'd into Egypt to avoid being kill'd For surely it didn't become a God to be afraid of Death An Angel it seems was dispatch'd from Heav'n to bid You and some of your nearest Relations betake your to Flight lest you shou'd be found and be put to Death But cou'dn't Almighty God who as we are told did imploy his Angels for your Direction and Assistance preserve his Son as easily in Judea as in Egypt Celsus thinks that there was nothing extraordinary in the Humane Body and Soul of our Blessed Saviour and ridiculing his precious Blood that was shed upon the Cross he says 't was not Such Blood as from the Immortal Gods do's Hom Il. Lib. 5. V. 34â— flow But we who give Credit to our Saviour when he gives a Testimony of his Divinity in the following Words I am the Way the Truth and the Life John xiv V. 6. and in other Parallel Places and when he bears Witness to the Truth of his Humanity in the following Expression Now ye seek to kill me a Man who has told you the Truth I say we who believe John viii V. 40. our Saviour when he speaks thus of himself do assert and maintain that he had Two Natures the one Divine and the other Humane and that since he came into the World with an Intention to live in some respects like the rest of Men 't was highly incongruous that he shou'd run upon a Precipice and be fond of Misery and Death 'T was fit he shou'd be directed and govern'd by them to whom the Care of his Education did belong and that the Angel's Orders shou'd be strictly and religiously observ'd and the same Angel which said at first Joseph thou Son of David fear not to Mat. i. V. 20. take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceiv'd in her is of the Holy Ghost said
Passages in the Gospels that he who spoke those Words by the Mouth of the Blessed Jesus I am the Way the Truth and the Life was not circumscrib'd within the narrow Limits of his Humane Nature John the Baptist foretelling that in a short Time the Son of GOD shou'd make his Appearance in the World speaks of him as a Person that was Omnipresent There stands one among John 1. V. 26. 27. you says he whom ye know not he it is who coming after me is before me Now is it probable or ev'n possible he shou'd apply these Words to our Saviour's Body or his Humane Soul And our Blessed Lord himself raising the Minds of his Disciples to more sublime Thoughts of the SON of GOD makes use of the following Expression Where two or three are gather'd Ma. xviii V. 20. together in my Name there am I in the midst of em There 's another Promise that is much of the same Import which he makes to his Disciples Lo I am with Mat. 28. V. 20. you always ev'n to the End of the World I hope the Reader will not misunderstand me as if I said any Thing that might in the least interfere with that intimate and glorious Union that there is between the Humanity of the incarnate Jesus and the Misterious Person of the ETERNAL WORD For if St. Paul teaches us that He that is joyn'd to the Lord is one Spirit 1. Cor. 6. V. 17. certainly they that understand this Doctrine will readily allow that there is a closer and more Divine Union between the WORD and it s assum'd Humanity And our Blessed Saviour did abundantly discover that he was no less than the Power of God by the frequent and uncontested Miracles which he wrought ev'n in the Presence of the Jews tho' they profess'd to entertain a most unaccountable Notion I can't imagine for my Part that it shou'd ever enter into any Man's Mind that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils and Celsus we know ascribes 'em to the Power of Magick But our Saviour abundantly confuted this Absurd Conceit by shewing that the Kingdom of Satan was going to suffer a most violent Shock as evidently appears to them who read the Gospels with any tolerable Share of Judgment Let Celsus shew if he can wherein our Saviour fail'd in his great Design to destroy the Works of the Devil and bring convincing Proofs of the Truth or ev'n Probability of what he offers But this I 'm apt to think is what he will scarce be able to perform since the Objections that he raises against us are founded for the most Part on some Matters of Fact which are grosly misunderstood by him or some Passages in the Gospels which are shamefully misapply'd or some fabulous Accounts which are owing to the unhappy but fruitful Invention of the Jews CHAP. XII BUT because Celsus's Jew affirms that he was convicted and condemn'd after a Legal Process I desire to know how this can be prov'd to be true when 't is plain beyond all Contradiction that his Enemies were very zealous in suborning false Witnesses against him Perhaps they wou'd fain make us believe that our Saviour was convicted because his Accusers took great Advantage against him by that innocent and just Expression of his I am able to destroy the Temple of Mat. xxv V. 6. 1 God and to build it in three Days 'T is true indeed he spoke these Words of the Temple of his Body but they not knowing his Design imagin'd that they had a Reference to their Material and Pompous Temple for which they plainly discover'd a far greater Veneration than for that Glorious and Adorable Temple wherein the ETERNAL WORD the TRVTH and WISDOM of GOD did Personally tho' Mysteriously reside But since Celsus's Jew insults over us because our Saviour was taken I grant he was but this ought to be consider'd that it wasn't done without his own Consent For when his Time was come he surrend'red himself as an easie Prey into the Hands of his barbarous Enemies and abundantly made good the Character which is giv'n him in the Holy Scripture and particularly in the following Words Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the John i. V. 28. World This is no more than what the Evangelist tells us Jesus therefore knowing says he all Things that should Joh. xviii V. 4 c come upon him went forth and said unto 'em whom seek ye They answer'd him Jesus of Nazareth Jesus says unto 'em I am he And Judas also which betray'd him stood with em As soon then as he had said unto 'em I am he they went backward and fell to the Ground Then ask'd he them again Whom seek ye And they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus answer'd I have told you that I am he If therefore ye seek me let these go their Way And when one of his Disciples stood by and smote the Ear of the High-Priest's Servant he said Put up thy Sword into its place For all they that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray unto my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfill'd that thus it must be Now if any Person shou'd be so weak as to imagine that these are only Fictions of the Evangelists have we not Reason on the contrary to think our Adversaries have been grosly guilty of that Practice with which they charge the Christians that so they might vent their implacable Malice against all those who profess to be the Followers of the Blessed Jesus and to believe that those Things are most certainly true which are related by Persons whose Integrity do's abundantly appear from the Consideration of the dreadful Calamities to which they knew their Religion did so manifestly expose em For we can't conceive that the Followers of our Blessed Saviour shou'd embrace the most shameful and painful Death with undaunted Courage and heroick Constancy had they been the scandalous Inventers of the History which they transmitted to Posterity but on the contrary we must esteem 'em to be Persons who were fully perswaded in their own Minds of the Truth and Importance of what they publish'd to the World since they knew by Observation and Experience that Scorn and Infamy were the shocking Attendants and Persecution and Death almost the natural and unavoidable Consequence of the glorious Profession which they made of the Name of Jesus CHAP. XIII WHAT the pretended Jew says farther viz. That our Saviour was betray'd by his own Disciples he might learn from the Evangelists with this little Difference that whereas they acquaint us that he was betray'd by Judas he chooses to speak in the Plural Number that his Objection may seem to have the greater Force but hasn't the Curiosity I will not say the Conscience to enquire narrowly into the Account which we have of Judas whose Heart was miserably
cursed Hands in the bloody Death of our Blessed Lord. Celsus therefore might every Jot as well have granted that our Saviour knew what Accidents wou'd befall him and yet have talk'd with the highest Contempt of his Divine Praescience as grant that he was capable of working such Miracles as he wrought and at the same Time affirm that he was a Notorious and Vile Impostor And he might with all his Learning have shown that the Augurs and Auspices foretold Future Events by the Flying of Birds and by the Intrails of Beasts But he was loth it seems to make this Concession whereas he do's in some sort acknowledge that our Saviour wrought many Miracles and yet asserts he did 'em by the Help of Magick Phlegon was much more ingenuous who in the 13th and 14th Book of his Chronicon acknowledges that our Saviour foretold Future Events and says they exactly answer'd his Prediction tho' I observe that he seems sometimes to confound our Blessed Lord with the Apostle Peter And as it were in Spite of Prejudice he draws this natural Conclusion That since the Founder of our Holy Religion and many of his Followers were able to foretell many future and remarkable Events at so great a Distance of Time which exactly answer'd their Predictions we must suppose that they were acted by a more than Ordinary Power Then Celsus says That our Saviour's Disciples not being able to conceal those Things which were expos'd to Publick View thought that the best Game they had to play was to give out that their Master foresaw a long Time before all the Accidents that did afterwards befall him But either he didn't know or at least seems to be ignorant that our Blessed Saviour us'd the following Words to his Disciples All ye shall be offended because of me this Night which Mat. 26. V. 31. we know happen'd accordingly and was no false Prophet when he said to Peter Before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice Ibid. V. 34. Now if they hadn't been Men of undoubted Integrity but had design'd to impose on our Credulity by false Narrations they wou'd certainly have discover'd so much of Worldly Policy as to have said nothing at all of Peter's Denying his Blessed Lord whose Cause he had so resolutely promis'd to maintain and never to have mention'd the Offence which ev'n some of the Disciples took at the mean Condition in which our Saviour condescended and thought fit to appear and if these Things which seem to represent the Followers of our Blessed Lord to a great Disadvantage were not related in the Gospels how cou'd Celsus or any other Person have tak'n Occasion from thence to cast a Reproach on our most Holy Religion But they were not unwilling that latest Posterity shou'd be acquainted with their Failings since they were well assur'd that this wou'dn't in the least hinder the happy Progress of the Everlasting Gospel or give the Reader any just Occasion to be guilty of the like Irregular Practices What Celsus adds is ridiculous to the last Degree The Disciples got this publish'd says he to secure the Reputation of their Master and 't is as if to prove that a Man is just I shou'd instance in several Acts of Injustice that he has done or to prove that he 's free from Passion I shou'd shew that he has been guilty of Murder or to prove that he 's immortal shou'd expose his dead Body to View and after all put People off with this frivolous Pretence that he foresaw whatsoever shou'd befall him But here 't is apparent that he grosly misapplies the Instances which he 's pleas'd to produce For there 's no Absurdity at all in supposing that our Blessed Saviour shou'd propose himself to us as a Bright Example of Moral Virtue and yet teach us to sacrifice our Lives and all that 's dear to us for the Sake of the Religion we embrace Consider also that the Death which he suffer'd is of General and Universal Advantage as I think I have sufficiently prov'd already And tho' Celsus do's fondly imagine that it makes very much for the Cause which he espouses that we don't deny that our Saviour suffer'd in the most notorious and shameful Manner yet this is for Want of knowing the SACRED MYSTERIES that are contain'd in the Passion of our BLESSED LORD as St. Paul observes and the several Predictions which are left upon Record by the Inspired Prophets concerning this difficult and important Affair Besides he seems not to know that there was a Celebrated Heretick who deny'd that the Sufferings of our Saviour were real This made him say You don't pretend that his bitter Passion was only in Appearance but without mincing the Matter you hold that he suffer'd in a strict and proper Sence For our Parts we think 't is a Notorious Heresy to maintain that our Saviour's Sufferings were only in Appearance since we must then affirm as the necessary Consequence of the fore-mention'd false and dangerous Position that his Resurrection as glorious as we suppose it to be was a meer Deceptio Visus For he that really dyes if he rises again must be really ris'n and on the contrary he that dy'd but in Appearance can only seemingly rise But because Infidels endeavour to expose the Doctrine of the Resurrection of our Saviour to the last Degree of Prophane Contempt I shall take Occasion to mention here what Plato relates of Er the Son of Armenius Plato's Common Wealth l. 10. who at the End of twelve Days rose out of his Tomb and told several remarkable Transactions that to his certain Knowledge had pass'd in the World of Spirits And I might mention the Story which Heraclitus tells of a Woman who continu'd a considerable Time without any Sign of Life which I think do's evidently and not a little serve my present Purpose since 't is with Infidels I 'm now engag'd And many pregnant Instances might easily be produc'd from History of Persons who have appear'd the Day after their Decease Is it then any Wonder at all that one who in the whole Course of his Life did so many Actions which nothing short of a Divine Power cou'd possibly enable him to perform who wrought Miracles to attest the Truth of his Doctrine which were so surprizing and so open to the View of his most implacable Adversaries that Celsus himself has not the Face to deny that they were true in Fact tho' indeed he ascribes 'em to the Power of Infernal Daemons I say is it any Wonder at all that so Divine a Person as our Saviour was shou'd have something that was remarkable in his Death and that his Holy Soul having freely and ev'n chearfully left his Body for a Time shou'd return to it as soon as ever it had perform'd the entire Duty of a Disunited Spirit Our Saviour has the following Words No Man takes it from me speaking of his Life but I lay it down of John 10. V. 18. my self I have Power
and sometimes must be restrain'd to his Humane Nature as when he says Ye seek to kill me a Man that has told you the Truth which I have heard of God So in the Case which is now before us we must understand him speaking as a Man discovering at once the Weakness of the Flesh and the Willingness of the Spirit the former in those Words Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me and the latter in those Words Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done And 't is observable that he begins with those Words which are a plain Indication of the Weakness of the Flesh and concludes with those which discover the Willingness of the Spirit and the latter are oftnest repeated by him Besides 't is worthy of our Notice that he don't absolutely pray Let this Cup pass from me but expresses a most profound Submission to his Father's Will in the following Words If it be possible I am not insensible I confess that some Interpret those Words after the following Manner that our Saviour foreseeing what Calamities wou'd befal the City of Jerusalem and not only so but the whole Nation of the Jews on the Account of that unjust and barbarous Treatment he shou'd meet with at their Hands had such a tender Compassion for this sinful and miserable People that he desir'd to be excus'd from Suffering that he might prevent 'em from being forsak'n of God and expos'd to those threatning Calamities which he had in View And then 't is as if he had said since the Jews upon my Suffering will be sadly left by that God who once took 'em into his special Protection and put 'em under so happy a Government as that of a Theocracy I desire if it be possible that this Cup may escape me Besides if our Saviour's Sufferings put him to no Pain at all as Celsus wou'd fain have us to believe it was impossible they shou'd upon our own Hypothesis I shou'd be glad to know how he cou'd set his Followers a bright Example of Patience under the most grievous Sufferings for the Sake of their most Holy Religion CHAP. XVIII THEN Celsus's Jew accuses our Saviour's Disciples of Imposture You impose on us says he with a Company of Old Wives Fables and han't the Sence to give 'em the least Colour of Reason to recommend 'em to the World To this I answer the Evangelists cou'd easily have omitted these Things if they had pleas'd and then there had been no Room for this horrid Slander For how cou'd our Enemies unless they wou'd invent Fictions out of their own fruitful Brain reproach us with such and such Expressions of our Saviour during his most bitter Passion if the Evangelists had suffer'd 'em as it were to sleep in an eternal Silence And Celsus wasn't sensible that 't was morally impossible for 'em to allow emselves to be tamely deluded in the Affair of the History of our Blessed Saviour so as to be prevail'd with to look upon him to be no less than a God and the very Person that was so frequently and so expresly Foretold by the Jewish Prophets and at the same Time be convinc'd in their Consciences that all that they writ concerning him at least what seem'd to favour him was made up of Fictions that were entirely owing to their fruitful but unhappy Invention But 't is plain that either they were Men of Integrity and publish'd nothing but what they firmly believ'd was true or else their Gospels are fill'd with trifling Fictions of their own and by Consequence they cou'dn't possibly be perswaded in their Minds that our Saviour was a GOD. Then Celsus's Jew asserts That ev'n some of the Christians like Men that are intoxicated by the Fumes of Wine and don't mind at all what they say or do have alter'd the Original Text of the Gospels so that they may admit of various and almost infinite Readings And this I suppose they did out of Humane Policy that when we press 'em home with an Argument they might have the larger Scope for their Pitiful Evasions But for my Part I confess I know no Changes that the Original Text of the Gospels has ever undergone unless by Means of the Followers of Marcion Valentinus and Lucian Besides tisn't fair at all to charge such a Thing as this upon the Christian Religion as a Crime and unworthy of its pretended Purity but those Persons who were concern'd in the Fact ought by all the Laws of Justice to answer for it And as 't is no solid tho' a plausible and popular Argument against the Heathen Philosophy that Sophists Epicureans and Peripateticks have us'd their utmost Endeavours to delude the World with their false and dangerous Opinions So 't is no convincing Argument against the Truth of the Christian Religion that some Persons have had the horrid Impudence to corrupt the Gospels themselves and so have giv'n an unhappy Rise to numerous and most impious Heresies CHAP. XIX THEN Celsus's Jew finds Fault with the Christians again for misapplying as he fondly imagines the Scripture-Prophecies to our Blessed Saviour But I think I have spoke sufficiently to this Point already Besides if the Conviction of his Reader was the End which he propos'd to himself he ought to have giv'n us a Key for the right understanding of the Jewish Prophecies and might have offer'd one wou'd think some solid Reasons why they can by no Means be fairly accommodated to our Saviour and really he needn't have been so sparing of his Time and Strength in examining a Matter of such vast Importance and especially since he confidently affirms that there are Abundance of Persons to whom the Prophecies might more fitly be apply'd But Celsus it seems isn't sensible at all that tho' such extravagant Discourse as this might become one who is an utter Stranger to the Prophetick Oracles yet 't is very improper to come from the Mouth of any rational and sober Jew Indeed a Person of the fore-mention'd Character will do what lyes in his Power to evade the Interpretations of Scripture which we Christians give but he 'll never grant what Celsus says viz. That there are Abundance of Persons to whom the Prophecies may more fitly be apply'd than to our Blessed Saviour I have already observ'd that the Prophets speak of a twofold Coming of the Messiah so that 't is needless for me to answer the pretended Jew when he says The Prophets represent the Messiah as a mighty Prince and Soveraign of the Vniverse CHAP. XX. WHAT he adds that God never destgn'd to bring so great a Plague upon the World as the Christian Religion do's strongly savour of the Malice of an inveterate Jew who supplies his Want of Reason by a vast Stock of Impudence that he has always by him But I defy Celsus and all the Men in the World to prove that a Doctrine introduc'd by one who reclaim'd so many Persons from the most scandalous Vices and effectually engag'd 'em to