nothing in Scripture that looks like Inconsistent and Contradictory Upon a diligent Search we shall discern a mutual Correspondence in the Stile Matter and Design of these Writings we shall find a happy Concurrence of Circumstances and an admirable Consistency in the Doctrines and Discourses in so much that we shall be forced to acknowledg that upon this single Consideration it is reasonable to believe that these Writings were endited by the Holy Spirit This Harmony then of the Scriptures I may justly reckon among the Inward Notes of the Truth of Scripture because it is adjoined to the Matter of it which is of the very Intrinsick Nature of it What Iustinian professes and promises concerning his Digests in his Preface to them that there is nothing Clashing and Contradictory in them but that they are all of a piece is true only of the Sacred Laws of the Evangelical Pandects which contain in them nothing Dissonant and Repugnant The Old and New Testament the Prophets and Apostles are consonant to themselves and to one another which is a great Argument of the Truth of them There is nothing in one Place of Scripture opposite to the true Meaning which the Holy Ghost hath revealed and asserted in another The Contents of the whole Book whether you look into the Doctrinal or Historical Part of it have nothing contradictory in them All the Authors of it agree in their Testimonies and assert the same thing and consent among themselves It is the Nature of Lies and Forgeries that they hang not together as Lactantius on the like Occasion hath observed Especially if you search very inquisitively and narrowly into them you will perceive that they are thin and slight and may easily be seen through But the Contents of these Writings have been diligently inquired into and with great Care and Industry examined by all sorts of Persons and yet they are found to be every ways Consistent with themselves and the Testimony of the Writers is known to be Concurrent and Agreeing All wise and curious Observers must needs grant that there is no Book under Heaven that parallels the Scriptures as to this Which shews that they are more than Humane Writings yea that they were Divinely inspired and dictated And this I take to be the Sense of St. Peter who assures us that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation He speaks of the first Rise of those Prophecies which are in Scripture they are from God they are not of private Interpretation they are not from Man's Invention they are not of his own Brain and Fancy but they are to be esteem'd to be as they are Divine and Heavenly Oracles Thus the Word of God is Witness to it self and stands in need of no others The Scripture is sufficiently proved by what is in it and is to be believed for its own sake Which made an antient Writer say We have compleat Demonstrations out of the Scriptures themselves and accordingly we are demonstratively assured by Faith concerning the Truth of the things therein delivered Which cannot be said of any humane Writings in the World for they carry no such Native Marks with them But the very Inward Notes of the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures create in us a certain and unshaken Belief They may be known from all other Writings whatsoever by the Excellent Transcendent and Divine Matter contained in them and by the peculiar Manner of delivering and publishing it These I call Internal Proofs because they are taken from the Books themselves because they are something that we find there These assure us that they were written not by Man but by God There is yet another Internal Testimony I call it so because it is within Vs though not in the Scriptures As I have shewed you that the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures and bears Testimony to the Truth of them so now I add that this Spirit speaks in Vs and works in our Hearts a Perswasion that the Scriptures are the Word of God By this Spirit we are enabled to discern the Voice of the same Spirit and of Christ in those Writings This witnessing Power of the Spirit in the Souls of Believers is asserted in Acts 5. 32. 15. 7 8. and in 1 Iohn 5. 6. From these Places it is clear that there is an Illumination of the Spirit joining with our Consciences and Perswasions and this Spirit powerfully convinces all Believers of the Truth of the Scriptures This Testimony follows immediately on our setting before us the Inward Excellencies of the Scripture as I have represented them for God makes use of those Evidences and Arguments to beget a Belief in us of the Divine Authority of Scripture The Spirit enlightens and convinces Mens Minds by those Means but more especially he urges these Evidences on the Hearts of the Religious and Faithful and thereby brings them to a firm Perswasion of the Scriptures being the Word of God This is no Enthusiasm because it is discovered to us by proper Means and Instruments whereas that is without any and is generally accompanied with the despising of them But the Evidences and Notes in the Scripture are the Reasons and Motives of our Belief only the Holy Spirit comes and prepares and sanctifies our Minds and illuminates our Consciences and causes those Arguments and Motives to make Impression upon us and effectually to prevail with us and to silence all Objections to the contrary Thus the Truth of Scripture is attested by the Holy Spirit witnessing in us But when I say the Testimony of the Spirit is a Proof of the Truth of the Scripture I must adjoin this that this Proof serves only for those that have this Spirit it may establish them but it cannot convince others No other Man can be brought to be perswaded of the Truth of those Sacred Writings by the Spirit 's convincing me of the Truth of them Besides this Proof is not in all that really believe the Truth of these Books some may be convinced of the Truth of them without this but where this is it is most Powerful and Convictive and surpasses all other degreâ— of Perswasion whatsoever There is no such câ—tain knowledg of the Truth of these Holy Wâ— tings as by the Testimony of the Sacred Spirit 〈◊〉 the Hearts of Men produced there in a ration â— way and in such a manner as is most sutable 〈◊〉 our Faculties CHAP. II. External Proofs of the Truth of the Holy Scriptureâ— Viz. the wonderful Preservation of them and Vniversal Tradition Which latter is defended against the Objections of those that talk of a New Character wherein the Old Testament is written Thâ— Iewish Masoreth attests the Authority of these Writings The Hebrew Text is not corrupted The Points or Vowels were coexistent with the Letters F. Simon 's Notion of Abbreviating the Historicâ—â— Books of the Old Testament rejected The New Tement vouched by the unanimous Suffrage of the Primitive Church The
Heavenly Nature was not corrupted by the 〈◊〉 And in his Politicks where he likewise speaks â— the Primitive and Pure State of Man he tells â— that in those first Times Man got his Living with â— out Trouble and Labour that he fed only on â— Fruits of the Earth and that Nakedness was â— Attendant of that first and Golden Age of â— World alluding to Gen. 2. 25. They were both â— ked the Man and his Wife So an Antient Wâ— ter acquaints us that the Egyptians find in tâ— old Writings that the first Men and Women â— naked which is according to what 's read in tâ— place In the Sibylline Verses which are borrow from the Scripture tho same Allegories and Dâ— scriptions are used in setting forth the happy Aâ— of Man that you find used in that holy Book â— the Happiness of Paradise is obliquely described bâ— Homer and the Felicity of the First Age by Vagil And without question the Blessed State â— Paradise is referr'd to by Ovid in his descriptâ— on of the Golden Age or Saturn's Reign Theâ— we may see represented the Simplicity and Innocency of our First Parents the Peace and Tras quillity the Contentment and Satisfaction which were peculiar to the State of Integrity 〈◊〉 it self the Seat of this Happiness seems to have been known by the antient Pagans for it is probable their Writers understand this when they teâ— us of the Elysian Fields for Gardens such as wâ— Paradise and pleasant Fields are the same with them These you may see described by Plato â— his Phaedo where he tells us that they are blessed with a mild and gentle Air pleasant Streams a constant Spring fragrant Flowers and Fruits ever growing Of these Virgil speaks in his sixth Aenead And they are the same with the Fortunate Islands which the Greeks write of a Place of extraordinary Delight and where none but Good and Vertuous Men inhabit Or if we must parallel it with a Garden so expresly call'd we have Alciuous his Garden or Orchard in Homer which was taken from the description of Paradise saith Iustin Martyr in his Oration against the Gentiles Or the Garden of Adonis which is so celebrated may refer to that of Eden and is easily derived from it Or the Garden of Iupiter in Plato's Symposiacks may aenigmatically refer as thaâ— Learned Father Origen deemeth to that of Paradise So likewise may the pleasant Orchards of the Hesperides in which were Trees that bore Golden Apples and it may be some confirmation of this Notion that near the Fountain of the River Tiâ—gris on which Paradise was seated we read of a Place that bears the Name of Hispercitis and Hisperatis It is not unlikely that these diverse Gardins were transplanted from that in Eden It is not unlikely that some or all of these Greek Fables were founded in Truth and arose from what the Inspired Book tells us that God placed Man in a Garden the Garden of Eden which signifies Pleasure or Delight for it is added that here grew every Tree that is pleasant to the Sight and good for Food Gen. 2. 9. And as this Garden was the Platform of those before mentioned so the Tree of Life in this Garden gave rise to the Poets Nectar and Ambrosia brosia which are no other than the Food and Repast of these Earthly Gods these Divine Creatures that inhabit here The former of these according to one Derivation of it made the Drinkers of it ever youthful and another Etymology speaks this Drink to be such as suffers theâ— not to Die These were the very Blessings of the Tree of Life it had a property to keep off Old Age and to preserve Man's Life a long time The latter namely Ambrosia had the same Virtue it was said to keep those that ate it free from Mortality This therefore no less than the other seems to refer to and be borrowed from the Tree of Life which should have made the Eaters of it Immortal and secured them in a State of Blessedness for ever Thus the Production of Man and sundry things referring to his Blessed State in Innocency which are found in the Writings of the Heathens were taken from the Sacred Fountains and consequently the Writings of these Heathens do in some measure attest and confirm to us the Truth and Certainty of the Holy Scriptures III. The Fall of Adam and the several particular things relating to it are to be found in these Pagan Records First the Forerunner of it viz. the Degeneracy of the Angels is plainly spoken of by that Antient Philosopher Empedocles as Plutarch relates for whom else could he mean by his Daemons to whom he gives the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaven-fallen Creatures than these Apostate Spirits who were thrust down from the Regions of Happiness above and became Devils by their own voluntary opposing of God and declining his Government Next we have good Records among the Pagans of the Fall it self of Adam and Eve especially of the latter because she was first and most eminent in the Transgression as the Apostle speaks and was the cause of the Man's defection from his Duty She is represented by Homer's Ate whom incensed Iupiter thrust down from Heaven threatning that she should never be restored to that Place again Though some have thought that this might refer to the Apostate Angels of whom before because it is common with the Poets to imply Many when they mention but One Person and so here though One be said to be cast down from Heaven yet it may intimate to us the Fall of all the cursed Crew of Wicked Angels But it is more natural I think to apply this Story it being of the Female Sex to our Grandmother Eve for what the Poets tell us of Ate viz. that she was the first-born Daughter of Iupiter and that she was that pernicious Woman that brought Mischief on the whole Race of Man exactly agrees to her so that there is no need of explaining it It is not to be doubted that our first Parent Eve was also meant by Pandora whom Hesiod and others of the Antients mention acquainting us that out of her deadly Box which she gave to Epimetheus flew all Evil into the World and thereby she became the Original of all the miserable Occurrences that happen to Humane Kind Eve was this Pandora who gave that fatal Gift of the Fruit of the Tree unto her Husband as it is express'd in Gen. 3. 6. and he himself afterwards with unspeakable Regret and too late an Insiâ—â—â— into his Condition whence he justly merits 〈◊〉 Title of Epimetheus repeats the same She 〈◊〉 me of it ver 13. and with it imparted all Evil 〈◊〉 Mankind Wherefore from that Unhappy 〈◊〉 and from her General Bestowing of all Evils on 〈◊〉 World she had the Name of Pandora among 〈◊〉 first Greek Poets who had arrived to some not 〈…〉 of this Unfortunate Woman's Miscarriage
Men and Women perished excepting only a few that betook themselves to some Vessels of wood and so preserv'd themselves Those of Mexico tell that there were five Suns heretofore that gave light to the World and that the first and oldest of them perished in the waters and at the same time the Men that were upon the Earth were drowned and all things were destroyed And several other such passages the Inhabitants of the New-found-Land received from their Forefathers some of whom perhaps were Iews for Manasseh Ben Israel thinks the Ten Tribes who were carried Captive came into the West-Indies as well as into some parts of China and Tartary and there have left footsteps of old Iudaism But whether these were Relicks or only Apeings of it I will not stand to dispute Thus I have abundantly made good that the Heathens borrowed from Scripture and Inspired Men. Their Priests took their Religious Ceremonies yea their very Gods their Poets took their Fables their Historians their more serious Narratives their Philosophers their Notions and Opinions their Common People their Words and Phrases their Usages and Customs from the Writings of the Old Testament and the Doctrine Rites and Practices of the Iews therein Recorded So that it is evident that Pagans bear Testimony to the Contents of the Old Testament and that Prophane Writers attest the Truth and Authority of those Sacred Writings If any Object that I have shewed my self arbitrary and lavish in some of the Derivations of Words which I have offered and that there is not sufficient ground for the Etymological part of my Discourse I briâ—fly Answer I have purposely and industriously all along taken care to avoid this imputation For I have sometimes taken notice of and been ashamed of the great Extravagancâ— of some Writers in this very point Thus Calepine derives Canis à Canendo as if Barking and Singing were the same thing One derives Scribo from 〈◊〉 and labours to make it out Such an Extravagant Etymologizer is Avenarius in his Hebrew Lexicon who fetches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Mashal dominatus est and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Tsaniph and Scorpio from Gnacrab which is the Hebrew Name of that Animal Yea he deduces Turk from Kedar by a Metathesis And Monsieur Bochart is not far behind him for he is oftentimes very bold and presuming in his Etymologies he making it his business to fetch all from the Phaenician Tongue which to accomplish he makes any thing out of any thing I have not ventured to Etymologize after the rate of these Men though they are all of them very Learned Heads but I have with singular care throughout my whole undertaking endeavour'd to preserve the Honour of Grammar and Criticism which so many have violated and not to put off the Reader with far fetch'd Derivations of Words and Names without observing the due Laws of deducing and forming them I have never presumed to derive one word from another where there was not a fair Grammatical Analogy between them and some agreement in their sound and some considerable probability of their being nearly allied to one another In the next place if any Object that I have gathered many things from the mere sound and likeness of words which is an uncertain and Arbitrary thing and there is no conclusion to be made thence I Answer it is true the sole Affinity of words is no firm and undeniable Argument of their Origination The significations of words in different Languages may sometimes be coincident yet we are not certain thence of their Derivation This I am most ready to grant nay farther that it is folly to derive one word from another meerly because of the likeness of them as if because the Pentateuch is divided into Parashah's therefore we must derive Parishes from thence they being such a part of a City or Town set out as divided and separated from the rest You may as well derive Montgomery from Gomer and say it is the Montanous Country where Gomer Lived Who thinks that the English word Evil comes from the Hebrew Evil a Fool It would be ridiculously quibbling to fetch the Proverbial Saying As lean as a Rake from the Hebrew Raâ—â— tenuis macer gracilis fuit or to make a bad one in English to have assinity with Abaddon It would be yet more intolerably ridiculous and might be look'd upon as a School-Boy's pun to derive a High-Man from one of the three Giants call'd Ahiman Wherefore I do not contend that all accidental likenesses in words are a foundation to ground Etymologies and Derivations upon I know some are very foolish and trifling here they find such and such words in different Tongues agreeing in sound and thence they infer they are akin if they can but make out any kind of resemblance in their signification If the Hebrew word bad which hath many significations had one like the English bad they would presently say that this came from that If Siccus had been of the same signification with Aegrotus we should have said the English word Sick was thence If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had signified any thing like Caelum or Aether we should have derived Skie thence If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been as much as imperare gubernare some would conclude regnum to be derived from it And* several other words I could instance in which you shall find in another place I grant then that there is a great deal of uncertainty in Etymologies and we are not to lay any huge stress upon them But though this be true yet where we find there is agreat probability that words are related to one another where there is good ground for it we are to take notice of it Though there be in Goropius Bâ—chanâ—â— and some others before mention'd many frivolouâ— Etymologies and fanciful Derivations yet this hath not made Wise Men disregard the Alliance and Cognation which are between words especially between the Hebrew and other words Thus it is most probable that the following Greek Latin English and French ones are derived from the Hebrew Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mysterium Lat. Uro Mensura Gibbosus Engl. Fig. Dumb. Cable French Harasser and English Harasse From. Mister idem Ur ignis Mesurah idem Gibben idem Fag ficus Dum siluit obmutuit Chebel funis Haras diruit destruxit I cannot peremptorily aver that these are of Hebrew Original but no Man alive is able positively to assert the contrary Yea there are many words in the Derivation of which all generally agree few or none deny or so much as doubt that the Latin Gubernare and the English 〈◊〉 Govern are from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all of them from the Hebrew Gabar Gubernavit vicit Tâ—â—er from Turris and both from Tur Syriak the same Camel and Camelus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 the same Tornace to Turn from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that from Tor ordo
are only Poetick Flourishes and therefore must not be thought to refer to any real thing The fixing this on my mind kept me from running into those Extravagancies which some have been guilty of whilst they imagined that the Poets in all or most of the particulars with which their Fables are stuffed allude to so many express passages in True History I attended to the main thing in their Writings which I saw came so near to Scripture the rest I pass'd by as meer Poetick Flash and Foolery and not to be taken notice of In short I have always trod where there is some tolerable ground and footing and I have omitted several particulars which others insist upon meerly because they have so sandy a bottom So little Reason have any to blame me for indulging of Fancy in this present undertaking where I have endeavour'd in abundant instances to make it probable that the Pagans borrowed from the Sacred Writings CHAP. VIII The Antiquity of the Writings of the Old Testament asserted The way oâ— communicating Scriptural Truths and Historieâ— to the Pagans viz. by the Commerce which the Iews had with other Nations by their being dispers'd over all the World by the Translation of the Bible into Greek by the Travels of Philosophers and other Studious Men among the Heathens How the Sacred Truths but especially the Historical part of the Old Testament came to be misunderstood and corrupted viz. by the confusion of Tongues by being Transmitted to Barbarous People by length of time by passing through many hands by the Superstition and Idolatry of the Receivers by the affectation of Mysteries and Abstrusities by the Grecian Humour of Inventing and Romancing by Mens being Timerous by Ignorance of the Jewish Religion and Affairs by aâ— Averseness and Hatred to the Jews It was thought by some dangerous to insert the Holy Text into their Writings What designs the Devil had in corrupting the Scripture and mixing it with Falsities iâ— the Books of the Pagans BUT not withstanding all I have said there are some who will by no means entertain this Discourse but with great earnestness and violence oppose it I am obliged therefore in the next place to fortifie it by Reason I will discover to you the Foundations on which my Opinion is built and give you a Rational Account how it comes to pass that the Heathens bear witness to the Old Testament This I will do first by shewing you how they came by these Traditions and Truths Secondly whence and how they disguis'd and corrupted them For the First It is not likely the Gentiles could light on these things by Natural Reason for those discoveries concerning the Creation and the Paradisiacal State of Man and the particular mannâ—r of his Fall and several other things which I mention'd are beyond Nature's Ken they are not such things as fall within the cognizance of Men as they are Rational Creatures therefore they must be particularly Revealed to Mankind And the Authentick Body of Divine Revealed Truth being the Bible we cannot but infer that those things were borrowed from that Sacred Volume And as for Matters of Fact relating to the Old Patriarchs and other Eminent Men in former days on which I have asserted that many of the Pagan Stories and Fables depend these were Recorded in those Sacred Books first of all and therefore these Books are the Fountains from which the Heathens took these Relations This Argument I take to be unanswerable namely that the Old Testament is the First and Antientest Book that ever was extant and therefore when the Pagan Writers mention things in this Book they took them thence or from those Persons who had them out of these Writings Here then it is necessary to insist a little on the Antiquity of this Holy Volume That Moses's Writings were long before all others is proved by several of the Fathers of the Christian Church You may reckon the Date of his Books to be about A. M. 2460 which was above 400 Years before the Trojan War before which we do not hear of any Writers whatsoever Yea it was above a Thousand Years after it that the Antientest Historian unless you will reckon those Fabulous ones Dares Phrygius and Dictys Cretensis appeared Without controversie Moses was the Oldest Historian either Natural or Ecclesiastical The Antiquity of his Works is beyond all other Books they all begin long after him And as for some other Books of the Old Testament they were before the Writings of any Heathens To begin first with the Antientest Egyptian Writers some tell us that in Moses's time flourish'd those Excellent Philosophers Zoroastres and Mercurius Trismegistus but whâ—n yoâ— come to Examine this you find no less than four Zoroastres's and to which of these the Writings are to be attributed and what date they bear iâ— uncertain so that we can conclude nothing there There are also great Disputes about Herâ—os or Trismegistus namely who he was and when he Lived and at what time the Writings that go under his Name were written and whether they be genuine Kircher holds them to be such but Casaâ—bon attempâ—â— the contrary His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is quoted by 〈◊〉 â—artyr Lactantius and Augustin and therefore 〈◊〉 Ancient but his Antiquity cannot be proved 〈◊〉 be equal with that of the Holy Writers Manetho or Manethos who writ the Egyptian History lived but in Ptolomaeus Philadelphus's time Then for the Phaenician Antiquities which Sanâ—athon writ in the Phaenician Tongue and which Philo Biblius who lived in Adrian's time â—â—rn'd into Greek of which Version Eusebius hath â—â—eserv'd us a Famous Fragment though Scaliâ—â— hath labour'd to prove them Supposititious 〈◊〉 some others reckon them not as such and â—â—rticularly the Learned Bochart hath Commentâ—â— upon them as true and Genuine Writings 〈◊〉 as for the Anâ—iquity of this Phaenician Histoâ—â—â—n and Theologer though it may be acknowâ—â—dg'd to be great yet without question he was â—oses's junior by many hundred years And so was the Author of the Babylonian or Chaldean 〈◊〉 for Berosus who is said to compile â—â—â—m lived at the same time that Manetho did And though perhaps Frier Annius hath imposed 〈◊〉 the World by the Name of this Author as some think and accordingly bring several Arguments to prove this new Berosus a Cheat 〈◊〉 it doth not follow that the old one of â—hom both Iosephus and Eusebius have preserv'd the fragments was such Some Greek Writers plead great Antiquity next Orpheus and Muâ—â—â—s the Ancientest of them all are â—aid to have Lived in Gideon's days which was about 200 years after Moses And 200 years after this Lived Dares Phrygius and Dictys Cretensis who wrote the Trojan War And 100 years after this Homer wrote his Poem who Flourish'd not 'till at least 150 years after David the Divine Poet. This is observable that the Greeks as soon as they had gain'd any knowledge of Letters and Arts fell to inventing of incredible Stories and writing
before his Father's death which yet was not long after this Admit this I say yet all that can be said is that Macrobius represents not the Story aright as to all its Circumstances especially the Time but notwithstanding this he gives Testimony to the main thing which is that we are to attend at present viz. the slaughter of the Children by the Command of Herod especially of such who were born within the space of two Years which is the thing St. Matthew expresly records Tertullian appeals to the Censual Tables and publick Acts at Rome for the Truth of this which shews it was a thing well known to those Pagans Nor were the Iews backward to assert this as you will see in Philo who relateth that Herod's Son was killed with the Children If it be objected here that the famous Iewish Historian saith nothing of this Massacre of the Innocents at Bethlehem I answer 1. Nor is there any mention of it in the other three Evangelists This is no uncommon thing for one Evangelist to record that which none of the others so much as make mention of 2. Many things in the Old-Testament and those of great Fame are omitted by this Author who designedly took upon him to give an Account of all the great Occurrences among the Iews He hath nothing of the History of Iob nothing of the Golden Calf and other matters worthy of our Observation wherefore let us not wonder that this Historical Passage in the New-Testament concerning the Infants of Bethlehem is not mentioned by him 3. It is sufficient that this Murther of the Infants is testified by one of his own Nation and by Heathen Men as you have heard It is probable that other Gentile Historians had delivered the same for it had been recorded some where as appears from Macrobius who received it from those Authors Secondly after Christ's Birth we are to consider his Life and some notable things which accompanied it and to shew that these also are attested by those that were professed Enemies of Christianity That there was such a one as Iesus who lived in Iudea in Tiberius's time and did great and wonderful things and was followed by many of the Iews and was acknowledged by them to be the Messias and sent from God and was famous for those Wonders and supernatural Effects which he wrought in the sight of the People is not disowned by the greatest Adversaries of the Christian Religion Hierocles freely confesseth it as you may read in Eusebius Celsus Iulian and Porphyry deny not the Miracles done by Christ and the Apostles as several of the ancient Fathers assure us they confess the matter of Fact that he cured the Blind and Lame c. but they ascribe it to Magick In short they give assent and testimony to the chief Passages of the Evangelical History concerning our Saviour though they cavil at others and strive to consute them They frankly acknowledge that there was such a Person as Iesus of Nazareth in the Reign of Tiberius who declared himself to be the Messias and sent from Heaven to Redeem and Save Mankind and who Preached those Doctrins which are recorded in the Gospels and acted those marvellous things which are set down there This Testimony of the Pagans is irrefragable and undeniable And such is that of the Iewish Writers who frequently make mention of Christ and acknowledge there was such a Person and that he lived at that time in which we say he did and that his doings were no less than miraculous and exceeding the power of Nature This the Iews who then or not long after lived report concerning Him as you may see in the Talmuds To this purpose Buxtorf in his Talmudick Lexicon may be consulted and our Learned Lightfoot in his Harmony and Horae Hebraicae where he hath abundant Proofs concerning the matters of Fact mentioned in the Evangelical Writings even out of Talmudick Authors This is an other Confirmation of the History of Christ the True Messias Besides this I will mention some things which happened among the Pagans at that time when Christ was on Earth as an Assurance to us that there was such a Man and that he did such and such things Thus I might produce Publius Lentulus the Roman Proconsul his Letter from Ierusalem to the Senate of Rome describing our Saviour as to the Colour Shape and Proportion of his Body I do not know any reason why we should doubt of the Credit of this Testimony unless it be his that it is not taken notice of by any very ancient Writer The Chronicles of Edessa I might â—ext mention which tell us of Abgarus's or Agâ—rus's Letter to Christ and Christ's Answer to â—im Eusebius who sets both down acquaints is that he transcribed them out of the publick Tables and Records of the City of Edessa and that the Originals were extant at that time when he wrote his Ecclesiastical History There is some probability of this from what the Evangelist saith that Christs Fame went throughout all Syria and so Abgarus who was a King in that Country and whose Residence was in Edessa might come to a knowledge of our Saviour and be deâ—irous to hold a Communication with him by Writing And what though the Evangelists are wholly silent about it This is not to be wondred at for they omitted abundance of Passages belonging to our Saviour's Life as appears from Iohn 20. 30. 21. 15. As for the Author of the foresaid Relation his Authority is unquestionable in this matter for he is universally acknowledg'd to be an honest and faithful Historian and here he declares to the World that he saw the Originals of these Epistles in Syriack at Edessa and translated them thence into Greek It is indeed the peculiar Excellency of this Historian that he produces the ancient Monuments for what he delivers This makes him a Writer worthy to be credited For what can be more desired than the citing of the Authors and unquestionable Witnesses from whence he had his Relations and the inserting of Extracts faithfully taken out of them as is usual with those that write Annals Observe it he took these Epistles out of the Syriack in which they were writ and that is the reason why other Authors and Writers before him speak nothing of them they being ignorant of the Tongue but he having Skill in it found out this choice Piece of Antiquity Afterwards these Letters are mentioned and appeal'd to by Darius Comes in an Epistle of his to St. Augustine And Ephrem who was a Syrian himself and was well skill'd in the Syriack Writings yea and was a Deacon of that very Edessa where these Epistles were kept makes mention of them particularly and asserts the Authority of them Therefore those excellent Men Casaubon and Montague are strongly enclined to embrace them as true and genuine A late worthy and industrious Writer looking upon them as such reckons our Saviour
mention'd by Three of the Evangelists the Iewish Historian expresly testifieth and he is as good a Witness as we can desire in this Affair CHAP. XII After particular Testimonies now more general ones are produced as that of Pontius Pilate in his Letters to Tiberius The respect which this Emperor and others bore to Christ. Josephus's famous Testimony concerning him as also concerning others mention'd in the New-Testament Attestations of Pagans concerning St. Paul St. Peter and the Truth of some Passages in the Acts. All Christ's Predictions about the Destruction of Jerusalem confirmed by Heathens and Jews What Pliny and Trajan relate of the Christians Mahomet bears Witness to Christ. THus you have particular Testimonies as to those Three great Things our Saviour's Birth Life and Death Now in the next place I have general Testimonies to produce There are some Pagan and Iewish Witnesses that confirm all these yea and more than what hath been hitherto testified namely Christ's Resurrection As other Governors and Deputies of Provinces used to send an Account to the Emperors and Senate of the most remarkable Things that happened in their Provinces so Pontius Pilate Procurator of Iudea did the like and his Relation is the more valuable because it is the Testimony of a Person who Condemn'd our Saviour to death His Letter or Letters rather there being two of them to the Emperor Tiberius soon after Christ's Death give an Account of his Life Miracles Crucifixion and rising to life again And as Publick Acts were wont to be transmitted and reserved in the Imperial Archives so these were kept there whence the Christian Fathers had them Hegesippus an ancient Champion of the Christian Cause made use of them against the Pagans as we are informed from Eusebius Iustin Martyr tells the Roman Emperors that as for the Death and Sufferings of Christ they were to be seen in the Acts of or under Pontius Pilate and refers them to those as satisfactory and undeniable Tertullian with great boldness alledgeth the same Records as a sufficient Confirmation of the History of Christ in his Apology c. 5. 21. Whereupon one of the Learned'st Men of our Age concludes that this ancient Father found this among the Acts of the Roman Senate where all things of this nature were set down It is not to be questioned saith he that Pontius Pilate sent this Account to Tiberius if we consider that this was the constant practise of all the Governors and Deputies of Provinces to transmit the Relation of every remarkable Occurrence to the Emperors by whom they were placed in those Stations for this purpose viz. to inform them concerning the Affairs of those particular Places Now the Crucifying of our Saviour and his Rising again were certainly very considerable and remarkable Passages and therefore 't is not to be doubted that Pilate as Procurator of Iudea sent the Emperor a Relation of them On which account this Judicious Writer asserts the Authority of these Letters and there are other Arguments which he useth to enforce the Truth of them which are worth the consulting Thus it plainly appears from the fore-mention'd Fathers that there were such Letters from Pilate to Tiberius and that there was such an Account of our Saviour extant at that time otherwise they would not have made their Appeals to them in their Apologies otherwise they would not have call'd upon the Emperors to consult their own Records which testified of Christ and his Actions Wherefore I look upon Du Pin's Judgment as flat here who saith That though this Relation cannot be absolutely charged with falshood yet it is to be reckoned as doubtful Tertullian adds and from him Eusebius that Tiberius would have put Christ into the number of the Gods upon Pilate's Writing such strange things to him concerning Him he refer'd the Matter to the Senate desiring them to rank Him among those that were Worship'd and Deified but the Senate refused it because they themselves did not first order and approve of it for it was an old Roman Law that no God should be set up by the Emperor unless first approved of by the Senate for this reason only they rejected Christ from being admitted among the Gods However the Emperor still retain'd the same Reverence and Esteem of Christ as a most Divine Person and in Honour to him favoured the Christians and by Edict ordered that none should accuse and disturb them meerly for their Religion and the name of Christians annexing a severe Penalty on such as dared to transgress this Edict Nay Tertullian and other Fathers assure us that he had so great a Reverence for Christ that he intended to erect a Temple to him This was from that Information which Pilate sent him concerning our Saviour I might mention the Kindnesses which other Emperors had for Christ as no contemptible Testimony to that purpose which I design this Discourse for Lampridius reports that Alexander Severus Worshipped our Lord and had his Picture in great Veneration and that he had thoughts of erecting a Temple to him and taking him into the number of the Gods Which Adrian likewise he saith intended to have done but was hindred from it by being told that all would turn Christians and the Temples Consecrated to the other Gods would be forsaken These are ample Attestations of Pagans concerning Christ and which is greater they are their Approbations of him Next I produce the Testimony of a Famous Iew whom I have so often made mention of who forty or fifty Years after some of the Evangelical Writings gave an account of the Iews Affairs and of Christ and of many things relating to Him Among other Passages he hath this memorable one At this time saith he there was one Jesus a Wise Man if I may call him a Man for he did most wonderful Works and was a Teacher of thâ—se who received the Truth with delight He brought many to his Perswasion both of the Jews and Gentiles This was Christ who though he was by the Instigation of some of the Chief of our Nation and by Pilate ' s Doom hung on the Cross yet those who loved him at first did not cease to do so for he came to Life again the third day and appeared to them the Divine Prophets having fore-told these and infinite other Wonders of him and to this day remains that sort of Men who have from Him the name of Christians Both Eusebius and St. Ierom alledge this Famous Testimony of Iosephus concerning Christ as an undeniable Confirmation of the Christian Religion And the latter of these Writers places this Iew among the Ecclesiastical Writers of the Church because he speaks of our Saviour with this great respect A late Writer hath a great many idle foolish Cavils against this so notable a Memorial of Iosephus concerning our blessed Lord. He thinks it strange that Iustin Martyr Tertullian and Clemens Alexandrinus writing against the Iews make no
use of this Testimony especially that the first of these in his Dialogue with Trypho where his design is to convert that Iew to Christianity omits it wholly But to him that considers things aright this will not seem strange for if he looks into these Fathers he will find that their grand enterprize and design were to convince the Iews out of the Old-Testament which they profess'd they heartily believed and imbraced and therefore those learned and pious Writers fixed here and were not solicitous to go any farther What need was there of flying to human Authors when this divine and inspired Volume furnished them with abundant Arguments and Proofs against Iudaism It would have been unnecessary and superfluous to alledge the Testimony of this Person though never so credible when they had so many infallible Authors to vouch them and the Religion which they had espoused Again this late Critick tells us that this Testimony is against Iosephus's mind he being a Iewish Priest a legal Sacrificer and most tenacious of the Iewish Religion He was of the Sect of the Pharisees and one of the Princes of the Mosaick Church therefore it is unlikely that he would leave any such thing upon record in his Writings Those that know Iosephus's Sect and Life cannot believe saith he that these words were his Yes they very well may for he doth not absolutely assert our Saviour to be the true Messias but only that he was the Person who was called Christ and that excellent Worth and even Divinity appeared in him and he farther bears witness that this excellent Person who was of old prophesied of was not treated according to his transcendent merits but was barbarously put to death by his Country-men and yet that in a miraculous manner he was revived and thereby gave an undeniable proof of his Innocency and Integrity All this though it be a most remarkable Attestation of our Saviour yet might have been said as really it was by a Iewish Sacrificer by a strict Pharisee by a tenacious asserter of the Mosaick Riligion The whole Testimony is but the result of an unprejudiced and honest Mind such as this Historian was Master of And if it be true what this Criticizer mentions and attempts to prove out of Origen that Iosephus had before this writ against Christ the Testimony thereby becomes the more remarkable because it is a great argument of the irresistible power of the Truth and that there was a wonderful change wrought in this Person And truly this Objector himself mentions that which may induce us to believe it for we read saith he in Iosephus's Book which he writ of his own Life that he having gone through all the Iewish Sects was admitted at last into the discipline of Banus a Disciple of Iohn the Baptist. Thus this Author answers himself and what he had before objected namely that this Historian wrote against his own mind if these words of his were true It is not likely that he spoke contrary to his Perswasion if he was entred into the discipline of Iohn Baptist who had been Christ's fore-runner for thereby this Author imbibed a good opinion to say no more of the Founder of Christianity What this Critick farther saith that if this Testimony were Iosephus's he would have said a great deal more than he doth is very fâ—ivolous and not worth taking notice of And so is that that the Stile plainly betrays the Cheat it being frigid and lax putid and inert as he saith whereas it is evident to any competent Judge that the Language is nothing of this nature but is like the rest of the Historian's Stile Lastly we are beholding to him for finding out the Author of the Cheat who he affirms is Eusebius as if he had lived before or at the same time with Iosephus that is as if one of the Fourth Century was contemporary with him that flourish'd in the First He perempâ—oâ—ily tells us that Eusebius clapt in this Passage meerly out of design namely to gratifie a party of Christians and to carry on the Cause And that we may give credit to this he falls very severely on this worthy Man and both ignorantly and maliciously finds fault with him This is the course that our angry Critick takes but no sober and judicious Person can allow of it for it may be plainly discern'd that this Writer was resolv'd upon it to run down this Testimony of the Iewish Historian by any kind of artifice whatsoever but when we come to examine the Methods he takes they are found to be of no force what he offers for proof is groundless precarious and inconsistent After all that he hath said this Iewish Testimony and the Credit of its Author remain impregnable What though we have granted that in some things he is faulty and where is their an Historian that is not what though he omits some remarkable Occurrences and mistakes the order of Time of which he could not come to a certain knowledge Notwithstanding this his Testimony in this matter may be valid nay we have all the reason imaginable to believe it is such for he was capable of attaining to a full knowledge of what he here writeth There is then no ground to think that he imposed upon his Reader or spoke against his Perswasion but on the contrary it is reasonable to look upon him as one that freely uttered his mind and shew'd himself to be Ingenuous Faithful and Impartial Such was he esteemed to be by those ancient Writers who had oceasion to make use of his Testimony and such was his Character with all those Persons who have since used the same in Confirmation of the History of the Gospel And truly it is a full and pregnant Ratification of it an attesting no less than the Life Death and Resurrection of our Saviour This latter especially being attested by a Iewish Priest is considerable This Person knew nothing of that Cheat which the Iews labour'd at first to put upon some and therewith to stifle the truth of Christ's rising from the dead namely that his Disciples came by night and stole him away He tells us plainly and expresly that Christ was restor'd to Life on the Third Day after he was put Death which is exactly according to the Narrative in the Gospels I will conclude then with the words which a Pious Father useth after he had recited Iosephus's Testimony of Christ If our very Enemies saith he dare not oppose the truth who will shew himself so obstinate as not to give credit to those things which are as clear as the Sun yea much clearer If Iews and Pagans bear witness to Christ we Christians are obliged to listen to their Testimony and to abominate the practise of those who endeavour and that with no little art and pains to enervate and destroy it Again Iosephus confirms the Truth of the Evangelical History by relating several other things which are recorded there Thus he speaks