Men after 'em for 't was needless to admonish 'em to avoid every trisling and conceited Impostor he directed his Discourse to 'em after the following Manner If any Man says he shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise FALSE CHRISTS and false Prophets and they shall shew great Signs and Wonders Insomuch that if it be possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he 's in the Desart go not forth Behold he 's in the secret Chambers believe it not For as the Lightning comes out of the East and shines ev'n unto the West so shall also the Coming of the Son of Man be In another Place he has the following Words Many will say unto me in that Day Lord Lord have we not prophecy'd in thy Name And in thy Name cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works And then will I profess to 'em I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity But Celsus confounding the Miracles of our Saviour with the-Enchantments of Men breaks out into the following Exclamation O the Force of Truth He himself don't stick to acquaint us as ev'n your own Writings inform us that many shall come and do the same Miracles that were wrought by him and on that very score O monstrous Impudence He charges 'em with being wicked Men and notorious and vile Impostors and says That Satan will be the Original Author of their cursed Arts. So that he himself acknowledges that 't is so far from bearing the Stamp of a DIVINE AVTHORITY that 't is owing to a Dishonourable and Vnhappy Source and not being able to resist the clear Evidence of Truth do's in the very same Breath condemn their Miracles and his own Now isn't it a most intolerable Thing that from the very same Actions he by all Means must be denominated a GOD and Others be branded with the Infamous Title of MAGICIANS So that his own Mouth condemns him and we ha'n't more Reason to think that they were Wicked Men than that he himself was one of the Vilest Persons upon Earth For he has plainly told us that Actions of that Nature were certain Indications of the most Notorious Deceit and Impiety and not of a Divine Power accompanying the Persons who perform'd em But here 't is obvious to observe Celsus's Malicious Mis-representation of Matters since our Saviour's Language is vastly different from what the Pretended Jew wou'd fain have it to be Perhaps he might have had some plausible Pretence sor his Prophane Discourse if our Saviour had admonish'd his Disciples to avoid all those who shou'd make their Boast of Miracles and had infinuated nothing of the unjust Claim they laid to the Title of the TRVE MESSIAH But since we are told that they gave out they were the CHRIST which I think is a Profession that Magicians don't commonly make and since we are told they shou'd be Persons of very loose Morals and shou'd work such Miracles as were vastly different from those which were wrought by our Blessed Saviour the Conduct of the Holy JESVS in this very Affair is so far from carrying the Appearance of the least Imposture that to me 't is a Convincing Argument that both he and his Disciples wrought their Miracles by the POWER of GOD and that others who were acted by Satan did only counterfeit the Glorious Actions of CHRIST and his Apostles and so prevail'd with some deluded Persons to believe that their High Pretensions were most just and reasonable The Apostle Paul acquaints us how The Man of Sin and Son of Perdition shou'd be revealed and exalt himself above 2 Thes 2. V. 3. all that is called GOD or worshipp'd so that as GOD he sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is GOD. And in another Place he says Now ye know what with-holds that he might ibid. V. 6 be reveal'd in his Time For the Mystery of Iniquity do's already work only he who now lets will let until he be tak'n out of the Way And then shall that wicked One be reveal'd whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy with the Brightness of his Coming ev'n him whose Coming is after the Working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders and with all Deceivableness of Vnrighteousness in them that perish And he gives the Reason why God wou'd suffer him to act his Hellish Part upon the Stage of the World viz. Because they receiv'd not the Love of the Truth that they might be sav'd that they all might be damn'd who believ'd not the Truth but had Pleasure in Vnrighteousness Now let any one shew with any Colour of Reason that the Miracles of our Saviour and his Disciples which are related in the Gospels were done by such WICKED ARTIFICE as the Apostle speaks of and it may not be amiss to read the Prophecy of Daniel concerning ANTICHRIST But Celsus represents the Words of our Saviour to a Disadvantage when he makes him say That many shou'd come after him who shou'd do the very same Miracles with those which he wrought himself and yet be Wicked Persons and Notorious Impostors For as there was a VAST DIFFERENCE between the DIABOLICAL POWER by which the Wise Men of the Egyptians were acted and the DIVINE ASSISTANCE which Moses had when he wrought his Miracles the Event sufficiently proving that what the former did was merely owing to the Force of their Cursed Enehantmenss and what was perform'd by the latter was manifestly owing to the INFLVENCE of the BLESSED SPIRIT So there was the same between those of our SAVIOVR and those of ANTICHRIST and his Confederates who counterfeited the Miracles of CHRIST and his Apostles and Followers which had a most wonderful and happy Issue Mankind being thereby induc'd to embrace the BEST RELIGION that was ever introduc'd into the World Celsus I confess discovers that he isn't entirely ignorant of the Scriptures when he makes our Saviour say That Satan wou'd be the Original Author of that Cursed Art by which false Prophets wou'd impose upon the World but is a little too hasty in drawing his pretended Consequence viz. Our Saviour's Miracles ev'n according to his own free Confession did bear no Stamp of a DIVINE AVTHORITY but were such Works as were to be perform'd it seems by some of the Vilest Persons that ever breath'd on Earth For he makes no Difference at all between those Things that are Homogeneous and those that are Heterogeneous as Logicians Call 'em between Things of the same and Things of a very different Kind Now as a Wolf and a Dog do widely differ tho' there seems to be some considerable Resemblance between 'em with respect to their Shape and Tone of Voice and the same may be said of a Stock-Dove and a Pidgeon So what is done by the Help of Magick is not of
afterwards Arise and take the young Child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee Word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him And I see nothing in this whole Account that ev'n seems to shock our Reason and destroy our Faith For we read elsewhere that Joseph was warn'd by God in a Dream and that such Apparitions as these have been is a Truth in the firm Belief of which Experience it self may I think sufficiently confirm us What Absurdity is there then upon the whole in supposing that our Blessed Saviour who assum'd the Humane Nature shou'd act with the Prudence of a Man in endeavouring to keep out of the Way of impending Calamities not as if he cou'dn't have avoided 'em by his Infinite Power without taking such Measures as he did but because 't was consistent with the Will of God and with the Nature of Things that his Life shou'd be preserv'd In the Vse of Means and not by a Continu'd Course of Super-natural and Miraculous Events 'T was more agreeable to the Dictates of Infinite Wisdom that our Saviour shou'd be carry'd by his Parents into Egypt and that he shou'd tarry there 'till they heard of the Death of Herod than that he shou'd stay in his Native Country and yet be preserv'd from the Evils to which he was expos'd being better arm'd than with Pluto's Helmet and secur'd from the Rage of his malicious Enemies by their being struck like the Sodomites of old with sudden Blindness For such a Series of miraculous Appearances had been very unsuitable to his great Design of acquainting the World as a Man authoriz'd by the Testimony of God himself that the TRVE SON of GOD the ETERNAL WORD the WISDOM and POWER of GOD did gloriously tho' wonderfully reside in the Humane Nature of the INCARNATE JESVS But 't is not my Business at present to speak fully of the Two Natures that were united in the Person of our Blessed Saviour since there is a Particular and if I may so say a Domestick Dispute between us concerning that Difficult and Important Point CHAP. LVII THEN Celsus's Jew as if he had been educated in the Schools of the Greeks and instructed in their Learning says That the Ancient Fables that attribute a Divine Original to Perseus Amphion Aeacus and Minos tho' they be not in Strictness true yet do display the Actions of these Persons as being great and wonderful and above the Sphere of Humane Nature But for your Part what did you ever say or do that was worthy of Admiration tho' you were openly challeng'd to give convincing Proofs that you were the Son of God In Answer to this I need only ask the Greeks whether they can shew that any of the fore-mention'd Persons did any extraordinary Service to the World or perform'd any great Exploit to induce future Ages to believe the Truth of those Fables which represent 'em to us as being deriv'd from a Divine Original But I defy 'em to instance in any of the Actions of these Fabulous Heroes that deserv'd to be nam'd much less compar'd with what our Saviour did unless they will refer us to their own Fables and Histories and have us to believe 'em without any more adoe and disbelieve our Histories of the Truth and Importance of which we have all the Evidence that we can reasonably desire We say and know that the Divine Power of our Blessed Saviour has been sufficiently seen and happily felt thro' the whole habitable World where any Churches are founded that consist of Persons reclaim'd from many exorbitant Vices And the Name of JESVS at this very Day composes the ruffl'd Minds of Men dispossesses Daemons cures Diseases and works a meek gentle and amicable Temper in all those Persons who make Profession of Christianity from an higher End than their worldly Interest and sincerely believe what it teaches us concerning God and Christ and a Future Judgment CHAP. LVIII THEN Celsus foreseeing how many remarkable Actions that were perform'd by our Saviour might be mention'd by us to his Honour a few of which I have related makes as if he granted the Truth of what is writ concerning the Diseases that were cur'd the Dead that were rais'd to Life and the few Loaves with which a great Multitude was fed and of which many Fragments did remain and those strange Accounts we meet with in the Gospel-History and immediately adds the following Words Well let us suppose that you really did these Things you talk of But in the same Breath he quite unravels what he had said before and sets them on a Level with the Operations that are perform'd by Magicians who pretend to do mighty Things and having study'd Magick in Egypt get a little Money out of People's Pockets by practising their Art in the open Forum â—ispossessing Daemons curing Distempers calling back departed Souls and representing to the deluded Sight a Table spread with imaginary Dainties and Animals that seem to move of their own Accord but have no inward Spring of Life and Motion His Words are these Pray must we esteem the Persons who perform these wonderful Operations to be the Sons of God or must we not rather esteem 'em to be vile Wretches that are well-vers'd it seems in a Diabolical Art You see here that he allows an extraordinary Power in Magick tho' by the Way I 'm much mistak'n if he isn't the very Person who writ several Books in which he directly maintains the contrary And yet because he thinks it may serve his Cause he compares the Actions of our Blessed Saviour with the Operations of Magicians Indeed there had been some Ground for making this invidious Comparison if our Saviour had made such a Vain Shew of Miracles as the Magicians do Their Design also whatever Wonders they may effect by the Assistance of the Devil is not to reform the Manners of Men nor have such Vain Amusements the least Tendency to beget in Persons a True Fear of God and so to regulate their Actions that they may be honourably acquitted when they shall be summon'd to appear before his Awful Bar. The fore-mention'd Persons don 't so much as aim at any Thing of this Kind and if they did of all Persons in the World they wou'd be most unfit for so great an Undertaking since they themselves are guilty of the moâ—t notorious Crimes Whereas our Blessed Saviour who design'd by his Miracles to reform the Manners of them who were Eye Witnesses of what he did gave not only his Followers but all Mankind a Bright Example of Vnaffected Virtue and Piety that they who were to publish his Excellent Doctrine might at once be directed and encourag'd to acquaint their Hearers with the Mind of God and that the fore-mention'd Persons being more convinc'd by the Native Beauty of the Christian Religion and the Holy Lives of their Teachers than by the Miracles that were wrought might in all their Actions have a sincere
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
he pleases to the contrary They acquaint us that the Blood which flow'd from our Saviour's Body was not fabulous like that which Homer speaks of but that soon after he expir'd One of the Souldiers with a Spear pierc'd his Side and forthwith there came out John 19 V. 34 35. Blood and Water and he that saw it bare Record and his Record is true and he knows that he says true In Dead Bodies 't is common for the Blood to stagnate and we don't use to see Water trickle down from the Veins but when our Saviour was dead Water and Blood flow'd from his pierced Side in a praeter-natural Way And if instead of putting an improper and forc'd Sence upon some Passages in the Gospels and thereby seeking all possible Occasion to reproach our Saviour and his Followers one wou'd but diligently and impartially consider the strange Events which are there related one might easily perceive that the Centurion and they who were set to watch the dead Body of our Saviour who had been Eye-Witnesses of the Earth-quake and many other surprizing Accidents that happen'd at that Time were struck with an unusual Terror and said Truly this Mat. 27 V. 54. was the SON of GOD. Then our Bigotted Adversary who only reads the Gospels with a Design to pick up some Scraps of 'em here and there which as he fondly imagines do make for the Interest which he espouses ridicules our Saviour on the Account of the Gall and Vinegar that was giv'n him to drink He was so very thirsty says he that he greedily drank off the bitter Draught In answer to this I might easily show that that Action of our Saviour will admit of an Allegorical Sence and must by no Means be consin'd to the bare literal Interpretation of the Words But I choose at present to return a more general Answer to this vile and notorious Calumny viz. That this Relation of the Evangelists exactly agrees with what was foretold under the Old-Testament-Dispensation For in the 69th Psalm The Messiah is brought in speaking the following Words They gave me also Gall for my Meat and in my Thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink Now let the Jews acquaint us who it is that the Prophetical Psalmist speaks of and name any other Person recorded in any History whether Sacred or Prophane who had Gall and Vinegar giv'n him to drink or let 'em freely acknowledge that what is here related was predicted as what wou'd certainly befall that Person whom we believe to be the TRVE MESSIAH and then we come upon 'em and ask 'em this natural Question how comes it to pass Gentlemen that you shou'd be so loth to see YOVR OWN PROPHECIES accomplish'd for which you have deservedly so profound a Veneration And methinks an impartial Enquirer into Truth shou'd scarce need any other Argument to convince him that our Blessed Saviour was the Person who was all along foretold than this that in him all the Jewish Prophecies concerning the Messiah were so exactly fulfill'd CHAP. XXIV THEN Celsus's Jew addresses himself to us in the following Words Do you really believe ev'n you who are so apt to swallow any Thing that is propos'd to you by some People how ridiculous soever it may be I say do you really believe that we do ill in not acknowledging your pretended SAVIOUR to be GOD and not looking upon him as one who sacrific'd his Life for the General Advantage of the Humane Race with this great Design among others to set us a Bright Example of Patience under the afflicting Hand of Almighty God To this I answer that we justly blame 'em because tho' they were born in a Land of Light and educated in the Knowledge of the Law and the Prophets which shou'd have been School-Masters to have brought 'em unto Christ they can't answer the solid Arguments which we bring against 'em and yet will obstinately persist in their wretched Vnbelief if the Grace of God don 't seasonably and remarkably interpose in their Behalf Farther we have great Cause to blame em because they will not see that the numerous and great Advantages which the Followers of our Blessed Lord did most certainly reap from the Heavenly Instructions which he gave 'em were an undeniable Argument that he assum'd Humane Nature with a kind and generous Intention to promote our common Interest and 't was not his Design at his first Appearance in the World immediately to distribute compleat Rewards and inflict the severest Punishments on Men according to their good or bad Behaviour but to have his Doctrine publish'd to the most distant Parts as the Prophets had most expresly foretold and to that happy End to accompany the Preaching of the Apostles with an irresistible Power Farther they justly incur our Censure by refusing to believe his Miracles which so evidently carry'd with 'em the Stamp of a Divine Authority and saying That he cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils Lastly We think they render'd themselves highly obnoxious to the just Vengeance of Almighty God by treating him as a Slave and a Vagabond which was an odd Requital of the Kindness which he show'd 'em in causing the Gospel to be preach'd to every City and Village throughout the Land of Judaea For there was nothing mean or in any Respects unworthy of his Character in all the sad Fatigues which he underwent but on the contrary 't was a great and highly Honourable Action truly and every Way worthy of an incarnate God to give wholesome Precepts with a liberal Hand to such Persons as were capable of receiving Instruction from him What Celsus's Jew adds is most notoriously false Not being able says he during the whole Course of his Life so much as to prevail with his own Disciples to adhere to him he was at last very severely punish'd as I hope all the World is by this Time sufficiently inform'd But pray what was it that so greatly excited the Rage and Envy of the Chief Priests Elders and Scribes among the Jews but the Consideration of the vast Numbers of People that follow'd our Blessed Saviour ev'n into Desarts some of 'em being strangely charm'd with the sweet and Heavenly Expressions that dropt from his sacred Lips and others convinc'd by the Miracles which he had wrought which fill'd the Minds of his most inveterate Enemies with equal Malice and Astonishment And how apparently false are those Words which follow That he cou'dn't prevail with his own Disciples to adhere to him but they gave too evident Proofs of the Frailty of their Nature by their wretched Cowardize For what Malignant Influence soever their irregular Fear might have upon their Minds which were not yet duely fortify'd against the violent Shocks of outward and approaching Calamities they were fully satisfy'd in their own Minds and were ready for the most Part to profess that our Blessed Saviour was no other than the TRUE MESSIAH For St. Peter had no sooner deny'd his Lord but struck with
the Christians from those foul Aspersions which Celsus has publickly cast upon 'em as if a Confutation of him were not legible in the Things themselves and what he offers might not be deservedly rejected as wanting ev'n the Appearance of Truth to recommend it to the World To shew that our Saviour held his Peace when false Witness was brought against him I need only at present produce the Testimony of St. Matthew which is confirm'd by what St. Mark the Evangelist relates St. Matthew has these Words Now the Chief Priests and Elders Mat. 26. v. 59. and all the Council sought false Witness against Jesus to put him to Death but found none Yea though many false Witnesses came yet found they none At last came two false Witnesses and said this Fellow said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it in three Days And the High-Priest arose and said to him answerest thou nothing What is it which these witness against thee But Jesus held his Peace We read in another Place of the same Evangelist that our Saviour return'd no Answer to the Persons who accus'd him And Jesus Mat. 27. v. 11. stood before the Governor and the Governor ask'd him saying art thou the King of the Jews And Jesus said unto him thou say'st And when he was accus'd of the Chief Priests and Elders he answered nothing Then says Pilate unto him hearest thou not how many Things these witness against thee And he answer'd him never a Word insomuch that the Governor marvell'd greatly And indeed it cou'd n't but be admir'd by Persons who were least capable of Reflection that when he had so fair an Opportunity to free himself from the heavy Charge that was brought against him to enumerate or at least modestly insinuate his shining Characters and to commend the higher Powers as being ordam'd of God and by these innocent and politick Methods to procure the Judge's Favour I say that when he had so fair an Opportunity to do all this he shou'd be so far from embracing it as to look upon his most violent Accusers with a truly-generous Disdain That the Judge seem'd willing to acquit him had he made his Apology is plain from the following Words Whom Mat. 27. v. 17. will ye that I release unto you Barabbas or Jesus who is call'd Christ And those Words He knew that for Envy Ibid. 18. he had deliver'd him So that the holy and spotless Jesus was scarce ever free from unjust and severe Accusations as long as the perverse Dispositions of Men whose Minds were corrupt and whose Lives were often stain'd with the most gross Enormities did remain the same as they have been in all the Ages of the World And ev'n now he holds his Peace and makes no verbal Answer but the unblemish'd Lives of his sincere Followers are his most chearful and most successful Advocates and have so loud a Voice that they drown the Clamours of his most bigotted and most zealous Adversaries I will therefore be so bold as to say that by Publishing this Apology I shall seem to lessen the Force of those powerful Arguments in Defence of the Christian Religion which are drawn from the holy Lives of its pious Votaries and are plain Appeals ev'n to Sense and common Observation But that I might not seem backward in obeying the Commands you have laid upon me I have endeavour'd according to my present Abilities to give a full or at least a sufficient Answer to all the material Objections which Celsus has brought against us which in your Opinion my Dear and Respected Ambrosius do strike at the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion but I verily believe will never shock the Faith of one who by the Grace of God does live in the Profession of it with some measure of Sincerity And God forbid that any of us shou'd have so embrac'd the Gospel which is so lively a Declaration of his Love to perishing Sinners thro' the Merits of our Blessed and All-sufficient Redeemer as to be in Danger of receiving any bad Impressions from Celsus's Discourse or the Writings of any other Ingenious and Learned Person who holds the same Wicked Principles For St. Paul reckoning up those things which are apt to separate Mankind from the Love of Christ all which his Love to 'em did and will at last effectually and most gloriously overcome don 't say that erroneous Discourses shou'd be any much less a principal Cause of this unhappy Separation Observe first he says Who shall separate us from the Love Rom. 8. v. 25. of God Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword As it is written for thy sake we are kill'd all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these Things we are more than Conquerors thro' him that loved us Then reckoning up another Set of Things which usually shock Mens Faith and Virtue he says I am perswaded that neither Ibid 38. Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And there is just Ground ev'n for us who fall vastly short of the extraordinary Attainments of that great Apostle of the Gentiles to say Who shall separate us from the Love of God Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword But the Apostle who thought this too mean a Boast for those who had arriv'd to so remarkable a Pitch of Virtue as that to which he had attain'd professes That in all these Things he was more than a Conqueror which Words have a peculiar Weight and Emphasis And therefore when he and the rest of his Noble Class come to make their Boast they proceed to the second Set of Things which are here enumerated and can say with a holy Triumph That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So that I confess I have no great Opinion of that Man's Christianity whose Faith is in the least liable to be shock'd either by this Book of Celsus or the Writings of any other Person of the same unhappy Stamp For really I 'm at a Loss to know in what Class of Christians I shou'd rank that Man who is not Proof against all the bitter but unjust Reproaches with which Celsus has loaded the Followers of our Blessed Lord. But because the common Sort of People are in no small Danger as you imagine my Dear Ambrosius of turning Apostates from the Faith since perhaps they may be shock'd by what Celsus has offer'd against the well-grounded Principles of our holy Religion and I hope will be no less confirm'd in their Judgments
by what I shall seasonably produce in its Defence provided I am able to confute his Errors I resolv'd to obey your most just Command and to return an Answer to the Book you were pleas'd to send me the very Title of which viz. A True Relation will hardly pass for such with them who are no great Proficients ev'n in the Philosophy of the Heathens St. Paul knowing there were many Things in the Greek Philosophy that were not in themselves contemptible but had by Accident a malignant Influence on the Minds of Common People representing Error under the plausible Appearance of solid and most important Truth has these very Words Beware Colos 2. v. 8. lest any Man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ But this is more than I think any judicious Person will allow the Book which I am just going to answer For the Apostle calls the fore-mentioned Things by the Name of Vain Deceit perhaps in Contra-Distinction to a certain Kind of Deceit which is not vain but innocent and useful which the Prophet Jeremiah considering made bold to apply the following Words to the Great God himself O Lord thou hast deceived me and Jer. 20. v. 7. I was deceiv'd thou art stronger than I and hast prevail'd But in my Opinion what Celsus publish'd do's want ev'n that plausible Appearance to render it worthy to be call'd deceitful which is to be found in the Writings of those eminently-learned Persons who were the Heads of the various Sects of Philosophers among the Pagans And as in Geometry tisn't sufficient that what is offor'd for a Demonstration be in it self false and dangerous but it must have some Colour of Truth or it can never deceive and engage ev'n the most faint Endeavours of one who wou'd improve in that entertaining and useful Science So those Discourses which deserve the Character of Vain Deceit must have some Affinity with those rational Arguments that are frequently made Vse of by the Heads of the several Sects of Philosophers When I had proceeded in my Answer to Celsus as far as the Place where he personates the Jew discoursing with our Blessed Saviour I thought 't wou'd be proper to put this Preface before my Book that so any One into whose Hands it may accidentally fall may plainly see that I didn't principally intend it for those Christians who are fully satisfy'd in their Judgment but either for them who are entire Strangers to the Excellency of the Christian Religion or for them who are weak in the Faith as the Apostle calls em Him that is weak in the Faith Rom. 14. v. 1. receive I must add one Thing here and that is this that I have a diff'rent Design in answering Celsus in the gross from what I had in Answering the Beginning of his Book For at first I design'd no more than to mention some of the Principal Heads and content my self with a meer Compendium But after mature Deliberation I thought t wou'd be much more proper to gather my Discourse as it were into a perfect System or Body Then I was satisfy'd from the reason of the Thing that I shou'd be at a needless Expence both of Time and Pains and contented my self with what I had writ against the Beginning of the Book which Celsus publish'd But in the remaining Part of my Apology which if I may modestly say it of my own Performance is much more elaborate I determin'd to bend all my Forces against him and to return a full Answer to every Thing that seem'd to be material and ev'n to some of his most trifling Objections I must therefore desire my Reader to discover a more than ord'nary Candor in passing his Judgment on what I have done especially on that Part of my Apology which immediately follows this Epistle And if the other Parts shou'd have no better Effect upon him I hope he will there also be extreamly favourable in the Sentence which he may pass upon me And if you Virtuous Ambrosius desire a more compleat Answer to Celsus than that which I shall give him at present I must refer you to them who have a far greater Share of Judgment than that to which I lay my most humble Claim and are better qualify'd for the due and honourable Management of so difficult a Province However that Person seems to me to be in a safer and much more desirable Condition who having met with Celsus's Performance and being furnish'd by his own Experience with a warm and effectual Apology for that excellent Religion which he professes and endeavours to practice to the utmost of his Power is so well-guarded by the Spirit of God who dwells in the Heart of every sincere Follower of the Blessed JESUS that he can look with a holy Contempt on the false Representations and most pâ—â—usible Arguments of the most Celebrated Hereticks that did ever appear in the World Origen against Celsus CHAP. I. THE first Charge which Celsus brings against the Christians is Their holding Cabals contrary to the Law of the Land in which they liv'd and to which as he thinks they ought to be entirely subject He distinguishes Meetings into Publick and Private the Publick Meetings which were establish'd by Law and the Private and Separate Meetings which were kept up by Schismaticks And his Design herein is to cast Reproach on the Love Feasts of the Christians which were appointed to prevent a common and threatning Danger and were far more binding than the sacred Tye of mutual Oaths can be suppos'd to be I say he reproaches 'em as if they manifestly and grosly interfer'd with that due and indispensible Loyalty which as they were Subjects they ow'd and ought as he imagines to pay the National Establishment Since therefore he makes his Boast that he has the Law on his Side and wou'd intimate that the separate Meetings of the Christians did countenance and promote Schism and Sedition I answer that as a Stranger who has his Lot providentially cast among the Scythians who are govern'd by most wicked Laws and has not a fair Opportunity to make a safe Escape wou'd be esteem'd by that ignorant and unciviliz'd People as an Enemy to their Constitution and a Favourer of the Sectaries if he didn't comply with the Canons of the Church but might still urge weighty and unanswerable Arguments to justify his Separation So the Christians might lawfully dissent from the Establish'd Religion which introduc'd Image-Worship and a whole Rifraff of the Mock-Deities of the Heathens and abounded with more horrid Impieties than were ever practic'd by the most barbarous Nations of the World For as the Inhabitants of a City may lawfully defend themselves against a Prince who has made an unjust Descent upon their Native Country So the Christians might warrantably violate the Laws of Satan that great Usurper to free themselves and Others from his worse than Scythian Tyranny CHAP.
celebrated Authors which you have reckon'd up had any tolerable Effect especially on the common People since according to your own Confession they were design'd for them who were capable of understanding Allegories Whereas Moses acted the Part of a Skillful and Divine Orator who makes use of Expressions that admit of different Sences neither giving the Laity among the Jews a Handle for the least Irregularity in their Morals nor wanting Matter for the sublime Speculations of those who are more judicious learned and inquisitive And I don't see I confess that the Works of your Poets with all their Wisdom are preserv'd what Service soever they might do the Publick But the Books of Moses have prevail'd with them whose Opinions and Customs are vastly different from those which obtain among the Jewish Nation to believe that according to the Account he gives the Laws which are contain'd in 'em were giv'n him by the great God himself the glorious Creator of the spacious Universe For 't was agreeable to the Dictares of his infinite Wisdom that since it was his Will to give Laws to the World they shou'd carry along with 'em that Force and Efficacy without which 't was impossible for 'em so readily and so universally to obtain This I say not examining at present what has an immediate Relation to our Blessed Saviour but contenting my self with what relates to Moses who tho' he came infinitely short of the Holy and Unspotted JESUS did vastly excel your most Celebrated Heroes whether Poets Historians or Philosophers CHAP. XVII THEN Celsus being desirous and ev'n eager to cast an oblique Reflection upon the Account which Moses gives of the Creation of the World according to whom it wants a great Deal of the Duration of Ten thousand Years discovers himself tho' he do's what he can at the same time to conceal or dissemble his Opinion to be one of them who hold the Eternity of the Material World Any judicious Person may justly and easily infer this from that Passage of his There have been says he in all Ages of the World many Conflagrations and Inundations the last of which was Deucalion 's Flood and that is of no early Date Let him therefore especially since he blames the Christians for not building their Faith on rational and solid Grounds acquaint me what Demonstrative Arguments do of Necessity induce him to believe that There have been several Conflagrations and Inundations and that Deucalion 's was the latest Flood and Phaeton's Conflagration the latest that has ever happen'd And if he refers me to Plato's Dialogues concerning those Matters I shall return him the following Answer that we have Reason to believe that the virtuous and refin'd Soul of Moses which was rais'd above all sensible Objects and all created Beings and had its entire and firm Dependance upon God was fill'd with the Holy Spirit who enabl'd him to set Divine Truths in a much clearer Light than Plato or any of the ancient Sages whether Greeks or Barbarians But perhaps he may demand of us what rational Grounds we have for such a Belief as this If so let him first give us his Reasons for the Opinion which he holds and advances ev'n without the Shadow of a Demonstration and then I 'll undertake that he shall soon be acquainted with the Grounds on which our Faith in this Affair is built tho' I can't but take Notice that sorely against his Will he confess'd the World was of a modern Date and not of the Duration of Ten thousand Years when he said That these remarkable Events were esteem'd ancient by the Greeks because the Conflagrations and Inundations have been Means to bury in Oblivion many considerable Events of much greater Antiquity But let him if he pleases support his fabulous Account of Conflagrations and Inundations by the Authority of the Egyptian Doctors who in his Opinion were the wisest Men that were ever born into the World some Footsteps of whose profound Wisdom may be seen in their paying Divine Worship to the Brute Beasts themselves and in those very Arguments which they bring to justify and recommend the Symbolical Rites that are made use of in the RELIGION of their Country The Egyptians forsooth who endeavour to give some Colour of Reason for their mystical Ceremonies by their Theological Speculations must pass for Men of most admirable Wisdom but one who in Observance of the Jewish Law refers every Thing to the Blessed GOD of whom and thro' whom and to whom are all Things is more ignorant if we may give any heed to Celsus and Men of his unhappy Principles than they who don 't only dishonour the Deity by paying divine Adoration to Creatures endu'd with Reason but ev'n by paying it to those which are inanimate under a Pretence of I know not what imaginary Transmigration of the Soul which they make to descend from Heav'n and pass into the Bruits ev'n into those of 'em which are of the most savage and cruel Disposition And it seems the Egyptians who hide their Religion under the sacred Veil of significant but obscure Figures do challenge from us the profoundest Reverence but Moses forsooth who has writ a faithful and useful History of the Jewish Nation and left 'em wholsome Laws for the Regulation of their Conduct both in a private and publick Capacity has only in the Judgment of Celsus and the Epicureans amus'd 'em with empty and ridiculous Fables that will not admit ev'n of an Allegorical Interpretation CHAP. XVIII THEN he says That Moses having borrow'd his Opinions from this wise and eloquent People meaning the Egyptians got himself a prodigious and unaccountable Name To which I answer that 't is no Wonder at all if Moses borrow'd some Notions from the Wise Men that liv'd in Egypt before him and introduc'd 'em with some little Difference or great Improvement among his Country-men the Jews And without all doubt he deserves to be blam'd severely if he has advanc'd such Notions as bear neither the Characters of Truth nor Wisdom but if he has embrac'd and taught those Opinions which according to Celsus's own Confession are both true and wise I can't conceive that he has done any Thing whereby he might justly incur his Censure I wish with all my Heart that Epicurus and Aristotle who do's not so directly and so grosly deny an over-ruling Providence as the other do's I say I wish with all my Heart that they and the Stoicks who hold that God is corporeal had been instructed in that Heav'nly Doctrine that was deliver'd by Moses that the World might not so much abound as it do's with Authors that absolutely deny a Providence or confine it within very narrow Bounds or introduce a corporeal and corruptible Principle insomuch that the Stoicks hold God himself to be nothing more than Matter and are not asham'd to acknowledge that he undergoes the various Changes to which Bodies are subject or that if he is so happy as to be incorruptible 't is
for no other Reason but because there 's no Object from without that has any Power to corrupt him But the Jewish and Christian Doctrine which preserve the pure Nature and Immutability of God inviolable is esteem'd impious by Celsus because 't is most directly repugnant to those extravagant Notions which greatly derogate from the infinite Honour that is due to the Supream and Adorable Majesty and teaches us when we address the Throne of Grace to say Lord thou Psal cii v. 27. art always the same and represents God acquainting us that he never Mal. iii. v. 6. changes Then Celsus not condemning Circumcision which is in use among the Jews says They borrow'd that Custom from the Egyptians and gives greater Credit to the latter than he does to Moses who assures us that Abraham was the first Person who brought Circumcision into Use And Abraham's Name and his great Familiarity with God is not only mention'd by Moses in his Writings but also by the Magicians themselves who in the Formularies of their own horrid Devotion have this Expression The God of Abraham signifying thereby the Intimacy that there was between the great God himself and this eminently-virtuous and holy Man For 't is on this Account they perform their Magical Operations in the Name of The God of Abraham tho' they are far from knowing who this Abraham was The same may be said of Isaac Jacob or Israel which tho' they are Hebrew Names are frequently made use of by the Egyptians themselves who pretend they can do prodigious and ev'n miraculous Things by the Help of Magick But 't is not my Business at present to give any farther Account of Circumcision which began at Abraham and was abolish'd by our Blessed Saviour 'T will be more to my Purpose to answer the severe Accusations which Celsus brings against the Jewish Religion in general who thinks he gains his Point and effectually overthrows Christianity if he can but make a successful Attempt against the Jewish System on which the Doctrine of our Saviour is acknowledg'd to be most evidently built CHAP. XIX THEN he says That a Company of Men that look'd after Sheep and Goats being left to the Conduct of Moses were so grosly deceiv'd by him that he made 'em believe there was no other God but one Let him show therefore since he thinks they did without just Cause oppose the Worship of a Plurality of Gods I say let him show whether on rational Grounds he can establish the Polytheism both of the Greeks and Barbarians Let him show the Substance and Essence of Mnemosyne on whom Jupiter begat the Muses or of Themis on whom he begat the Hours Let him show the Subsistence of the Graces which are always represented Naked But I 'm confident he 'll never be able to prove from the Things themselves that the Gods of the Greeks which have Bodies attributed to 'em do deserve the Name of Deitys For what Reason can be given why we shou'd believe that the Fables of the Greeks concerning their pretended Deities have any more Truth or Sence contain'd in 'em than those of the Egyptians For Instance whose Language is unacquainted with Mnemosyne the Mother of the Muses or Themis the Mother of the Hours or Eurynome the Mother of the Graces and the like What is there in all these empty Fictions that deserves to be compar'd with the Evidence and Weight which that one Argument drawn from the entire Harmony of the seemingly-clashing Parts of the spacious Universe do's carry with it to prove the perfect Vnity of God For 't is impossible in the Nature of the Thing that a Piece of such Divine Architecture all the Parts of which how numerous soever and how distant and different soever from each other they may be have so admirable an Agreement and so manifest direct and constant a Subserviency to the Advantage and Ornament of the whole shou'd be made by several Hands as 't is not rational to think that the Motions of the Heavenly Bodies are caus'd by several Souls since there 's no Need of any more than one which making the vast Expansam to move from East to West contains within it self all those lower Things which tho' they are not in themselves compleat do nevertheless conduce to the wonderful Harmony and by Consequence the surprizing Perfection of the Universe For every Thing which is circumscrib'd by the World is a Part belonging to it but God is not properly a Part of any whole of what Kind soever it may be For Absolute Perfection is inseparable from the Nature of God whereas all the Parts of the Universe how agreably soever they may strike upon our wondering Senses and entertain ev'n our Nobler Powers are naturally evidently and in a comparative Sense very grosly imperfect and if we carry our Speculations a little farther perhaps we shall find that as God is not a part of the Universe so neither in Propriety and Strictness of Speech can he be call'd a whole since we must unavoidably suppose a whole to be compos'd of Parts and at least 't is most highly irrational to think that the great God has Parts any one of which has not an equal Virtue and Dignity with the rest CHAP. XX. THEN Celsus says That these Men who look'd after Sheep and Goats were unhappily prevail'd with to believe there was no other God but one whether they call'd him the Most High or Adonai or the Majesty of Heav'n or Sabaoth or whether they were pleas'd to give any other Name to the World which was the Boundary of their real Knowledge He adds 'T is no great Matter by what Name the great God be call'd whether with the Greeks they call him Jupiter or with the Indians or Egyptians call him by any other Name To which I answer that this Discourse of his do's naturally and unavoidably lead me to a difficult and important Question concerning the true Nature of Names whether as Aristotle thinks they depend entirely on Institution and Choice or whether according to the Opinion of the Stoicks they have their Foundation originally laid in Nature Words being first form'd on the Model of Things themselves in Imitation of which Names and the Elements of Etymology were happily introduc'd into the World or whether as Epicurus thinks who differs from the Stoicks they have their Foundation partly laid in Nature and are partly owing to Accident and Contrivance the first Men having undesignedly affix'd such and such articulate Sounds to such and such Objects of which they had form'd and wou'd convey an Idea If therefore I can make it appear that some Names have a natural and by consequence an inseparable Efficacy such as the Wise Men among the Persians or the Brachmans or Samanaei of the Indians or the Wise Men of any other Nations do constantly make use of and if I can prove that the Art which is commonly call'd by the Name of Magick is not absolutely incongruous to Reason as the
other innumerable Excellencies that adorn'd his Person and might sufficiently recommend him to the World He did'n't act like a Tyrant who by the Help of a prevailing Party takes Occasion to violate the known Laws of the Land in which he lives nor like a Robber who comes with Armed Men against them who innocently pass by the King's High-Way about their necessary Affairs or like a Wealthy Man who by the Help of Bribes induces Persons to come over to his Interest whether by right or wrong or like many others that might easily be mention'd whose Proceedings do manifestly deserve our Censure but like one who came to teach an ignorant and degenerate World what Thoughts they shou'd entertain of God and how they might so regulate their Morals as to maintain an humble and familiar Correspondence with his Blessed Majesty And as for Themistocles and several other Persons who gain'd a more than common Reputation and did real and extraordinary Service to their Native Country this must be said to draw a Shade over their greatest Glory that ev'ry Thing seem'd to smile on their just and honourable Attempts and as it were pave the Way for their glorious Victories and immortal Triumphs But as for our Blessed Saviour besides what I have already said which upon the first View one wou'd think was enough to have eternally conceal'd or shamefully fully'd the Name of the greatest Heroe that the World cou'd ever boast of the ignominious Death which he suffer'd on the Cross if he had had the fairest Character wou'd have giv'n his Followers just Cause to suspect him of being a vile Impostor if we may give any Credit to our Adversaries or at least have drawn a most dismal Veil over the few bright and entertaining Scenes of the most Aweful Tragedy that was ever acted CHAP. XXVIII AND 't is Matter of Wonder that our Saviour's Disciples who in the Judgment of our Enemies were not Eye-Witnesses of the Truth of his triumphant Resurrection and saw nothing but what was common and ev'n contemptible in his Person shou'dn't be afraid to imitate him in his Sufferings to encounter the most imminent and threat'ning Dangers and leave their Native Country to publish the Doctrine which their crucify'd but blessed Lord had taught em For I believe that no Person who laying aside his Prejudice examines these Matters duely will say that they wou'd ever have undergone the Fatigue of Ttinerant Preaching if they had not been fully perswaded of the vast Obligations that lay upon 'em both from Reason and Gratitude not only to conform their Manners to the holy Precepts of the Christian Religion but also to do what lay in their Power to bring many others under the same honourable and happy Bonds when as Matters went at that Critical Juncture they were sure to incur the Displeasure of the Heathen World who were zealous for their ancient Laws and Customs and cou'dn't endure the least seeming Innovation especially with respect to the pompous Ceremonies of their religious Worship But all these Difficulties were light and trivial in the Esteem of those who had Courage not only to prove to the Jewish Nation that our Blessed Saviour was frequently and expresly foretold by their own Prophetick Oracles but also to make it appear to others as Occasion offer'd that this very Person was the true Messiah who was crucify'd but t'other Day and willingly and ev'n chearfully laid down his precious Life for the whole Race of Men after the same manner tho' with unspeakable Advantage in which some others have sacrific'd all that 's near and dear to 'em for the good of their Native Country to free it from a raging Pestilence a threat'ning Famine or some violent impending Tempest that greatly endangers Ships and puts a Stop ev'n to Navigation which is so convenient and necessary for promoting an advantagious Trade into Foreign and very distant Parts For there are some secret Reasons in Nature which very few understand why the Death of one virtuous Man who readily suffers the greatest Evils that can possibly befall him for the real and perhaps lasting Welfare of the Place of his Nativity shou'd destroy or at least severely check the usurp'd Power of those infernal Daemons who are the Cause of Plagues Famines Storms and the like evident and great Disorders which frequently happen in the World And I wou'd fain know of them who don't believe that our Saviour dy'd for the general Benefit of the humane Race whether they won't give easie Credit to many Histories that are extant both of the Greeks and Barbarians which furnish us with frequent and remarkable Instances of Persons who have freely laid down their Lives for the publick Good and whose Death has been happily instrumental to purge away those threat'ning and grievous Calamities that infected Cities and perhaps whole Nations or whether on the Supposition that these are Matters of Fact it be in the least improbable that one cloath'd with humane Nature shou'd be nail'd to a Cross to destroy the Works of the Devil who before did often and too successfully exercise a Tyrannical Power over the Bodies and Souls of Men. Our Saviour's Disciples observing these Things and many Others of the like Nature with which in all Probability their prudent and indulgent Master thought fit to acquaint 'em and being fill'd with the Spirit of God for they were not inspir'd with their unusual Courage by the Virgin which the Poets speak of but by the true Wisdom of God they made haste Thro' the wide World their Fame to spread Hom. Il. Lib. 5. v. 2 CHAP. XXIX BUT 't is Time to return to the Jew whom Celsus personates who says That the Virgin Mary being big with Child was divorc'd by her Husband the Carpenter for committing Adultery with one Panthera a Soldier and being got with Child by that scandalous Wretch Let us see therefore whether the Inventors of this Story don't give a false and obscure Account of the Matter and whether by all that they have to say they are able to overthrow the Doctrine of our Saviour's miraculous Conception by the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost For so surprizing a Passage as this is might very easily be falsify'd and 't was possible they might deny the Truth of it tho' they were inwardly convinc'd that our Saviour was not conceiv'd in the common Way of humane Generation And methinks it wou'dn't have been incongruous at all that they who didn't believe or rather wou'dn't acknowledge the Miracle shou'd invent a Fiction to serve their malicious and base Design But to invent one that was so far from having a plausible Appearance that 't was a great and notorious Untruth was to discover their Weakness to them who are able to distinguish Truth from Falsehood For do's it stand to Reason that one who was so useful to the World in general and express'd a most tender Concern both for the Greeks and Barbarians that they might reform their Manners from a Sense
a Divine Original since they thought 't was fit that the Bodies of those Persons who are not on a Level with the rest of Men shou'd have some honourable Mark by which they may be distinguish'd from Vulgar Mortals And because Celsus's Jew continues his Discourse with our Blessed Saviour and ridicules the Fiction as he is pleas'd to call it of his being born of a Virgin and ranks it among the Fables of the Greeks concerning Danae Menalippe Auge and Antiope I answer that such pityful Drollery as this wou'd look with an agreeable Air in a Merry Andrew who gathers a Mob about him and plays his Monkey-Tricks on a Stage but don't at all become one who wou'd treat of Matters of great Importance with that Gravity and Seriousness which the Nature of the Things may justly challenge from us CHAP. XXXIII THEN Celsus making mention of some Things relating to our Saviour's Going into Egypt refuses to give Credit to those Parts of the History which contain any Thing that is supernatural as the Angel's warning Joseph the reputed Father of our Lord and don 't examine whether his Leaving Judaea and Going into Egypt will not admit of an Allegorical Sence but invents an Occasion for his literal Going thither and believing and acknowledging in some measure the Truth of our Saviour's Miracles which caus'd Abundance of People to flock to him esteeming him to be the true Messiah but endeavouring to shew that they were wrought by the Help of Magick and were far from being Proofs of a Divine Commission he says That having been privately educated he was forc'd to work in Egypt and having learn'd those Arts for which that Nation is so famous he return'd into his own Country and gave out that he was God But for my Part I can't conceive that a Magician wou'd so industriously promote a Religion which teaches us to have a strict Eye to the Day of Judgment especially when we take any serious Affair in Hand nor can we think that he wou'd take such Care to inculcate that aweful Solemnity upon the Minds of his Apostles whom he design'd to imploy in the Promulgation of the Gospel were he a Person of so infamous a Character For either they wrought Miracles or they did not 'T is absurd to suppose they did no Miracles at all but barely relying on the Authority of a Doctrine which did not like the Logick of the Schools recommend it self to carnal Reason had the Courage to promote a new discountenanc'd Religion And if they wrought Miracles do's it stand to Reason that a Company of Magicians shou'd agree to expose themselves to imminent Danger and the greatest Inconveniencies imaginable to promote a Doctrine that condemns the Use of the very Art they practic'd But 't wou'd be Loss of Time to confute this Discourse of Celsus which has nothing but perhaps a little witty Drollery to recommend it to the Palate of the unwary and less judicious Reader CHAP. XXXIV HE goes on in the same Comical and Bantering Strain If the Mother of Jesus says he was a Celebrated Beauty and for that Reason the Great God was pleas'd to admit her to his passionate Embraces one wou'd think that so excellent a Being is of too pure a Nature to be captivated by the Charms of a frail and humane Body however he cou'dn't have made Choice of a more improper Person viz. One who had neither a Great Fortune nor Noble Birth to recommend her but led so obscure a Life that she was scarce known by those who were her nearest Neighbours CHAP. XXXV HE continues his Raillery and says That when her Husband the Carpenter came to hate her and sue for a Divorce all that she had to plead in her own Behalf was ineffectual to redress her Grievances nor did the Great God see fit as much as you wou'd make us believe he lov'd her to engage his Power to protect her from threat'ning Danger ev'n in her Native Country Therefore none of these Things says he have the least Reference to the Kingdom of the Blessed God But this Language is just like that of a Company of Persons scolding in the open Streets who vent their Passion without the least Regard to the Rules of Justice or Civility CHAP. XXXVI THEN taking some Things out of St. Mathew's Gospel or perhaps out of some of the other Evangelists concerning the Dove that descended upon our Saviour at his Baptism he wou'd fain have the whole Account to pass for a false and trifling Story And having said enough as he imagines to prove that our Saviour wasn't born of a Virgin he continues his Discourse but don't treat of Things in the Order of Time in which they came to pass for inveterate Malice can never endure to be confin'd to a regular Method and talks like those shatter-brain'd Fellows whose Heat and undue Passion do's so transport 'em beyond the Bounds of Reason that they don't stick to say whatever comes into their Minds and so are hinder'd from managing in a becoming Way the several Heads of severe but unjust Accusation which they bring against their Adversary with an Air of Vanity and Insolence For had'n't he been greatly wanting in the pretended Method he observes he wou'd have trac'd the History from its very Original since his Intention was to expose it to Contempt But on the contrary the Mighty Celsus who boasts so much of his comprehensive Knowledge after he had finish'd his Discourse concerning our Saviour's Birth immediately passes on to the Descent of the Holy Spirit at his Baptism in the Resemblance of a Dove Then he finds Fault with the Prophecies concerning his Incarnation After that he returns to what immediately follow'd his Nativity viz. To give an Account of the Star that appear'd and the Wise Men that came from the East to worship him But any diligent Reader may save me the Labour of showing how confus'd Celsus is throughout the whole of his Book and this one Thing is sufficient to convince any Person who loves Exactness of Method that 't was a Piece of Arrogance in him to give his Book the Title of A True Relation and was a Strain of Vanity perhaps beyond most Philosophers that ever went before him Plato says That it don't become the Character of a Man famous for Wisdom to be positive in Matters which are involv'd in very great Obscurity And Chrysippus after he has giv'n the Reasons that induc'd him to be of this or that Opinion do's modestly refer us to those Persons who are able to give a more clear and exact Account But this mighty Man being much wiser I suppose than Plato Chrysippus and all the Greek Philosophers gives his Book the engaging Title of A True Relation which suits well enough I confess with his Boasting that he didn't want to be inform'd of the Opinions which the Christians held But that it mayn't be thought that I pass by what he says for Want of being in a Capacity to
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
study'd the same excellent Science for many Years in the School of Cleanthes Whereas Judas hadn't continu'd three Years with our Blessed Saviour when he so shamefully betray'd him And if we read the Lives of the Philosophers we shall meet with frequent Instances that in some Respects resemble the Horrid Treachery of Judas We shall find that the Pythagoreans built Tombs for such Persons as left the Study of Philosophy and betook themselves to a different and less-useful Course of Life But I suppose no Person will be so weak as to take Occasion from hence to reflect on the Doctrine of Pythagoras or the solid Arguments which his Followers us'd in its Defence The Jew adds that Having many Things to say with respect to our Saviour which are far from being fairly represented by his Disciples he chose to pass 'em over in a profound Silence But I ask what Truths are these that are misinterpreted by the Evangelists and which he forbears to mention Must not this pass for a Rhetorical Flourish to make us believe he was furnish'd with a great Stock of Arguments against our Blessed Saviour when most if not all that he cou'd possibly say if it was true and material was borrow'd from those very Gospels which sometimes he so much despises CHAP. XIV THEN Celsus finds Fault with our Saviour's Disciples for saying That he foreknew and foretold all the remarkable Things that ever happen'd to him But we doubt not in the least but we can easily prove by an Enumeration of Particulars let Celsus say what he pleases to the contrary that our Saviour foretold several Things that shou'd befall his Disciples some considerable Time before they came to pass What a wonderful Instance of this is that which St. Mathew gives Ye Mat. x. V. 18. shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake for a Testimony against them and the Gentiles I might quote many other Places where our Saviour do's expresly foretell the grievous Persecutions that shou'd be the too common Lot of Christians Now what Religion is there in the whole habitable World that wants the Advantage of a TOLERATION except that which our Saviour introduc'd So that there 's no Ground for that foolish Plea which our Enemies make Use of that he saw what bad Entertainment false and corrupt Notions wou'd naturally meet with in the World and therefore to raise his Reputation and promote his Interest did only foretell those Things which any Child might have known wou'd befall him But if Persons wou'd unavoidably be brought before Governors and Kings for holding false and wicked Notions one wou'd think that the Epicureans who disbelieve an over-ruling Povidence shou'd be brought before 'em as soon as any Persons in the World or the Peripateticks who think that the Prayers which are put up and the Sacrifices which are offer'd to the Gods are wholly insignificant and little Arts unworthy to be practic'd by those who pretend to the Sence and Learning of Philosophers But perhaps our Enemies may object That the Samaritanes are persecuted on the Account of their Religion To this I answer that they are condemn'd to dye for circumcising themselves in direct Opposition to the Law which permits none but Jews to observe this celebrated and Ancient Rite And we don't find that the Judge leaves it to their Choice whether they will obstinately persist and dye or renounce their Religion and so be publickly acquitted but if they are found to be circumcis'd immediately they must suffer Death The Christians are the only Persons in the World who tho' they are persecuted according to our Saviour's Prediction Ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake are entreated to the last Breath they draw to renounce the Christian Religion and sacrifice to Idols and so to put themselves directly into a safe and happy Condition with respect to their outward Circumstances See therefore with what Authority our Blessed Saviour spoke the following Words Whosoever shall confess me Mat. x. V. 32 33. before Men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heav'n but whosoever shall deny me before Men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heav'n Take Notice that this was spoken by him a considerable Time before the Thing that he speaks of was true in Fact Perhaps such a Thought as this may be ready to dart into your Mind that he builds Castles in the Air and what he prophesies don't look at all as if the Event wou'd be answerable But if you can exercise a little Patience you 'll say thus to your if our Blessed Saviour did readily foretell that Governours and Kings wou'd use their utmost Endeavours to extirpate the Religion he introduc'd into the World and if the Event has fully answer'd his Prediction certainly we have all imaginable Reason to believe that he receiv'd such a Power from God as was necessary to make his Doctrine obtain so Universally as it did and that he knew very well that all the Difficulties that lay in the Way to its Reception shou'd be happily and easily surmounted by the help of Miracles And who without a Transport of Holy Admiration can set our Saviour before his Eyes expresly foretelling That the Gospel of the Kingdom shou'd Mat. xxiv V. 14 be preach'd in all the World for a Witness unto all Nations and see the Prediction in due Time fulfill'd the Gospel being preach'd to the Greeks and Barbarians to the Learned and Unlearned and the whole habitable World being brought as it were under its honourable and happy Yoak Besides let the Pretended Jew who don't believe that our Saviour foretold those Things which we see did afterwards befall him I say let him consider that when the City of Jerusalem was in all its Glory and the Pompous Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion were solemnly perform'd in it he foretold that it shou'd be invaded and ruin'd by the Romans I suppose no One will take the Liberty to say that they who were his Familiar Friends and constant Hearers did satisfy themselves with teaching Viva Voce those Things which are the Subject-Matter of the Gospels without leaving behind 'em a History of the most remarkable Transactions of our Blessed Saviour St. Luke has the following Words When ye shall see Jerusalem compass'd with Luke 21. V. 20. Armies then know that the Desolation thereof is nigh Now at the Time when these Things were writ there was no Suspicion of a Siege or any grievous Calamity that threaten'd the Jewish Church and State 'T was in the Reign of the Emperor Nero that the Romans made their first Attack on this Once-glorious City and it was not tak'n 'till the Reign of the Emperor Vespasian whose Son Titus Vespasian did utterly destroy it This was a just and heavy Judgment of God upon 'em for killing James the just as Josephus wou'd fain have us to believe whereas in Truth 't was owing to the horrid Crime they committed in embruing their
the Horrour of his Crime He went out Mat. 26. V. 74. and wept bitterly as St. Mathew tells us and those of his Disciples that we read of who retain'd a profound Respect for their Lord and Master but were a little amaz'd and for the present shock'd by considering the sad Calamities which befel him regain'd that Native Courage when he appear'd to 'em after his Triumphant Resurrection Nay they not only believ'd he was the SON OF GOD but were confirm'd in the Christian Faith and became more Couragious than ever under the happy Conduct of the great Captain of their Salvation Celsus thinks as appears by the Sequel of his Discourse there was no real Excellency in our Saviour's Doctrine nor any Regularity and Strictness observable in his Morals sufficient to advance him above other Men but that contrary to the Character which he bore he ought not to have dy'd at all or at least there shou'd have been nothing in his Death that might justly induce us to lay down our Lives when Occasion offers for the Sake of our most Holy Religion But to me I confess this seems to be a Notion not a little unworthy of the Learning and good Sence ev'n of a Heathen Philosopher On the contrary our Saviour by dying for Mankind has set us a Bright Example of Patience under all the Sufferings to which the Providence of God may call us for the Sake of the True Religion in Opposition to the ungrounded Prejudices which the Generality of Men are too apt to labour under who are Naturally ready to pay Divine Adoration to the most insignificant Trifle rather then the Supreme and Truly-Adorable Majesty and viewing Persons and Things in a false or very imperfect Light are wretchedly and frequently mistaken in the Judgment which they pass upon em For the greatest Instance of the pretended Piety of these Bigots to Idolatry is to level all their Wit and Malice at those Well-meaning and Truly-religious Persons who from a deep Sense of their indispensible Duty have entirely devoted themselves a Holy and Living Sacrifice to the Great Creator and Supream Governor of the Universe CHAP. XXV THEN Celsus in the Person of the pretended Jew continues his Charge against our Blessed Saviour in the following Words Your Jesus cou'dn't keep himself free from Evil. But I think he wou'd do very well to instance in any MORAL EVIL that might justly be charg'd upon him If he means that our Saviour was guilty of some Vice or other which must be his Meaning or else 't is plain that he talks very improperly 't will lye upon this vile Caviller to name any one Vice if he can that ever stain'd the Life and obscur'd the Bright Character of the HOLY JESVS But if his Meaning be no more than this that our Blessed Lord himself was expos'd to many outward and grievous CALAMITIES such as Poverty Persecution the Treachery of wicked Men and especially the shameful and painful Death which he suffer'd on the Cross then I think we may with equal Justice bring in a severe Charge against so great a Man as Socrates who with all his Philosophy and Moral Virtue cou'dn't avoid falling into innumerable external Dangers And how many of the Greek Philosophers cou'd I easily name who were not only oppress'd with extream Poverty but made it the Matter of their de liberate Choice For Proof of this we may have Recourse to their own Celebrated Authors They tell us that Democritus was so tak'n up with Nobler Thoughts that he had no Leisure Hours to bestow upon his Farms that Crates gave away the Income of his whole Estate with the greatest Freedom imaginable that he might have the better Opportunity for Philosophical Speculations and that Diogenes out of his strange Frugality was contented to spend his Life in a Tub and yet no Man I think of common Sence will for that Reason entertain hard Thoughts of so excellent a Person Then Celsus adds That our Saviour was far from being regular and unblameable But let him give an Instance if he can of any one among the Numerous Followers of our Saviour who ever observ'd him to do an unworthy Action or if he refuses to rely on their united Testimony I think 't is fit he shou'd acquaint us with the Grounds on which he builds his unjust and heavy Charge 'T is very unlikely to say no more that our Saviour shou'd be guilty of the least Breach of any Promise that he ever made if we consider how much and how readily he consulted the true Interest of his Followers I mean the Welfare of their Precious and Immortal Souls And when we see that the remarkable and unlikely Events which he foretold at some Distance of Time from their Accomplishment have exactly answer'd his Prediction that his Doctrine is publish'd to all the Nations of the World and that they who have embrac'd it have meerly on that Account been brought before Governours and Kings we can't but be fill'd with a Holy Admiration and encourag'd to have our firm and entire Dependance upon his Infinite Wisdom Irresistible Power and Universal Goodness And sure I am that Celsus himself can't reasonably desire to have greater Evidence of the Truth of any Doctrine than that which our Saviour has giv'n us of the Truth of the Gospel unless he be so wretchedly ignorant of the Incarnation of the ETERNAL WORD as to exspect that the HUMANE NATURE which was assum'd by him shou'd not be subject to the common Calamities which attend Humane Life and by Consequence to imagine that we shou'd want the Brightest Example of Submission to the Will of God that any Mortal ever gave The only Reason if it may be call'd so that can possibly be assign'd for such an extravagant Conceit is this that Celsus esteems PAIN the GREATEST EVIL and PLEASURE the HIGHEST GOOD And here he goes a Strain beyond most of the Philosophers themselves I mean of those that believ'd an Over-ruling Providence and allow Courage and Constancy and the like Endowments a Place among the MORAL VIRTUES which are at once so Necessary and so Ornamental And our Saviour was so far from subverting the Foundation of our Faith by the various and grievous Calamities to which he was expos'd and which in the Event did befall him that I think he has tak'n the most effectual Method to confirm it if we can but divert our Thoughts from the shocking Calamities that attend Humane Life to the Bright Objects and Glorious Entertainments of the Future State in which we shall look with an Holy Disdain upon Sin Satan and this lower World CHAP. XXVI THEN Celsus has the following Words Surely you will not have the Confidence to say that your JESUS being unable to work upon the Minds of Men in the wretched World in which we live went down to Hell it self to see if he cou'dn't make Converts there But our Saviour when he was here on Earth had so many and such zealous Followers
being wicked Men and most notorious Impostors And a Greek or Egyptian or any other Infidel may say thus to a Jew O the Force of Truth Moses has told us plainly as your own Writings inform us that many shou'd come who wou'd perform the same Miracles which he did himself and yet be very wicked and designing Wretches For 't is writ in YOUR OWN LAW If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and Deut. 13 V. 1. he gives thee a Sign or a Wonder and the Sign or the Wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve 'em Thou shalt not hearken to that Prophet or Dreamer of Dreams The pretended Jew goes on and makes our Saviour say That Satan will be the Original Author of their Cursed Art thinking thereby to ridicule and insult him But the Christians or any Infidels may as well alledge against his Celebrated Moses that these Prophets and Dreamers of Dreams wou'd counterfeit his Miracles The Jew says farther That our Saviour's Miracles ev'n according to his own Confession have no Stamp of a Divine Authority but are such Works as wou'd be done by the Vilest Persons upon Earth But an Infidel may turn the Argument upon Moses and say that his Miracles ev'n according to his own Confession have no Stamp of a Divine Authority but are such Works as wou'd be done by Persons of the most infamous Character And the following Words that our Saviour not being able to resist the Evidence of Truth do's in the same Breath condemn their Miracles and his own may every whit as well be retorted upon Moses And those Words of the Jew Isn't it I beseech you a most intolerable Thing that from the same Actions He by all Means must be denominated A GOD and Others be branded with the Infamous Title of MAGICIANS I say those Words of the Jew may be turn'd upon Moses thus Isn't it I beseech you a most intolerable Thing that from the same Actions He by all Means must be denominated a Faithful and EMINENT SERVANT of the BLESSED GOD and Others be branded with the odious Title of IMPOSTORS And those Words of the Jew Ev'n According to his own free Confession we have no more Reason to think that they were wicked Men than that he was a vile Wretch himself may be turn'd upon Moses thus what an Instance of Madness is it to look upon Moses as a Servant of GOD and more than ordinary Prophet and at the same Time to deny these honourable Characters to such Persons as were to work Miracles as well as he ev'n according to his own Prediction And those Words of the Jew which he thinks do give more Force to the Objection viz. That our Saviour himself has told us that such Actions were certain Indications of the most notorious Deceit and Impiety and not of a Divine Power accompanying the Persons who perform'd 'em may easily be retorted upon Moses CHAP. XXX THEN Celsus's Jew speaking to those of his Native Country who had embrac'd Christianity asks us the following Question for 't is plain he had his Eye upon us all along tho' for a blind he directs his Discourse to them What in God's Name cou'd induce you to believe in your pretended Saviour Was it his Foretelling that he shou'd rise from the dead But this may be turn'd upon Moses thus What induc'd you to believe in your most Celebrated Prophet Was it his Foretelling the Circumstances of his Death in the following Words So Moses the Servant Deut. 35. V. 4. 5. of the Lord dy'd there in the Land of Moab according to the Word of the Lord. And he bury'd him in a Valley in the Land of Moab over against Beth-peor But no Man knows of his Sepulchre unto this Day If the Jew ridicules our Saviour because he fore-told that he shou'd rise from the Dead we may by a Parity of Reason expose Moses to Contempt and say that he was the Author of the Pentateuch and inserted that Passage No one knows his Sepulchre unto this Day with a politick Design to render his Name Immortal Then the Jew continues his Discourse to those of his own Country-Men that were Christians in the following Words Well we 'll suppose says he for once that your pretended Saviour foretold that he shou'd rise from the dead But pray have not others made Vse of the same pityful Artifice to take Advantage of the Weakness of some silly People Zamolxis Servant to Pythagoras took this Method to delude the Scythians and it seems Pythagoras was so cunning as to do the same And Rampsinitus is reported to have done the like in Egypt who if any Credit is to be giv'n to History play'd at Dice with Ceres in the Region of the dead and forc'd her to give him a Handkerchief she had that was curiously embroider'd Orpheus did the same among the People who were call'd Odrysae Protesilaus among the Thessalians and Hercules and Theseus among the Inhabitants of Toenarus But here it deserves to be consider'd whether any Person that was really dead did ever rise with the same Numerical Body Do you who look on the Accounts that are giv'n by others as trifling Stories imagine that the Catastrophe of your senceless Drama is ever the more just or probable because you endeavour to adorn it with some fine Inventions because your Crucify'd JESUS gave a dreadful Out-cry when he lay at the very Point of Death because there happen'd to be an Earth-quake and a more than ordinary Darkness You boldly affirm that he rose from the dead tho' it seems he was far from being able to secure his Person while he remain'd on Earth and shew'd upon his Body all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of the Nails But you your acknowledge that there was no Witness of the Truth of this Account but one Fanatical Woman and perhaps some Body else of the same wretched Caball that was plainly deluded by her own idle Whimsies or too easily believ'd what she wou'd have to be true as it frequently happens or in the last Place which seems to me more probable had a Mind to amuse People with this imaginary Miracle and furnish such Cheats as her Self with a Pretence for disturbing the World with Notorious and Vile Impostures But since 't is a pretended Jew that says all this I shall answer him accordingly and turn the Edge of his own Weapon upon Moses by desiring that he wou'd resolve me the following Question Pray how many gross Impostors have done Miracles to take Advantage of the Weakness of some silly People and yet you are forward to give Credit to Moses on the Account of the Miracles he wrought Besides methinks 't is somewhat unsuitable to the Character of a Jew to alledge the Instances of Zamolxis and Pythagoras since the Jews 't is well known are little conversant with the Greek Historians
The Account which he gives us of Rampsinitus and Ceres wou'd have come with a much better Grace from the Mouth of an Egyptian who to lessen the Authority of Moses might say that 't was much more probable that the fore-mention'd Persons shou'd play at Dice together in the Region of the Dead and that he as a Proof of his Descent thither shou'd produce the embroider'd Handkerchief which he took from the Goddess than that Moses went into the Darkness which God himself did inhabit and that he alone had the Honour to come near him as he himself gives us an Account And we who are the Followers of the Holy Jesus may make the following Address to the pretended Jew when he talks at so extravagant a Rate Pray how do you answer the Greeks and Egyptians who raise many of the same Objections against Moses that you offer against our Blessed Saviour When you have heap'd up all the Arguments you can think of in Defence of Moses tho' we think at the same time that we can solidly and clearly prove him to be a True and very Eminent Prophet you 'll be forc'd unawares to acknowledge ev'n according to those Arguments which you your Selves make use of that our Blessed Saviour did vastly and indeed infinitely exceed him But because Celsus's Jew makes meer Game of the Histories which give us an Account of the Descent of some Heroes into the Region of the Dead and their Return from thence and thinks that their pretended DIVINE SORT OF ABSCONDING for a Time and then coming back again and making an Appearance upon the Stage of the World was all Artifice and Delusion as he plainly intimates when he speaks of the Opinion that the Odrysians had of Orpheus the Thessalians of Protesilaus and the Inhabitants of Toenarus entertain'd of Hercules and Theseus I shall make it appear that there is no Manner of Comparison between these Fables of the Greeks and the Account that the Evangelists give us of the Resurrection of Our Saviour 'T is obvious to remark that these Fabulous Heroes cou'd descend into the Region of the Dead whenever the Fancy took 'em and return as soon as they saw Cause to do so But since our Saviour was crucify'd in the open View of the Jews and Romans and after his Death was tak'n down from the Cross in the Sight of so many Witnesses what Reason have we to imagine that he feign'd his Descent into the World of disembody'd Spirits and his Return to our World again as the Greeks have feign'd their Heroes to have often done Nay I 'm inclin'd to think that from the Story of these Ancient Heroes we may be furnish'd with an Argument that will take away in a great Measure the SVPPOS'D INFAMY of the CROSS of CHRIST Had our Saviour dy'd in a common Way and giv'n the Jews and Romans no convincing Proof of the Reality of his Death he had certainly been liable to Suspicion as well as many of the Heroes of the Greeks tho' he had really been loos'd from the strong Bonds of the Grave in which he was some Time held I humbly conceive therefore that one principal Reason why he dy'd in so publick a Manner was this that no Person might have the least Umbrage of Jealousy that he crafâ—ily retir'd from the World and feign'd himself to be gone down to the Region of the Dead and took his own Time to appear again making the World believe that he was ris'n from the Dead when in Truth he was all this While as much alive as ever But to remove any such foolish Suspicion we need only consider that his Disciples most willingly expos'd themselves to imminent Dangers in publishing his Doctrine to the World tho' they were not ignorant of the rooted Prejudices of Men against it This certainly they wou'd never have been tempted to do if their Lord's Resurrection had been no more than an emty Fiction especially if we consider they not only perswaded others to lay down their Lives for the Cause of Christ but with the greatest Readiness wou'd if it were possible have dy'd Ten Thousand Deaths to promote it Then Celsus's Jew as if 't was impossible that any one shou'd rise from the Dead with the same Numerical Body makes Use of this rash Expression We must says he consider whether any Person that was really dead did ever rise with the same Numerical and Proper Body This One wou'd think shou'dn't come from the Mouth of one who bears the Character of a Jew who is suppos'd to believe what we find recorded in the two Books of Kings 1 Kin. 17. V. 22. concerning two Children one of which was restor'd to Life by Elijah 2 Kin. 4. V. 34. and the other by Elisha And I believe 't was Matter of our Saviour's Choice to be educated among the Jews because they were accustom'd to Miracles that so by comparing what he did with what had been done in the former Ages of the World they might be forc'd to acknowledge that his Miracles deserv'd the Preference by whom and in whose Name far greater Things were perform'd than had been done in the Memory of Man Then the pretended Jew having produc'd the Histories of the Greeks to shew us the strange Artifices which the Ancient Heroes us'd that People might imagine that they were ris'n from the dead directs his Discourse to those of his Native Country that were converted to the Christian Faith in the following Words Do you look upon the Accounts that are giv'n by others as trifling Stories and imagine that the Catastrophe of your Senseless Drama is ever the more just or probable because you endeavour to adorn it with some Fine Inventions because your Crucify'd Jesus gave a most dreadful Out-Cry when he lay at the very Point of Death To this I answer we believe that the Account which you have giv'n of the Ancient Heroes of the Greeks is grosly Fabulous but we are fully perswaded and I think on very rational Grounds that the Account which is giv'n us of our Blessed Saviour in those Holy Scriptures which are common to us both and of which we make our Boast as much as you your is far from deserving that contemptible Character which this Gentleman is pleas'd to give it Therefore we can never grant that the Glorious Miracles which were wrought in raising some Persons from the dead as we are credibly inform'd were no better than empty Fictions and vain Amusements We believe that our Saviour did really rise from the dead as the Prophets and he himself had foretold he shou'd and one Thing among others that makes his Resurrection the more remarkable and in which it excell'd that of any other Person is the following Consideration that he wa'n't rais'd from the dead by a Prophet such as Elijah or Elisha was but by the IMMEDIATE INFLVENCE of rhe GOD-HEAD Hence it came to pass that the happy Effects of his Resurrection were so Exrraordinary and so General Pray
was the Resurrection of the two Children before-mention'd a great and diffusive Blessing to Mankind as we know the Resnrrection of our Saviour was when the Power of God did so eminently accompany the Preaching of the Gospel and caus'd it to make so deep and lasting an Impression upon the Minds of so many of his Hearers who at first were strangely prejudic'd against him CHAP. XXXI THE pretended Jew goes on and is ready to split his Sides with Laughing at the Earth-quake and ridicules the more than ordinary Darkness that were the AWFVL CONCOMITANTS of our Saviour's Sufferings But this I have already answer'd according to my weak Ability and produc'd the Testimony of Phlegon who acknowledges that these wonderful Events did really happen at the Time of our Saviour's Passion Then the Jew has the following Words You say that he rose from the dead tho' he was far from being able to secure his Person while he remain'd on Earth and shew'd upon his Body all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of the Nails with which his Hands and Feet were pierc'd But what dos this Gentleman mean by saying He wa'n't able to secure his Person If he means that our Blessed Saviour wa'nt able to secure himself from the common Contagion of Vice and Immorality what he says is absolutely and manifestly false For he never spoke a Word or did an Action that was in the least indecent or unworthy of an INCARNATE GOD. He was led as a Sheep to the Mat. 27 V. 2 Slaughter and as a Laneb before her Shearers was dumb so he open'd not his Mouth Viz. By way of Complaint or Uneasiness as St. Mathew acquaints us But if Celsus means that he didn't exert his Power to secure himself from the outward Calamities to which he was expos'd which morally consider'd were neither Good nor Evil I have prov'd already from the Gospels that he submitted to 'em with the greatest Readiness imaginable and shew'd the Reasons which justify'd his Conduct Then the pretended Jew having spoke of our Saviour's shewing all the Marks of his Crucifixion and the very Print of his Nails says There was no Witness of the Truth of this strange Account but one Fanatical Woman designing to ridicule Mary Magdalen who saw him after he was ris'n from the dead as we are told in the Gospels and because we are inform'd that he was seen by others he thought fit to add the following Words And perhaps some Body else of the same wretched Cabal Then he plainly discovers that he is one of those who admire the Epicurean Hypothesis when he endeavours to shew how a lively Idea of a deceas'd Person may be form'd in the warm Imagination in the following Words Who was deluded by her own idle Whimsies or too easily believ'd what she wou'd have to be true as we know it frequently happens There 's a great Deal of Force if we must give any heed to his idle Whimsies in this scurrilous Language But ev'n from hence we may be furnish'd with an Argument to prove the IMMORTAL SVBSISTENCE of HVMANE SOVLS when they are separated from their Bodies and the unavoidable Consequence of what he here asserts amounts to this at least that it survives the Body For if as Plato observes in his Dialogues about the HVMANE SOVL there are certain Images of dead Persons that are seen near their Tombs then they must be owing to some Cause or other And no Cause can be so rationally assign'd as the Soul of the deceas'd Person that assumes a Body which is adapted to it But Celsus who advances the fore-mention'd Notion wou'd make People dream while they are thoroughly awake and have their Sences about 'em and says They too easily believe what they wou'd have to be true Such Dreams indeed as he talks of are common when the Bodily Sences are lock'd up by Sleep but I think we can't easily account for 'em when Persons are awake unless they be troubl'd with Melancholy or fall'n into a Fit of the Frenzy Celsus it seems wa'n't ignorant of this and that made him call Mary Magdalen a Fanatick tho' the Scripture-History says nothing like it and our Saviour's Appearing after he was ris'n from the dead and showing all the Marks that were made in his Crucify'd Body must according to Celsus be solv'd by the Doctrine of the Images of deceas'd Persons but according to the Scripture-Account which he 's so cunning as to use when he thinks that it serves his purpose the Matter of Fact stood thus Our Saviour call'd one of his Disciples to him who cou'dn't for his Life believe that he was ris'n from the dead with the same Body I say with the same Body For the Appearance of Humane Souls after Death don't seem to be the least Matter of his Doubt Therefore 't is remarkable that he dos'n't say Except I see him but Except John 20. V. 25 I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Sides I will not believe He didn't question but that the Soul of a deceas'd Person might animate a Body which wou'd be visible to the corporeal Eye and bear a Resemblance to that from which 't was separated by Death not only with respect to the Eyes and Voice and Mien but also Sometimes appear in a like Habit cloath'd Hom. Il. Book 23 V. 67. Therefore our Saviour call'd Thomas to him and said Reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach John 20 V. 27. hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be not faithless but believing And by the Way 't was agreable to the many Prophecies which we meet with concerning him the many evident Miracles he wrought and unusual Accidents that befell him that he shou'd rise from the Dead and that this considerable Circumstance shou'd as it were crown and compleat the rest The Prophetical Psalmist speaking in the Person of our Saviour has this Prophecy relating to him My Flesh also shall rest in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor Psalm 16 V. 9. suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption And the Body with which our Saviour rose from the Dead did neither consist of such gross Matter as it consisted of before nor of such subtil Matter as that with which separate Souls are cloath'd when an Apparition appears Therefore St. John has the following Words His Disciples were within and Thomas with em Then came Jesus the Doors being shut and stood in the Midst and said Peace be unto you And he adds these Words Then says he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger St. Luke tells us that When Simon and Cleopas were talking of the Things Luke 24 V. 14. that had happen'd to him Jesus himself drew near and went with em But their Eyes were holden that they shou'd not know him And he said to 'em What Manner of Communications are these that ye