poffeffed the principal authority in religious CHAP. affairs; that the ignominy of the cross, entire- III. ly oppofite to their prejudices and expectations, afterwards threw a veil across their eyes re-. fembling that which concealed from their hearts the knowledge of Jefus Chrift; that the priests and pharifees had already fo openly oppofed him, that his miracles only ferved to increase their refentment and render him the more odious; that their hatred displayed itself when they imagined themselves despised, that is to fay, when their hypocrify was unmasked; that the vices, which moftly blind the understanding, and offufcate the heart, are pride and envy, when the merit and virtue of an extraordinary man throws them into defpair, that their paffions can only be fatiated but by cruel and violent defigns; and that it was this way the deep counfels of the heavenly Father were to be accomplished in his Son, agreeable to the prophets, and according to the remark made by Saint John +: "Tho'

Jefus had done fo many miracles be"fore them, yet they believed not on him: "That the faying of Efaias the prophet might "be fulfilled, which he fpake: Lord, who hath "believed our report? and to whom hath the << arm of the Lord been revealed? There"fore they could not believe, because that "Efaias faid again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they

+ Chap. xii. 37, &c. VOL. III.

G

"fhould

PART" should not fee with their eyes, nor underIV. ftand with their heart, and be converted, and I fhould heal them. These things faid "Efaias, when he faw his glory, and spake " of him."

This is fufficient to filence every body. It was foretold, that the Jews would be incredulous, and would behold the greatest miracles without being affected; and that through blindness of heart they would make no ufe of what feemed the most probable to move them: wherefore it would have been a prejudice against Jefus Chrift, if most of the Jews, ftruck with the evidence of his miracles, had believed; for the prophets had foretold the contrary, and affigned + the almost general incredulity of the Jews, in refpect to him, as a mark to know the true Meffiah.

t See the fecond part, chap. 15, 16, 17.

С НА Р.

CHAP IV.

Farther proofs of the truth of the miracles wrought by Christ. ft Proof: A power bestowed by Chrifi on his apoftles, and on feventy-two difciples, to work miracles in his name. 2d Proof: The calumnies of the fees in cavilling at certain circumstances of the miracles of Chrift, demonftrate their truth. 3d Proof: the jealousy of the inhabi tants of Nazareth. 4th Proof: The reproaches which Chrift made to the towns where be bad performed many miracles, invincibly establish their certainty and evidence. 5th Proof: Ancient tradition of the Jews, which allows the miracles of Jefus Chrift, but attributes them to the pronouncing of the name of God, or to magic. Confutation of the Jewish calumny with respect to magic.

ARTICLE · I.

Firft proof. Power beflowed by Christ on his apoftles, and on feventy-two difciples, of working miracles in his

I

name.

Should be very prolix, if I attempted. to fhew that many other miracles of Jefus Chrift bore unquestionable characteristics of truth, and that the more we dwell on the circumftances, the more obvious will their cerG 2 tainty

CHAP.

IV.

PART tainty appear; but I cannot forbear taking noIV. tice of one that is very fingular, and till then 'unheard of, which contains an infinity of others; I mean the power that Chrift invefted his apostles with, to perform miracles in his name, when he fent them, two by two, to preach the gofpel in all Judea. "He gave them, fays Saint Matthew one of the "twelve that was fent, power against unclean

fpirits, to caft them out, and to heal all "manner of fickness, and all manner of dif "eafe. Preach, fays he, that the kingdom "of heaven is at hand. Heal the fick, raise "the dead, cleanse the lepers, caft out de"vils: freely ye have received, freely give."

Was there ever an example of fuch a commiffion? and in what terms was it beftowed? every word is a fource of prodigies. All nature fubmits to men hitherto unknown: death is comprehended within the extent of their power, and devils themfelves acknowledge their fovereignty. What then must he be, who not only enjoys an abfolute power over all nature, but even fubjects it to his fervants? must we demand miracles of him, who, by a fingle word, bestows on his ministers the power of doing in his name every thing, which they fhall judge neceffary? and can we doubt his being the fource of the whole power, which he confers on his ambaffadors, fince to communicate it to them, no more was neceffary than the mere act of his will.

Mat. X. 1,

8.

But

But is it true (they will fay) that he actually CHAP. did communicate this power? the proof is easy. IV. We need only enquire of the apoftles whether their commiffion was ineffectual, or whether it was serious and real?" When they went out, fays Saint Mark*, they preached that men "fhould repent. They caft out many devils; they anoint with oil many that were fick, " and healed them.. "They went, fays Saint "Luke, through the towns preaching the

gofpel, and healing every where." This is evident, the effect correfponds with the words: the name of Chrift alone every where perform

ed miracles.

And indeed it would have been, on his part, a very certain method of deftroying the confidence which the apoftles had placed in him, to enjoin them every where to cure difeafes, lepers, those that were poffeffed, and even to raise the dead, by invoking his name, and afterwards to exhibit the imbecillity of that impotent name by many effays, which could never fucceed. The apoftles would have been a thousand times convinced, by their own experience, that the power he conferred on them, was only imaginary. They would have reasonably concluded from thence, that the gofpel, which they preached, was falfe. And at their return they must have complained of being fo many times expofed to ridicule and public fhame, when they rafhly attempted to cure difeafes by a fruitless method.

G 3

Thefe

* Mark vi. 12, 13.

+ Luke ix. 6.