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the Apostles have perfwaded men to turn Chriftians, had they not declared the Miracles, Refurrection and Afcenfion of Jefus Chrift; fince Chriftianity can't fubfift without these matters of fact? Thus we fee 'tis to no purpose for Impoftors to disguise themfelves, for all their shifts and tricks ferve only to discover them,

CHAP. V.

Where we shall more particularly examine, whether the Apoftles had the Power or the Will to deceive mankind.

Hofe men who have a design to deceive the World, must have more skill, wit and cunning than others; which skill, wit, and cunning will appear in their works in spite of all their Art, and fub tilty.

But when I ftrictly examine those Authors whom we call Sacred, I neither find Cunning, Wit, nor Affectation in their Books. Every thing they contain seems to me very fimple, naked and open. They all exactly relate their own Weaknesses and imperfections. They do not conceal their true Birth and extraction. They difcover their ambition in their controversy, who amongst them should be the greatest in the flourishing Kingdom of the Meffias; their grofs ignorance in the Questions they asked their Master, and one another, viz. What meaneth this, to rife again from the Dead? their cowardife in betaking themselves to flight at the fight of the Soldiers that came to take away their Mafter, and their incredulity in thofe fcruples they raifed con-. cerning his Refurection.

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All these things plainly discover the greatest fincerity and impartiality. But yet there arifes here a certain fcruple which feems not altogether inconfiderable,and may deserve a little confideration. Who knows (perhaps fome will object) but that this is an affected fincerity which prepoffeffes our minds in their behalf, only to deceive us the more fecurely? In order to overthrow this notion, I fhall not affert that the Writers we speak of were originally Fishermen and Publicans, and that it would feem very ftrange that men of that Birth and Education fhould affect fimplicity,and be capable of fo refined apiece of policy, of which there can hardly be given an example amongst the most able Politicians, that ever took upon them to deceive mankind.

Neither fhall I fay, that fince the four Evangelists compofed their Writings apart, 'twould be very furprising that they fhould all concur in the design of impofing upon the credulity of men, by Writing after fo fimple and ingenuous a manner; and that they should not only be entirely conformable to one another in this refpect, but also fhould agree with the other Writers of the New Testament.

'Tis fufficient to obferve, that they fometimes relate fuch things, as at first view fuggeft thofe notions in us which Piery utterly rejects, and Incredulity makes ufe of to oppose the Chriftian Religion, by attacking its divine head. This they would never have done, had they only affected an ingenuous fimplicity. Thus it's ask'd, why Jefus Chrift who was fubject to his holy and ever blessed Mother, according to the obfervation of the Evangelifts, fhould make her this anfwer, which is fome what rough and fevere: Woman what have I to do with thee? my bour is not yet come. Thus Julian the Apoftate, Celfus, Forphirius, and other Enemies of the Chriftian Religion, ftick not to say that Jefus Chrift gave fome

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marks of his weakness in the Garden of Gethsemane, where the fear of Death made him fweat great drops of Blood, and where he cried out feveral times, O my Father, if it be poffible let Mat. 26. 39.

this Cup pals from me. They also pre

tend that this exclamation of Jefus Chrift when nailed on the Crofs, My God, my God, why hast thou forfaken me? was an expreffion of his defpair.

I know not here what to admire moft, either the impudence of thefe proud Enemies of our Religion, or the force of Truth which still becomes ftronger the more they endeavour to shake it. For as for the first, If the Enemies of the Chriftians wont believe the report of the Evangelifts, how came they to know that Jefus Chrift uttered these words, which give them occasion to think he wanted conftancy? But if they will believe the report of the Evangelists, why should they refufe to believe fo many miraculous matters of fact, which the Evangelifts left to us in writing, after having been eye-witnesses of the fame?

It is certain that we may find in our principles wherewith to explain thofe places they bring against us. The words which Jefus Chrift spoke to his blessed Mother, give us only to understand, how very jealous he was of the duties of his Calling. He spoke to her as a Mediatour between God and Man, as the perfon in whom the ought neceffarily to believe in order to her Salvation; and who doubts but in that quality he had fome Authority over her ?

As for the forrowfulness he expressed in his Agony, it might proceed from a double caufe, the one natural, and the other fupernatural. He might very well fear Death as Man; and the pains inflicted on his Humane Nature might force him.to utter fome innocent complaints. But that was not

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all that made his torments grievous. He was loaded with the Sins of Mankind, and fubject to the curfe of the Law. He looked upon God as his Father, but God offered himself to him as an angry Judge. The more he loved his Father, the more fenfible he was of the Grief he sustained in being remov'd from him. The measure of his fufferings confifted in the measure of his vertue; and what he fays here to his Father, is rather the Language of his Love, than that of his Defpair.

But if the Incredulous fhould fay they are not obliged to fubfcribe to my explanations, because it is incertain whether they have any other ground than my bare imagination; I am willing they should entertain this fcruple, and cherish it till by establishing my principles, I have an opportunity of answer. ing yet more fully all thofe difficulties. But in the mean time I hold that nothing can more demonftrate the fincerity of the Evangelifts than those places just now mentioned: and I affirm that the fincerity of the Evangelifts being well demonftrated, does invincibly prove the Truth of the Chriftian Religion.

For certainly either those who compofed the Gofpels had a defign to deceive Mankind in behalf of Jefus Chrift and his Religion, or they had no fuch defign at all. If they had any fuch defign, they would have taken fpecial care not to fet down those Circumstances of the death of their Mafter, which might give the World an occafion to fufpect he wanted Courage, or thought himself forfaken of God. But if in writing the matters of fact contained in the Gospel, they had no manner of design to deceive Mankind; we must then of neceffity look upon them as being very fincere Authors, who would not deceive us, unless they themselves had irft of all been deceived. So that all the question

is, whether the matters of fact they tell us of are such as are shewn only by Illufion. And we need here only confider whether all the Disciples could have fancied they faw an infinite number of very fingular and fenfible Miracles, fuch as fick men healed, Dead raised to Life, &c. and have believed that they themselves work'd miracles, when all the while there was no fuch thing.

'Tis to no purpose here to alledge, that the Evangelists affected an ingenuous fimplicity to avoid the fufpicion of dishonesty. For had that been their defign, they would have taken special care not to furnish impious men with places and paffages on which they might raise imaginary triumphs. Nor is there any reason to believe that the Evangelifts related those words, because their fimplicity was fo great that they had not judgment to difcern whether they were for or against their caufe. For what probability is there that men who had wit enough to deceive other people, fhould have fo little in this occafion? Muft a man needs be wife and learned, when he chufes to represent his Master constant and undaunted, rather than forrowful unto Death? And yet 'tis not one fingle Evangelist that relates the history of his paffion after this manner, they all agree in this respect. And how could this be fo? but that they only propofed to themselves to speak the plain truth, and they spoke it without confidering the impreffion it would make on Mankind, without examining whether the Incredulous would take occafion from thence to flander the Chriftian Religion,

In the mean while, if what has been faid here is not fufficient, I am willing more particularly to examin the matters contained in the Gospels.

CHAP.

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