the ordinance of God: and they that resist, Christianity, of its precepts, duties, constitu

shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain : for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.— Render therefore to all their dues: tribute, to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honour, to whom honour.

"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.'

tión, or design, however he had discredited the story, he would have respected the principle. He would have described the religion differently, though he had rejected it. It has been very satisfactorily shown, that the "superstition" of the Christians consisted in worshipping a person unknown to the Roman calendar; and that the "perniciousness" with which they were reproached, was nothing else but their opposition to the established polytheism; and this view of the matter was just such a one as might be expected to occur to a mind, which held the sect in too much contempt to concern itself about the grounds and reasons of their conduct.

Secondly; We may from hence remark, how little reliance can be placed upon the most acute judgments, in subjects which they are pleased to despise: and which, of course, they from the first consider as unworthy to be inquired into. Had not Christianity survived to tell its own story, it must have gone down to posterity as a "pernicious superstition ;" and that upon the credit of Tacitus's account, much, I doubt not, strengthened by the name of the writer, and the reputation of his sagacity.

Thirdly; That this contempt, prior to examination, is an intellectual vice, from which the greatest faculties of mind are not free. 1 know not, indeed, whether men of the great. est faculties of mind are not the most subject to it. Such men feel themselves seated upon an eminence. Looking down from their height upon the follies of mankind, they behold contending tenets wasting their idle strength upon one another, with the common disdain of the absurdity of them all. This habit of thought, however comfortable to the mind Read this, and then think of "exitiabilis which entertains it, or however natural to superstitio!"-Or, if we be not allowed, in great parts, is extremely dangerous; and more contending with Heathen authorities, to pro- apt, than almost any other disposition, to produce our books against theirs, we may at least duce hasty and contemptuous, and, by consebe permitted to confront theirs with one ano-quence, erroneous judgments, both of persons ther. Of this "pernicious superstition," what and opinions.

tianity at all; when they who did mention it, appear to have entirely misconceived its nature and character; and in consequence of this misconception, to have regarded it with negligence and contempt.

could Pliny find to blame, when he was led, Fourthly; We need not be surprised at by his office, to institute something like an ex-many writers of that age not mentioning Chrisamination into the conduct and principles of the sect? He discovered nothing, but that they were wont to meet together on a stated day. before it was light, and sing among themselves a hymn to Christ as a God, and to bind themselves by an oath, not to the commission of ́any wickedness, but, not to be guilty of theft, robbery, or adultery; never to falsify their word, nor to deny a pledge committed to them, when called upon to return it.

Upon the words of Tacitus we may build the following observations:

To the knowledge of the greatest part of the learned Heathens, the facts of the Christian history could only come by report. The books, probably, they had never looked into. The settled habit of their minds was, and long had been, an indiscriminate rejection of all reports of the kind. With these sweeping con

First; That we are well warranted in call-clusions, truth hath no chance. It depends ing the view under which the learned men of that age beheld Christianity, an obscure and distant view. Had Tacitus known more of

Romans xii. 9-xii. 13.

upon distinction. If they would not inquire, how should they be convinced? It might be founded in truth, though they, who made no search, might not discover it.

"Men of rank, and fortune, of wit and abi

lities, are often found, even in Christian coun- applies to the remaining writings of other early tries, to be surprisingly ignorant of religion, Christians.

and of every thing that relates to it. Such The epistles of the apostles are either horwere many of the heathens. Their thoughts tatory or argumentative. So far as they were were all fixed upon other things; upon repu- occupied in delivering lessons of duty, rules of tation and glory, upon wealth and power, up-public order, admonitions against certain preon luxury and pleasure, upon business or learn- vailing corruptions, against vice, or any partiing. They thought, and they had reason to think, cular species of it, or in fortifying and encou that the religion of their country was fable and raging the constancy of the disciples under the forgery, a heap of inconsistent lies; which in- trials to which they were exposed, there apclined them to suppose that other religions pears to be no place or occasion for more of were no better. Hence it came to pass, that these references than we actually find. when the apostles preached the Gospel, and wrought miracles in confirmation of a doctrine every way worthy of God, many Gentiles knew little or nothing of it, and would not take the least pains to inform themselves about it. This appears plainly from ancient history."*

So far as the epistles are argumentative, the nature of the argument which they handle accounts for the infrequency of these allusions. These epistles were not written to prove the truth of Christianity. The subject under consideration was not that which the miracles deI think it by no means unreasonable to sup-cided, the reality of our Lord's mission; but pose, that the heathen public, especially that it was that which the miracles did not decide, part which is made up of men of rank and edu- the nature of his person or power, the design cation, were divided into two classes; those of his advent, its effects, and of those effects who despised Christianity beforehand, and those the value, kind, and extent. Still I maintain, who received it. In correspondency with which that miraculous evidence lies at the bottom of division of character, the writers of that age the argument. For nothing could be so prewould also be of two classes; those who were posterous as for the disciples of Jesus to dissilent about Christianity, and those who were pute amongst themselves, or with others, conChristians. "A good man, who attended cerning his office or character, unless they besufficiently to the Christian affairs, would be-lieved that he had shown, by supernatura come a Christian; after which his testimony proofs, that there was something extraordinary ceased to be pagan, and became Christian."+ in both. Miraculous evidence, therefore, forI must also add, that I think it sufficiently ming not the texture of these arguments, proved, that the notion of magic was resorted but the ground and substratum, if it be occato by the heathen adversaries of Christianity, sionally discerned, if it be incidentally appealin like manner as that of diabolical agency had ed to, it is exactly so much as ought to take before been by the Jews. Justin Martyr al-place, supposing the history to be true. leges this as his reason for arguing from pro- As a further answer to the objection, that phecy, rather than from miracles. Origen im- the apostolic epistles do not contain so frequent, putes this evasion to Celsus; Jerome to Por- or such direct and circumstantial recitals of phyry; and Lactantius to the heathen in ge-miracles as might be expected, I would add, neral. The several passages, which contain that the apostolic epistles resemble in this respect these testimonies, will be produced in the next the apostolic speeches, which speeches are given chapter. It being difficult however to ascer-by a writer who distinctly records numerous tain in what degree this notion prevailed, es-miracles wrought by these apostles themselves, pecially amongst the superior ranks of the and by the Founder of the institution in their heathen communities, another, and I think an presence: that it is unwarrantable to contend, adequate, cause, has been assigned for their in-that the omission, or infrequency, of such refidelity. It is probable that in many cases the citals in the speeches of the apostles, negatives two causes would operate together.

CHAPTER V.

the existence of the miracles, when the speeches are given in immediate conjunction with the history of those miracles: and that a conclu. sion which cannot be inferred from the speeches, without contradicting the whole tenor of the book which contains them, cannot be inferred

That the Christian miracles are not recited, or from letters, which, in this respect, are similar appealed to, by early Christian writers them-only to the speeches. selves, so fully or frequently as might have been expected.

I SHALL consider this objection, first, as it applies to the letters of the apostles, preserved in the New Testament; and secondly, as it

Jortin's Disc. on the Christ. Rel. p. 66. ed. 4th. + Hartley, Obs p. 119.

To prove the similitude which we allege, it may be remarked, that although in Saint Luke's Gospel the apostle Peter is represented to have been present at many decisive miracles wrought by Christ; and although the second part of the same history ascribes other decisive miracles to Peter himself, particularly the cure of the lame man at the gate of the temple (Acts 1.) the death of Ananias and Sapph

lix; note in his speech before Festus ;† except to Christ's resurrection, and his own conversion.

ira (Acts v. 1.) the cure of Eneas (Acts ix. 34.) the resurrection of Dorcas (Acts ix. 40 ;) yet out of six speeches of Peter, preserved in the Acts, I know but two in which reference Agreeably hereunto, in thirteen letters asis made to the miracles wrought by Christ, cribed to Saint Paul, we have incessant referand only one in which he refers to miraculous ences to Christ's resurrection, frequent referpowers possessed by himself. In his speech ences to his own conversion, three indubitable upon the day of Pentecost, Peter addresses his references to the miracles which he wrought; audience with great solemnity, thus: "Ye four other references to the same, less direct men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Naza-yet highly probable ;§ but more copious or reth, a man approved of God among you, by circumstantial recitals we have not. The conmiracles, and wonders, and signs, which God sent, therefore, between Saint Paul's speeches did by him in the midst of you, as ye your- and letters, is in this respect sufficiently exact: selves also know:"* &c. In his speech upon and the reason in both is the same; namely, the conversion of Cornelius, he delivers his tes- that the miraculous history was all along pretimony to the miracles performed by Christ, supposed, and that the question, which occupiin these words: "We are witnesses of all things ed the speaker's and the writer's thoughts, was which he did, both in the land of the Jews, and this: whether, allowing the history of Jesus in Jerusalem."+ But in this latter speech, no to be true, he was, upon the strength of it, to allusion appears to the miracles wrought by he received as the promised Messiah; and, if himself, notwithstanding that the miracles he was, what were the consequences, what was above enumerated all preceded the time in the object and benefit, of his mission? which it was delivered. In his speech upon | The general observation which has been the election of Matthias, no distinct reference made upon the apostolic writings, namely, that is made to any of the miracles of Christ's his- the subject of which they treated, did not lead tory, except his resurrection. The same also them to any direct recital of the Christian hismay be observed of his speech upon the cure tory, belongs also to the writings of the apos of the lame man at the gate of the temple ;§ tolic fathers. The epistle of Barnabas is, in the same in his speech before the Sanhedrim ;|||its subject and general composition, much like the same in his second apology in the presence the epistle to the Hebrews; an allegorical apof that assembly. Stephen's long speech con- plication of divers passages of the Jewish histains no reference whatever to miracles, though tory, of their law and ritual, to those parts of it be expressly related of him, in the book which the Christian dispensation in which the author preserves the speech, and almost immediately perceived a resemblance. The epistle of Clebefore the speech, "that he did great wonders ment was written for the sole purpose of quietand miracles among the people." Again, al- ing certain dissensions that had risen amongst though miracles be expressly attributed to St. the members of the church of Corinth, and of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles, first, gene-reviving in their minds that temper and spirit rally, as at Iconium (Acts xiv. 3.) during the of which their predecessors in the Gospel had whole tour through the Upper Asia (xiv. 27. left them an example. The work of Hermas xv. 12.) at Ephesus (xix. 11, 12;) secondly, in is a vision : quotes neither the Old Testament specific instances, as the blindness of Elymas at nor the New; and merely falls now and then Paphos, the cure of the cripple at Lystra,++ into the language, and the mode of speech, of the Pythoness at Philippi,++ the miraculous which the author had read in our Gospels. liberation from prison in the same city,§§ the The epistles of Polycarp and Ignatius had for restoration of Eutychus,|||| the predictions of their principal object the order and discipline his shipwreck,¶¶ the viper at Melita, (a) the of the churches which they addressed. Yet, cure of Publius's father; (b) at all which mi- under all these circumstances of disadvantage, racles, except the first two, the historian him- the great points of the Christian history are self was present: notwithstanding, I say, this fully recognised. This hath been shown in positive ascription of miracles to Saint Paul, its proper place.|| yet in the speeches delivered by him, and given as delivered by him, in the same book in which the miracles are related, and the miraculous powers asserted, the appeals to his own miracles, or indeed to any miracles at all, are rare and incidental. In his speech at Antioch in Pisidia, (c) there is no allusion but to the resurrection. In his discourse at Miletus, (d) none to any miracle; none in his speech before Fe

There is, however, another class of writers, to whom the answer above given, viz. the unsuitableness of any such appeals, or references as the objection demands, to the subjects of which the writings treated, does not apply; and that is, the class of ancient apologists, whose declared design it was to defend Christianity, and to give the reasons of their adherence to it. It is necessary, therefore, to inquire how the matter of the objection stands in these.

The most ancient apologist, of whose works | Lactantius, who lived a century lower, deliv we have the smallest knowledge, is Quadratus. ers the same sentiment, upon the same occaQuadratus lived about seventy years after the sion: "He performed miracles ;-we might ascension, and presented his apology to the have supposed him to have been a magician, emperor Adrian. From a passage of this work, as ye say, and as the Jews then supposed, if preserved in Eusebius, it appears that the au- all the prophets had not with one spirit forethor did directly and formally appeal to the mi- told that Christ should perform these very racles of Christ, and in terms as express and things." confident as we could desire. The passage But to return to the Christian apologists in (which has been once already stated) is as fol- their order. Tertullian:-"That person whom lows: "The works of our Saviour were al- the Jews had vainly imagined, from the meanways conspicuous, for they were real; both ness of his appearance, to be a mere man, they they that were healed, and they that were rais- afterwards, in consequence of the power he exed from the dead, were seen, not only when erted, considered as a magician, when he, with they were healed or raised, but for a long time one word, ejected devils out of the bodies of afterwards: not only whilst he dwelled on this men, gave sight to the blind, cleansed the leearth, but also after his departure, and for a prous, strengthened the nerves of those that good while after it; insomuch as that some of had the palsy, and lastly, with one command them have reached to our times." Nothing restored the dead to life; when he, I say, made can be more rational or satisfactory than this. the very elements obey him, assuaged the Justin Martyr, the next of the Christian storms, walked upon the seas, demonstrating apologists whose work is not lost, and who fol- himself to be the Word of God.”+ lowed Quadratus at the distance of about thir- Next in the catalogue of professed apoloty years, has touched upon passages of Christ's gists we may place Origen, who, it is well history in so many places, that a tolerably com- known, published a formal defence of Chrisplete account of Christ's life might be collect- tianity, in answer to Celsus, a heathen, who ed out of his works. In the following quota- had written a discourse against it. I know no tion, he asserts the performance of miracles by expressions, by which a plainer or more posiChrist, in words as strong and positive as the tive appeal to the Christian miracles can be language possesses: "Christ healed those who made, than the expressions used by Origen: from their birth were blind, and deaf, and Undoubtedly we do think him to be the lame; causing, by his word, one to leap, ano- Christ, and the Son of God, because he healed ther to hear, and a third to see: and having the lame and the blind; and we are the more raised the dead, and caused them to live, he, confirmed in this persuasion, by what is writby his works, excited attention, and induced ten in the prophecies: Then shall the eyes the men of that age to know him. Who, how-of the blind be opened, and the ears of the ever, seeing these things done, said that it was deaf shall hear, and the lame man shall leap a magical appearance, and dared to call him a as an hart.' But that he also raised the dead, inagician, and a deceiver of the people."+ and that it is not a fiction of those who wrote In his first apology, Justin expressly as- the Gospels, is evident from hence, that, if it signs the reason for his having recourse to the had been a fiction, there would have been many argument from prophecy, rather than alleging recorded to be raised up, and such as had been the miracles of the Christian history: which a long time in their graves. But, it not being reason was, that the persons with whom he a fiction, few have been recorded: for instance, contended would ascribe these miracles to ma- the daughter of the ruler of a synagogue, of gic: "Lest any of our opponents should say, whom I do not know why he said, She is not What hinders, but that he who is called Christ dead but sleepeth, expressing something pecuby us, being a man sprung from men, perform-liar to her, not common to all dead persons: ed the miracles which we attribute to him, by and the only son of a widow, on whom he had magical art ?" The suggestion of this reason compassion, and raised him to life, after he meets, as I apprehend, the very point of the had bid the bearers of the corpse to stop; and present objection; more especially when we the third, Lazarus, who had been buried four find Justin followed in it, by other writers of days." This is positively to assert the mirathat age. Irenæus, who came about forty years cles of Christ, and it is also to comment upon after him, notices the same evasion in the ad- them, and that with a considerable degree of versaries of Christianity, and replies to it by accuracy and candour. the same argument: "But, if they shall say, In another passage of the same author, we that the Lord performed these things by an il-meet with the old solution of magic applied to Insory appearance (parrariadas,) leading these the miracles of Christ by the adversaries of the objectors to the prophecies, we will show from religion. "Celsus," saith Origen, "well knowfrom them, that all things were thus predict- ing what great works may be alleged to have ed concerning him, and strictly came to pass."§ been done by Jesus, pretends to grant that the

Iren. 1. . c, 57 i + Tertull Apolog. p. 20. ed. Prioril, Par. 1675.

it.

things related of him are true; such as heal- be so public and manifest, that no part of the ing diseases, raising the dead, feeding multi-human species would remain ignorant of it, no tudes with a few loaves, of which large frag- understanding could fail of being convinced by ments were left." And then Celsus gives, it seems, an answer to these proofs of our Lord's mission, which, as Origen understood it, resolved the phenomena into magic; for, Origen begins his reply, by observing, "You see that Celsus in a manner allows that there is such a thing as magic."+

It appears also from the testimony of Saint Jerome, that Porphyry, the most learned and able of the Heathen writers against Christianity, resorted to the same solution:" Unless," says he, speaking to Vigilantius," according to the manner of the Gentiles and the profane, of Porphyry and Eunomius, you pretend that these are the tricks of demons."+

The advocates of Christianity do not pretend that the evidence of their religion possesses these qualities. They do not deny that we can conceive it to be within the compass of divine power, to have communicated to the world a higher degree of assurance, and to have given to his communication a stronger and more extensive influence. For any thing we are able to discern, God could have so formed men, as to have perceived the truths of religion intuitively; or to have carried on a communication with the other world, whilst they lived in this; or to have seen the individuals of the species, instead of dying, pass to heaven by a sensible translation. He could have pre. sented a separate miracle to each man's sen

racle. He could have caused miracles to be wrought in every different age and country. These, and many more methods, which we may imagine, if we once give loose to our imaginations, are, so far as we can judge, all practicable.

This magic, these demons, this illusory appearance, this comparison with the tricks of jugglers, by which many of that age account-ses. He could have established a standing mied so easily for the Christian miracles, and which answers the advocates of Christianity often thought it necessary to refute by arguments drawn from other topics, and particularly from prophecy (to which, it seems, these solutions did not apply,) we now perceive to be gross subterfuges. That such reasons were The question, therefore, is, not whether ever seriously urged, and seriously received, Christianity possesses the highest possible deis only a proof, what a gloss and varnish fa-gree of evidence, but whether the not having shion can give to any opinion.

It appears, therefore, that the miracles of Christ, understood, as we understand them, in their literal and historical sense, were positively and precisely asserted and appealed to by the apologists for Christianity; which answers the allegation of the objection.

I am ready, however, to admit, that the ancient Christian advocates did not insist upon the miracles in argument, so frequently as I should have done. It was their lot to contend with notions of magical ageney, against which the mere production of the facts was not sufficient for the convincing of their adversaries: I do not know whether they themselves thought it quite decisive of the controversy. But since it is proved, I conceive with certainty, that the sparingness with which they appealed to miracles, was owing neither to their ignorance, nor their doubt of the facts, it is, at any rate, an objection, not to the truth of the history, but to the judgment of its defenders.

CHAPTER VI.

more evidence be a sufficient reason for rejecting that which we have.

Now there appears to be no fairer method of judging concerning any dispensation which is alleged to come from God, when a question is made whether such a dispensation could come from God or not, than by comparing it with other things which are acknowledged to proceed from the same counsel, and to be produced by the same agency. If the dispensation in question labour under no defects but what apparently belong to other dispensations, these seeming defects do not justify us, in setting aside the proofs which are offered of its authenticity, if they be otherwise entitled to credit.

Throughout that order then of nature, of which God is the author, what we find is a system of beneficence: we are seldom or never able to make out a system of optimism. I mean, that there are few cases in which, if we permit ourselves to range in possibilities, we cannot suppose something more perfect, and more unobjectionable, than what we see. The rain which descends from heaven, is confessedly amongst the contrivances of the Creator, for

Want of universality in the knowledge and re- the sustentation of the animals and vegetables ception of Christianity, and of greater clear-which subsist upon the surface of the earth.

ness in the evidence.

Or a revelation which really came from God, the proof, it has been said, would in all ages

* Orig. cont. Cels. lib. ii. sect 48.

Yet how partially and irregularly is it supplied! How much of it falls upon the sea, where it can be of no use! how often is it wanted where it would be of the greatest! What tracts of continent are rendered deserts by the scarcity of it! Or, not to speak of extreme cases,

+ Lardner's Jewish and Heath. Test, vol. ii. p. 294. ed. how much sometimes, do inhabited countries

Jerome cont. Vigil.

suffer by its deficiency or delay!-We could