14

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

try it upon a fimple cafe; and, if it produce a falfe refult, he is fure that there must be some miftake in the demonstration. Now to proceed in this way with what may be called Mr. Hume's theorem. If twelve men, whofe probity and good sense I had long known, should ferioufly and circumftantially relate to me an account of a miracle wrought before their eyes, and in which it was impoffible that they should be deceived; if the governor of the country, hearing a rumor of this account, should call thefe men into his prefence, and offer them a fhort propofal, either to confefs the impofture, or fubmit to be tied up to a gibbet; if they should refufe with one voice to acknowledge that there existed any falfehood or impofture in the cafe; if this threat were communicated to them feparately, yet with no different effect; if it was at last executed; if I myself saw them, one after another, confenting to be racked, burnt, or strangled, rather than give up the truth of their account: ftill, if Mr. Hume's rule be my guide, I am not to believe them. Now I undertake to fay that there exifts not a sceptic in the world, who would not believe them; or who would defend such in. credulity.

Inftances of fpurious miracles fupported by ftrong apparent testimony undoubtedly demand examination. Mr. Hume has endeavoured to fortify his argument by fome examples of this kind. I hope in a proper place to fhow that none of them reach the ftrength or circumftances of the Chriftian evidence. In thefe however confifts the weight of his objection. In the principle itself I am perfuaded there is none.

PART THE FIRST.

OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY, AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE EVIDENCE ALLEGED FOR OTHER MIRACLES.

THE two propofitions which I shall endeavour to establish,

are thefe :

I. That there is fatisfactory evidence that many, profeffing to be original witneffes of the Chriftian miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts; and that they alfo fubmitted, from the fame motives, to new rules of conduct.

II. That there is not fatisfactory evidence that perfons, profeffing to be original witneffes of other miracles, in their nature as certain as these are, have ever afted in the fame manner, in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and properly in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts.

The first of these propofitions, as it forms the argument, will ftand at the head of the following nine chapters.

CHAP. I.

There is fatisfactory evidence that many, profeffing to be original witneffes of the Chriftian Miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts; and that they alfo fubmitted, from the fame motives, to new rules of conduct.

To fupport this propofition two points are neceffary to be

made out; firit, that the founder of the inftitution, his affociates and immediate followers, acted the part which the propofition imputes to them: fecondly, that they did fo, in atteftation of the miraculous hiftory recorded in our fcriptures, and folely in confequence of their belief of the truth of this history.

Before we produce any particular teftimony to the activity and fufferings which compofe the fubject of our first affertion, it

will be proper to confider the degree of probability which the affertion derives from the nature of the cafe, that is, by inferences from thofe parts of the cafe which, in point of fact, are on all hands acknowledged.

First then, the Christian religion exifts, and therefore by fome means or other was eftablished. Now it either owes the principle of its establishment, i. e. its first publication, to the activi ty of the perfon who was the founder of the inftitution, and of thofe who were joined with him in the undertaking, or we are driven upon the strange fuppofition, that, although they might lie by, others would take it up; although they were quiet and filent, other perfons bufied themselves in the fuccefs and propagation of their story. This is perfectly incredible. To me it appears little lefs than certain, that, if the first announcing of the religion by the founder had not been followed up by the zeal and industry of his immediate difciples, the scheme must have expired in its birth. Then as to the kind and degree of exertion which was employed, and the mode of life to which thefe perfons fubmitted, we reasonably fuppofe it to be like that, which we obferve in all others who voluntarily become missionaries of a new faith. Frequent, earnest and laborious preaching, conftantly converfing with religious perfons upon religion, a fequeftration from the common pleasures, engagements and varieties of life, and an addiction to one ferious object, compofe the habits of fuch men. I do not fay that this mode of life is without enjoyment, but I fay that the enjoyment fprings from fincerity. With a confcioufnefs at the bottom, of hollownefs and falfehood, the fatigue and restraint would become infupportable. I am apt to believe that very few hypocrites engage in thefe undertakings; or, however, perfift in them long. Ordinarily fpeaking, nothing can overcome the indolence of mankind, the love which is natural to moft tempers of cheerful fociety and cheerful scenes, or the defire, which is common to all, of perfonal eafe and freedom, but conviction.

Secondly, it is alfo highly probable, from the nature of the cafe, that the propagation of the new religion was attended with difficulty and danger. As addreffed to the Jews it was a fyftem, adverfe not only to their habitual opinions, but to those opinions upon which their hopes, their partialities, their pride, their confolation was founded. This people, with or without reafon, had worked themfelves into a perfuafion, that fome fignal and greatly advantageous change, was to be effected in the

condition of their country, by the agency of a long-promifed meffenger from heaven. The rulers of the Jews, their leading fect, their priesthood, had been the authors of this perfuafion to the common people. So that it was not merely the conjecture of theoretical divines, or the fecret expectation of a few reclufe devotees, but it was become the popular hope and paffion, and, like all popular opinions, undoubting, and impatient of contradiction. They clung to this hope under every misfortune of their country, and with more tenacity as their dangers or calamities increafed. To find, therefore, that expectations fo gratifying were to be worse than disappointed, that they were to end in the diffusion of a mild unambitious religion, which, instead of victories and triumphs, instead of exalting their na tion and institution above the rest of the world, was to advance thofe whom they defpifed to an equality with themselves, in thofe very points of comparifon in which they most valued their own diftinction, could be no very pleafing discovery to a Jewish mind; nor could the meffengers of fuch intelligence expect to be well received or eafily credited. The doctrine was equally harsh and novel.. The extending of the kingdom of God to. those who did not conform to the law of Mofes, was a notion that had never before entered into the thoughts of a Jew.

The character of the new inftitution was, in other refpects: alfo, ungrateful to Jewish habits and principles. Their own religion was in a high degree technical. Even the enlightened Jew placed a great deal of ftrefs upon the ceremonies of his law, faw in them a great deal of virtue and efficacy; the grofs and vulgar had fcarcely any thing elfe; and the hypocritical: and oftentatious magnified them above measure, as being the inftruments of their own reputation and influence. The Chrif tian fcheme, without formally repealing the Levitical code, lowered its estimation extremely. In the place of strictness and zeal in performing the obfervances which that code prę scribed, or which tradition had added to it, the new fect preached faith, well-regulated affections, inward purity, and moral rectitude of difpofition, as the true ground, on the part of the worshipper, of merit and acceptance with God. This, howev er rational it may appear, or recommending to us at prefent, id not by any means facilitate the plan then. On the contrary, to difparage thofe qualities which the higheft characters in the country valued themselves moft upon, was a furé way of making powerful enemies. As if the fruftration of the national hope

was not enough, the long efteemed merit of ritual zeal and punctuality was to be decried, and that by Jews preaching to Jews.

The ruling party at Jerufalem had juft before crucified the founder of the religion. That is a fact which will not be dif puted. They therefore who ftood: forth to preach the religion, muft neceffarily reproach these rulers with an execution, which they could not but represent as an unjust and cruel murder. This would not render their office more eafy, or their fitua tion more fafe.

With regard to the interference of the Roman government which was then established in Judea, I should not expect, that, defpifing, as it did, the religion of the country, it would, if left to itself, animadvert, either with much vigilance, or much feverity, upon the fchifms and controverfies which arose within it.

Yet there was that in Christianity which might easily afford a handle of accufation with a jealous government.. The Chrif tians avowed an unqualified obedience to a new mafter. They avowed also that he was the perfon who had been foretold to the Jews under the fufpected title of king. The spiritual na ture of this kingdom, the confiftency of this obedience with civil fubjection, were distinctions too refined to be entertained by a Roman prefident, who viewed the business at a great distance, or through the medium of very hoftile reprefentations. Our.. hiftories accordingly inform us, that this was the turn which the enemies of Jefus gave to his character and pretentions in their remonftrances with Pontius Pilate. And Justin Mar. tyr, about a hundred years afterwards, complains that the fame. mistake prevailed in his time: "Ye having heard that we are. waiting for a kingdom, fuppofe, without diftinguifhing, that we. mean a human kingdom, when in truth we fpeak of that which is with God."a And it was undoubtedly a natural fource of calumny and mifconftruction.

The preachers therefore of Christianity had to contend with. prejudice, backed by power. They had to come forward to a difappointed people, to a priesthood poffeffing a confiderable fhare of municipal authority, and actuated by ftrong motives of oppofition and refentment; and they had to do this under a foreign government, to whofe favour they made no pretenfions, and which was constantly furrounded by their enemies. The

a Ap. 1 me, p. 16, ed, Thirl,