inwardly perswaded of the Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion And I confess I can't but wonder that since Celsus was so fond of speaking in the Person of a Jew he didn't make him direct his Discourse to the Gentiles rather than to his own Country-men For 't wou'd have carry'd with it a far more plausible Appearance if it had been directed by him to those who embrac'd the Religion which we profess and were Gentiles like our But it seems this mighty Man with all his Knowledge to which he makes such great Pretences did not know or at least do's seem to me not duely to consider the Nature of that Figure of Speech which we make use of when we speak in the Person of another Let us see therefore what he says to those Jews who embrac'd the Christian Religion He says That suff'ring themselves to be most shamefully deluded by our Saviour they left the Religion of their Ancestors and alter'd both their Name and their Course of Life But he don't consider that the Jews who believ'd in our Blessed Saviour did not totally renounce the Law of their justly-admir'd Progenitors and Fore-Fathers but liv'd in the Observance of it deriving their Appellation from a Word that denotes the Poverty of the meer Letter of the Law For Ebion in the Hebrew Language signifies Poor and the converted Jews were call'd by the Name of Ebionites And St. Peter himself for a considerabe Time observ'd the Jewish Rites that are prescrib'd by the Law of Moses as not having yet learn'd ev'n from our Blessed Saviour to ascend as it were from their literal to their spiritual Meaning as we have the Matter related to us in the Acts of the Apostles On the Morrow as they went on their Journey and drew Acts 1. V. 9 c. nigh unto the City Peter went up upon the House-Top to pray about the sixth Hour And he became very hungry and wou'd have eaten but while they made ready he fell into a Trance and saw Heaven open'd and a certain Vessel descending unto him as it had been a great Sheet knit at the four Corners and let down to the Earth wherein were all Manner of Four-footed Beasts of the Earth and Wild Beasts and Creeping Things and Fowl of the Air. And there came a Voice to him rise Peter kill and eat But Peter said not so Lord for I have never eaten any Thing that is common or unclean And the Voice spake to him again the second Time what God has cleans'd that call thou not common You see here that St. Peter himself that Eminent Apostle is represented to us as retaining the Jewish Distinction between Clean and Vnclean Meats and 't is plain from what follows in the History that nothing less than a Vision cou'd engage him to preach the Doctrine of Faith in Christ to Cornelius who was not descended from the Israelites and to his Friends that attended him For he being a Jew and observing the Traditions of the Jewish Church had a contemptible Notion of the Gentiles And the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians acquaints us that St. Peter for Fear of displeasing the Jews refus'd to eat with the Gentiles For before that certain came from James he did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrew and separated himself Gal. ii V. 12. fearing them which were of the Circumcision And the other Jews dissembl'd likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carry'd away with their Dissimulation And it was not I think wholly incongruous that they shou'd comply in some measure with the Jewish Rites who were entrusted with the Apostleship of the Circumcision For they who seem'd to be Pillars gave Paul and Barnabas the right Hand of Fellowship the former Persons directing their Course to the Circumcision But need I say that they who preach'd to the Jews withdrew and separated themselves from the Gentiles when the Apostle Paul himself became a Jew to the Jews that he might win upon em We read therefore in the Acts of the Apostles that he offer'd an Oblation upon the Altar to shew that he hadn't altogether renounc'd the Jewish Law in which he had been educated and of which he was once so passionate an Admirer Had Celsus known all this he wou'd never have introduc'd a Jew addressing himself to those who were converted from Judaism to the Christian Faith in the following Manner What is the Matter says he my dearly beloved Country-men that you have on a sudden renounc'd the Religion of your Fathers and Ancestors and suffer'd your to be so shamefully deluded by your pretended Saviour as to be prevail'd with to alter your Name and Course of Life CHAP. II. BUT because I have already mention'd St. Peter and the rest of those who preach'd the Doctrine of Faith in Christ to the Circumcision I think it may not be improper to quote a Passage of our Saviour's in St. John's Gospel and a little to explain it I have says he many Things yet John xvi V. 12 13. to say unto you but ye can't bear 'em now But when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak Now I ask Celsus's Jew what were these Things that our Saviour had to say to his Disciples which under their present Circumstances they were not in a Capacity to relish Was not this his Desire viz. to instruct 'em since they were Jews and by Consequence acquainted with the Letter of the Mosaick Law I say to instruct 'em in the true Sence of the Law which the Types and Ceremonies under the Legal Dispensation did but imperfectly represent and to give 'em a new Light into those good Things to come of which the various Rites concerning pure and impure Meats and Drinks concerning Festivals New-Moons and Sabbaths were all but obscure and in themselves very mean and contemptible Shadows These without Doubt were the Things which their Blessed Lord wou'd have communicated to em But knowing very well how difficult a Thing it is to disengage the Mind from those Notions which I had almost said were of as early a Date as its own Original and are daily more deeply rooted in our very Nature by the strong Prejudices of our Birth and Education and especially when one looks upon 'em as having the Awful Stamp of a Divine Authority and by Consequence as being too important and too true to be call'd in Question or but slightly regarded knowing I say and considering how difficult a Thing it is to convince Persons under such unhappy Circumstances and to perswade 'em that the Ceremonial Law was Loss and Dung in Comparison of the True Religion he prudently waited for a more convenient Time and differ'd his Discourse 'till after his Bloody Death and triumphant Resurrection And indeed if he had talk'd to them of Things that exceeded the Bounds of their
frequently dispossess'd especially when the Person who pronounc'd that sacred Name did it with a becoming Disposition of Mind and with a most lively Faith Nay the Name of JESVS has had such Power over Daemons that sometimes it has prov'd effectual tho' pronounc'd by very wicked Persons To this our Saviour seems to have a Reference when he says Many shall say to me in that Day in thy Name we have Mat. vii V. 22. cast out Devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works And I know not whether Celsus did omit this Passage thro' Ignorance or rather thro' a voluntary and malicious Oversight CHAP. VII THEN he accuses our Saviour himself as if he wrought Miracles by the Help of Magick and foresaw that many other Persons wou'd do the same Things by their Skill in that Hellish Art boasting that a Divine Power did attend 'em and for that very Reason did exclude 'em from the Number of his Followers and Favourites And he makes Use of this Argument against him If says he there was just Ground for his rejecting the fore-mention'd Persons then he was a wicked Man being guilty of the same Fault which he charg'd on them and if he was not a wicked Man then neither did they deserve a Mark of Infamy who according to his own Confession were to do the same Things that he did himself But tho' we shou'd grant that 't is difficult for us to determine precisely by what Power our Saviour wrought his Miracles yet 't is very plain that the Christians made use of no Enchantments unless the Name of JESVS and some Passages of the Holy Scriptures were a kind of Sacred Spell CHAP. VIII THEN Celsus frequently and severely reproaches the Christians with keeping their Opinions secret To this I answer That they are more known and more generally publish'd than the admir'd Speculations of the Philosophers themselves ev'n almost to the utmost Limits of the whole habitable World For who in a comparative Sence is ignorant of our Saviour's Nativity and Resurrection and the Day of Judgment in which he will reward the Righteous and punish the Wicked according to their Works And are not many thousands of the very worst of Infidels acquainted with the Doctrine of the Resurrection who turn it all into Banter and Ridicule So that the Charge was altogether ungrounded and by Consequence unjust But if there be some Arcana Imperii in the Christian Religion which are not fit to be communicated to the Vulgar it can't be deny'd that there are the same in Philosphy For ev'n the Philosophers held some Opinions which they kept more secret Some of Pythagoras's Pupils rely'd on his bare Authority and were satisfy'd with an Ipse dixit Others were more privately taught and instructed in those Things which ought not to be prostituted to vulgar and unsanctify'd Ears And many Rites in the Religion both of the Greeks and Barbarians are conceal'd from the Notice of the Vulgar CHAP. IX BUT Celsus seems with Abundance of Earnestness to plead for them who laid down their Lives in Confirmation of the Christian Faith when he says I wou'd not perswade any one to renounce his Religion by reason of the Dangers to which it may expose him nor wou'd I have him ev'n seem to leave it where he tacitly condemns all them who are Christians in their Hearts and yet publickly disown their Religion Here I may take Occasion to charge him with the gross Inconsistency of his Discourse for in some Places of his Book he talks like a zealous Follower of the admir'd Epicurus but here that his Accusation may carry the more plausible Appearance he dissembles his Opinions and seems to hold that there is in Man besides his Body which is material and earthly another and much nobler Substance that has an Affinity with God himself and says That they who have Souls duly dispos'd do as far as the Frailty of their Nature will admit aspire to a Participation of the Nature of God to which they are so nearly ally'd and are never more highly pleas'd than when they are seasonably and solidly entertain'd with Discourses concerning the Supream and Adorable Majesty both of Earth and Heav'n Observe a little before he said He wou'dn't perswade any one to renounce his Religion by reason of the Dangers to which it may expose him nor wou'd he have him ev'n seem to leave it and yet he 's grosly guilty of the same Fault himself which he severely condemns in others For he knew very well that if he had openly profess'd he was an Epicurean Philosopher his Accusation wou'd be little regarded by them who live in the firm Belief of an over-ruling Providence tho' indeed they may differ from one another in their Sence and Explications of the Principles which they are known to hold By the Way I 'm inform'd there have been two Persons who went by the Name of Celsus and both of 'em were Philosophers of the Epicurean Sect One who liv'd in the Reign of the Emperor Nero and another who liv'd in the Reign of the Emperor Hadrian and some Time after The latter of these is the Person with whom I am at present concern'd CHAP. X. AND he continues his Discourse and advises us to embrace no Opinions but under the Conduct of impartial Reason on the Account of the many and gross Errors to which the contrary Practice will shamefully and unavoidably expose us And he compares those Persons who take up any Notions without due Examination to the designing Priests of Mithras Bacchus Cybele or Hecate or any other Mock-Deity of the Heathens For as these Impostors having once got the Ascendant over the common People who were grosly ignorant cou'd turn and wind these harmless Cattle as their Interest or Fancy might direct So he says the very same Thing was known to be the common Practice of the Christians Some of 'em says he neither examining what it was that they believ'd nor caring to be examin'd wou'd use this Expression don't examine into Matters but believe and thy Faith will infallibly save thee and wou'd frequently say with an Air of affected Gravity that the Wisdom of this World is very dangerous and mischievous but Folly is a most admirable and useful Thing To this I answer that if all Men cou'd conveniently leave the Concerns of Life and had Leisure and Inclination to bend their Minds to the Study of Philosophy I shou'd heartily wish that this might become a Universal Practice tho' to speak modestly and to keep within due Compass I think I may safely say that the sublime Doctrines of the Christian Religion the short Hints of the Jewish Prophets our Saviour's Parables and abundance of other Things that are Simbolically deliver'd and propos'd with the Sanction of a Law are not more involved and attended with greater Obscurity than many of the Opinions which are advanc'd and maintain'd by the Philosophers themselves But if the Method which I have mention'd and before
who know any Thing of their celebrated Simon owe their Knowledge entirely to the Account which we have of him in the Acts of the Apostles So that were it not for the Christians his very Name wou'd before this Time have been bury'd in oblivion and 't was sufficiently evident from Experience that he bore none of the shining Characters of one who had a Divine Commission CHAP. XLVII THEN Celsus's Jew not keeping to the sacred Text says That our Saviour boasted that some wise Men of the Chaldaeans being mov'd by a secret Perswasion that he was born came to pay Divine Worship to him in his Infancy and that when they had acquainted Herod the Tetrarch with it he order'd his Officers to kill all the Infants that were about that Age imagining that our Saviour wou'd inour the same Fate with them and thereby be prevented from ever coming to the Crown Take Notice how grosly the Jew is mistaken here who confounds the wise Men and the Chaldaeans not discerning that for any Thing that appears to the contrary they might be of Different Countrys and Professions and notoriously Falsifying the Account which we have of this Matter in the Gospels And I know not how it comes to pass that he don't think fit to acquaint us that the Star which they â—aw in the East was the Ground of their secret Perswasion that the Messiah was then born into the World Let us see therefore what matter of Discourse this Subject will afford us I confess 't is my Opinion that the Star that appear'd at our Saviour's Nativity was entirely new and vastly different from those which are commonly seen whether in the superiour or inferiour Orbs and I am enclin'd to think it might be much of the same kind with those Comets that appear for a Time and have different Names assign'd 'em by the Greeks according to their different Figure And I build my Opinion upon the following Grounds It has been observ'd by Learned Authours that when any considerable Alteration has happen'd in the Face of Affairs such Stars have expos'd themselves to View as did presage some strange Revolutions of Empires some dreadful Wars or some such Accidents as these which put the whole World into a terrible and unusual Commotion I have also read in a Treatise concerning Comets writ by Chaeremon the Stoick that sometimes they have presag'd very happy Events and he produces several Instances from very credible Historians to make good the Assertion which he there lays down If then at the Establishment of some new Monarchy or before some remarkable Scene of publick Affairs do's begin to open these Comets or Stars of the like Nature do appear 't is no Wonder at all that a Star shou'd be seen at the Nativity of our Saviour who was design'd by the All-wise God to make so sudden so great and so happy an Alteration in the World to publish a new unadorn'd and discountenanc'd Doctrine not only to the Jews and Greeks but also to a vast Number of the most distant and barbarous Nations of the World And this I may safely say in Favour of the Christian Religion that we don't meet with any or at least with no Scripture-Prophecy concerning the Appearance of such a Star at such a Time for Instance at the Establishment of such a Rising Empire but the Star that grac'd our Saviour's Nativity was foretold by Balaam as Moses gives us an Account There shall come says Numbers xxiv v. 17 he a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel But here I must argue with the Greeks and Jews and therefore shall be oblig'd to dispute against each Sort of Persons from very different Topicks To the Greeks I have this to offer that the Magicians who converse with Daemons and do with a most Horrid Solemnity invoke their seasonable Assistance for the most part attain the End which they propose to themselves unless a Divine Power interfere that is Superiour to the Daemons or some Name be mention'd that has a greater Force than those Names which are appropriated by 'em to the Art they practice But if that shou'd happen then all their Magical Operations are unavoidably lost and they are as it were dazzl'd and confounded with the bright Rays of the Sun of Righteousness It seems to me therefore to be highly probable that when our Saviour was born and a Multitude of the Heavenly Host as St. Luke do's credibly relate the Passage prais'd God saying Glory to God in the highest Peace on Earth and good Will towards Men Luke ii V. 14. the Daemons were shock'd and all their Hellish Measures most strangely disconcerted not only by good Angels who came down from Heaven to celebrate the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour but also by the Humane Soul of the Holy and Spotless Jesus as being a happy Instrument of the Deity which dwelt in so glorious but inconceivable a Manner ev'n in his Humane Nature The Wise Men therefore being desirous to perform their usual Operations and failing in what they endeavour'd to effect we may naturally suppose enquir'd into the Reason of their bad Success and were sensible that something extraordinary must occur to defeat their rais'd Expectations and exceed the Power of the Daemons and when they saw a Sign in the Heavens they had a natural Curiosity to know its Meaning and having perhaps consulted the Prophecies of Balaam and this Prophecy of the Star of which Moses gives us an Account and particularly those Words I shall see him but not now I shall behold Numbers xxiv V. 17 him but not nigh from hence they might frame this rational Conjecture that the very Person at whose Birth 't was prophesy'd that a Star shou'd appear was then actually born and having a just Notion that he was far Superiour to all their Daemons they came to pay him the just Tribute of Divine Adoration They steer'd their Course therefore to Judaea being perswaded that some great Prince was born but ignorant of the Nature of his Kingdom and the Place of his Nativity and when they were happily come to the Place where the young Child was they offer'd Presents to him that were lively Representations of his Divine and Humane Nature viz. Gold an Emblem of his Royal Power Frankincense to note to us his Divinity and Myrrh to signify his bitter Passion CHAP. XLVIII SINCE therefore 't was the Saviour of Mankind that was come into the World who was God and by Consequence above the Angels tho' they are frequently employ'd as ministring Spirits in the Behalf of Men the Worship which the Wise-Men paid him was abundantly recompens'd by the Warning which the Angel gave 'em that they shou'dn't return to Herod but depart into their own Country another Way And 't is no Wonder at all that Herod shou'd seek to destroy the Infant-Saviour tho' Celsus's Jew seems to doubt very much of the Truth of what we think was plain Matter of Fact For Malice is so