to confute His Grace But as I have much more Reason to doubt of my own Salvation than of the Eternal Happiness of that singularly Pious as well as incomparably Rational and very Learned Prelate so I am fully satisfy'd that ORIGEN will be a Star of the First Magnitude in the superior Orbs and tho' his Notions might in some Respects be peculiar to him and justly deserve our Censure yet the chief Thing in us which the Great God regards and on which he will put distinguishing Marks of his Favour thro' all the Revolutions of Eternity is a regular and steddy Course of sincere and unaffected Virtue and Piety As for Off'ring Sacrifice to Idols which Petavius the Jesuite and other Learned Men do seem inclin'd to charge on ORIGEN and Epiphanius thought fit to relate in his Book of Heresies 't is observ'd by the late Learned Fredericus Spanhemius in his Ecclesiastical History that that Act was never charg'd upon him ev'n by the Justinian Age in which he was more generally and more violently oppos'd than ever But be that Matter as it will St. Hierom himself who strongly oppos'd his Errors had no small Veneration for him on the Account of his Piety Sence and Learning And the Late Reverend Dr. Stilling-fleet in his Origines Sacrae do's frequently quote and honourably represent him to the World as many of the greatest Lights of the Christian Church and of the Learned World had done before him But I 'm sensible 't will be readily objected against this Translation that we abound already with Defences of the Christian Religion which are much more useful than ORIGEN who makes it his Business to confute Celsus who was a Heathen Philosopher 'T is true we have Grotius de Veritate Christianae Religionis the Learned Apology of the late Reverend Bishop of Worcester the most Admirable Sermons of the Famous Dr. Bentley preach'd at the Lecture of the Honourable Robert Boyl Esq some incomparable Sermons publish'd by the Reverend Dr. Tillotson Dr. Blackhall Dr. Stanhope and Mr. Clark Chaplain to my Lord Bishop of Norwich the Learned Dr. Owen's Comment on the Epistle to the Hebrews And I cou'd hardly discharge my Conscience shou'd I forbear to mention Mr. Baxter's Reasons of the Christian Religion in Honour to the Memory of so Great and especially so Good a Man We have the Rational and Learned Dr. Parker's Demonstration of the Law of Nature and Demonstration of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and many Excellent Authors who have united their Forces against the most Formidable Adversaries of our Common Faith But certainly 't is impossible to be too well furnish'd with Reasons of the Hope that is in us and we ought to be so far from Slighting either the Ancient Apologies of Justin Martyr Tertullian Tatian Arnobius Lactantius and the like or ev'n the Modern Dcfences of the Christian Religion that I think we shou'd deeply lament that we have no more and that those which we have are no better understood and it highly becomes us to make a thankful and due Improvement of those many Excellent Helps which God in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness sees fit to afford us I can think but of one Objection more and that is this that by Publishing this Translation of ORIGEN I do expose the corrupt Principles of Celsus to more publick View 'T is true I do so But certainly the Truth is so safely guarded by its Native Purity and so well recommended by the Evidence that attends it that 't is so far from being afraid of the Light that it desires nothing more if I may so say than to make its most open and undisguis'd Appearance in the World and if the Objection has any real Force 't will hold as well tho' not equally against Origen himself for writing against Celsus which plainly supposes that all the Learning Wit and Malice of that Arch-Fiend of Hell must be diffected as it were and laid open to View which tho' they are the rankest Poison will never be able to infect us if we have but the Blessing of Almighty God on so Excellent an Antidote at hand as the indefatigable and almost inimitable Labours of that Pious Rational and Learned Father who oppos'd him I shall say no more in Defence of a Translation of ORIGEN but humbly submit my mean Performance to the Censures of this Judicious and Learned Age and publish it as a publick tho' unworthy Tribute of Praise to the great Author of my Being and Fountain of all my Happiness and as some tho' but a small Recompence to my Dear and Honour'd Father for the prudent Methods he has tak'n the Pains and Charge he has been at and the great Readiness and unusual Joy which he has always express'd in Procuring and Continuing to me so far as it lies in his Power under God the extraordinary but not duly improv'd Advantage of a Liberal Education I have frequently read the Eight Books of Origen against Celsus as they offer'd themselves to my Consideration in the Greek Original the French Translation of the Learned Monsieur Bouhereau and the Latin Version and am not conscious to my self of any wilful and gross Defect And after many Solemn Supplications for Divine Assistance many tedious and yet pleasant Hours which I have employ'd about it many kind Directions and Encouragements from Persons of no mean Rank for Piety Sence Learning and Extraction and many earnest Desires that the Glory of God may be my principal Aim and in a word after having perform'd what lies within the Compass of my small Ability to cloath it in such a Dress as may recommend it to the World I say such as it is I humbly expose it to all Learned Judicious and Candid Persons and submit it to the Censure of the Criticks And if this First Essay shall meet ev'n with a tolerable Acceptation from the World I design God willing to take the first Opportunity to translate the Two following Books That the Advantage which the Reader may reap from ORIGEN may be equal or superior to the Painful Pleasure which I took in Translating him that his Belief of the Christian Religion may be daily confirm'd and that he may at Length enjoy that inconceivable Happiness in the Future World of which many of the Primitive Fathers are now partaking and of which I firmly believe that the Pious and Incomparable ORIGEN has no small Share is the Sincere Desire of The Vnworthiest Servant of our Common Lord James Bellamy Origen against Celsus Translated from the ORIGINAL INTO ENGLISH Book the First ORIGEN's Epistle Dedicatory TO Ambrosius WHen false Witness was brought against our Blessed Saviour he held his Peace and when he was accus'd return'd no Answer being fully perswaded that the Tenor of his Life and Conversation among the Jews was the best Apology that cou'd possibly be made in his Behalf But you Virtuous Ambrosius were pleas'd to desire me for Reasons best known to your self to vindicate
ORIGEN against CELSUS Translated from the ORIGINAL INTO ENGLISH Origen against Celsus Translated from the ORIGINAL INTO ENGLISH By James Bellamy Gent. Nec Verbum Verbo curabis reddere fidus Interpres Horat. de Arte Poet LONDON Printed by B. Mills and Sold by I. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard The Translator's PREFACE TO THE READER THAT Translations of Learned Authors in general especially if they be carefully undertak'n and prudently manag'd are of great Use to the Publick I think after all that has been said against 'em no Person can reasonably deny or ev'n call into question For as the same Reasons which may be assign'd for the Commendation of a Fountain of Water may as well be brought in Praise of the Streams which proceed from it so far as they are properly convey'd So I think the very same Arguments which are us'd in Favour of any Learned Original will equally serve to justifie and recommend a Translation of it so far as it answers its principal End in conveying to our Minds the true Sence of the Author And tho' I think I may say without the Suspicion of Vanity that I have in some measure employ'd my Time and Strength in the Study of the Learned Languages and that I highly value 'em as the happy Vehicles of solid and useful Learning yet the bare Language in which a Book is writ let it be never so much extoll'd as being learned and copious or esteem'd for its Antiquity native Majesty and inimitable Sweetness is I confess one of the least Things which will ever recommend it to my Esteem and Perusal For I humbly conceive that in all our Studies we shou'd not so much nibble at Words which are as it were but the Bark of the Tree of Knowledge as aim at the Improvement of our Reason which is a strong Reflection from the Deity and affords abundant Matter of agreeable Entertainment to them who are so happy as to be distinguish'd from the Generality of Mankind by a wonderful Penetration of Soul And if an Author by his natural Capacity and acquir'd Abilities do's make a more than ord'nary Figure in the intellectual and learned World is an Honour to the Age in which he flourish'd and perhaps equally the Wonder and Envy of succeeding Ages I think the more Reasons may be assign'd why he shou'd be cloath'd in the English Language which is most familiar to us and is allow'd by all capable Judges to be very expressive copious and charming For certainly 't is Pity that such immense Treasures of Sence and Learning shou'd be confin'd to those few Persons in a comparative Sence who happen to understand the Language in which he writes and like the vast Mines in Peru and Mexico serve chiefly for the Convenience and Delight of those who are Foreign to us both by Blood and by Religion And I have often thought and 't is the Opinion of many Persons who are far more capable of judging than my self that 't wou'd conduce very much to the Honour of the BRITISH NATION to have the Fathers of the Three First Centuries those Heroes of Antiquity and Pillars of the Christian Church translated into the Language of our Country and cloath'd in so Modern and so Charming a Dress if it be possible that many of both Sexes whose Genius and Education do's not lead 'em to the Study of Greek and Latin may be induc'd to read 'em and to square their Lives by those excellent Rules of Vertue and Piety which they have laid down for the Conduct of Others and of which they were in their several Ages and are still in some Sence living and highly honourable Examples And since by the Policy of a Neighbouring Nation the Language of Lewis the XIVth has already obtain'd that UNIVERSAL MONARCHY to which he seems to aspire and since many excellent Translations of which the French may justly boast have invited and almost constrain'd many ingenious and polite Persons to learn and admire their Language and so perhaps they have been unhappily and insensibly won over to their Corrupt Religion and Slavish Principles of Government I think 't is not a little strange that we who are so prone to a Phantastical Imitation of 'em shou'd so much abound in Vnnecessary and Trifling Originals and give so little Encouragement to the Translation of those Ancient Authors whom in Spite of all our Ignorance and Prejudice we must acknowledge to have been remarkable for their Learning and whose Labours since they were generally approv'd and highly admir'd in the Early and Pure Ages of the Church and since they strangely confounded the Whole Heathen World one wou'd think might very well serve for our Confirmation and delightful Entertainment And tho' we deservedly pay a most profound Respect to the Greek and Hebrew Text of Scripture as claiming in a strict Sense the Venerable Title of the Word of GOD and challenging in a special Manner the Time and Strength of those whom God and Men have thought fit to employ in the Explication and Defence of the Sacred Oracles yet 't is an extraordinary Happiness which we in these Nations enjoy that we have such excellent Translations of the Bible and ev'n the common People who have precious and immortal Souls as well as others and want more Helps for the regular and comfortable Discharge of their Duty are so far from being commanded by their Ministers to avoid 'em as being dangerous in unskillful Hands and an imperfect Rule both of Faith and Manners that they are strictly enjoyn'd and with all imaginable Tenderness entreated to read 'em with the greatest Seriousness Industry and Pleasure And if we have just Cause to return God our most humble and hearty Thanks for raising up and inclining some proper Persons to undertake so important and so difficult a Work for affording such Measures of his gracious Assistance as were necessary to support and encourage 'em in it and to bring it at last to a most honourable and happy Accomplishment I think the Translations of any pious rational and learned Authors whose Labours have a tendency to lead us into the true and deep Sence of the holy Scriptures and to furnish us with proper Weapons to encounter the inveterate and most formidable Adversaries of the Christian Religion must be very desireable and attended with no small Advantages I confess I am highly sensible that Translations do frequently abound with Faults and perhaps with sueh as are notorious which should a Person undertake to justifie he wou'd expose himself to the Scorn or Pity of the learned World and to the Censure ev'n of the injudicious and illiterate But this if it be a solid Objection against bad Translations which I hardly believe it is since they may have many great Defects and yet the Translator shou'd be esteem'd and rewarded for his good Will to the Publick and that Measure of Industry and Skill in the learned Languages which appears in his Work tho' he
keep up it's Aspiring and yet perhaps sinking Hierarchy is a Matter that deserves to be tak'n into our serious and most deliberate Thoughts And tho' I firmly believe that our Blessed Saviour has appointed an Order of Men which shall continue ev'n to the End of the World to preach his Gospel and administer his Holy Sacraments and I earnestly desire that my Tongue may cleave to the Roof of my Mouth if I don't prefer 'em before Multitudes of those who thro' the Influence of Satan the cursed Policy of the Church of Rome the Disorder of their Bodies their wretched Ignorance of the happy Settlement of the sacred Canon or the Reputation they expect to gain by affecting to make high Pretences to new Light and immediate Inspiration yet I am far from thinking that the Christian Religion was design'd to feed the boundless Ambition and in so extravagant a Manner to raise the Reputation and support the External Grandeur of the Clergy And if the Scriptures shou'd be frequently and seriously consider'd by all to whom its Precepts Promises and Threatnings are directed if the designing Priests of the Church of Rome are guilty of a notorious Crime in pretending that the common People shou'd n't dare to intrude into those Sacred Mysteries that are contain'd in 'em if they ought to lye always open for the Information and Conduct of those who most need their Assistance then no pious rational and learned Authors shou'd be deny'd the Laity but like the Public Service which they pay to Almighty God shou'd be offer'd to their Consideration in that Language which is most familiar to em I don't affirm that they who wou'd hinder Persons of mean Capacities and inconsiderable acquir'd Abilities from enjoying the Satisfaction and reaping the Advantage of learned Authors are as guilty as the Romish Priests who deny the People that Word which alone is able by the Blessing of Almighty God to make 'em holy in this World and compleatly and eternally happy in the World to come tho' I think that they who are eminent for Learning may with a much better Grace affirm that 't is their Prerogative to consult learned Authors than the Popish Clergy can pretend that the common People must be blind Votaries to the Church of Rome that they must not understand the Language in which their Divine Service is perform'd and their Religion and by consequence their Everlasting Salvation must depend on the Qualifications and Intention of those who officiate for em But if 't is the Duty of the common People to read the Word of God and to perform all their Acts of Devotion in the Language of their Native Country if they who are unable to understand the Sacred and Original Text of Scripture shou'd have the Bible translated into a Language that is familiar to 'em this seems to me to be a solid Argument to prove that any useful Original which they don't understand in the Language in which the Author writ shou'd be cloath'd in such a Dress as may render it intelligible and easie to em For my part I am far from being bigotted to any ancient Authors tho' I hope they will be ever valu'd in Proportion to that Vein of Sence Learning or Piety which often runs as it were thro' the whole Body of their Discourse I am not such a Slave to Antiquity as to judge it a Crime to read the Writings of those Modern Authors in which any Thing in its own Nature valuable do's occur and Sir William Temple in his Essay upon Ancient and Modern Learning as Ingenious and Polite a Person as he was and as much as I am charm'd with his Writings do's pay I think too great a Deference to the Ancients and give too mean a Character of the Modern Heroes But whether Ancient or Late Authors do deserve the Preference that the Encouragement of Translations shou'd be any Hindrance to the Reputation and successful Progress ev'n of Ancient Learning is what I confess after mature Deliberation I am not able to conceive For as for those who are entirely and perhaps culpably ignorant of the Heroes of Antiquity and have no Skill in any of the Learned Languages 't is impossible that Translations shou'd lessen their Esteem for those Authors who bear the awful Stamp of very distant Periods of Time Nay this is so far from being the true State of the Case that I do not see 't is possible for the common People to have any high and well-grounded Respect for the genuine Monuments of Antiquity but by Means of those very Translations which they who make the Objection do most severely condemn 'T is true they may hear it reported that the Fathers of the Primitive Church were very pious rational and learned Writers but their Knowledge or rather Opinion is not the natural Result of their own Examination and Judgement and by Consequence the Esteem which they have and express for 'em must be highly irrational or at best uncertain and extreamly superficial But when any of the Ancient and Learned Authors are as it were rais'd from the dead and cloath'd in a Language which they perfectly understand and they have carefully perus'd a Translation of 'em by one who as they have Reason to believe did perfectly understand the Language in which the Author writ and was Master of the Subject and whose Fidelity they have scarce a Temptation to suspect they then begin to entertain a very honourable Opinion of 'em and thank the Translator for saving 'em the Pains of understanding and consulting the Original And as for those who have Skill in the learned Languages I don't see that a Translation of any Ancient and Considerable Authors can do 'em any real Prejudice For certainly the Translator must be void ev'n of common Sence and very illiterate himself if he desires 'em to pay a greater Regard to the Translation than they ought to pay to the Original This wou'd be to prefer the Stream before the Fountain from which it proceeds which wou'd be monstrously absurd and can't fairly be suppos'd in so Judicious and Learned an Age as this And one who understands the Languages is so far from being hinder'd hereby from the Study of 'em or discourag'd from paying 'em a due Respect that a Translation if it be but tolerably perform'd is a Help to him in consulting the Orinal and tends to cultivate his Skill in the learned Language in which the Author writ Besides we must consider that no Translator who has common Sence will desire that they who are profoundly learned shou'd lay aside the Original for the Sake of a Translation but only allow some Time and take Pains to compare 'em and see whether he has hit on the true Sence of the Author and if he has really done so the Translation must be valu'd of Course unless the Original be esteem'd for nothing but the Words which I believe no rational Person will ever be tempted to imagine I shall say no
by what I shall seasonably produce in its Defence provided I am able to confute his Errors I resolv'd to obey your most just Command and to return an Answer to the Book you were pleas'd to send me the very Title of which viz. A True Relation will hardly pass for such with them who are no great Proficients ev'n in the Philosophy of the Heathens St. Paul knowing there were many Things in the Greek Philosophy that were not in themselves contemptible but had by Accident a malignant Influence on the Minds of Common People representing Error under the plausible Appearance of solid and most important Truth has these very Words Beware Colos 2. v. 8. lest any Man spoil you through Philosophy and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ But this is more than I think any judicious Person will allow the Book which I am just going to answer For the Apostle calls the fore-mentioned Things by the Name of Vain Deceit perhaps in Contra-Distinction to a certain Kind of Deceit which is not vain but innocent and useful which the Prophet Jeremiah considering made bold to apply the following Words to the Great God himself O Lord thou hast deceived me and Jer. 20. v. 7. I was deceiv'd thou art stronger than I and hast prevail'd But in my Opinion what Celsus publish'd do's want ev'n that plausible Appearance to render it worthy to be call'd deceitful which is to be found in the Writings of those eminently-learned Persons who were the Heads of the various Sects of Philosophers among the Pagans And as in Geometry tisn't sufficient that what is offor'd for a Demonstration be in it self false and dangerous but it must have some Colour of Truth or it can never deceive and engage ev'n the most faint Endeavours of one who wou'd improve in that entertaining and useful Science So those Discourses which deserve the Character of Vain Deceit must have some Affinity with those rational Arguments that are frequently made Vse of by the Heads of the several Sects of Philosophers When I had proceeded in my Answer to Celsus as far as the Place where he personates the Jew discoursing with our Blessed Saviour I thought 't wou'd be proper to put this Preface before my Book that so any One into whose Hands it may accidentally fall may plainly see that I didn't principally intend it for those Christians who are fully satisfy'd in their Judgment but either for them who are entire Strangers to the Excellency of the Christian Religion or for them who are weak in the Faith as the Apostle calls em Him that is weak in the Faith Rom. 14. v. 1. receive I must add one Thing here and that is this that I have a diff'rent Design in answering Celsus in the gross from what I had in Answering the Beginning of his Book For at first I design'd no more than to mention some of the Principal Heads and content my self with a meer Compendium But after mature Deliberation I thought t wou'd be much more proper to gather my Discourse as it were into a perfect System or Body Then I was satisfy'd from the reason of the Thing that I shou'd be at a needless Expence both of Time and Pains and contented my self with what I had writ against the Beginning of the Book which Celsus publish'd But in the remaining Part of my Apology which if I may modestly say it of my own Performance is much more elaborate I determin'd to bend all my Forces against him and to return a full Answer to every Thing that seem'd to be material and ev'n to some of his most trifling Objections I must therefore desire my Reader to discover a more than ord'nary Candor in passing his Judgment on what I have done especially on that Part of my Apology which immediately follows this Epistle And if the other Parts shou'd have no better Effect upon him I hope he will there also be extreamly favourable in the Sentence which he may pass upon me And if you Virtuous Ambrosius desire a more compleat Answer to Celsus than that which I shall give him at present I must refer you to them who have a far greater Share of Judgment than that to which I lay my most humble Claim and are better qualify'd for the due and honourable Management of so difficult a Province However that Person seems to me to be in a safer and much more desirable Condition who having met with Celsus's Performance and being furnish'd by his own Experience with a warm and effectual Apology for that excellent Religion which he professes and endeavours to practice to the utmost of his Power is so well-guarded by the Spirit of God who dwells in the Heart of every sincere Follower of the Blessed JESUS that he can look with a holy Contempt on the false Representations and most pâ—â—usible Arguments of the most Celebrated Hereticks that did ever appear in the World Origen against Celsus CHAP. I. THE first Charge which Celsus brings against the Christians is Their holding Cabals contrary to the Law of the Land in which they liv'd and to which as he thinks they ought to be entirely subject He distinguishes Meetings into Publick and Private the Publick Meetings which were establish'd by Law and the Private and Separate Meetings which were kept up by Schismaticks And his Design herein is to cast Reproach on the Love Feasts of the Christians which were appointed to prevent a common and threatning Danger and were far more binding than the sacred Tye of mutual Oaths can be suppos'd to be I say he reproaches 'em as if they manifestly and grosly interfer'd with that due and indispensible Loyalty which as they were Subjects they ow'd and ought as he imagines to pay the National Establishment Since therefore he makes his Boast that he has the Law on his Side and wou'd intimate that the separate Meetings of the Christians did countenance and promote Schism and Sedition I answer that as a Stranger who has his Lot providentially cast among the Scythians who are govern'd by most wicked Laws and has not a fair Opportunity to make a safe Escape wou'd be esteem'd by that ignorant and unciviliz'd People as an Enemy to their Constitution and a Favourer of the Sectaries if he didn't comply with the Canons of the Church but might still urge weighty and unanswerable Arguments to justify his Separation So the Christians might lawfully dissent from the Establish'd Religion which introduc'd Image-Worship and a whole Rifraff of the Mock-Deities of the Heathens and abounded with more horrid Impieties than were ever practic'd by the most barbarous Nations of the World For as the Inhabitants of a City may lawfully defend themselves against a Prince who has made an unjust Descent upon their Native Country So the Christians might warrantably violate the Laws of Satan that great Usurper to free themselves and Others from his worse than Scythian Tyranny CHAP.
II. THEN Celsus goes on and asserts That Judaism with which the Christian Religion has a very close Connection has all along been a barbarous Sect tho' he prudently forbears to reproach the Christian Religion as if it were of a mean and unpolish'd Original since he had commended the Barbarians as being the Inventers of several excellent and very important Maxims and he adds That those Things which were indeed invented by the Barbarians have been improv'd and more accomodated to Moral Virtue by the Greeks Now I think I may justly take this Advantage in Defence of the Christian Religion from the very Concession which Celsus makes to observe that one who leaves the Opinions and the Learning of the Greeks and embraces the Doctrine of our Blessed Saviour don't only assent to those Truths and useful Rules which it recommends to his Consideration and Choice but the more he 's vers'd in the fore-mention'd Sort of Learning the more he 's confirm'd in his Judgment and borrows from the Christians where-ever he perceives that the Greeks themselves are defective To this I might add that the Christian Religion may justly boast of a peculiar Demonstration such a One as is truly Divine and vastly exceeds all the Logick of the Greeks The Apostle calls it A Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power A Demonstration of the Spirit in as much as the Spirit of God do's in a secret but powerful Way convince the Reader of the Truth of the Scripture-Prophecies efpeally of those which have an evident and near Relation to the expected Saviour of the World And of Power in as much as Miracles have been wrought to attest the Truth of the Christian Religion some remarkable Footsteps of which do remain at this very Day among those who do what lies in their Power under the Guidance and Influence of the Spirit of God to live up to its holy Precepts CHAP. III. THEN Celsus having spoke of the Private Meetings of the Christians in which they exercis'd themselves and instructed one another in their particular Way and having confess'd that one very politick Reason might be assign'd for what they did viz. The Preventing of that severe Penalty to which their Practice render'd 'em extreamly liable compares the Danger that threatn'd them with the Difficulties and Calamities to which Socrates and Pythagoras and other Heathen Philosophers expos'd themselves by maintaining the Reputation and promoting the Interest of that comparatively-vain Philosophy of which they were the admir'd and truly-learned Professors But to this I answer That the Athenians soon repented of what they had done to Socrates nor did they long retain their Spite against Pythagoras For the Pythagoreans had Schools for a considerable Time in that Part of Italy which went by the Name of Greece the Great But the whole Roman Senate the Emperors during the several Persecutions the Soldiers the common People and ev'n they who were nearly related to the Christians wag'd open War as it were against the Religion which our Blessed Saviour introduc'd and wou'd easily and quite have stop'd its happy Progress if a Divine and Miraculous Power had not seasonably interpos'd and made it overcome the whole habitable World who exerted all their Malice and us'd their utmost Endeavours towards its sudden and entire Extirpation CHAP. IV. NOW let us see how Celsus reproaches the practick Part of our Religion as containing nothing but what we have in common with the Heathens nothing that is New or Truly-great To this I answer That they who bring down the just Judgments of God upon their Heads by their notorious Crimes wou'd never suffer by the Hand of Divine and Inflexible Justice if all Mankind had not some tolerable Notions of Moral Good and Evil. Therefore we needn't wonder that God who is the common Father of his Creatures shou'd plant in the Minds of Men those natural Principles which the Prophets and especially our Blessed Saviour do's so frequently impress upon the Minds of Men that So every one might be left without Excuse at the Day of Judgment having had the Sence and Substance of the Law engrav'd upon his Heart in very legible Characters This was obscurely represented to us by the Scripture which speaks of God's Writing the Two Tables of the Law as it were with his Finger and his giving 'em to Moses and acquaints us that they were afterwards broke by the Wickedness of them who made the Golden Calf as if it had been said that they were broke by the Sins of Men and that when the Law was writ the second Time on Tables of Stone he deliver'd 'em to Moses to signifie that the Law which was defac'd by the Original Apostacy shou'd be re impress'd on the Minds of Men by the Preaching of the Gospel CHAP. V. THEN Celsus speaking of Idolatry do's himself advance an Argument that tends to justifie and commend our Practice when he says That the Christians can't think those to be Gods which are made by the Hands of Men and very often of such as are wicked and unjust and wallow in all manner of Debauchery Therefore endeavouring to shew in the Sequel of his Discourse that our Notion of Image-Worship was not a Discovery that was owing to the Scriptures but that we have it in common with the Heathens he quotes a Passage in Heraclitus to this Effect That they who pay Divine Worship to inanimate Creatures do just as if they shou'd address and invocate the Walls To this I answer That since I have already granted that some common Notions of Moral Good and Evil are originally implanted in the Minds of Men we needn't wonder that Heraclitus and Others whether Greeks or Barbarians have publickly acknowledg'd to the World that they held the very same Notion which we maintain And Celsus quotes a Passage in Herodotus to shew that the same Notion which Heraclitus held did obtain among the Persians And I cou'd quote a Passage in Zeno Citiensis who in his Book call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says That the Building of stately Temples is altogether needless and indeed ridiculous since no Piece of humane Architecture how pompous soever it may be is truly sacred and valuaable in the Nature of the Thing it self 'T is plain therefore that this practical Notion is engrav'd in Divine and Legible Characters on the Minds of Men. CHAP. VI. THEN Celsus says That all the Power which the Christians had was owing to the Names of certain Daemons and their Invocation of 'em tho' I can't well conceive what shou'd induce or ev'n tempt him to talk at so extravagant a Rate I suppose he obscurely hints at the Account we have of some who cast out Devils But this is a most notorious Calumny for the Power which the Christians had was not in the least owing to Enchantments but to their Pronouncing the Name of JESVS and making Mention of some remarkable Occurrences of his Life For by these and no unlawful Means have Daemons been
recommended be impracticable partly by Reason of Men's natural Incapacities who for the most Part are very unfit to apply their Minds to Learning and partly by Reason of the necessary and unavoidable Cares which attend Humane Life what better Way cou'd any one have contriv'd and tak'n more suited to the Genius and outward Circumstances of the common People than that which our Blessed Saviour took for the Conversion of a degenerate World And as for the vast Numbers of Persons who have left those horrid Debaucheries in which they formerly wallow'd and have profess'd to embrace the Christian Religion I ask which of the two Methods conduces most to their Advantage and has the most natural and remarkable Tendency to the general Benefit of the Humane Race to reform their Manners from a Sense of those most grievous Torments which the just God will be as it were constrain'd to inflict upon the wicked and of that bright and massy Crown which waits for the Righteous and which they will receive when this frail and short Life is ended tho' they don't stand to examine the Grounds on which their Faith is built according to the strict Rules of Art or to defer their Conversion 'till they have a fair Opportunity and Capacity to apply themselves to rational and learned Studies For Experience may convince us that very few in a comparative Sence will advance ev'n so far as this and reap the Benefit of yielding a naked but well-grounded Assent to the Truths of the Christian Religion but instead of that the greatest Part of Mankind are fully bent upon a vicious Course of Life CHAP. XI THE Love of God therefore in sending his Son into the World do's very plainly appear in accommodating Matters to the Circumstances of Humane Life that so the Gospel might be of more general Advantage to the World and this is none of the least Powerful Arguments to prove that our Blessed Saviour had a Divine Commission For if a Man who has any Manner of Religion will readily acknowledge that a Physitian who recovers sick Persons is sent from God tho' the Cure do's extend no farther than the Bodies of his Patients much more must we ackowledge that our Saviour was indeed sent by the Father who has recover'd so many Thousands of Persons from spiritual and more dangerous Distempers has improv'd the Faculties of their Minds and prevail'd with 'em to depend upon the Will and Providence of God to refer all their Actions to the pleasing of him and to use their utmost Care lest they incur his just and severe Displeasure by Thought Word or Deed and since our Adversaries are continually making such a Stir about our taking Things on Trust I answer that we who see plainly and have found the vast Advantage that the common Sort of People do manifestly and frequently reap thereby who make up by far the greater Number I say We who are so well advis'd of these Things do professedly teach them to believe without a severe Examination who can't neglect their worldly Business and spare Time enough to make long and exact Enquiries into the Grounds of our Holy Religion And our Enemies themselves tho' they wo'n't confess it do the very same Thing by which we incur their Censure For when any one of them do's first devote his Time and Strength to the Study of Philosophy and either by some unexpected Accident or the Tutor who is first recommended to his Choice is determin'd to fall in with a particular Sect don't he take it for granted that he has pitch'd on the most happy Method For he do'sn't stay 'till he has heard and weigh'd the Arguments that may be brought for one Sect and against another and so at last choose to be a Stoick Platonick Peripatetick or Epicurean Philosopher or the like For 't is by a certain Impulse in which Reason is little or not at all concern'd that the Preference is frequently given to the Stoick Philosophy for Instance and the Platonick is despis'd as being less sublime than the rest and the Peripatetick as giving too great an Indulgence to humane Frailty and representing more than any other Sect those Things to be truly good which are generally but very unjustly reputed to be so And there are some who being as it were thunder-struck at the very mention of an over-ruling Providence by reason of its unequal Distribution of its Favours as they imagine do rashly deny that there is any such Thing and fondly embrace the corrupt and wild Notions of Epicurus If therefore according to the Dictates of Reason we must joyn our to some Sect of Philosophers or other either among the Greeks or Barbarians without weighing all the Arguments which may be brought on either Side how much more just and reasonable is it that we shou'd believe him who is GOD over all and our Blessed Saviour who teaches that this God alone is to be worshipp'd and that we shou'd raise our Minds above those Things which can hardly be said to have a true Existence or at best are very improper Objects of Divine Adoration 'T is true that only one who makes Use of Reason and severe Study in examining the Principles he holds is capable of building his Faith on rational Demonstration But since we are forc'd to take many Things on Trust ev'n in the most common and necessary Affairs of Humane Life is it not highly agreeable to the Dictates of solid Reason that we shou'd immediately and firmly believe in God and in him alone Who is there that goes by Sea marries performs the Conjugal Act or sows his Ground that will not hope the best tho' nothing is more common than to meet with frequent and great Disappointments And if in our ordinary and daily Concerns we overlook the uncertain Events of Things and are encourag'd by the pleasing Prospect which our Faith and Hope do already give us how much more Reason is there for one who puts his Trust in God to expect the desir'd Success of any important Action than there is for one who goes by Sea or is employ'd in any worldly Affair I say how much more Reason is there for such a One to place his entire Confidence in God the glorious Creator of the spacious Universe and in our Blessed Saviour who in his infinite Wisdom thought it fit to recommend his excellent Doctrine to the whole habitable World by suffering for Mankind not only cruel Persecutions but also a Death which in some Sence was highly ignominious and by his own most Heroick Example at once taught and encourag'd the first Publishers of the Gospel boldly to encounter the greatest Difficulties and the most apparent Dangers if they might but be honourably and happily instrumental to save precious and immortal Souls CHAP. XII THEN Celsus says If they will return a solid Answer to some pertinent Questions which I shall fairly propose to 'em not as if I were unacquainted with the Opinions which they hold but
to be led aside into great and very pernicious Errors I confess this might with Justice have been alledg'd against the Jews with respect to their denying our Blessed Saviour to be the true Messiah who had the plain Testimonials of a Divine Commission and was so frequently and so evidently foretold by their own celebrated Prophets But not being desirous to entertain the least Thought concerning that Matter which he knew wou'dn't serve his Cause he supposes the Jews to be most grosly deceiv'd in a Case wherein the contrary is extreamly evident CHAP. XXIV LEaving then what immediately relates to the Jews to another Opportunity he enters into a Discourse concerning our Blessed Saviour as being the Head of an Vpstart Sect who from him are call'd by the Name of Christians He says That our Saviour appearing in the World and introducing his Doctrine but a few Years ago was for what Reasons he knows not tak'n by the Christians for the Son of God in a strict and proper Sence To which I answer that when our Saviour did so lately introduce his Doctrine it shou'd meet with such wonderful and happy Success that almost in ev'ry Part of the whole habitable World a great Number both of Greeks and Barbarians of learned and unlearned Persons shou'd so readily and ev'n triumphantly forsake the Religion in which they were born and bred and to which they were pre-engag'd by many other strong and almost indissoluble Ties and on a sudden discover so extraordinary a Zeal for a new Religion as to be willing to sacrifice their Reputation their Fortunes and ev'n their Lives for the Profession of it which can hardly be said of any other Doctrine which has all external Advantages to recommend it I say when the Posture of Affairs is such we must be strangely blinded by the Force of Prejudice it we don't observe a more than ordinary Appearance of the Providence of God in so sudden so remarkable and so blessed a Change as this I think I may safely say not to speak from Prejudice but as one who desires and endeavours to make impartial Enquiries into Truth that a skillful Physician can't recover his Patients ev'n from their bodily Diseases without the Blessing of Almighty God upon the proper Methods he prescribes And if any one can cure the more fatal Distempers of the Soul can suddenly and in a considerable measure dispossess those rooted and dangerous Vices that have for a long Tract of Time usurp'd and maintain'd a Dominion there can free it from its former and in some Sence Native Intemperante Injustice Contempt and Prophanation of holy Things and as a Proof of his Skill can instance in an hundred Persons whose Manners he has been happily and greatly instrumental to reform I presume you will not say that this can be done without a seasonable and more than common Interposition of the Providence of God If then any Person who weighs these Things in the Ballance of his serious and deliberate Thoughts will of Necessity acknowledge that much of the Natural and all the Moral Good of which the whole World can boast is owing to some higher Cause than a General Concourse of the Supream and and All-wise Being how much more justly and more eminently may this be said in Commendation of our Blessed Saviour if we compare the Course of Life which his Followers once ignorantly and unhappily led with the Tenor of their future Conversation and consider how willingly and ev'n greedily they devoted themselves to Debauchery Fraud and Avarice before they made a Profession of that holy Religion which the Blessed Jesus introduc'd into the World which in the Judgment of the Epicureans was a Notorious Cheat and the greatest Plague with which Mankind cou'd possibly have been infected but in Process of Time were illustrious Examples of the contrary Virtues insomuch that some of 'em from a sincere and vehement Desire of attaining to an extraordinary Degree of Purity and of Devoting themselves more entirely to the Service of God did abstain from the lawful Delights of Sense and those rational Entertainments which Marriage it self affords And any one who examines into these Matters with that Diligence and Exactness which is requisite will easily perceive that our Saviour with a Greatness of Soul that was peculiar to him attempted what was vastly beyond the Sphere of meer humane Nature and that the Event did most remarkably answer his Design For when ev'ry Thing look'd with an unfavourable Aspect on so great and seemingly so bold an Undertaking and threaten'd that the Gospel shou'd be confin'd to a very narrow Compass when the Roman Emperors in their successive Reigns the Governors of Provinces and Generals of Armies the Magistrates of particular Cities the Soldiers and the common People in a Word when all Persons that were in Places of Authority or had any Interest and Influence declar'd open War against the Christian Religion I say ev'n then under all those evident and great external Disadvantages it bore the sacred and undeniable Marks of a Divine Original approv'd it self to the Consciences of the most wicked Men forc'd its Way in Spite of the united Malice and most vigorous Efforts both of Earth and Hell gain'd ground by the most violent Opposition and being superiour to all its Enemies which were neither few nor contemptible and having a wonderful Power over the Minds of Men all Greece and a great Part of the most barbarous Nations became Trophies of Honour to the Immortal Memory of its God-like Founder CHAP. XXV AND since the greatest Part of the World are entirely ignorant of the Arts and Sciences and have but a small Measure and scarce any Glimmerings of Reason 't was morally impossible but that among such vast Numbers as embrac'd the Christian Religion the Irrational and Illiterate shou'd greatly exceed those in Number who had render'd themselves famous for their Sence and Learning But Celsus not being willing to consider this as he ought speaks with the highest Contempt of the Sun of Righteousness himself who condescends to shine promiscuously on the greatest and the meanest and to enlighten and warm with his refreshing Rays the most eminent Saint and the vilest Sinner and he looks on this extraordinary Condescension as an Argument of prodigious Folly and unmanly Self-Debasement as if it were not one of the highest Flights of Majestick Simplicity that cou'd possibly be discover'd by an Incarnate God But Celsus himself can't say with all his Prejudice and Malice that all who ever embrac'd the Doctrine of our Blessed Saviour were dull and stupid to a Proverb and the only Persons in the World who were so since it seems he 's so just and so gracious as to acknowledge that some few may be found among 'em who are very severe in their Morals and are capable of understanding Allegories CHAP. XXVI BUT because he personates a Jew in Imitation of a Professor in the University who makes his young Pupil declaim that he may use
other innumerable Excellencies that adorn'd his Person and might sufficiently recommend him to the World He did'n't act like a Tyrant who by the Help of a prevailing Party takes Occasion to violate the known Laws of the Land in which he lives nor like a Robber who comes with Armed Men against them who innocently pass by the King's High-Way about their necessary Affairs or like a Wealthy Man who by the Help of Bribes induces Persons to come over to his Interest whether by right or wrong or like many others that might easily be mention'd whose Proceedings do manifestly deserve our Censure but like one who came to teach an ignorant and degenerate World what Thoughts they shou'd entertain of God and how they might so regulate their Morals as to maintain an humble and familiar Correspondence with his Blessed Majesty And as for Themistocles and several other Persons who gain'd a more than common Reputation and did real and extraordinary Service to their Native Country this must be said to draw a Shade over their greatest Glory that ev'ry Thing seem'd to smile on their just and honourable Attempts and as it were pave the Way for their glorious Victories and immortal Triumphs But as for our Blessed Saviour besides what I have already said which upon the first View one wou'd think was enough to have eternally conceal'd or shamefully fully'd the Name of the greatest Heroe that the World cou'd ever boast of the ignominious Death which he suffer'd on the Cross if he had had the fairest Character wou'd have giv'n his Followers just Cause to suspect him of being a vile Impostor if we may give any Credit to our Adversaries or at least have drawn a most dismal Veil over the few bright and entertaining Scenes of the most Aweful Tragedy that was ever acted CHAP. XXVIII AND 't is Matter of Wonder that our Saviour's Disciples who in the Judgment of our Enemies were not Eye-Witnesses of the Truth of his triumphant Resurrection and saw nothing but what was common and ev'n contemptible in his Person shou'dn't be afraid to imitate him in his Sufferings to encounter the most imminent and threat'ning Dangers and leave their Native Country to publish the Doctrine which their crucify'd but blessed Lord had taught em For I believe that no Person who laying aside his Prejudice examines these Matters duely will say that they wou'd ever have undergone the Fatigue of Ttinerant Preaching if they had not been fully perswaded of the vast Obligations that lay upon 'em both from Reason and Gratitude not only to conform their Manners to the holy Precepts of the Christian Religion but also to do what lay in their Power to bring many others under the same honourable and happy Bonds when as Matters went at that Critical Juncture they were sure to incur the Displeasure of the Heathen World who were zealous for their ancient Laws and Customs and cou'dn't endure the least seeming Innovation especially with respect to the pompous Ceremonies of their religious Worship But all these Difficulties were light and trivial in the Esteem of those who had Courage not only to prove to the Jewish Nation that our Blessed Saviour was frequently and expresly foretold by their own Prophetick Oracles but also to make it appear to others as Occasion offer'd that this very Person was the true Messiah who was crucify'd but t'other Day and willingly and ev'n chearfully laid down his precious Life for the whole Race of Men after the same manner tho' with unspeakable Advantage in which some others have sacrific'd all that 's near and dear to 'em for the good of their Native Country to free it from a raging Pestilence a threat'ning Famine or some violent impending Tempest that greatly endangers Ships and puts a Stop ev'n to Navigation which is so convenient and necessary for promoting an advantagious Trade into Foreign and very distant Parts For there are some secret Reasons in Nature which very few understand why the Death of one virtuous Man who readily suffers the greatest Evils that can possibly befall him for the real and perhaps lasting Welfare of the Place of his Nativity shou'd destroy or at least severely check the usurp'd Power of those infernal Daemons who are the Cause of Plagues Famines Storms and the like evident and great Disorders which frequently happen in the World And I wou'd fain know of them who don't believe that our Saviour dy'd for the general Benefit of the humane Race whether they won't give easie Credit to many Histories that are extant both of the Greeks and Barbarians which furnish us with frequent and remarkable Instances of Persons who have freely laid down their Lives for the publick Good and whose Death has been happily instrumental to purge away those threat'ning and grievous Calamities that infected Cities and perhaps whole Nations or whether on the Supposition that these are Matters of Fact it be in the least improbable that one cloath'd with humane Nature shou'd be nail'd to a Cross to destroy the Works of the Devil who before did often and too successfully exercise a Tyrannical Power over the Bodies and Souls of Men. Our Saviour's Disciples observing these Things and many Others of the like Nature with which in all Probability their prudent and indulgent Master thought fit to acquaint 'em and being fill'd with the Spirit of God for they were not inspir'd with their unusual Courage by the Virgin which the Poets speak of but by the true Wisdom of God they made haste Thro' the wide World their Fame to spread Hom. Il. Lib. 5. v. 2 CHAP. XXIX BUT 't is Time to return to the Jew whom Celsus personates who says That the Virgin Mary being big with Child was divorc'd by her Husband the Carpenter for committing Adultery with one Panthera a Soldier and being got with Child by that scandalous Wretch Let us see therefore whether the Inventors of this Story don't give a false and obscure Account of the Matter and whether by all that they have to say they are able to overthrow the Doctrine of our Saviour's miraculous Conception by the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost For so surprizing a Passage as this is might very easily be falsify'd and 't was possible they might deny the Truth of it tho' they were inwardly convinc'd that our Saviour was not conceiv'd in the common Way of humane Generation And methinks it wou'dn't have been incongruous at all that they who didn't believe or rather wou'dn't acknowledge the Miracle shou'd invent a Fiction to serve their malicious and base Design But to invent one that was so far from having a plausible Appearance that 't was a great and notorious Untruth was to discover their Weakness to them who are able to distinguish Truth from Falsehood For do's it stand to Reason that one who was so useful to the World in general and express'd a most tender Concern both for the Greeks and Barbarians that they might reform their Manners from a Sense
the Profession which I make of the Christian Religion which is built on the Jewish Prophets as well as on our Saviour's Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone but I wou'd Eph. ii V. 20. convince him if it be possible upon the Principles in which we both agree that we have far more Reason to give Credit to the Report of our Blessed Saviour who is reported to have seen and heard such Things and for ought we know did acquaint his Disciples with the Vision which he saw and the Voice which he heard from Heav'n Perhaps it may be objected against us That ev'n they who have giv'n us an Account of the Holy Spirit 's Appearing in the Resemblance of a Dove and of the Voice that came from Heav'n hadn't these Things so much as from our Saviour's Mouth since ev'n according to our own Notions the same Spirit which inspir'd Moses to write a History of what pass'd for many Ages before ever he was born ev'n from the Creation of the World to the Time of Abraham who in some Sence was the Father of the Jewish Race might also immediately reveal the strange Passages which happen'd at our Saviour's Baptism to the four Evangelists But to this I answer that one who is favour'd with what the Scriptures call the Gift of Wisdom can easily account for the Opening of Heav'n and assign a Reason why the Holy Spirit appear'd to our Blessed Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove rather than in the Shape of any other Animal However these are Niceties that are foreign to our present Purpose All therefore that I shall do at present shall be to shew that Celsus did not only want the Innocence of the Dove but ev'n the Subtilty of the Serpent when he put such Discourse as this into the Mouth of one whom he calls a Jew who if he be not false to his Pretensions must believe several Things that are much more improbable than any Thing related in the History of which I am now discoursing CHAP. XXXIX I Remember in a Disputation I had with some Celebrated Jewish Doctors and before a great Deal of Learned Company who were at once Witnesses and Judges of what I said I us'd this Argument against 'em Pray Gentlemen let me know said I since two Persons have appear'd upon the Stage of the World who are confidently reported to have done such Things as were vastly beyond the Sphere of Nature viz. Moses the Lawgiver of the Jews who has writ the History of what he did and JESUS our Master who has not left behind him in Writing an Account of any of the Actions which he did but has the concurring Testimony of the four Evangelists I say let me know on what Grounds you can justify the vast Difference which you make between 'em that we must believe forsooth that Moses deliver'd nothing but what was true tho' the Egyptians reproach him as one that dealt with the Devil but must look upon our Saviour as a vile Impostour on the Account of the severe Accusations which you bring against him We see that both these Persons have their Authority supported by the Testimony of a great Body of People Moses has his supported by the ready and joint Testimony of the Jewish Nation and our Saviour his by the General Suffrage of the Christians who don't deny Moses to be a Prophet sent from God but confirm the History of our Saviour ev'n by the Sacred and Undisputed Authority of your celebrated Moses If therefore you desire us to justify our Conduct in paying so awful a Regard to our Blessed Saviour do you first assign some Reasons why you believe in Moses who came into the World many Ages before the incarnate Jesus and then it may be time to acquaint you with the rational Grounds on which our Faith is built But if you refuse to give us any Reasons why you believe in Moses neither shall we think fit to acquaint you with those we have for believing in our Saviour or if you are not able to offer any Demonstrative Arguments in favour of your justly celebrated Moses be pleas'd to hear what Arguments we can bring ev'n from the Law and the Prophets to prove that our Jesus is the true Messiah And which is something strange those very Arguments which we bring from the Old Testament Writings to prove that our Saviour had a Divine Commission do at the same Time prove that Moses and the Prophets were Persons who were immediately inspir'd But to return The Law and the Prophets abound with as strange Stories as that of the Dove that appear'd to our Saviour at his Baptism and the Voice that came to him out of Heav'n and that it was the Spirit of God that appear'd to him in the Resemblance of a Dove do's I think at least seem highly probable from the Consideration of the Miracles which our Saviour wrought which Celsus says he did by the Help of Magick which he had learn'd in Egypt Here I think it may not be improper to mention not only the Miracles of our Saviour but also those which were wrought by the Apostles who were every Way qualify'd for that great Work in which their Master did engage em For if their Ministry hadn't been accompany'd with Miracles they wou'd never have been able so happily to prevail with their Hearers to renounce the Religion in which they had been born and bred and to embrace a new discountenanc'd Doctrine the Profession of which wou'd expose 'em to the greatest Dangers ev'n to an ignominious and painful Death and some remarkable Footsteps of that Holy Spirit who appear'd to our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove do remain among Christians to this very Day They disposses Daemons perform many wonderful Cures and sometimes when God sees fit they foresee and foretel future distant and very contingent Events And therefore let Celsus and his Jew ridicule us as much as ever they please yet 't is plain and I think undeniable that many Persons have embrac'd the Christian Religion in Spite of all the Force of Prejudice the Spirit of God making so sudden and so powerful an Impression on their Minds whether in a Dream or Vision or some other Way that instead of being implacable Enemies to Christianity as once they were they have chearfully and ev'n triumphantly laid down their Lives for the Sake of their Profession and seal'd the Truth with their warmest Blood If I shou'd only relate those Things that have fall'n within the Compass of my own personal Knowledge and frequent Observation I shou'd furnish Infidels with abundant Matter of Laughter who wou'd be ready to suspect us Christians as we do them of inventing Fictions to support a bad and sinking Cause tho' the Searcher of Hearts can bear me Witness that my Design and Endeavour is not to maintain our Religion by fabulous and ridiculous Narrations but by a Variety of proper Evidence to recommend it to the World
reason than you can say it of your self and seeming to insinuate that there were abundance of Persons to whom this Prophecy might fitly be apply'd as well in all respects as to our Blessed Saviour he says Several Enthusiasts and Impostors have claim'd the venerable Title of the Son of God and have said that they came down from Heav'n tho' I know not what Ground he cou'd have for using this Expression since the Jews do strongly deny that our Saviour was the Son of God To this I answer that several Prophets have prophecy'd in a different manner concerning the Messiah some by obscure and almost unintelligible Hints others by Allegories and some in the plainest and most express Terms imaginable And because Celsus discovers his Malice and excessive Heat in the Sequel of his Discourse where the Jew speaking to those of his own Nation that were converted to the Christian Faith has the Confidence to say That the Prophecies which are apply'd to our Saviour may be otherwise and much better accommodated I think it may not be improper at present to instance in some few of 'em which are most considerable And here let any Person employ his utmost Skill I defy him to shock the Faith of any judicious and establish'd Christians As for the Place of our Saviour's Nativity 't is said That a Ruler shall come forth from Bethlehem in the following Words But thou Bethlehem Mica v. V. 2. Ephratah tho' thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me who is to be Ruler in Israel whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting This Prophecy can't with any Shew of Reason be apply'd to those Enthusiasts and Impostors as Celsus calls 'em who say they came down from Heaven unless it plainly appears that they were born at Bethlehem or as the Words may be render'd came forth from Bethlehem to be Rulers of the People As for our Saviour's being born at Bethlehem if any Person be dissatisfy'd with the Prophecy of Micah and the Account which is giv'n by the Evangelists let him only consider that the Cave in which he was born and the Manger in which he lay are to be seen at the fore mention'd Place to this very Day And this is a Truth so well known and so credibly attested that ev'n they who are Strangers to the Christian Religion are frequently heard to say Here is the Cave in which that JESUS who is worship'd by the Christians was born And 't is my Opinion that before our Saviour did make his Appearance in the World the chief Priests and the Teachers of the People openly confess'd and taught that the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem and that ev'n the common People among the Jews were acquainted with this Prophecy which was deliver'd in express and very familiar Terms Hence it came to pass that Herod enquiring of the chief Priests and Scribes where the Messiah shou'd be born receiv'd this Answer that he shou'd be born at Bethlehem in the Land of Judaea which was honour'd by being the Place from which no less a Person than King David himself did spring Besides we read in St. John's Gospel that the Jews said that Christ was to be born at Bethlehem which was in the Native Country of the fore-mention'd King But when our Saviour was come into the World those Persons who left no Stone unturn'd to oppose the Religion which he introduc'd did no longer teach that the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem plainly shewing they belong'd to the fame wretched Fraternity with them who prevail'd with the Souldiers who were appointed to guard the Sepulchre and were Eye-Witnesses of his triumphant Resurrection to say His Disciples came by Night and stole Mathew â—xv i. V. 13. V. 14. him away while we slept and said to 'em If this come to the Governor's Ears we 'll perswade him and secure you Such is the Power of Prejudice and the Love of Opposition that it often happens that we can't discern the most apparent Truths and are loth to endure the Shame which attends a Recantation of those false and dangerous Principles which we have once embrac'd and I think 't is every jot as easy to leave any bad Habit that we have unhappily contracted tho' it be as it were rooted in our very Nature as to leave the Opinions which we formerly held and which were very dear and extreamly familiar to us 'T is well known we do with a Kind of secret Reluctancy forsake those Houses Cities and Villages which by our long and delightful Continuance in 'em have render'd themselves familiar and ev'n natural to us And if it was not for unaccountable Prejudice ev'n the common People among the Jews wou'dn't shut their Eves as they manifestly do against the glorious Light of Scripture-Prophecy nor deny the extraordinary and often miraculous Circumstances which attended the Life and Death of our Blessed Saviour But that Prejudice is one of the greatest Infirmities which our Minds can possibly labour under is plain to them who consider that 't is with no small Difficulty and Regret that we leave the Opinions which we receiv'd by Tradition from our Parents tho' perhaps they may be such as on mature Deliberation do cover us with the deepest Shame and fill us with Vexation and Confusion So talk to an Egyptian 'till your Heart do ake and your Breath fails you yet he 'll be so far from renouncing his Religion that he will persist in it if it be possible with greater Obstinacy than before and rather dye than be guilty of so horrid a Prophanation as he accounts it to eat and pollute the sacred Flesh of Animals I thought it necessary to dwell the longer on this Subject that so we may return a solid Answer to them who perhaps may not stick to say If the Prophecies have so plain a reference to your Saviour as you say they have how comes it to pass that the Jews whose Wisdom you so highly value don't embrace the Christian Religion as well and as readily as you and regulate their Practice by those Precepts which Christ in some Sence has left behind him But let none reproach us as if we were so wretchedly ignorant as not to discern the Sophistry of so weak an Argument since some and I hope many of us can make it appear upon Occasion that Christianity is built on the most rational and solid Grounds or reflect upon us as if we were accountable for the monstrous Blindness and extravagant Practice of the Jews CHAP. XLIII I Might if 't were necessary instance in another Prophecy that was writ many Ages before the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour in which Jacob prophesies concerning all his Children and speaking concerning Judah has these remarkable Words The Scepter Gen. xlix V. 10. shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet 'till Shiloh come and unto him shall the Gathering of the People be
foolish and so daring a Thing that 't will contend for the Victory with the Providence of God it self This Passion had so far the Ascendant over Herod that he was fully perswaded that the King of the Jews was born and acted unaccountably whether his Notion were true or false and was so weak that he didn't discern that either our Saviour was the very Person whom the Prophets foretold to be the true Messiah and so wou'd infallibly possess the Throne or on the contrary was a meer Impostor and by Consequence there was no Ground for him to disturb the Peace of his Mind by any jealous Surmises He resolv'd to destroy him being hurry'd by his unruly Passion into the grossest Inconsistencies and stirr'd up without Doubt by the Devil who apprehending our Saviour to be an extraordinary Person and a most formidable Enemy to his usurp'd Dominion employ'd all his Wit Malice and Industry against him But the Angel warn'd Joseph to go with the young Child and his Mother into Egypt And how improbable soever this may seem to be on the first View yet the due Series of Events was very critically observ'd by Providence In the mean Time Herod issu'd out Orders that all the Infants that were in Bethlehem from two Years old and under shou'd immediately be put to Death expecting that he who was born King of the Jews wou'd share in the same common and approaching Calamity For he didn't discern that invisible and kind Hand of Providence that takes Care of them who are the proper Objects of its most watchful Protection and upon whose Safety the Good of Mankind does so evidently and so greatly depend and among which honourable Number our Blessed Saviour deserves to be esteem'd the Chief as being one who vastly and indeed infinitely surpass'd all other Men in real and intrinsick Dignity For he was not sent into the World to be an Earthly King as Herod falsly imagin'd but to enter on the Possession of such a Glorious Kingdom as it became the Great God to bestow on one who was to procure a Happiness for his Subjects that consists not entirely or chiefly in Things which are in themselves indifferent and frequently prove pernicious to the Owners and was to govern 'em by such Laws as are truly Divine and so to take the most proper Methods to render 'em compleatly and for ever happy Therefore denying that he was an Earthly King and shewing that his Kingdom was of a spiritual Nature he says If my Kingdom were of this Joh. xviii V 36. World then wou'd my Servants fight that I shou'dn't be deliver'd to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence CHAP. XLIX IF Celsus had been aware of this he wou'd never have talk'd so weakly and so impertinently as he does If says he Herod was afraid that when you came to a fit Age to reign you wou'd dispossess him of his Kingdom why didn't you reign when you were grown up to Years of Discretion and Maturity On the contrary tho' you pretend to be the Son of God yet you are forc'd to go about like a Slave and a Vagabond and to sneak like a Malefactor not having a Place whereon you may comfortably lay your Head But 't is far from being an Argument of a sordid Spirit for a Person to use innocent and common Prudence that he may happily avoid the Dangers with which he is surrounded not from a slavish Fear of Death but a sincere and vehement Desire with Submission to the Will of God to prolong his Life that he may be farther serviceable to the Publick 'till a fair Opportunity to lay down his Life for the Promoting of the True and Best Interest of Mankind do's happily present it self That this was our Saviour's Case is plain to one who is acquainted with the Design of our Blessed Lord in those grievous Sufferings which he underwent of which according to my weak Ability I have already and I hope sufficiently discours'd CHAP. L. THEN that Celsus with all his Knowledge didn't so much as hit upon the exact Number of the Apostles may be gather'd from the following Words Being attended says he with Ten or Eleven Wicked Publicans and Mariners he went up and down with 'em begging his Bread from Door to Door like a base and most miserable Creature Let me therefore examine what he says and return him such an Answer as I judge convenient 'T is plain then to those who read the Gospels with any tolerable Care which I 'm apt to think my bold but blundering Antagonist never did that our Saviour chose twelve Apostles and that there was but one Publican among 'em I mean St. Mathew and by Mariners as he promiscuously calls 'em I suppose he may mean James and John because they left their Father Zebedee to follow their Blessed Lord. For as for Peter and Andrew that got their Livelyhood by their Nets they were not so properly Mariners as Fishermen as the Scripture calls em We 'll also suppose that Levi the Publican was another to whom he might have a Reference tho' according to some Copies that we have of St. Mark 's Gospel he was no Apostle As for the rest of that honourable Fraternity we know not what Employments they were by which they got their Maintenance before they espous'd the Interest of our Blessed Saviour CHAP. LI. SO that I may safely say that 't is plain to them who examine into these Matters with that Judgment Care and Impartiality which is highly requisite that the Apostles were acted by an extraordinary and super-natural Power when they publish'd the Christian Religion to the World and made the carnal and haughty Minds of some of the worst of Men submit to the commanding Authority of the Word of God For this wonderful Effect was not owing to the Charms of humane Eloquence the Exactness of their Method or those other Artifices with which the Logick and Rhetorick of the Greeks do frequently and perhaps more than sufficiently furnish too many subtil and designing Persons I am of the Opinion I confess that if we cou'd suppose our Saviour to have made Choice of Persons qualify'd with the brightest humane Accomplishments to preach the Gospel such as had the general Character and Reputation of Men of profound Wisdom and universal Learning who by the Help of sublime Speculations polite Language and a graceful Elocution cou'd win upon the Audience and make the several Passions of their Hearers serve their sordid and vain-glorious Purposes I say if our Saviour had tak'n this Method he might justly have been blam'd for using the same carnal Policy that was too apparent in the Heads of the several Sects of Philosophers and his Doctrine wou'd have wanted those legible Characters of its Divinity which were stamp'd upon it had it been maintain'd by sprightly Fancy proper and elegant Language and harmonious Cadencies and the Assent giv'n to it wou'd too nearly have resembl'd that which is giv'n to
Conquest And I scarce know whether the Greeks can produce any Instances of this kind in any other Persons besides Phaedon and Polemon or at best they can name but very few Persons who ever left their Intemperance and Debauchery to apply their Minds to the entertaining and useful Study of Philosophy But in the School of Christ besides the twelve Apostles who had the Honour to be contemporary with him we see daily a far greater Number of Persons that become virtuous and pious and join in a Blessed Chorus acknowledging with the deepest shame and Sorrow the many false and almost fatal Steps which formerly they took We our says the Apostle were sometimes Tit. iii. V. 3 4. foolish and disobedient deceiv'd serving diverse Lusts and Pleasures living in Malice and Envy hateful and hating one another But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour toward Man appear'd not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he sav'd us by the Washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly For as the Prophetical Psalmist speaks He sent his Word and heal'd 'em and deliver'd 'em Psal cvii. V. 20. from their Destructions I might add that Chrysippus in a Book which he has writ Entitul'd The Art of Curing the Disorders of the Humane Passions endeavours to lay down proper and effectual Rules for the Management of those which disturb the Peace of the Mind and to that end he argues upon the Principles of several Sects of Philosophers not examining which of 'em are most agreeable to Truth and has the following Words If says he Pleasure be esteem'd the chief Good the Passions may and ought thus to be cur'd and if there be three Kinds of Good they are to be cur'd after this different Manner Now they who find Fault with the Christian Religion do wilfully Neglect to consider how many unruly Passions are successfully govern'd by it what a Stop it puts to that rapid Torrent of Vice and Immorality which is too visible in the World and what extravagant savage and ev'n Diabolical Tempers it has frequently happily and very suddenly conquer'd Certainly it ought to raise their Admiration and constrain 'em to make the most thankful Acknowledgements to Almighty God to consider what vast and apparent Advantage the Publick reaps from those proper and most excellent Methods which our Saviour took for the Reformation of Manners and one wou'd think that if they won't allow Christianity to be the True Religion yet they must confess that it conduces very much to the true Interest of Manking and which is more has an Immediate and Principal Regard to their better and immortal Part. CHAP. LIV. AND our Saviour has so effectually consulted ev'n the Temporal Advantage of his Followers that he wou'dn't have 'em to be rash and precipitate but gives 'em this necessary Lesson When they persecute you in one City flee unto another and teaches 'em by his own Example not to run into needless Dangers Celsus takes Occasion ev'n from hence to form an Accusation against him in the Person of a Jew in the following Words You run up and down with your Disciples But as for the Charge which is here brought against our Blessed Saviour we meet with a Parallel Case ev'n in the Histories which the Greeks have publish'd For Aristotle that Famous Philosopher when he saw he shou'd be condemn'd as a wicked Person by reason of some peculiar and in some Sence dangerous Notions he advanc'd which as the Athenians thought did give too great Encouragement to Licentiousness took an Opportunity to go from Athens and remov'd his School to Chalcis making the following Apology to some of his Acquaintance Let us leave Athens says he that we mayn't suffer it to be in the Power of the Athenians to re-act that horrid Impiety which they plainly discover'd by their ill Treatment of so great a Genius as the World knows Socrates to have been and to commit a most grievous Offence against so sacred a Thing as Philosophy CHAP. LV. CELSVS adds That our Saviour running up and down with his Disciples was forc'd to beg his Bread like a sordid Wretch But pray let him inform us where he has rak'd up all these scurrilous Expressions I confess we read in the Gospels that certain Women that were cur'd of their Infirmities among which was Susannah did readily distribute some Part of their Substance to furnish the Disciples with what was necessary for the Support of Life But pray what Philosopher who employs his Time and Strength with some Regard to the Benefit of his Relations and Friends and indeed of Mankind in general wou'd refuse to have his Wants supply'd Or did it become the Philosophers to accept the seasonable and generous Assistance of their Friends and others but argue a base and sordid Spirit in our Blessed Lord or those who became his Followers CHAP. LVI THEN the Jew whom Celsus personates continues his Discourse with our Saviour in the following Words What Necessity was there that when you were an Infant you shou'd be carry'd into Egypt to avoid being kill'd For surely it didn't become a God to be afraid of Death An Angel it seems was dispatch'd from Heav'n to bid You and some of your nearest Relations betake your to Flight lest you shou'd be found and be put to Death But cou'dn't Almighty God who as we are told did imploy his Angels for your Direction and Assistance preserve his Son as easily in Judea as in Egypt Celsus thinks that there was nothing extraordinary in the Humane Body and Soul of our Blessed Saviour and ridiculing his precious Blood that was shed upon the Cross he says 't was not Such Blood as from the Immortal Gods do's Hom Il. Lib. 5. V. 34â— flow But we who give Credit to our Saviour when he gives a Testimony of his Divinity in the following Words I am the Way the Truth and the Life John xiv V. 6. and in other Parallel Places and when he bears Witness to the Truth of his Humanity in the following Expression Now ye seek to kill me a Man who has told you the Truth I say we who believe John viii V. 40. our Saviour when he speaks thus of himself do assert and maintain that he had Two Natures the one Divine and the other Humane and that since he came into the World with an Intention to live in some respects like the rest of Men 't was highly incongruous that he shou'd run upon a Precipice and be fond of Misery and Death 'T was fit he shou'd be directed and govern'd by them to whom the Care of his Education did belong and that the Angel's Orders shou'd be strictly and religiously observ'd and the same Angel which said at first Joseph thou Son of David fear not to Mat. i. V. 20. take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceiv'd in her is of the Holy Ghost said
study'd the same excellent Science for many Years in the School of Cleanthes Whereas Judas hadn't continu'd three Years with our Blessed Saviour when he so shamefully betray'd him And if we read the Lives of the Philosophers we shall meet with frequent Instances that in some Respects resemble the Horrid Treachery of Judas We shall find that the Pythagoreans built Tombs for such Persons as left the Study of Philosophy and betook themselves to a different and less-useful Course of Life But I suppose no Person will be so weak as to take Occasion from hence to reflect on the Doctrine of Pythagoras or the solid Arguments which his Followers us'd in its Defence The Jew adds that Having many Things to say with respect to our Saviour which are far from being fairly represented by his Disciples he chose to pass 'em over in a profound Silence But I ask what Truths are these that are misinterpreted by the Evangelists and which he forbears to mention Must not this pass for a Rhetorical Flourish to make us believe he was furnish'd with a great Stock of Arguments against our Blessed Saviour when most if not all that he cou'd possibly say if it was true and material was borrow'd from those very Gospels which sometimes he so much despises CHAP. XIV THEN Celsus finds Fault with our Saviour's Disciples for saying That he foreknew and foretold all the remarkable Things that ever happen'd to him But we doubt not in the least but we can easily prove by an Enumeration of Particulars let Celsus say what he pleases to the contrary that our Saviour foretold several Things that shou'd befall his Disciples some considerable Time before they came to pass What a wonderful Instance of this is that which St. Mathew gives Ye Mat. x. V. 18. shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake for a Testimony against them and the Gentiles I might quote many other Places where our Saviour do's expresly foretell the grievous Persecutions that shou'd be the too common Lot of Christians Now what Religion is there in the whole habitable World that wants the Advantage of a TOLERATION except that which our Saviour introduc'd So that there 's no Ground for that foolish Plea which our Enemies make Use of that he saw what bad Entertainment false and corrupt Notions wou'd naturally meet with in the World and therefore to raise his Reputation and promote his Interest did only foretell those Things which any Child might have known wou'd befall him But if Persons wou'd unavoidably be brought before Governors and Kings for holding false and wicked Notions one wou'd think that the Epicureans who disbelieve an over-ruling Povidence shou'd be brought before 'em as soon as any Persons in the World or the Peripateticks who think that the Prayers which are put up and the Sacrifices which are offer'd to the Gods are wholly insignificant and little Arts unworthy to be practic'd by those who pretend to the Sence and Learning of Philosophers But perhaps our Enemies may object That the Samaritanes are persecuted on the Account of their Religion To this I answer that they are condemn'd to dye for circumcising themselves in direct Opposition to the Law which permits none but Jews to observe this celebrated and Ancient Rite And we don't find that the Judge leaves it to their Choice whether they will obstinately persist and dye or renounce their Religion and so be publickly acquitted but if they are found to be circumcis'd immediately they must suffer Death The Christians are the only Persons in the World who tho' they are persecuted according to our Saviour's Prediction Ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake are entreated to the last Breath they draw to renounce the Christian Religion and sacrifice to Idols and so to put themselves directly into a safe and happy Condition with respect to their outward Circumstances See therefore with what Authority our Blessed Saviour spoke the following Words Whosoever shall confess me Mat. x. V. 32 33. before Men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heav'n but whosoever shall deny me before Men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heav'n Take Notice that this was spoken by him a considerable Time before the Thing that he speaks of was true in Fact Perhaps such a Thought as this may be ready to dart into your Mind that he builds Castles in the Air and what he prophesies don't look at all as if the Event wou'd be answerable But if you can exercise a little Patience you 'll say thus to your if our Blessed Saviour did readily foretell that Governours and Kings wou'd use their utmost Endeavours to extirpate the Religion he introduc'd into the World and if the Event has fully answer'd his Prediction certainly we have all imaginable Reason to believe that he receiv'd such a Power from God as was necessary to make his Doctrine obtain so Universally as it did and that he knew very well that all the Difficulties that lay in the Way to its Reception shou'd be happily and easily surmounted by the help of Miracles And who without a Transport of Holy Admiration can set our Saviour before his Eyes expresly foretelling That the Gospel of the Kingdom shou'd Mat. xxiv V. 14 be preach'd in all the World for a Witness unto all Nations and see the Prediction in due Time fulfill'd the Gospel being preach'd to the Greeks and Barbarians to the Learned and Unlearned and the whole habitable World being brought as it were under its honourable and happy Yoak Besides let the Pretended Jew who don't believe that our Saviour foretold those Things which we see did afterwards befall him I say let him consider that when the City of Jerusalem was in all its Glory and the Pompous Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion were solemnly perform'd in it he foretold that it shou'd be invaded and ruin'd by the Romans I suppose no One will take the Liberty to say that they who were his Familiar Friends and constant Hearers did satisfy themselves with teaching Viva Voce those Things which are the Subject-Matter of the Gospels without leaving behind 'em a History of the most remarkable Transactions of our Blessed Saviour St. Luke has the following Words When ye shall see Jerusalem compass'd with Luke 21. V. 20. Armies then know that the Desolation thereof is nigh Now at the Time when these Things were writ there was no Suspicion of a Siege or any grievous Calamity that threaten'd the Jewish Church and State 'T was in the Reign of the Emperor Nero that the Romans made their first Attack on this Once-glorious City and it was not tak'n 'till the Reign of the Emperor Vespasian whose Son Titus Vespasian did utterly destroy it This was a just and heavy Judgment of God upon 'em for killing James the just as Josephus wou'd fain have us to believe whereas in Truth 't was owing to the horrid Crime they committed in embruing their
and sometimes must be restrain'd to his Humane Nature as when he says Ye seek to kill me a Man that has told you the Truth which I have heard of God So in the Case which is now before us we must understand him speaking as a Man discovering at once the Weakness of the Flesh and the Willingness of the Spirit the former in those Words Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me and the latter in those Words Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done And 't is observable that he begins with those Words which are a plain Indication of the Weakness of the Flesh and concludes with those which discover the Willingness of the Spirit and the latter are oftnest repeated by him Besides 't is worthy of our Notice that he don't absolutely pray Let this Cup pass from me but expresses a most profound Submission to his Father's Will in the following Words If it be possible I am not insensible I confess that some Interpret those Words after the following Manner that our Saviour foreseeing what Calamities wou'd befal the City of Jerusalem and not only so but the whole Nation of the Jews on the Account of that unjust and barbarous Treatment he shou'd meet with at their Hands had such a tender Compassion for this sinful and miserable People that he desir'd to be excus'd from Suffering that he might prevent 'em from being forsak'n of God and expos'd to those threatning Calamities which he had in View And then 't is as if he had said since the Jews upon my Suffering will be sadly left by that God who once took 'em into his special Protection and put 'em under so happy a Government as that of a Theocracy I desire if it be possible that this Cup may escape me Besides if our Saviour's Sufferings put him to no Pain at all as Celsus wou'd fain have us to believe it was impossible they shou'd upon our own Hypothesis I shou'd be glad to know how he cou'd set his Followers a bright Example of Patience under the most grievous Sufferings for the Sake of their most Holy Religion CHAP. XVIII THEN Celsus's Jew accuses our Saviour's Disciples of Imposture You impose on us says he with a Company of Old Wives Fables and han't the Sence to give 'em the least Colour of Reason to recommend 'em to the World To this I answer the Evangelists cou'd easily have omitted these Things if they had pleas'd and then there had been no Room for this horrid Slander For how cou'd our Enemies unless they wou'd invent Fictions out of their own fruitful Brain reproach us with such and such Expressions of our Saviour during his most bitter Passion if the Evangelists had suffer'd 'em as it were to sleep in an eternal Silence And Celsus wasn't sensible that 't was morally impossible for 'em to allow emselves to be tamely deluded in the Affair of the History of our Blessed Saviour so as to be prevail'd with to look upon him to be no less than a God and the very Person that was so frequently and so expresly Foretold by the Jewish Prophets and at the same Time be convinc'd in their Consciences that all that they writ concerning him at least what seem'd to favour him was made up of Fictions that were entirely owing to their fruitful but unhappy Invention But 't is plain that either they were Men of Integrity and publish'd nothing but what they firmly believ'd was true or else their Gospels are fill'd with trifling Fictions of their own and by Consequence they cou'dn't possibly be perswaded in their Minds that our Saviour was a GOD. Then Celsus's Jew asserts That ev'n some of the Christians like Men that are intoxicated by the Fumes of Wine and don't mind at all what they say or do have alter'd the Original Text of the Gospels so that they may admit of various and almost infinite Readings And this I suppose they did out of Humane Policy that when we press 'em home with an Argument they might have the larger Scope for their Pitiful Evasions But for my Part I confess I know no Changes that the Original Text of the Gospels has ever undergone unless by Means of the Followers of Marcion Valentinus and Lucian Besides tisn't fair at all to charge such a Thing as this upon the Christian Religion as a Crime and unworthy of its pretended Purity but those Persons who were concern'd in the Fact ought by all the Laws of Justice to answer for it And as 't is no solid tho' a plausible and popular Argument against the Heathen Philosophy that Sophists Epicureans and Peripateticks have us'd their utmost Endeavours to delude the World with their false and dangerous Opinions So 't is no convincing Argument against the Truth of the Christian Religion that some Persons have had the horrid Impudence to corrupt the Gospels themselves and so have giv'n an unhappy Rise to numerous and most impious Heresies CHAP. XIX THEN Celsus's Jew finds Fault with the Christians again for misapplying as he fondly imagines the Scripture-Prophecies to our Blessed Saviour But I think I have spoke sufficiently to this Point already Besides if the Conviction of his Reader was the End which he propos'd to himself he ought to have giv'n us a Key for the right understanding of the Jewish Prophecies and might have offer'd one wou'd think some solid Reasons why they can by no Means be fairly accommodated to our Saviour and really he needn't have been so sparing of his Time and Strength in examining a Matter of such vast Importance and especially since he confidently affirms that there are Abundance of Persons to whom the Prophecies might more fitly be apply'd But Celsus it seems isn't sensible at all that tho' such extravagant Discourse as this might become one who is an utter Stranger to the Prophetick Oracles yet 't is very improper to come from the Mouth of any rational and sober Jew Indeed a Person of the fore-mention'd Character will do what lyes in his Power to evade the Interpretations of Scripture which we Christians give but he 'll never grant what Celsus says viz. That there are Abundance of Persons to whom the Prophecies may more fitly be apply'd than to our Blessed Saviour I have already observ'd that the Prophets speak of a twofold Coming of the Messiah so that 't is needless for me to answer the pretended Jew when he says The Prophets represent the Messiah as a mighty Prince and Soveraign of the Vniverse CHAP. XX. WHAT he adds that God never destgn'd to bring so great a Plague upon the World as the Christian Religion do's strongly savour of the Malice of an inveterate Jew who supplies his Want of Reason by a vast Stock of Impudence that he has always by him But I defy Celsus and all the Men in the World to prove that a Doctrine introduc'd by one who reclaim'd so many Persons from the most scandalous Vices and effectually engag'd 'em to
might suspect that out of wicked Policy I passed by his Objections being conscious to my self that I was utterly incapable of returning a satisfactory or ev'n tolerable Answer Then says he Pray isn't it the most absurd Thing in the World to suppose that he who when he was alive and us'd all the little Arts he had cou'd gain no Followers in comparison or at least none of any Sense or Rank shou'd after his Death by the Ministry of his Apostles so strangely influence a considerable Part of Mankind as they are represented by some to do But according to the Rules of strict Reasoning which he pretends to be so great a Master of he shou'd have argu'd thus if after his Death he furnish'd his Ambassadors with all necessary Abilities to work upon the Minds of Men and did actually and so wonderfully move all the secret Springs of the Humane Soul then there 's no Question to be made but that when he was on Earth in Person he made deep Impressions on the Minds ev'n of the greatest Barbarians partly by his powerful Preaching and partly by his uncontested Miracles CHAP. XXVIII BY and By he asks Pray what Reason have you to believe he was the Son of God And personating one of us returns this Answer in his usual way of Banter Because we know says he that he laid down his Life to destroy the Works of the Devil But the Faith of Christians in an Affair of this Nature and Importance is built I can assure him on no single Argument how perswasive soever it may be but the concurring and clear Evidence of several Motives a few of which I have already mention'd And I shall have Occasion perhaps to make Mention of some other Arguments on this Head not only in my Answer to Celsus's Book entituled A TRUE RELATION but also in some other Treatises if GOD shall be pleas'd to afford me that Measure of the Assistance of his Spirit that will be necessary to accomplish my Design Then as if we were so weak as to believe that our Saviour's bare Suffering on the Cross was sufficient to prove He was the Son of God He says What if he did really suffer can't we instance in many others that suffer'd as well and as much as he But Celsus in this Matter acts the Part of one of the most unfair Enemies which the Christian Religion has who when they read the History of the Crucifixion of our Saviour immediately imagine that we FONDLY CANONIZE all Persons who were ever so unfortunate as to hang upon a Cross This any one may see is the common Practice of the Adversary I have to do with who being utterly unable to resist the clear Evidence which the Miracles of our Blessed Saviour do carry in 'em of the Truth of our Holy Religion has the Face to misrepresent 'em to the World as done by meer Legerdemain or rather by the Assistance of the Devil But this Pityful and Vile Cavil has been so frequently answer'd according to my slender Ability that really it quite tires my Patience to repeat Things so often as I see I must Then Celsus makes us say That our Saviour was the SON OF GOD because he cur'd the lame and blind and rais'd a few from the dead as we Poor Creatures that we are are ready to imagine But that in Spite of all that he can say this Consideration of it self is a solid Argument to prove he was the SON OF GOD is plain from that Famous Prophecy in Isaiah Then the Eyes of the Blind shall be open'd and the Ears of the deaf shall Isa 35 V. â— be unstopp'd Then shall the lame Man leap as an Hart. And 't is highly improbable to say no more that the Evangelists shou'd forge the Account they give us of some rais'd from the dead because had they been giv'n to inventing Fictions meerly to serve a Turn they wou'd have giv'n us more frequent Instances of that Nature than we meet with and of the Resurrection of those who had been longer dead than those of whom we read in the Gospels But their giving so few Instances of Persons restor'd to Life seems to me to be as plain a Proof as can be that the Evangelists whatever Celsus may say were Men of HONEST PRINCIPLES and the farthest of all Men in the World except our Blessed Saviour from being Persons of INTRIEGVE They instance only in the Daughter of the Ruler of the Synagogue whose Case seems foreign to the Purpose for our Saviour says of her She is not dead but sleeps in the only Son of a Widow whom our Saviour recover'd out of tender Compassion to his disconsolate Mother ordering the Coffin to be stop'd And Lastly in Lazarus who had continu'd some Days in the Grave as the Evangelist acquaints us and I wou'd offer the following Consideration to the most judicious of our Adversaries and at this Time more immediately to the Jew whom Celsus personates viz. That as in Elisha's Time there were many Lepers but none of 'em were cur'd that we read of except Naaman the Syrian and many Widows in the Days of the Prophet Elijah but he was only sent to the Widow of Sarepta in the Country of Sidon for she alone was thought worthy of the Miracle he wrought so many Persons dy'd when our Saviour was on Earth but he only rais'd those from the dead who in some Sence had QVALIFY'D THEMSELVES for so SPECIAL A FAVOVR And this I am apt to think he did to typifie something future and give Mankind convincing Proofs of the Truth and Excellency of that Doctrine which he introduc'd into the World And I may safely say that according to the Promise he had made his Disciples did far stranger Things than those which he himself exhibited to the outward Senses of them who were the happy Spectators of his Miracles For the Eyes of the spiritually blind were frequently open'd by 'em the Ears of those who once were deaf to all the awakening Precepts of Virtue and Religion were unstopp'd that so they might receive the Word of God and the Promise of Eternal Life and many who were spiritually lame were cur'd by the Gospel insomuch that they don't only leap but ev'n leap as a Stag which Animal as Naturalists observe is an Enemy to Serpents and happily expels their Poison They deriv'd such a healing Virtue from their Heav'nly Physician that they cou'd immediately tread on those Serpents and Scorpions by which they were once most sadly crippl'd without incurring the least seeming Danger Nay they were effectually steel'd if I may so say against the strong and too often fatal Impressions which Vice and Immorality are apt to make upon the Minds of Men and in a great Measure fortify'd against the malicious and vigorous Attempts of United Daemons CHAP. XXIX WHEN our Saviour admonish'd his Disciples to avoid those designing Wretches who confidently affirm'd they were the TRVE MESSIAH and endeavour'd by their cursed Enchantments to draw
more of the Benefit and Necessity of Translations in general but offer something concerning that Author whom I have in Part translated with a due Regard I hope to the Glory of God and the Publick Good tho' whether I have perform'd well or not I must leave to the Judgment of the Learned at whose Bar I shall think it an Honour to be arraign'd if I have been guilty of any gross Defects and whose Friendly Censures I shall willingly and ev'n thankfully undergo That ORIGEN flourish'd in the Third Century and in the Infancy if I may so say of the Christian Church is so generally known that it seems almost needless to mention it And since we deservedly and chearfully pay a Deference to the living Monuments of Antiquity and especially to those Pious and Learned Writers who liv'd in the Early and Pure Ages of the Church partly thro' a natural Curiosity to know the Names Characters and Works of the most Eminent Persons who flourish'd in such distant Periods of Time partly thro' a Sense of those Miraculous Methods which the Great God was as it were oblig'd to take for the Support and Encouragement of the Church during its Minority and partly from a just and deep Conviction of the Eminent Piety Profound Judgment and Universal Learning of many of the Primitive Fathers I think a more than ord'nary Veneration shou'd be paid to the Memory of the Deceased ORIGEN and especially to his Books against the Ingenious and Learned CELSVS which are a lively Picture of his Capacious and Exalted Genius Need I say any Thing in Commendation of his Piety or rather will not every Thing that I can say fall vastly short of the Dignity of the Awful Subject Will it not in some Sence and in some Measure lose its native and almost unsully'd Lustre by the faint Encomiums of the most elevated Mortals who are inspir'd with a tremendous Sense of his Majestick Simplicity and irresistible and almost inimitable Charms A Piety which was so sincere and so impatient of Restraint that 't is reported of him that when his Honoured Father was suffering under the Emperor DECIVS he wou'd ev'n in his tender Years have saluted the Flames of Martyrdom with the greatest Readiness and ev'n Triumphant Joy had not his Dear and Honour'd Mother by her maternal Authority Arts of Perswasion and innocent Methods of Female Policy clip'd the flutt'ring Wings of his humbly-aspiring Soul A Piety discover'd by denying ev'n the lawful Appetite of his sordid Flesh and looking with a generous Disdain on the outward Grandeur and perishing Vanities of this lower World A Piety which was seen by his Leaving or in a comparative Sence Despising the School of Plato that Celebrated Heathen Philosopher for the Sake of the meek and persecuted JESVS In a Word a Piety which appear'd in the Tenor of his Life and Conversation the Strictness of his Moral Vertues and Christian Graces in the flaming but just Zeal he shew'd for the Cause of Christ the exact Care and extraordinary Vigour which runs thro' the Body of his most Excellent Applogy and the prudent Measures which he took to win others to the sincere Belief and regular Practice of that Holy Religion which was so constantly so chearfully and so brightly exemplify'd in himself Need I say any Thing of his Sence who cou'd n't content himself without the severe Study of Philosophy and the sublime Notions of the Divine Plato in particular and familiarly convers'd with the most judicious Philosophers among the Pagans and greatly improv'd the refin'd and useful Knowledge which he eagerly imbib'd from those Stars in the Firmament of Learning by lighting his Torch if I may so say at the dazling Rays of the Sun of Righteousness Need I say any Thing of his Learning who on that Account was justly the Wonder and has too often been the Envy of the Heathen and Christian World who by reason of his solid Sence and uncommon acquir'd Abilities was inclin'd and qualify'd to take an unconfined Range thro' the immense Spaces of the Intellectual Aether who by the Number and Choice of the Books he publish'd of which Eusebius gives us an Account in his Ecclesiastical History discover'd at once the Regularity and almost infinite Compass of his Studies and by his Travels into Foreign Countries was fully acquainted with the Posture of Affairs both in the Christian Church and in the Learned World I can't but take Notice by the Way that if ORIGEN had been so mean a Man or his Works so dangerous as Cardinal Baronius Cardinal Noris Gretzerus the Jesuite and some others represent him I wonder that Pope Anastasius a whole Council the foremention'd Persons and the whole Justinian Age shou'd so violently oppose him I confess after all that I have said which is little if compar'd with what I cou'd easily offer in the Praise of ORIGEN I dare not say that St. Hierom that very Learned Father and afterwards the Justinian Age and many Others since had no Colour of Reason for what they alledg'd against him Indeed the Wisdom of God does very plainly appear in so ord'ring Matters that ev'n some of the Sacred Penmen of Holy Scripture and the Brightest Lights that ever shone in the Glorious Orb of the Church of God had some Defects to allay their intrinsick and apparent Worth and prevent that Excessive Veneration which wou'd otherwise have been paid 'em by reason of their Natural and Acquir'd Accomplishments the Honour they reflected on the Ages in which they flourish'd and the extraordinary Service they did the Cause of Christ and the Common Wealth of Learning But as the Translators of the Bible wou'd have been unjustly treated had they been reproach'd with ev'n seeming to countenance the false Notions of Things which the Generality of the Jewish and many of the Leaders of the Christian Church are known to have entertain'd or had they been upbraided as if they approv'd of David's Murder and Adultery and St. Peter's most shameful Denial of our Blessed Lord So I may rationally expect that the Reader will be so just and candid as not to imagine as great a Man as ORIGEN himself was and as great a Heroe of Antiquity and Christianity as I know he was that I 'm so very ignorant as to agree with him in those Opinions or Practices which are evidently and greatly liable to censure As for his Notion that the Devils may be recover'd I must confess it seems to me to be both a false and dangerous Position false because there 's no Colour for it that I can see in the Word of God and dangerous because it has a Tendency to encourage Persons to go on in Sin in Hopes that ev'n the Fire of Hell will be at last extinguish'd and be but a Second Purgatory We know that no less a Person than the Late Most Reverend Arch-Bishop of Canterbury has publickly appear'd in its Defence and has offer'd such plausible Arguments that perhaps it may seem difficult
the Christians from those foul Aspersions which Celsus has publickly cast upon 'em as if a Confutation of him were not legible in the Things themselves and what he offers might not be deservedly rejected as wanting ev'n the Appearance of Truth to recommend it to the World To shew that our Saviour held his Peace when false Witness was brought against him I need only at present produce the Testimony of St. Matthew which is confirm'd by what St. Mark the Evangelist relates St. Matthew has these Words Now the Chief Priests and Elders Mat. 26. v. 59. and all the Council sought false Witness against Jesus to put him to Death but found none Yea though many false Witnesses came yet found they none At last came two false Witnesses and said this Fellow said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it in three Days And the High-Priest arose and said to him answerest thou nothing What is it which these witness against thee But Jesus held his Peace We read in another Place of the same Evangelist that our Saviour return'd no Answer to the Persons who accus'd him And Jesus Mat. 27. v. 11. stood before the Governor and the Governor ask'd him saying art thou the King of the Jews And Jesus said unto him thou say'st And when he was accus'd of the Chief Priests and Elders he answered nothing Then says Pilate unto him hearest thou not how many Things these witness against thee And he answer'd him never a Word insomuch that the Governor marvell'd greatly And indeed it cou'd n't but be admir'd by Persons who were least capable of Reflection that when he had so fair an Opportunity to free himself from the heavy Charge that was brought against him to enumerate or at least modestly insinuate his shining Characters and to commend the higher Powers as being ordam'd of God and by these innocent and politick Methods to procure the Judge's Favour I say that when he had so fair an Opportunity to do all this he shou'd be so far from embracing it as to look upon his most violent Accusers with a truly-generous Disdain That the Judge seem'd willing to acquit him had he made his Apology is plain from the following Words Whom Mat. 27. v. 17. will ye that I release unto you Barabbas or Jesus who is call'd Christ And those Words He knew that for Envy Ibid. 18. he had deliver'd him So that the holy and spotless Jesus was scarce ever free from unjust and severe Accusations as long as the perverse Dispositions of Men whose Minds were corrupt and whose Lives were often stain'd with the most gross Enormities did remain the same as they have been in all the Ages of the World And ev'n now he holds his Peace and makes no verbal Answer but the unblemish'd Lives of his sincere Followers are his most chearful and most successful Advocates and have so loud a Voice that they drown the Clamours of his most bigotted and most zealous Adversaries I will therefore be so bold as to say that by Publishing this Apology I shall seem to lessen the Force of those powerful Arguments in Defence of the Christian Religion which are drawn from the holy Lives of its pious Votaries and are plain Appeals ev'n to Sense and common Observation But that I might not seem backward in obeying the Commands you have laid upon me I have endeavour'd according to my present Abilities to give a full or at least a sufficient Answer to all the material Objections which Celsus has brought against us which in your Opinion my Dear and Respected Ambrosius do strike at the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion but I verily believe will never shock the Faith of one who by the Grace of God does live in the Profession of it with some measure of Sincerity And God forbid that any of us shou'd have so embrac'd the Gospel which is so lively a Declaration of his Love to perishing Sinners thro' the Merits of our Blessed and All-sufficient Redeemer as to be in Danger of receiving any bad Impressions from Celsus's Discourse or the Writings of any other Ingenious and Learned Person who holds the same Wicked Principles For St. Paul reckoning up those things which are apt to separate Mankind from the Love of Christ all which his Love to 'em did and will at last effectually and most gloriously overcome don 't say that erroneous Discourses shou'd be any much less a principal Cause of this unhappy Separation Observe first he says Who shall separate us from the Love Rom. 8. v. 25. of God Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword As it is written for thy sake we are kill'd all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these Things we are more than Conquerors thro' him that loved us Then reckoning up another Set of Things which usually shock Mens Faith and Virtue he says I am perswaded that neither Ibid 38. Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And there is just Ground ev'n for us who fall vastly short of the extraordinary Attainments of that great Apostle of the Gentiles to say Who shall separate us from the Love of God Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword But the Apostle who thought this too mean a Boast for those who had arriv'd to so remarkable a Pitch of Virtue as that to which he had attain'd professes That in all these Things he was more than a Conqueror which Words have a peculiar Weight and Emphasis And therefore when he and the rest of his Noble Class come to make their Boast they proceed to the second Set of Things which are here enumerated and can say with a holy Triumph That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So that I confess I have no great Opinion of that Man's Christianity whose Faith is in the least liable to be shock'd either by this Book of Celsus or the Writings of any other Person of the same unhappy Stamp For really I 'm at a Loss to know in what Class of Christians I shou'd rank that Man who is not Proof against all the bitter but unjust Reproaches with which Celsus has loaded the Followers of our Blessed Lord. But because the common Sort of People are in no small Danger as you imagine my Dear Ambrosius of turning Apostates from the Faith since perhaps they may be shock'd by what Celsus has offer'd against the well-grounded Principles of our holy Religion and I hope will be no less confirm'd in their Judgments
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
because I love to cherish the tender Concern which I naturally have for the Good of Mankind in general 't will be very well But if they refuse to comply with this most reasonable and highly necessary Request which I make to 'em and run into their Common Cant and say Don't examine into Matters but believe sure 't is fit at least that they shou'd be so civil as to tell me what Notions they advance and whence their Original was deriv'd To which I answer that those Words Not as if I were unacquainted with the Opinions which they hold do not a little savour of his usual Presumption For if he had read the Prophets which are full of very obscure Hints mystical Representations and Expressions that every One don 't easily or perhaps tolerably understand and if he had carefully and candidly read the Parables that are scattered up and down in the Gospels and those Parts of Scripture which contain the Jewish Law and History and if having read the Writings of the Apostles without a Tincture of Prejudice he had put himself in a Capacity of understanding their genuine Meaning and full Design he wou'dn't with such an Air of Confidence have boasted that he was perfectly acquainted with all the Opinions which the Christians hold For no Divine ev'n among our whose constant laborious and almost entire Employment it is to be conversant with those sacred Writings do's dare to talk with such an Air of Vanity Nor do any of us pretend to a perfect Acquaintance with the Opinions of Plato Aristotle Epicurus or the Stoicks when ev'n they who have undertak'n to interpret the Writings of these famous Philosophers are so unhappy as to differ among themselves and quarrel with each other But perhaps Celsus might borrow this bold Expression from some ignorant People who were not sensible that indeed they knew nothing at all and I 'm apt to think that these were the profound Doctors if the Truth was known to whom he 's indebted for that comprehensive Knowledge of which he makes his Boast And to me he seems to do just like one who travelling into Egypt where the learned Clergy talk very Philosophically concerning their sacred Rites but the common People are wonderfully pleas'd with hearing some dark Fables related to 'em the rational Account of which they don 't in the least understand do's immediately hereupon imagine that he 's perfectly acquainted with the Learning and Religion of the Egyptians tho' he never convers'd in a familiar manner with any of their Priests or with any Persons that explain'd to him what is signify'd by their mysterious Hieroglyphicks And what I have said of the Egyptians may as well be said of the Persians Syrians Indians and all other Nations that veil their Religion as it were with significant but very mysterious Ceremonies CHAP. XIII BUT since Celsus has laid this down as one of the Maxims of the Christians that the Wisdom of this World is very dangerous and mischievous but Folly is a most admirable and useful Thing I answer he don't fairly represent the Words of the Apostle Paul which run after the following Manner If any Man among you seems to be wise in this World let 1 Cor. iii. V. â—8 him become a Fool that he may be wise for the Wisdom of this World is Foolishness with God He don't simply say that Wisdom is Foolishness with God but prudently confines his Discourse to the Wisdom of this World and don't simply say If any Man among you seems to be wise let him immediately become a Fool but If any Man among you seems to be wise in this World let him become a Fool that he may be wise By the Wisdom of this World I understand that vain Philosophy in a comparative Sence which the Scripture do's so justly so frequently and so severely condemn And so Folly is a most admirable and useful Thing not strictly consider'd but in this limited Sence when a Person becomes a Fool in the Esteem of this vain and degenerate World 'T is just the same Thing as if any one shou'd say that the Platonicks who believe the Immortality of the Soul and the Doctrine of its Transmigration have embrac'd ridiculous Opinions that is they are such in the Judgment of the Stoicks who endeavour to overthrow it and of the Peripateticks who insult over Plato as if he were a Mad-man and of the Epicureans who reproach them that believe a God and an over-ruling Providence as being the unhappy Authors of all the wild Superstition that was ever brought into the World And if there were Occasion I cou'd make it appear that tho' 't is much better for them who have Opportunity and Capacity to build their Faith on rational and convincing Arguments than to take Things on Trust yet our Blessed Saviour wou'd have Persons of mean Capacities and under some peculiar Circumstances to believe without a severe Examination since otherwise we can't suppose that the Gospel wou'd be of any Advantage to em So much is intimated by St. Paul in the following Words After that in the 1 Cor. i. V. 21. Wisdom of God the World by Wisdom knew not God it pleas'd God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe Hence it is plain that in the Wisdom of God the World ought to have known him and because they so grosly fail'd herein it pleas'd God to save them who believe in the fore-mention'd Way viz. By the Preaching of a Doctrine which was Foolishness in the Judgments of many thousands ev'n of judicious and learned Persons St. Paul himself was not ignorant of this when he us'd these Words We preach Christ 1 Cor. i. V. 25. crucify'd to the Jews a Stumbling-Block and to the Greeks Foolishness but to them who believe both Jews and Greeks the Wisdom of God and the Power of God CHAP. XIV AND since Celsus has reckon'd up several Nations who agree in their Opinions and I know not for what Reason leaves out the Jews as if they held none that did bear the least Resemblance with those which the rest of the World maintain'd I wou'd ask him why he believes the Accounts which are giv'n by the Historians both among the Greeks and Barbarians and disbelieves what is frequently and credibly related in the Jewish History For if all other Historians have giv'n a faithful Account of the Antiquities of the several Nations from which they sprung why shou'd the Jewish Writers be the only Persons in the World suspected of gross Deceit And if Moses and the Prophets have said many Things in Favour of the Jews may not the very same Thing be charg'd upon all or far the greatest Part of prophane Historians Must we give Credit to the Annals of the Egyptians which represent the Jews as a strange Sort of People and believe that all that the Jews say against the Egyptians viz. That they treated 'em in a most barbarous Manner and for that Reason were justly and severely
punish'd by God is a ridiculous Fable I might say the same Thing of the Assyrians who if we may believe their own Historians were anciently engag'd in long and bloody Wars with those of the Jewish Nation And the Jewish Writers for perhaps I shou'd be thought to speak from Prejudice if I shou'd call 'em Prophets make frequent Mention of their Wars with the Assyrians See therefore how Celsus is led aside by Prejudice which he 's so ready to charge others with when he readily believes some Nations to be extreamly wise and highly esteems their Histories as being entirely authentick and condemns those of other Nations as being false and void ev'n of common Sence CHAP. XV. Observe his Words 'T IS an Opinion says he that is generally receiv'd by the Ancients in which not only some few wise Men but entire Nations and those not a little remarkable for Sence and Learning have readily and unanimously agreed He took special Care not to reckon the Jews among the wise Nations of the World as if they were vastly inferior in respect of Wisdom to the Egyptians Assyrians Indians Persians Odrysae Samothracians and the Eleusinii But how much do's Numenius the Pythagorean deserve to be prefer'd before him who has made his Name immortal by his uncommon Eloquence has tak'n such Care in his impartial Enquiries into Truth and heap'd up so many good Authorities to confirm his excellent and elaborate Notions This learned Author in his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of those Nations that held God to be incorporeal has reckon'd the Jews among em He also makes mention of some Passages in the Writings of the Prophets which he takes in an Allegorical Sence 'T is reported also that Hermippus in his first Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquaints us that Pythagoras borrow'd his Philosophy from the Jews and taught it to the Greeks and there is extant Hecataeus's History of the Jews wherein he do's so highly commend the Wisdom of that People that Herennius Philo in a Book that he has writ concerning 'em seems inclin'd to think it spurious and afterwards says that if it be really genuine t is probable he was inwardly a Convert to the Religion which they profess But I wonder in my Heart how it comes to pass that Celsus shou'd reckon up the Odrysae Samothracians Eleusinii and Hyperborei as being famous at once for their Wisdom and Antiquity and make no mention of the Jews for the Egyptians Phoenicians and Greeks do by their own History give sufficient and ample Testimony to the Antiquity of that People which I thought 't was needless for me to produce For any one that reads Josephus's two Books of the Jewish Antiquities may see there a long Catalogue of Authors who confirm the Truth of this Matter by their concurring Testimony And Tatian who writ after him has made a learned Discourse against the Gentiles wherein he quotes abundance of Authors who have writ concerning the Antiquity of the Jews and of Moses in particular So that Celsus seems to me to talk at this extravagant Rate rather from implacable Malice than out of Zeal for Truth designing to reproach the Christian Religion which has so close a Connection with that of the Jewish Nation on the Account of its Original which he supposes to be late and mean And he says that the Galactophagi of Homer the Druids of the Gauls and the Getae who agreed with the Jews in some Opinions but have no Writings extant that I know of are remarkable for their Wisdom and Antiquity But he levels all his Malice at the Jews and will neither allow 'em to be wise nor ancient Then giving us a Catalogue of wise and ancient Persons who were useful to their Contemporaries by their bright Example and to Posterity by their admirable Writings he has purposely left Moses out of the Number of Men remarkable for their Wisdom tho' Linus who is put at the Head of 'em has left behind him no Laws nor Books for the Regulation of Societies or Reformation of Manners whereas Moses's Laws are diligently observ'd by an entire and populous Nation by whose Means they have been diffus'd almost thro' the whole habitable World Take Notice therefore of the unaccountable Malice by which Celsus is acted who says nothing of Moses but mentions Linus Musaeus Orpheus Pherecydes Zoroaster the Persian and Pythagoras with abundance of Honour as having giv'n wise and wholesom Precepts to Mankind and tak'n prudent and due Care to transmit 'em to Posterity by their Writings which are extant at this very Day And I suppose he designedly omitted to speak of the ridiculous Fables especially in the Writings of Orpheus which attribute humane and ev'n exorbitant Passions to their pretended Deities CHAP. XVI THEN he finds great Fault with the Mosaical History and can't bear by any Means that it shou'd be tak'n in an Allegorical Sence But one might ask this mighty Man who calls his Book by the Name of A True Relation how it comes to pass that he 's able to discover the most profound Mysteries in the strange Accidents which according to his own admir'd Poets and Philosophers have befall'n his Gods and Goddesses which have been polluted with Incest have contended with their Fathers and made 'em Eunuchs and done many immodest Actions of the like Nature which might be mention'd if Occasion offer'd but when Moses don't say any Thing that is comparable to this of the great God whom he ador'd or of the Angels or of Men for he don't represent ev'n them as making such a bold Attempt as that of Saturn against his Father or that of Jupiter against Saturn or that of the Incest which the Father of the Gods and Men committed with his Daughter Celsus treats ev'n the famous Lawgiver of the Jews as a notorious and shameful Impostor and takes the People who are govern'd by his Laws to be weak and extreamly credulous Here he seems to me to act like Thrasymachus in Plato who will not suffer Socrates to state his Notion of Justice but says Have a Care how you say that Expediency or Decency or any such Thing is Justice For reproaching as he thinks the Mosaick History and blaming them severely who take it in an Allegorical Sence tho' he acknowledges that of the two they are more pardonable than they who literally interpret it and having form'd his Accusation to his Mind he wou'd deny us the just Liberty of making our own Apology But we openly challenge any Person who may espouse his Cause to set Author against Author and may address our to him after the following Manner Pray Sir be pleas'd to produce the Poems which were writ by Linus Musaeus and Orpheus and the History which was publish'd by Pherecydes and compare 'em with the Laws which Moses gave to the Jewish Nation Examine which have the greatest and most general Influence on the Minds of Men and impartially consider how few of the Writings of those
Followers of Aristotle and Epicurus think it is but has certain stated Rules as they that are skill'd in it do know and can easily demonstrate I say if I can make this appear I think I may then safely affirm that the Name Sabaoth Adonai and other Names for which the Jews have so profound a Veneration were not design'd to denominate any created Beings much less those of an inferiour Order but do contain some sacred Mystery which has an immediate Reference to the great and adorable Creator of the Universe These Names therefore have an Efficacy when they are duly pronounc'd by any Person whatsoever There are other Names which being pronounc'd in the Egyptian Language are prevalent with certain Daemons whose Power is limited to such or such a Sphere and others which being pronounc'd in the Persian Language are prevalent with other Daemons And I might instance in several Nations of the World that use other Names applying 'em in very different Sences and so we shall find that the terrestrial Daemons which have particular Places assign'd 'em have Names giv'n 'em according to the Language which the People speak Any Man of Sence therefore one wou'd think that bestows but the least Thought on this important Subject will scruple to make use of Names foreign to the Things which they represent least he shou'd unawares be guilty of the same Fault with them who use such improper and harsh Expressions concerning God himself that they don 't at all stick to give him the false and vile Appellation of inanimate Matter or run into the Error of those unhappy Persons who greatly derogate from the infinite Honour which is due to the supream and original Cause and disparage true Virtue and Piety by mis-applying the Sacred Name of Summum Bonum to a little glittering but perishing Dust or a happy Constitution of Body or that which is falsely but too commonly call'd an Honourable Descent Noble Princely or Royal Blood And surely the Danger of mis-applying the Name of the Aweful Majesty of Heav'n or the Chief Good is at least equal to that of changing the stated Names which are us'd in Magick and have a Mystical Sence and giving the Names of Superiour Powers to infernal Spirits and on the contrary those of infernal Spirits to Superiour Powers I need not say that at the very mention of Jupiter is understood the Son of Saturn and Rhea the Husband of Juno the Brother of Neptune the Father of Minerva and Diana and the Person that committed Incest with his Daughter nor need I say that at the mention of Apollo is understood the Son of Jupiter and Latona the Brother of Diana and Brother to Mercury by the Fathers side or need I speak of many other Things that were related by the Ancient Heroes whom Celsus has with so much Honour enumerated or contain'd in the old and admir'd Theology of the learned Greeks Pray how comes it to pass that Jupiter is call'd as he is and that the Son of Saturn and Rhea is not the Name that 's given him The same Question may properly enough be ask'd concerning the rest of the Riff-raff of the Heathen Gods This Consideration I think has a manifest Tendency to favour and justify the Practice of those Persons who have some mystical but solid Reason for using the Name Sabaoth or Adonai and some other Names when they speak of GOD since they who understand any Thing of the true Nature of Names will easily find that some sacred Mystery is veil'd under the Names which are giv'n to the Angels one of whom is call'd Michael another Gabriel and another Raphael each having a Name affix'd to him by the Father of Spirits agreeable to the Nature and Extent of that honourable Work in which his great Creator has thought fit to employ him And the Virtue which accompanied the Pronunciation of our Saviour's Name and by which cruel and obstinate Daemons were frequently and publickly dispossess'd both of the Minds and Bodies of Men must I think be resolv'd at least in some Measure into the natural Efficacy of Names I might add one Thing here and that is this that they who are skill'd in Enchantments tell us that if they make use of such and such Words in the Original Language the End propos'd will certainly be obtain'd but if the very same Words be chang'd and others be made use of which convey the very same Idea they will immediately and strangely lose their extraordinary Virtue So that the Power which they have is not owing to the Things of which they are the external Signs but to certain unknown Properties that belong to the Names themselves CHAP. XXI THIS may serve as an Apology for the Christians who willingly and ev'n triumphantly embrace Death it self in the most horrid Shapes rather than call God by the Name of Jupiter whatever Intention or Mental Reservation they might have or give him those Names which are us'd in the Languages and adapted to the Religions of other Countries For either they call him by the general Name of God or they bestow such Epithets as these upon him The Creator of the World the Former of Heav'n and Earth or might express themselves by the following Periphrasis He who has sent some wise and virtuous Men into the World whose Names being honourably blended with his own have a strange and ev'n miraculous Power Here I might enter into a long Discourse in Opposition to them who eagerly contend for the promiscuous Use of the most sacred Names For if Plato be so much and not undeservedly commended who brings in a Person upon Philebus's calling Pleasure a Goddess making use of the following Expression For my part Protarchus I have a profound Veneration ev'n for the Names of the Gods which like themselves I esteem sacred and inviolable how much more ought Christians to be commended who make Conscience of applying those Names to God which are unhappily but too commonly borrow'd from the empty and ridiculous Fables of the Poets But so much of this Matter for the present CHAP. XXII LET us now see how Celsus loads the Jews with Reproaches which don't well suit with his horrid Presumption in professing that he was perfectly acquainted with the Opinions of the Christians They give themselves says he to the Worship of Angels and to Magick following therein the Precepts of their celebrated Moses Let him therefore since he 's so well acquainted with the Jewish and Christian Doctrine shew where there 's any Precept in all the Pentateuch that can be brought in Favour of Angel-Worship and acquaint us how 't is possible that Magick shou'd be in Vogue with a Nation that observes the Law of Moses who has left the following Words upon Record Regard not them Lev. xix V. 31 that have familiar Spirits neither seek after Wizards to be defil'd by em CHAP. XXIII THEN Celsus undertakes to shew That the Jews by reason of their monstrous Ignorance tamely suffer'd themselves
purge him from the viler and more dangerous Leprosy of Sin And after the same manner John the Baptist bears Witness in the following Words I saw the Spirit descending from John i. V. 32. Heav'n like a Dove and it abode upon him and I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with Water the same said to me upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining the same is he who baptizes with the Holy Ghost and I saw and bare Record that this is the Son of God And the Heav'ns were open'd to our blessed Saviour when there was no Person present as far as I can gather from the Account which we have in Scripture to be an Eye and Ear. Witness of what happen'd to him except John the Baptist But our Saviour foretold his Disciples that they also shou'd see the Heav'ns open'd saying Verily Verily John i. V. 51. I say unto you that hereafter you shall see Heav'n open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man And in the foregoing Sence we must understand that Place of Scripture where 't is said that St. Paul was carry'd up to the third or highest Heaven which before was open'd to him since we are well-assur'd he was one of the sincere Followers and most eminent Apostles of our Blessed Lord. But as for those Words Whether in the Body 2 Cor. xii V. 3 or out of the Body I can't tell God knows 't is not my Business at present to insist upon em CHAP. XLI GIVE me leave to add one Thing here and that is this that Celsus without any Warrant from Scripture or Reason as far as I can see imagines that our Saviour did acquaint his Disciples with the strange Things that had happen'd to him that the Heavens had been open'd and that the Spirit of God had descended upon him at the River Jordan But this mighty Man with all his Wisdom seems not at all to have consider'd the Incongruity of such a Supposition with the General Practice of our Saviour who forbad his Disciples to make mention of the Vision which he saw upon the Mountain 'till he shou'd rise from the Dead And Nothing was more common as appears from the Gospels than for our Blessed Saviour to do what lay in his Power to avoid all Talk that was in favour of himself Therefore he says If I bear John v. V. 31. Witness of my self my Witness is not true And because he industriously avoided every Thing that savour'd of Self-Applause and had rather that his Works shou'd praise him and demonstrate to the World that he was the true Messiah the Jews said to him If thou be the Christ do thou tell us plainly And because the Jew whom Celsus personates speaking of the Appearance of the Holy Spirit to our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove says There 's no Body to attest the Truth of what happen'd to you besides your self and another Person of the same pityful Class I think it will be seasonable and highly necessary to shew that he talks in such a manner as is very unsuitable to the Character he bears And this is evident from the different Regard which the Jews pay to Christ and to John the Baptist both with Respect to their Persons and their Sufferings which to me is a sufficient Argument that after all the Pretensions which he makes to Knowledge he cou'dn't personate a Jew discoursing consistently with our Blessed Saviour CHAP. XLII THEN Celsus I don 't well know how but I suppose purposely overlooks one of the most cogent Arguments that can be brought in Favour of our Blessed Lord viz. His being foretold by the Jewish Prophets by Moses and those who succeded him and ev'n by some who liv'd long before him I presume 't was for this politick Reason because he knew very well that he cou'dn't return any tolerable Answer to a Proposition to which both the Jews and the greatest Hereticks did assent who all agree that many of the Prophecies of the Jewish Prophets were accomplish'd in the Person of him whom we believe to be the True Messiah And perhaps he had never read the Prophecies but had heard a general and loose Report concerning em For if he had known that there have been several Prophets who have foretold our Saviour's Appearance in the World certainly he wou'd never have put these Words into the Mouth of a Jew which I think wou'd much better have become a Samaritan or a Sadducee viz. My Prophet said formerly in Jerusalem that the Son of God wou'd come to reward the Righteous and to punish the Wicked For surely there have been more than one Prophet that have prophecy'd of our Blessed Saviour since ev'n the Sadduces and the Samaritans who own no more than the Pentateuch can't but see if they are not wilfully blind that Moses himself has prophesy'd concerning him and 't is impossible the Prophecy shou'd be publish'd at Jerusalem since the Name of no such Place was known for many Ages after Moses By the Way I wish with all my Heart that all our implacable Adversaries unless it shou'd please God to convert 'em were as ignorant as Celsus not only of the true and full Sence of the Things of which the Scripture treats but also of the very Letter of it that so their Discourses not having that Colour of Reason which sometimes they have the comon People might not so much as for a short Space of Time yield ev'n the weakest Assent to any Thing they are able to produce against us Besides no Jew but one who is brought over to the Religion which we embrace will acknowledge that the Prophets foretold that the Son of God was to come into the World What the Jews say is this that the Messiah is to come and in their Disputations with us the first Question almost which they ask is Who is this Son of God of whom you talk so much intimating to us that they don't believe that any such Person was ever intended by the Prophets For my Part I firmly believe that the Person of whom there are so many Predictions in the Writings of the Jewish Prophets is the Son of God but I can't for my Life conceive how a Jew who denies this plain Assertion can consistently with his Character make use of the following Words My Prophet said formerly in Jerusalem that the Son of God was to come into the World Then Celsus adds the following Words To reward the righteous and to punish the wicked And as if this was all that was fore-told and there were no Predictions concerning the Place of our Saviour's Nativity or the unjust and barbarous Treatment which he met with at the Hands of his own Country-men the Jews or his Resurrection from the dead or the Miracles he perform'd he says Why shou'd this Prophecy be appropriated to you when the same Thing may be said of many Persons that liv'd before and after you with more
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
afterwards Arise and take the young Child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee Word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him And I see nothing in this whole Account that ev'n seems to shock our Reason and destroy our Faith For we read elsewhere that Joseph was warn'd by God in a Dream and that such Apparitions as these have been is a Truth in the firm Belief of which Experience it self may I think sufficiently confirm us What Absurdity is there then upon the whole in supposing that our Blessed Saviour who assum'd the Humane Nature shou'd act with the Prudence of a Man in endeavouring to keep out of the Way of impending Calamities not as if he cou'dn't have avoided 'em by his Infinite Power without taking such Measures as he did but because 't was consistent with the Will of God and with the Nature of Things that his Life shou'd be preserv'd In the Vse of Means and not by a Continu'd Course of Super-natural and Miraculous Events 'T was more agreeable to the Dictates of Infinite Wisdom that our Saviour shou'd be carry'd by his Parents into Egypt and that he shou'd tarry there 'till they heard of the Death of Herod than that he shou'd stay in his Native Country and yet be preserv'd from the Evils to which he was expos'd being better arm'd than with Pluto's Helmet and secur'd from the Rage of his malicious Enemies by their being struck like the Sodomites of old with sudden Blindness For such a Series of miraculous Appearances had been very unsuitable to his great Design of acquainting the World as a Man authoriz'd by the Testimony of God himself that the TRVE SON of GOD the ETERNAL WORD the WISDOM and POWER of GOD did gloriously tho' wonderfully reside in the Humane Nature of the INCARNATE JESVS But 't is not my Business at present to speak fully of the Two Natures that were united in the Person of our Blessed Saviour since there is a Particular and if I may so say a Domestick Dispute between us concerning that Difficult and Important Point CHAP. LVII THEN Celsus's Jew as if he had been educated in the Schools of the Greeks and instructed in their Learning says That the Ancient Fables that attribute a Divine Original to Perseus Amphion Aeacus and Minos tho' they be not in Strictness true yet do display the Actions of these Persons as being great and wonderful and above the Sphere of Humane Nature But for your Part what did you ever say or do that was worthy of Admiration tho' you were openly challeng'd to give convincing Proofs that you were the Son of God In Answer to this I need only ask the Greeks whether they can shew that any of the fore-mention'd Persons did any extraordinary Service to the World or perform'd any great Exploit to induce future Ages to believe the Truth of those Fables which represent 'em to us as being deriv'd from a Divine Original But I defy 'em to instance in any of the Actions of these Fabulous Heroes that deserv'd to be nam'd much less compar'd with what our Saviour did unless they will refer us to their own Fables and Histories and have us to believe 'em without any more adoe and disbelieve our Histories of the Truth and Importance of which we have all the Evidence that we can reasonably desire We say and know that the Divine Power of our Blessed Saviour has been sufficiently seen and happily felt thro' the whole habitable World where any Churches are founded that consist of Persons reclaim'd from many exorbitant Vices And the Name of JESVS at this very Day composes the ruffl'd Minds of Men dispossesses Daemons cures Diseases and works a meek gentle and amicable Temper in all those Persons who make Profession of Christianity from an higher End than their worldly Interest and sincerely believe what it teaches us concerning God and Christ and a Future Judgment CHAP. LVIII THEN Celsus foreseeing how many remarkable Actions that were perform'd by our Saviour might be mention'd by us to his Honour a few of which I have related makes as if he granted the Truth of what is writ concerning the Diseases that were cur'd the Dead that were rais'd to Life and the few Loaves with which a great Multitude was fed and of which many Fragments did remain and those strange Accounts we meet with in the Gospel-History and immediately adds the following Words Well let us suppose that you really did these Things you talk of But in the same Breath he quite unravels what he had said before and sets them on a Level with the Operations that are perform'd by Magicians who pretend to do mighty Things and having study'd Magick in Egypt get a little Money out of People's Pockets by practising their Art in the open Forum â—ispossessing Daemons curing Distempers calling back departed Souls and representing to the deluded Sight a Table spread with imaginary Dainties and Animals that seem to move of their own Accord but have no inward Spring of Life and Motion His Words are these Pray must we esteem the Persons who perform these wonderful Operations to be the Sons of God or must we not rather esteem 'em to be vile Wretches that are well-vers'd it seems in a Diabolical Art You see here that he allows an extraordinary Power in Magick tho' by the Way I 'm much mistak'n if he isn't the very Person who writ several Books in which he directly maintains the contrary And yet because he thinks it may serve his Cause he compares the Actions of our Blessed Saviour with the Operations of Magicians Indeed there had been some Ground for making this invidious Comparison if our Saviour had made such a Vain Shew of Miracles as the Magicians do Their Design also whatever Wonders they may effect by the Assistance of the Devil is not to reform the Manners of Men nor have such Vain Amusements the least Tendency to beget in Persons a True Fear of God and so to regulate their Actions that they may be honourably acquitted when they shall be summon'd to appear before his Awful Bar. The fore-mention'd Persons don 't so much as aim at any Thing of this Kind and if they did of all Persons in the World they wou'd be most unfit for so great an Undertaking since they themselves are guilty of the moâ—t notorious Crimes Whereas our Blessed Saviour who design'd by his Miracles to reform the Manners of them who were Eye Witnesses of what he did gave not only his Followers but all Mankind a Bright Example of Vnaffected Virtue and Piety that they who were to publish his Excellent Doctrine might at once be directed and encourag'd to acquaint their Hearers with the Mind of God and that the fore-mention'd Persons being more convinc'd by the Native Beauty of the Christian Religion and the Holy Lives of their Teachers than by the Miracles that were wrought might in all their Actions have a sincere
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
present and narrow Capacity he might have shock'd their Faith in him as the SON of the LIVING GOD. And I leave any one to judge whether this be not the most natural Sence of the following Words I have yet many Things to say unto you but ye John xvi V. 12. can't bear 'em now For there were several Explications to be giv'n of the Law with Respect to its Spiritual Meaning which ev'n our Saviour's Disciples at that Time were not duely dispos'd to hear because they had been born and bred among the Jews and since their Religion consisted very much of those Things which were Types and Shadows of the Gospel-Dispensation I 'm inclin'd to think that 't is upon that Account that our Saviour makes Use of the following Words When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth as if he had V. 13. said he shall lead you into the true and full Sence of those Things viz. Types and Figures which you were conversant with and whereby you imagin'd you paid God the true Worship which was due to him and requir'd by him And the fore-mention'd Promise which our Saviour made to his Disciples was abundantly fulfill'd to the Apostle Peter when the Spirit of God shew'd him in a Vision all Sorts of Animals Birds and Four-footed Beasts and creeping Things and said to him Rise Peter kill and eat And indeed at that Juncture of Time he was so fond of his former Religion that he return'd this Answer ev'n to the Voice which he heard from Heaven Not so Lord for I have never eaten any Thing that is common or unclean But at length his Understanding was enlighten'd as appears from the following Words What God has cleans'd call not thou common And after that Instructive Vision the Spirit of Truth leading Peter into all Truth acquainted him with those Things which he cou'dn't bear while our Saviour was present with him in the Flesh But I shall have Occasion hereafter to speak of those who adhere to the litteral Sence of the Mosaick Law CHAP. III. MY Business at present is to shew that Celsus betrays his wretched Ignorance in representing a Jew addressing himself to those of his Native Country who were converted to the Christian Faith in the following Words What 's the Matter my dearly beloved Country-men that you have renounc'd the Law of your Fathers For how can they be said to renounce the Law of their Fathers who severely blame Persons for not adhering to it Tell me says the Apostle ye that desire to be under the Law do ye Gal. iv V. 21. not hear the Law For 't is written that Abraham had two Sons and so on to those Words Which Things are an Allegory And how can they be said to renounce the Law of their Fathers who are continually making mention of it as if they were proud of shewing the honourable Regard which they still pay to it and argue after the following Manner Say I these Things as a Man 1. Cor. ix V. 8. or says not the Law the same also For 't is written in the Law of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treads out the Corn. Do's God take Care for Oxen Or says he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written And how confus'd is Celsus's Discourse and how do's it want ev'n a plausible Appearance to recommend it to the World when he talks after the following Manner Some of you says he have forsak'n our Excellent Religion under a Pretence of giving Allegorical and Mystical Explications of the Law Others of you are great Admirers of a spiritual Sence as you are pleas'd to term it and yet are diligent Observers of those outward Ceremonies which make so considerable a Part of the Religion which we embrace There remain some others who adhere to the literal Sence of Scripture thinking that Abundance of spiritual Matter is wrapt up in the very Letter of the Law and profess that Jesus of Nazareth was the Person who was foretold by the Jewish Prophets and at the same Time observe the Precepts of Moses and the Traditions of their Ancestors But how cou'd it be expected that Celsus's Jew shou'd give us a true and clear Account of Matters of this Nature since in the Sequel of his Discourse he mentions several very great and notorious Heresies And there were some Jews who turn'd their Backs as he says upon the Creator of the Universe and didn't know that the believing Israelites did live in the strict Observance of the Law of their Fathers For his Design was not to act the Part of an impartial Enquirer into Truth who readily submits to the Evidence which it carries with it but to vent his Malice and right or wrong to make a Vigorous Opposition to the Christian Religion and as he vainly thought to expose it to the highest Contempt imaginable CHAP. IV. THE Jew continues his Discourse 'T was but t'other Day says he that we severely punish'd the Person who led you aside like a Company of silly Sheep and by Consequence 't was very lately and on a sudden that you renounc'd the Law of your Fathers But to this I have already return'd a sufficient Answer What he adds I confess carries with it a much greater Force With what Face says he or Colour of Reason can you despise those Sacred Rites which not long agoe you held in very great Esteem and especially when the Law of Moses is the Foundation on which the Doctrine of your Jesus is built as you your acknowledge That the Christian Religion is founded on the Jewish Law and Prophets as well as upon Christ and his Apostles is what I readily confess But we must also consider that they naturally lead us to the Mistery which was hid from Ages but is now made manifest Eph. iii. V. 9. by the Appearance of our Blessed Saviour And we don't despise the Law because we have a clearer Revelation but instead of that have the greater Veneration for it and endeavour to shew what Depths of Divine Wisdom there are ev'n in the Legal Dispensation which the Jews themselves know little or nothing of And why shou'd we think it strange that the Gospel shou'd be founded on the Law of Moses when our Saviour speaking to those that refus'd to believe in him has the following Words Had ye believ'd Moses ye John v. V. 46. wou'd have believ'd me for he wrote of John v. V. 46. me but if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words And the Evangelist St. Mark begins his Gospel thus The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God as 't is written Mark i. V. 1. in the Prophets Behold I send thy Messenger before thy Face which shall prepare thy Way before thee intimating to us that the Gospel is founded on the Scriptures of the Old Testament it self I can't conceive therefore what Celsus's Jew proposes to himself
when he says If any Person has foretold that the Son of God was to come into the World he was one of our own Prophets and inspir'd by that God in whom we believe And I wou'd fain know how it tends in the least to the Prejudice of the Christian Religion that John the Baptist who was the Fore-runner of our Saviour was a Jew For it don't follow that because he was so therefore all who embrace the Christian Religion whether Jews or Gentiles must observe the Letter of the Jewish Law CHAP. V. THEN the pretended Jew tells us That our Saviour was punish'd by his own Country-men according to the Demerit of his horrid Crimes But I think I have said enough already in Answer to so pityful a Cavil and therefore sha'n't do him the Honour to imitate him in his frequent and needless Repetitions Then he laughs at the Doctrine of the Resurrection and of a Future Judgment at which the Righteous will be rewarded and the Wicked punish'd I say he laughs at it as being in his Opinion most highly ridiculous And he says That the Christians say nothing ev'n on these important Subjects as they are pleas'd to call 'em but what was said long before imagining that this is an effectual Argument to overthrow the whole Superstructure of Christianity To this I answer that our Blessed Saviour perceiving how little Conformity there was between the Lives of the Jews and the Doctrines ev'n of their own Celebrated Prophets thought fit to teach 'em by Parables that the Kingdom of God shou'd be Mat. xxi V. 41. tak'n from 'em and giv'n to the Gentiles And we see this Prophecy most evidently and remarkably fulfill'd in the Age in which we live For the present Jews not enjoying the Benefit of that supernatural Light which is highly necessary to the right Understanding of the Scriptures abound to their great Shame with extravagant and innumerable Fancies Whereas the Christians are happily led into the Spiritual Knowledge of the Truth which alone is able at once to enlighten and elevate the Mind and don 't live after the Manner of the Jews as Members of an Earthly Republick but like worthy and honourable Citizens of that Heavenly Jerusalem of which their Pompous Worship and external Grandeur is a very imperfect Emblem This is evident in as much as they penetrate into the deep Mysteries of the Law and are able to give a rational and intelligible Explication of 'em to any Persons who may modestly desire it And suppose I shou'd grant that our Saviour himself went so far as to observe the various Ceremonies relating to the Jewish Sacrifices this I think wou'd be no solid Argument against our believing that he was the SON of GOD. He is the SON of that ADORABLE MAJESTY who gave the Law and from whom the Prophets did receive their Commission and we who are Christians and Members of the True Catholick Church don't wilfully transgress the Law but rejecting the Fables of the Jews employ our Time and Strength in searching into the Spiritual and Mystical Sence which we think the Law and the Prophets do admit of For 't is plain that they themselves wou'dn't have us rest in the litteral and most obvious Sence of the Words that are made use of in the important Messages they deliver from Time to Time since 't is their common Practice to usher in their Prophecies with some such Introduction as this I will open my Mouth in a Parable I will utter dark Sayings of Old and when they speak of the Commands of the Law as being obscure and impossible to be rightly understood without Divine Assistance they put up this earnest Petition to Almighty God Open thou mine Eyes that I may behold wondrous Things out of thy Law Ps cxix V. 18. CHAP. VI. AND by the Way since I am speaking of the Manner of Expression which the Prophets us'd I may safely challenge any Person to instance in any Words of our Blessed Saviour that were vain or ev'n seem'd to have the least Tincture of Pride and Ostentation And how can he be accus'd of Haughtiness and Arrogance who had abundant Reason to use the following Words Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of Heart and ye shall find Rest to your Souls Mat. xi V. 29. He I say who after he had supp'd with his Disciples laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself and pour'd Water into a Bason and wash'd their Feet and reprov'd one of the Company who wou'dn't suffer him to do it and said If I wash thee not thou hast no Part with me He who said to his Disciples John xiii V. 8. I am among you as he that serves Luk. xxii V. 27 To proceed let any one shew if he can that our Saviour did ever advance any single Position that was false and let him explain the Nature of a great or small Untruth if his Inclination prompts him to prove him a notorious Liar tho' to speak properly I think there are no Degrees of False-hood and on the contrary any true Proposition is as much a Truth as the most important Article of the Christian Faith But why shou'd I talk as I do Let any one and particularly the pretended Jew whom Celsus personates make it appear to the World by solid Reason if he can that our Blessed Saviour was ever guilty of the least Impiety Was it a Crime to abolish the Circumcision of the Flesh the Ceremonial Distinction of Meats and the carnal Observance of Feasts New-Moons and Sabbaths that his sincere Followers might have their Minds gradually rais'd to the spiritual and full Sence of the Law which alone is worthy of the Infinite Purity and great Design of the Supream Majesty who gave it tho' tisn't in the least incongruous that a Minister and ev'n an Apostle shou'd still be a Jew to the Jews that he might gain the Jews being under the Law as it were to gain them who were under the Law CHAP. VII THE Jew adds that Abundance of Persons besides our Saviour have led such aside as tamely suffer themselves to be deceiv'd and are ev'n fond of Delusion I answer let him instance in any one Person if he can who ever gave such useful Precepts to the World as our Blessed Saviour has left upon Record and taught 'em a Doctrine which had as great a Virtue to reform the Manners of Men as that which accompany'd the successful Preaching of the Gospel Then he says the Christians find Fault with the Jews for not believing that Christ was God But this I have already answer'd and shew'd in what Respects we own our Saviour to be GOD and in what Sence we believe he was a Real Man CHAP. VIII CELSVS's Jew adds the following Words How can any one imagine that we who all along declar'd to the World that God wou'd send a Person to punish the disobedient and rebellious shou'd treat him so basely when he came in Compliance with
the Will of God and to accomplish such great Designs But 't is hardly worth my while to return an Answer to so ridiculous a Question For 't is just as if a Person shou'd say how is it possible that I who always preach'd up the Doctrine of Temperance shou'd be guilty of Debauchery or that I who in Discourse did always vindicate the injur'd Rights of Justice shou'd ever be guilty of violating its Sacred Rules And as nothing is more common than for Persons to talk in the Praise of Virtue and yet be openly guilty of the most scandalous Vices So the Jews who make the Prophetick Oracles the Matter of their continual Boast do yet shut their Eyes against the glorious Light of those Scripture-Prophecies which are evidently accomplish'd in the Person of our Blessed Saviour And if I may ascribe their Blindness to some other Cause besides the wretched Degeneracy of Humane Nature which they plainly discover'd I may safely say that 't was directly foretold by the very Prophets they so much admire For Isaiah says expresly Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the Heart of this People fat Now let any Person acquaint me what it is that the Prophet intends by these and the like Expressions 'T is plain they saw our Saviour but wilfully shut their Eyes against the piercing Rays of the SVN of RIGHTEOVSNESS and heard him discourse to 'em but cou'dn't comprehend that his humane Nature was the living Temple of the Deity which was going to forsake their Nation and to engage all its infinite Perfections in the behalf of the believing Gentiles And 't is Matter of Fact and a Thing very Remarkable that since the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour the Jews have been left by God and that the Beauty and Glory of their Religion is in a Manner entirely defac'd and lost insomuch that there is scarce one Sign of the Divine Presence among 'em except the severe Judgments which do so justly befall their Nation They have neither Prophets nor Miracles to attest the Truth of their Religion whereas the Christians ev'n at this Distance of Time have a Power of working Miracles conferr'd upon 'em some of which are not inferiour to those which were wrought when our Saviour was on Earth CHAP. IX THEN Celsus's Jew breaks out into the following Expression How can any one imagine that we shou'd treat a Person so ill that was foretold by our own Prophets unless we had a Mind to enhance our Crime and so to aggravate our most deserved Punishment To this I answer that at the final Judgment which is one of the Articles of the Christian Faith the Jews will be punish'd in a more dreadful Manner than the rest of the World not only for rejecting the Messiah which was a horrid Crime but also for their barbarous and almost unaccountable Carriage towards the Prince of Peace Nay ev'n at this Day so remarkably do's the Vengeance of God pursue em they are the most miserable People upon the Face of the whole habitable World For what Nation is there besides that of the Jews that is banish'd from their Metropolis and deny'd the Liberty of serving God according to the Religion of their Fathers and Ancestors in their Native Soil These are some of those grievous Calamities to which their own Crimes expos'd 'em For no History can parallel their Villanies and especially those horrid Barbarities which they exercis'd towards our Blessed Saviour who came into the World to save 'em from Sin and Hell CHAP. X. THE Jew adds How cou'd we look upon him as GOD who on the one Hand did none of those Mighty Things which he pretended to effect and on the other was convicted and condemn'd to a severe Punishment was forc'd to abscond that he might not be taken running like a Vagabond from Place to Place and yet was at last apprehended and betray'd ev'n by one of his most eminent Followers who of all Persons in the World one wou'd think might have had the Grace to espouse his Master's Cause Was it in the least suitable to the Majesty and Wisdom of a GOD to flee like a guilty Wretch and to suffer himself to be apprehended and forsak'n by his intimate Friends who esteem'd him their Lord and Saviour THE SON OF GOD AND THE TRUE MESSIAH To this I answer that we are not so ignorant as to call THE BODY of our Blessed Saviour which was material and sensible by the VENERABLE NAME of GOD. Nay we don't attribute so much as this ev'n to the holy and spotless Soul of JESVS with respect to which he uses the following Words My Soul is exceeding sorrowful ev'n unto Death When we meet Mat. xxvi V. 38. with such Words as these in the Writings of the Prophets Behold I am the Lord the God of all Flesh Or Those Jer. xxxii V. 27. Words Before me there was no God Isa xliii V. 10. form'd neither shall there be after me the Jews acknowledge that 't is the great God himself that speaks but he makes Use of the Prophets as Instruments to communicate his Will to Men and the Greeks confess that 't is a God that speaks the following Words by the Mouth of the Pythian Priestess I can the numerous Sands with Ease recount Herod Clio. Fathom the Sea and understand a Mute After the same Manner we say that it was GOD the ETERNAL WORD the SON of the EVER-BLESSED GOD that made Use of the humane Nature of the HOLY JESVS as a proper Instrument when he spoke the following Words I am the Way the John xiv V. 6. Truth and the Life I am the Door I am the Living Bread that came down John x. V. 7. from Heaven And I might instance John vi V. 15. in many other Expressions to the same Effect We blame the Jews therefore and I think not unjustly for not acknowledging our Saviour to be God of whom the Prophets do so frequently produce their concurring Testimony that he is the POWER of the ETERNAL FATHER 'T was to him the Command of God was directed which we read of in the Account that Moses gives us of the Creation of the World Let there be Light Gen. 1. V. 3. let there be a Firmament and the like 'T was to him he said Let us make bid V. 6. Man in our Image after our Likeness ibid. 26. And the ETERNAL WORD did every Thing according to the Command of God And this is not a Conjecture form'd in our own Fancies but we build our Faith in this important Affair on the concurring Testimony of those very Prophets who are readily own'd and extreamly admir'd by the Jews themselves For we are told expresly He commanded and they were created Now what created Being how noble soever cou'd execute the Command of the ETERNAL FATHER with Respect to the Creation of the World who but he who was the ETERNAL and LIVING WORD CHAP. XI BESIDES 't is plain from several
divided between his Master and his Lust and govern'd at once by extravagant and very different Passions For that infamous Traitor gave a Sign to the Persons that came to apprehend him Whomsoever I shall kiss that Mat xxvi V. 48. â—â—me is he hold him fast So that it seems he retain'd something of the Respect which formerly he paid his Master since otherwise he wou'd have betray'd him openly and without that flattering Ceremony and most horrid Solemnity We have Reason therefore to believe that our Saviour's most excellent and awakening Discourses had made some faint Impression ev'n upon the Mind of one who was so unaccountably sway'd by a covetous Disposition that he had the Impudence to betray his Lord and wou'd not stop 'till he had shamefully compleated the most villanous Design for the Accomplishment of which all the Devils in Hell did ever lend their Assistance Therefore the Evangelist tells us that Judas when he saw he was condemn'd Mat xxvi V. 3. repented himself and brought again the thirty Pieces of Silver to the Chief Priests and Elders saying I have sinn'd in that I have betray'd the innocent Blood And they said What 's that to us See thou to that and he cast down the Pieces of Silver in the Temple and departed and went and hang'd himself Now if Judas whose Custom we may suppose it was to apply to his private Use the Money that was collected for the Relief of the Poor was so far penitent at last as to return the thirty Pieces of Silver to the Chief Priests and Elders I think we may rationally conclude that the Instructions of our Blessed Saviour had wrought in some Measure on this most harden'd Wretch that he cou'dn't erase 'em out of his faithful Memory and fail entirely in his Respect for the meek and spotless Jesus But those Words I have sinn'd in that I have betray'd the innocent Blood are a plain and open Acknowledgment of his horrid Crime and you may partly judge what a lively Sense he had of the great Injustice and Ingratitude that appear'd in what he had so lately done since Life it self was grown a Burthen to him he felt an unusual Horror of Conscience and was forc'd to arraign accuse and condemn himself We have here likewise a remarkable and standing Instance of the happy Effect which our Saviour's Instructions had upon the vilest Wretch that ever breath'd in the common Air that tho' he added the Worst of Treasons to his Cheating the Poor yet some Sparks of Ingenuity were remaining in a Person who was little better than a Devil in an Humane Form Indeed 't is possible after all I have said that Celsus's Jew may give no Credit to the Account which we have in the Gospels of the Treachery of Judas and will hearken to that Part alone that acquaints us that one of our Saviour's Disciples did betray him and will take the Liberty to say more than the Holy Scripture do's affirm viz. That he committed that horrid Crime with the full Bent of his Will and without the least Remorse But 't is very unreasonable that a Person shou'd believe or disbelieve the Scripture-History as he is led aside by the unhappy Biass of his deprav'd Affections And our Adversaries themselves if they have any Shame in 'em must I think in some Measure be affected if they will but read the Hundred and Ninth Psalm which directly and entirely relates to Judas It begins after the following Manner Hold not thy Psal cix V. 1. Peace O God of my Praise For the Mouth of the Wicked and the Mouth of the Deceitful are open'd against me 'T is prophesy'd there that Judas shou'd be degraded from the Apostolical Function on the Account of the horrid Crime he shou'd commit and that another shou'd supply his Place which is intimated to us in the following Words Let another take his Psal cix V. 8. Office And supposing our Saviour had been betray'd by one his Disciples who was if it had been possible more wickedly dispos'd than Judas and his Master 's most sweet and heav'nly Instructions hadn't made the least secret Impression upon his harden'd Mind how wou'd this in the least reflect on the Holy Religion which the Blessed Jesus introduc'd into the World What relates to his being apprehended by his Enemies has been already consider'd and I have shew'd that he made a willing Surrender of himself into the Hands of those Blood-thirsty Wretches to set us a Bright Example of Submission to the Will of God under the darkest Dispensations of his wise and holy Providence What the Jew adds I confess do's seem to me to be very childish and ridiculous A good General says he who commands a numerous and well-disciplin'd Army was never known to be betray'd by his Soldiers Nay the Ring-leader of a Company of High-way-Men tho' the merest Rogue in Nature and tho' his Followers be the most contemptible and cursed Crew that ever was in the World yet needn't fear being betray'd since they esteem him the fittest Person for the Accomplishment of their base Designs But as for your Pretended Saviour he was betray'd by his own Disciples not having so great an Interest in 'em as a good General in his Soldiers or the Ring-Leader of a Company of High-way-Men in his vile Accomplices On the contrary many Instances might be produc'd from History of Famous Generals and Ring-Leaders of High-way-Men betray'd by those who were under their Command ev'n after they had receiv'd from 'em all the Assurances of their inviolable Fidelity which they cou'd reasonably desire But suppose 't were otherwise I appeal to common Sence whether it cou'd be fasten'd on our Blessed Saviour as a just Reproach that he was shamefully betray'd by one who was engag'd by all the Sacred Ties of Duty and Gratitude to be devoted to his Service who certainly if he hadn't been possess'd by the Devil cou'd never have form'd so cursed a Design much less have ever brought it to so dishonourable an Execution I ask Celsus who pretends to no mean Skill in Philosophy whether 't was Plato's Fault that Aristotle after he had been his Pupil for twenty Years did publickly declare that he rejected his Tutor's Notion of the Immortality of the Soul and esteem'd his Conceptions as no better than Philosophical Chimera's and vain Amusements I ask him whether Plato's Philosophy lost any of its native Sublimity and all his Notions were false the very Moment his Pupil did oppose him or rather since Plato was plainly in the right at least in the Opinion of a Platonist whether Aristotle as Learned as he was didn't discover too much of Malice and Ingratitude Chrysippus also in several Places in his Writings do's condemn the Opinions of Cleanthes tho' 't was owing to him that in his younger Years his Mind was season'd with wholsome and excellent Instructions Besides Aristotle is suppos'd to have study'd Philosophy in the School of Plato for twenty Years and Chrysippus
enter upon a virtuous Course of Life did deserve so scornful a Title as that which the Jew bestows upon our Holy Religion Celsus adds with equal Inadvertency No one says he but a Mad Man wou'd take your Saviour to be God or the Son of God who instead of carrying the aweful Stamp of Divinity bore all the Marks of Infamy and Disgrace and especially since this Doctrine is entirely built on some forc'd and ev'n ridiculous Interpretations of Scripture But he ought to produce some Instances of these forc'd Interpretations which he talks of and these Marks of Infamy as he thinks which do so much disgust him and let us see what it is that he has to offer against us that so the Christians might return him a satisfactory or at least a sufficient Answer if they thought the Matter did require it He says That as the Sun enlightning every Thing by its piercing Rays do's immediately discover it self to us by the glorious Light which it transmits over the whole Sphere by turns So your pretended Saviour had he been God or the Son of God wou'd have resembl'd that glorious Luminary This we say believe know and can prove he did For when he came into the World or which is the same Thing when the Sun of Righteousness did but begin to shine and its dazling Rays were intercepted by a dark and sullen Cloud Justice seem'd to regain its native Seat the Neighing of Horses the Clangor of Trumpets the Clashing of Arms and the piercing Groans of Sick and Wounded Persons were heard no more but a wonderful and happy Calm succeeded the late dismal Confusions The All-wise GOD so order'd Matters that he prepar'd the Way for the Success of the Gospel by subjecting entire Nations to the Roman Empire that so our Saviour's Apostles might not be hinder'd as otherwise they might have been in observing the Orders which their Blessed Lord had giv'n 'em to teach all Nations For how wou'd this have been practicable I wo'n't say easy to be done if People of different Countries had liv'd under Princes of their own had wanted a mutual and fair Correspondence and had not liv'd under the Jurisdiction of the Roman Emperors 'T is very well known that our Saviour was born in the Reign of the Emperor Augustus who brought the greatest Part of the World under the Roman Yoak and made Mankind almost as it were one Body Politick This manifestly and greatly conduc'd to the Spreading of the Gospel not only as it laid a Foundation for a Freedom of Commerce but also as it happily prevented those dreadful Wars which we have Reason to believe wou'd unavoidably have happen'd if all the Nations of the Earth hadn't been united under one common Empire For before the Reign of Augustus the Athenians wag'd War with the Peloponnesians and many Parallel Instances if it were needful might easily be produc'd from History And the strict and most peaceful Religion which the Christians embrace wou'd never in all Probability have been establish'd in the World as Blessed be God it is if our Saviour hadn't been seasonably born in a Time of profound and universal Tranquility Then Celsus says That the Christians are guilty of wretched Sophistry when they have the Confidence to say that he whom they affirm to be the Son of God was the VERY ETERNAL WORD And he thinks this is unanswerable Because says he instead of that Pure and Holy Word which we exspected they wou'd give us an Account of they only tell us of a miserable Man and scandalous Wretch that ended his Days upon a Cross which was certainly the most shameful as well as painful Death that he cou'd possibly have sufr'd But this Objection has been already answer'd and I have plainly shew'd that The First-born of every Creature was pleas'd to assume a Human Body and Soul that at the Creation of the World God gave a positive and strict Command and the Person who was concern'd in its honourable and speedy Execution was no other than the LIVING and CO-ETERNAL WORD And since my Business at present is to talk to a pretended Jew I shall quote a Passage out of the Old Testament viz. He sent HIS WORD Psal 107 V. 20. and heal'd 'em and deliver'd 'em from their Destructions What Celsus adds in the Person of a Jew That if this was the Word that was the Son of God we heartily agree with you is more than I ever heard any Jew acknowledge tho' I have frequently convers'd and disputed with their most Celebrated Doctors I have already prov'd that our Blessed Saviour was no Magician nor Vile Impostor and I don't think fit to imitate Celsus in his frequent and ridiculous Tautologies CHAP. XXI LET us see now what he has to say against the Account we have of the GENEALOGY of our SAVIOVR Here one wou'd think he might seasonably have mention'd the Disputes that the Christians themselves have often had by reason of the seeming Disagreement that there is between the several Evangelists in this important Affair But with all his profound Knowledge of the Mysteries of our Holy Religion he hadn'd so much Policy it seems as that wou'd amount to He says This Genealogy which it seems is orderly trac'd up to the reputed Parent of Mankind and according to which your pretended Saviour was of the Honourable Line of the Jewish Kings was a fine Invention to procure him greater Kindness and Respect from those weak Persons who wou'd be so credulous as to take any Notice of him And says he 't is a little odd indeed but the Christians can swallow any Thing that the Carpenter 's Wife was descended from so Noble a Race and which is more unaccountable that she her self shou'd know nothing of the Matter But pray what 's this to the Affair in Hand Suppose she was ignorant that she came from a Noble Family what I beseech you can you infer from thence to the Prejudice of Christianity Might it not be true that she was remotely descended from the common Parents of Mankind and more immediately from the Kings of Judah whether she knew it or no And perhaps Celsus thinks that all the Ancestors of a Person who is oppress'd with Poverty must of Course resemble him in Condition and that all the Ancestors of a King did infallibly attain to Royal Dignity But 't wou'd be Loss of Time to return an Answer to such ridiculous Discourse as this For the Age in which our Lot is cast will furnish us with innumerable Instances of Persons who came of a Rich and Noble Family and yet by some unhappy Accident or other were soon reduc'd to a much meaner Condition than that of the Virgin Mary the Mother of our BLESSED LORD and on the contrary they whose Outward Circumstances were formerly very inconsiderable have been advanc'd by some Sudden and Remarkable Turn of Providence to the Highest Pitch of External Grandeur CHAP. XXII THEN he asks in his Cavilling Way Pray what did your
that for that Reason he had abundance of Enemies and when he was stript as it were of his Humane Body did converse with Naked Spirits in the Infernal Region to make Converts of those that were capable of being duly wrought on by his powerful Ministry and thereby of answering the DEEP DESIGNS of his ETERNAL and VNIVERSAL LOVE What Celsus's Jew adds is I think very ridiculous If says he after you have tamely suffer'd your to be led aside like a Company of prodigious Fools you think you need no other Apology than a few Pityful Arguments in your own Defence Pray why mayn't all those Scoundrels and Villains that like your JESUS have been publickly executed according to the just Demerit of their Crimes be accounted Persons who had the Broad-Seal of Heav'n But nothing in my Mind can be more clear than the wide Difference between the Exemplary Sufferings of our Blessed Saviour and the just Execution of those who have been condemn'd as Impostors or punish'd for some scandalous Crime And sure I am that no Man can shew with any Colour of Reason that a Person can ever be reclaim'd from the most notorious Crimes or indeed from any Immorality by the Help of Magick Then the pretended Jew comparing our Saviour with a Company of High-way Men says That by a Parity of Reason a Person may have the Impudence to say that such a High-way Man instead of being a Person of so infamous a Character was no less than a GOD because forsooth he acquainted his cursed Crew before-hand that he shou'd shortly suffer all those grievous Calamities which in the Event did befall him To this I answer in the first Place that our Believing our Blessed Saviour to be the True Messiah is not meerly or chiefly founded on his Fore-telling the dreadful Sufferings to which he was expos'd and which for our sakes he readily underwent In the second Place I acknowledge that the Holy Scriptures acquaint us that tho' our Saviour was GOD as well as MAN yet He was number'd with the Transgressors that Barabbas a Robber was releas'd and our Saviour crucify'd and plac'd between two Condemn'd Malefactors And I grant that if our Saviour's Disciples bore any Resemblance to Thieves and if 't was known in the Memory of Man that Persons of that infamous Character did readily expose themselves to the greatest Contempt and Scorn and the worst Treatment that Humane Wit and Malice cou'd invent and if they can rationally be suppos'd to do all this from a just Regard to the Glory of GOD and the Holy Precepts of our BLESSED REDEEMER then I confess Celsus wou'd have had some Ground for his bold and most prophane Comparison But our Saviour who laid down his precious Life as a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men and his sincere Disciples who by their unparallel'd Sufferings bore an Honourable Testimony to the Truth of his most Excellent Doctrine and were the only Persons whose bare Religion ever brought 'em into Trouble underwent the most violent Persecutions from their Enemies without the least Colour of Reason and contrary to the Known and Fundamental Laws of Humanity CHAP. XXVII NOW observe how Celsus renders himself ridiculous by what he says of the sincere Followers of our Blessed Lord During the greatest Part of his Life Says he they convers'd with him in a Femiliar Manner and seem'd to listen to the Instructions which he gave 'em but withal were so cunning that when they saw he was condemn'd to dye they wou'd neither dye with him nor for him and were so far it seems from putting in Practice that wholsom Doctrine which their Master had taught 'em viz. Chearfully to encounter the greatest Difficulties and Dangers and to be ready ev'n to dye for the sake of their Religion that they shamefully deny'd him and didn't envy any Martyrs the imaginary Honour of laying down their Lives for the Cause of Christ Here Celsus takes the Hint from the Gospels and aggravates some Faults of the Disciples with a Design no doubt to expose the Christian Religion to Contempt not considering they were just enter'd into the School of Christ nor mentioning one Syllable of their Recovery from their grievous Falls which was so remarkable that they preach'd the Gospel boldly and suffer'd abundance of Ill-treatment at the Hands of the Jews and had the Courage to welcome and ev'n defy Death in its most horrid Shapes I perceive he didn't care at all to take Notice of what our Saviour foretold to St. Peter When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy Hands Nor of those John 21 V. 18 V. 19. Words This spake he signifying by what Death he shou'd glorify God He says not one Word of St. James the Brother of St. John nor of the latter and seems to be ignorant that Herod kill'd John the Baptist with the Sword because he bore Testimony to the Truth of Christ Nor do's he do St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles so much Justice as to mention their flaming Zeal in spreading the Gospel of our Saviour and to give us an Account how They departed from the Acts 15 V. 41. Presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer Reproach for his Name wherein they vastly exceeded all that is related in the Histories of the Greeks concerning the Courage and Constancy of their justly-admir'd Philosophers So that we plainly see that from the very Infancy of Christianity they who embrac'd it were effectually taught by it to despise the gaudy Vanities of the present Life which the greatest Part of Mankind imagine to be so charming and agreeable and to have the sincere Desires of their Souls most vehemently carry'd out after another Life which is far more excellent and in a word is every way worthy of a GOD. I can't conceive how Celsus can be freed from the Charge of willful Imposture in the following VVords All that your pretended SAVIOVR cou'd do says he was only to get ten wicked Mariners and Publicans to publish his Doctrine to the World and Iwas more than he cou'd do after all his big Pretences to convince ev'n those credulous Animals of its Truth For 't is plain ev'n from the open Confession of the Jews that not only ten Persons were overcome by the Divine Efficacy of his Doctrine nor a Hundred nor a Thousand but at one Time four Thousand and at another Time a much greater Number and that he wrought upon 'em to so great a Degree that they forlow'd him into Desarts which alone were capable of containing those vast Numbers of Persons that thro' him did believe in GOD and where they reap'd great Benefit from his Exemplary Life and Engaging Conversation I confess the frequent Repetitions which Celsus makes do almost force me to be guilty of wretched Tautology and make me as impertinent as himself For if I didn't in some Measure tho' sorely against my Will comply with his way of Writing perhaps some weak Persons
Men after 'em for 't was needless to admonish 'em to avoid every trisling and conceited Impostor he directed his Discourse to 'em after the following Manner If any Man says he shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise FALSE CHRISTS and false Prophets and they shall shew great Signs and Wonders Insomuch that if it be possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he 's in the Desart go not forth Behold he 's in the secret Chambers believe it not For as the Lightning comes out of the East and shines ev'n unto the West so shall also the Coming of the Son of Man be In another Place he has the following Words Many will say unto me in that Day Lord Lord have we not prophecy'd in thy Name And in thy Name cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works And then will I profess to 'em I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity But Celsus confounding the Miracles of our Saviour with the-Enchantments of Men breaks out into the following Exclamation O the Force of Truth He himself don't stick to acquaint us as ev'n your own Writings inform us that many shall come and do the same Miracles that were wrought by him and on that very score O monstrous Impudence He charges 'em with being wicked Men and notorious and vile Impostors and says That Satan will be the Original Author of their cursed Arts. So that he himself acknowledges that 't is so far from bearing the Stamp of a DIVINE AVTHORITY that 't is owing to a Dishonourable and Vnhappy Source and not being able to resist the clear Evidence of Truth do's in the very same Breath condemn their Miracles and his own Now isn't it a most intolerable Thing that from the very same Actions he by all Means must be denominated a GOD and Others be branded with the Infamous Title of MAGICIANS So that his own Mouth condemns him and we ha'n't more Reason to think that they were Wicked Men than that he himself was one of the Vilest Persons upon Earth For he has plainly told us that Actions of that Nature were certain Indications of the most Notorious Deceit and Impiety and not of a Divine Power accompanying the Persons who perform'd em But here 't is obvious to observe Celsus's Malicious Mis-representation of Matters since our Saviour's Language is vastly different from what the Pretended Jew wou'd fain have it to be Perhaps he might have had some plausible Pretence sor his Prophane Discourse if our Saviour had admonish'd his Disciples to avoid all those who shou'd make their Boast of Miracles and had infinuated nothing of the unjust Claim they laid to the Title of the TRVE MESSIAH But since we are told that they gave out they were the CHRIST which I think is a Profession that Magicians don't commonly make and since we are told they shou'd be Persons of very loose Morals and shou'd work such Miracles as were vastly different from those which were wrought by our Blessed Saviour the Conduct of the Holy JESVS in this very Affair is so far from carrying the Appearance of the least Imposture that to me 't is a Convincing Argument that both he and his Disciples wrought their Miracles by the POWER of GOD and that others who were acted by Satan did only counterfeit the Glorious Actions of CHRIST and his Apostles and so prevail'd with some deluded Persons to believe that their High Pretensions were most just and reasonable The Apostle Paul acquaints us how The Man of Sin and Son of Perdition shou'd be revealed and exalt himself above 2 Thes 2. V. 3. all that is called GOD or worshipp'd so that as GOD he sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is GOD. And in another Place he says Now ye know what with-holds that he might ibid. V. 6 be reveal'd in his Time For the Mystery of Iniquity do's already work only he who now lets will let until he be tak'n out of the Way And then shall that wicked One be reveal'd whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy with the Brightness of his Coming ev'n him whose Coming is after the Working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders and with all Deceivableness of Vnrighteousness in them that perish And he gives the Reason why God wou'd suffer him to act his Hellish Part upon the Stage of the World viz. Because they receiv'd not the Love of the Truth that they might be sav'd that they all might be damn'd who believ'd not the Truth but had Pleasure in Vnrighteousness Now let any one shew with any Colour of Reason that the Miracles of our Saviour and his Disciples which are related in the Gospels were done by such WICKED ARTIFICE as the Apostle speaks of and it may not be amiss to read the Prophecy of Daniel concerning ANTICHRIST But Celsus represents the Words of our Saviour to a Disadvantage when he makes him say That many shou'd come after him who shou'd do the very same Miracles with those which he wrought himself and yet be Wicked Persons and Notorious Impostors For as there was a VAST DIFFERENCE between the DIABOLICAL POWER by which the Wise Men of the Egyptians were acted and the DIVINE ASSISTANCE which Moses had when he wrought his Miracles the Event sufficiently proving that what the former did was merely owing to the Force of their Cursed Enehantmenss and what was perform'd by the latter was manifestly owing to the INFLVENCE of the BLESSED SPIRIT So there was the same between those of our SAVIOVR and those of ANTICHRIST and his Confederates who counterfeited the Miracles of CHRIST and his Apostles and Followers which had a most wonderful and happy Issue Mankind being thereby induc'd to embrace the BEST RELIGION that was ever introduc'd into the World Celsus I confess discovers that he isn't entirely ignorant of the Scriptures when he makes our Saviour say That Satan wou'd be the Original Author of that Cursed Art by which false Prophets wou'd impose upon the World but is a little too hasty in drawing his pretended Consequence viz. Our Saviour's Miracles ev'n according to his own free Confession did bear no Stamp of a DIVINE AVTHORITY but were such Works as were to be perform'd it seems by some of the Vilest Persons that ever breath'd on Earth For he makes no Difference at all between those Things that are Homogeneous and those that are Heterogeneous as Logicians Call 'em between Things of the same and Things of a very different Kind Now as a Wolf and a Dog do widely differ tho' there seems to be some considerable Resemblance between 'em with respect to their Shape and Tone of Voice and the same may be said of a Stock-Dove and a Pidgeon So what is done by the Help of Magick is not of
the same kind with what is perform'd by a Power that is Truly-Supernatural and Divine And if such wonderful Things ev'n in the Judgment of Celsus are done by the Assistance of Infernal Spirits may we not rationally suppose that Things that are much more unaccountable may be easily done by the immediate Assistance of the Ever-Blessed God Shall every Thing that is evil be found among Men and every Thing that is truly-good be banish'd from the World I think there 's much more Reason to lay down this as a General and most Excellent Maxim that where-ever there is any real Evil under the Disguise of some real Good the opposite Good must at least be equal to it with Respect to its Degree And thus we may strongly argue from Miracles wrought by the Help of Magick to such as are perform'd by the special Assistance of the Great GOD himself We must either deny that any Good or Evil is to be found in the World or on the Supposition of the latter must allow the former and perhaps if we grant the former we must affirm the latter or at least on the Supposition of any real Evil must allow an equal Proportion of that real Good to which the real Evil is directly opposite He that will assert the one without granting the other seems to me to talk at the same mad Rate with one who confessing that there are such Things as Sophisms or false Shews of Reason shou'd deny that there 's any such Thing as true Logick in the World which is widely different from em So that I say if we grant that there is such a Thing as Magick which has so great an Influence upon wicked Daemons as to engage 'em to lend their ready and joint Assistance to those who profess that Art it naturally follows that Almighty God is oblig'd in some Sense to exert his Power in Performing such Miracles as carry with 'em a convincing Evidence of the Truth they were design'd to attest The next Thing I take it that we have to do under this important Head is to examine into the Life and Conversation of those who pretend they have a Power to produce super-natural Effects and to enquire whether the wonderful Operations they perform do any way tend to the Temporal and Eternal Advantage of the Souls of Men and we must carefully distinguish between Magicians who hold a Correspondence with the Devil and those happy Persons who are fill'd with the Holy Spirit of God whose Divine Impressions they experience both on their Souls and Bodies who consult the true and best Interest of Mankind and endeavour to make Men Proselites to the most Excellent Religion that was ever reveal'd by a God Now if an Enquiry of this Kind be necessary to distinguish true Miracles from those which are false to prevent us from making Miracles where there are really none and engage our Assent to the Truth of 'em when the Finger of God may very plainly be discover'd then we shall find that the Miracles which were wrought by Moses and our Blessed Saviour were owing to an Extraordinary Appearance of the Power of God since they were Solemn Seals by which the Truth of the Jewish and Christian Religion was confirm'd each of which we know was embrac'd by a considerable Body of very Wife and Virtuous Men. Besides how cou'd Moses's Law which forbids the Jews to worship Images and teaches 'em to raise their Minds above all created Beings and fix 'em on the Eternal God the Great Creator and Sovereign Disposer of the Universe I say how cou'd such a Law derive its Original from the Horrid Practice of Magicians And since 't is a Jew that Celsus personates I wou'd humbly desire him to resolve the following Question How comes it to pass that you who firmly believe that the Miracles which Moses wrought were perform'd by the Extraordinary Assistance of the Spirit of God and endeavour to defend 'em against those who say that the Wife Men of Egypt did strange Things by the Help of Magick can't be prevail'd with to acknowledge that our Blessed Saviour perform'd his Miracles by an Immediate Assistance from Above but are so strangely fond of Imitating the Egyptians whom you know to be your sworn and irreconcileable Enemies For if we may be allow'd to judge of Miracles by the Event and argue in Favour of YOUR JVSTLY-CELEBRATED MOSES from his being rais'd up by Almighty God to be the HONOURABLE FOUNDER of the Jewish Polity I am sure we may say far more in Commendation of our BLESSED SAVIOVR since the imperfect Moses isn't worthy to be nam'd with the HOLY and SPOTLESS JESUS For as for Moses 't is obvious to remark that he found ready to his Hand such Persons among the Posterity of Abraham as liy'd in a Religious Observance of Circumcision that initiating Rite and many approved Customs which were handed down by Tradition from Father to Son and he knew very well that they were in a great Measure dispos'd to receive his useful Instructions and practise his wholesome Precepts when 't was he under God who brought 'em out of Egypt and the Laws he gave 'em had the Stamp of a Divine Authority as You your self acknowledge But Our Saviour making in some Sence a much greater Attempt introduc'd a Religion that was in a Manner new and caus'd it to gain Ground continually in Spite of all the rooted Prejudices of a different Education And if 't was highly necessary that Moses shou'd convince not only the Sanhedrim but also the Common People among the Jews of the Truth of his Doctrine by confirming it with those Miracles which the Scriptures gives us an Account of there was at least equal Reason why our Blessed Saviour shou'd take the same Method to prove the Divinity of his Mission since the People did naturally eagerly and very justly expect Signs and Wonders in such extraordinary Cases Nay 't was evidently necessary he shou'd work far greater Miracles than Moses to wean the bigotted Jews from their Humane Traditions and prove by Dint of Argument and plain Appeals to Sense and common Observation he was a Person who was TRULY-DIVINE and in a far more noble Sence than any of their Ancient and JUSTLY CELEBRATED Prophets And how was it possible that he shou'd be otherwise when the Manifest Design of the Glorious Prophecies under the Old-Testament-Dispensation was obscurely to reveal him under the Character of the TRUE MESSIAH And what Celsus's Jew objects against the Christians may every Whit as well be urg'd by him to the Prejudice of the Authority of Moses Viz. That Our Blessed Saviour was guilty of the most Notorious and Vile Imposture The Jew breaks out into the following Exclamation O the Force of Truth He himself acquaints us as your own Writings inform us that many shou'd come who wou'd perform the same Miracles that he wrought himself and on that very score O horrid Impudence he has the Face to charge 'em with
have with one another as ye walk And in the same Chapter he has these Words And their Eyes were open'd and they knew him and V. 35 he vanish'd out of their Sight And tho' Celsus compares this Account which the Gospels give us of the Appearance which our Saviour made after he was ris'n from the Dead to common Stories of wonderful Apparitions and laughs at those who were Eye-Witnesses of the Fact yet they who impartially examine into Matters and are furnish'd with a Capacity to make nice Enquiries will be forc'd to acknowledge there was something in the Case before us that was very remarkable and surprizing CHAP. XXXII THEN Celsus offers an Objection which do's a little deserve to be consider'd by us If Christ had a Mind says he to exert the Divine Power which he pretended to have certainly he ought to have appear'd to his Enemies to the Judge who pass'd the Sentence of Death upon him and to the whole Body of the People who rose up as it were in Arms against him And indeed we don't go about to deny that the Scripture plainly acquaints us that after he was ris'n from the dead he refus'd to appear so publickly and to all Persons promiscuously as he did before He was seen of the Apostles forty Days and spoke Acts 1 V. 3. of Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God as we learn from the Acts of the Apostles And we read in the Gospels that he wa'n't continually with 'em but sometimes after the Interval of eight Days appear'd in the midst of 'em when the Doors were shut and at other Opportunities appear'd to 'em in a very different Manner And St. Paul intimating to us that he did't so frequently appear then as he had done before has the following Words I deliver'd unto you first of all that which I also receiv'd how that 1 Cor. 15. V. 3 c. Christ dy'd for our Sins according to the Scriptures And that he was bury'd and that he rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures And that he was seen of Cephas then of the Twelve After that he was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once of whom the greater Part remain unto this present but some are fall'n asleep After that he was seen of James then of all the Apostles And last of all he was seen of me also as one born out of due Time Here a very difficult Question do's occur that requires the closest Application and that not of ordinary Christians but of those who have attain'd to the greatest Eminency in the School of Christ viz. Why our Saviour refus'd to expose himself to publick View after his Resurrection as he had done before There 's no need I think in a Book of this Nature the main Design of which is to defend the Christian Religion against the bold Attempts of its malicious Adversaries to give a full or large Solution of so Critical a Point But I shall offer a few Thoughts at present which I hope will give the Reader some small Satisfaction in this difficult Affair Tho' our SAVIOVR was but ONE with respect to HIS PERSON yet there were SEVERAL NOTIONS under which Mankind did consider him and different Persons saw him in very different Sences That there were several Capacities in which Mankind did consider him is plain from such Expressions as these I am the Way the Truth and John 14 V. 6. the Life I am the Bread I am the Door and many other Expressions John 6 V. 35. that I cou'd easily name if Occasion John 10 V. 9. offer'd That different Persons saw him in very different Sences will readily be granted by those who can assign the Reason why he didn't take all the Disciples with him into the Mount of Transfiguration but only Peter James and John viz Because they alone cou'd bear the Brightness of so glorious a Sight behold the dazling Lustre of Moses and Elias and hear the Voice that came from Heaven and the Charming Conversation which those two Celebrated Prophets had the Honour and Happiness to maintain with the Blessed Jesus I 'm of the Opinion I confess that before he went up to the Mountain Mat. 5 V 1. and instructed his Disciples concerning the Beatitudes he didn't appear to those who were brought to him in the Evening at the Foot of the Mountain and were cur'd of their Distempers I say he didn't appear to those who were indispos'd and stood in need of his healing Power in the same Manner as he did to them who enjoy'd a confirm'd State of Health and were able to go up with him to the Mountain And as he privately explain'd the Meaning of his Parables to his Disciples whose Sense of Hearing was much quicker than that of the Common People to whose Ears there was nothing convey'd too often but an empty Sound So I believe there was some considerable Difference in their spiritual and ev'n their corporeal Sight 'T is farther plain that our Saviour wa'n't seen by all Persons after the same manner from the Instance of Judas who being about to betray him said to his Accomplices He whom I shall kiss is he intimating Mat 26. V. 48. they didn't know him And that Expression of our Saviour I sat daily with you teaching in the Temple and ye laid no hold on me do's manifestly favour the Opinion which I have here laid down Since therefore we have such Apprehensions of our Saviour not only with respect to his Divinity which was more latent and undiscern'd by the Generality of Men but also with respect to his Humane Body the Form of which I believe he chang'd when ever he thought fit to do it We think that before his Death by which he spoil'd Principalities and Powers he was in some Sense discernable by all but afterwards ev'n many of those who had formerly seen him had not Sences that were adapted to the Sight of a ris'n Jesus 'T was therefore an Instance of his Condescension to the Weakness of Men's Capacities that he didn't expose himself to Publick View after he was ris'n from the dead to Publick View did I say when twa'n't without frequent Intervals that he appear'd ev'n to his Apostles and Disciples For after he had honourably and happily accomplish'd the Work of our Redemption we have Reason to believe that his Divinity shone with much brighter Rays thro' the Glass if I may so say of his Humane Nature Cephas who was as it were the First-Fruits of the Apostles was the first that saw him then the Twelve Matthias being chosen in the Room of Judas then five Hundred Brethren at once then James then perhaps all the Seventy Disciples and at last the Apostle Paul as one born out of due Time who knew very well why he us'd the following Expression in his Epistle to the Ephesians Vnto me who am less than the least of Eph. 3. V 8 all Saints is this Grace giv'n And perhaps those Words Less than the least
upon the Jewish Nation And their Mouths wou'd be for ever stop'd shou'd we upbraid 'em but God forbid we shou'd ev'n seem to insult 'em and shou'd we demand of 'em as we very well may whether the Dispensations of Divine Providence toward 'em don't bear the Awful Marks of his Severe Displeasure and whether Almighty God didn't take a most unaccountable Method if his Design were to show the World that the Jews were still his peculiar People tho' too far from being zealous of Good Works when he suffer'd such grievous Calamities to befall 'em when their Metropolis was tak'n and they were at once depriv'd of their Magnificent Temple and all their Pompous Worship and whatever they cou'd offer to allay the Native Darkness of this MYSTERIOVS SCENE of PROVIDENCE it might be largely insisted on and improv'd to very valuable Purposes by the Christians who admire the Wise and Deep Design of GOD to make Use of the Horrid Impiety of those very Persons who were Once his PECVLIAR PEOPLE as a Blessed Occasion of calling them who were Strangers to the Covenants and had no Right to the Glorious Promises relating to the Messiah's Kingdom This was fore-told by the Prophets viz. That GOD wou'd take an Advantage by the Sins of the Jews not merely to call any single Nation but to select some Persons from all Parts of the Earth that having Chosen the Foolish Things of the World he might give an ignorant People very clear Discoveries of important Truths taking his Kingdom from the Jews to bestow it on the Despised Gentiles And I shall quote one Prophecy concerning this surprizing Turn of Providence which is in Deuteronomy where the Prophetical Historian introduces GOD speaking after the following Manner They have mov'd Deut. 32. V. 21. me to Jealousy with that which is not GOD they have prvok'd me to Anger with their Vanities And I will move them to Jealousy with these who are not a People I will provoke 'em to Anger with a foolish Nation CHAP. XXXIX THEN the Jew concludes with the following Words We see therefore says he that he was a Man like one of us as we had Reason to believe both from Reason and Experience But I can't for my Life conceive how our Saviour if he was no more than a Man cou'd ever be so weak as to imagine that his Doctrine wou'd obtain and much less meet with the desir'd Success that he shou'd honourably surmount all Difficulties and Dangers and prove in the Event superiour to the United Force of the People Senate and Emperors of Rome and all Foreign Potentates If we don't allow that he had a DIVINE as well as a HVMANE NATVRE how can we account for his making so many and so remarkable Converts on a sudden when the Disadvantages were so great which he labour'd under Had they all been Men of Reason that he had to deal with I confess the Wonder wou'd sensibly abate But the greatest Part by far were void of Reason and little better than Brutes in a Humane Shape and which is worse were Slaves to their unruly Passions and on that Account 't was far more difficult to reclaim 'em from their exorbitant Vices So that we must resolve this Matter into his being the Wisdom and the Power of GOD let the Unbelieving Jews and the Learned Greeks gnash their Teeth as much as they please or produce what they can to the contrary And I might say that Instances of his Divine Power are not wholly wanting ev'n at this Distance of Time We shall therefore not only continue by the Assistance of the Holy Spirit to believe in God the Father according to the Doctrine of his ETERNAL SON but shall also be excited by a Holy Ambition to endeavour to convert the ignorant Heathenss to the Christian Faith while they by all Means will have it that we truly are the Persons whose Ignorance deserves highly to be pity'd tho' we know very well that the Case they commiserate is in Truth their own and they give it out that we are guilty of Imposture whereas they do but condemn their own frequent and most apparent Practice I am sure if we lead Persons aside 't is a very Happy Seducement since the Eternal Welfare of their Better Part is Honestly aim'd at and Effectually consulted by us who are honour'd sometimes with being Instruments in the Hand of ALMIGHTY GOD to reclaim em By the GRACE OF GOD with which our sincere and earnest tho' weak Endeavours do concur they are prevail'd with to leave their former Intemperance or at least make some slow and imperfect Advances toward the contrary Virtue they leave their unjust Dealing or at least approach to the Confines of Justice they renounce their Superstition and Folly or at least are conducted into the High-Way if I may so say that leads to the MOST SUBLIME and MOST USEFUL WISDOM They leave their Cowardly and Sordid Temper and are inspir'd with the NOBLEST KIND OF COURAGE which appears on all just Occasions but especially when they are call'd to lay down their Lives and seal the Truth of their most Holy Religion with their warmest Blood To conclude without Doubt our SAVIOUR is already come who was expresly foretold ev'n by the Jewish Prophets My Antagonist therefore did not a little discover his Ignorance in making his Jew say That A CERTAIN PROPHET foretold the Coming of the MESSIAH But because Celsus who brings in his Jew speaking as he imagines agreably to the Principles of Judaism thinks fit that he shou'd break off here tho' indeed he adds a sew Things that are not worthy to be mention'd I shall here put a Period to my SECOND BOOK And if I may but have seasonable and suitable Assistance from above I shall endeavour in my THIRD BOOK to answer some remaining Arguments if they may be so call'd against the CHRISTIAN RELIGION which Celsus thought fit to use and endeavours with all his Might to maintain FINIS
return him a proper and sufficient Answer I have resolv'd to examine every Material Article tho' I cannot observe so strict a Method as I wou'd but am forc'd so far to comply ev'n with the Folly of my Adversary as to trace him thro' the Labyrinth of his confus'd Discourse Let us see then what he has to offer against the Descent of the Holy Spirit on our Blessed Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove CHAP. XXXVII THE Jew whom Celsus personates directs his Discourse to our Saviour in the following Words You pretend says he that a Bird appear'd to you at your Baptism but can you produce any credible Person that was present to see it Or heard the Voice from Heav'n by which you say you were declar'd to be the Son of God besides your self and if we may take your Word another Person of the same pityful Class But before I return him a direct and full Answer I must beg Leave to make one Remark that 't is very difficult and in some Cases impossible to give evident and undeniable Proofs of the Certainty of undoubted Matters of Fact Suppose any One shou'd say there never was such a Scene of Action as the Trojan War grounding his bold Affirmation on the seeming Impossibility of some of the material Circumstances which attended it and not conceiving how there shou'd be In rerum natura such a Person as Achilles is represented to us the Son of Peleus and Thetis the Goddess of the Sea or Sarpedon the Son of Jupiter or Ascalaphus and Jalmenus the Sons of Mars or Aeneas the Son of Venus how cou'd we convince him of his gross Mistake when so many Fables being interwoven with the Body of the History are so readily and so universally believ'd Or suppose any Person shou'd call into Question the Story of Oedipus and Jocasta and Eteocles and Polynices their Sons by reason of what is confidently related concerning the Sphinx a certain Monster that was half a Virgin how cou'd we demonstrate that the whole Account is true I might say the same concerning the second Theban War which was continu'd by the Posterity of them who had lost their Lives in the first tho' that be more free from the Appearance of Fiction than the former Story and concerning the Return of the Heraclidae to Peloponnesus and I might instance in many other Things of the like Nature which are recorded in the Histories of the Greeks But he who reads 'em without a Tincture of Prejudice and with a sincere Desire that he may not be deceiv'd will judge how far he is requir'd to yield his ready and firm Assent what Passages he must take in an Allegorical Sence and what he must reject as being writ in Favour of some particular Persons and will endeavour to find out the true and full Meaning of those who were the Original Authors of these Stories which the Greeks who are a learned Nation do so generally believe I wou'd lay down this Praeliminary with respect to the entire and amazing History of our Saviour's Life as 't is impartially related in the Gospels and I don't mention this as if I wou'd have the more intelligent and learned Sort of People to take Things on trust but to shew that the Reader has great Need of Candor joyn'd with a severe Application and must penetrate if I may so say into the very Spirit of the Authors if he wou'd take their Writings in their true Sence and utmost Latitude I answer then in the first Place that if the Person who rejects the Account that 's giv'n of the Spirit 's appearing to our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove was a Follower of Epicurus Democritus or Aristotle there wou'd be some plausible Ground for his Incredulity because then I confess he wou'd observe his Character CHAP. XXXVIII BUT Celsus with all his Wisdom seems to me to have quite forgot that all this while he was speaking in the Person of a Jew whom we must suppose to yield a firm Assent to many Passages in the Prophets that wou'd sooner be liable to shock our Reason than any Thing related in the History of which I am now discoursing For one might ask this pretended Jew who wo'n't believe that the Holy Spirit appear'd to our Blessed Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove Pray Sir how will you be ever capable of giving evident and undeniable Proof that God spoke to Adam Eve Cain Noah Abraham Isaac or Jacob as your Scriptures do plainly assert he did And to set History against History I wou'd address this Jew after the following Manner Dear Sir you can't be ignorant that Ezekiel who is one of your own celebrated Prophets has these very Words The Heavens were open'd and I saw Visions of Ezek. i. V. 1. God and he adds This was the Appearance Ezek. i. V. 28 of the Likeness of the Glory of the Lord and he said to me Now if those Things that are related of our Saviour must be acknowledg'd to be false because as you think they have not sufficient extrinsick Evidence to recommend 'em to the World since you affirm They were seen and heard by no Person but himself and another of the same pityful Class Have we not more Reason to suspect that Ezekiel impos'd upon us when he said that the Heav'ns were open'd to his View And tho' the Prophet Isaiah says I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up above it stood Isa vi V. 1. the Seraphims each one had six Wings Pray Sir what rational Assurance have you that he really saw this entertaining and amazing Sight You believe that these Things are true and come from the Spirit of God who neither can be deceiv'd nor will deceive us and are perswaded not only that the Prophet saw 'em but also that he was Divinely-inspir'd when he committed these Things to Writing But I ask which of these three is it most fit we shou'd believe Ezekiel Isaiah or our Blessed Saviour The two former did nothing that deserves to be compar'd or ev'n mention'd with what the latter has done whose Power was not only most gloriously display'd when he appear'd and dwelt on Earth but shines with a happy and remarkable Lustre at this Distance of Time in the Conversion and exemplary Reformation of those who believe in God thro' him And that all those wonderful Effects which we frequently see are owing to his infinite Power I infer from hence that as he said and as constant Experience may convince us the sincere Labourers are few in a Mat. ix V. 37. comparative Sence and yet the Harvest of Souls is great that is vast Numbers ibid. V 38 are every where almost continually brought into God's Threshing-Floor if I may so say I mean the visible Church This I say to a Jew not as if I had the least Design to derogate from the Honour which I am sensible is due to Ezekiel and Isaiah for that wou'd be very inconsistent with