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RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
OF CHRIST.
Another important objection of the Age of Reason, to the Gospel Revelation, is on account of the resurrection
and ascension of Jesus Christ, as related by the Evangelists, which our author asserts " was the necessary counterpart
of the story of Christ's birth. His historians having brought him into the world in a supernatural manner, were obliged
to take him out again, in the same manner, or the first part if the story must have fallen to the ground. -- The wretched
contrivance, with which this latter part is told, exeeeds every thing that went before it. -- The resurrection of a
dead person from the grave and his ascension through the air, is a thing very different, as to the evidence it admits
of, to the invisible conception of a child in the womb. -- The resurrection and ascension, supposing them to have taken
place, admitted of public and occular demonstration, like that of the ascension of a baloon, or the sun at noon day, to
all Jerusalem at least. -- A thing which every body is required to believe, requires that the proof and evidence of it,
should be equal to all and universal: and as the public visibility of this last related act, was the only evidence that
could give sanction to the former part, the whole of it fails to the ground, because the evidence never was given. --
Instead of this, a small number of persons, not, more than eight or nine, are introduced, as proxies for the whole world,
to say that they saw it, and all the rest of the world are called upon to believe it."
The objections to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, been now first made; or had no solid and conclusive
answers been given to
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them when made, this reasoning of our author, with the unfounded observations and objections to those well established
facts, might have been passed by, without the imputation of rash and malicious misrepresentations. -- But after the able
and masterly manner in which this subject has been investigated and cleared up to every candid inquirer after truth,
by some of the best pens in every age of the church, and lately by the famous Gilbert West; with whose writings (which
do him immortal honor) the author of the Age of Reason, may possibly be acquainted, no tolerable excuse can be given,
for the obstinacy and perverseness with which the charge "of the resurrection being a wretched contrivance exceeding
every thing that went before it," is here made, with the addition of a palpable falsehood, asserted in proof of the
charge, viz. "that instead of public and occular demonstration which those facts admitted of, not more than eight or
nine persons are introduced as proxies for the whole world to say they saw it."
Here again our author refers to the account given of these facts in the sacred History, by alledging "that not more
than eight or nine persons are introduced to say that they had seen the transaction." -- This must refer to the account
given of it by the inspired penmen, and that account is capable of positive proof to the meanest capacity, who can read
the whole narrative of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour with its convincing circumstances and confirmations as
there related.
For trial of our author's veracity, we mus there refer to the sacred writings, as delivered to us by the Evangelists.
[ 169 ]
These give us a plain, simple, unadorned narrative of the whole process, with its consequences. -- They tell us, that
the subject of this extraordinary and supernatural occurrence, was condemned and executed as an enemy to God and man,
in the most cru-el manner by his inveterate enemies, who were previously made acquainted with his predictions, as well
of his death and the manner of it, as of his resurrection from the dead, and particularly, that it should take place
on the third day after his crucifixion.
Here then was every advantage, an enraged and malicious enemy, who had the authority and power of an absolute and
despotic government on their side, to prevent or detect imposition, could wish or desire. Accordingly the chief priests
and pharisees, the religious rulers of the country, apprehending an intention in his followers to promote a deception
among the people relative to the fulfilment of his prediction, take the most proper measures that could be devised, to
obviate the evil and prevent the possibility of their being imposed upon. And this they did, as if directed by the
providence of God to establish and confirm the evidence of the great facts, beyond contradiction, which of all things
these leaders of the Jews most dreaded.
They not only have a ponderous stone rolled to fill the door of the sepulchre, where the body of our Lord was deposited,
to prevent his being easily removed, but that the event might be rendered impractiblc, or the fact, if it should be
attempted, prevented and the authors exposed and punished; they affix their own seals to the stone, so that it could
not be stirred by any force without breaking them.
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And, lest all this should not be sufficient to prevent eleven poor unsupported fishermen from accomplishing their
purpose, against the power of the government, they obtain a guard of Roman soldiers, known to be then under the best
discipline in the world, to watch and guard the sepulchre, thus secured, against any sudden attack; for the Jews tell
Pilate, "that they remembered that this Deceiver, while he was yet alive said, that after three days I will rise again."
Is it reasonable to suppose, that the chief priests and pharisees, after having carried their enmity so far against
this supposed enemy to their religious hierarchy and the Roman government, for which they now pretend great concern,
saying to Pilate, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend;" and on whose guilt of character they had
pledged themselves and their posterity, by preferring a murderer? I say, is it reasonable to suppose, that these people,
thus circumstanced, would have now risqued their influence with the Roman governor, as well as their popularity with
the people, by suffering it to remain possible to have the body of Jesus stolen away, so as to found the idea of his
having known things to come, as well as his power over death and the grave? In that event, his party would be greatly
increased, and the last error become in their apprehension worse than the first! The measures they took show, that
they acted with prudential caution, with wisdom and decision, like men of the world, under the influence of all these
motives.
And who was it that this powerful body of men were afraid of? A set of poor, disheartened, contemptible disciples,
who, at the first capture of their
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Master by the civil officers, affrighted out of their reason, and concerned alone for their own safety, fled and left
him in the hands of his bitterest enemies, and to suffer the most ignominious death. Nay, they had not even the
courage to come forward, and act the part of friends on his trial, (which was allowed by law to the connexions of the
basest malefactor, and had long been the practice in the Jewish courts of justice) by declaring the manner of his life
and daily conduct, as testimony in his favour, to counteract the testimony adduced against him, inconsistent with such
a regular habit of conduct. This indeed, however criminal in the disciples, was fulfilling the ancient prophesy of
Isaiah, in these remarkable words: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearers,
so he opened not his mouth: in his humiliation, his judgment was taken away, and who shall" (or rather, there was no
one to) "declare his manner of life; for his life was taken from the earth.''
Having taken all these precautions against so cowardly a set of weak and timid disciples, with the advantage of knowing
the day on which the predicted event was to take place, the rulers of the Jews thought themselves (as on their principles
they certainly were) perfectly secure.
But it was not a sepulchre secured by stones and seals, guarded by frail mortal men, or aided by death and hell, that
could detain the Lord of life and glory. He burst the bands of death asunder, and rose from the dead early on the
third day. The discovery was first made by two or three defenceless women, of the number of his followers, who coming
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at the rising of the sun, when no suspicions of any improper designs would take place; and having no apprehensions of
his resurrection, intended to embalm his body in order to preserve it from putrefaction, according to the manner of
the Jews:—so little did they know of the great designs of Providence, or of the power of their crucified Saviour,
over the bonds of death.
It being now day, and their designs lawful, open, and public, their only difficulty was the removing of the stone to
gain admission into the sepulchre. They did not find the guard asleep, or alarmed at their thus coming openly on a
lawful and pious errand. There was no stir -- no suspicions of the body having been previously stolen away -- the stone
was securely sealed -- the guards remained in perfect ease and security at their posts, not suspecting the great event
that had taken place,
"Twice had the sun gone down upon the earth, and all as yet was quiet at the sepulchre; death held his sceptre over
the Son of God. Still and silent the hours passed on. The guards stood by their post. The rays of the midnight moon
gleamed on their helmets and on their spears. The enemies of Christ exulted in their success. The hearts of his friends
were sunk in despondency and sorrow. The Spirits of Glory waited in anxious suspence to behold the event, and wondered
at the depth of the ways of God. At length, the morning star arising in the east, announced the approach of light;
the third day began to dawn on the world; when on a sudden, the earth trembled to its centre, and the powers of Heaven
were shaken; an angel of God descended; the guards
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shrunk back from the terror of his presence, and fell prostrate on the ground. His countenance was like lightning,
and his raiment white as snow. He rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and sat upon it. But, who
is this that cometh forth from the tomb, with dyed garments from the bed of death? He that is glorious in his appearance,
walking in the greatness of his strength? It is thy prince, O Zion! Christian, it is your Lord! He hath trodden the
wine press alone. He hath stained his raiment with blood; but now, as the first born from the womb of nature, he meets
the morning of the resurrection. He rises a conqueror from the grave. He returns with blessings from the world of
spirits. He brings Salvation to the sons of men. Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious! It was the
jubilee of the universe: the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted aloud for joy." *
It was now indeed that the Roman soldiers, notwithstanding all their courage and intrepidity, astonished at so awful a
sight, became as helpless as dead men: they could make no opposition to the inquiries of the sorrowful Mary Magdalen
and her disconsolate companion, to whom the angel spoke in the mildest terms of complacency, requesting them not to be
afraid, as he knew their errand was to seek Jesus of Nazareth; and he assured them that he was sent to inform them,
that Jesus was not in the sepulchre, but was risen from the dead; and to give them fall conviction, he bade them
approach and see the place where the Lord had lain, for that he had been sent to Toll away the stone for that purpose.
__________
* Scots Preacher.
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This is a plain simple account of this all-important event; and it bears all the marks of truth, especially when
supported by the story told by the soldiers to the high priest and pharisees, together with the subsequent measures,
which they are said, by the sacred historians, to have adopted to prevent the ill effects of the first impression of so
remarkable a phenomenon, that the soldiers should have said, "That while they slept, his diciples came and took away
the body." If they were really asleep, how did they know that any person took the body away? Their assertion then,
had they made it, was nothing more than a conclusion drawn by themselves, without evidence, from finding the body gone
when they awaked from sleep. But how it was removed, it was impossible for sleeping men to know. Besides, the disciples,
in taking away the body, must have only deceived others; they could not have deceived themselves; and of all men, they
must have acted the most absurdly, to lay down their lives in support of facts they knew to be false.
Here again, it requires the belief of a miraculous fact, to disbelieve the miracle of the resurrection of our Lord
and Saviour. -- There can be no possible cause assigned, why men, simple in their manners, honest and upright in their
lives, and totally cut off from every temporal advantage, should voluntarily bring on themselves the hatred and
detestation of their government and fellow-citizens, by asserting and steadily professing through their whole lives a
fact which they knew of their own knowledge to be false, and finally to seal the truth of it with their blood. Add to
this, that they should within a few days of the transaction, be able to convince thousands
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of their countrymen of all ranks and characters, under every advantage of examination and detection, of the truth of
what they asserted, so as to lead them, also, to forsake every personal advantage and expose themselves to contumely
and reproach for the sake of him who was the great object of this miraculous event, and that with his express
declaration before their eyes, " that they should suffer persecution for his sake."
Had the story, said to be told by the soldiers, been true, or even so related by them to the chief priests and pharisees,
what would have been the probable consequences? -- Indeed it is not likely that disciplined soldiers, would have
voluntarily acknowledged themselves guilty of a crime, for which they must according to the laws of war, have suffered
death; to wit, sleeping on their post, when having an important charge. But, could it have been proved upon them, is
it probable, that the enraged and exasperated priests and pharisees, who to cruelly persecuted the man Christ Jesus to
death, preferred a base murderer, to one in whom the Roman governor could not find any fault, should pass by unpunished,
so aggravated a crime, by which all their care and foresight were wholly frustrated. -- Had these soldiers been punished
for this breach of duty, would not the opposers of the Christian faith, immediately on the promulgation of its doctrines
in the first age of the resurrection while they were persecuting the church on every side, have adduced the record of
such punishment in proof of the deception and fraud, especially when its advocates at the moment, expressly charged
the authors of this persecution, with
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the wicked subterfuge of persuading the soldiers to make this excuse, and promising to save them from the punishment
that would otherwise necessarily have followed the confession.
We have many answers of the Jews and Heathen, controverting the principles and doctrines of the Christian revelation,
but never has it been yet asserted, that any of these soldiers were either tried or punished for this crime. When Peter
was arrested by Herod, and delivered into the custody of four quaternions of soldiers, they used all possible care to
secure him, by putting him in chains, and sleeping one on each side of him; yet when the angel delivered him in the
night from their power, and he was not to be found in the morning, did the report of the soldiers, that he escaped while
they slept, excuse them? No; they had not the priests and pharisees to cover their negligence, and to screen them from
punishment. "When Herod had sought for Peter and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they
should be put to death." * This was the natural consequence of military discipline, and it could not on principle be
forgiven.
Had the testimony of the resurrection rested here, perhaps it might have been less complete -- but the history proceeds,
and informs us, that, as the women were hastening with the joyful news to the disciples, behold, Jesus himself in
person, meets and converses with them. This information being communicated to the rest of his disciples, who had yet no
belief in an actual and immediate resurrection of the body of
__________
* Acts, 12, 19.
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their Redeemer, two of them ran off to the sepulchre to examine for themselves, and not meeting with any opposition,
the soldiers being fled, and the stone being removed, they found the grave-clothes lying in the sepulchre, and the body
gone; they return with a kind of doubting satisfaction, notwithstanding their late unbelief. On the same day, Jesus
appeared again to two other of the disciples, as they were going to Emmaus, and made himself known to them by the manner
of his breaking bread at supper.
Afterwards, at a meeting of the disciples, Jesus personally came and stood in the midst of them, and showed his hands
and his side: he then ate and drank with them, to prove his actual presence, that they might have time to recover
from any sudden surprize occasioned by his first appearance. But notwithstanding this convincing evidence of the fact,
Divine Providence so ordered it, to increase the testimony to its full amount, that Thomas, one of the twelve disciples,
should be absent. To him the other disciples, in the fulness of their joy, relate the complete evidence afforded them
of the resurrection of their master; and assure Thomas of the pleasing and occular demonstration of this mysterious
fulfilment of his gracious promise.
Thomas had providentially something of the incredulous temper of the author of the Age of Reason. He thought that he
was not bound to believe on the rational testimony of another -- He was so far from being prepared for this occurrence,
by an expectation of the resurrection, or by a credulous mind in favour of the event, that he did not hesitate with
warmth to deny the fact; and supposing his brethren to have been imposed
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upon by their too easy credulity, declared with a decision of temper bordering on obstinacy, that no evidence should
have any effect on his mind, to convince him of what he thought impossible, unless he should have the sensible
demonstration afforded him, of putting his finger into the print of the nails, and thrusting his hand into his side,
being determined, in a matter of so great consequence, not to trust his own sight, which he supposed might be deceived.
To such obstinate incredulity, the mourning disciples could only oppose a melancholy silence, pitying Thomas's want of
faith and confidence in their united testimony.
Here then was every qualification for unbelief, that could be desired by the most obstinate and profane infidel, even
though it should be our author himself. And happy would it be for him, had there been but one Thomas of this perverse
character. Here was no weak credulity, or fond acquiescence, in what the mind eagerly desired.
A few days afterwards, the disciples being again convened, and the unbelieving Thomas one of the company, the risen
Saviour, with infinite condescension, not only to the obstinate Thomas, but to all who should ever after imitate his
unbelief and repentance, surprized them a second time with his sudden ap-pearance in the midst of them; and in testimony
of the reality of his resurrection and omniscience, at once addresses himself to Thomas, and mildly re-proves him by
saying, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be
not faithless, but believing."
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Thomas, having thus received satisfaction to every doubt, is not only fully convinced of the resurrection of his master,
but of his knowing the thoughts of his heart, and the words he had spoken in secret. In extasy and astonishment,
therefore, he cries out under the deepest conviction, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus then replied, "Thomas, because thou
hast had this condescending evidence of my resurrection, thou hast believed in, and acknowledged my divinity, blessed
shall they be, who have not seen, and yet shall believe," May God Almighty, of his infinite mercy, grant, that another
unbelieving Thomas may be yet added to the triumphs of the cross, though it should be that despiser of the Gospel, the
author of the Age of Reason himself.
Jesus Christ continued to give many other evidences of the reality of his resurrection, by repeatedly appearing to his
disciples, and instructing them in their all-important mission, during the space of forty days. Particularly he appeared
to seven of them on the sea shore, as they were fishing, when he dined with them again. In fine, during this period, he
frequently met with them, and freely conversed about the great plan of his mediatorial kingdom; foretelling what should
happen to them in the world, in consequence of their fulfilling his commandments -- and, at last, in presence of about
five hundred brethren, he ascended up towards Heaven before them all, till a cloud received him, and prevented their
sight. *
__________
* 2d Acts Apost. ver. 3d. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen
of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
1st Cor. ch. xv. 5th to 8th ver. And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that he was seen of about
500 brethren at once, of
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Among many things which he had foretold his disples, and afterwards accomplished, and is still at this day bringing
to pass in confirmation of the faith of his followers, was the promise of the Holy Spirit, who should descend upon them,
when he should return to his father. Just before his ascension, he ordered them to remain at Jerusalem, till this divine
promise should be realized. This event only remained to be fulfilled, to complete the certainty of his resurrection
and Divine nature, to his disciples and followers, throughout the world.
They accordingly remained together till the day of Pentecost, or fifty days after the passover, or ten days after the
ascension, when this glorious confirmation of all their hopes was made good to them, attended with all that evidence,
that is thus arrogantly demanded by the sceptical mind of our author, including the public and occular demonstration,
to all Jerusalem at least. And as the "public visibility of
__________
whom the greater part remain at this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of James, then of
all the apostics, and last of alt he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time.
And did he rise?
Hear O ye nations! hear it, O ye dead!
He rose ! He rose! He burst the bars of death;
Lift up your heads, ye everlasting gates!
And give the King of Glory to come in.
Who is the King of Glory? He who left
His throne of glory for the pang of death. Lift up your heads, ye everlasting gates! And give the King of Glory to
come in. Who is the King of Glory? He who slew The rav'nous foe that gorg'd all human race! The King of Glory, he,
whose glory fill'd Heaven with amazement at his love to man:
with Divine complacency beheld
Pow'rs most illumin'd, wilder'd in the theme. Young.
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this last related act, is the only evidence that could give sanction to the former part, the whole is (on our author's
own principles) fully confirmed, because of the certainty of this fact.
This happened by a sound from Heaven, as a rushing mighty wind, that filled all the house where they were; and there
appeared cloven tongues of fire, sitting upon each of them. These unlettered and ignorant men, as to human learning,
immediately gave full and miraculous evidence, to all the city of Jerusalem, of the reality of their master's
resurrection, and of the fulfilment of his promise in the heavenly gift, by their publickly speaking before all men,
with great fluency, in all the different languages of the several countries in the neighbourhood of Judea.
Here then, I repeat it with confidence, "was evidence equal to all -- of public and sensible demonstration, like that
of a baloon's ascending, or the sun at noon-day" at least to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the sojourners there,
and the surrounding nations. This was not done in secret, or before eight or nine witnesses; but the apostles
immediately began to publish the Gospel, and this wonderful work of God, in confirmation of the resurrection, to the
citizens of Jerusalem, in presence of strangers of all the surrounding nations; Parthians, Medes, Elamites,
Messopotamians, Cappadocians -- those of Pontus in Asia: Phrygians, Pamphylians, Egyptians, Lybians, Cretans, Romans,
and Arabians; who were either Jews or proselytes, and happened to be at Jerusalem, attending on the solemn festival
of Pentecost, for the purpose of religious worship. Every one, in his own language, was taught, and that with
astonishment and
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wonder, the great things of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and bore witness to the mighty power of God, which had
raised him from the dead.
It is difficult for persons at this day, to form a proper idea of the number of people, who usually attended at Jerusalem
at the passover, when all their males were obliged to appear before the Lord. The particular account of the last passover
ever held in that devoted city, just before the Romans besieged and so completely surrounded it, according to our Lord's
prediction, that few or none could escape, will enable the reader to form some judgment of their numbers. Josephus
records, that the number that perished in the siege, and were taken prisoners, amounted to upwards of thirteen hundred
thousand souls.
This notable miracle, therefore, having been per-formed so soon after the passover, when it may fairly be presumed,
that great numbers of the people, both Jews and proselytes, from every part of the country and of the surrounding
nations, were yet remaining in Jerusalem, gave as full and general convic-tion of its truth, as the nature of the case
could admit. *
These strangers then, who were thus made ac-quainted with the power of God, and the glad tidings of the Gospel, carried
the first news of these glorious truths to all their different countries, and prepared the way by laying the foundation
of the subsequent work of the apostles.
__________
* The strangers or proselytes in Judea, in the beginning of Solomon's reign, were 153,600 men, fit to be employed in
building the temple. Reas. of Christianity, 17.
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The evidence of the resurrection of the Son of God, did not end here, however public and notorious it may have been.
More than has been required by our author, was done by the mercy and goodness of God, that no excuse or pretence for
unbelief might be left to those who despise the grace of the Gospel, which offereth Salvatica to all men. This
miraculous gift was not a sudden and mere temporary afflatus of the Spirit, and so an evidence to those of Jerusalem
only, who were personally witnesses of the great event: but it became a durable and permanent qualification of the mind,
enabling the apostles of our Lord, in their subsequent progress through every nation, to repeat the miracle, by
preaching the Gospel among them in their own language, that thereby the reports of those, who were witnesses of the
fact at Jerusalem, might be confirmed, and witnesses to the power of the resurrection, increased wherever they went.
Thus it seems, as if the condescension of a merciful God, to the weakness and frailty of his of-fending creatures,
knew no bounds. To raise the proof to demonstration, and remove every possibility of doubt or cavil, from the mind of
the sceptic, this extraordinary and miraculous power was not only continued to them during their lives, but they were
enabled, by the imposition of their hands, and by prayer, to communicate it to thousands of others, of every nation and
language; so that they became with their disciples, a continued and miraculous proof of the truth of the resurrection,
throughout the then habitable world, that carried with it such conviction, as could admit of no rational contradiction.
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So far then, from this great and all essential event, the very foundation and corner-stone of the Christian system,
being confined to the testimony of eight or nine persons, as is most falsely and maliciously charged upon us, by the
author of the Age of Reason; it is supported by the testimony of hundreds, who had seen and conversed with the blessed
and risen Saviour, after his resurrection, and beheld his ascension to glory. Thousands and tens of thousands also,
who bore witness to the supernatural fulfilment of his promise, as the consequence of his resurrection and ascension.
It is also supported by the complete proof of the same event, in the sending of the Holy Spirit, who should be a witness
of him, in confirmation of the glorious facts, and which, as before observed, was continued during the lives of the
apostles; and many of their converts, attended with the power of working miracles in their own persons, to the
conviction of multitudes in every nation and language in the Roman world, many of whom also received the like gift
of the Spirit, till the evidence was full, by the completion of the sacred cannon, and the well established experience
of the church of Christ.
This was the case, in a special manner, among the Jews at Jerusalem, where the first Christian church was established;
it being but a few days after this miraculous descent of the Spirit, and at Peter's first sermon, that no less than
three thousand souls were converted to the belief of the resurrection in one day. And, on his second sermon, which
was preceded by the miraculous healing of the lame man, who sat at the gate
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of the Temple begging alms, the number of men only amounted to five thousand. *
These things, therefore, instead of being confined to the knowledge of a few, were so public and popular, that the high
priest and his council, within three or four days after, could say, "Did we not strictly com mand you, that ye should
not teach in this name! and behold ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrines, and intend to bring this man's blood
upon us.
The apostles did not confine their doctrines founded on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to a few chosen friends; but
immediately on the crucifixion of their master, a few days after his ascension, when the Holy Spirit, as has been shown,
was miraculously given to them, they boldly told the chief priests, and the whole council of Jerusalem, "The God of our
fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree; him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince
and a Saviour; to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins; and we are his witnesses of these things, and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them who obey him."
Did the Sanhedrin, or great council of the Jews, undertake to deny these facts, and to charge the apostles with
falsehoods? No; they did not dare so to do -- the facts were fresh in the memories of all the people, and the testimony
of the Holy Spirit could not be denied. Hear, on this occasion, Gamaliel, one of their greatest lawyers, and of the
chief council, "Take heed to yourselves, what ye intend to do as touching these men: let them alone: if this counsel or
__________
* Acts, ch. ii. v. 14. ch. iv. v. 4.
[ 186 ]
this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even
to fight against God; and to him they all agreed." This is not the language of men who knew the facts declared by the
apostles to have been founded in falsehood and misrepresentation.
Add to this, the many instances of the apostles foretelling the state of the church, and the effect that the preaching
of the Gospel would have on the hearts and conduct of men, down through the several ages of it to the present day; which
by its precise fulfilment in every age, and being at this moment fulfilling before our eyes, and not in a small degree
by the author of the Age of Reason himself; adds no inconsiderable weight of testimony, both internal and external, to
the apostle's credibility, and the certainty of the facts related by them.
Under one branch of this fulfilment, a familiar and frequent instance, will give the complection of the rest. The
apostles minutely detail the effects which the preaching of the Gospel, or rather the receiving of it, would have on
the sentiments and tempers of men, by the effectual operation of the Spirit of God on their hearts. Examine the divine
work, as exhibited in the lives and practices of many real converts to religion at this day. Behold the unhappy man,
brought up in vanity and folly -- his life a scene of drunkenness and debauchery -- no consideration of character --
parents -- wife -- children, or the most influential connections, can withdraw him from the infatuating habits of
sinful pleasure. He is proof against every earthly consideration and argument.
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Providentially he hears the Gospel in such a manner as to reach his heart. He is roused from his lethargy -- alarmed
at his awful situation, he implores the mercy of Heaven -- he seeks -- he strives -- he knocks -- he takes it as it
were by a holy violence. His heart is renewed -- his life is changed -- he at once becomes a new man -- he is sober and
chaste -- he is prudent and industrious -- a useful citizen -- a good father -- an affectionate husband -- a kind and
benevolent friend. In short, he forsakes all his former follies, and becomes a valuable member of civil society. The
simple doctrines of the risen Saviour, have miraculously wrought in him an effectual change, which all the powers and
allurements of the world had failed to do; and that precisely in the way and manner, and with the minute circumstances
foretold by Jesus Christ and his apostles, 1800 years ago. And, what is equally remarkable,these effects are produced
on Jew and gentile -- bond and free -- European and American -- the philosopher and the savage -- all -- all, when
brought to the knowledge of the true God in Jesus Christ, speak the same language -- produce the same fruits, and talk
of the same happy effects, arising from the blood of a crucified Saviour. In this way alone, then, can our author's
doctrine be true, that " the way of God is open to all men alike."
The following quotation, from an author of credit, will command respect -- "In the beginning of the second century,
the Christian church increased and flourished in a marvellous manner; and though it wanted all human help—though it
had all the force and policy of the world bent against it, growing by opposition and oppression, and overbearing all the
[ 188 ]
powers of earth and hell -- whereunto then shall we liken the kingdom of God and its wonderful increase, or with what
comparison shall we compare it? There is indeed some resemblance of it, in the increase of the seeds and leaven which
our blessed Lord so often made use of to illustrate it; but there is nothing parallel to it in the history of all the
religions, which have obtained among men, from the beginning of the world to this day -- and, therefore, as this shows
that the original was from Heaven, and that the hand of Omnipotence has all along guided and preserved it; so one would
imagine, at this time of day, it would have prevented such absurd and ridiculous objections, founded in the ignorance
and obstinacy of those, who are too indolent to inquire into its real merits. But our consolation is, that the wise
and good receive from it a full assurance of hope, that the same Divine Providence will continue to protect and defend
it, until we come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God -- the heavenly Jerusalem -- and to an innumerable
company of angels -- to the general assembly and church of the first born, whose names are written in Heaven -- to God
the judge of all -- to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." Even the
famous Mr. Gibbon, whom no one will accuse of partiality to the Gospel, can testify, "that within fourscore years after
the death of Christ, the humane Pliny laments the magnitude of the evil, which he vainly attempted to eradicate. In his
curious epistle to the emperor Trajan, he affirms, that the temples were almost deserted -- that the sacred victims
scarcely found purchasers, and that the superstition, (meaning the Christian religion)
[ 189 ]
had not only infected the cities, but had even spread itself into the villages, and the open country of Pontus and
Bithynia."* Again, several Roman citizens were brought before the tribunal of Pliny; and he soon discovered, that a
great number of persons of ever [[3:]] order of men in Bithynia, had deserted the religion of their ancestors. His
unsuspected testimony may in this instance obtain more credit, than the bold challenge of Tertullian, when he assures
the pro-consul of Africa, that if he persists in his cruel intentions, (of persecuting the Christians) he must decimate
Car-thage; and that he will find among the guilty, many persons of his own rank; senators and matrons of noblest
extraction, and the friends and relations of his most intimate friends. And about forty years after, the emperor
Valerian, in one of his rescripts, evidently supposes, that senators, knights, and ladies of quality, were engaged in
the Christian sect." **
It is upon the foregoing plain narrative of facts, attended with this convincing testimony of the mighty power of God,
that our author, pretending to the advantage of Reason and Common Sense, impiously and blasphemously asserts, that" The
story (of the resurrection) so far as it relates to the supernatural part, has every mark of fraud and imposition
stamped upon the face of it; and that the Christian mythologists, calling themselves the Christian church, have credited
their fable, which for absurdity and extravagance, is not exceeded by any thing that is to be found in the mythology of
the ancients."
This author, throughout his performance, seems to have taken leave of all pretensions to modesty and
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* 2d Vol. Gibb. 374.
** 3d Vol. Gibb. 360
[ 190 ]
decorum, or he certainly would have paid some respect to the learning and wisdom of multitudes of Christian writers and
professors, who have so long and so ably defended the Christian system, against the many attacks of more formidable,
as well as more modest and decent adversaries, than our author; yet he ought to have credit for the following very
extraordinary concessions, amidst all the puerile objections to the Gospel history -- "That no one will deny or dispute
the power of the Almighty, to make such a communication if he pleases:" and afterwards, "That such a person as Jesus
Christ existed, and that he was crucified -- that he preached most excellent morality, and the equality of man, and
that he was a virtuous reformer and revolutionist."
Observations of this kind have added some weight to the arguments in favour of revelation. "Thus wisdom has not been
denied the testimony even of enemies: a testimony of which indeed it did not stand in need: but which being extorted
by the irresistible force of truth, may well be esteemed as a confirmation of its general evidence: since they, whose
wish and whose interest was to deny it, yet were compelled, if not to receive it wholly, yet to acknowledge it in part;
and thus like Pilate, they pronounced him righteous whom they condemned; and like Judas, confessed him innocent whom
they betrayed." *
It is an extraordinary fact, that almost every modern infidel writer, is forced to acknowledge and bear testimony,
to the virtuous character of our blessed Lord, and to the excellence of that morality which
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* White's Sermons, 4.
[ 191 ]
he taught, while they despise his doctrines, and treat all his pretensions to Deity, and his being the Son of God, as
the effect of the most artful deception, and deliberate fraud. Thus their inconsistency with themselves, shows that it
is the purity of his doctrines, and the holiness of his character, to which they are enemies, in contradiction to all
their professions and practices. In addition to the example of our author, I will select one othor, whose celebrity
among unbelievers, is well established, and to whom our author may attend with more pleasure, than to a Christian
writer. I mean the famous Rousseau. Hear then this champion of the enemies of Jesus Christ crucified, when instructing
his pupil Emilius, and let his testimony have its due weight. "I acknowledge to you," says Rousseau, "that the majesty
of the scriptures astonishes me, and the sanctity of the Gospel fills me with rapture: look into the writings of the
philosophers, with all their p6mp and parade: how trivial they appear, when compared to this sacred volume. Is it
possible that a book so simple, and yet so sublime, should be the work of man? Is it possible that he, whose history
it contains, should himself be a mere man? Is the style that of an enthusiast, or of a sectary inflated with ambition?
What sweetness, what purity in his morals? What force, what persuasion in his instructions? His maxims, how sublime!
His discourses, how wise and profound! Such presence of mind, such beauty and precision in his answers! Such empire
over his pas-sions! Where is the man, or the philosopher, that knows how to act, to suffer and to die, without weakness
or ostentation? Plato, in his picture of the imaginary
[ 192 ]
just man, covered with all the opprobriousness of guilt, and worthy every reward of virtue, gives us an exact
representation of Christ: so striking is the resemblance, that all the fathers saw it; and indeed there is no
possibility of mistaking it. What prejudice, what blindness, to compare the offspring of Sophronisca, to the Son of
Mary! how immense the difference between these two! Socrates dying without pain and without ignominy, found it easy
to support his character to the very last; and if his life had not been honoured by so gentle a death, we might have
doubted whether Socrates, with all his understanding, was any thing more than a sophist. You will say he invented
a system of moral philosophy: others had practised it before his time; he only related what they had performed, and
drew lectures from their example. Aristides had been just before Socrates told us what justice was. Leonidas had
sacrificed his life for his country, before Socrates had made the love of our country a duty. Sparta was sober, before
Socrates commended sobriety* Before he had given a definition of virtue, Greece abounded with virtuous men. But of
whom did Christ borrow that sublime and pure morality, which he, and be only, taught both by word and example? From
the centre of the most extravagant fanaticism, (meaning Judea) the highest Wisdom made itself heard, and the vilest
of nations was honoured with the simplicity of the most heroic virtues. The death of Socrates, philosophizing coolly
with his friends, is the easiest that can be desired: that of Christ expiring in the midst of torments, abused, scorned,
detested by a whole people, is the moft dreadful that can be apprehended. Socrates
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taking the poisonous draught, returns thanks to the person, who, with tears in his eyes, presents it to him. Christ,
in the midst of the most exquisite torture, prays for his bloody executioners. Yes, if Socrates lived and died like a
philosopher, Christ lived and died like a God.
"Shall we say that the evangelic history was invented at pleasure? My friend, inventions are not made after that
manner; and Socrates' history, of which no body entertains a doubt, is not so well attested as that of Christ. Upon
the whole, it is removing the difficulty further back, without solving it; for it would be much harder to conceive,
that a number of men should have joined together to fabricate this book, than that a single person should furnish out
the subject to its authors.
"Jewish writers would never have fallen into that style, or that system of morality; and the gospel has such strong
and such inimitable marks of truth, that the inventor would be more surprizing than the hero. Yet notwithstanding all
this, this same Gospel abounds with things so incredible and so repugnant to reason, that it is impossible for any man
of sense either to conceive or admit them" *
How literally is the Scripture fulfilled. "And he said, go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not;
see ye indeed, but perceive not; make gross the heart of this people; make their ears dull, and close up their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I
should heal them." **
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* 2d Vol. Emilius, 86. Lond. edit. 1763.
** Isaiah, ch vi. v. 9.
[ 194 ]
However absurd the conclusion of this famous writer, and the general conduct of the opposers of revelation may be,
yet their concessions certainly yield the question, and give up the dispute. For if Jesus Christ was the person whom
they describe, then he ought not to be suspected of deception and falsehood. What he said and taught concerning himself,
and what he endeavoured to persuade others to, must have been consistent with truth, at least in his own ideas.
Most of his miracles were such objects of sense, that he could not have been deceived himself, by enthusiasm or other
false principle. They all come within the first two rules, laid down by an excellent writer of the last century,
relative to the proof of ancient facts, on which he justly challenges all the enemies to revelation, as to every other
system but that of the bible, viz. First -- "That the matters of fact shall be such, as the reality of them may be
ascertained by external evidence." Second -- "That they shall be performed publicly." Thirdly -- "That not only public
monuments shall be maintained in memory of them, but some external deeds should be performed." Fourthly -- "That such
monuments, deeds or observances, shall be instituted and commence from the period in which the matters of fact shall
be transacted." *
Jesus Christ walked upon the waters -- he healed the sick, openly and publickly, before all the people, by a word,
and often at a distance -- he raised the dead at his first approach to them -- he cast out devils, and
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* Lesslie.
[ 195 ]
once permitted them to enter into a herd of 2000 swine, which were near at hand -- he rebuked the winds and the waves,
and they obeyed him -- he fed multitudes with a few loaves and small fishes. He therefore could not mistake these events,
or be deceived by an enthusiastic temper of mind; but the miracles he wrought, and the predictions he declared, must
have been honestly intended as evidences, conclusive evidences, of his divine mission, and for the good of mankind; the
truth of which he sealed with his blood, premeditatedly and deliberately, with his own foreknowledge, having frequently
forwarned his disciples, and declared to his enemies, that such would be the issue of his ministry.
Yet, notwithstanding these concessions of our author, and the express declarations of our divine Redeemer, during his
mission on earth, and which are recognized by the chief priest in his request to Pilate, for a guard of soldiers; the
author of the Age of Reason, with no inconsiderable degree of self-importance, adds, "The resurrection of a dead person,
and his ascension through the air, is a thing very different as to the evidence it admits of, to the invisible conception
of a child in the womb. The resurrection and ascension, supposing them to have taken place, admitted of public and
occular demon-stration, like that of the ascension of a baloon, or the sun at noon-day, to all Jerusalem at least."
After attending carefully to the facts relative to these extraordinary and supernatural events, can the observations
of our author be rendered consistent with common candour, or the necessary love of truth in a writer, who presumes to
set himself up
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as a corrector of religious systems? Did not the public declaration of Jesus Christ, foretelling his death and
resurrection; did not the earth quake at his crucifixion; the preternatural darkness -- the rending of the rocks, (to
be seen at this day) -- and that of the veil of the temple -- the rolling away of the stone from the sepulchre, in
presence of an armed band of soldiers; and his appearance first to the women and his disciples -- then to five hundred
brethren at once, with the after descent of the Holy Spirit, agreeably to his predictions while living; and the public
attestation of the whole transaction by the miraculous gift of tongues -- did not all these afford evident and sensible
demonstration of the truth of the resurrection? Add to this, that these facts were immediately declared, as the facts
on which the advocates of a crucified Jesus depended, as full proof of their doctrines. They were then capable of
immediate contradiction and refutation, had they not been known to be true, which the amazing progress of the Gospel
in Jerusalem itself, the theatre of all these transactions, within one month of the events taking place, fully
confirms. Did not then all this give, with double evidence, demonstration equal to that required by this incredulous
author, not only to all Jerusalem, but to the surrounding nations before mentioned? Was not the supernatural evidence
of the gift of tongues, being continued to the apostles during their lives, a standing demonstration of the truth of the
important facts they promulgated? Was not the demonstration such as to induce these strangers to say to each other, "Are
not all these which speak, Gallileans, and yet hear we every man in his own tongue wherein he was born,
[ 197 ]
the wonderful works of God." And what rendered this testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, even superior to
that of a baloon rising in the air, and must convict our author of acting contrary to every rational principle, is,
that the apostles not only were thus endued with the gift of tongues, and of working miracles themselves, but actually
communicated the power to others, in all the churches of their planting. *
What greater evidence could have been desired? Is not this evidence sufficient to convince every man, of a truly humble
and teachable temper of mind? And if so, who art thou, O child of the dust, that darest to prescribe degrees or forms
of testimony to thy Maker? Does thy belief add any thing to the happiness of him who made thee? Or does thy unbelief
render him less supremely blessed? Put thy hand on thy mouth, and thy mouth in the deepest dust, and cry with tears of
penitential contrition, guilty, guilty, before the Lord thy Creator!
Would our author have had the Saviour of the world to have remained on earth to this day, for the purpose of convincing
him of the truth, and thus saving him against his will? For although Christ had appeared after his resurrection to
every man in Jerusalem, nay even to all the then world, on the principle advanced in the Age of Reason, our author would
not have been obliged to believe, because he himself had not seen him. But, if the divine Saviour should even now appear
to him, as he did to another unbelieving Thomas, and show him his hands and
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* Vide 1st Rom. xi. - 2d Cor. chap. xii. v. 13 - Gal. 3d, 2d and 5th ver.
** Cor. ch. xii. and xiv.
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his sides, I have as great doubts of his assent to the truths of the Gospel, as the disciples had of the Jews, who
refused equal evidence, afforded them in infinite mercy by the benevolent Jesus, before they proceeded to the last
awful act of deliberate iniquity, by which they voluntarily entailed the vengeance of Heaven on them and on their
children. Both had the same reason for resisting the Gospel, because their deeds were evil. There is indeed one solemn
difference between them -- our author is an apostate from the truth, and that after having attempted to preach this
very Gospel to others, as the glad tidings of Salvation. This the Jews have not in the black catalogue of their sins. *
Did not the divine Redeemer, in the beginning of his mission, yield such sensible demonstration of his Almighty power,
as wrought conviction in devils and evil spirits? His first miracle was at a public marriage feast, where he turned
water into wine. Before his incomparable sermon on the Mount, he healed great numbers of all manner of diseases, in
presence of multitudes. When he entered into a city or village, how did the people at large flock to him "with their
sick and diseased, laying them in the streets, beseeching him, if they might but touch the borders of his garment, and
as many as touched him were made whole." The widow's son was raised to life in the presence of multitudes attending
him to the grave, when Christ accidentally met them; and Lazarus, after being buried four days, was resuscitated before
many of the Jews, who went with his sisters to the sepulchre; this was well known to the whole body of
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* It is said in the life of Thomas Paine, that he once professed to be a Methodist preacher.
[ 199 ]
Jews, and for which their council was desirous of punishing Lazarus with death. Jesus raised the ruler's daughter to
life, before a number of people playing on minstrels and making a noise, as was common in that country at the death
of people of note. These people had very much the temper of our author; for upon Christ's assuring them of her life,
they laughed him to scorn. It was very common for the people at large, of all characters and ranks, to bring their
lame, their blind, their dumb, deaf and maimed, and cast them openly and publickly in presence of all the people, at
Jesus's feet, and he healed them before them. He cast out an impure spirit in the midst of the congregation of the Jews.
At one time they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed, to whom Jesus, with divine authority, said,
"Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee."
This not being an object of sense, so as to be ascertained by external evidence, the scribes who were present charged
him with blasphemy: the benevolent Jesus, to leave them without excuse as to his divine power, and to establish a fact
not an object of sense, by one that was capable of the testimony of their senses, said to the sick man, "Arise, take
up thy bed, and go into thine house." This the man immediately did; and the multitude convinced by so extraordinary
a fact done in their presence, "marvelled and glorified God." After this, will any one wonder at the success of the
Gospel, under the preaching of the apostles, among a people thus informed of the facts on which their doctrines were
founded? At another time Jesus healed another paralytick, and commanded him to walk, in presence of the pharisees and
doctors of
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the law, the most bitter of his enemies; as he did a dumb man, possessed of an evil spirit, before the scribes and
pharisees. When he healed the woman of her issue of blood, the multitude pressed greatly upon him. Did he not feed five
thousand at one time, and four thousand at another, besides women and children, in a miraculous manner? A great number
were present, when he restored sight to the two blind men near Jericho. It is a remarkable confirmation of the
Almighty power of the blessed Jesus, that in no one instance, among the thousands that were brought to him, did he ever
fail in accomplishing the cure.
To prevent all suspicion of a combination between him and the diseased, did he not permit the devils to go into the
herd of 2000 swine, by which they all ran into the sea, and were destroyed? By this he gave as full and notorious
evidence of his absolute power over those infernal spirits, as any one could have, "of the ascension of a baloon, or
of the sun at noon-day." Was not this testimony complete, and conclusive to all the inhabitants of that region,
especially to those who were present and those who owned the swine? and yet there is no reason to believe, that they
became converts to the religion of the meek and humble Jesus, but rather that their opposition to him was increased;
for they "besought Jesus to depart from them." Was not this whole territory instructed by this visible operation of
divine power over the spirits of darkness and the rulers of the wickedness of this world, whose real existence and
subjection to the divine government, were thus undeniably taught in the most convincing manner; and yet by so plain and
public a miracle, were those, whom we may call type *
[ 201 ]
of our author, wrought upon to believe? -- No, as we before have observed, they besought the Saviour of mankind," to
depart from them;" and, as a just judgment for their unbelief, "he went into the ship, and returned back again,"
An objection might have been raised by infidels, that the diseased were employed to carry on an imposture; but with
the swine, all objections of this kind are obviated.
Even after the Jews had determined to put the innocent Jesus to death, did he not heal the lame and the blind in the
temple, before the scribes and pharisees, his greatest enemies? At the crucifixion, was there not darkness over the
whole land for three hours, as we have before observed, when the rocks were rent, and when the veil of the temple was
rent in twain from top to bottom.
What greater evidence of Almighty power, could even the sceptical mind of our author require, than these repeated acts
of Omnipotence? And yet did the chief priests, scribes and pharisees, believe on him? Or did they, for these very acts,
crucify the Lord of Glory? Could all these benevolent acts of mercy, and instances of unlimited power, have been
exceeded in weight of evidence, by the public appearance of Christ himself in the sanhedrim, after his resurrection?
Would not the same persons, who refused to believe his miracles and his heavenly doctrines before his death, and who,
being unable to deny them because of their publicity, attributed them to the power of Baalzebub, the prince of devils?
Would they not, on such on appearance after his resurrection, as some unbelievers have since, have alledged
[ 202 ]
that this appearance was that of a phantom, and not a reality? Did not his apostles publish these important facts,
and charge the Jewish government with their unbelief and the crime of murder, immediately in their presence, and before
all the people, who were witnesses to many of these facts? These the rulers did not attempt to deny, but charged the
benevolent author with being possessed by an evil spirit? Pharaoh hardened his heart more and more, as the demonstration
of the Almighty power under which Moses acted, increased to his view; so did the Jews; and so I suspect our author,
with most of his brethren in unbelief of the present day, would do again, under the like circumstances.
I have not forgotten that our author asserts, "That it is impossible for us now to know, who were the authors of these
historical facts; or that the books in which the accounts are related, were written by the persons whose names they
bear," What then? Does the want of the knowledge of the author of a history, render the facts reported doubtful, if
supported by good authority ? The conclusion is false; but we deny the premises from which it is drawn. The authors are
as well known, and better vouched, than the writers of the books called Cicero's Orations, or Caesar's Commentaries. *
Even our author himself, undertakes to give the character of Jesus Christ -- an
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* Shall we say, that the evangelic history was invented at pleasure? My friend, inventions are not made after that
manner; and Socrates' history, of which no body entertains a doubt, is not so well attested as that of Christ. Jewish
writers would have never fallen into that style, or that system of morality; and the Gospel has such strong and such
inimitable marks of truth, that the inventor would be more surprizing than the hero. Rosseau's Emilius, vol. ii. 86.
[ 203 ]
account of his life, death, and doctrines; yet it is impossible for him to have any other source of the knowledge of
these facts, but the sacred writings, which he declares "have every mark of fraud and imposition."
As well might he deny the existence of such a place as Rome, because he had never seen it. He acknowledges the
possibility of the whole system of Revelation, if it had pleased the Almighty to give it; yet rejects the evidence of
his having given it, because it was not given to him. "Divine communications, miracles and prophecies, are agreeable
to natural religion, and even seem necessary in the infancy of the world. Since God is a being of infinite justice,
mercy and bounty, according to natural religion, it is reasonable to expect, that if the deficiencies of natural
religion, or the inattention of mankind to the footsteps of his providence, were such at any time, as that the world
was in danger of being lost in ignorance, irreligion and idolatry, God should interpose by extraordinary instructions,
by alarming instances of judgment and mercy, and by prophetic declarations of things to come, in order to teach men his
power, his justice and his goodness, by sensible proofs and manifestations. We must not say here, that God could not
suffer this, but inquire from history, whether he has or not." *
Vain and arrogant mortal! examine every part of thine own life, and unbeliever as thou professedst thyself to be,
behold how thine existence from day to day, depends on thy living by faith, even in thy frail fellow-men. Arguments,
such as have been
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* Hartley on Man.
[ 204 ]
mentioned, are too shallow and contrary to every man's experience, to be admitted in things of such real importance.
Our author must have been very ignorant, even of the English writers on this subject, or he would have attempted to
show, that their elaborate reasonings and researches, were mistaken or inconclusive.
Is it possible that he could have published such a parade of declamation against the writers of the sacred history,
and so solemnly denied the authenticity of the books of the Old and New-Testament, had he read the learned and laborious
investigation, of the candid and instructive Lardner, in his credibility of the Gospel history; as well as a number of
other learned writers in the English language, who have so accurately traced up the sacred writings to their original
authors, with incomparable clearness and certainty. The investigations of these learned critics, cast more light on
and give greater evidence of the truth of these books, and their undoubted authenticity, than can be had of any other
writings of antiquity, * Even the unbelieving Thomas, and the persecuting Saul, are among the proselytes to the truth,
and propagators of these doctrines; for the confirmation of which, they also work miracles, and perform the most
wondrous acts, in which they themselves could not have been
__________
* The miracles of Christ were publickly appealed to by his apostles, a few days after his ascension -- they are
transmitted down to us by eye-witnesses and cotemporary writers, in well authenticated books, and they are supported
by the most credible testimony; that of a number of plain honest men, who sacrificed all worldly advantages, and life
itself, in attestation of what they advanced And we are to consider in these witnesses, their competency to judge of
the facts -- their integrity and benevolence to mankind -- not their learning, station, or opulence. -- Newcomb, 320,
[ 205 ]
deceived; and all this under the certain expectation of suffering the most fearful and cruel deaths on account of
these doctrines, which finally took place.
It is acknowledged, that these doctrines contain the purest morality ; and they universally profess the utmost
detestation of falsehood, even though it should be the means of saving life.
After the fatal end of others, and with their cruel sufferings in full view, under the deep impression of sharing the
same fate, we find members of the Jewish sanhedrim, scribes, and pharisees, giving up all the temptations of the present
life; and after them, senators, counsellors, princes, and other great men among all nations, inlisting into the service
of a crucified, but risen Master; and that, while the evidence was fresh in every man's mind, and proofs were at hand
to be resorted to, had facts been asserted contrary to the truth.
Thus we find, from the labours of twelve poor, illiterate, despised fishermen, the Gospel, contrary to all human
expectations and conclusions, but agreeably to the positive predictions of Christ and his apostles, in their lowest
state of humiliation, spreading itself from Judea as a centre, throughout the habitable world, from Britain to the
farthest India.
"The reception which Christ, his fore-runners, and followers, with their doctrines, have met with in all ages, is an
argument for the truth and genuineness of the Scriptures. This evidence does, as it were, embrace all the others, and
gives a particular force to them; for it will be a strong confirmation of all the evidences for the Jewish and Christian
religion, if we can show that the persons to whom they have been
[ 206 ]
offered, have been influenced by them as much as there was reason to expect, admitting them to be true, and far more
than could be expected, on supposition they were false. The most illustrious instance of this, is the victory which
the Christian miracles and doctrines, with the sufferings of our Saviour and his followers, gained over the whole
powers, first of the Jewish state, and then of the Roman empire, in the primitive times; for here all ranks and kinds
of men, princes, priests; Jewish and heathen philosophers; the populace, with all their associated prejudices from
custom and education; with all their corrupt passions and lusts; with all external advantages of learning; power,
riches, honour, and in short with every thing but truth, endeavoured to suppress the progress that Christ's religion
made every day in the world, but were unable to do it. Yet still the evidence was but of a limited nature; it required
to be set forth, attested and explained by the preacher; and to be attended to, and reflected upon, with some degree of
impartiality by the hearer; and therefore, though the progress of it was quick, and the effect general, yet they were
not instantaneous and universal. However, it is very evident, that any fraud or false pretence, must soon have yielded
to so great an opposition, so circumstanced." *
Every profession of Christians, must indeed acknowledge, that the whole stress of the Christian cause, rests on the
truth of our Lord's resurrection; and that therefore, all proper methods of convincing the world, was necessary upon
the occasion. "These
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* Hartley on Man.
[ 207 ]
were certainly used," (says an eminent writer) "by the good providence of God, without our Lord's appearing to his
mortal enemies, the rulers of the Jews. But allowing it had been consistent for him to have done so, yet the
unbelieving Jews, especially the chief priests and rulers, were of all men the most unworthy to have had an
extraordinary mode of conviction afforded them.
They had already despised the evidence that had been given them; and not only so, but maliciously imputed the plainest
miracles that ever were wrought, to the power and operation of the devil. They also attributed one of the greatest of
miracles, which he wrought in his life time, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, after he had lain in the tomb four
days, to an evil power, and for which they threatened to put him to death."
It is true, that our author endeavours to justify his unbelief, by saying more than once, "that he is not obliged to
believe a revelation, on the report of another; and, as Thomas would not believe without actual and sensible
demonstration, neither will he."
The Christian system forces no man's will. The consequence then is plain -- it is positive -- it is unavoidable in
any other way. If the Gospel is true, "He that believeth, shall be saved; but be that believeth not, shall be damned."
These are the words of the judge of the quick and the dead. Our author has made the awful choice. His eternal state
depends on the certainty of this revelation, which he will not believe on the report of others, however well vouched.
"If men will believe upon reasonable motives, they have sufficient means of Salvation allowed them;
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but if they will not believe without an immediate personal revelation, they are never like to have that in this world;
but in the next, God will reveal himself with terror and vengeance upon all the workers of iniquity. God doth, both
by nature and revelation, provide for the necessities, the welfare and happiness, but never for the humours and
peevishness of men: and those who will not be saved but according to some new way and method of their own, must be
miserable without remedy.
But if God should vouchsafe to make some immediate revelation of himself to these insolent offenders and blasphemers
of his name and authority, how can we be assured that they would be converted? Would they not rather find out some
pretence to persuade themselves that it was no real revelation, but the effect of natural agents, or of melancholy, or
of a disturbed imagination? For those who have so long, not only rejected (that were a modest thing) but derided and
reviled Moses and the prophets, nay the apostles and our Saviour himself, would not believe, though one should arise
from the dead." *
This extraordinary principle of conduct in a rational creature, with regard to things of eternal consequence, and to
whom life and immortality are offered by one, who claims a right to affix his own terms, is not peculiar to the
infidelity of our author. Neither is it the first time that this resolution has led its votaries to destruction;
although they have acknowledged that the doctrines they are required to believe, contain the purest and most benevolent
morality. One at first
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* Reasonab. of Christianity, vol. i. 18.
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sight would imagine that the sporters of this sentiment, thought, that by their belief, the teachers of our holy
religion, were to be personally gainers; and that the teachers were as ambassadors for Christ, beseeching them to be
reconciled to God, on account of some private benefit or emolument to themselves; and that the inestimable boon, was
to be conferred on the teacher instead of the pupil.
Alas! let me ask this profound philosopher with all his boasted reason, who is to be the sufferer in consequence of his
resolute determination, not to believe any revelation from God, on the well attested report of others, and not, unless
it is made to him personally -- and what is that revelation, which he is determined to reject with so much obstinacy?
Take his own words for an answer, which I again repeat, "a morality of the most benevolent kind, ever taught to man
and never exceeded by any."
Can our author give any rational assurance, that even if God should thus condescend, it would work conviction in his
sceptical mind and produce a firm belief in the doctrines of the Gospel. For my own part I must confess, that from his
present temper and disposition and judging from the conduct of his predecessors in unbelief, in the time of our Lord
and his apostles, I am fully convinced, he would not, and that the same obstinate mind would raise equal objections from
other quarters to avoid conviction. An additional reason to those already mentioned for this conclusion is, that
although our author has agreed, that Jesus Christ was "a virtuous character and preached the purest and most benevolent
morality," yet let me ask, has he conformed himself in his life
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and conduct to the moral precepts and excellent practices of Jesus Christ, which he thus gives credit to, as pure,
amiable and benevolent. If he has not, which I believe, from my personal knowledge of the man, he will not even pretend
to, I must in my turn indulge a principle of unbelief, that he would even submit to a revelation from God, made
personally to him, if it did not fall in with his carnal ideas and worldly expectations, unless it should also be
attended with the convicting influences of the spirit of God, to whom all things are possible.
Far be it from me to indulge an uncharitable tem-per towards any man, however we may differ in opinion; but I consider
myself founded in this conclusion by the experience of ages, and particularly by the conduct of many persons, under
similar circumstances, recorded in sacred history for our instruction. Did not Nebuchadnezzar receive ocular
demonstration, "equal to the ascending of a Baloon, or the sun at noon-day" when he cast Shadraeh, Meshach and Abednego
into a fiery furnace? when beholding the contempt which was put on all the effects of his rage and fury by the living
God, he was constrained to cry out "blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his angel and
delivered his servants that put their trust in him; and hath changed the king's commandment and yielded their bodies
rather than they would serve or worship any God save their own God; therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation
and language which shall speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, shall be drawn in
pieces and their houses made a dunghill:
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because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." -- And yet notwithstanding this extraordinary and
supernatural demonstration of the power of the God of Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego, was not the prophet afterwards
sent to Nebuchadnezzar, with this kind exhortation, "to break off his sins by righteousness and his iniquities by
shewing mercy to the poor?" What was the consequence? Did he not despise all these convictions arising from the long
suffering goodness of God and still boast "of his power and the honour of his majesty," despising the judgments and
warning of heaven, till "being driven from among men to dwell with the beasts of the field, and to eat grass, as oxen,
and become wet with the dew of Heaven till seven years should pass over him;" and till by this heavy indignation of
the wrath of God, he became humbled by the bitterness of contrition and repentance? and was led to declare, "now (after
all I have justly suffered) 1 Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of Heaven, all whose works are truth
and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase."
Thus was Nebuchadnezzar brought to reason and to act like a rational creature: and it affords a very useful lesson
to our author, if he will but hearken to the divine teachings of the spirit of God therein. But it may turn out with
him as it did with Nebuchadnezzar's successor, who disregarded all this ocular demonstration to all Babylon, and the
thousand kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar for seven years. -- Hearken for a moment to the language of Daniel to
Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Belshazzar, an abandoned prince. "O king! hear thou! the most high God gave unto
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Nebuchadnezzar thy father, a kingdom, and majesty, and honour, and glory: and for the majesty that he gave him, all
people, nations and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive;
and whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down; but when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in
pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: and he was driven from the sons of men;
and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; they fed him with grass like oxen,
and his body was wet with the dew of Heaven, till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that
he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou
knewest all this, but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of Heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house
before thee; and thou and thy lords; thy wives and thy concubines, have drank wine in them; and thou hast praised the
Gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand
thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified." *
Happy will it be for our author, if the severest judgment of God, even to eating grass like an ox, should be inflicted
upon him; provided it should be so sanctified, as to prevent the last awful sentence, "Thou art weighed in the balance,
and art found wanting." Alas! every day's experience proves the fact, "that for spiritual truth, there must be a spiritual
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* 5th chap. Dan. 18th to 23d ver.
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sense; and the scriptures call this sense, by the name of Faith; and teach that all men have it not; and that where
it is, it is the gift of God." *
If a gracious God, in his infinite mercy, for the sake of what his only beloved Son has done and suffered, thinks
proper to place offending man in a state to be saved, by making known to him his will, and the terms of access to him,
by which he shall finally attain to everlasting life; and this revelation is made through the medium of chosen witnesses,
who have laid down their lives in support of their mission; and they offer rational proof of these facts, such as is
more than sufficient to convince the mind in any human inquiry: and yet if one, who is to be solely benefitted by these
offers, obstinately and perversely refuses his assent, and insists on greater or different testimony, before he will
accept the terms of grace and mercy; ought he not as a rational being, to consider seriously, before it is too late,
what is most likely to be the issue of this unreasonable conduct? Is not the final destruction of such a person sure
and irretrievable? Art thou stronger than the Almighty; or is there any appeal from his righteous judgment ? Can a plea
of the want of further or different evidence, excuse in the day when thou shalt appear before his awful tribunal, to
render a reason why thou hast not believed on his only begotten Son, whom he hath sent into the world, with such proofs
of his divine mission, as he has thought proper as a sovereign God to give, and which it became every sinner, who was
earnestly seeking after truth, to have received with gratitude and thankfulness.
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* Jones.
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Go on, Sir, in your determination, with unbelieving Thomas of old, that you will not believe till you receive conviction
in your own way; but be not deceived into the expectation of Thomas's gratification, as you stand in a very different
predicament; but fear greatly, lest all conviction be withheld, till everlasting destruction shall work it in you, to
your eternal shame and reproach. *
In fine, "there can be no acquiescence in authority, by assenting to a proposition, whose truth we perceive from the
reason of the thing -- To such a proposition we should assent, though it were affirmed by the most fallible man; nay,
though he was not a man of truth; and consequently in the case of religion, it would be no manner of proof, that we
acknowledged the supreme authority and infallible veracity of God. This acknowledgment can only appear, by our assenting
to a proposition made to us by God, whose truth we do not perceive by any evidence from the nature of the thing; for
then we act upon the simple authority of God's affirmation; and our assent is an explicit acknowledgment of his absolute
veracity."
This short abstract of the resurrection and ascension of our divine Redeemer, as recorded by the evangelists, and the
observations that have naturally arisen out of the subject, are fully sufficient to satisfy any candid mind, of the
imposition, in point of facts, of
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* "There is a degree of evidence and of influence, to which we are not entitled. When a person acts against conviction,
and turns from the light, God does not always leave him in that state of twilight, but adds to his blindness, and brings
on a tenfold darkness. When people pervert their best gifts, they will be farther corrupted to their ruin; and those
who are guilty of wilful and obstinate folly, will be doomed to judicial infatuation. Bryant Obs. 379.
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our author's statement and inferences from the Christian theory, and the principal event on which it is acknowledged
to rest; and which, if the imposition has any effect, involves the everlasting interests of those who are thus deceived.
And now may we not, with great propriety, retort on our author his own unguarded language, "that his observations have
every mark of fraud and imposition stamped on the face of them;" and may add, that they are apparently designed to
mislead the young and unwary mind, into the fatal vortex of scepticism and infidelity.
Had my plan and leisure permitted, it might here have been shown, how fit and proper this glorious scheme of Salvation,
founded on the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, was to the distressing necessities of the ruined posterity
of Adam. Nay we might have gone farther, and proceeded to explain the advantages of it, not to our race alone, but to
all the inhabitants of the spiritual world -- that such is the infinite and incomprehensible nature of the great,
supreme, self-existent Jehovah -- the Being who necessarily is -- that finite beings, however exalted in their nature
or rank, cannot bear to contemplate the ineffable and unveiled glory of the divine essence, but through some medium,
by or in which, they might behold the divine image, in a manner consistent with their finite natures. That this was
done from the beginning, through or by the eternal Logos, or divine Word, under a visible form, in which he mediately
governs and directs the whole system of created intelligences, agreeably to the rules of eternal order.
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That angels and men having sinned, and thus introduced a principle of disobedience into the creation of God, which
must have proved of the most dangerous consequence to the whole extent of being; God of his infinite love and mercy,
to prevent the awful catastrophe, determined to show to all worlds, his in-finite disapprobation and abhorrence of sin.
It might well be expected indeed, that our author, with his incredulous temper, would have laughed at this doctrine of
original sin, and the defection of angels; but on his own system, let him otherwise account in a rational manner, for
the universal prevalence of evil, both in the moral and natural world -- the sufferings of infants, with those of the
best of men -- the fury of animals and their devouring each other -- the disregard and inattention in men to the great
First Cause; and the blasphemies of those who presumptuously deny the existence of any God but nature.
Speaking with the humility and reverence which becomes such imperfect creatures in pronouncing on the inscrutable
operations of God, we have reason to believe, that the disapprobation and abhorrence which the Supreme Governor of the
universe must necessarily entertain for all sin, could not have been shown with conviction to the celestial ranks of
angels and archangels, and the whole universe of intelligent beings, so well in any other way, as by the incarnation,
death and resurrection of the Logos, or only begotten Son of God. The divine nature cannot be capable of anger, wrath
or vengeance, which are predicable of it, merely in a metaphorical sense, to adapt language to the finite capacities
of mortal man, and
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therefore the effects of this unnatural breach of order, or disobedience to the righteous law of a holy God, were
manifested in the most striking and expressive manner, by the humiliation and sufferings of the sacred humanity of
the Son of God, as a voluntary substitute for the offending creature. This, though apparent to man, only in their
external infliction, were well known to the whole intelligent world of spirits, in his inward derelictions and
desolations when forsaken on the cross, and which are well calculated to affect their pure minds to all eternity.
The suffering Messiah known to the whole angelic host, as lying in the father's bosom from eternity, and as the great
object of their love and adoration from their first existence; and who alone was capable of knowing and contemplating
the Divinity in his pure essence, and who had seen the Father, being the express image of his person, and who thought
it no robbery to claim an equality with God: -- this glorious being, becoming an expiatory sacrifice and propitiatory
victim for the sins of the world, magnified the law of God; demonstrated his infinite justice and love to being in
general, and made it known to the universe, when he declared, "That God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten
Son, that whosoever should believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." All this fully proved the
infinite wisdom of the amazing plan, designed to subdue all things to, and keep them in the love of order and obedience,
discovering to men and angels "the exceeding sinfulness of sin," and the awful consequences of it, ever when the
sacred humanity of the
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eternal Son of God was to be the victim, as a substi-tute for the aggressor.
We might have shown further, that as far as we can see, if it had not been for this divine scheme of redemption, the
sinless inhabitants of the numberless worlds of spirits, would not have been made acquainted with the horrible nature
of transgression, or have been so well confirmed in an universal, invariable and absolute principle of obedience. Thus
it was, "that Mercy and Truth met together, and that Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other." "The astonishing
scene, probably, remains still deeply imprinted upon the minds of celestial spirits, and may to all eternity be an
everlasting proof of the wisdom and sanctity; the justice and goodness of God."
It might have been added, that no sooner had the awful scene of man's defection taken place, and the dark cloud of
destruction overwhelmed our guilty parents, than the love of God, "who delighteth not in the death of the sinner, but
would rather that he should repent and live," made known this only possible mode of restoration to his favour; and
perpetuated the blessed revelation, "by typical observances wherein men should kill a kid, a lamb, a dove, or an
unspotted male, the first born of some animal, as an emblem of the innocent, suffering Messiah -- this repeated
afterwards every year on a solemn day -- once every month on the first day -- once every week on the seventh day --
and twice every day, morning and evening, became a living memorial, and emblematic record of this supernatural divine
mystery." *
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* Philoioph. Prill.
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But alas! this would have been a dry subject, and unintelligible language, illy suited to the taste or comprehension
of our author, however his urgent necessities might require the inestimable knowledge of these glorious truths.
Let us, therefore, return to our answer, and again take notice of an objection of our author, which has been already
mentioned, but which is deserving of a more particular attention.
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