b

glected and despised all honours and wealth, all worldly reputation or fame: yea, they forefaw and expofed themfelves to the greatest hazards and contempt, in publishing the holy gospel, and fuffered cruel torments, and most of them death, to bear witness to the truth of all they preached. Therefore, they could have no defign, but to publifh the will of God, in obedience to Chrift, and in hopes of a reward hereafter.

There may have been fome, indeed, who have died in a falfe belief, or for a mistaken opinion; but it is not credible that a great number of perfons fhould die, or fuffer fo much, in confirmation of what they knew to be falfe, without any profpect of advantage, either to themselves or others. Nor can it be reasonably supposed, that St. Paul (the author of so many of the epiftles) who had been fo zealous a perfecutor of the Chriftian church, would on a fudden become fuch a cham.pion for the fame, and hazard his life to establish it, on any other motives or defign, than to manifeit the truth in obedience to Chrift.

Further, not only Christians, but even Jewish and Pagan hiftorians confirm the hiftory of Christ, and the Chriftian religion. Jofephus, a Jewish writer, (foon after the deftruction of Jerufalem, which was about forty years after Christ's afcenfion) mentions "that good man John the Baptist, his preaching, and exhorting the people to the study of virtue and piety, and to be baptized; and his being put to death by Herod; and alfo James the brother of Jefus, who was called Chrift ." These teftimonies are the more confiderable, because Jofephus mentions them with fome remarkable circumstances

b Mat. xvi. 24, 25. Acts xi. 22. eh. 7. and book xx. ch. 8.

Antiq. book xviii.

And

cumftances of matters of fact at that time, in his own nation; as that fome of the Jews were of opinion, that Herod's impious action of killing John Baptift, was followed with a divine vengeance on him, being routed in a battle by Aretas. further, that there arofe a fort of a national quarrel between Albinus, the appointed governor of Judea, and Ananias the high-prieft, on the fcore of the high-pricft's condemning of James the brother of Jefus, who was called Chrift; and that Ananias was removed from the high-priesthood. As for that other account of the fame author, "concerning one Jefus a wife man, (if yet it be "lawful to call him a man,) his miracles, cruci"fixion under Pontius Pilate, refurrection the "third day, his numerous followers, both Jews. "and Gentiles, (as profelytes) and the race of "Chriftians who are fo called from him," and (which he fays) were remaining in his time: However this latter paffage has been queftioned by fome, it is fufficiently vindicated, and fhewn to contain nothing but what might be related by Jofephus, who has given fo full an account of John Baptift, and James the brother of Chrift. On the contrary, it would be ftrange that fo accurate an hiftorian, giving fo particular a relation of the affairs of his country, fhould not mention that of Chrift, when (as we fhall fee) the Gentile hiftorians do it. Nor is this account of Chrift improperly inferted in the place where we find it, not difagreeing with what goes before, and follows after, as is pretended. For, in the former part of the fame chapter, Jofephus

a Ibid. See Dr. Cave's Hiftor. Literaria, tom. II. Jofephus, and the first discourse on Jofephus before L'E frange's Verfion.

fephus treats of the Jewish affairs under Pilate whence he very properly proceeds to mention Christ, what he did and fuffered, under his government: which (he fays) happened about the fame time f Again, what follows in this chapter feems lefs to appertain to Pilate's hiftory, than this period concerning our Lord. Sure it is, that in this whole chapter Jofephus' intent was to relate the tranfactions during Pilate's procuratorfhip, although happening at different feafons: Neither doth he affirm this relation of his, concerning Christ's refurrection and miracles, as being the subject of his own belief, but as what was related and credited by the Chriftians, his followers, at that time.

And as Jofephus, a Jew, fo Tacitus, a Heathen hiftorian, within lefs than a hundred years after the death of Christ, wrote of him as being the author of the Chriftian name, and put to death by Pontius Pilate the procurator, in the reign of g Tiberius. And Pliny, about the fame time, wrote an account to his mafter, the emperor Trajan, as of other matters, fo concerning Chriftians; and in particular, that they were wont to affemble together on a fet day, and fing hymns to Chrift as God". Alfo Suetonius, another Pagan hiftorian, about the fame time too, tells us, that the emperors drove away the Jews, and punished the Chriftians, on account of their profeffion of Chrift.

Likewife this obfervation may be added, viz. that the doctrine of Chriftianity was in itself very offenfive, both to the Jews and Gentiles, (which to be fure was a great obftacle to their converfion ;) VOL. I.

f Book xviii. chap. 4. fiol. lib. x. epift. 97. Nerone, ch. 16.

Ꮐ

to

Annal. lib. xv. ch. 44. Epih Suetonius in Claudio, ch. 25. et

to the Jews by reafon of Chrift's mean appearance, the debafing of their law and traditions, and equalling the Gentiles title to God's favour with theirs. Whereas they expected the Meffiah to be a great prince; that the law of Mofes (which had been established by God himfelf) was to continue for ever; and that themfelves were the chief favourites of heaven. Nor were the doctrines of Christianity lefs offenfive to the Gentiles, by the apoftles preaching up one invifible deity, a refurrection, a fpiritual worship, and fevere morality, as charity, fobriety, &c. Furthermore, the Roman governors endeavoured with their utmost craft and ftrength, by the moft fevere perfecutions, and even new-invented methods of torment, to prevent its spreading. And, at the fame time, the Heathen priests being provoked by the defertion of their altars, animated the world against the profeffors of it. Yet the truth of the gospel was fo convincing in thofe times (except where prejudice, intereft, and luft darkened men's reafon and judgment,) that the aforefaid Pliny (in the fame epiftle) intimates to the emperor, that "there were a great number of Chriftians, of both "fexes, and of all ages and degrees, and that "not only in the greater cities, but in the villages "and hamlets; infomuch that the temples of the "Heathen gods were almoft deferted, and their "folemn rites for a long time difcontinued." So evident and undeniable was the demonftration of the divine authority of the Chriftian religion, that it was able to overcome the ftrongest prejudices of fo great a number of people, and make its way through all dangers; and this was acknowledged by the greatest and wifeft hiftorians of those times. So that upon the whole, there cannot be a better

a better or clearer evidence for what we most affuredly believe to have been done; and one may as well fufpect the truth of any or all the hiftories of the world, as that of the holy fcriptures. Therefore, as we believe any thing before our time, so we have moft reafon to believe the hiftory of the Holy Bible, and particularly the New Telta

ment.

After all, fome may fay, it seems plain enough, that there are fufficient grounds for our undoubted belief of the truth of fcripture, as to matters of fact there recorded. But how does it follow, that the doctrine delivered in the fcripture is divine, and came from God? It is anfwered,

Thirdly, The doctrine itself contained in the holy fcriptures, and its tendency to holiness, peace, and true happiness, fufficiently fhew it was no contrivance of man, but that a wife and good God was the author of it. So for the New Teftament, in particular, the Chriftian doctrine was not fuited to humour any order or condition of men, as it would have been, if it had been a contrivance of the apoftles. For, as hath been already intimated, it directly croffes the notion which the Jews had of a triumphant and princely Meffiah, when the founder of it, the true Meffiah, was declared to be Chrift crucified. It also further enraged the Jews, because their ceremonial law was cried down, and the Gentiles were declared to have an equal title with them to God's favour. And the Gentiles themselves were as highly offended, because they were accufed of idolatry, and the impurities of their religious rites laid open and condemned. The Chriftian doctrine does not comply with the ambitious man's defire of honour, nor the mifer's hunting after wealth, nor the voluptuous or debauched

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