A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation Part 8

2. It cannot be denied, but that a part of mankind, at least, have believed, and still are believing in miracles and revelations which are spurious.

3. The facts on which revelation is predicated, are unlike every thing of which we have any positive knowledge.

If I rightly apprehend your meaning of "the whole ground" in which the scriptures seem to rest, a general view of which would be sufficient to support a belief in revelation, were it not for the three considerations above quoted; it occupies, at least, prophecies concerning a Messiah and the fulfillment of those prophecies by a Messiah, according to the account which we have in the New Testament.

As it will serve to circ.u.mscribe the bounds of our present reasoning, it is thought best to direct our inquiry to the consideration of the facts recorded in the New Testament, presuming if these be admitted, the prophecies will not be denied.

But have I not occasion, sir, to be surprised to find your first proposition adduced as evidence unfavourable to the christian scriptures? Was there ever a time when the world of human kind, both Jews and Gentiles, was more deeply involved in the darkness and stupidity of superst.i.tion than when the Messiah entered on his public ministry? If the doctrine of Jesus had been pleasing to the superst.i.tious Jews, if it had accorded with the idolatrous notions of the Gentiles, (which was impossible) if his Messiahs.h.i.+p had been espoused by both, and by their consent and influence had been handed down, and declared to have been evidenced by all the miracles recorded in the four Evangelists, do you not see that your first proposition would be of Herculean strength against this religion? On the contrary, it being well established, from unquestionable authority, that as St.

Paul observed, Christ crucified was a stumbling block to the Jews, and to the Greeks foolishness, the whole force of Jewish and Greek superst.i.tion, as it opposed, serves to strengthen the evidences of our faith.

Will you be so good as to read the account which is recorded of the miracle which Jesus wrought in giving sight to the man who was born blind, and inquire carefully from beginning to end for any thing that looks in the least as if the writer was endeavouring to write a falsehood in a way to have it deceive the reader. This request might, as I humbly conceive, be made in respect to any of the other miracles; but what I had in view, particularly when this subject came to my mind, was the following words, spoken by the pharisees to him who had been blind; "Thou art his disciple: but we are Moses' disciples. We know that G.o.d spake unto Moses; as for this fellow we know not from whence he is." Is it not plain from this as well as from many other scriptures, that in the same degree that the pharisees' superst.i.tion run in favour of Moses, it operated against Jesus? I know the objector may say, the Jews expected a Messiah; but then they did not expect such a character as was Jesus. They also expected Elias to come first, but they did not expect such a character as John. You, and all the world know that the protestant clergy in Europe and America used to pray for the downfall of the Pope; but when he was humbled, they all joined in fervent prayer to set him up again. How did this inconsistency happen? Answer: The way in which it pleased G.o.d to humble the Pope, was not the way which clerical wisdom and prudence had planned; and we all see now, that they are better pleased with the Pope and the Inquisition, than they were to have him lose his power in a way which endangered their own. Now, sir, if liberal principles do obtain, and if the cause of civil and religious liberty should finally triumph, in spite of popish and protestant clergy with monarchy united, do you believe that this triumph will ever be imputed to the superst.i.tion of king-craft and priestcraft? On the ground of your first proposition this would be your conclusion. The pharisees and those who adhered to them, built the sepulchres of the prophets, whom their fathers killed, and said; "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." These _holy_ men were sure that they were much better than their fathers who persecuted the prophets; they had no disposition to persecute; all the wealth in the world could not have tempted these _G.o.dly saints_ to kill a prophet of G.o.d. However, St.

Paul writing to the Thessalonians, says, "For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of G.o.d, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not G.o.d, and are contrary to all men." But the Jews would not have put Jesus to death if he had been a pharisee, and had not departed from their traditions and superst.i.tions. But he was not a pharisee, nor did he adhere to their superst.i.tions; and for this cause he was to them "a root out of dry ground." To them, he had no form nor comeliness, no, nor had he any beauty that they should discern him. Say, brother, is not this the superst.i.tion which you are urging as unfavourable to the evidences of christianity? And does not the pa.s.sage above quoted from Thessalonians go to prove what all ecclesiastical history as well as the New Testament proves, that the Christians were persecuted by the Jews and by the Gentiles? Did any thing but superst.i.tion ever persecute? It surely does not aim to build up that which it persecutes: and therefore in room of its being evidence against the genuineness of what it opposes, is justly admitted as a valid evidence in its favour.

It is well known that our Christian doctors, clergy, and laity have been long persuaded that a glorious day of universal peace and gospel light is not only promised, but fast approaching; and if their prayers have any influence, it is evident that the time is hastened by their means. All this looks very well, and a man would be thought to be impious, if not insane, who should intimate that these saints were superst.i.tous or illiberal, or that they possessed the spirit of persecution.--But what has been their spirit for, say, twenty-five years past towards a doctrine which teaches universal peace on earth and good will towards man? Is there any thing bad which they have not spoken against this doctrine? Have they not treated its preachers with all the contempt and even ridicule of which they were capable? Have they not used all their influence to keep the doctrine from being preached in their meeting houses, and have they not dealt with church members who have believed this benign doctrine of love, with excommunications attended with as many aggravations as they could invent? In a word, is there one bitter herb in all the ground which was cursed for man's sake, that has not been used against what is called the poison of this abominable heresy? If they had the power of the pope, if the inquisition were at their command, would they let such power lie dormant for want of zeal? Balaam smote his a.s.s with a _staff_, but said: "I would there were a _sword_ in mine hand, for now would I kill thee."

But after all that has been said and done against this doctrine of universal benevolence and grace, its progress confounds its enemies, encourages its friends, and calls to mind the parable of the mustard seed. Suppose for a century to come it should continue its advances according to what it has gained for the twenty-five years above mentioned, is it not evident that the knowledge of G.o.d would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea? But would any body then, being acquainted with the history of these times, think of making use of the superst.i.tion of our clergy to oppose the evidences of this doctrine?

Would such a one say, it is probable that in those times of superst.i.tion, the clergy who had great influence with the common people, might alter many pa.s.sages of scripture, and in room of using the word _elect_, interpolate the words _all men_? If I understand your argument, this is the use you make of superst.i.tion. But, sir, I am satisfied that the superst.i.tion of our times will be sufficient proof to future ages, that the scriptures which so abundantly prove the doctrine of universal salvation, were not the production of a superst.i.tious clergy who were known to oppose this doctrine with all their learning and influence.

Now if you please, you may indulge in strengthening your hypothesis, and prove by the faithful histories of different nations, that Jews, Greeks, and Romans were most stupidly superst.i.tious. Also that India, Turkey, and Arabia are now groaning under the ponderous weight of this vanity. Go on and enlarge on all that you have said, and point out all the superst.i.tions of which we read or know; show how powerful this superst.i.tion is in the human heart; how it renders its votaries blind to reason and the principles of moral truth; show how hard it is to break in upon this almost invincible phalanx; but consider, sir, the blacker you represent this cloud, the brighter you render the evidences of the religion of Jesus.

You need not be informed, what the Christian world all knows, that the doctrine of Jesus Christ, founded on the miracles recorded in the four Evangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles, was propagated among Jews and Gentiles, whose superst.i.tions, though various, rendered them both hostile to this new religion, and incited them to persecutions which subjected the "weak and defenceless disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus" to trials and sufferings, fears and temptations of which we can have but a faint conception.--The grand hypothesis on which the gospel was advocated, and by which it succeeded in obtaining vast mult.i.tudes of Jewish as well as Gentile converts, was the resurrection of Jesus, who was publicly executed on a cross by the Roman authority instigated by the rulers of the Jews. All this must be accounted for in a rational way. The facts are as well attested as any thing of which history gives any account. The four gospels have been commented on, and quoted, and adverted too by a greater number of controversial writers, than any other book of which we have any knowledge. The epistles of St. Paul when compared with the Acts and with each other have all the necessary characteristics of being genuine, and of relating nothing but realties.

You, sir, allow that the authority on which this religion rests, would be sufficient to support it, if it were not for the consideration of your three propositions, the first of which, I trust, you will acknowledge stands in its vindication.

Your second proposition may now be noticed.

That part of mankind have believed and still are believing in miracles and revelations which are spurious, we have no interest in denying, but we feel under no obligation to admit this fact as any evidence against Christianity, or of any force to counterbalance the evidences which stand in its favour. What would you think of such kind of reasoning as should contend, that as it is evident that many have been, and still are imposed on by counterfeit money, it justifies serious doubts whether there ever was any true money in the world?

Would you not reply, that as the counterfeit is entirely dependent on the true for its imposition, in room of being evidence that there is no true money, it demonstrates that there is?

It being well known, nor ever doubted by the friends or enemies of Christianity, that its founder and his apostles proved the divinity of their missions by miracles alone, it was nothing more than might be rationally expected, that impostors would rise up under those sacred pretensions, with a view to establish themselves. But if this religion of Jesus Christ, had not at first been built upon this foundation, impostors would never have thought of imposing on people with such pretensions. Impostors, therefore, together with all their deceptions, cannot, as I humbly conceive, be admitted as evidence _against_ the genuineness of the gospel, but in _favour_ of it.

As to Mahomet of whom you speak, I have always understood that he made no pretensions to miracles. He pretended to hold correspondence with the angel Gabriel, and to receive revelations from G.o.d in this way; but he never attempted to sanction his divinity by miracles; and indeed there was no need of this, for he declared he was commissioned from heaven to propagate his religion by the sword, and to destroy the monuments of idolatry. His kingdom was of this world, therefore did his servants fight; but they did not fight always alone, for he fought at nine battles or sieges in person, and in ten years achieved fifty military enterprizes. He united religion and plunder, by which he allured the vagrant Arabs to his standard. He a.s.serted that the sword was the key of heaven and h.e.l.l; that a drop of blood shed in the cause of G.o.d, a night spent in arms are of more account than two months of fasting and prayer. He a.s.sured those who should fall in battle, that their sins should be forgiven at the day of judgment, that their wounds would be resplendant as vermillion and odoriferous as myrrh, and that the loss of limbs should be supplied by the wings of angels and cherubim. But what you can find in Mahometism which in the least militates against the evidences of Christianity I know not. It is affirmed by writers, that he collected his ideas of G.o.d and of morals from the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.

From Mahomet you go to the conversion of Constantine, taking particular notice of the account given of his seeing the sign of a cross in the sun, &c. And as we are now on the subject of miracles, we must not forget the miracles of the _Shakers_ which seem to _shake_ your faith! Two _notable_ miracles you have honoured with a place in your epistle, or honoured your epistle with them, which, I shall not undertake to determine. A bridge fell with a horse on it, which fell with the bridge; the rider was a woman; by the fall several of her ribs were broken, and she was otherwise bruised; but she was miraculously recovered so as to be able to dance in one evening. A boy cut his foot, the wound bled profusely; the boy was miraculously healed in a few hours. These are the miracles; but whether mother Ann, or some of her elders performed these miracles you do not inform me.

It seems to be allowed that _most_ of these Quaker miracles are inferior to the miracles recorded in the New Testament, but not more inferior to them, than they are to the miracles of Moses.

Doctor Priestley, with his usual candor, endeavours to a.s.sign a natural cause for what Constantine saw, and you are inclined to his opinion, to all of which I have no objections to make; and I am by no means certain, that a proper attention to the pretended miracles of the Shakers, might not issue in a.s.signing a natural cause for them.

But however this may be, I cannot see how the matter affects our belief in Jesus Christ. Do you not discover a difference too wide between the case of Jesus and his doctrine, and Ann Lee and her principles to admit of the comparison which you seem inclined to make?

You have also mentioned the case of Mrs. A----'s seeing her husband and talking with him after he was dead, which you would draw into the same comparison. That Mrs. A---- may have satisfactory evidence of her having seen and conversed with her husband since his death, I am not at all disposed to dispute; but here the matter ends. G.o.d has not seen fit to endue her with the power of working miracles. If this woman should come into a public a.s.sembly and work astonis.h.i.+ng miracles before all the people as an attestation of her having seen her husband, and you and I should be present, and see these marvellous things with our own eyes should we doubt the woman's testimony?

I have already, in a former communication shown that the declaration of the apostles of the resurrection of Jesus, until it was accompanied with power from on high, was never even communicated to the public, or ordered to be communicated. But in fact the disciples were strictly commanded to tarry at Jerusalem until the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Constantine would have had no occasion to depose under the solemnity of an oath, concerning the sign of the cross, &c. if he had had power to evidence his declaration by miracles. If Ann Lee's disciples will heal the sick, restore the lame, and raise the dead in so public a manner that the people at large may know these facts, then, sir, they will no longer need to purchase poor children in order to increase their societies. And if G.o.d should see fit to call me from my wife and children by such evidences as these, I hope I should not disobey his divine mandate.

But will you reply, that miracles having ceased, we have no right to expect them? In return it may be asked, how we are a.s.sured that miracles are not now necessary as they were twenty or thirty years ago? Will you retort this question and ask why miracles are not now as necessary to evince the truth of christianity as in the days of Jesus and his apostles? To this we reply: the miracles on which the gospel was founded, or propagated, were of the most extraordinary kind; they were of extensive publicity, and of ocular notoriety; they were vastly numerous, extending to the infirmed of all descriptions; and they were continued long enough to answer the purpose for which they were intended.

You will feel satisfied that the _enemies_ of Jesus and his apostles knew for certainty, that those miracles wrought by them were realities; and that they, in room of imputing them to the divine agency, violated their own reason, by referring to an evil agent such power and acts of goodness; I say you will feel satisfied of all this, if you will set down and read all the accounts relative to this subject, in the four gospels, carefully regarding this question: Do these writers discover any marks of deception or fraud?

In no instance do the evangelists betray the least anxiety for fear what they relate will not be credited. Even when they pen the astonis.h.i.+ng miracles of which they pretend to be eye witnesses, they make no pause to clear up any thing; but tell the whole as if the whole was publicly known. In a word, this history, this sacred testimony, carries its own competent evidence within itself.

It has been noticed by those who have written on this subject, as evidence that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were the real authors of those books which bear their respective names, that a great many pa.s.sages are alluded to or quoted from the evangelists, exactly as we read them now, by a regular succession of Christian writers, from the time of the apostles down to this hour; and at a very early period their names are mentioned as the authors of their respective gospels; which is more than can he said of any other historian whatever. See Lardner and Paley. I will not call up Ann Lee in this place, but I will suppose an attempt should be made now in New-England to convince Trinitarians of the error of supposing there are three persons in the G.o.dhead. This shall be undertaken by men who are wicked enough to attempt to deceive by pretended miracles. One is selected as a leader, and the others to the number of twelve profess to be his followers.

The leader pretends to a revelation from G.o.d, the substance of which is, that Jesus Christ is a created being and dependent on the Father.

This doctrine he preaches and directs his followers to go into every town in New-England and proclaim this truth to the people, and exhort them to repent of their former doctrine and turn to G.o.d. This impostor pretends to work miracles in confirmation of his divine mission; and also pretends to give his disciples power to work miracles. He informs his friends that he is to lose his life and that they must lose their's, in order to establish this doctrine. Stop, we have come to an absurdity. Who would undertake to deceive their fellow creatures for no other reward than the loss of their lives? But let us pursue on.

This leader pretends to give sight to blind people, to heal the sick with a word, and to raise the dead. It is reported all round the country that many such cases have actually taken place; that the blind do receive their sight, the sick are raised to health at once, and one man in particular who was dead four days, has been called out of his grave. People now are waked up; many believe the reports; thousands are flocking from place to place to hear this man and to see his miracles. In this case who would be most likely to place themselves very near to this pretender? Who would one expect to find near his person? Answer, some of the Trinitarians; chosen ones too; men of sound judgment, and who could be depended on as able to detect any fraud. How long is it reasonable to suppose these pretensions could possibly continue with any success? It may be asked likewise, whether all honest, reasonable, and candid Unitarians would not express their abhorrence of such pretensions? Are you, sir, of opinion that such a fraud could possibly be managed in a way to insure success? A moment's reflection is sufficient to put the question to rest.

But we will still pursue our supposition. The Trinitarians enter a complaint against this teacher, to the authorities, alleging that he is guilty of treason; he is arrested, convicted, and publicly executed. At the time of his arrest his disciples all forsake him, and one being found near him denies that he knows the man. All is over now, and people go about their common avocations; once in a while a word or two may be dropped on the subject of the impostor, but the thing is dying away, till all at once the twelve disciples of him who was executed came boldly before the public and proclaim the resurrection of their leader, charge the rulers of the people of having murdered him, and declare that G.o.d has raised him from the dead, and appointed them to be witness of this to the people, and to preach Unitarianism. What would be thought of these men? Would the doctrine of the divine unity be likely to triumph over its opposite, the Trinity, by the preaching of the twelve? Would there be any attention paid to these men, except by authority, to disperse them and cause them to desist from such madness, and go about some honest business? But now they pretend to work miracles in confirmation of the truth of the resurrection! Enough. Suppose, sir, I should tell you that I believe such pretensions might be so managed as to succeed completely, would you not reply, that the success of such pretensions being altogether a fraud, would itself be as great a miracle as is recorded in scripture, with the addition of absurdity? You will remember that you suggested that it would require a miracle to dissuade me from my belief; and I hope you will see that you must believe in a miracle in order not to believe with me!

Will you say that the foregoing does not come to the difficulty, that the question is, was not the account we have of those things in the gospels, forged long since the days in which they are represented to have taken place? Then, sir, in room of the above supposed fraud, undertaken to propagate _Unitarianism_, you may take the supposition of a forged book published by the friends of that doctrine, in which just such a story is told of the first propagations of the sentiment as is told in the New Testament of Jesus and his apostles--and the Trinitarians shall be made to act the part of the old pharisees. Can you, sir, conceive that the book would meet with any better success than the impostors themselves? Would our learned doctors of the Trinitarian school be silent while such a book was in circulation?

Would they suffer it to be handed down to posterity unanswered and unrefuted? Would they see their churches imposed on in this way, their doctrine sat at nought, and this most extravagant imposture obtain credit? Ask likewise on the other side; would honest Unitarians pay any attention to such a book? Would they impose on their fellow creatures in this way? Would they instruct their children to believe what they knew to be a lie?

It should be kept in mind that when the gospels were written and for more than two hundred years afterwards, christianity was hated and persecuted beyond what we can easily conceive, by the emperors of Rome and their wicked governors, who being authorized by special edicts for that purpose put to the most cruel tortures and horrid deaths the followers of Jesus. The superst.i.tious priests of heathen idols, were constantly active with all possible inventions calculated to excite jealousies and sharpen the edge of persecution against a doctrine that was calculated to subvert their order and demolish their temples. It was not until A. D. 311, that Maximin Galerius, who had been the author of the heaviest calamities on the christians, published a solemn edict, ordering the persecution to cease, which his indescribable horrors and painful sickness compelled him to do. The next year Constantine, and his colleague Licinius granted to the christians a full power of living according to their own laws and inst.i.tutions.

For nearly three hundred years then the gospel ministry, founded on miracles, which, if not real, were as easily detected as any falsehood whatever, was oppressed by cruel edicts acted upon by the bitterest enemies. Where was all the boasted learning of this learned age? Where was all the sagacity of the sagacious? Could not a priesthood, for ages improved in scarcely any thing but imposition and fraud, succeed in detecting pretensions, which, if not real, were too grossly absurd to impose on the most artless?

You, sir, are entirely right in saying you cannot prove this christian revelation and the miracles on which it was founded, false. For if this could ever have been done, there can be no reasonable doubt that it would have been by its enemies in its first rise; but the day is past for the detection of this fraud, if it be one; for the age in which all the means of detection were in possession of its enemies, has long since pa.s.sed away and those means are lost. The imposition, possessed at first of no solidity, might have been blown into the air with a breath of common sense, has magnified and petrified till it promises to fill the whole earth, and is as hard as an adamant.

We hear of no writer's undertaking to disprove Christianity till about one hundred years after the apostles' day, when Celsus wrote a violent work against the Christians, who were, at the same time, suffering severe persecutions. But this author, though a bitter enemy to Christ, allows his miracles; but like the old pharisees imputes them to a different power from that of G.o.d. Why should this enemy of Jesus, his religion, apostles and followers allow those miracles?--It seems that there can be no good reason for this unless they were realities. You say, "that no miracles or revelations that have come down to us are supported by so good authority as those recorded in the New Testament, I admit." But how can you conceive of _any good evidence_ of such miracles as are recorded in this book? We have no account of any testimony under oath that they were realities. And even if we had, could the solemnity of an oath be admitted as good evidence? I think not. Indeed there was no authority that would allow the apostles to depose in favour of the resurrection of Jesus; but there were no authorities that could prevent their bearing a mere convincing testimony. I have endeavoured heretofore, to show that there can be no good evidence of such a fact as the resurrection, which is capable of being refuted; and I will here add, of admitting reasonable doubts of the fact, in the mind. It is a question which properly belongs to this subject, and which should be often called up, whether the evidences of the resurrection were not as strong as they could have been, both to the disciples and to those who believed on Jesus through their testimony; and furthermore, whether we can conceive how the evidences could have been stronger on which we believe, without perpetual miracles, which not only seems an absurdity, but would, if as powerful as they were at first, preclude the exercise of our reasoning faculties and the necessity of investigation, which is one of the most rational enjoyments of which we are capable.

I grant, if the vulgar error, that our eternal salvation depended on our being correctly acquainted with this subject, were true, it would follow, of course, that the least difficulty in the way of our knowing the whole matter, might be attended with fatal and awful consequences.

And for myself, should I adopt the popular opinion that those who go out of this world not understanding the doctrine, or believing in Jesus Christ, must hereafter be forever excluded from the blessed immortality which is brought to light through the gospel, it would be difficult for me to account for the least obscurity nameable, and much more difficult would it be to account for the limited circle in which divine truth has been caused to s.h.i.+ne. But I have before intimated that the consequences of our unbelief here, can with no more propriety be carried into an eternal state, than the consequences of our ignorance of any science. It is derogatory to the sacred loveliness of divine truth, either to promise any further reward to those who seek and find her than the enjoyment she brings to the soul in her own native sweetness, or to threaten those who neglect so divine a treasure with any other inconvenience than the loss of such felicity during their foolish neglect.

It becomes the philosopher and perhaps more the christian to exercise patience, but patience is sometimes tried with the bigotry and nonsense of the self-righteous, self-wise, and self-knowing, who profess the religion of Christ, yet stand tiptoe, like James and John, to call fire from heaven to consume all who do not receive their master. But the true spirit of our religion rebukes such blind zeal and foolish arrogance, by showing that such a disposition is the malady which the gospel is designed to cure. While the Christian clergy have spent their breath and wore out their lungs in anathematising with eternal vengeance, those whom they call infidels, have been worse than infidels, and brought a greater stigma on the name of Jesus, than his open enemies from _Celsus_ down to T. Paine. I would by all means except from the above remark a goodly number who have done honour to our religion by treating its opposers, as its spirit dictates, with candor and sound argument well mingled with divine charity.

Indeed I think I see much reason to look on what is called infidelity, with a charitable disposition for this plain reason, it has greatly contributed to enlighten the Christian commonwealth, by calling into action the very best of human abilities and directing them to search for the true grounds on which our faith securely rests.

I hardly know how I ought to reply to what you say about the persecution of Stephen, &c. At one time you write as if you would doubt the authenticity of those New Testament accounts; then again you advert to them for a.s.sistance. But why should you go over such ground, on which so much depends, as if you did not realize that the subject was worthy of a pause for consideration?

When you advert to the martyrdom of Stephen by a mob, (which by the way was _the council_), you take no notice of the cause of his being arrested, accused or condemned.

Let reason and candor look at the account. "And Stephen full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Celicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist, &c. Then they suborned men, which said, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against G.o.d. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and come upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, which said, this man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Then said the high priest, are these things so?" Here follows that admirable speech of Stephen before the grand council of his nation, which defies all conjecture of forgery, and enraged his enemies against him. And they stoned him for pretended blasphemy. The concluding clause of this speech is particularly worthy of notice.

"Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the just one; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers; who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." Now, sir, is there any more evidence for believing that there was such a man as Stephen stoned according to the above account, than for believing that he was stoned by the authority of the council, and for what is here set forth?

This council which put Stephen to death, was the same before which Peter was arraigned on account of the miracle wrought on the impotent man; which according to Dr. Hammond was the Sanhedrim.

But you seem much engaged to prove that martyrdom does not prove the truth of a belief for which the martyr dies. Here you have not been careful to distinguish cases. A _Papist, who has been brought up to believe in the divine presence_, might perhaps suffer death rather than renounce it; and yet we should not consider this sufficient to prove the doctrine of _transubstantiation_; but no candid person would doubt the _sincerity_ of the martyr. But why should we hesitate to believe the doctrine for which he suffered? Answer, the doctrine is not a subject of which he could have positive knowledge. He could not be eye nor ear witness of the fact. But the testimony for which the disciples of Jesus suffered, was a testimony concerning a matter of fact, of which their eyes and ears could take proper cognizance; and if their sufferings are allowed to prove their sincerity, then it is granted that they believed in the resurrection of Jesus. If the entire unbelief of the disciples in the resurrection could be overcome, and they brought to believe that they saw Jesus and talked with him, and ate with him, and were frequently in his company after his resurrection, for forty days; and if they were willing to suffer persecution and death rather than desist from troubling the people with this testimony, it appears to me that reason will allow that this is, at least, some evidence of the truth of this astonis.h.i.+ng fact; though this was not the evidence which carried conviction to so many thousands of the Jews as well as of the Gentiles. This we have before shown was the manifestation of the mighty power of G.o.d in the miraculous wonders which G.o.d wrought by the apostles.

You speak of the honour, which was no doubt attached to the martyrdom of Stephen, as being an inducement to others to submit to this example, &c. You hereby allow that the testimony for which he suffered was surely believed, otherwise no honour could attach to those who suffered for it. Why then do you not attempt to show the probable ground on which this testimony was erroneously believed?

I humbly conceive that your observations which regard to the uprightness of the apostles are too indefinite. You say, "This much, however, I believe, and of this much I have no doubt, that Paul and the other apostles were convinced of the truth and the salutary effects of the moral precepts which had been taught and preached by Christ; and they were willing to preach and enforce them by all the means in their power, even at the risk of their lives," &c. And this you think, "const.i.tuted them wise and good men." Here, sir, do you not leave room for the notion that the apostles would enforce their moral doctrine with the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus and their pretensions to miraculous powers, when they had no belief in the former, and knew the latter to be an imposition? If these men endeavoured to enforce any principles by practicing such impositions, however pure those principles were, these men were vile impostors, and merited all their sufferings. I solemnly protest against the wisdom or goodness of any man who is an impostor.

I proceed to notice your third proposition, which is as follows:

"3. The facts on which revelation is predicated are unlike every thing of which we have any positive knowledge." "Of the truth of this proposition," you say I "must be sensible." You must indulge me, sir, in saying that you have made a mistake. I am insensible of the correctness of your statement. The FACTS on which the Christian faith is predicated, are of that description which come within the observation of the outward senses of men.

I know of no fact on which Jesus called the people to rest their faith, that they could not as easily judge of, through the medium of their senses as of any facts in nature. See John v. 36, "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." 10th, 24th, 25th, "Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, how long doest thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." 37th, 38th, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him."

All the works of which Jesus spake, were such as the people could know and examine by seeing and hearing, and concerning which there was no necessity of their being ignorant or imposed upon. See the account of John's sending two of his disciples to ask Jesus if he were the Christ. Luke vii. 20, &c. "When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus, answering, said unto them, go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." Of such facts the people were capable of judging, and on such facts the Messiahs.h.i.+p of Jesus rested. And furthermore, it was on such facts that the testimony of the apostles concerning the resurrection of Jesus rested. Now it is evident that those facts on which divine revelation is predicated, are like facts of which we have positive knowledge, in all respects as it regards the case of knowing them. It was just as easy for people to know those things, as it is for us to know the things which are familiar to our senses.