body, and duos for it's setting. Thus the passage may mean-we saw this star from it's very first appearance, at the moment when it began to shine in the heavens; and it's position appeared to us to mark it's relation to Judea. And this learned writer, moreover, informs us, that the professors of astrology (and such perhaps were these Magi) were accustomed to assign certain spaces of the heavens, in their calculations to certain correspondent regions of the earth."Ad exortum ejus, sive, quum oriretur: Huc facit, 1. quòd Græcis “ astronomis ortus stellarum dicitur ἀνατολὴ, et, ἐπιτολή (ut ἀνα“Toλn nie, ortus solis, Apoc. 7. 2.) et occasus earum, dúois: 2.

quòd oriens, sicut et occidens, plur. num, ávaroλal et dvopai, "plerumque exprimuntur, Matt. 8, 11, et 24, 27. Luc. 13, 29. Cre"dibile est, apparuisse hanc stellam in ea cœli parte, quæ consensu astrologorum ad Judæam pertinuit, ut solent ab ejus artis profes“soribus terrarum regiones certis cœli spatiis ascribi: Quæ dico, "non quod superstitiosis ariolationibus patrocinari cupiam, sed quòd “ arbitrer Deum ità res disponere, ut ea, quæ, sive jure, sive injuriâ, "magni apud homines fiunt, interdum trahat iu veri testimonium."

Pol. Synop. Crit. Tom. IV. in Matt. cap. ii. 2.

NOTE 3.-The testimony of Chalcidius, relative to the appearance of this luminous body: translated in page 496, of the preceding Lecture. The passage is thus extracted and quoted by the author whose remarks form the substance of the former note.

est,

Testimonium CHALCIDII PLATONICI (modò yo sit) appositum "Sanè notanda est," inquit, "alia sanctior et venerabilior his"toria quæ perhibet de ortu stella cujusdam, non morbos mortésque “denunciantem, sed descensum Dei venerabilis ad humanæ conversa“tionis, rerúmque mortalium, gratiam; quam stellam cùm nocturno "itinere suspexissent Chaldæorum profectò sapientes, viri, et conside"ratione rerum cœlestium satis exercitati, quæsísse dicuntur recentis "Dei ortum, repertáque illá Majestate puerili, venerati esse, et vota ❝ Deo tanto convenientiu nuncupasse."

Poli Synopsis Crit. Tom. IV. in Matt. cap. ii. 2.*

• I had quoted, upon the same authority, an extract from Pliny, relative to the appearance of a comet: but upon a reference to the historian himself, I discovered that his remark related to "comets in general, and had no refe

NOTE 4.-Testimony of Josephus to the cruel disposition of Herod manifested especially in his last moments; noticed and translated in page 498, of the preceding Lecture.

Προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ Σαλώμην τὴν ἀδελφὴν και τὸν ἄνδρα ταύτης Αλεξαν, σε διδα;” ἔφη, “ Ιεδαίας τὸν μὲν ἐμὸν ἑορτάσονας θάνατον, «δύναμαι δὲ πενθῖσθαι δ' ετέρων, και λαμπρὸν ἐπιτάφιον σχεῖν, ἂν ὑμεις θελήσητε ταῖς εμαῖς ἐντολαῖς ὑπεργῆσαι. τὰς δὲ τὰς Φεβρο

σε

μένως ἄνδρας, ἐπειδὰν ἐκπνεύσω, τάχισα κτείνατε περιστήσαντες σε τις στρατιωτας, ἵνα πᾶσα Ιεδαία, και πᾶς οἶκος, ἄκων ἐπ' ἐμοὶ δακρύσῃ.”

σε

Jos. de Bello Jud. Tom. II. lib. i. cap. xrriii. pag. 1041.
Hudsoni edit.

In his Antiquities of the Jews, he relates the same fact, with this addition :

Και ὁ μὲν μετὰ δακρύων ποτνιώμενος, και τῶ συγγενῶς τὴν εὔνοιαν και πίσιν τῷ Θείε προσκαλῶν ἐπέσκηπλε μὴ ἡτιμῶσθαι ἀξιῶν. κᾀκεῖνοι ὡμολόγων & παραβήσεσθαι.

Joseph. de Antig. Jud. Tom. II. lib. xvii. cap. vii.

γ. 769.

Hudsoni edit.

Josephus might well add, that he was a man totally alienated "from humanity"-and express his surprise that his thirst of blood should remain in those last moments, when most men are disposed to bury even the injuries which they have received in eternal oblivion! His family had the humanity to break their vow to him; and immediately upon his death set their illustrious prisoners at liberty.

NOTE 5.-Testimony of Josephus to the life, the sufferings, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ: as also of the unshaken attachment of his followers to him.

**rence to any particular event." The criticism of the Monthly Review, led to this examination; and I am convinced they are right. I wish the work had been reviewed, by these critics, before the second edition had been so far advanced as to allow me little opportunity to avail myself of their liberal remarks upon my volume. It is not the first time I have been deceived by authority which appeared to me unquestionable: but at the moment of sending out the first edition, I had not a Pliny at hand; and thought I might rely upon such a writer as Foole: I have been deceived; and in this, as in every instance, am ready to retract, when I am convinced of any mistake.

Γίνεται δὲ κατὰ τῦτον τὸν χρόνον Ιησές, σοφὸς ἀνὴρ, ἔιγε ἄνδρα αυτὸν λέγειν χρή. ἦν γὰρ παραδόξων ἔργων ποιητὴς, διδάσκαλος ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἡδονῇ τἀληθῆ δεχομένων· και πολλὲς μὲν Ιεδάιες, πολλὲς δὲ και το Ελληνικῇ ἐπηγάγετο. ὁ Χριστὸς ἔτος ἦν. και αὐτὸν ἐνδείξει τῶν πρώτων ἀνδρῶν παρ' ἡμῖν, σταυρῷ ἐπιθετιμηκότος Πιλάτε, ἐκ ἐπαύσαντο οἴγε πρῶτον αὐτὸν ἀγαπήσανες. ἐφάνη γὰρ αὐτοῖς τρίτην ἔχων ἡμέραν πάλιν ζῶν, τῶν θείων προφητῶν ταυτά τε και ἄλλα μυρία θαυμάσια περὶ αὐτὰ εἰρηκότων. εἰς ἔτι νῦν τῶν Χριστιευων ἀπὸ τῶδε ὠνομασμένων ἐκ ἐπέλιπε τὸ φῦλον.

Jos. de Antiq. Jud. Tom. II. lib.xviii. cap. iv. p. 798. Hudsoni edit. Some have affirmed that this passage is interpolated: and it is always easy to make affirmations, and to raise objections. The following reasons have always satisfied my mind that it is genuine. 1. It accords well with it's connection, and forms a link with the other parts of the narrative. 2. It agrees in point of time with the facts narrated along with it. 3. It is such a testimony as might be expected from such a man as Josephus: neither enlarged upon with the partiality of friendship (for he was a Jew, and not a Christian) nor disfigured to blot the fidelity of the historian: but related with a conciseness which shews him unwilling to keep back any part of the fact, yet unable to account for the extraordinary circumstances attending it. 4. It would have been a marvellous thing indeed, if Jom sephus, who died within 93 years after Christ, and who professed to write every thing worthy recording relative to the Jewish nation, both in it's former state, and in the degradation to which it had sunk in his days, should have omitted to speak of an event, nearly contemporary with himself, which was in every one's mouth, which excited such a ferment in his own nation; and while a new sect, springing from this very event, attracted the notice and the persecution of both Jews and Gentiles, and boldly, perseveringly, successfully, disseminated their tenets around him. 5. Origen, who flourished about 200 years after Christ, appeals to this testimony, when he says Εν γὰρ τῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάζω τῆς Ιεδαϊκῆς ἀρχαιολογίας ὁ Ιώσηπος, &c. ὁ δ' αυτὸς, και τοιγε ἀπιστῶν τῷ Ιησὲ ὡς Χριστῶ, &c. *

Orig. contra Cels. Lib. I. p. 35. Cantab. edit. 1677.

"We

* The Monthly Reviewers remark upon this controverted passage, "think the Lecturer has been indiscreet in pressing into his service the sup

The substance of these extracts is given in page 499, of the ceding Lecture.

pre

NOTE 6.-Testimonies of Justin Martyr, and of Tertullian, to the facts of the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ.

JUSTIN MARTYR, speaking of the parting of our Lord's vesture, &c. appeals to the acts of Pilate then extant. Δὲ ταῦτα ὅτι γέγονε, δύνασθε μαθειν ἐκ τῶν ἐπὶ Πολίν Πιλάλα γενομένων ακτων.

Just. Martyr. Apol. prima, p. 56. Thirlbii edit. 1722. This Apology was addressed to the emperor Antoninus Pius. Again, he challenges Crescens to a public contest on the merits of christianity before the Roman senate. Και ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, εἰ μὴ ἀνηνέχθησαν ὑμῖν αἱ κοινωνίαι τῶν λόγων, ἕτοιμος και ἐφ' ὑμῶν κοινωνῖιν τῶν ἐρωτήσεων πάλιν βασιλικὸν δ' ε'ν και τῦτο ἔργον εἴη.

Just. Martyr. Apol. secunda, p. 22. Thirlbii edit. 1722.

This apology was addressed to the Roman senate. Epiphanius also speaks of the acts of Pilate, and is quoted by the learned and accurate Grotius. See Grot. de Ver. Rel. Christ. lib. ii. sect. ii, in not. 5.

TERTULLIAN thus speaks of the opinion which Tiberius had formed of Christ, and of christianity, from the authentic records which he had received from Palestine, respecting him:

"

"posed testimony of Josephus to the divine mission and character of Christ, "because on the very face of it we recognize the marks of a most clumsy forgery. It proves too much; since the historian, after having given such " evidence, mu t have professed himself a Christian. Lardner's reasons for "rejecting the paragraph are sufficient: viz. that it is not quoted, nor re"ferred to, by any Christian writers before Eusebius; that it is wanting in "the copies of Josephus, which were seen by Photius in the ninth century; "that it is unsuitable to the character of Josephus, and interrupts the course " of the narration.' These arguments are stronger than those which are ad"dnced by Dr. C. in order to satisfy the reader that this is a genuine part of "Josephus's text." Of this the reader will himself judge. Had it appeared to me, a matter as clearly decided, as it seemed to the Reviewer, I should not have retained the passage in this sec ad edition. I am not the less obliged to the critic for his opinion, because I do not think exactly with him on this subject. So far as Hudson's notes convey his sentiments on this passage, I think his criticisms are in favour of it's authenticity.

See Hudson ut supra.

Tiberius ergo, cujus tempore nomen Christianum in seculum intravit, annuntiata sibi ex Syria Palæstina quæ illic veritatem istius divinitatis revelarant detulit ad senatum cum prærogativa suffragii sui. Senatus, quia non ipse probaverat, respuit: Cæsar in sententia mansit, comminatus periculum accusatoribus Christianorum.— Consulite commentarios vestros!

Tertull. Apologet. p. 6. Lutet. edit. 1634.

He explains why the will of the emperor alone could not prevai to enrol Christ among the number of the gods, to which he was so decidedly inclined--Vetus erat decretum, ne qui deus ab imperatore consecraretur, nisi a senatu probatus. There was an ancient decree, that no god should be consecrated by the emperor, unless approved by the senate. Tertullian would not have dared, at that time, to have affirmed these things, had they not been true: much less would he have thrown out the challenge," Consult your records !”

The substance of these extracts is given in page 502, of the preceding Lecture.

NOTE 7.-ORIGEN mentions Phlegon's testimony to the darkness at our Lord's crucifixion, as also to the earthquake. Пagi di Tñs inì Τιβερία Καίσαρος ἐκλείψεως, ο βασιλεύονος και ὁ Ἰησᾶς εὔικεν εσίαυρωσθαί, και περὶ τῶν μεγάλων τότε γενομένων σεισμῶν τῆς γῆς, ἀνέγραψε και Φλέγων ἐν τῷ τρισκαιδεκάτῳ διμαι τῶν Χρονικῶν.

Orig. contra Cels. p. 80. Cantab. edit. 1677. The evidence produced in this note, is stated in page 504, of the preceding Lecture.

NOTE 8.-To what has been translated from PLINY in page 511, of the preceding Lecture, may be added his testimony of the rapid spread of christianity. Multi omnis ætatis, omnis ordinis, utriusque sexus etiam vocantur in periculum. Neque civitates tantum, sed vicos etiam, atque agros, superstitionis istius contagio pervagata est -prope jam desolata templa-et sacra solennia diu intermissa: Victimas, quarum adhuc rarissimus emptor inveniebatur.

Many of every age, of every rank, and of both sexes, were brought into danger. The contagion of this superstition had spread, not into cities merely, but also into villages, and into fields. The temples were nearly desolate. The most sacred rites for some time were suspended. And scarcely any one was found to purchase victims for them.

Plin. Epist. lib. x. epist. 97.