Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

e

them unto him, and he laid his Hands on every one of them, and healed them. Nay, fuch is the Modefty of the Evangelifts, in regard to our Saviour's Miracles, that we have fome reason to prefume, they certainly knew of more Perfons, by him reftor'd to Life again, than they have particularly named: For, when St. Matthew relates his Anfwer to John's Difciples, who were sent to enquire concerning him, the Blind receive their Sight, the Lame walk, and the Dead are raised; 'tis plain, that, by mentioning the Dead in the plural Number, he had the Knowledge of more than one, tho' he has given us a particular Hiftory of the Ruler of the Synagogue's Daughter only.

f

And indeed, confidering the vaft Extent of their Subject, and intended Brevity of their Books, in order to make them more useful to People of all Ranks and Capacities, it was abfolutely neceffary for them to omit feveral things, which must have occurr'd to their Remembrance. The whole four Gospels, bound together, make not a large Volume, but each fingly is a very finall Book; and yet, befides the Miracles of our Saviour, attended, as they are, with the

Lardner's Vind. of three Miracles, p. 7. Matth. xi. 5.

the Circumftances of Place and Time, the Names of the Perfons, and the Occafions of their being wrought; they have, in these fhort Pieces, inferted an Account of the wonderful manner of our Saviour's Birth, the Dangers of his Infancy, the miraculous Appearances of divine Providence in his Favour, and his Removals, and Journeyings from one Place and Country to another. They have recorded the Subftance of his Doctrine in plain Terms; have set down many Parables fpoken by him, together with his Explanations; and given us a full Account of the Miffion of his twelve Apoftles, and the other feventy Difciples. The Cavils and Queftions of the Pharifees, Sadducees, and the Herodians, together with his Anfwers and Solutions, the Obfervations and Reflections of the People, his publick Difcourfes before all, and his private Inftructions to his Difciples; his Predictions of his own Sufferings, of the Destruction of Jerufalem, and many other Events; a long and particular Account of his Perfecution, Condemnation, and Crucifixion, as alfo of his Refurrection, and Afcenfion; not to mention the Hiftory of the Birth, Preaching, Baptifm, and Sufferings of John the Z 3 Baptift,

Why the

relating

Baptift, his Forerunner, are all compriz'd in one fhort Volume: and therefore, having fuch plenty of Matter before them, they were obliged to be filent, as to fome Matters, after they had related others of the like Nature, in order to reserve room for fuch important Events, as were effential parts of their Hiftory; left they should proceed to fuch a length and prolixity, as they had determin'd to avoid. And hence it is eafy to fuppofe, in behalf of the three former Evangelifts, that when they came to a certain Period in their Hiftory of the Ministry of Jefus, and obferv'd they had given a fufficient Account of his Doctrine and Miracles, being to referve a Space for his laft Sufferings, and Refurrection, they thought proper to pass over in Silence what ever happen'd between that Period, and the time of his laft Journey to Jerufalem.

Now, whoever looks into these three thre firf Evangelifts with any due Attention, will omit that find, that, from the time when our Sato Laza viour returned into the Coafts of Judea beyond Jordan, which (as h St. John tells us) was foon after the Feast of the Dedication, (and that was always obferv'd

rus.

[ocr errors]

in

with

Compare Matth. xix. ver. I, 2. ver. 17. and Mark x. ver. 1. with ver. 32.

John x. 22.

in Winter) to the time of his laft going up to Jerufalem, a little before Eafter, they make no mention at all of any Journeys or Movings from thence; and yet from this Country (according to St. John's Account) it was, that Jefus afterwards came up to Bethany, and raised Lazarus, and then i went into the Country near the Wilderness, into a City called Ephraim, and there continued with his Difciples. And therefore, fince these Evangelifts, for the avoidance of Prolixity, thought not proper to take notice of what pafs'd in this Interval of Time, they could not (with any Juftness or Propriety) introduce into their Gofpels an Account of the Resurrection of Lazarus.

But there is a farther Reason, which k fome learned Men have given us, for their Silence in this refpect. They tell us, that (according to an ancient Tradition) Lazarus lived thirty Years after his being raised from the dead, and that, the latest of these Evangelifts, writing but fifteen Years after our Lord's Afcenfion, they might think it a needless matter, to mention a Miracle concerning a Perfon, living fo near Jerufalem, when the Fame of it was fo great, and fo many Witneffes living to atteft it: nor can Z 4 they

John xi. 54. Grotius and Whitby on John xii.

343

This is no

on a

gainft St. John.

they suppose, but that, in point of Prudence, the Evangelifts declined mentioning this Story, for fear of exafperating the Jews, and giving their Rage and Malice a fresh Provocation to cut off Lazarus. However this be, 'tis not improbable (what the generality of Commentators tell us) that St. John, obferving the Method of the former Evangelifts, and in what Particulars they had made an Omiffion, might, at the Requeft of the Afian Bishops, undertake to fupply their Defects.

1

And indeed, whoever will give himObjecti- felf the trouble to compare his Hiftory with that of the other Evangelifts, will find this Notion in a great measure verify'd. For, (not to mention any other Particulars of this fort) the Miracles of our Saviour, (recorded by St. John) antecedent to his Refurrection, are in all but eight. 1. His turning Water into Wine at the Marriage in Cana of Galilee. 2. His telling the Samaritan Woman the Secrets of her Life. 3. His healing the Nobleman's Son at Capernaum. 4. His curing the lame Man at the Pool of Bethefda. 5. His feeding five thousand Men with five Barley-Loaves and two Fishes. 6. His walking upon the Water, and calming a Storm at Sea, 7. His

'Defence of Script. Hift. p. 64.

giving

« AnteriorContinuar »