Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

but fuppofe, that, if his manner was, when he wanted Reasons, to fet himself to railing, and tho' he would fometimes Speak Truth, when he could not help it, yet he never fcrupled to tell a Lye, when he thought he could palm it upon his Readers, without being difcovered, his Books could have been of any great fervice in our fearch after Truth. Nay, fuppofing that he, and fome other Fathers of Infidelity, had made never fo many Difcoveries against Christianity, and, with the like Affurance, that fome of their Sons have done, had affirm'd that Jefus was a vile Impoftor, and the Hiftory of his Miracles, (efpecially of his Refurrection,) as it is recorded by the Evangelifts, was all a mere Fable, yet, after all, the Question will be, whom we are to believe? That they, or any Authorities, they could bring to vouch for them, could have better Opportunities of knowing the Truth, than the Evangelifts had, is abfolutely impoffible; and that any of them have given any fuch Proofs of their Honefty and Sincerity, as the Evangelifts did, a Man must be void of the Senfe of Shame to maintain: And this (by the way) may supply us with a Reafon, why the Fate of their Writ

d

Bb 4

ings,

• Ecclef. Hift. L. 6. C. 18. Defence of Script, Hift. p. 51, 52.

Why it

ings, and of the Evangelifts was fo very different.

That the Heathens, when under the happen'd. Power of Chriftians, were as able to preferve their Books from being deftroy'd, as the Chriftians, when under the Power of Heathens, were to preserve theirs, can be no manner of doubt, if mere Power were to be confider'd: but the great Difference lay here, that the Books of the New Teftament were fo confirm'd and establish'd by undoubted Evidence, and Chriftians were fo fully convinced of their divine Authority, that they willingly fäcrificed their Lives, rather than deliver them up; and by this means they were preferv'd and out-liv'd the Rage of ten Perfecutions: whereas the Writings of Celfus and Porphyry, &c. were fenfeless lying Invectives, which however Men of corrupt Fancies might be pleas'd with, yet no one was found to have that value for them, as to run the leaft Hazard for their Preservation, and therefore they eafily fell under the Punishment, which many thought due to the Spite and Malice, which gave them birth.

The Circumftan

ces preced

Since then we are reduced to the fole Account of the Evangelifts, in this great ing Chrift's Article of our Chriftian Faith, 'tis happy Refurr.c for us, that every Circumftance, rela

tion.

ting

ting to it, is fo minutely told, as to leave no Umbrage for Sufpicion. For, upon his being taken down from the Cross, and prepar'd for Interment, the facred Hiftorians inform us, that he was laid in a new Tomb; that this Tomb was hew'd out of a Rock; that a great Stone was rolled to the Door of it, that Stone fecured with a Seal, and the whole. watch'd and defended with a ftrong Guard of Soldiers. The Tomb is faid to be a new one, wherein never Man before was laid, to prevent all Sufpicion of its being any other Body, that did arise; and to be hewn out of a Rock, closed with a Stone, and watch'd with a Guard, to filence the Pretence of the Jews that his Disciples ftole the Body away: But, that the fealing the Door was intended for any Contract or Agreement between the Chief Priefts and his Apoftles is a mere Fiction, and full of Abfurdities; because whoever confiders the Situation of Affairs at that Time muft needs imagine, that there could be no manner of Intercourfe between them.

י

between

f When Chrift was firft feiz'd, and No Encarried to his Trial, his Difciples fled, gagement and hid themselves for fear of the Jews, the Chief out of a juft fufpicion, that they Priests should, if apprehended, be facrificed Apoftles.

{Bp. Sherlock's Trial of the Witnesses, p. 40.

with

and his

The Rea

fon of fealing the Se

with their Mafter. St. Peter indeed followed him to the Judgment-Hall, but his Courage foon failed him, and 'tis well known in what a fhameful manner he denied him. After the Death of Chrift, his Disciples were fo far from being ready to engage for his Refurrection, or to enter into any Terms or Agreements for the manner, in which it fhould be done, that they themselves did not believe it ever would come to pass; they gave off, in fhort, all Thoughts and Expectations of it, and inftead of entering into any Covenant with the Chief Priefts, made it their whole Care and Concern, to keep themselves close and concealed from them.

So that, it was not upon any Stipulation with the Apoftles, (who all this while never once came near them,) but pulchre. to fecure themselves against any Decep

tion of the Guards, and left they should enter into a Combination against them, that the Jews fealed the Door of the Sepulchre. Such was the Precaution taken by the Jewish Rulers: But what avails all this againft the mighty Power of God? & An Angel defcends, and rolls away the Stone; his Countenance and the Earthquake, that attended him, frighten the Keepers fo, that they became like

Matth. xxviii.

dead

dead Men: But, when trembling for fear, they came into the City, and told what was done, obferve, what a contradictory Story the Rufers trump up.

[ocr errors]

of their.

They pretended, "That, notwith- The Ab"ftanding all they had done, the Dif-furdity "ciples ftole away the Body; that ftealing "things were carried on juft in the fame away the manner, as if no Precaution had been Body. "ufed, nor any Guards at all placed; "that all their Contrivance and Fore"fight had been out-witted by a Par"cel of filly Fishermen, who had the "Hardiness to break the Seal, and were "able, without Discovery, to roll away "a vaft Stone, and withal to carry off "the dead Body; that, while this was "doing, the whole Number of the "Guards were, to a Man, faft asleep, " and (which is as ftrange as all the "reft) that though they were fo, they "knew every thing that paffed, with"out any Attempt, or Inclination to "prevent it; and were able to give as "exact a Relation of what happen'd, "while they were asleep, as if they had "been broad awake.' O ye wicked and corrupt Wretches, (as St. Auftig, with juft Indignation, expoftulates the Cafe with the Soldiers,) either ye were awake, or afleep; if awake, it was your

[ocr errors]

0

Business

« AnteriorContinuar »