"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
Messiahship 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.
If you mean by the above proposition, simply that miracles are not
wrought before our eyes, it is granted; but have you shown that a
_continuance_ of miracles would more rationally vindicate the gospel,
than the divine economy has done by preserving the _variety of
evidence_ which is now at our command? If this cannot be done, then
the discontinuance of miracles is no reason why we should doubt the
truth of this revelation. How then is your third proposition, even in
any sense in which it can be true, to be understood unfavourable to
divine revelation?
It may not be improper to notice some reasons why the continuance of
the miracles, on which the gospel was first propagated, would not
comport with the divine economy.
1st. As has been before suggested, it would, if combined with the
force it first had, preclude the exercise of the mental powers of
investigation.
2d. This power of working miracles must have been distributed to
various sects and heresies, or by being confined to one order, prevent
the existence of any other, which would be another preventive of
immense reasoning, and tend to circumscribe the sphere in which the
human mind is capacitated to move.
3d. The continuance of those miracles must have changed the order of
nature, and continued men on earth forever, or from generation to
generation; for if this power had been exercised on some and not to
the advantage of others, it would look like the partial systems of
men, and in room of commending the impartial goodness of God, would
have refuted it.
But, the manifestation of this divine power, in those miracles on
which our religion is founded, while it is attended with none of the
evils which a continuance would evidently produce, besides forming an
immoveable rock on which so glorious a superstructure is safely
founded, furnishes an immense subject for the power of ratiocination.
You will excuse me for not noticing particularly all you say about
modern pretensions to revelations and miracles, as I think it would
occupy time that may be better employed. But I will observe on your
opinion, that it is remarkable, that Saul when he was converted, did
not go to Jerusalem to inquire more fully into the circumstances of
the resurrection, that if he had done this, you would not have
hesitated to make use of it against his declaration recorded in Gal.
i. 11, 12. "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man,
neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Why do you mention that we have not a particular account of St. Paul's
conversion written by his own hand? Do you think that what a man
writes of himself is more to be depended on, than what his biographer
writes of him? Your suggestions on this subject seem to indicate, at
least, some scruples respecting this conversion, but not in a way to
show where the ground of scruples lies. What is there for me to
answer? Why do you treat this subject with such neglect? In a former
communication, I requested your attention to it in a special manner,
with a view to confine our reasoning to our subject, and to avoid
rambling from one thing to another without making ourselves acquainted
with any thing. In your reply you never attempted to give any account
why Saul should embrace the religion he had persecuted; you made no
attempt to give any reason why he preached Jesus and the resurrection;
nor did you assign any reason why he should be willing to suffer the
loss of all earthly enjoyments and endure persecutions for Christ's
sake; nor did you attempt to prove that there never was such a man and
such a conversion. The subject you considered still before you, and in
this seventh number you have spoken of it again, but have paid no
particular attention to it.
What you say on the subject of prophecy, does not appear to me, either
to reflect any light on it, or to call up any question of importance.
Your query whether the books of the New Testament were not written
after the destruction of Jerusalem, which would suppose that the
prophecy of the destruction of that city was written after the events
took place of which the prophecy speaks, is an old suggestion in which
I am unable to see any thing very reasonable. And I will remark here,
that men who seem to lay an uncommon claim to reason, ought to make
use of it when arguing on such momentous subjects. What difference
would it make whether St. Matthew wrote his gospel before, or after
the destruction of Jerusalem, as it respects the prophecy which Jesus
delivered concerning it? You allow St. Matthew to be an honest man.
You do not doubt then but Jesus did deliver such a prophecy before his
death, which was certainly before the destruction of the city. Then
surely it makes no difference whether the prophecy was committed to
paper before, or after the fulfilment of it. Besides, you seem to urge
the _silence_ of St. John on the subject as unfavourable to the
account, because he wrote his gospel after Jerusalem was destroyed. As
to interpolations which you think might have found their way into the
gospels, it appears to me, sir, that a candid consideration of this
subject would issue in this conclusion; if any important
interpolations had been admitted, they would have produced such a
disagreement as to effectually destroy the validity of the books; for
if one heresy could be indulged, it is reasonable to suppose that
another would be, and so on, which in room of allowing us the
scriptures in their present consistent form, would either have
destroyed their existence altogether, or have varied so as to confound
their ideas.
For a candid, learned, and impartial view of the scriptures of the New
Testament, I refer you to Paley's evidences, and in particular to his
eleven propositions, which he has proved in a manner satisfactory, as
I conceive to the candid inquirer.
These propositions begin on page 103, and are the following.
1. "That the historical books of the New Testament, meaning thereby
the four gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles, are quoted, or alluded
to, by a series of christian writers, beginning with those who were
contemporary with the apostles, or who immediately followed them, and
proceeding in close and regular succession from their time to the
present.
2. "That when they are quoted, or alluded to, they are quoted or
alluded to with peculiar respect, as books _sui geneus_, as possessing
an authority which belonged to no other books, and as conclusive in
all questions and controversies among christians.
3. "That they were in very early times collected into a distinct
volume.
4. "That they were distinguished by appropriate names and titles of
respect.
5. "That they were publicly read and expounded in the religious
assemblies of the Christians.
6. "That commentaries were written upon them, harmonies formed out of
them, different copies carefully collected, and versions of them made
into different languages.
7. "That they were received by Christians of different sects, by many
heretics as well as catholics, and usually appealed to by both sides
in the controversies which arose in those days.
8. "That the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen epistles
of St. Paul, the first epistle of John, and the first of Peter, were
received without doubt, by those who doubted concerning the other
books which are inclosed in our present canon.
9. "That the gospels were attacked by the early adversaries of
Christianity, as books containing the accounts upon which the religion
was founded.
10. "That formal catalogues of authentic scriptures were published, in
all which our present sacred histories were recorded.
11. "That these propositions cannot be affirmed of any other books,
claiming to be books of scripture; by which I mean those books which
are commonly called Apochryphal."
The first evidence adduced by this celebrated author to prove his
first proposition, proves that the gospel of St. Matthew, which
contains a very particular account of the prophecy of Jesus concerning
the destruction of Jerusalem, was written before the event took place.
This evidence is a quotation from the epistle of Barnabas, St. Paul's
companion, in the following words: "Let us therefore, beware lest it
come upon us, _as it is written_, there are many called, few chosen."
St. Matthew's gospel is the only book in which these words are found;
and you will perceive by the expression, "as it is written," that
Barnabas quoted the passage from an author of authority. Barnabas
wrote his epistle during the troubles which ended in the destruction
of the Jews and their city. This epistle of Barnabas is quoted by
Clement of Alexandria, A.D. 194: by Origen, A.D. 230. It is mentioned
by Eusebius, A. D. 315, and by Jerome, A. D. 392. (Paley's evidences,
p. 106.)
Your insinuations that the origin of the christian scriptures is
involved in fable and mystery, should have been accompanied with a
clear refutation of the arguments used by Lardner, Paley, and others,
who have with much learning and labour traced the stream to its
fountain.
I must say something on the subject which you introduce concerning
man, as a species of being, or you may think me inexcusable for the
neglect. There seem to be two main questions suggested on this
subject; the first inquires what man was farther back than history
reaches; and the other directs the mind to a "line of demarcation"
between the human and the brute.
We have no account that I know of when the use of fire was not known.
We read Gen. iv. 22, that Tubal-cain was an instructor of every
artificer in brass and iron, and if reason has any thing to do in this
case, we may suppose that the use of fire was known to these
mechanics. The date to which this reading belongs, is 3875 years
before Christ; but there can be no reasonable doubt but that the use
of fire was known long before, and that it was used in the offerings
which were made by Cain and Abel.
That the discovery of arts and the progress of science have changed
man from what he originally was, is no more reasonable, than to
suppose that the education which a child acquires by degrees, by the
same degrees changes him in respect to his nature. That the arts and
sciences serve to improve and extend the human intellects is
reasonable enough, but that they add any thing to the natural
principles or faculties of man is not conceivable.
In fixing the "line of demarcation" between the human nature and the
brutal, I will suggest two characteristics which you have noticed by
which the distinction may be ascertained.
The first is the power or faculty of improving from generation to
generation his condition by means of art, and knowing how to advance
from one degree of science to another. This I will suppose belongs to
man and is peculiar to our race of being. We know of no other animal
on earth that has ever improved his condition by the discovery of the
arts or an increase of science.
The other characteristic is one of your propositions, on which you
build your system of doubting, viz. _Superstition_. This is found in
no creature but such as is susceptible of religion. Man is the only
religious animal, if I may be allowed this form of expression, found
on the earth.
The progress which man has made in arts and sciences, and the progress
he has made in divine or religious knowledge distinguish him from the
brutal creation. As in the former he has run into thousands of errors,
so in the latter he has wandered in darkness, with now and then a
blessed ray of light which improved his mind. When the knowledge of
the arts became generally defused by means of the extension of the
Roman government, it pleased our blessed Creator to cause the sun of
divine light to rise on the Jew and Gentile world. And gave him a
covenant of the people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory
of his people Israel.
Your opinion that men are seldom made unhappy in consequence of
doubting a future existence, may be true in a comparative sense, for I
believe there are few in comparison with the whole, who do doubt on
this subject. Generally speaking, it is the few, who like the
philosopher that rendered himself blind by endeavouring to find out
what the sun was composed of, thought there was no sun nor any light,
that so far give up a hope of futurity as to be miserable in their
belief.
That the idea of endless torment, such as our clergy have represented,
and with which they have most horribly terrified thousands and driven
them into black despair, is more horrible than no existence at all
will be allowed by every candid mind. But in contemplating an infinite
source of divine benevolence, and his means of giving and perpetuating
existence, and of rendering existence a blessing, the mind is not
driven to the necessity of selecting between these two evils. No, sir,
the mind thus employed has sweeter themes and brighter prospects--in
belief of that invaluable treasure, that divine testimony of the
inspired apostle: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive;" which sentence you nor I ever heard a preacher of endless
punishment recite in a sermon in our lives, the soul rises by faith
into sublime regions of future peace and everlasting enjoyment, when
death shall be swallowed up of life.
I need not tell you, my brother, that it has been through many trials,
afflictions, doubts, and temptations, that your feeble humble servant
has found the way to this rock; you cannot be altogether ignorant of
this travail of mind. Permit me then to call to remembrance the
bondage we have escaped, the sea through which we have passed, the
sweet songs of deliverance and salvation which we have chanted to our
Redeemer in the faith of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. And here
permit me to request your assistance in giving me support, and in
strengthening my hands in the work of the Lord.
Yours, &c.