Of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, who was not unacquainted with the maxims and science
of the Egyptians, among whom he dwelt several years, availed
himself of this knowledge, deeming it proper for the design which he
meditated. Considering that Moses was renowned because he commanded an
ignorant people, he undertook to build on a similar foundation, and his
followers were only some idiots whom he persuaded that the Holy Spirit
was his Father, and his Mother a Virgin. [36] These good people being
accustomed to be satisfied with dreams and fancies, adopted this fable,
believed all that he wished, and even more willingly that a birth out
of the natural order was not so marvelous a circumstance for them to
believe. To be born of a Virgin by the operation of the Holy Spirit
[37] was, in their estimation, as wonderful as what the Romans said
of their founder, Romulus, who owed his birth to a Vestal and a God.
This happened at a time when the Jews were tired of their God, as they
had been of their Judges, [38] and wished to have a visible God like
other nations. As the number of fools is infinite, he found followers
everywhere, but his extreme poverty was an invincible obstacle to
his elevation. The Pharisees, delighted with the boldness of a man of
their sect, [39] while startled at his audacity, elevated or depressed
him according to the fickle humor of the populace, so that when it
became noised about concerning his Divinity, it was impossible--he
being possessed of no power--that his design could succeed. No matter
how many sick he cured, nor how many dead he raised, having no money
and no army, he could not fail to perish, and with that outlook it
appears that he had less chance of success than Moses, Mahomet, and
all those who were ambitious to elevate themselves above others. If
he was more unfortunate, he was no less adroit, and several places in
his history give evidence that the greatest fault in his policy was
not to have sufficiently provided for his own safety. So it may be
seen that he did not manage his affairs any better than those two
other legislators, of whose memory exists but the remains of the
belief that they established among the different nations.