Jesus Christ, who was acquainted with the maxims and the science of
the Egyptians, gave currency to the belief alluded to above, because
he thought it suitable to his purposes. Reflecting how Moses had become
renowned by his command of an ignorant people, he undertook to build on
this foundation, and got some few imbecile people to follow him, whom
he persuaded that the Holy Ghost was his father, and that his mother
was a virgin. These simple folks, accustomed to give themselves over
to dreams and reveries, adopted his opinions, and believed whatever he
wished: indeed, something considerably beyond this miraculous birth
would by no means have been too miraculous for them. A beautiful
dove overshadowed a virgin: there is nothing surprising in that. It
happened frequently in Lydia; and the swan of Leda is the counterpart
of the dove of Mary. [43] That a man should be born of a virgin, by the
operation of the Holy Spirit, is neither more extraordinary nor more
miraculous that that Genghis Khan should be born of a virgin, as the
Tartars assert; or that Foh, according to the Chinese belief, derived
his origin from a virgin rendered pregnant by the rays of the sun.
This prodigy appeared at a time when the Jews, wearied with their
God as they had formerly been with their Judges, [44] were desirous
to have some visible ruler among them, as was the case with other
nations. As the number of fools is infinite, Jesus Christ in a short
time had many followers; but as his extreme poverty was an invincible
obstacle to his elevation, the Pharisees--at one time his admirers,
and at another time startled at his boldness--forwarded or thwarted
his interests, according to the inconstant humour of the populace. The
report of his divine origin was spread about; but without forces,
as he was, it was impossible that he could succeed, although some
cures which he performed, and some resurrections from the dead to
which he pretended, brought him somewhat into repute. Without money
or arms he could not fail to perish: if he had been in possession of
these, he would have been no less successful than Moses or Mahomet,
and all those who, with like advantages, have elevated themselves
above their fellow-men. If he had been more unfortunate, he would
not have been less adroit; and several traits in his history prove
that the principal defect in his policy was his carelessness in not
sufficiently providing for his own security. Otherwise, I do not find
that his plans were less skilfully devised than those of the other
two: at all events his law has become the rule of faith to people
who flatter themselves that they are the wisest in the world.
§ 13.