STATEMENT of THE QUESTION IN DISPUTE.
How Christianity depends on the Old Testament, or what proofs
are to be met with therein in behalf of Christianity, are the subjects
of almost all the numerous books written by divines, and other
apologists for Christianity, but the chief and principal of these
proofs may be justly supposed to be urged in the New Testament
itself, by the authors thereof; who relate the history of the first
preaching of the Gospel, and profess themselves to be apostles of
Jesus, or companions of the Apostles.
Some of these proofs, as a specimen, have been already adduced.
And if they are valid proofs, then is Christianity strongly and
invincibly established: on its true foundations.
It is established upon its true foundations, because Jesus and his
Apostles did, as we have seen, ground Christianity on those proofs;
and it is strongly and invincibly established on those foundations,
because a proof drawn from an inspired book is perfectly
conclusive. And prophecies delivered in an inspired book
are, when fulfilled, such as may be justly deemed sure, and
demonstrative proof; and which Peter (2 Peter 1: 19) prefers as an
argument for the truth of Christianity, to that miraculous
attestation (whereof he, and two other Apostles are said to have
been witnesses,) given by God himself to the mission of Jesus of
Nazareth. His argument appears to be as follows. Laying this
foundation, that Prophecy proceeds from the Holy Spirit, it is a
stronger argument than a miracle, which depends upon eternal
evidence, and testimony. And this opinion of Peters is
corroborated by the words of Jesus himself, who, in Mat. xxiv: 23,
24, Mark xiii: 21, 22, affirms, that miracles wrought in
confirmation of a pretenders being the Messiah, are not to be
considered as proof of his being so--though they show great
signs and wonders, believe it not, is his command to his disciples.
Besides, prophecies fulfilled, seem the most proper of all
arguments to evince the truth of a new revelation which is
designed to be universally promulgated to men. For a man who has
the Old Testament put into his hands, which contain prophecies,
and the New Testament afterward, which is said to contain their
completions, and is once satisfied, as he may be with the greatest
ease, that the Old Testament existed before the New, may have a
complete, internal, divine, demonstration of the truth of
Christianity, without long, and laborious enquiries. Whereas,
arguments of another nature, such, for instance, as relate to the
authority and genuineness of the books, and the persons, and
characters of authors, and witnesses, require more application, and
understanding, than falls to the share of the bulk of mankind; or
else are very precarious in themselves, since we know that in the
first centuries there were numberless forged Gospels, and
Apocryphal writings imposed upon the credulous as apostolic and
authentic; and there were in the Apostles times, as many, and as
great heresies and schisms as perhaps have been since in any age
of the Church. So that, setting aside the before mentioned internal
proofs from prophecy, (which were the Apostle's proofs and in
their nature sufficient of themselves) we should have no certain
proof at all for the Religion of the New Testament.
On the other hand, if the proofs for Christianity from the Old
Testament, are not valid, if the arguments founded on that Book be
not conclusive, and the Prophecies cited from thence be not
fulfilled, then has Christianity no just foundation; for the
foundation on which Jesus and his Apostles built it is then invalid,
and false. Nor can miracles, said to have been wrought by Jesus,
and his Apostles in behalf of Christianity, avail anything in the
case. For miracles can never render a foundation valid, which is in
itself invalid; can never make a false inference true; can never
make a prophecy fulfilled, which is not fulfilled; and can never
designate a Messiah, or Jesus for the Messiah, if both are not
marked out in the Old Testament; no more than they could prove
the earth to be the sun, or a mouse a lion.
Besides, miracles said to have been wrought, may be often justly
decided false reports, when attributed to persons who claim an
authority from the Old Testament, which they impertinently
alledge to support their pretentions. God can never be supposed
often to permit miracles to be done for the confirmation of a false,
or pretended mission. And if at any time he does permit miracles to
be done in confirmation of a pretended mission, we have express
directions from the Old Testament (acknowledged by Christians to
be of divine authority) Deut. xiii. 1, 2, not to regard such miracles;
but to continue firm to the antecedent revelation given by Himself,
and contained in the Old Testament, notwithstanding any signs or
wonders; which, under the circumstance of attesting something
contrary to an antecedent revelation, we are forewarned of as being
no test of truth. No new revelation, however supported by
miracles, ought ever to be received as coming from God, unless it
confirms, or at least does not contradict, the preceding standing
revelation, acknowledged to be from God.
Accordingly, we find from the New Testament, that all the
recorded miracles of Jesus could not make the Jews believe him to
be the Messiah when they thought that he did not answer the
description of that character given by the Prophets; on the
contrary, they procured him to be crucified for pretending to be
what to them he appeared plainly not to be.
Nor had his miracles alone any effect on his own brethren, and
kindred, who seem (Mark vi. 4; Jo. vii. 6,) to have been more
incredulous in him than other Jews. Nor had they the effect, they
are supposed to have been fitted to produce, among his immediate
followers, and Disciples; some of whom did not believe in him, but
deserted him, and particularly had no faith in him when he spake
of his sufferings; and thought that he could not be their Messiah
when they saw him suffer, notwithstanding his miracles, and his
declaration to them that he was the Messiah. And so rooted were
the Jews in the notion of the Messiah's being a temporal Prince, a
conquering Pacificator, and Deliverer, even after the death of
Jesus, and the progress of Christianity grounded on the belief of his
being the Messiah, that they have in all times of distress,
particularly in the apostolic sera, in great numbers followed
impostors giving themselves out as the Messiah, with force, and
arms, as the way to restore the kingdom of Israel. So that the Jews,
who it seems mistook in this most important matter, and after the
most egregious manner, the meaning of their own Books, might,
till they were set right in their interpretation of the Old Testament,
and were convinced from thence that Jesus was the Messiah, might
I say, as justly reject Jesus asserting his mission, and Doctrines
with miracles, as they might reject any other person, who in virtue
of miracles would lead them into idolatry, or any other breach of
their law.
In fine, the miracles said to have been wrought by Jesus, are,
according to the Old Testament, the gospel scheme, and the words
of Jesus himself, no absolute proof of his being the Messiah, or of
the truth of Christianity; and Jesus laid no great stress upon them
as proving doctrines, for he forewarned his disciples, that signs
and wonders would be performed, so great and stupendous, as to
deceive, if possible, the very elect, and bids them not to give any
heed to them.*