I . THE DIVINE MISSIONS O F JOHN the Baptist AND JESUS CHRIST. A N ENQUIRY INTO THE DIVINE MISSIONS O F JOHN' the BAPTIST AND JESUS CHRIST', So far as They can be proved From the Circumstances of their BirThs, AND Their Connection with Each Other, There ivas a Man fent from God, and his Name ivas JOHN} the fame came for a Witnefs, to hear ixiitnefs of the Light i THAT ALL MEN THRo' HIM MIGHT BELIEVE. Joh. Gof. i. 6,_J. By WILLIAM BELL, M. A. Fellow of Magdalen -College, CAMBRIDGE. 'LONDON: Pnnted for W. SANDBY, oppofite St. Dunfiani Church, in Fleet -Street. M.DCC.LXI, MKc9 TO THE READER.IN perufing the EvangeHc Writings, the author of the following flieets imagined, that he difcovered an argument of their truth, which had been hitherto overlooked, or very ilight- ly mentioned. He caught it with joy, and purfued it with eager- nefs. He found the proof, which at firft glimmered faintly as it lay difperfed, grow brighter as the fparks were brought nearer to gether. He traced the different A 3 lines VI PREFACE. lines of inference, and perceived that they met at laft in one cen tral truth. And he flatters himfelf with having fhewn once more, what was more than fufficiently fliewn before, that our Religion is from God. He hopes, that he has ad ded another motive to the power of its influence ; and another ray to the fplendor of its evidence. If the argument be really con- clufive, it will fl:and the tell of examination ; if not, it is for the intereft of truth and religion, that its weaknefs be dete^ed. What ever judgment be pafl^d upon it, the author has, at leafl, this fa- tisfadory conlideration, that every other proof will remain uninjured and PREFACE. and unimpaired. And he there fore fubmits this Eflay to the Pub lic, as the attempt of one whole defign is good ; and who will have done no harm, though his per formance be defedlive. Vll A 4 CON CONTENTS. TNT ROD UCrORT Confider ations. Page I PART I. SECTION I. 'The miraculous events recorded of the birth and circumcifon of John the Baptift, cannot have been forged, either by 'jeixis, or any ofhis difciples ; or by John him felf or any ofhis difciples. Page 19 SECTION II. Euppofing there was any deceit at all in the cafe ; CONTENTS. cafe ; what the nature and defign of the whole impojiure mujl have been; and who muJl have been concerned in planning itout, and carrying it on. Page 65 SECTION in. Zacharias ajtd Elizabeth could not be the contrivers qf that wicked impofture-y which the fuppoftion of any deceit at ally in this caje, necejfarily obliges us to ad mit of Page 88 SECTION lY. Zacharias and Elizabeth could not be tbe authors of any fuch double hnpofiure, as muft here befuppofed. Page 114 SECTION V. If Zacharias and Elizabeth could have been the authors of fuch a double impof- ture ; they could not have applied to Jo- feph /aWMary, to take part with ihem in carrying if on. Page 135 SEC- CONTENTS. SECTION VI. Neither Zacharias nor Elizabeth, on the one part ; nor Jofeph and Mary, on the other ; could contrive Each their refpec- tive plots, in this double impofture : nor ^omA/ Jofeph ^zWMary be the contrivers of the whole joint undertaking. Page 164 PART IL SECTION L The whole impofiure in quejiion is, in its own nature, fo exceedingly abfurd ; that it was not pofjible to have been conceived or undertaken, by any perfon whatever. Page 191 SECTION II. Eome particular faSls, previous to the births of ]oh.n andjefus, confider ed. Page 231 SEC- XI xii C O N T E N T' S. SECTION III. Several very remarkable faSls, fuhfequent to ihe births tf John and Jefus, con- f dered. Page 249 PART IIL The defign of this part; to confider the con- duSl o/' John and Jefus ; with a view to their connexion with each other. Page 28 _^ SECTION I. John wrought no miracles. Page 292 SECTION IL The different external, charaBers of John and ]q{\x& confidered. Page 306 SECTION III. A prophecy of ]o\-ius, concerning ]dus, con fider ed. Page 328 SEC- CONTENTS. xiii SECTION IV. Jefus baptized by John. Page 344 SECTION V. John'j anfwer to the deputation from the Sanhedrim; and a particular in Jefus'j conduB relative to it. Page 361 SECTION VL A very peculiar char a Ber and office afcribed to Jefus by John. Page 378 SECTION VII. A remarkable particular in John'j conduB to Herod, confidered in its relation to Je fus. Page 383 SECTION VIIL John'i very remarkable meffage to Jefus confidered. . Page 390 S E C- xiv CONTENTS. SECTION IX. The conduB of Jefus in confequence of his having purified the temple. Page 404 CONCLUSION. Page 414 Fuge 36 76 311 359 383 ERRATA. Unt /«r Read 26 Havere Havere. II believeth believed, 12 and to. 25 required acquired lafl of for. THE ' DIVINE MISSIONS O F JOHN the Baptist And JESUS CHRIST. IntroduSiory Confider ations^'. ^ H E N we confider, and com pare together, thofe fhort hifto- ries of the life and adlions of Jefus Chrift, which were written by his chofen difciples, and their fellow labourers in the gofpel ; the great events, that firft B en- * Whoever is defiroas of feeing what may have been written upon this fubjedt before, may confult Dr. 'Joy ''ill's ith Dif cour fe concer;-.ing the truth oftheChri- ftian IntroduSiory Conjtder ations. engage our attention, are the remarkable birth and miniftry of John the Baptift. The accounts indeed, which the evange- lifts have given of him, are extremely fhort, and feem intended, as far as con cerns John himfelf, only to afford us a clear precife notion of his prophetic cha- radter, and to afliire us of his divine com- mifllon to preach repentance to the Jews. But the particulars comprifed even in thefe very concife relations, are in themfelves fo extraordinary, and fome of them, at firft appearance at leaft, fo truly miracu lous, that we cannot refleft on them with out admiration. The fevere fandity of his manners, the benevolent and pious la bours of his public life, and the cruelty of his martyrdom in the caufe of virtue and religion, joined to ail thofe aftoniftiing events, that accompanied his conception and fiar. Religion ; entitled. The Teftiviony of John ihe Bap- tifi : and Fart 4. Chap. 5. of a work written originally in French, but tranflated into Englifh, under the title of, Ihe Principles of the Chrijiian Religion. Thefe two are the only things upon the fubjeft, which the Author of the follov.'iiig argument has happened to meet with, IntroduSiory Conjtder ations. and birth, are particulars of fo ftriking a nature, that they may well claim, nay extort our regard, upon their own account alone. But the difciples of Jefus had a more important defign to ferve, by their ac^ counts ofthe Baptift, than meerly making known his peculiar life and charadler, and the circumftances which attended his ap pearance in the world. In them they purpofely tranfmitted to mankind the hi-^ ftory of a prophet, who had borne tlie fulleft teflimony to the divine character of their own mafter. And the chief end they propofed to ferve, by making fuch particular mention of John in their hifto- ries of Jefus, was, to confirm the divine miflion of Chrift by the teftimony of that prophet, whofe coming, it was the uni- verfal opinion, had for fome ages been fore told, in the charadter of his forerunner*. B 2 Agree- * Behold I -vjill fend my mejfenger, and he Jhall prepare the ivay before me : and the Lord 'whom ye feek Jhall fud- denly come to his temple : even the mefjenger of the covenant, •vchom ye deUght in : behold he pall come, faith '¦^^ Lord of hofs. LitroduBory Confider ations. Agreeably to this defign, Mark be gins his gofpel. by acquainting us *, The beginning of the gofpel of Jefus Chrifi the Son of God, was, as it is written in the prophets; behold I fend 7ny meffenger before thy face, which Jhall prepare thy way before thee. And then he inqmediately proceeds to relate the public miniftry of John. Matthew likewife declares -j-, that Joh^ the Baptift was He that wasfpoken of by the prophet, Efkias, faying, the voice of one cry ing in. the wildernefs, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths Jlraight %. The iame fays Luke |]. And the evangelift John exprefsly affirms §, that there was a man fent from God, whofe name was John ; and that hofs, Mal. iii. ! . It is notorious, that, at the time of John's coming, the Jews univerfally expefted fome fuch extraordinary mellenger to precede the Meffiah ; and that this, among others, was one of thofe prophecies on which they founded their expeftations. * Mark. i. 1 , 2. t Matt. iii. 1 — 3. J Ifa. xl. 3. The 'voice of hiin, that crieth in the ivil- dernefs, 'prepare ye the •zaay cf the Lord; make Jlraight in the dejarc a high'iijay for our God. II Luke iii. 2 — 4. • § John i 6, 7. httroduSlory Co7ifidcraficns, that the fame came for a witnefs, io bear witnefs of the light, that all men thro' hiin might believe. From all thefe tcftimoniefe it evidently appears, that the chief defign ofthe evan- gelifts was not to make us acquainted with the divine charafter of the Baptift, on his own account ; but to complete the evi dence ofthe divine miflion of Jefus, by the unexceptionable teftimony of that ex traordinary prophet, whofe appearance in the charafter of his forerunner, had been univerfally expedled, becaufe explicitly foretold. In Durfuance of this defig;n, it was na- tural for them to be fcrupulouily exadl in recounting thofe particulars, by which the prophetic charadler of John himfelf was eftablifhed ; and circumftantial in their re lations of the teftimony he bore to the di vine miffion of Jefus. Eut for the reft of John's life and adtions, as a minute know ledge of thefe was not neceflary to the chief end in view, They would, ofcourfe, only furniih us v/ith their true general idea. Accordingly it will be found, upon coinpa- B 3 rifon. IntroduSiory Confider ations. rifon, that the evangelifts have followed this plan. Luke has given a very parti- cular detail *, of all the feemingly mira culous events, which attended John's con ception and birth ; and which, if they truly came to pafs as related, muft fully prove him to have been fent by a fpecial adi of the divine providence, purpofely to fuftain that peculiar prophetic charadter he afterwards afi[umed. And, not to cite each evangelift, or have recourfe to every thing •they have recorded, what follows will fuf ficiently prove, how defirous they were to confirm the divine authority of Jefus, by the exprefs teftimony of John. And this isthe record of John, when the Jews fent priefis and levites from Jerufa- lem, to afk him, who art thou ? and he con feffed, and denied not, but confeffed, I am not the Chrijl. — lam the voice oj one crying in the wildernefs, make Jlraight the way of the Lord, as faid the prophet Efaias. — I baptize with water ; but there Jiandeth one among you, whom ye know not, he it is, who coming * Luke i, from verfe 5, to 80. IntroduSiory Confederations . 7 coming after me, is preferred before me, whofe Jhoes latchet I am not worthy to imloofe. — The next day JohnJ'eeth Jefus coming unto him, and faith, behold the lamb ofGod, which taketh away the fin of the world. This is he, of whom I faid, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me ; for he was before me. And I knew him not : but that he fould be made manifeji to Ifrael ; therefore am I come baptizing with water. Andjohn bare record, faying, I faw the Spirit def- cendingfrom heaven like a dove, and it a- bode upon him. And I knew him not : but he that fent me to baptize with water, the fame faid unto me, upon whom thou Jhalt fee the Spirit defending, and remaining on him, the fame is he, which baptizelh with the Holy GhoJl. And I faw, and bare record, that ihis is the Son ofGod. And again, the next day after, John flood, and two ofhis difciples ; and looking upon J ejus as he walked, he faith, behold the lamb of God. And the two dif ciples heard him fpeak, and .they followed Jefus*. Th&s- * John i. from 19 to 37. To the fame purpofe fee Matt;. 8 IntroduSiory Confider ations. Thu s full and particular haye the evan gelifts been, in tranfmitting to us the fe- veral proofs ofthe divine charadter of John the Baptift, and his repeated exprefs tefti mony in confirmation ofthe divine miffion of Jefus. But at the fame time that they were fo foUicitous to eftablifh the divine charadter of John, and to preferve fo many diftindl pofitive declarations, publiclcly de livered by him, that Jefus Chrift was the true Meffiah ; they have tranfmitted to us nothing more of John's other tranfadlions, than what was abfolutely requifite to give us a true ideaof his extraordinary charadler. We may venture to conclude then, that the principal intention of Jefus's dif ciples, in making fuch mention as they have of John, was, in reality, to eftablifh the divine charadter of their mafter, fo firmly, upon his teftimony, that all men thro him might believe. And in this it muft at leaft be confeffed, that they adted a very prudent part ; fince it is impoffible for any evi- Matt iii. II, &c. Mark i. 7, &c. Luke iii. 15, &c. Johni. 15, &c. And more efpecially John iii. 25 — 36, IntroduSiory Confider ations. evidence to be more clear, or more deci sive, than that with which the Baptift con firmed the high pretenfions of Jefus. On the other hand, we find Jefus on every opportunity employing all his cr«llit with the people, to perfuade them, that John was indeed that very divine perfon, which he pretended to be ; and the great- eft of all the prophets, that had ever ap peared among them. The charadter, ^hich the Baptift had from the beginning aflumed, was the voice oj one crying in the wildernefs, make Jlraight the way of the Lord, as faid the prophet Efaias. And when, upon a particular occafion, he thought fit to fend fome of his difciples to Jefus, to aflc him publickly, whether He was the Meffiah ; Jefus improved the op portunity this afforded him, to addrefs the people in favour of John; by declaring, in a manner, the moft emphatical, that John was a prophet ; yea, I fay unto you, and much more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, behold I fend my mef fenger before thy face, which f .mil prepare tby ro IntroduSiory Confider ations . thy way before thee. Verily I fay wito you^ among them that are born of women, there hath not arifen a greater than John the ^aptiji. — And, if ye will receive it, this isnElias, which was Jor to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.^ Full and frequent as John had been, in wit- neffing the truth of Jefus's pretenfions to the high charadter ofthe Meffiah ; his af- fer tions, we fee, were not more exprefs cr emphatical, than thefe declarations of Jefus, in which he publickly affirmed John to be his divine forerunner. Had they -not thus reciprocally fup- ported each other's claims to divine infpi- ration, the charadlers which they each afTumed, were in themfelves fo diftindt, though relative to each other, that little, perhaps, could have been drawn from them alone, to eftablifh the truth, or de- tedt the faifehood of their pretenfioas. Had John only declared himfelf the forerun ner ofthe Meffiah, without pretending to point him out perfonally to the people ; ajid * Matt. xi. 9, kz. IntroduSiory Confider ations. and had Jefus left the Jews to judge en tirely for themfelves, concerning the rea lity of the Baptift's infpiration ; the divine authority of Both, could not neceffarily have been determined by the veracity of Either. But fince we find them recipro cally bearing teftimony to the truth of each other's divine commiffion ; and the difciples of Jefus appear likev/ife to have given us no further account of John, than was neceflary to avail themfelves of his authority, in eftablifliing the credit of their mafter ; hence we are enabled to draw this certain conclufion ; that they muft Both have been impoftors ; or Both, in reality, thofe divine perfonages, whofe charadters they refpedtively afllimed. And this conclufion, firft eftablifhed, will im mediately point out a very natural method to bring the claims of Both to a decifive exarhination. Their mutual endeavours toperfwade the people into a belief in each other, muft either have been the effedt of fome fuper- jiatural knowledge, which allured them of II 12 . IntroduSiory Confider ations. of each other's divine miflion ; or the re- fult of a previous agreement between them, to fupport their double impofture. The nature of the cafe will not admit us to fuppofe, that Jefus may have been the true Mefliah, but John an impoftor ; or John, that prophet, he declared himfelf, but Jefus a deceiver. Their claims toany thing divine muft now ftand or fall toge ther. Had either ofthem alone been a coun terfeit ; the ti'ue prophet, it muft be al lowed, could not have borne witnefs in his favour; unlsfs the other had found means to deceive him into a firm belief of the truth of his pretenfions. As the real meffenger of the God of truth, could not be fent into the world to fupport a lie ; fo k, was impoffible for him knowingly to abett the defigns of an impious de ceiver. If then only One ofthem was really the divine peifon he pretended to be, nothing can account for his condudt in fupporting the Other, but his having been deluded by IntroduSiory Co7ifider ations. i 3 by him into an opinion, that that divine charadter did truly belong to him, which he had impioufly aflumed. But this fup- poiition cannot be admitted in the prefent cafe. The appearance of the long promifed Meffiah was an event of fuch importance to the general happinefs of mankind, and in which, the goodnefs, veracity, and juftice of God were fo intimately con cerned 3 that He could not be fent into the world, in fuch a manner, as would lay mankind under an abfolute neceffity to difown and rejedt him, without the leaft fault in themfelves. The divine wifdom could not therefore fend that infpired mef^ fenger, whom he had long promifed, purpofely to prepare the Meffiah's w^ay before him ; v/ithout enliehtenine him ^ Cl CD with that ample portion of his difcerning fpirit, which would enable him to diftin- guifh the true Meffiah, without a poffibi- lity ofmiftake, from every counterfeit of his charadter; orat leaft fecure him from bearing witnefs to anv impoftor. Had he 14 IntroduSiory Confidef ations. he been fent without this neceflTary quali fication, inftead of preparing the Mefliah's way before him, he might, and in the prefent cafe muft, have been the moft ef- fedtual obftrudtor of it. He might invo luntarily have mifapplied his divine autho rity, in abetting the defigns of an impious deceiver ; and thus have thwarted thofe etei-nal counfels he was fent purpofely to fulfill, through the defedts of his own in fpiration. Supposing then that the Baptift was in fadt, the divine meflfenger in queftion ; Jefus muft likev/ile have been the true Meffiah. On the other hand, fhould we allow Jefus to have been the long expe^ed Mef fiah ; his teftimony will furnifh us with as fatisfadtoiy a proof of the divine authority of John, Nothing can be more evidently abfurd, than to fuppofe, that a Being of confummate wifdom and power, would render the authority of his divine difpen- fations liable to be brought into queftion, by being connedted with the fliort-fighted and IntroduSiory Confider ations. 15 and inconfiftent fchemes of human impo fture. Intricate plans of deceit, efpecially fuch as afFedl the general interefts of man kind, and are of the moft extenfive na ture, are ever liable to be difcovered. Nor have we need of any other reafon for re- jedting all pretenders to divine authority, than the finding them defirous to encreafe their credit by the affiftance of a deceiver. Jefus, therefore, if he was the true Mef fiah, muft unqueftionably have diftin- guifhed the true Elias, from every coun terfeit, who might affume his name : or, at leaft, he muft have refrained from bearing witnefs to any one, whom he did not infalUbly know to be the divine per fon in queftion. Besides, had the Baptift alone been the counterfeit, as Jefus muft then have been preceeded by fome truly divine fore runner, to whom the charadter which John affumed, did really belong; Jefus would undoubtedly have appealed to the teftimony of that true prophet, if to any, inftead of the falfe ; and we could never have 1 6 IntroduSiory Confider ations i. have found him endeavouring to eftablifh the credit of John. It is evident therefore beyond queftion^ that if we admit the divine miffion of Je fus, his teftimony v/ill oblige us alfo to acknowledge the infpiration of John. And thus the evidence they have borne to the truth of each other's divine pretenfions, reduces us to the neceffity of rejedting them Both as impoftors ; or fubmitting to Both, in thofe very charadters they affu med, as the fpecial meffengers of God, and immediate revealers of his will to man kind. This indiffoluble connexion between Jefus and the Baptift, naturally points out a particular method of eftabUfhing the truth and certainty of the chriftian reve lation ; in its own nature, ftrong and con- clufive ; and independent of all that varie ty of other arguments, by which its divine original may be clearly proved. If thofe particulars, which the evangeUfts have recorded, relating to John's birth and tranfadtions, and fuch others concerning Jefus, IntroduSiory Confider ations. 17 Jefus, as are neceffarily connedted with them, will enable us to fhew fatisfadlorily, that the Baptift himfelf could not be an impoftor j then will they afford a com plete and equally fatisfadtoiy proof of the divine miffion of Jefus : fince it will then be certain, that he could be no lefs than what John declared him to be, the pro mifed Meffiah, and the Son of God. The profecution of this particular point Is the firft and more immediate objedt of 'the following enquiiy. But as we pro ceed in it, the argument wUl likewife be found attended with this further, and very material, advantage; that in illuftrating the evidence of the divine original of John, we fhall at the fame time unavoid ably trace out a feparate, diredt, and e- qually full proof of the divine charadter of Jefus ; drawn from the nature of thofe particulars, which relate immediately to himfelf alone. The chief of thofe materials, which muft ferve for the foundation of this en quiry, are but few in number, and little C more 1 8 IntroduSiory Confider ations. more than a feries of aftonifhing events, affirmed to have accompanied both the Baptift's and Jefus's birth. But thefe, when confidered in their feveral circum ftances, and neceffary connedlions; and when joined likewife with fome remarka ble particulars in the condudt of John and Jefus towards each other, which muft greatly contribute to their further illuftra- tion ; will appear, it is hoped, fully fuffi- cient to anfwer the end propofed ; and af ford us a proof, at leaftj as fatisfadtory as in fuch a point can rationally be defired, that John was indeed a man fent from God, and Jefus beyond all queftion the true Meffiah. THE THE DIVINE MISSIONS O F JOHN the Baptist AND JESUS CHRIST. PART L SECTION L HE feveral miraculous events re- Part i, ported to have accompanied the s^-yO "^ conception of John the Baptift, are related by Luke as foUows *. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priejl, named Zacha rias, of the courfe of Abia : and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both C 2 ri^t- i ' * Luke i. 5—25. 20 The Divine Mijfmis of Part I. righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blamejefs. And they had no child, becaufe that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well Jiricken in years. And it tame to pafs, that, while he executed the priefis offce before God, in the order ofhis courj'e, according to the cufiom of the prieffs office, his lot was to burn incenfe, when he went into the temple ofthe Lord, And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incenfe. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, jlanding on t})e right fide of the altar of in cenfe. . And when Zacharias faw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But ihe angel faid unto him, fear not Zacharias : for thy prayer is heard, and thy wije Eli zabeth pall bear thee a Son, and thou Jhalt call his Name John. And thou Jhalt have joy and gladnejs, and many Jhall re joice at his birth. Fqr he Jljall be great in the fght of the Lord, and Jhall drink nei ther wine, nor Jir ong drink; and he Jliall be Jilkd with the Holy Ghofi, even from his mothers yohn Baptiji and Jefus Chrifi. 2 1 mothers womb. And many of the children Part I. of Ifrael ff all he turn to the Lord their God. And he Jhall go before him in the fpirit and power of EUas, to turn tbe hearts of the fathers to the children, and the difobedient to the wij'dom of the jujl, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacha rias faid unto the angel, whereby ffall I know this ? for I am an old man, and my wife wellfiricken in years. And the angel anfwering faid unto him, I am Gabriel, that Jland in the prefence of God : and am fent to fpeak unto thee, and to Jliew thee thefe glad tidings. And behold, thou Jlialt be dumb, and not able to Jpeak, until the day that thefe things ffall be performed ; becaufe thou believejl not my words, which fball be fulfilled in their feafon. And the people wait ed for Zacharias, and marvelled that he fayedfo long in the temple, And when he came out he could not fpeak unto them : and they perceived that he had feen a vifion in the temple ; for he beckoned unto them, and remained fpeechlefs. And it came to pafs, that as foon as the days qf his minifir ation were C 3 ac-^ Part Sea. 22 The Divine Mifiions of accomplijhed, he departed to his o^m houfe. And after thofe days his wife Elizabeth con ceived, and hid herfelf Jive months, faying, thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. The evangelift having thus related the circumftances of John's conception, ftops here to give an accoujit of many other events, no lefs aftonifhing, which fbon after accompanied the conception of Je- fiis ; and then goes on with the following hiftoiy ofthe birth of the Baptift *. Now Elizabeths full time came, thatffe Jhould be delivered, and fie brought forth a fin. And her neighbours, and her coufins, heard how the Lord had fiewed great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her. And if came to pafs, that on the eighth day they came to circumcife the child ; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother anfwer ed, and faid, not fo ; but he fiall be called John. And they faid unto her, there is none ofthy kindred that is called * Luke i. K7 — to the end. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 2 3 called by this name. And they made figns ^ ^^ "^ ^• to his father, how he would have him called. w'Vsi' And heajkedfor a writing table, and wrote, faying, his name is John. And they mar velled all. And his mouth was opened im mediately, and his tongue loafed, and hefpake and praijed God. And Jear came on all that dwelt round about them : and all thefe fayings were noifed abroad, throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they, that had heard them, laid them up in their hearts, faying, what manner of child fiall this be f Andthe hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filed with theHoly Ghqfi, and prophecied, faying, Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people ; and hath raifedup an horn of falv ation for us, in the houfe of his fervant David, as hefpake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been fince the world began. That we fiould be favedfrom our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. To perform the mercy promifed to our forefathers, and to remem ber his holy covenant ; the oath which he C 4 fware 24 The Divine Miffioits of Part ^- fware to our father Abraham; that he sy-s/"^ would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might ferve Hm without fear, in holinefs and righteouf- nefs beforehimallthedaysof our life. And thou, child, fiialtbe called the prophet of the Highejl ; for thoufioaltgo before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give know ledge of falvation to his people, by the re- inifiion of their fins ; through the tender mer cy ofour God; whereby the day fpr ing from on high hath vifted us, to give light to them that ft in darknefs, and in the fiadow of death -, to guide our feet into the way of peace. — And the child grew, and waxed firong in fpirit, and was in the defarts until the day of his fiewing unto Ifrael. Such and fo aftonifhing are the parti culars tranfmitted to us of the conception and birth of John the Baptift. The evan- geUft himfelf, by his manner of relating them, feems to have thought they con tained evidence fully fufficient to convince mankind ofthe truth of his prophetic cha radter, and divine infpiration. And if thefe John Baptifi and Jefus CJjrifi. 1 5 thefe accounts may be relied on, as true Part L hiftories of fadts, which adtually came to v..or^-« pafs, in the manner they are here related; it muft at once be confeffed, that their teftimony is abundantly fufficient to af- fure us of John's divine miffion ; and thers can be no room to doubt whether Jefus was the true Meffiah. The appearance of an angel to Zacha rias; his prophetic declaration, that things in the higheft degree improbable, would very fhortly be brought to pafs ; his pu- nifhing Zacharias, by ftriking him inftan- taneoufly dumb, for queftioning the truth of what he foretold ; the fuhfequent con ception and birth of John, at a time when^ humanly fpeaking, Elizabeth could not have had children ; the fudden reftoration of Zacharias's ipeech, at the period when the angel had declared it would be reftor- ed to him ; and his breaking out into pro phecies the inftant after, through the force of divine infpiration ; thefe events, con fidered together, are fo apparently beyond the power of human artifice to accomplifli, that 26 The Divine Mifftons of that if it be allowed they really came to pafs, all further argument is at an end. The Baptift muft at once be fubmitted to as the true Elias ; and Jefus, upon his re peated teftimony, be acknowledged the Son of God. This then is the queftion ; whether we have fufficient reafon to fatisfy us, in a point of fo great importance, that this re lation of the evangelifts is free both from impofture and miftake ; and that all the fadts contained in it are unqueftionably true * ? If * Before we enter upon the argument propofed, it feems neceflary to premife, that it is not here intended to prove, that the gofpels were really written by thofe perfons, whofe names they bear ; but, taking this Jingle point for granted, as having been fully eftablilhed by thofe, who have written profeffedly upon it ; the defign of this enquiry is to prove, that the fafts, in queftion, recorded in the gofpels, could not poffibly be forged j but muft really have come to pafs, in the manner that they are there related. And this, not by arguing from any fuppofed authority of the evangelifts, but from the very nature and circumftances of their relations themfelves. — The authenticity of the gofpels may be feen proved at large by Lardner, in his Cred. ofthe Gofp. Hijl. and Others, who have fet themfelves exprefsly to examine the canon of the New Teftament. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 27 If this miraculous hiftory of the birth Pa^^ ¦*" '• of John is not to be relied on, as a true account of what did adtually happen ; it muft either have been invented by Luke, or fome of JeJ'uss apojiles, in order to ftrengthen the credit of their own ma fter ; or it muft have been forged by John himjelf or Jome of his difciples, to deceive the people into a belief of his di vine infpiration ; — or laftly, it muft have been a contrivance of Zacharias, and his affociates; in order to pafs his Son upon the Jews for that honourable prophet, who was expedted to come before-hand, to prepare the way of the Lord. Now that it could not be forged by Luke, wUl very evidently appear. Tho' the exadt time ofthe publication of his gof pel is unknown, nor is it certain whether it came abroad before or after thofe of Mat thew and Mark * ; the nature and end of the * It is indeed by much the more prevailing opinion, that Luke did not write his gofpel, till after Matthew and Mark had written theirs. As may be feen in Whit by's preface to Luke's gofpel, and the generality of 2 8 The Divine Miffions of Part I^ the wotk itfelf, and Luke's own words, w/'v^^ oblige us to acknowledge, that it could not be made public immediately after the death of Chrift. Till the church was fo enlarged, that the perfonal teftimony of the apoftles, and the eye witneffes of Je fus's life and adtions, could not often bc had ; and their verbal accounts, through a courfe of fome time, were expofjed to the danger of being, even involuntarily, corrupted ; the evangelifts were under no great neceffity to write hiftories of the life of Jefus their mafter ; and were much too fully employed in making converts to chriftianity, to have leifure for compofing them. In fadl, Luke himfelf has.-' believed among them. This declaration, efpecially when joined to the nature of the thing itfelf, would make it in the higheft degree unreafonable to fuppofe, that the gofpel in queftion could have come abroad, till fome confiderable time after the death of Chrift. And thus far all the different opinions about it are agreed *. But after fuch a time had elapfed, the evangelift could not but know and confi- der, that it would be impoffible for him to forge a feries of fadts, fo aftonifhing in themfelves, and of fuch confiderable mo ment, without being immediately detec ted ; and ruining at once the prevailing credit * The earlieft period, that has been affigned for the publication of Matthew's gofpel, feems to be about eight years after the death of Chrift j and the lateft about thirty years after it. See Lardner's Supplement, Vol. I. Chap. V. 10 : Macknight's 6th Preliminary Obfer vation : Michaelis's Introduaory Leaures : and Ben- fon's Hiftory of the planting the Chriftian Religion. So that if Luke's gofpel was really publiftied be fore Matthew's j even upon this fuppofition, it could fcarcely be foor.sr than ii.f or feven years after Jefus's crucifixion. 30 The Divine Miffions of Part I. credit of Jefus, and all who preached in w»''V^-' his name. Could the apoftles, from the firft of their miniftry, have appealed to fo wonderful a feries of events, which had accompanied the birth of John ; no man could poffibly believe, that they would till this time have ftudioufly fuppreffed them; or could, through negledt, have forgot to relate them. For John, we have feen, bore the moft exprefs teftimony to the truth of Jefus's pretenfions ; and we know likewife, that all the people held John to have been a prophet indeed. The evangelift therefore could not poffibly have prefixed a relation fo afto nifhing, as this hiftory ofthe birth of John, to his account ofthe life and adtions of Je fus ; unlefs the particulars contained in it, had not only been publickly known, and believed, before he wrote ; but pubUckly taught likewife, by all the apoftles, to every convert they had made, from their firft beginning to preach the gofpel. Be caufe it was evident, that if he had; not only his own gofpel, but, with it, all the pre- John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 3 1 pretences of his party, muft on this very Part i. account have been univerfally exploded. Neither can this relation have been a forgery concerted between all, or any of Jefus's difciples, at their very firft begin ning to preach the gofpel, after Jefus's death. Such a furprifing feries of mira cles fuppofed to have accompanied John's birth, but never made known till fo long a time even after his death* ; and then firft reported byafet of men, whofe intereft was fo nearly, and fo evidently concerned in promoting the belief of them; muft necefiarily have carried with it fo ftrong an appearance of impofture, that thofe, who did not rejedt them at once, as appa rently fidtitious, would no doubt have examined into the truth of them, with fo much fcrupulous care j that had they not teen founded on unqueftionable fadt, their faifehood * According to Mr. Macknight, John was beheaded before the third pafTover of Jefus's public miniftry j and Jefus himfelf was put to death at the fifth. So that the death of Jefus did not happen till full two years after that of John. Some computations make the diftance greater ftill ; and it could not be lefs. 32 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. falfehood muft have been prefently dc- Sea.T. r / ,^/-y-vj tedted. How zealous and adtive the rulers of the Jews, and the whole fynagogue con tinued, for a long time after they had put Jefus to death, in endeavouring to filence the apoftles, and prevent even the name of Jefus from being named among the people, is well known. At the very time, when the apoftles muft have firft publifh- ed thefe forgeries concerning the birth of John; if in reality they were forgeries, and the apoftles the perfons who forged them ; the chief priefts and rulers were watching every opportunity to deftroy them. Firft they imprifojied Peter and John *"; then all the apoftles at once -J- ; not difmifling •them without ftripes, and threats of the fevereft punifhment, if they ftill continu ed preaching in Jefus's name % - and very (bon after, they even put Stephen t© death II . So circumftanced, in the midft of » Aas ofthe apoft. iv. 1—3. t AfSs ofthe apoft. v. 17, iS. J Aas ofthe apoft. iv. 18, 21. : — v. sS, 40. B Ibid. vii. 58, 59. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 3 3 bf fuch perfecuting foes, what can be P a r t i. more incredible, than that the apoftles yJ->^ fhould voluntarily court not only their own fhame and deftrudtion, but even the utter extindtion of their mafter's credit; by now firft pubUfhing fo extravagant and ill-grounded a forgery, as muft neceffarily make their veracity not fufpedted only, but exploded, by every one of the leaft judgment cr refledtion. Or, were it conceivable, that the apoftles themfelves could adt fo foolifh a part ; how can it be believed, that the chief priefts and rulers would quietly acquiefce, in fuffering them to fpread abroad thefe hitherto un heard of divine revelations ; fb evidently calculated to raife the credit of Jefus ; whofe name and memory they were at this very time exerting all their authority to deftroy ? Had the circumftances of John's birth, which Luke has related, been unknown till this time, and now firft publifhed by Jefus's difciples ; the fanhe- drim could not have failed to make the ftridteft enquiry into the evidence alleged D in 34 ^^ Divine Mifiions of Part I. in their fupport; and if that had proved V^-Y"^ infufficient, as it certainly muft, would have punifhed the apoftles to the utmoft extent of their power; and by laying open their villainy to the public view, have extinguifhed for ever the growing credit of the fedt. Since therefore, on the contrary, it appears, that though they not only threat ened, but beat, and imprifoned the apo ftles, and even put one of them to deatli, for perfifting to preach in the name of Jefus ; yet they never accufed them of the leaft forgery, in thofe miraculous ac counts of the birth of the Baptift, which they were now every where fpreading a- mong their converts to chriftianity ; we are neceffitated to acknowledge, that this account of the birth of John, which Luke has recorded, muft have been publickly known, and univerfally believed, before the time of Jefus's death. It could not therefore be forged by the apoftles, when they firft began to preach the gofpel, im mediately after it. If John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 3 5 If then the miraculous account under Part I- Sea. 1, confideration was forged by Jefus's difci ples, Jefus himfelf muft. have been con cerned with them in it, and they muft jointly have pubUfhed it foon after the death of John. But not to repeat argu ments, which have been but this moment alleged ; the very fame reafons, which have fhewn it impoffible for Jefus's difci ples to have done this, foon after his death ; prove it equally certain, that nei ther could Jefus, in conjundtion with them, have firft publifhed fuch a forgery, at any time after the death of John. Be caufe the teftimony of Jefus more efpe cially, with that of his difciples, would neceffarily have been expofed to all the fame objedtions in this cafe, as the tefti mony ofhis difciples alone, in the former. Since therefore this account of the miraculous birth of John, whether we fuppofe it true or falfe, muft have been publickly known and received, while John himfelf was alive to confirm or contradict it; if it was a forgery, we D 2 muft 36 The Divine Miffions of Part I. muft ncxt fuppofe John himfelf to have been the true author, and chief propaga tor of it. But neither could this poffibly be the cafe. John's whole charadter, life, and doc trine, were fo eminently diftinguiffied by a religious adherence to the very ftridteft rules of piety and virtue ; that, accord ing to Jofephus, the Jews in general were firmly perfuaded, that particular divine judgments were inflidted upon Herod for putting him to death *. But, not to in- fift * Jofephus having related the total defeat of Herod's army, and mentioned the caufe of it, that they were be trayed by fome deferters j goes on as follows. Hist /s Ti>v lisJ^Aian ifomt oKaKivai loi' Hffj/n ,S"Tf«TOC VTTO Til QlX, KO,/ /jiH^cl J^IKCt'af TinV[J,iVii KCtTO. 'TTOIVtlir [wctCl'K T» ST/X.ltA.K/^SI'K Bii/rT(7TK: KTilVit ya,^ TiTo'/ Hfcj/iir, !t.ya.btv avS'^ci, ncii tw JuJ^ctiiis KiKilOPTd, cLfiTHV iircLUKOVVTO.^, KOLt Til 'n^ot DLKKtlK^^ iS^iKAio(rvvi;, x,a,' 'tt^ot rov Qiov iusiCuA pi^pa/i/scisr, CdLTTTlO'^W ffVI/liVa,!. 'xTa yXf KXt TYiV CcLmiffll stTo/eKT!!!' A,^J^u (^cLvitSro.!, jj.n ^-lTt Tivav d,iJict^Tct,J^ay ^stfa/riitri/ p/cfeiHSi'&if, akk' e^' ayvuri tsv aajjMTOT^ art i'Y\ KM ins -lu^^iK S'ikaiojvva ¦^foSKX-Stst^-af/zscuf. Jofeph. Antiq. Jud. L. iB. 5. Ed. Havere. ¦ " But many among the Jews were perfuaded, that the deftruaion of Herod's army was owing to the parti cular interpofition of God ; who, they thought, took this John Baptifi and Jefus Ch?ffi. 3 7 fifton this, the feveral particulars related Pai^t ^• are or fuch a nature, as prove beyond con- v^-v"^ tradidtion, that thefe accounts could not have been firft invented, nor even firft re lated, at any time after John's birth ; and confequently, that it is impoffible for John himfelf, or any of his difciples, to have been the contriver, or firft propagator of them. Zacharias's feeming lofs of fpeech, and his fignifying to the people his having feen a vifion in the temple, were fadts, that if true, muft have been notorious to great numbers ; as is evident from the occafion D 3 on this method to punifh him, as he very highly deferved, for his cruelty to John, commonly called the Baptiji. For Herod had put him to death, notwithftanding he was a good man, and exhorted the Jews not to come to his baptjfm, without firft preparing themfelve.s for it, by the praaice of virtue ; by a ftria adherence to the rules of juftice and equity in their dealings with one another j a.nd by manifefting a fmcere piety towards God. For their being baptized, he tatight them, would then only be acceptable to God, when, having firft purified the mind with righteous difpofi tions, they had recourfe to baptifm, as nothing more than an emblem of their free dom from fenfual pollutions ; not when they made ufe «)f it as a commutation for their fins." 38 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. on which they are faid to have happen- sy-^r^ ed*. Again, Zacharias's no lefs fur prifing, inftantaneous recovery of his fpeech, at the time of John's circumcifion, was another fadt, which, if true, muft have been known likewife at the very time, to no lefs than ten feveral relations ofthe family ; who, according to the con- ftant cuftom of the Jewifh nation, muft have been prefent upon that occafion "f-. Now * And the people ivaited for Zacharias, and mar-relied that he tarried fo long in the temple. And ivhen he came out he could not Jpeak unto them : and they perceived that he had Jeen a vifion in the temple : for he beckoned unto them and remained Jpeechlefs. Luke i. 21, Z2. t The occafion was the circumcifion of John. And it came to pafs, that on the eighth day they came to circum- cije the child ; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father, iffe. Luke i. 59. — Upon this oc cafion the cuftom of the Jews was as follows. ' " Upon the day of circumcifion the father makes a feaft. Ten muft be the number of the invited guefts : and one or two of the learned Rabbis make a long prayer and fermon at the table ; while the others freely fet the glafs about and drink plentifully. This feaft they obferve, by the example of Abraham, who made a great feaft, the fame day that Ifaac was weaned : (Gen- xxi. 8.) they pervert the text, and fay, when he was circumcifed." Lewis's Heb. Antiq. B. 4. Ch. i. The John Baptifi and Jejus Librifi. 30 Now it is inconceivable, that an im- Part. I. poftor fliould clioofe to forge fuch fadts as thefe, the falfehood of which might pre fently be detedted ; and add likewife, that the whole country round about was, at the very time, made acquainted with, and furprifed at them ; when, if the fadts themfelves were not true, it would imme diately have appeared, upon enquiry, that none of the neighbouring inhabitants ha4 ever heard any "thing of them, * And fear came on all that dwelt roundabout them ; and all thefe fayings (that is, all thefe tranj- aBions -f) were noifed abroad, throughout D 4 all The number of perfons to be invited to this feaft, at the circumcifion, was not limited to ten ; but there was always to be ten at the leajt. Buxtorf. Syn. Jud. cap. 2. * Luke i. 65, 66. + To prevent any fufpicion of having interpreted this pafllage in a more comprehenfive fenfe, than it ought to be taken in ; it is proper to obferve, that the words in the original are, — tcavto, ta ^vi(j.ata tauta : which in the tranflation are rendered, " all thek fayings.'''' Kow it is certain, that ra rt)iJ.ArA fignifies indifferently things as well as nuords ; and is as often ufed forthe for mer, as the latter. Thus in this very chapter, ver. 37. 'Oti 0X1% A^vvATATi 'TTA^A Ta Qia TTAV ^ny.A : , in the tranflation. For ivith Ccd nothing Jhall be i^npoj/ille.'" And 40 The Divine Mifiions of ^sla ^' ^^^ *^^ ^^^^ country of Judea. And all they fc^-V-s-- that heard them laid them up in their hearts, faying, what manner of child fiall this be? Unlefs thefe events had apparently come to pafs, in the manner, and at the time, they are related to have happened ; they could not at that time have been noifed abroad through the neighbouring country ; nor could John himfelf, or his affociates, at any time afterwards have ventured to affert that they were. The nature of the fadts themfelves was fo furprifing, that, upon this account alone, fome remembrance of them muft have been preferved, in the neighbourhood where And in chap. ii. 15. ^.HK-^afMv /« iy{ 'B'/i^Kn/j., x,ai la aiJLiv TO ^n/j.A TovTo Toyiyorof, 0 0 Kt^f /u; S) ivjf.'irSf if ill/. Let us go noiv even unto Bethlehem, and Jee this thing, vjhich is come to pajs, vjhich the Lord hath made Inovm unto us. From thefe inftances only it is fufficient ly plain, that in the paflage before us, "rev-, a ra en^t/.a- TA TAUTA, would have been more properly tranflated, " all thefe events " inftead of, " all thefe Jayings ;" and that Luke meant by them, not only Zacharias's prophetical declaration, .but all thefadb hehadjuftbeen relating. See more on the word pu^a in Hamm. on Matt. 2. — Wolf. Cur. Phil, in Luc. i. 37 Gataker de Stylo N. T. p. 146. — ^ Rofs's Eflay for a new Tranfl. (from Le Cene) p. 2. ch. 4, John Baptifi and Jefus Clorift. 41 where Zacharias had lived, had thev real- Part r. Sea I ly happened, much later than it was pof- fible for John himfelf, or any of his dif ciples while hc was Uving, to have con trived and publifhed thefe accounts. The hiftory of fb many divine revelations, re- -fledting fuch fignal honour upon all thofe, to whom thev had been made, muft with out dou'-t have been preferved in the fa milv, with great care, at leaft as long as the per.iLor., whom tliey immediately con cerned, was alive. The hopes and-ex- pectaticns of feeing them accomplifhed in John's future life and adtions, muft have kept them in remembrance among Zacharias's friendi; and relations at leaft; and rendered it abfolutely impoffible for the mem^ory of them to have been loft, while there was a poffibility remaining of feeing them one day fulfiUed. No fooner, it is related, had Zacha rias fignified, that his fon fhould be named John ; than his fpeech was perfedtly refto- red, and he was immediately filled with the Holy Ghoft, or at leaft pretended to bc 42 The Divine Miffions of Part I. be fo, and prophecied: foretelling, be- \y\r^ fides the fpeedy coming of the ]\^effiah himfelf, and the glories of his reign, that his own fon, at that time but a few days old, was fent to difcharge the office of his immediate forerunner. So unexpedted a predidtion, delivered by Zacharias, after having been, as he pretended, for fo long a time miraculouf- ly ftruck dumb, and but the inftant be fore as miraculoufly reftored to fpeech; and' this too concerning a child, born to him when he could have no hopes of children ; and to whom hehadjuft given a name, in oppofition to the defire of all his relations prefent, and the prevailing cuftom of his country ; fuch a prophecy, pronounced in circumftances fo remark able, and full of promifes fo defireable, could not have been forgot in John's life time, had it really been delivered; nor could John's affirming fuch a ftory have been able to procure it belief, if it had not been remembered. If John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 43 If therefore, upon enquiry, when John Part I. affumed his public charadter, no account, w'"vvl» not even the leaft tradition, of thefe mi racles and prophecies could be learned from the family of Zacharias, and the neighbourhood * where he lived ; and if they were forgeries of John's own, or any ofhis difciples, it is evident this muft have been the cafe ; they muft at once have been effedtually exploded. John's own reputation muft have been abfolutely blafted ; nor would the hiftorians of Jefus have dared afterwards to publifh thefe re lations, in order to fupport the credit of their mafter. On the contrary, it muft have * It may not be improper to take notice, on this oc cafion, that the Jev/s were from the beginning fettled in their poflTeflions, according to their tribes and families. (See M. Lowman's Civil Government of the Hebrews, ch. 4.) By this means a whole neighbourhood, being in fome meafure related to each other, muft have been more nearly connefled, than in other countries ; w'nere no fuch regulation had originally taken place ; and their tribes were not kept diftinft . And, on this account, it muft have been looked on as ftill more highly incredi ble, that the neighbourhood, where Zacharias had lived, could at this time be found abfolutely ignorant of any fuch aftoniftiing events as thofe before us ; had they ever really come to pafs, and been related among them. 44 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. have been their defire, by all means, to- Sea. I . ^ tally to fupprefs all memory of them ; fince any known falfehood in John muft fo neceffarily bring the credit of Jefus into queftion. Not to fay, that in this cafe it would have been' impoffible for the credit of Jefus to have outlived that of John. But befides this conclufive argument, drawn from the feveral circumftances at tending the fuppofed revelations them felves ; it appears, on many other ac counts, abfolutely impoffible for them to have been forged by John himfelf, or con fequently by his difciples. It muft at once be allowed, that before he could contrive, or enter upon a defign fb intricate, fo bold, and fb iniquitous, he muft, at leaft, be drawing very near to man's eftate. This is the very earlieft period we can poffibly aflign for it. He could not then begin to pubUfh thefe fto- ries, in order to prepare people for re ceiving him, in that divine charadter, which he muft have intended afterwards to aflume, till he was at leaft about twen ty John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 45 ty years of age. Now, at this time, cI-Part I. ther Zacharias and Elizabeth, and all the ^4rv>«/ ten perfons, who had been prefent at the feaft of John's circumcifion, about twenty years before, muft have been ftill alive ; — or elfe only fome ofthem were yet living ; — or laftly, they muft all have been al ready dead. And whichever of thefe fup- pofitions we may choofe to embrace, it will be found incredible, that John could attempt fetting on foot fuch an impofture, at this time ; or, if he had attempted it, that he could have efcaped immediate and public detedtion. If Zacharias and EUzabeth, and all thofe who had been prefent at their fon's circumcifion, were yet alive; it is evi dent, that John could not attempt to pub lifh any forgeries of his own, giving an account of fuch remarkable revelations, as having been made to all of them, fo many years before ; unlefs he had firft fe- duced them all to corroborate his relation, with their own evidence; and confpire with him in the profecution of the whole plot. But 46 The Divine Mifftons of But what an extravagant and incre-di- ble fuppofition is this I Was it poflible for John to entertain a defign of engag^ig his very parents themfelves, perfons of fuch virtuous converfation as he knew them to be, in fo wicked an impofture ? Could he conceive hopes, that they, who, he well knew, had ever walked zh allthe commandments and, ordinances of the Lord blamelefs*, would encourage, and even aflift * As it is not allowable here to take the good cha- raaer of Zacharias and Elizabeth upon truft, it is necef fary to obferve, that the circumftances of the cafe will prove the charaaers given of them to be true ; without confidering Luke's relation as of any authority, on his ovvn account. — It has juft now been proved, that if the circumftances of John's birth, related by Luke, had been -forged ; they could not however be forged, and firft made known, either by Luke himfelf, or any of Jefus's difciples, after the death of Jefus j or by Jefus, in con- junaion with his own, or John's difciples, after John's death. This being the cafe, it neceffarily follows, that the particulars concerned, even if they were forged, muft have been made known, at the lateft, while John was yet alive. It is evident 'likewife, that thefe particulars were of fo marvellous a nature, that whenever they were firft related, they would undoubtedly caufe many, and the chief priefts more efpecially, to recolka, or enquire into, the received charaaers of Zacharias and EUzabeth ; who were reprefented as fo intimately concerned in them. And '- as John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 47 affifthim, in the moft impious of all un- Part I. ^ . . Sea. 1. dertakings ? Or could he imagine, that vyv"Nj among as this, we have feen, muft have been while John wasyet alive ; and, confequently, long before the received cha raaers of Zacharias and Elizabeth could be forgot, in the neighbourhood where they had lived ; hence it ap pears, that the reputation they had really maintained, whether good or bad, muft have been fo well known and eftablilhed during the public miniftry of John j that it could not be in the power of Luke to attribute tl falfe charaaer to them, and above all, one fo remarkably good, when he came to write his gofpel fome years af terwards. — Befides, it would be manifeftly abfurd to fuppofe, that the people in general, or the chief priefts* in particular, fliotdd not enquire who John was, and from what parents he arofe ; when firft he began to bap tize, and drew all orders about him. Curiofity alone would lead the generality to make this enquiry ; and the chief priefts, muft have done it on other motives. Nor could they poffibly remain ignorant of the true charaaers of Zacharias and Elizabeth ; fince all the other priefts, who had lived in the fame neighbourhood with them, muft certainly have known very well, what reputation they had in faa maintained ; and were the very perfons, to whom the chief priefts and rulers would have applied, for information about them. On both thefe accounts therefore it muft be allov/ed, that that exemplary cha raaer, which Luke has without fcruple afcribed to Za charias and Elizabeth, could be no other, than what had always been admitted as their true charafter ; but moi'e efpecially from the time, when John began firft to bap tize ; at which time, it is certain, no falfe account of them would have been fuffered by the chief priefts to gain ground . 48 The Divine Miffions of Part I. among no lefs tlian ten of his father's feledt friends, and two of them Rabbis, whom he had chofen to rejoice with him, at the feaft for the circumcifion of an un expedted fon ; there fhould not be one, who fhould have common honefty enough to refufe becoming an accomplice in fo wicked a confpiracy t Nothing can further exceed the bounds of credibility, tha.'v this fuppofition would ; except what we muft at the fame time fuppofe, in order ' to convidt John of the forgery in debate ; that he not only determined to attempt corrupting them, but adtually fucceeded. Though the evangelifts have given us no account of thofe perfons, who were prefent at the Baptift's circumcifion ; the occafion of the meeting itfelf is fufficient to convince us, that they muft certainly have been perfons of good moral charac ters, and virtuous reputations. Zacha rias called them together, in compliance with the cuftom of his countiy, to rejoice with him, for the birth of a fon, born after he had loft ail hopes of having chil dren. John Baptifi and Jeftis Chrift. 49 dren. This was an event, which muft Part I. Sea I . have given fb much pleafure to Zacharias, w'-'v^ and more efpecially to Elizabeth * ; that it cannot be doubted, but they would certainly invite fuch of their moft inti mate friends to rejoice with them upon it, as would render the family meeting as fatisfadtory as poffible. Whoever they were then, that met to rejoice with Za charias upon this occafion ; they could not be any of his meer common acquain tance ; perfons whofe lives and coriverfa- tions he might know but little of, and be as little folUcitous about ; but, on the con trary, they muft have been fuch of his beft friends and relations, as he knew would take part moft fincerely in his pre fent fatisfadtion. Now from hence it is certain, that they muft have been perfons of integrity, and unblemifhed reputation. For how can it be imagined, that a prieft, who had maintained to old age an exemplary cha radter, could have formed his moft inti- E mate * See Luke i. 24, 2;. s;o The Divine Mifiions of Part I. ^ate connedtions, with perfons of aban- Sea. I. - doned principles, and diffolute lives .^ How is it poffible he fhould have formed friendfhips, and kept up an intimate cor- refpondence, with thofe,. whofe company would have been a difgrace to his profeC' fion, and whofe condudt muft have been oppofite to, his own i* Had he condudted himfelf in this manner, he could neither have acquired, nor preferved,. that virtu ous reputation,, which hc diedpoffeffed of. He was now likewife arrived at that advan ced time of Ufe, when other caufes of inti macy lofe dieir influence, and good men value their friends^, more than ever, for the internal difpofition and good principles of the heart, Thofe friends therefore, whom Zacharias feledted to rejoice with him up on this occafion, we may reft fatisfied muft have been, Uke himfelf and Elizabeth, perfons of approved probity and worth. What tiien can be more incredible, than that John fhould imagine he could prevail with no lefs. than twelve perfons, of fuch worthy charadters as his parents and John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 5 1 and their friends certainly were, to be- Part I. Sea. I. come, all on the fudden, extravagantly wz-v^^ wicked, and affift him in the profecution of a moft impious impofture ? And even had it been poffible for him to have re- folved upon attempting this; by what ftrange fatality could it happen, that they fhould all, without exception, approve his wicked defigns ; and all become at once fo hardened in iniquity, that neither the cuftomary ftings of remorfe, nor even the feverer terrors of a death-bed, fhould induce any one of them, ever after, to make confeffion ofhis crime ? No expedi ents whatever can render fuch fuppofition s even in the very loweft degree credible, or capable of being allowed. And what views of advantage could John have to propofe to his parents and re lations, in order to engage them in fo ini quitous an undertaking ; which on fo ma ny other accounts, it muft have appeared to hiniv plainly impoffible for them to ap prove ? Some furely he muft have thought neceffary for this end : and yet his de- E 2 fign, 52 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. Sea. I. fign, planned as we muft fuppofe him ttf have planried it, could not admit of any. The prophecies and revelations which they attefted, and which muft either have teen his contrivance alone, or the joint produce of all, were fuch as would at all times have made it requifite for him to refufe all earthly power and honours. He was to be great indeed * ; but then it was to be in the fght of the Lord, not of man. His life and manners were to be diftin- guifhed frorn thofe of other men ; but in ftead of being rendered remarkable by a more fplendid poffeffion of human enjoy ments ; he was to drink neither wine nor firong drink ; and to live in a continued courfe of abftinence and mortification. He was to affume the charadter of an in- ftrudtor of mankind ; but far from being to poffefs the allurements of human wif^ dom and philofophy ; he was to be filled with theHoly Ghofi from his mother s womb. He was to preach the dodtrine of repen tance ; of all others the moft diredtly cal culated f Lnke i. 1 5.. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 53 culated to draw upon him a general hatred Pa r t 1. andaverfion; and, to give knowledge of fal vation to that people who valued them felves fo highly on being the fons of Abra ham, ^y the remifiion oJ their fins. In fine, he was profeffedly to renounce the high cha radter ofthe Meffiah ; and to lay claim to no other honour, than that of a meffenger, who was to prepare his way before him, in the referved, and retired manner of Elias. This being the plot he contrived, if it was indeed a plot of his own contrivance ; what rewards could he poffibly propofe to Zacharias and Elizabeth, and their friends, fufficient to induce them to embark in fo iniquitous an impofture } It is evident he could have none to offer. And to fuppofe notwithftanding, that he could think it pof fible, that fo many perfons of virtuous re putation fhould all agree to join in carrying on fo wicked, and, at the fame time, fo ufe- lefs a defign ; and in confequence of this opinion, that he could attempt to feduce them; and further, that, in fadt, they all heartily embraced it, and ever after ad- E 3 hered 54 The Divine Miffions of ^art I. hered to it; would be contradidting the ,„jr^^-i^ firft principles of common fenfe, and all experience; and utterly confounding all diftindtion between falfehood and truth. But incredible as the fuppofition muft undoubtedly be allowed, let us fuppofe thefe twelve perfons, of unblemifhed inte grity, to have become, all at once, the moft accomplifhed impoftors. Even this con- ceffion itfelf will not yet make it poffible forthe impofture in debate to have been firft contrived, and thus fet on foot by the Baptift. For, had it been his contrivance, even the joint teftimony of all thefe in its fupport, would have been utterly in fufficient to prevent it from being prefently exploded. It has been already obferved, that John muft at leaft have arrived at man's eftate, before he can be conceived capable of en tering upon fuch a defign. So that, what ever aiTociates he might then engage in it, muft till that time have been totally igno rant of every particular of the plot ; and, confequently, could never have made men tion John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 5 5 tion of any of thefe divine revelations, as ^^\^ ^' liaving accompanied the birth of John, s/^v-^v during the long interval of about twenty years, which muft have elapfed fince he was born. But after fuch a filence as this, had they all agreed to publifh relations of any fuch miraculous events j it cannot be doubted, what muft have been the fuccefs of fo foolifh an attempt to impofe upon ' the common fenfe of mankind. Who could poffibly have given credit to ftories of fo e)< traordinary a nature; which, if related at the very firft, requir ed to have been fo well attefted ; when it fhould appear, that not one of thofe witneffes, upon whofe teftimony only they muft ftand or fall, had ever made the leaft mention of them, for fuch a fe ries of years ? It would have been utterly impoffible for any of them, and more ef pecially for Zacharias, to account fatif- fadtorily for their entirely fijppreffing fuch events, at the time they came to pafs ; when aftonifhment alone would have led •fVery honeft undefigning fpedtator to re- E 4 veal 56 The Divine Mtffioits of veal them; as well as for making them known at laft, when they were plainly calculated to ferve an interefted view, af ter having fo long fuppreffed them. Such a condudt, it muft have been clear to all, could have proceeded from nothing lefs than fome diffioneft agreement between them ; and Confequently, muft have de prived their teftimony of all regard, how ever credible witneffes they might other- wife have been; What more natural, nay, what more unavoidable, than this enquiry ; how fo many honeft men could have agreed a- mong themfelves, abfolutely to fupprefs fuch extraordinary revelations of the will of God, as, according to their own ac count of them, it was of the utmoft im portance, fliould be publifhed to man kind ? He fiall be great, faid the angel to Zacharias, in thefight of the Lord ; and many of the children of Ifrael fioall he turn to the Lord their God. And he fijall. go before him, in the fpirit and power of Elias ; to turn the hearts of the fathers to, the John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 57 the children, and the difobedient to the wif- Part I. domofthejufi, to make ready a people pre pared for the Lord *^ Zacharias himfelf too prophecied. And' thou child fialt be called the prophet of the higheft, for thou fialt go before the face ofthe Lord to pre pare his ways, to give knowledge of falva tion to his people, by the remifiion of their fins •\. Thefe were difpenfations, which, the moft fimple could not but at once per ceive, required the proofs of John's divine commiflion to be pubUfhed to mankind. It muft therefore have occurred to every one, that whoever could agree among themfelves to fupprefs thofe miraculous events, by which alone thefe difpenfations could be confirmed ; muft have been per fons of no lefs abandoned principles, than fuch as could deliberately combine toge ther, to oppofe the merciful difpenfations ofGod, and obftrudt the univerfal happi nefs of man. So that had it been poflible for John himfelf to have entered upon, and • Luke i. 15, 17. t Ibid. i. 76, 77. Sea. 58 The Divine Miffiont of Pa r t r. and engaged his parents and relations in w'-v->-' fb foolifh a defign ; their long unavoidable filence, with regard to all thefe aftoniflimg events, which thqr muft now at length have attefted, was abundantly fufficient to prevent any one from paying the leaft re gard to their reports *- Above all the reft ; the credit of Za charias and Elizabeth, though hitherto unfiifpedted, muft on this account have been effedtually deftroyed. For every honeft motive, that could poffibly influ ence their condudt upon fuch an occafion, would haveconfpired together, in forcing them to publifh thefe divine revelations, had they ever really been made. Jf he was a man of probity and virtue, he Could not have * Nay, their teftimony would not only have beea rejeaed on all thefe accounts; but their charaaers would unavoidably have become infamous, in the judg ment of all the people. For among the Jews, all fuch as concealed any revelations, that had been made to them, were looked upon, as one particular fpecies of falfe prophets; and they believed that God would execute fevere judgment upon them, as fuch. — See Selden de Synedr. Eb. 1. 2. c. 6. And Lewis's Heb. Antiq. B. 2. 16. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 59 have refolved to conceal from mankind. Part r. fuch Angular manifeftations of tlie over- w/^v^ ruling providence of God, If a prieft of piety and religion, he could not have dared to withhold from his whole nation, thofe divine revelations concerning his own fon ; the very fubftance of which evidently ftiewed, that God certainly defigned them to be made known to aU. As a defcen- dant of Abraham, and an inheritor of the promifes made to his forefathers, he could not but have been extremely defirous to be the firft pubUfher of the joyful tidings of the long expefted Meffiah ; he could not but have rejoiced excecjdingly at the high honour conferred upon himfelf, in bleffing him with a fon to be the Mefliah's immediate forerunner. And on all thefe accounts together, if he was not prevented by any difhoneft defigns, he muft have burned with impatience, to make known to all the neighbourhood, where he lived, thefe certain affurances ofthe approaching deliverance of their whole nation, and his own great favour with God. The 6o The Divine Mifiions of Par T I. The defire even of encreafino; hisown Sea. 1. . ^ , ^ . , , .^-y — ' reputation, muft have concurred with his regard to virtue and religion, and forced him to make known fuch miraculous re velations, had they really accompanied the birth of his fon . Thefe confiderations likewife were fo far from remote, that they muft naturally have occurred to eve ry Jew, upon the firft mention ofthe cafe. So that, though for argument's fake, we fhould fuppofe Zacharias, and all the reft, to have entered into a plot to bear witnefs to thefe rev^elations, at the inftigation of John ; this fingle circumftance, that they had never made the leaft mention ofthem, forthe long interval of near twenty years, after they were affirmed to have come to pafs, muft effedtually have betrayed the impofture, and caufed it to be univerfally exploded. Thus it appears impoffible for John himfelf to have been the contriver of any fuch impofture, as that in queftion ; if we fuppofe his parents, and all thofe who had been prefent at his circumcifion, to have been JoIm Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 6 1 been ftill living, when he was capable of P a r t I. . . . ^ Sea. I. contriving it. w-V*^ If now we fuppofe, what is far more probable to have been the cafe, that only fome of them remained alive, when John may be thought capable of forming fuch a defign ; the impoffibility of his fetting the plot on foot, without its being pre fently rejedted, becomes more evident than before. For, in addition to all the arguments already alleged, which muft have effedtually deftroyed the credit of fuch of them as were yet alive, to publifh thefe relations ; the abfolute filence of all thofe, who had even died without ever making mention of fuch miraculous e- vents, would have rendered it ftill more apparent, that no fuch revelations had ever really been made. That thofe, who now at length attefted them, fhould have con cealed them fo long, was what no man could believe ; but that any of thofe, who were prefent when they happened, fhould even die without revealing them, was doubly incredible. Can 62 The Divine Mifiions of Can it appear poffible then, for John to have fucceeded better in the fuppofed defign; if, in the laft place, we fhould imagine, that Zacharias and Eli?;abeth, and all, whp had been prefent at his cir cumcifion, were dead before he entered upon it ? Could he take advantage of the death of all, and fuccefsfully publifti fuch fprgeries as thefe ; wh^n there were no longer any witnefles to be had, who could CKprefsly declare his pretenfions to be falfe? On the contrary, it is apparent from what has juft now been faid, that this fuppofi tion, the only one remaining, muft be, of all, the moft unfavourable for his plot. For, could John himfelf have been foolifh enough to lay claim to a divine charadter, upon the meer ftrength of thefe pretended revelations ; at a time, when he himfelf was the only perfon, who afferted he had ever heard a fyllable of them ; and when every one of thofe perfons to whom, he laid, they had been made, were at length dead ; and dead too, without having ever revealed the leaft hint concerning them ; it John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. b% it is apparent he muft at once have been Pa r t r. Sea. I . rejedted, as the moft fhamelefs and aban- s^VNi* doned of all impoftors. * Since therefore, on the other hand, it is certain, that John was not only efteemed a true prophet, by the people in general ; but that even the pharifees themfelves, his avowed and early enemies, had no fuch argument to allege againft his pretenfions to a divine commiffion ; it muft neceffa rily be acknowledged, that there could be no room for this decifive objedtiom And thus, to convince us that thefe reve lations, faid to have accompanied the con ception and birth of John, were undoubt edly * It would be idle to fuppofe here, that John might foborn witnefles to corroborate his own teftimony, by aflerting, that they had heard of thefe revelations, as well as himfelf; and that by this means his account might gain ground. For, not to infift on the great ap parent difficulty and danger of fuch an attempt, it muft have been utterly impoflible for John to have procured fuch a number, as would by any means have been b^- cient to give even an air of probability to their relations > wiile the contradiaory evidence of others, of no lefs authority, muft have eiFeaually prevented their teftimony from being received, after fo long an interval had elapfed as that of twenty years. 64 The Divine Miffions of Part I. Sea. I. edly noifed abroad, by Zacharias and his friends concerned in them, throughout all the hill-country of Judea, immediately af ter Johns circumcifion ; and confequently, that it is abfolutely impoffible for them to have been forged by John himfelf, or any perfons at all connedted with him, after that time ; we have, at once, the exprefs affiirance of the evangelift, the obvious nature of the thing itfelf, and the un queftionable teftimony of the very ene mies of John. SECTION John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 65 SECTION II. THE miraculous events, faid to have Part r. accompanied the birth of the Bap- ^J>^-^ tift, having thus approved themfelves fuch as could not poffibly be forged, either by Luke, or any of Jefus's difciples, after John's death ; or by John himfelf, or any one elfe in conjundtion with him, fe veral years after his birth ; there remains but one fuppofition more, which can pof^ fibly account for them on the foot of an impofture. ' If the events in queftion did not really come to pafs, in that fupernatural man ner in which they are related ; then the whole muft have been a plot, concerted before the Baptift's birth, between his pa rents Zacharias and EUzabeth, and who ever elfe fhall appear to have been con cerned with them in carrying it on. And all this muft have been contrived purpofely to impofe their fon upon the Jews for that prophet, v/hom they expedted God would F fend •66 The Divine Miffions of Part I. fend to pi-Qclaim the coming of the Mef- oCCt. 2. >• - Vn<'>^ prophecy ; foretelling, that the Meffiah himfelf was at length on the point of appearing ; and, as before, that John was ordained to be his immediate fore runner *. Such was the part Zacharias muft have adted, in that feheme of impofture, which we are now fuppofing him to have contrived with regard to John. As to his wife Elizabeth, the very na ture of the cafe evidently fhews, that flie muft unavoidably have been a party to the defign ; and her behaviour at the time of John's circumcifion, fufficiently proves it. And it came to paJs, that on the eighth day they came to circumcij'e the child; and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father. And his mother anjwered, and faid, not fo ; but he fiall be called John. And they faid unto her, there is none oJ thy kindred, that is called by this name. And they made figns to his father how he would have him called?" and he * Luke, ch. i. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 71 he afked for a writingi-table, and wrote,^ ^y-"^- i- faying, his natne is John. And they mar- ^y\^ veiled all*. Had not Zacharias already engaged EUzabeth in the profecution of whatever defign he had in view, with regard to John ; we could not have found her, on this occafion, breaking through the cuf tom of her country, to the no fmall furprife of all their relations prefent -f ; evidently for no other end, than to obey the pretended commands of the angel to F 4 Zacharias, * Luke i. 59. + " The name was ufually given to the child at the time of circumcifion :" (as v/e fee wais the cafe with Johfi.) — " They always had regard to the name of fome perfon of diftinaion, who had been of the fa mily." — Lewis's Heb. Antiq. B. 4. ch. i. " God at the fame time inftituted circumcifion, and changed the names of Abraham and Sarah : hence the cuftom of giving names to the.ir children at the time of their circumcifion." " Amongft the feveral accounts^ why this or that name was given to the fons, this was one that chiefly obtained, viz. For the honour of fome perfon, v/hom they efteemed, they gave the child his name. Which feeffls to have guided them in this cafe here ; v/hen Zachary himfelf, being dumb, could not make his mind known to them." Lightfoot on Luke i. 59. — Vol. 2. p. 387. and likewife vol. i. p. 421. 72 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. Zacharias, and by that means confirm the Sea. 2. , . _ _ , . •' . , , , ^x'V'sj belief of his appearance m the temple. Elizabeth therefore muft certainly, from this time at leaft, have been engaged in promoting the plot, which Zacharias had contrived, to ferve for the foundation of the future impofture of their fon. But if all this extraordinary condudt of Zacharias and Elizabeth, was really the effedt of fubtlety and deceit ; there muft likewife have been another fimiliar imr. pofture carrying on, at the fame time, by Jofeph and Mary ; and they muft all have been engaged together in the joint profe cution of bqth. This the connedtion of the plots themfelves, and the whole condudt of all the parties, will oblige us to acknowledge. Zacharias began his pretended pro phecy, at the time of John's circumcifion, thus : Bleffed be the Lprd God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people ; and hath raife d up an horn of falvation for us, in the houfe of his fervant David; (IS he fpake by the mouth of his holy pro-. phetSy John Baptifi and Jefus Chrijl. 73 thets, which have been ftnce the World ^?- P a r t r. I r^-, . ^ . ... , . , , Sea. 2. gan *. This declaration, it is plain, could not poffibly relate to John, who was not of the houfe of David ; nor to any other perfon, than the Meffiah himfelf. And in it Zacharias prophetically declared, that the God of Ifrael had, at that time, rgifed him up among them. If then Zacharias was carrying on fuch a plot, as we now fuppofe, 'tis cer tain he muft, before that time, have found out fome of David's defcendants, who had embarked with him in this deep-laid defign; and, in concert with him J had already fixed upon fome def- cendant of their own family, who fhould afterwards affume the facred charadter of the Mefliah. To have uttered fuch a prophetical declaration, without- firft pro viding for its accomplifhment, would have been purpofely betraying his want of real infpiration, and publiffiing the whole deceit, And that in fadt Zacharias was not guilty of fo great an overfight as this, will * Luke i, 68. 74 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. wiU immediately appear, froiri the fol- t>n/^ lowing account of feveral extraordinary^ events, faid to have come to pafs above three months before the birth of John ; and confequently fome little time longer before Zacharias delivered this pretended revelation. And * in the fixth month, after his ap pearance to Zacharias, the angel Gabriel was fent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth ; to a virgin ej'poufed to a Man whofe name was Jofeph, ofthe hqufe of David; and the virgins riame was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and faid, Hdil, thou that art highly fa voured, the Lord is with thee; bleffed art thou among women. And when fix faw him, fix was troubled at his faying, and cafi in her mind what manner of falutation thisfijould be. And the angel faid unto her. Fear not, Mary, for thou hafi found fa vour with God. And behold, thou fialt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a fon, and fialt call his name Jejus. He fijall * Luke i. 26, — 56. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 75 fiall be great, and fijall be called the Son Part L of the Higheft ; and the Lord God fiddll ^/-^^ give unto him the throne of his father David. And he fijall reign over the houfe of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there fiall be no end. Then faid Mary unto the angel. How fioall this be, Jeeing I know not a man ? And the angel anfwered, and faid unto her. The Holy Ghqfi fijall come upon thee, and the power of the Highefi fijall overfijadow thee ; therefore alfo, tkat holy thing, that fijall be born of thee, fijall be called the Son of Ged, And behold thy coufin Elizabeth, fie hath alfo conceived a Jon in her old age, and this is the fixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing fiall be im- pofiible. And Mary Jaid, Behold the hand maid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arofe in thofe days, and went into the hill-country with hafie, into a city of Juda, and entered into the houfe qf Zacharias, and Jaluted Elizabeth. And it came to pafs, that when Elizabeth heard thu 76 The Divine Miffions of Part I. the falutation of Mary, the babe leaped in ^?V^o her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghoft. And fie fpake out with a loud voice, and faid, Bleffed art thou among women, and bleffed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord fiould come to me ? For lo I as foon as the voice of tljy falu tation founded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And bleffed isfije that beheveth ; for there fiall be a performance of thofe things, which were told her from the Lord. And Mary faid. My foul doth magnify the Lord, and my fpirit hath re joiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low efiate ofhis handmaiden : for behold, from henceforth all generations fijall call me bleffed. For he that is mighty hath done me great things, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath fiewed firength with his arm, he hath fcattercd the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their J'eats, and exalted them of John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 77 ff low degree: he hath filled the hungry Part I. with good things ; andthe rich he hath fent y^^>,/-*.u empty away. He hath holpen his fervant Ifrael, in remembrance ofhis mercy; as he fpake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his feed for ever. — And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own houfe. The particulars of this extraordinary relation will not fuffer us to doubt the truth of the following conclufions. Firft, that if that part ofthe events here record ed, which relate to John, were the effedts of contrivance and deceit; there muft unqueftionably have been two connedted, though diftindt fchemes of impofture, fet on foot by the fame perfons, at the fame time ; which taken together, formed the whole of their plot. — And fecondly, that though one part of this contrivance was more immediately under the diredtion of Zacharias and Elizabeth, becaufe it was of fuch a nature, that they only could condudt it; and the other, for the fame reafon, was principaUy executed by Mary and 7.8 The Divine Miffioris of Part L Sea. 2. and Jofeph; yet the whole defign muft from the beginning have been planned out, and agreed upon, between All the Four. The clofe connedtion between the angel's two meffages to Zachaiias and Mary, one of which exprefsly makes mention of the other ; joined to the ffill inore irnmediate dependance of Zacha rias's prophecy upon both ; fhews plainly, that if the. firft of thefe revelations was a forgery, the fecond muft have been fo too ; and that both muft have been jointly contrived by all the parties concerned. Had either appearance of the angel been real, and, confequently, either meffage a divine revelation; which-ever it was, it could not have borne teftimony to the truth of one that was forged. Nor could two diftindt fchemes of impofture have been fo contrived, that one fhould necef farily prefuppofe, and depend immedi ately upon the other; but by the original agreement, and joint confpiracy ofthe au thors of both. The John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 79 The. intercourfe likewife between Eli- P„^^'^ ^• Sea. 2. zabeth and Mary ; their mutual declara- ^^^y^ tions of the immediate interpofition of God, in making one of them the mother of the Meffiah, and the other of his im mediate forerunner ; their reciprocal con gratulations upon this remarkable ac count ; and their prophetic declarations in confequence of it ; all thefe particulars prove to demonftration, that from the be ginning they muft have adted in concert to fupport each other's pretenfions ; and, confequently, that whatever impoftures were carrying on among them, Mary muft, . from the firft, have been jointly engaged with Elizabeth and Zacharias in the contrivance of die whole deceit. That Jofeph likewife muft have been a principal in the plot, both the nature of the cafe, and feveral particulars in his condudt, will undeniably prove. When Mary began the part fhe performed, fhe had been already for fome time efpoufed to Jofeph, and was ffiortly to become his wife. 8o The Divine Mifiions of Part I. wife *. So circumftauccd, itis plainly Sea 2. . . ¦ J • ^ w'-V-'w* incredible, that Zacharias and Elizabeth fhould attenipt to engage Her in a contri vance of fuch a nature as this, without firft engaging Jofeph to affift in the fame defign. * As the particular here taken notice of made a part of the matrimonial rites among the Jews, to which we have nothing fimilar ourfelves ; it may be proper here to obferve, that among the Jews no one could be married, who had not been before efpoufed. That the ceremony of the efpoufal was as much a fixed, and ne. cejjary rite, as thofe more immediately obferved at the final completion of the marriage. The different forms cf ejpoufing .were all minutely prefcribed ; they were to be tranfaaed before witnefiTes j and they were cele brated with a Feaft. The efpoufal was a folemn en gagement between the feveral parties concerned, effeu' tially preparatory to the marriage ; and the times, which were to elapfe between them, were limited in fome refpeas. From the time of the ejpoujal, the woman was confidered as the ivife of the man, to whom ftie was efpoufed ; in every refpea, except that they did not live together : and the utmoft care and caution were obferved in the regulation of her condua ; as the fame capital funijhments were infliaed on her, on accoilnt of any failures in it during this interval, before the marriage, as ajter flie was aaually married ; and were even extended, in fome degree, to thofe under whofe care flie now remained. — See all the particulars re lating to this point at large, in Selden's Ux. Heb. 1. z. c. 3, and 8. — Bafnagc's Hift. of the Jev.s, B. 5. 19, fea. 9, &c. Lewis's Heb. Antiq. B. 6. c. 33, 35» 36. Allix's Reflea. on the O. T. ch. zo, p. 242, 244> John Baptift and Jefus Chrift. 8 i defign. The obvious and neceffary con- Part I. fequence muft otherwife have been,, that ^./-v^-* Jofeph would immediately have become their profefled enemy ; Mary's reputation muft very foon have been blafted ; and the integrity of Zacharias and Elizabeth themfelves would have been rendered, at leaft, fo extremely fufpicious ; that tho' their iniquitous defigns fhould not have been plainly detedted, yet their whole in tended impofture muft have been effedtu ally put an end to. Nor is it more certain, from the very nature of the cafe, that Jofeph, as well as Mary, muft, from the beginning, have been engaged in the profecution of the plot ; than it is clear, from his own con dudt, that he was at leaft as adtive in promoting it, as any of them all. No fooner had Zacharias played his part at the circumcifion of John, than Jofeph began his ; with an account of ftill more divine revelations made to himfelf; all evidently calculated to ferve the fame de fign, and promote the credit of thofe G al- 82 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. already given out by Zacharias and Mary. Now * the birth of Jefus Chrifi was on this wife. When as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came toge ther, fie was found with child of the Holy Ghoft. Then Jofeph her hufiand, being a juft man, and not smiling to make her a publick example, was minded to put her a- way privily. But while he thought on theje things, behold, the angel of the Lord ap peared unto him in a dream, Jaying, Jo feph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Maty thy wife ; for tkat, which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghoft. And fie fijall bring forth a fon, and ihou fialt call his name Jefus ; for he fiall fave his people f'om their fins. — Then Jo feph, being raifed from fieep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife. Thus did Jofeph endeavour to ftrengthen the authority of what Mary had already related, concerning her fu ture * Matt. i. i8, — z\. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 83 ture fon ; fome months before Tefus was Part !• . ¦' Sea. 2. born. And to this revelation, we find, >^-v>-» he afterwards added two more, admi rably fitted to promote the fame end. And* when they, the wife men, were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord ap peareth to Jofeph in a dream, faying, arife and take the young child, and his mother, and fiee into Egypt ; and be thou there un til I bring thee word; for Herod will feek the young child to deftroy him. Wloen he arofe he took the young child, and his mo ther, by night, and departed into Egypt. — But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel oJ the Lord appeareth in a dream to Jofeph in Egypt, Jaying, arife, and take the young child, and his mother, and go into the land of Ifrael. And he arofe, and took the young child, and his mother, and came into the landof IJ'rael. If then there was any deceit contriving among them, Jofeph, it is certain, muft have been full as adtive as the reft, in promoting the common caufe ; fince he G 2 muft * Matt. ii. 13,-21. 84 The Divine Miffions of Part I. f^uft jj^ve forged no lefs than three reve- Sea. 2. . ° lations in its behalf. Nay, it appears, he muft have put himfelf to all the in conveniences, of banifhing himfelf and his family from his own countiy, for a confiderable time, purely to gain credit to thefe ftories, of his own inventing, for its fupport. At length, therefore, we may venture to affirm, what the very nature of the cafe, as well as the clear evidence of fadts have fo fully proved ; that if the events recorded of the birth of John were only the feveral particulars of a deep laid de ceit ; thofe relating to the birth of JeJus muft- have been fb too : that the fuppofi tion of Oi^e of thefe impoftures neceffarily includes the Other : and that Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, and Jofeph, muft All have been jointly engaged in the planning out, and profecution of Both, This conclufion immediately points out, in what method we muft now pro ceed, to enquire into the real exiftence of the impoftures in debate. Should it ap pear John Baptifi ajtd Jefus Chrifi. 85 pear impoffible for Thefe four perfons toP^^"^ ^• have been connedted together, in the joint contrivance of this double deception, the queftion will then be decided. All fufpi cion of Zacharias's integrity muft be ^re jedted asgroundlefs and falfe ; the Baptifi muft be fubmitted to, as one infpired from above ; and Jefus confequently be received as the undoubted Meffiah. At tlie fame time it muft become equally evident, from the very nature of the cafe, and without any regard had to the teffimony of John ; that all the cir cumftances recorded of the birth of Jefus, muft adtually have come to pafs, in that fupernatural manner, in which they are related : and therefore, that on this di- ftinSi account likewife, we have the fulleft affurance, that Jefus Chrift was the true Meffiah. Now fuppofing the contrivances juft explained, to have been really under taken, by all thofe, who, we have juft feen, muft have confpired together to carry them on ; one of the following G 3 fup- 86 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. Sea. 2. fuppofitions muft unavoidably be allow ed. Either, ift, Zacharias and Elizabeth muft have been the. original and real contrivers of Both thefe defigns ; as well that re lating to Mary's fon, as their own ; and by means of fome advantages, which Jo feph and Mary might be made to hope for from the One, perfwade them to become their accomplices in Both, Or, adly, Zacharias muft have been the projedtor of that defign only, which imme diately concerned his fon ; and Jofeph and Mary, in like manner, have firft planned the impofture in favour of their fon. Or, 3dly, Joseph and Mary muft have contrived Both the plots ; and fo have perfwaded Zacharias to confpire with them, in promoting that immediately re lating to Mary's fon ; in hopes of fome advantages to be drawn from the fuc cefs of the other, relating to his own fon. If they were All thus united in thefe fchemes of iniquity, one or other of thefe fup- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 8 7 fuppofitions muft of neceflity be true; ^f'lf^^ ^' fince the cafe itfelf will admit of no more. It muft now, therefore, be our bufinefs to evince the incredibiUty of them all; and this, in the firft place, frdm confidering the particular charaElers, and other ma terial circumftances, of all the parties con cerned. G SEC- 88 The Divine Mifiions of SECTION III. Part l /"Tp HAT Zacharias himfelf, and his Sea. 3. I ' *— -v— > JL wife Elizabeth were efteemed, by all who knew them, perfons of fincere virtue and integrity, we may be fure, as there has already been occafion to prove *, from the remarkable good cha radter Luke has given them, in the very opening of his gofpel ; that they were both righteous before God, walking in all tke commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blamelefs. The evangelift could not have ventured on this affertion, were it capa ble of being difproved. And as Zacha rias was a prieft, one of that particular or der of men, in which a more exemplary condudt is naturally required to eftabliffi an univerfal good name ; and whofe fail ings are naturally cenfured with greater feverity, than thofe of any other profef- fion ; fo his unblemiffied charadter could not have been fupported by any other means, * See note, p. 46. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 89 means, than an uniform difcharge of all P*^'^ ^* . . Sea. 3. the moral and reUgious duties of the Jew- w''>r^ ifh law. Among the Jews, it is well known, that the priefthood was abfolutely confi ned to one family only. No one could be admitted to exercife the prieftly func tions, till he had clearly proved his im mediate defcent from feme prieft of the family of Aaron, and was found to be free from every, the leaft perfonal ble- mifli. When a candidate had undergone thefe examinations, he was capable of being admitted to perform fome duties in the temple, at twenty years of age ; and from that time continued, in his turn, a kind of probationer in all the employ ments there, till the age of thirty; when he became qualified to difcharge eveiy part of the prieftly office ^'. Under * " The fucceflion of the Hebrew priefthood was eftabliftied in the family of Aaron ; tha pontifical dig nity was fixed in the line of his frft-born. All others ofhis pofteiity were priefts, fimply fo called ; cr priefts «f the Jtcond Order. The fixed and confiftent time of the go The Divine Mifiions of Under fuch an inftitution it would b^ abfurd to fuppofe, that no attention was paid to a prieft's moral charadter; and much more fo to imagine, that one of this order fhould be able to preferve from youth, to old age, the reputation of ex emplary goodnefs; had not his adtions themfelves plainly fhewn him to have de ferved the prieft's entering into the fervice, was at the age of thirty : but at five and twenty they were probationers, and might do fome offices, but not all." (And even from the age of twenty, after David's time ; as Light foot proves from i Chron. xxiii. 24 — 27.) " Their in- ftallment and admiflion into the fervice, was in this jnanner. The great Sanhedrim fat daily in the room Gazith, to judge concerning the priefts- that came to age, and were to be admitted : and if they proved duly qualified, they clothed them in white, and enrolled them among the order, and they went in and minifter- ed : and the great council rejoiced to find them perfea, and bleffed God for it with a folemn prayer. But if the perfon proved to be of the right line, and had any ofthe blemifties, which rendered him incapable of the mini ftry ;" (of which were reckoned 1 40) " he was fent into the wood -room to worm the wood for the altar ; and had his portion of the holy things with the men of the houfe ofhis father, and did eat with them." — Lewis's Heb. Antiq. B. 2. Ch. 6. See the chapter, and Light foot, Vol.1. P-9IS- Selden de Succefi!". in Pontif. Ebrse. 1. 2. c. 5. Lev. xxi. i5. ad finem. Spencer da Leg. Heb. 1. 1. c. 10. p. 177. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi, 91 ferved it. As certainly as the fmalleft Part i. blemifh in his perfon, which was prohi- yy^f^ bited by the law, would have prevented Zacharias from officiating in the temple worfhip; fo certainly would any vicious irregularities in his condudt and converfa tion, have deprived him of that amiable charadter, which, it appears from the e- vangelift, he muft have died poffeffed of. It was impoffible for the Jews in general not to agree in this particular with Mofes their lawgiver ; who defigned, " that the priefts fhould be not only in every re- fpedt faultlefs, in the difcharge of their facred fundiions ; but that they fhould exert their eameft endeavours, to approve themfelves unblameable in their daily converfation, and common intercourfe with the world *." And, had not this been the rule of Zacharias's condudt, he could not poflibiy have obtained, and left be hind him, fo fair a reputation, Eli- V^xJ^A^ilV J'l, KAI 'TTi^l TYiV AVTCn' i'lAlTAV , aO'Ti ccvrnv ¦ AfjUfxytrov ui'Ai. Jofephi Antiq. Jud. I. j, 12, fub init. The Divine MifiioJts of Elizabeth's fphere of adtion muft have been much lefs public than that of Zacharias. But her alliance with a man of fuch approved worth, when confidered jointly with her having, in fadt, main tained the fame virtuous charadter as him felf, which it appears fhe did ; deprives us, at once, ofthe leaft ffiadow of a reafon for calUng her integrity into queftion. Befides, the veiy profeffion of her huf- band affords no inconfiderable teftimony to her virtue. There was nothing, • we are informed, about which the Jews were more fcrupu lous, than the marriages of their priefts ; not only to prevent fuch aUiances as would taint their blood, but fuch likewife as might tend to corrupt their morals, and leffen their reputation. The law * itfelf expreflly prohibited them from marrying, not only all fuch as were of known ill charadter, or whofe integrity could be thought in the leaft fufpicious ; but even thofe, * Levit. xxi. — — See Lewis's Heb. Antiq. B. z. 6. — — 'Jofephus's Jew. Antiq. 1. 3. 12. fub. init. ¦ Idem centra App- 1. i , 7. — Lightfoot, vol. 2. p. 379. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 93 thofe, whofe fituations in life expofed P*^"^ '• them to more danger of being vitiated ^y^sr"^^ than others; and even the children of all fuch perfons. , By means of which precautions, it became at length even a proverbial expreffion among the Jews, to denote a woman of an exemplary cha radter ; " that fhe deferved to marry with " a prieft." And the moft honourable alUance a prieft could enter into was with one of prieftly extradtion, which Elizabeth herfelf was *. To argue from thefe cautious reftric- tions only, however remarkable, that the wife of every Jewiffi prieft, muft necef^ farily have been a perfon of an excellent moral charadter; would be drawing a conclufion, which the weaknefs of hu man nature could not poflibiy bear. But when we confider, in addition to the charadter of Zacharias her hulband, and all thefe circumftances fo much in her favour, the pofitive reputation of fo un exceptionable * And his luife.vias of the daughters of Aaron, and her name vjas Elizabeth, Luke i. 5. 94 TJje Divine Miffions of exceptionable a life, as EUzabeth left be hind her ; we can no longer doubt of her integrity, without preferring a meer groundlefs and obftinate prejudice, to the plain reafon of the thing. So circumftanced then as Zacharias and Elizabeth were; nothing can be more unreafonable than to fufpedt, that their virtue might be no better than hy- pocrify, and their reputation maintained by fome artful difguife. To obtain the applaufe of numbers for a time, by means of fome remarkable adtions of a fpecious nature, may perhaps be no very difficult talk. Extraordinaiy fits of zeal, and in ftances of fevere mortification, have at times been able to eftablifh a charadter for virtue, where the principle was cer tainly wanting. But to preferve an un interrupted reputation for goodnefs and piety, through the feveral ftages of life, even to advanced age; without laying claim to any uncommon flights of virtue, or aiming at fuch adtions as are plainly calculated to procure popular applaufe ; feems John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 9 5 feems far beyond the power of any thing. Part I. lefs than the peaceable confcientious dif charge of all the duties of our ftation. That fuch was the condudt of Zacha rias and EUzabeth, we have good reafon to believe from their very charadter itfelf. The evangeUft fays nothing of their ex traordinary fits of devotion, and pious 2eal. But they were both righteous, we are told, before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blamelefs. A charadter, equally remote from all affedted dazling difplays of more public virtue ; and all the feverer rigours of fandtified enthufiafm. A charadter, which, as it plainly fhews they made it their chief care and ftudy, to live void of offence, towards God and man; fo it as evidently impUes, that they never at tempted to eftablifh an ill-grounded re putation, by any indiredt means. And indeed, had they attempted it, their middle ftation in Ufe, by expofing the general tenour of their condudt to the familiar obfervation of all their neigh bours ; 96 The Divine Miffions of Part I. bours ; would have made it impoflible for (k^-v-^s^ them to have fupported, through life, this pecuUar kind of good fame, by any other means, than the real pradtice of that goodnefs, they had the reputation of poffefling. From all thefe reafons laid together, we are therefore bound to be lieve, that Zacharias and Elizabeth muft have really merited the good name they maintained: that is, that they muft have been juft and benevolent in all their dealings with man, and fincere wor- fhippers of God. Can it then be conceived, that any perfons of this virtuous and religious dif pofition, could be capable of deliberately forming fo iniquitous a feheme, as we are now to enquire, whether it is poffible for Zacharias and Elizabeth to have con trived ? Can it be imagined, that a prieft of the God of Ifrael, who was likewife a man of approved piety and goodnefs, could conceive and profecute fo impious a defign, as that of fetting up his own fon for the Meffiah's forerunner; and pre- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 97 prevaiUng with another perfon to fet up P * "^ ^ I. his, to connterfeit the moft facred and \y\-^ awful charadter of the Meffiah himfelf ? Zacharias, a devout prieft of the God of Ifrael, muft have been thoroughly inftrudled in all his miraculous and merci ful difpenfations to his forefathers, as well as his fevere judgments executed upon them for their impieties. He muft have believed the predidtions of Mofes and all the prophets. He muft at this very time not only have expedted, but wifhed to fee the arrival of the true Elias, and the ma- nifeftation of the long promifed Meffiah. And he muft unqueftionably have believ ed, that God would affuredly accompUfli the plans ofhis divine providence ; and not permit any counterfeits of thefe facred and important charadters to go off undetedted, or the abettors of fuch impious undertak ings to efcape without fignal punifhment. Was it then poffible for a good man, furniffied with this knowledge, guided by this belief, and adtuated by thefe hopes and fears ; to have contrived fo execrable H a 98 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. a defign, purely to pull down the ven- \/->,^ geance of God upon him ? Could fudi a man doom his own fon, even before his birth, to be the perpetrator of One fuch ' impious impofture ; and, as if that were not wickednefs enough, perfuade his friends, to engage as deeply in the profecution of Another F If fo, he who ferved devoutly at the altar of the God of truth, muft vo luntarily have contrived and publifhed the moft mifchievous and fhockingfalfehoads: he who believed all the miraculous inter- pofitions of God's power, fo frequendy difplayed in the deliverance and eftabUfh- ment of his own nation, and lived in hopes of a ftill greater deliverance God had pro mifed fhortly to fend them ; muft volun tarily have fet himfelf to oppofe the accom- pliffiment of thofe gracious promifes; which, at the fame time, he both hoped, and believed, would certainly be fulfilled. In fhort, he, who expedted the reign of the Meffiah to be produdtive of the utmoft glory and happinefs to his whole nation, muft purpofely have endeavoured to prevent John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 99 vent the happy confequences of his ap- Part L pearance ; by fetting up, before he came, n^-v-O an impoftor in his ftead. But thefe are fuppofitions in their own nature evidently contradjdtory and abfurd. And indeed, the whole of this fuppofed contrivance is of fo very iniquitous a nature, that none but the jnofi: abandoned of men could ever poffibly conceive or undertake it; and therefore impoffible to have been devifed and carried on, by One, who, we have fufficient reafon to believe, muft have been eminently good. But had not Zacharias's and Eliza beth's charadter, and fituation, proved it fo clearly impoffible for Them to have been capable of engaging in fuch a plot; ftill their age w^ould have rendered it utterly incredible, that they fijould. At the time, when we muft fuppofe them to be entering upon the execution of this defign, they were neither of them young, nor even in the vigour of life ; but, on the contrary, they were both well ftriken in years : a circumftance of the H 2 greateft ioo The Divine Miffions of Part I. Sea. 3. greateft importance to illuftrate their in nocence, with regard to this pai^ticular im pofture. Whatever ambitious views we may imagine capable of prompting any one to fo defperate an undertaking, muft naturaUy have cooled, and died away, in the decUne of Ufe ; however warmly they might have been adtuated by them before. That daring fpirit of enterprife, and de fiance of danger, which fometimes en gages men in the moft defperate attempts, to gratify the wiffies of ambition, In the adtive and vigorous parts of life ; gene rally gives way to cautious and timid ap- prehenfions, when age has bounded the profpedt before them, and checked the current of the blood. Then too religi ous apprehenfions begin to intrude them felves more forcibly upon the mind ; and make men little inclined to embark in ha zardous plots of extreme wickednefs and impiety, whatever they may have done before. So that could we fuppofe them capable of having formed fuch a plan of impofture, and refolved to put it in exe cution. John Baptifi and Jefus CJjrifi. cution, at that adtive age, when a vitious ambition has fometimes led men into the moft extravagant enormities ; yet their having continued childlefs tUl they were now well ftriken in years, and all hopes of an opportunity to execute it were at length at an end ; muft unqueftionably have caufed them long fince to drop all thoughts of their former defign. To imagine, that after this, upon the unexpedted birth of a fon, they ffiould refume it again, in their old age ; and pro fecute it with fuch a feries of unheard of devices, as forged revelations, feigned lofs of fpeech, and pretended prophecies ; would be fuppofing them to have arrived at fuch a hardened pitch of iniquity, as nothing lefs than a life of continued, and notorious wickednefs was able to bring them to. But after what has been feen already of their true character and con dudt, we may venture to fay this would be a fuppofition, that muft certainly be falfe. Further, the incredibility of their re- fuming the plot fuppofed, becomes ftill H 3 mors lOl I02 The Divine Mifiions of f art I. more undeniable, when we confider, that Sea. 3. . . -r it was now likewife too late for them to indulge any of thofe ambitious defigns, for the fake of which only, even obftlnacy itfelf can pretend, fuch an impofture could be contrived, and undertaken. Had the birth of their fon happened while they were in the vigour of life, they might conceive hopes, it may be faid, of deriv ing great honour and advantage to them felves, from being the parents of the re puted prophet of the higheft ; wko was to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways ; to give knowledge oj falvation to his people. But John was not born till Za charias and Elizabeth were fo far advanc ed into the decline of life, that all fuch hopes of enjoying the fruits of their ini quity muft neceffarily have expired. From the very nature of that charadter, which, according to this fuppofition, they muft have defigned him to counterfeit; nothing could be more probable, than that they themfelves might not live till the very earlieft period, when it could be pro per, John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 103 per, or even poffible, for John to under- Part I. take it. He, who by their own predic tions, was to go before the Lord in tkejpi- rit and power of Elias, to turn tke hearts of tke fathers to the children, and the dljhbe- dient to the wifdom of the juft, to make rea dy a people prepared for the Lord ; could not take upon him the awful name of fo exalted a prophet, and attempt to fulfill the great purpofes of this divine commif fion ; till he was arrived at that age, which was requifite for the compleat performance of even the duties of a common prieft. And accordingly it appears in fadt, that neither John nor Jefus affumed their pub lic charadters, till they were juft approach ing the age of thirty years. This very diftant period therefore was the earlieft at which Zacharias and Elizabeth could hope for even the fmall fatisfadtion, of bringing their long planned impofture to the tryal ; and feeing whether there was any probability of impofing thus on the world. Or ffiould it be imagined, they might not think it neceffary for John and Jefus to pay H 4 this 104 ^^ Divine Mifiions of Part l tj^Js fcrupulous regard, in point of time, ,.,,/-^^^ to the legal age of a prieft ; they muft however be fenfible, that the impoftors they were contriving to raife up, could not poffibly appear in thofe difficult cha radters they intended them to fuftain, at the fooneft, till they had already paft the firft age of a man. But what can be more inconceivable, than that they, who were already old and well ftriken in years, ffiould fet them felves to lay the foundation of fuch an im pofture, to gratify their own afpiring de- fires ; as could not be fet on foot, till no lefs, than between twenty and thirty years after ; and then muft be extremely uncer tain of fuccefs ? Should they have hap pened to live to this period, and even have feen their wicked artifices fucceed ; fup pofitions both of them in the higheft de gree improbable ; what advantages could they then expedt to reap from them ; when extreme old age would fcarce have left them the perception of any thing the world could beftow ; and they were juft tottering John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 105 tottering into the grave ? Had they there- Pa rt. I. fore been wicked enough to be capable of <,/-v-0 contriving fuch a defign, as well as of ex ecuting whatever plot might feem to flat ter their ambitious defires ; it is utterly in credible, that at their advanced age, they fhould plan out, or determine to wait the iffue of a projedt io tedious as this. As to any advantages to be procured from the contrivance, before John fliould be old enough to adt his defigned part ; 'tis evident they expedted none. They nei ther endeavoured to make him be perfo nally taken notice of, before that time ; nor took pains to fpread far and wide, their accounts of fo many miracles, as having attended his birth. Both which they would certainly have done, had they been in fluenced by any fuch expedtatlons. On the contrary, we find, that John was in thi deferts until the day of his fijewing unto If rael *. And fo far were they from affi- duoufly fpreading abroad, every where, the * Luke, ch. iii. ij. — John began to appear in his public charaaer about the thirtieth year of his age. io6 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. the miracles iuft mentioned ; that when Sea. %. ^./-v-vj John afterwards began to baptife, all men mufed in their .hearts whether he were the Chrift or not *. And fometime after this, even after he had baptized Jefus, and de clared him to be the Meffiah ; the Jews fent priefts and levites from Jerufalem, to aff him, who art thou ? -j- Upon both which occafions, as well as many others, the ma jority appeared fo inclined to think he might be the Chrift ; that John himfelf thought it neceflary to tell them plain ly, he was not the Chrift; but only the voice of one crying in the wildernefs, make ftraight tke way of tke Lord %. At the time then, when John was preaching among them, 'tis plain the Jews in general formed their conjedtures of his charadter, meerly from his ap pearance as a great prophet, and then- own expedtations of the Meffiah ; not from divine revelations of the particular charadter he was to bear, afliduoufly fpread abroad, * Luke ch. iii. 15. — _o- \ John ch. i. 19.- X John ch. i. 20, 23. Jolon Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 107 abroad, among ^// the people, by his pa- P-^^t I. rents, from the very time of his birth. „./-^4l# From whence it is plain, that though they did not conceal thofe aftoniffiing events, with which he was introduced into the world ; yet they had not made it their bu finefs, as impoftors would have done, to make them univerfally known ; but in compliance with the natural fuggeftions of an honeft and upright mind, had pub- liflied them, as we have already feen, in all the neighbourhood, where they lived; and waited, with a pious refignation, for the accompliffitment of thofe predidtions, which they knew affuredly were divine. And thus it feems evident, that Za charias and Elizabeth could not poffibly have fet on foot, any fuch iniquitous im pofture, as that in queftion ; which was tobe carried into execution afterwards by John. Zacharias's religious profefiion, and ftation in life ; the remarkable good ckaraSler, which both He and Elizabeth always maintained, and at length died pof- ieffed of; and the advanced age they had already io8 The Divine Mifiions of P* ^ff ^- already arrived at, at the time of the birth ty'V'Sj of John ; confidered jointly with fome very material particulars in the fuppofed plot itfelf; are all fo many convincing ar guments of the utter incredibility of tkeir having been the authors of fuch an im pofture ; and when laid together in one view, prove the fuppofed fadt, with fa tisfadtory evidence, to have been morally impoffible. But befides, did not the circumftances and fituation of Zacharias render it fo highly incredible for him to have been the contriver of fuch a plot, a;s that in de bate, relating to kis own fon ; ftill it would be on all accounts inconceivable, that he could choofe to add to it fuch another, as that we are now fuppofing him to have contrived for the fon of Mary. It will be freely confeffed indeed, that if Zacharias had been wicked enough to plan out one of thefe defigns, no fcruples of confcience could have prevented him from entering upon the otker. But, what honefty would not have prevented, policy would: John Baptifi and Jefius Chrift. 109 would : and his concern for the fuccefs of Par t I. the enterprife intended for John, would yyff>ii not have permitted Zacharias to have ren dered it dependant upon the fuccefs of fuch another, as that relating to Jefus. Zacharias cannot be imagined to have contrived the impofture in debate for Mary's fon, and to have connedted it fo clofely with that relating to his own ; un lefs he thought it would prove beneficial to Johns undertaking, and ferve to pro mote his fuccefs. The fuccefs of his own fon was what he muft have had mofi at heart ; nor could he therefore join any ether plot with this ; which he did not imagine would make John's impofture more likely to fucceed, than it would have been without it. But is it poffible he could hope for any advantage, of this kind, from the fup pofed impofture of JeJ'us ? In other words, could he believe That more likely to fuc ceed, than the undertaking he had plan ned out for John } On the contrary, 'tis evident, at firft fight, Zacharias muft have known. no The Divine Mifiions of known, that, difficult as Jokri^ enterprize' might prove. That of Jefus muft be in finitely more fo : and confequently, that the profecution of Bolk, in a mutual de pendance upon each other, would be fo far from affifting John ; that it muft un- avoldabh; render his attempt far more ha zardous, than it would have been alone. The defign v^& are fuppofing him to have planned out for John, was only to counterfeit the Meffiah's forerunner : whereas die enterprife he muft have in tended for Jefus, was nothing lefs than to fupport the charadter of the Meffiah him felf. The moft particular idea the Jews had been able to form of the Mefliah's forerunner, was little more, than that he would appear among them, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord ; with all that fpirit of piety, feverity, and mor tification, which had remarkably diftin guiffied one of their moft renowned for mer prophets. But fuch was their uni verfal interpretation of the various pro phecies, concerning the life and adtions of John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. i r i of the Meffiah ; that whoever ffiould af- P a r t \. fume his charadter, it was well known, c— V--J would be expedted to make himfelf their king. Thus the pretended Forerunner might condudt himfelf in the moft peaceable, and leaft dangerous manner; whereas the counterfeit Meffiah, in order to be received, would be under a neceflity of laying claim to the fupreme power ; and wrefting it out of the hands of thofe, who akeady poffeffed it. The earneft preaching of repentance, joined to the continued pradtice of mortification, and a perfedt freedom from all fufpicion of any vice, might be fufficient to eftabliffi the charadter ofthe One: whereas nothing lefs than the exertion of fupernatural powers, in uttering great prophecies, and working great miracles, would anfv/er the expedtations of the Jews, or induce them to give credit to the Other. All this Za- ' charias could not but be well apprifed of, and refledt upon. And confequently, the fuperior dangers and difficulties una voidably ' 112 The Divine Miffions of Par t I. voidably attending this lafl undertaking, ^.x-v-N- prove it abfolutely impoffible, for Zacha rias to have laid the feheme of the fup pofed impofture of Jefus, in order to fa cilitate the fuccefs of the other defign, to be executed by John. It is apparent, that he himfelf muft have known, that this would be the readieft way to defeat it. So that, in addition to what has been already proved, that Zacharias could not poffibly be a man of fuch abandoned prin ciples, as to have been capable of con ceiving thefe impious defigns ; and more over, that, if he had, his age alone would have effedtually prevented him from fet ting them on foot ; it now appears fur ther, to be equally incredible, that he could be foolifi enough jointly to adopt them. And fince it is undeniably cer tain, that both thefe tranfadtions proceed ed, from the beginning, in a mutual and clofe dependance upon each other ; and that befides, whether they were the ef fedts of divine providence or human iniquity, Zacharias was, from the firft, intimately John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 113 intimately concerned in Both; we muft Part I. Sea 2 be forced to acknowledge, that the di- s^v'sj vine pretenfions of John and Jefus could not be founded upon any fuch deceits ; or, at leaft, that Zacharias and Elizabeth coidd not be the contrivers of ihem botHj jf they were. SEC^ 114 The Divifie Mifiions of SECTION IV. H O U L D we now for a whUe ne gledt all that has been proved in vin dication of Zacharias?, innocence, and fuppofe him to have been wicked enough to be defirous of fetting up his fon for the Mefliah's forerunner; ftill his intimate connedtion with yo/^^^and Mary, through out the whole of thefe tranfadtions, is fuch a particular, as will not permit us to be lieve he aStitally did. Had he been ever fo defirous of carrying into execution this plot relating to John ; it was of fo dan gerous a nature, that he could not have ventured to connedt it with any other un dertaking, whether advantageous or not, which would oblige him to lay open his impious defign, to any perfon whatever. He would certainly have contrived it fo as to carry it on by Elizabeth^ help alone, without any other affociates ; or, if he thought this could not be effedtually done, he would entirely have laid afide the defign. The John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 1 1 5 The impofture in debate relating to P * "^ t !• John only, was in every refpedt of fo very .w''v^>-* baa and unpromifing a nature ; that Za charias himfelf muft have believed he was almoft certain of being betrayed, fooner or later, by any one to whom he might venture to impart it. Such only, as were of the moft abandoned principles, could be at all expedted to join in a confpiracy for fruftrating the moft ancient and re ceived predidtions of the prophets, by counterfeiting the charadter of the Mef^ fiah's forerunner. At the fame time Za charias well knew, that the fuccefs of his plot muft appear to all next to impoflible ; on account of the univerfal expedtation, at this time, of the fpeedy arrival of the true Meffiah himfelf : and likewife, that the utm.oft advantages he could propofe to obtain by it, even if it could fucceed, were moft exceedingly dubious and re mote. This being the apparent nature ofthe cafe, Zacharias could not but believe, that 2 II thofe, v/ho v/ere the onh perfons ca- r 2 pable 1 6 Ihe Divine MifftoTis of pable of confpiring in fo wicked a defign, would without hefitation rejedt This we are confidering. Such veterans in iniquity would certainly require a plot, that had a much furer, and a much nearer profpedt of fuccefs ; as well as more ample rewards to allure them to fo hazardous an enter prife. For in This, they all knew, that no lefs than certain death would be the inevitable confequence of detedtion. It was a law God himfelf had given * them. That tke prophet, which fijould prefume to fpeak * Deut. xviii. 20. " The prophetic fpirit being fo common among the Hebrews, it was neceflary there fhould be a method of tryal eftabliflied, to prevent im poftors, and to difcern the falfe prophet from the true. For it could not be expeaed but, in a nation where there was fuch a number of prophets, many pretenders would arife ; who would endanger the faith of the peo ple, unlefs there were fome certain vvay to find them out. The more efii2aually therefore to deter men, either from counterfeiting a prophetic fpirit, or to hearken to them that did ; God appointed a fevere puniftiment for every fuch pretender i who, upon legal conviaion, was to fuffer death. The Jews generally under- ftand this of ftrangling ; as they do always in the law, when the particular manner of death is not expreffed." — They were tried by the fanhedrim. Lewis's Heb. Antiq. b. 2. 16. — Selden de fynedr. lib. 3. c. 6. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 1 1 7 fpeak a word in his name, which he had not Part i. commanded him to fpeak, fiould die. And v/v^ we are well informed, " That whtn once any one was convidted of fuch an impof ture, and of pretending a divine commif fion, when God had not fent him ; no charadter or intereft was powerful enough to fave him from puniffiment *." And certainly he who ffiould dare to publiffi falfe prophecies, to promote fo impious a fraud as this, above all others, could ex pedt no mercy. Nor was it the only, or even the ftrongeft reafon, that muft have deterred Zacharias, from attempting to procure affociates in fuch a plot ; that its danger ous nature would have deterred every one from engaging in it : there were be fides the ftrongeft temptations imaginable to betray it. Nothing could be more dif tant, precarious, and chimerical, than any advantages to be expedted from its fuccefs. But he might affure himfelf of immediate and ample rewards, who ffiould I 3 detedt * Lewis ibid, near the end. 1 1 8 The Divine Miffions of detedt fo impious and facrilegious a priefl of the moft high God; as had hot only contrived a plot for fetting up his own fon, to counterfeit the MeftiaEs fore runner ; but would have perfuaded ano ther to fet up an impoftor, even for the Mefiiah himjelf. The -detedtion of fuch complicated and enormous villainy, di redtly calculated to make the nation rejedt the true Meffiah, when he ffiould come ; and fet on foot at the very time when he was foon expedted to appear ; would un queftionably have met with a reward, pro portionable to the importance of the dif- covery.. The whole nation, priefts and people, would have confidered their own fafety as intimately concerned, in the put ting a ftop to fuch aftoniffiing wickednefs, in the very fandtuary itfelf; and would immediately have rewarded whoever laid it open, in a far more ample manner, than the impofture itfelf, even if fuccefsful, could ever be expedted to do. Zacharias therefore, had he adtu ally refolved upon any fuch deceit with re gard John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. \ 1 9 gard to John ; could never have added to P * " ^ i- it a'tiy other plot, which would lay him w'S/A.' under a neceffity of attempting to pro cure affociates, at fo imminent a hazard of his life. He knew very Well, that to whomfoever he laid himfelf open, they would have all the moft powerful temp tations poffible, to betray him ; but none to engage with him in fo defperate an un dertaking. Let us however fhppofe him fuch art able deceiver, that he might think to per fuade fome, into the hopes of inconceiv able advantages, to be gained by this con trivance ; and to reprefent it in fuch a light, as to make it appear in the end al moft certain of fuccefs. Notwithftand ing thefe large conceffions, we ffiall find him ftill under the fame dilemma as be fore. It was impoffible he could expedt to gain confederates in his defign, by the hopes of any advantages it might pro duce ; fince the impofture was of fuch a nature, that it could not even be bfought I 4 tQ 120 The Divine Miffions of Part I. to the tiyal till above twenty years after* >,yy^ Such as wade the deepeft in iniquity to gratify their reftlefs defires, are but littie able to brook even accidental delays. Much lefs can they be fuppofed to enter into defigns, profeffedly calculated for fo tedious a procraftination. ¦ Men of fincere virtue indeed, and extenfive benevolence, are fometimes {^t^ to labour contentedly through life, for the accompliffiment of whatever ufeful and generous purfuits they have in view. That felf-complacency, which attends the profecution of all vir tuous defigns, carries them calmly through every difficulty ; and keeps alive the vi gour of application to fuch undertakings, as require a long feries of time to bring them to perfedtion. But fchemes of ini quity, and dark projedts of deceit, keep the thoughts even of the abandoned them felves in fo uneafy a fufpenfe, that they cannot but be defirous of foon determin ing the event. To fuppofe men knowingly to con fpire together in a moft impious undertak ing. John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi. 1 2 1 ing, oS fuch a nature, as to render it ab folutely impoflible for them to derive the leaft benefit from it, for the long in terval of more than twenty years ; would be fuppofing, what is diredtly oppofite to the nature of a depraved and vicious heart, and inconfiftent with the frame of the human mind. Not to obferve, at the fame time, that however fure of fuccefs any fuch confpiracy might appear; the uncertainty of life itfelf, for fo long a pe riod, would render any benefits to be ex pedted from it, in the higheft degree pre carious. So that laying afide every other confideration ; this fingle circumftance of the plot, that the whole muft neceffarily lie dormant from the birth of John, at the leaft till he was full twenty years qf age, was inconfiftent with every motive that could poffibly induce any one to join in fuch an impofture. Nor could Za charias therefore have hazarded his own fafety fo far, as fooUffily to reveal Jiich a defign, in hopes of procuring accomplices in his guilt. It 122 The Divine Mifiions of It is likewife ftill more incredible, that he fliould have ventured on this dan gerous' experiment, could he even have believed it poflible to gain over forne par ties to his plot ; on this further account, that he muft know, he had little lefs to fear, from whoever he might prevail with to aftifi in his defigiis, than thofe who ffiould at once i-ejeSl them. This long interval of more than twenty years, whieh muft of neceffity elapfe, between the con trivance, and the execution of the impof ture; afforded room for fo many viciffi- tudes in the circumftances, and fuch a change of ffie inclinations, of whoever might at firft join with him irt it ; as would give him the greateft reafon to ap prehend a difcovery of it, even from them ; before it could have a cliance for fuccefs. If an exaggerated reprefentatiori ofthe advantages to be expedted from it, had at firft warmed them in the purfuit ; and from what has been proved already, if is certain, nothing elfe could; this was a length of time, in which they muft fre quently John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 123 quently cool, and refledt upon the folly. Part l and uncertainty of the attempt. If they en tered into it through licentious confidence, and the overweening profpedts of artifi cial joy, and temporary fits of refolution; here was full time enough for the frequent defpondencies of an evil fpirit to undo the charm ; and place ffie folly of fo ftrange a defign full before their eyes. And what then could be expedted from tiiem, but that at leaft in the defpondencies of fick- nefs, and at the approach of death ; cir cumftances veiy highly probable to at tend them within fo long a period ; they would naturally be led to make an ample difcovery of fo wicked a contrivance ; and bring the authors of it, if alive, to con dign puniffiment, hefore it could be put to the tryal. Nay neither death nor ficknefs would have been at all requifite to bring on this difcovery. Whoever was capable of en tering into fuch a confederacy as tkis, for any fuch diftant and precarious advan tages, as it might feem at firft- to promife ; muft 124 ^^ Divine Mifiions of muft certainly have been capable of be traying it, when their firft fanguine hopes of its benefits died away ; and they faw good reafon to expedt a far better, as well as immediate reward, for reveaUng it. It is evident ffien, on various accounts, ffiat this fuppofed impofture was oi fuck a nature, as not only to deprive Zacharias of all hopes of engaging any one to con fpire with him in it ; but even to render it almoft certain, that whoever he ffiould im part it to, wketker they became affociates in it or not, would fooner or later betray his Impious defigns. Hence it muft readily be allowed, that if the plot, we have been fuppofing, with regard to John, could have any real exif^ tence ; and Zacharias could have been the contriver ofthe deceit ; he certainly would not have joined to it any otker plan of im pofture, which would lay him under a ne ceflity of procuring fome accomplices, who muft be made privy to Both. He would have profecuted the firfi defign, which was what he was chiefly concerned for, John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 125 for, alone ; and his wife Elizabeth would Part r. - • . Sea. 4. have been found his only affiftant in car- ^y^n-^ rying it on. Nor is ffiere room to objedt here, that though ffie truth of all ffiis muft be own ed, yet perhaps it might not occur to Za charias; who might be fo poffeffed with the hopes of fucceeding in this extraordinary defign, by the help of fome affociates, as to overlook the imminent danger he muft incur, in endeavouring to procure them. True indeed it is, that impoftors are fome times off their guard, and found to adt inconfiftently, when their condudt is de tedted. But in the fuppofed cafe before us, the danger of being betrayed was on many accounts fo great ; on all accounts fo obvious ; that it could not have efcaped the notice even of a raw beginner in the pradtice of deceit. In this cafe, therefore, nothing can make it credible, that Zacha rias, above all others, could be guilty of fo total a want of circumfpedtlon ^ in a particular, which fo nearly concerned, not his fuccefs only, but his fafety ; not his reputation alone, but his life. Should 26 The Divine Mifiions of Should we imagine him to have been capable of planning the deceit before us ; we ffiall be forced to own, at the fame time, that he muft have been the moft cautious, and careful concealer of his true charadter and adtions, that ever lived. If at his age, and in his religious profef fion, he was capable of fetting on foot fo impious an undertaking; 'tis evident he muft have been long hardened in wick ednefs, and have grown old in fin. Yet fure W'C are, that both He and Elizabeth had found means to fupport an exemplary charadter, which was never called into queftion. And this too, notwithftanding that the witnefs, which John afterwards bore to Jefus, muft naturally have led ma ny of the Jews, and more efpecially the rulers, to enquire fcrupuloufly into their life and converfation. But He, who could thus manage to advance in efteem for vir- tue, in proportion as he proceeded to greater lengths in iniquity ; and never drew on himfelf the leaft fufpicion of his guilt ; muft have been far too cautious a vete- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi, 127 veteran in deceit, to have run the hazard Part I. of betraying himfelf in ffie manner now ^..r^.r^ under confideration. A PLOT, which, we have feen, he muft originally have contrived, fo many years before ffie birffi of a fon gave him an op portunity to attempt it; and which he muft fo often, in ffie mean time, have revolved every particular of; when the fondnefs of conceit, and the warmth of expedtation were over ; could not poffibly draw fo wary a deceiver into an overfight fo obvious, and fo dangerous as this. After aU, it appears plainly from the fuppofed contrivance itfelf, that he could have no end to anfwer by this ftep, in the leaft degree adequate to the danger incur red by it. None indeed could be of fuf ficient moment for an impoftor to purfue, which could not be obtained without ex pofing himfelf to almoft certain detedtion. If Zacharias had even fo laid his principal plan with regard to John ; for the fake of which only he could fet himfelf to con trive any other; as to make fome affociates necef^ 128 The Divine Mifiions of Part I. neceffaryfor Its profecutlou; the great dan ger of attempting to procure any would certainly have made him alter his defign. But, infaSl, the fuccefs ofthe plot in quef tion relating to John, fuch as we now find it, could fcarcely be at all promoted by any teftimony, befides that of Zacharias and Elizabeth themfelves. All that He could poffibly defire, at the time of his fon's birth, muft have been, to eftabliffi the credit of that divine meffage, which, he affirmed, had • been delivered to Him by an angel from heaven; and upon the authority of which, Jokn^ whole claim to Infpiration was neceffarily to depend. Now this divine meflage was publiffied as having been delivered to Za- ckarias alone, and confequently could not admit of being attefted by any other per fon whatever. All therefore, that any ac complices could poflibiy do to ftrengthen the caufe, was, to pubUffi accounts of other divine meffages revealed to them felves ; calculated to confirm the truth of Zacharias's o%m relation. But if his ac- John Baptifi- a?id Jefus Chrift. 1 2 9 count of his vifion fliould not be believed, Part f. upon the ftrength of kis affertion ; en- * forced by fo refined an artifice, as his pre tended lofs of fpeech, for a limited time only, in confequence of it; Zacharias could have no hopes of eftabUffiing its credit, by the teftimony of any other per fons, ol far lefs weight and authority than himfelf. At this time, it muft be remembered, he was far advanced in years, and pof^ feffed the charadter of a man of true pro bity and religion. His facred profeflion likewife would of Itfelf, in great meafure, fecure him from being thought capable of contriving a forgery of fo heinous a na ture. His own teftimony therefore, he well knew, came fo ftrongly recom mended to the public, by his age, his profeffion, the general opinion ofhis vir tue, and his feeming miraculous lofs of fpeech;, that if Tkis alone proved unable to gain belief for the fadts he related ; the addition of one or two corroborat ing, hwt far lefs creditable, witneffes, muft K be IJO The Divine Mifiions of Part I. be ufelefs and vain. If ffie people diffie- Cr^r^ lieved him himfelf; he knew affuredly, they muft regard the reft as inferior ac complices in the fame crafty defign, and rejedt all their pretended revelations with difdain. In the mean while it is incredible, that Zacharias ffiould imagine, the people would, at this time in particular, prove averfe to the reception of fuch a revela tion, as he made public among them ; or confequently, that his own eftabliffied charadter would now, more than ever, be infufficient to procure him their belief. In other nations indeed, whofe hifto ries pretended to no more, than a few un certain accounts of divine interpofitions ; whoever had made public a revelation of ffiis kind, might with good reafon appre hend, it would require the teftimony of more than one, to gain credit to fuch an impofture. But with ffie Jews the cafe was quite different. Their religious and civil hiftory being woven together in the fame records, and confifting of littie elfe, than John Baptifi and Jeftts Chrifi. 1 3 i than a continued feries of immediate re- P*^'^ ^^ Seft. 4. velations from God, authenticated in the v^vn^ moft unqueftionable manner ; fuch divine interpofitions Were fo far from appearing, to their apprehenfions, ftrange or impro bable, in the nature ofthe thing ; that they were familiarized to ffie conceptions of even ffie loweft of ffie people. They had been favoured likewife, with a long fucceffion of prophets, whofe predidtions had been verified, in the moft fignal revolutions of their ftate and na tion ; and on whofe authority they now confidently expedted the fpeedy manifef^ tation of the Meffiah. Their liberty too had been at lengffi fwallowed up by ffie Roman power, and they began more ea gerly to look fbr the arrival of that long promifed prince, with whom they ex pedted nothing lefs than univerfal domi nion. Thus impatientiy were the Jewiffi nation at this time expedting the fudden appearance of their mighty deliverer. And could Zacharias apprehend, when the people were in fuch a temper as this, K 2 that. 132 The Divine Mifiions of that they would be, now, more than or dinarily averfe to believing any divine re velation, upon the report of one of his profeffion, and eftabliffied good charac ter ; and more particularly, a revelation which proclaimed the adtual arrival of the Meffiah's immediate forerunner .'' Could he think, that they would now at laft be gin to call in queftion the honefty of one, whofe piety they had ever till this time re vered ? On the contrary, muft he not rather have expedted, that they would re ceive with joy the glad ti4ings of the Mef fiah's approaching manifeftation ; and, in ftead of now firft fufpedting his veracity,- wait, with a pleafing hope, for the ac- compUffiment of the predidtion .? And with this opinion, founded upon the well known expedtations of the whole people, joined with the confcioufnefs of his own eftabliffied charadter ; it would be abfurd to imagine, that fo artful an impoftor could fooUffily run the rifk of being al moft inevitably betrayed ; meerly to pro cure affociates, whofe concurrence was fo John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 133 fo far from neceffary, that they could not Part i\ at all aflift him in the execution ofhis fup- ,ysr^^ pofed defigns. It has appeared then, that the fup pofed impofture of Zacharias, relating to his own fon, was of fo peculiar a nature, that he himfelf could not entertain hopes of procuring any aflbciates In it, ffiould he make die attempt ; and muft have been fenfible, ffiat if he could, it was next to certain they would betray him, long before ffie plot could be put in execution. It has appeared likewife, that he could not but believe, that his own charadter was fufficient to bear him out; or, i^That ffiould prove infufficient, that the affif tance of any affociates, he could procure, would be ftill more unable to fupport his caufe. And further we have feen, the fup pofed plot itfelf, if there was one, was fo contrived, that in fadt he ftood in need of no affociates at all. From all thefe particulars we cannot but draw this conclufion ; that if Zacha rias had been a wicked deceiver, and the K 3 con^ 134 ^^ Divine Mififions of Part I. contriver of fuch a falfe revelation con-» ' '^' cerning his own fon ; he certainly would not have fet on foot, at ffie fame time, any other confpiracy, which would oblige him to reveal to any one his chief defign, re lating to John, This muft have been his only attempt; and his wife Elizabeth would have been found the only perfon concerned with him, in carrying this on. And confequently, fince it has before in- difputably appeared, that two other per fons, Jofeph and Mary, were as intimately concerned in the whole tranfadtion relat ing to John, as Zacharias and Elizabeth themfelves ; and likewife, that they were Ail engaged together, at the fame time, in another fimilar tranfadtion relating to Je fus ; we are reduced to the neceffity of acknowledging, that there could be no impofiure at all in the cafe ; or at leaft, that Zacharias and Elizabeth could not be ffie original contrivers of Both the plots ; if any fuch iniquitous deception qzx\ ftill be fuppofed, SEC- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 135 H SECTION V. AVING proceeded thus far in Part I. proof of Zach.arias'% innocence of . ffie impoftures in debate ; in order to place the incredibility of his having contrived them, in that clear and ftrong light, which ffie nature of the cafe allows, it will now be neceffary to take fome more particular notice oi Jofeph and Mary ; who, we have feen, muft from the beginning have been privy to Zacharias s defigns. For the prefent then, let us wave all that has been proved to the contrary, and ftill fuppofe it poflible for Zackarias to have contrived both the plots in queftion ; •and to have refolved to run the hazard of procuring fome aflbciates to carry them on. After all, it will yet be found, that Jo feph and Mary were in feveraly the moft material circumftances, perfons abfolutely unfit for his defigns ; fuch, as it is utterly inconceivable he ffiould venture to make acquainted with his plots, or in ffie leaft K 4 expedl 136 The Divine Mifiions of expedt to affift him in them ; and fuch, indeed, as he could by no means think capable of ever confenting to abet them. A MORE unanfwerable argument can not be defired, to ffiew the impoffibility of Zacharias's fingling out Mary, for a confederate in the confpiracies fuppofed, than the confideration of her youth. The moft authentic writers inform us, that marriage was, ftridtly fpeaking, fo truly univerfal among the Jews ; that they efteemed it an abfolute command of God, which every man was indlfpenfably obUg ed to comply with, as foon as he came to years of maturity. That, on this ac count. It was reputed among tkem highly finful, for a man to remain unmarried af ter he was arrived at twenty years of age. And that, in confequence of this opinion, the men were all adtually married by thnt time, and generally fooner ; and tke wo men even nmch younger ftill. For though a pofitive command laid upon the man only, was thought fufficient ; and there fore they did not hold, that a fimilar com mand John Baptifi and Jefus Clorift. 137 mand was laid upon the woman alfo ; yet we are affured, what indeed will fcarcely be doubted, that in fadt the wo men were always married, at firft, much younger than the men. They were ge nerally betrothed, when only ten years old ; and even married, in the higher ranks, extremely young. And judging upon a very fair average, we may beUeve their nuptials were compleated about the age of fifteen, at the lateft, through the whole body of the people *. This * As this is a point of no fmall importance in the queftion, and the faas here afferted are fo different from what obtains in this part of the vvorld ; it will be pro per here to eftablifh the truth of them, by more good authorities than one. " The Jeios are very Vtfarm affertors of the honour and fanaity of marriage ; they extol it infinitely above a fingle life, and hold it a condition more fuitable to nature, more advantageous to mankind, and more ac ceptable to God : fo that they admit of no unmarried fea among them.; but on the contrary, look very jea- loufly upon fuch of their nation, as either marry not at all, or long defer it. Wedlock they efteem among the ajffir- matinje precepts, 'vjhich they make obligatory upon their •whole nation. E'uery male coming to years of maturity, is bound to take a woife io increafe his family. IJpon this account their ejpoujals are 've^y early, their daughters heing ujiuilly 138 The Divine Mifftons of Part L This being the cafe, we are warranted sfrsr--' to conclude, that at the time, when Za charias ufually betrothed at ten years ef age % and if they are rich are married -very young. Lewis'^ Heb. Antiq. b. vi. 35, .——See alfo particularly b. vi. 24. " The Jentjs are obliged to marry, becaufe God's pre cept to the; firft man, of peopling the earth, increafe and multiply, ftill continues in all its force. Woe to the man nxiho lives in a houfe nvithout a 'wife. They corae not under this law till they are twenty years of age ; but then they muft many, otherwaife they fin againft God and his ordinance. They become murtherers ; they deftroy the imagA of the firft man j and catfe the Holy Spirit to mjith- dram] himfelf from Ifrael. 'Tis a queftion in the Talmud, Who is he that proftitutes his daughter ? and the anfwer is, the father that keeps her too long at home, cr marries her to an old man. — The fenjjs do not gene rally wait twenty years. They make contraas betwixt their children betimes, and execute them as foon as poffi ble.— In the mean time, a daughter married hy her fa ther, before fhe is tnxiel'ue years old and a half, has the privilege of feparating upon a fimple difguft at her huf- band, becaufe fhe was not then at the age of choofing." — Bafnage's Hift. of the Jews, b. v. 1 9. — For want of the original I have quoted from Taylor's tranflation. " Certainly among the Jev.'ijh nation, they were fo far from accounting the vow of virginity a piece of de votion and religion, that they accounted it a reproach for a woman to be childlefs ; nay a reproach for a wo man not to be married. And a greater reproach it •was, for a woman not to be married. Nay the Jews in their traditional law, (by which they were led too much) did not only account itaJhame,not ta ke married ; but John Baptifi afid Jefus Chrifi. 139 charias muft have fingled out Mary, as a P * "^ "^ ^¦ proper perfon to affift him in carrying on vX>r^ his but a fin, and a breach of God's command. For thofe words (Gen. i . 28.) be fruitful and multiply, they ac count not only a bleffing, but a command ; and reckon it the firft command of the fix hundred and thirteen com mands that are in the law," Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 1216. On another occafion he quotes the following palTage from Maimon. — " The man is commanded concerning begetting and multiplying, but not the woman. And when -doth the man come under this command ? from the age of fixteen or Je^enteen years. But \ih^ exceeds twenty years without marrying .• behold he violates, and renders an aftirmati've precept vain." — — Lightfoot v. ii. P- 757- " Amongft the people of the Jenxis, the defire of ilTue jnade them marry very young : moft oJ the men njjere ptarried at eighteen years of age. Allix's Reflec. on the four laft books of Mofes, ch. 20. " Mafculi omnes tenentur uxorem ducere, ubi attige- IMisA Jexdecem aut Jepttmdecem annos.'''' " The men are sU obliged to marry, when they arrive at Jeventeen or eighteen years of ageC Lamy, App. Bibl. p. ! 40 — — *' At eighteen a fon is to marry." Lewis's Heb. Antiq, b. vi. ch. 39. In confirmation of thefe authorities a great variety of regulations, which were obferved among the Jews, prove the earlinefs of their marriages beyond all difpute. ¦ • It was provided, that a woman betrothed before fine 'u.'as twelve years old, could not be taken to her huftiand's Jioufe, without her own confent, tilljhe was twelve com plete. — — . If a woman was completely married before the age of twelve md, a half, j be fuppofed Ukely to undertake the part he intended for her in them ; Ske could not be more tkan about fourteen years of age. From the hiftory itfelf it plainly ap pears, that even after the birth of John ; which upon a fimple difguft. A man ot thirteen years of age, and a woman at t'wclve and a haf, was at full liberty to enter into a contraa of marriage without the confent of parents, or guardians. If a ixioman was betrothed, before the age of tvjclve, fhe had a power of deferring the mariage for a tvjelvemonth ; whenever the hufband propofed tQ her to complete it. If betrothed at the age of tvielve and a half, flie might put off the marriage till fhe vjas a year older. But if fhe was thirteen and a half, or older , at the ti7ne of betrothing ; fhe had no power to delay the marriage for more than thirty days, after the man propofed to her the completing of their marriage. If the tnan deferred the completion of the marriage, longer than the expiration of thefe le gal times; (except in cafes of neceffity) he was bound to fupport the woman lie had betrothed, till he finally married her. Thefe peculiar regulations prove clearly, that from be fore the age of ten, to about thirteen years, was the period, in which the vjomen among the Jenus were cuftomarily betrothed. And when we confider this, jointly with the authorities juft produced, it cannot be doubted, but that marriage was ftriflly fpeaking univerfal, among the Jews; and that in naming even the age of fifteen years, for that limit, in which the Jewifh v^omen were firft married; we have allowed, at the leaft, full as )or;g a period rs the cafe can require. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrift. 141 which muft have been near a twelvemonth Part I. after Zacharias's ^r/? application to Mary ; ,/v'«o flie was ftill only betrothed, not yet mar ried to Jofeph, Tke birth * of Jefus Chrifi was on this wife. When as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofepk ; before they came together fije was found with child of the Holy Gkoft. In confequence of which it follows, that Jofeph was minded to put her away privily. But it is plain likewife, that Jofeph was not apprized of Marys fituation till juft after the birth of John. For upon the angel's appearing to Mary, and informing her -f-, as we are told, that her coufin EUzabeth was then fix monffis gone with child ; Mary, we find, imme diately left her own home, to go to Eli zabeth ; and abode with her three months, till ker full time came, and fie br ougkt fortk a fon %. Then it was, at her return to her own home from Elizabeth, upon the birth of John ; and while her mar riage with JoJ'eph remained yet to be com pleted ; * Matt. i. 18, t Luke i. 36. % Idem i. 56- il^ 142 The Divine Miffions of Part I. pkted ; that He became acquainted with v-VNj her pregnancy, and began to think of putting her away. Nor did he take her home to his own houfe, which was part of the matrimonial ceremony among the Jews, till at leaft fome little time after this ; when, as he afferted, the angel had appeared to him, and told him, to fear not to take unto him Mary his wife *. From all which it is abundantly evident, that even fo late as after the birth of John, Mary was not yet adtually married to Jo feph ; though they had been for fome time betrothed to each other. It has been proved already •f', that j^b/^/zft and Mary muft have been engaged by Za* charias in his defigns ; if they were engag ed in them at all ; before the time oihis own vifion in the temple. 'Tis indeed appa rent, from the nature of the cafe alone, that he who had fuch an extraordinary part to play, and made ufe of fo much refined artifice at the opening of the plot, muft ' Matt. i. 20. •)• See pages 72—84. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 143 muft certainly have taken care to fecure Part I. Sea. c. fuch affociates, as he had made abfolutely requifite for its fuccefs, before the time, when ffie plan was adtually to be put in execution. So that it appears, Zacharias muft have fingled out Mary, as a perfon both likely and proper to carry on that im pofture he had contrived ; and muft have communicated to her his whole defign j and adtually have engaged her to affift, as ffie afterwai-ds did, in the profecution of it ; about a twelvemonth, at leaft, before- her marriage with Jofeph was completed; at which time ffie could fcarcely be more than between fourteen and fifteen years of age. With regard to M^rythen, the argu ment is reduced to this ffiort queftion; whether this can be allowed a probable, or even a poffible fuppofition .? Whether it is conceivable, that an arch impoftor, grown grey in the pradtice of fraud and diflimulation, and flcUled in all the arti fices neceffary to carry on a deceit ; as Zacharias, if a deceiver, muft have been ; " ffiould 144 ^^ Divijie Mifiions of Part I- fliould efteem a|;-/r/, who was not arrived v.Av^ at the full ufe of her underftanding, a fit perfon to carry on a long and intricate train of the moft impious impoftures ? Whether, in ffiort, he who had projedted fuch a defign, as he knew was incapable of being entered into by any, who had not their confclences feared with the long pradtice of iniquity, in all its ffiapes ; ffiould fingle out one, as a likely perfon to approve and abet it ; whofe youth, and fex *, and innocence, and inexperience of * The incredibility of the fuppofition we are confider ing, is very greatly inhanced, by the referved manner in which the Jewifh women, like thofe of moft other eaftern nations, were brought up. " It was the cuftom for parents among the Jews, ne ver to let their virgin daughters go out of their houfes ; vvhich cuftom made them be called concealed, in oppofi tion to thofe that went abroad ; that is, that were prof titutes." Allix on the Old Teftament, vol, i. c. 20. To the fame purpofe, Lamy, Apparat. Biblicus, c.i6, " Virgines multa cura fervantur abdits intra domum ; unde virgo dicitur hebraice, gnalema ; hoc eft, abfcon- dita ." " The virgins are with great care kept con cealed within doors ; from whence a virgin is called in Hebrew, gnalema ; that is, hidden." " The daughters are inftruaed by the mothers, with great cere, in the bufinefs that belongs to their fex. Thev John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. j^4 j; of the world, would neceffarily make her Part I. Sea c. terrified at the mention of fo villainous a .,r^,rh * Matt. i. 19. 156 The Divine Mifiions of Part L Jofeph to take part in it; or that Jofeph w/'-V^^ could have confented to it, if he had. It muft therefore be given up as an in credible imagination, that Jqfeph could be feduced by Zacharias to take part in the confpiracy in queftion ; or elfe we muft maintain, that even more moral impoffi- bilities, than thofe which have juft now ffiewn the falfehood of this fuppofition, with regard to Mary ; ought not to be allowed their natural weight and influ ence, in determining its credibility with relation to Jofeph. But befides, can any thing be much more improbable, than that a Jcwifij prieft, who had conceived a defign no lefs am bitious, than that of fetting up his own fon for the Forerunner of the Mefiiah ; ffiould choofe for his affociates in the pro fecution of fuch a plan, perfons of fo ob- fcure a ftatlOn as Jofeph and Mary were .'' Could the fame man, who was capable; of forming fo iniquitous a device, to gratify an unbounded pride and ambition ; choofe to be. connedted, in the profecution of it, with John Baptift a?id Jefus Chrifi. 157 with an obfcure carpenter and his wife ? P a r t I, 1 • 1 1 . ,- Sea. J. Nothing could induce him to fingle out v^/'v""^ fuch afliftants as thefe ; had his favourite plot really ftood in need of any ; but his imagining, either, that it would be more difficult to procure any confederates of a higher rank in life ; or that, if they could be found, their affiftance would not be fo likely to gain fuccefs to his undertaking. But as to the firft of thefe fuppofitions ; how could he imagine, that the lower ranks of ffie people only were capable of furnlffiing him with affociates in fuch a villainous impofture .'' It has never been fuppofed, th,2it the, plain fundamental prin ciples of moral honefty and religion, are not as well known to the mechanic and artificer, and have not as general an in fluence over them ; at leaft in fuch cafes, where guilt would be highly flagrant ; as they are to, or have over thofe, who are placed in much higher ftations of life. And if there is not even an imaginarv connedtion between induftry, and falfe hood ; or impiety, and an humble fta tion ; 158 The Divine Mifiions of Par r I. tlou ; Certain it is, there are fome vicious Sea. c. kx-v^ undertakings, which thofe who labour for their fupport, are rendered much more unUkely to enter into, by their very fitua tion itfelf. Such, above all others, are thofe iniquitous plots, which owe their birth to injatiable ambition ; the very na ture of the fuppojed impofture before us. The fphere, in which men adt, prefcribes in great meafure, the limits of their at tempts. It fets bounds to the dangers they dare encounter, and the prize they will encounter them to obtain. The forging of divine revelations, in order to fet up a counterfeit of the promifed Mefiiah ; was a projedt too far removed above the views of a common carpenter, to make it pro bable he could be at all defirous of enter ing into it; as well as too difficult and dangerous an attempt, for one in his low fiation to care to engage in,- for what re wards it had to offer. Whereas it was, fofar, a defign not unworthy the enter- prifing ambition of thofe in the more ex alted fpheres of life; and confequentiy far John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 159 far more Ukely to engage them in its Part i. ^ . Sea. e. purfuit. r^ Zacharias, in hopes of procuring his af fiftance in That alone ; upon which Za charias laid open to Them the feheme he himfelf had in view : And thus, which ever might happen to be the cafe, Tkey All immediately agreed to fupport each other in the joint profecution of Both. If Each party contrived- their own plot, one of thefe fuppofitions muft have taken place. But a flight attention to fome ma terial circumftances will prefently make it appear, that neither of them can be true. With regard to the firft, which fup pofes Zacharias to have laid the feheme concerning John only, and to have applied to Jofeph and Mary, to join with him in the profecution of That alone ; nothing can be more plain, than that every argument which has been already alleged, to fliew that Zacharias could not be the author of both defigns ; or, if he had been, that He could not have applied to Jofeph and Mary to confpire with him in Both ; remains as M 3 ftrong 1 66 The Divine Miffions of Part I. ftrong as before, upon this fuppofition ; nay 4/Y'V) and proves even more forcibly, ffiat he could not have imparted to them One of ffiefe fuppofed defigns, had he been ffie contriver of One only. He could not have been wicked enough to be capable of a contrivance for counter feiting ffie Meffiah's Forerunner ; without having been equally capable of fetting up an impoftor, even under the charadter of the Meffiah himfelf. If his advanced age, his reUgious profeflion, and his fingular good charadter, confidered in all their un avoidable confequences, prove it utterly incredible, that he could be the author of two fuch deteftable undertakings ; they render it equally abfurd to imagine he could be the planner out of Either. If the length of time requifite to put in prac tice the fuppofed impofture relating to John only, is fuch a circumftance, as, when confidered jointly with Zacharias's age, renders the fuppofition of his con triving it, not only unworthy of beUef, but even highly ridiculous ; it cannot ftand John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 167 ftand in need of any other plot of the Part I. fame kmd, to make it ffill more incre- wOr^ dible. If it has appeared likewife, from confidering Mary's youffi, and the feveral other circumftances, both of her fituation, and ffiat of Jofeph ; that Zacharias cannot be conceived to have difclofed to them, both thefe defigns, if he had contrived them Both ; the fame reafons will make it equally incredible, that he could venture to lay open to them his iniquity in One of thefe devices, if he was the real author of One only. From what has been proved already ffierefore, without any thing further, it might here be allowable to conclude ; that this fecond fuppofition, as far as re lates to Zacharias, muft in every particu lar be as falfe and groundlefs as the firfi. But in reality, the evidence of his inno cence will be found much ftronger on tkis fuppofition, than the former. In the firft place, it is apparent from the nature of the thing itfelf, that if the plot relating to Jokn was the whole of Za- M 4 ckarias's 1 68 The Divine Mifftons of I- charias's defign ; Elizabetk and He were the only perfons at all requifite, and in deed the only perfons capable of carrying it on. Had this been the cafe therefore, they wonld never have revealed their own impiety, as no ufe could attend it, to any perfon whatever. To imagine, that now at length Zackarias would voluntarily lay open his wicked intentions, when they neither required, nor indeed could admit of any management befides his own ; and, above all, that he ffiould thus betray him felf to fuch perfons, fo circumftanced as Jofeph and Mary were ; purely to let them into the fecret of his true concealed charadter ; would be the moft ridiculous and extravagant of all imaginations. Again, while we fuppofed Zacharias to have contrived a plot for the Son of an otker per Jon, as well as one for his own ; it might, at firft fight, appear poffible to procure affociates, by giving them hopes of great advantages to be drawn from the fuccefs of their Son. But if he had no defign on foot, more than that relating to John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 169 to John only; even this appearance of a Part I. poflibility of his procuring affiftance from Jofeph and Mary, had his plot really ftood in need of it, is entirely vaniffied ; and ffie fuppofition of his applying to them about it, becomes at once confeffedly in credible. Certainly he could not hope to en gage them in fo dangerous, as well as ini quitous a defign, without having at leaft fome very fpecious emoluments to pro pofe to them from its fuccefs. But what advantages could he make them imagine might probably refult to tkem ; ffiould his fuppofed defign in favour of Jokn only prove ever fo fuccefsful ? And this is the only defign we are now fuppofing him to have contrived. It might indeed be tiiought, that the parents of fo diftinguiffi ed a prophet, if they were ftill alive when the plot ffiould take effedt, would be held in veneration and efteem : and this was the utmoft that even they themfelves could hope for. But no benefit could be expedted on this account by his mofi dif tant lyo The Divine Mifiions of Part I. fant relations, and efpecially fuch as were ^.,/-y-0 in fo obfcure a fphere of life as Jofeph and Mary were. Greatness and fplendor were by no means ffie apparent objedts of this defign, even with regard to Jokn himfelf : who inftead of affedting rule and authority over the people, was to teach them the know ledge of falvation through the remiffion of their fins ; and preach to them the bap tifm of repentance. And however fuc cefsful he might be, in impofing on them as 2. prophet; an attempt itfelf of no fmall difficulty and danger ; it would ftill re main in the higheft degree improbable, that he ffiould ever be able to graft upon it the attainment of wealth and power. In nations overrun with a fabulous re ligion, and fuperftitious notions of the gods, the eftabUffied credit of divine in- ipiration might, with reafon, be expedted to afford means of gratifying the moft un bounded ambition. But among the Jews this was by no means the cafe. Their clear and eftabUffied knowledge of God's imme- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 171 immediate providence, and fettled belief Part l ^ Sea. 6. in his will, already revealed to them, freed them fo effedtually from this bUnd enthu- fiaftic admiration, of whoever plight pre tend to an extraorffinaiy commiffion from above ; as to make them, on the contrary, fevere judges of all fuch pretenfions. They had enjoyed likewife a long fucceffion of perfons, univerfally acknowledged as the ' moft approved prophets ; who, though even workers of miracles in fupport of their claims, had neither fought for pub lic honours, nor to aggrandize their for tunes ; but perfifted, to the laft, in quite a private and reclufe fituation. Nay, the very Perfon, whofe life and manner John was profeffedly to imitate, accord ing to Zacharias's own predidtion ; was one at leaft of the moft eminent of them all, for the abftemioufnefs and privacy of his courfe of life. It was therefore fofar from being natural for a Jew to expedt, that thtjewifi People would be at all inclined to beftow wealth and honours, upon whomfoever they might lya The Divine Miffions of Part I. might adtually efteem infpired from abovc; sy^/--^ th at, in reaUty, there was great reafon to fear, they would begin to call in queftion the veracity of any one, and more efpecially of the profeffed imitator of Elias, as foon as he ffiould begin to betray a defire of fuch kind of rewards. Besides, He, above all others, who ffiould appear as the Forerunner ofthe long expedted Mffiah, could not propofe to hlmfdlf, or his adherents, any confider able advantages. The Mefiiah himfelf was the king, for whom the Jews fo ardently wiffied ; and, whom they fo foon expedted. He it was, who, they believed, would eft.bllffi them in an univerfal dominion. , And the nearer they apprehended his arrival to be; that is, the more fuccefs fully any pretender to the charadter of his Forerunner ffiould delude them into the belief of his own divine miffion ; the further would they be from beftowing wealth and honours upon the pretended meffenger ktmfelf. Their thoughts and expedtations would unavoidably be fuf- pended John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 173 pended till the arrival of the Mefiiah, and Part L for him they would certainly referve all ffieir choiceft gifts ; while the Meffenger and his adherents could have little or no hopes of profit or exaltation. If they ffiould believe his report ; it was naturally to be expedted, that they would behave to him, as in fadt it appears ffie Jews did to John, when they did believe him, and he per emptorily declared himfelf only the. har binger of ffie Meffiah : that is, that they would reverence him as zpropket, but not think of exalting him as a man. To fuppofe then, that Zacharias had only this plot in view, and" yet that he difclofed it to JoJ'eph and Mary ; would be fuppofing him determined to make known to them his own unparalleled ini quity ; though They could he of no ufe to Him in the execution of his plot ; and it could not be of anyj'ervice to Them, even if it ffiould fucceed. But this is a fuppofition too abfurd to be received ; fince \i Zacha rias was capable of betraying himfelf in fo fooliffi a manner, he muft have been ab folutely 174 ^^ Divine Miffions of Part I. folutelv incapable of concealing his true Sea. 6. , I ^, ... r J ^./V'N.- charadter, and maintaining lo good a re putation as he did, till he was well ftricken in years. But though, for all thefe reafons, it cannot be believed, that Zacharias could betray himfelf in fo fooliffi a manner to Jofeph and Mary ; poffibly Jofeph and Ma ry might •3j^'^\j firft to Zacharias, to pro cure his affiftance in that impofture, which we are now fuppofing Them to have plan ned out for tkeir Son. And here the queftion immediately occurs, for what reafon could They apply to Zacharias, if they had only that plot in view, which related to their own Son f Could they be defirous of laying open their wicked intentions to him, when it was not in the leaft neceffary to the profecution of their defign ; and when they could not poffibly imagine it capable of being at all beneficial to him ? Was the im piety of fetting up an impoftor for the Mef fiah, lefs ffiocking than that of counter feiting his Forerunner ; ffiat They ffiould be John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 175 be more ready to lay ffiemfelves open to Part i. Zacharias ; than He, could be, as we have ^Jli^^ already feen, to expofe himfelf to Them ? Or, in one word, would not the folly and danger of this ftep have been fo great, and fo glaring, ffiat it is impoffible to con ceive they could be capable of overlook ing it? The plot itfelf, as has been be fore fully ffiewn *, was of fo dangerous and difcouraging a nature ; fb deftitute of all profpedts of advantage, and fo much more likely to induce any one to betray than promote, it; that it cannot be be lieved they could venture to impart it to any perfon whatever. Waving however thefe confidera tions, and fuppofing Them determined, though contrary to every motive by which they could poffibly be determined, to make fomebody privy to their intended impofture ; ftill it would have been im poffible * This muft plainly appear, from confidering all that has been feen of the unpromifing nature of the de fign fuppofed with regard to' John ; jointly with the ftill greater difficulties and dangers, that muft neceflarily at^ tend this relating to JeJus. 1^6 The Divine Miffions of Part I. poffible for them to have fixed upon Za- sfsr^ ckarias and Elizabeth, above all others, to make acquainted with their plot. Nothing can be more inconceivable, than that they ffiould fingle out a Priefi of the God of Ifrael, grown venerable with years, and ftill more fo by an unblemiffied reputation ; as one, who could be pleafed wiffi the authors of fo iniquitous a device. They could not poffibly hit on any perfon, in their own opinions more likely to reveal their impiety immediately to the rulers, and pubUffi it to the whole nation ; and by ffiis means procure them that condign puniffiment they fo highly deferved, and would have been fure to undergo. It muft be ridiculous to fuppofe, they could expedt any thing better at his hands ; though their defign had been fuch, as even to have tempted him with lucrative and ambitious views. And what then could they hope for, or how could they lay open their own guilt to him, above all offiers ; when it was abfolutely impof^ fible, that their fuppofed fingle impof ture John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 177 ture in favour oijejus, could procure Za- Part i. charias any benefit at all ? s^-v^ But, infurmountable as thefe difficul ties muft be owned, ffie fuppofition we are examining, labours yet with one more, if poffible, ftill greater than all the reft. We have feen long ago, ffia,t if there was any contrivance in the cafe, all the parties concerned muft have been engaged together in it, even from the very plan ning of ffie whole joint tranfadtion. If therefore Mary and Jofeph communicated ffieir feparate defign, firft, to Zacharias ; they muft certainly have taken this ftep, before Zacharias adtually counterfeited his vifion in the temple. Now this event we know, from the order of the feveral fadts, carne to pafs no lefs th,^^ full fix months before even the conception oi Mary's fon. So that, on the fuppofition we are now confidering, Jofeph and Mary muft have planned out, and communicated thelr^^- parate defign to Zacharias ; nay, and they muft all have determined, that Zacharias ffiould adtually proceed to begin hii part N in 178 The Divine Miffiofts of Part L i^ the joint Undertaking ; y«// y/iv W(j»/i6j ^?V"^ before Jefus was conceived; and confe quently, as long before Mary had any ac tual profpedt of a child, to adt that part, they intended him afterwards to under take. But this is an agreement fo utterly incapable of being believed, that whatever fuppofition unavoidably includes it, muft neceffarily be falfe. To fay no more therefore upon this head ; fince it has fo plainly and fully ap peared ; firft, that Zacharias could not be the author of Both the plots in queftion together ; nor fecondly, of One of them alone ; while Jofeph and Mary were the real contrivers of the Other: let us en quire in the laft place ; " Whether Jofeph and Mary may not have been the real contrivers of both parts of this double impofture ; and have prevailed with Zacharias to undertake the profecution of One ; in hopes of fome great advantages to be drawn from the joint fuc cefs oi Both." This John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 1 79 This is the only poffible fuppofition ^^i'^^^" remaining; and even this muft be ex- w'->r^ ploded, as well as the two former, unlefs it ffiall appear credible, in the firft place, that Jofeph and Mary could contrive two fuch defigns ; in ffie next, that they could impart them to Zackarias, in hopes of his approving, and becoming a principal in the joint profecution of them ; and laft ly, that He could really engage in them, if they had. All ffiefe particulars muft, upon examination, appear credible ; or this laft . fuppofition, ^s it includes them all, muft neceffarily ht rejedted as incre dible and abfurd. And with regard to thefe particulars, abfolutely neceffary to be firft eftabliffied ; not to enlarge upon arguments that have been already infifted on, it muft by this time be fully evident, that neither of them can poflibiy be admitted. For if the ingenuity, artleffnefs, and timidity, natural to Marys youth ; the modeft and referved education of her fex ; the good character, free from all afperfion, which N 2 ^^^ i8o The Divine Miffions of P AR r I. 5^^ as well as Jofepk, at this time enjoyed, \yyf>^ and ever after maintained ; together with the confined views, and inexperience of the world, neceffarily occafioned by their low ftation in life ; render it utterly incre dible, that Tkey could even have become parties to fuch impious and ffiocking con trivances, when planned out by another ; they muft unqueftionably prove it morally impoflible for Them to have firft con trived fuch impoftures Tkemfelves. After all then that has been faid already, in proof of this point ; the fuppofition of Their having been the true authors oiBoth thefe impoftures, becomes fo apparently extravagant, that il needs but to be men tioned, in order to be exploded. Nor, in the next place, can any ftron ger arguments be defired, than what the facred profeflion, advanced age, and ex emplary charadter of Zacharias, have al ready furniffied ; to convince us ofthe im poffibility of his being applied to for af liftance, in any wicked defign whatever ; and much more of his becoming a con federate John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. i 8 1 federate in thefe above all others, had he Part I. Seft 6 adtually been folllclted to join in them. \y\-^ However, abundantly fufficient as the joint force of all thefe confiderations is, to prove that Jofeph and Mary could not be guilty of contriving both the plots in debate ; the nature of the cafe will fupply us with one argument more, which muft needs put this point beyond poffibi lity of difpute. If Jofeph and Mary were the real con trivers of both the fuppofed impoftures ; and confequently, engaged Zackarias and Elizabetk to adt the part they afterwards did, in • the profecution of them ; then They muft in the beginning have laid open thefe defigns to Zacharias, in hopes of inducing him to undertake the manage ment of that half of the plot, which he afterwards carried on. And fince it is manifeftly impoflible iox Zackarias to have begun aSfing his part, till after he had been thus folllclted, and agreed to under take it ; Jofeph and Mary muft have ap plied to him on this account, and He muft N 3 have 1 82 The Divine Miffions of Part I. have agreed to their propofal ; fome time before he adtually opened the plot, with his pretended vifion in ffie temple. That is, in other words, fome time before even ihe conception of John. But what was the fituation of Zacha rias and Elizabeth at that time ? Eliza beth had always hiffierto continued abfo lutely childlefs ; and both She and Za ckarias were now too old, to entertain the leaft hope of ever having children. So that upon this fuppofition, Jofeph and Mary muft have folllclted Zackarias and Elizabetk to begin an impofture for the fake oi tkeir own Son; and they muft have agreed to it, with this view ; not only at a time when they really had no fon; but when they muft likewife have been fully perfuad ed, that they never ffiould have any. But how was it poffible, in fuch circumftances, for one party to make the application, or the officer to comply with it } This at leaft, it muft be confeffed, was abfolutely impof fible ; and the contrary fuppofition would be evidently abfurd. Had John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 183 Had it therefore ftUl remained a mat- Part \. Sea 6 ter of doubt, whether Jofeph and Mary ^/v-O might not have planned out the two im poftors in queftion ; fure we are Zacharias and Elizabeth were fo fituated, that They could not have been applied to, to affift in canying them on ; nor have attempted to do it, if they had. Nor does ffiis con clufion reft wholly, even upon a variety of the ftrongeft moral proofs ; but like- wife, upon the cleareft natural impoffibi lity, that the contrary could be true. In fine, to conclude this argument, it appears not only certain, that, Jofeph and Mary were incapable of contriving fuch execrable plots ; as well as from feveral circumftances of the laft importance, that they certainly did not contrive thofe in de bate ; but likewife, that they could have no affignable motive whatever for fetting fuch contrivances on foot. The only caufes, which eiffier obfti nate infidelity can invent, or impiety fug- geft, to account for their concerting fuch 4 ftrange impofture ; muft be, either the N 4 hopes 184 The Divine Miffions of Part I. hopes of advantages to accrue from the impoftures themfelves ; or the defire of preventing all farcaftic refledtions upon Marys unexpedted condition, before her marriage with Jofeph was finally com pleted. But as to any advantages to be derived from the fuccefs of thefe impof tures themfelves ; ffiough the poffibility of fuch hopes has been all along fuppof ed, for the fake of allowing the fuppo fition of their guilt every imaginable ad vantage ; yet they have in fadt appeared far too remote and chimerical, and the dangers of the plots too great and immi nent, to admit of any one's contriving them on fuch motives as thefe. After all that has now been feen, this account of the matter muft neceffarily be given up. As tor the remaining fuppofition, that the whole might be a contrivance to fave Mary's reputation ; the fadts themfelves will ffiew this to be, of all others, the moft ridiculous, and indeed ftridtly fpeak ing impoffible. Nothing can be a more extravagant imagination, at firft fight, than this ; John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 1 85 this; that a carpenter and his intended wife, Part I. Sea 6 fliould agree to fet up a chUd of theirs, yet unborn, for a counterfeit ofthe great Mr/^ ftah ; and moreover attempt to perfuade fome one of their acquaintance, to fet up another for his Forerunner ; and all this/or no other end, than meerly to prevent their neighbours from throwing out reflec tions to their difadvantage. But befides, if the faving of Marys reputation was the point they aimed at ; there was a certain, fafe, eafy, and ef- fedtual meffiod of doing it, which they could not poffibly be ignorant of, or for get ; and which therefore ffiey would un queffionably have ' adopted ; inftead of fetting themfelves to. contrive plots of fb dangerous, fruitlefs, and ftrange a nature, as thofe before us. In a word, as it is plain, that they had been for fome time betrothed to each other, before Mary's particular fttuation took place ; the meer completion of their marriage, upon the very firft, flighteft fufpicion of it, would have fecured Her effeSiually from all re proach ; 1 86 The Divine Miffions of Pa R T I. reproach ; and was indeed the only ex- Sea. 6. \. , , r J • • sy-sr^ pedient capable oi doing it. Still the fadts will fupply us with another confideration, upon this point, that can admit of no reply. Had both the plots been contrived by Jofeph and Mary, to fave her from difgrace, on ac count of her fituation, before ffieir mar riage w^'is complete; it is plain They them felves could not have fettled the plan of i-'. ifl, till they had fome reafon to appre- hc-u^ i.ije riate 'Tic mixiiL be in. At leaft, tu^ aiuft unqueftionably be allowed ; that They i;ould not apply to Zackarias and Eli zabetk to undertake one of the joint plots the)' had contrived ; and above all, that Zacharias could not proceed to the adtual execution of any public ftep in it ; till Tkat event, on account of which only the whole contrivance was agreed on, could be certainly known to have taken place. These points confidered, it muft ne ceflarily be acknowledged, that if Jofepk and Mary contrived both thefe impof^ tures, for the end now fuppofed ; Zacka rias John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 187 rias could not have brought on his pre- Part i. ° . ^ Sea. 6. tended vifion in the temple ; which muft kXV^si' have been the public opening of the whole defign ; till at leaft fome little time after Maiy's particular fituation had been fully confirmed. Does it then in fadt appear, that Za charias ffid not begin the part he adted, with the vifion juft mentioned ; till Mary might have been found with child ; the very earlieft period which the nature ofthe cafe can poffibly admit? So far from it, that on the contrary, we find. He pre tended, at leaft, to have feen the vifion in queftion, and to ffiew the vifible effedts of it, no lefs than full fix months * be fore Mary afferted ffie had feen a fimilar vifion ; and confequently, as long before even the conception of Jefus. We may therefore confidently pro nounce it impoffible, for Zacharias's vi fion ?* That it was not poflible to falfify the time of Za charias's firft appearing dumb, and pretending to have fe,en the vifion juft mentioned ; or to forge the faft itfelf, if it had never happened ; fee proved more at large in p. 195,196, 197, &c. and the notes. 88 The Divine Miffions of fion to have been the opening of a plot, contrived by JoJ'eph and Mary, and entered into by Zacharias at their inftigation ; in order to refcue Mary irom reproach, on account of her being found with child, before her marriage with Jojeph was com pleted. Becaufe it was tranfadted fo many months before the fuppofed occafion for it had any exiftence, to bring her charadter into queftion ; and confequently, before any impofture whatever could, on that ac count, be carried into execution. At length then we may be permitted to affirm, that the fuppofition, that Jofeph and Mary were the real authors of the wkole deftgn, and the feducers of thofe concerned with them in carrying It on, appears on various accounts abfurd, and impoflible to be true. And this fuppofi tion being what we were unavoidably dri ven i:o, as the very laft '^ that could be made in fupport of any impofture at all ; we are now under a neceflity of laying afide all fufpicion of any deceit in the cafe ; as * See page 86. John Baptift and Jefus CJjrifi. 189 as contrary to the clear evidence of a great ^^^"^ J" variety of fadts, and deftitute of every, s,y>/->^ the leaft, rational foundation or fupport. And fince it has appeared plainly, from, the feveral circumftances, fttuations, and charadters, of All the parties concern ed in the ti'anfadtions under confideration ; that neither Any of them alone, nor All of them together, could contrive and enter upon fuch an impofture, as that in quef tion, if it was one, muft have been ; we are indlfpenfably bound to acknowledge, that the conceptions, and births, of John the Baptift and Jefus Chrift, were truly accompanied with all thofe miraculous events, which the evangelifts have re corded of them : and confequently, that ffiofe prophetic and divine charadters, which, agreeably to the angel's predic tions, they afterwards aflumed, were un queftionably their true charadters, and what had been of old ordained for them by the ftupendous providence of God. the THE DIVINE MISSIONS O F JOHN the Baptist and JESUS CHRIST. PART II. SECTION I. :H E circumftances and charadter Part II. of every perfon at all concerned in the births of Jokn the Baptift and Jefus Chrift, having, upon a clofe exa mination, afforded fo full a proof of their divine miffions and authority ; let us now proceed to confider, whether as ftrong an argument, in fupport of the fame conclufion, may not be drawn, from the 193 The Divine Miffons of Part II. the internal nature of thefe remarkable Sea. I . events themfelves ; and the feveral fubor- dinate tranfadtions, that were either pre vious to, or any way connedted with them. Upon an attentive confideration, perhaps the main fadts themfelves, as well as-the circumftances attending them, wUl be found of fo pecuUar a nature ; as to fur- nifli the moft convincing proofs we can defire, that they could not poffibly arife from, or even admit of any impofture. It is needlefs to repeat here the detail of every particular connedted with the main events in debate ; fince the evange- lift's own account of th? whole feries of thefe tranfadtions, has been quoted at large already *. We may 'therefore pro ceed at once to ffie examination oi fuch particulars only, as feem fully fufficient to place beyond doubt the truth and cer tainty of all the reft. And this they will enable us to do, by ffiewing, firft. That the plot fuppojed is, in its own nature, J'o very rldicuhus and abfurd, that it is ut terly » See page 19,-2,}., and p. 74, — 77. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 1 93 terh inconceivable am one could ever con- Part II. .^ • • A 1 . , Sea. I. trive or engage m it. And, in the next v,^'v«"vj place, that if we could fuppoje it capable of being undertaken ; the expedients by which it appears it muft have been carried on, are fuch as it is abfolutely incredible Could ever have been adopted. The only foundation neceffary to be laid, before we enter upon this argument, is fo obvious a principle, that we may fafely venture to fuppofe it will be very teadily allowed. And this is, that All ' IMPOSTORS must ever be SUPPOSED TO ACT UPON MOTIVES OF human cunning, AND TO GOVERN THEMSELVES BY VIEWS Ot HUMAN foresight AND PROBABILITY. AnD CONSEQUENTLY, WHENEVER A PLOT IN QUESTION WOULD, IF TAKEN FOR GRANTED, BE ABSOLUTELY DESTI TUTE OF THE ONE ; AND THE CON DUCT OF THE SUPPOSED IMPOSTOR BE FOUND DIRECTLY OPPOSITE TO THE OTHER ; THAT THEN RIGHT REASON AND COMMON SENSE OBLIGE O us 194 ^^ Divine Miffions of Part II. us TO ACKNOWLEDGE, THERE COULD Sea. I. BE No DECEIT IN THE CASE. By ffiis touchftone therefore let u& now tiy the impofture in debate. It is related, ffiat an angel appeared to Zacharias in ffie temple, and foretold to him the Conception, birth, and divine charadter of his fon. That to puniffi him for miftrufting the truth of thefe predidtions, as well as to convince him in the ftrongeft manner of their divine au thority; the angel at once ftruck him dumb ; affuring him at the fame time, that he ffiould continue thus deprived of his fpeech, till that fon, whofe birth he had ffien been forewarned of, ffiould be adtually born. That in a few days after this, when his miniftration at the temple was over *, Zacharias returned home ; and * The whole body of the Jewifh priefts, was divid ed into twenty four parts, called courjes ; each of which, in a fixed rotation, attended in the temple, to perform the whole worftiip there ; and the attendance of each courfe was a week at a time, and that twice in a year. Such was the miniftration of Zacharias here mentioned, at the expiration of which he returned home from Jeru- falem. — See Lewis's Heb. Antiq. b. ii. c. 7. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 195 and after thofe days his wife Elizabeth con- ^ ^\f ^^' ceived. That in fadt Zacharias did continue wOr*^ duntb, till, in the natural courfe of time, John was accordingly born ; and ffiortly after, agreeably to the angel's predidtion, his fpeech was as inftantaneoufly reftored to him, as it had been before taken away. This therefore now becomes the point in debate ; whether the fadts here related might not be fo many particulars of a fubtil impofture; or whether, that fup pofed impofture, of which only thefe particulars could be part, muft not have been of fo abfurd a nature, that it is im poffible to believe it could ever really exift ? And here, firft, it is obvious, that Za charias's pretending, at leaft, to have been fuddenly ftruck dumb, at the particular time mentioned, is a fadt which cannot have been forged ; becaufe, if true, great numbers muft have been witneffes of it, and could not be deceived about it. More efpecially as it Is affirmed to have happen ed, on fo remarkable an occafion, and in cir- , O 2 cum- 196 The Divine Miffions of Par t II. cumftances fo particular, that it muft un avoidably have engaged the attention of every one, who was prefent at the temple fervice, at the time. According /o //6^ cuftom of the prieft's office, his lot was to burn incenfe *, when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were pray ing without at the time of incenfe. And the people waited for Zacharias, and mar velled, that he tarried fo long in the temple. And when he came out he could not fpeak unto them : and they perceived that he had feen a vifton in the temple ; for he beckoned unto them, and remained fpeechlefs ']f. This was fo remarkable an event in all its circumftances, that it could not but aftoniffi every one prefent, and be imme diately noifed about through the whole city * " As the courfes of the priefts were (originally) de cided by lot; fo every particular prieft had his ofiice appointed him by the fame method. The lot determi ned, who ihould attend the altar of incenfe, who fhould feed the fire, who carry out the alhes, and all other parts cf the fervice." — Lewis, ibid. t Lukei. 9, 10,-21, zz. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 197 city of Jerufalem. A vifion from heaven. Part II. appearing to a prieft of venerable age, and v,^v^ exemplary charadter; while he was adtu ally performing duty in ffie temple itfelf; and depriving him oi fpeech, fo as to dij'- able him from going on with the moft pubUc, and remarkable part of his office; that of difmiffing the people wiffi their appointed folemn bleffing * ; was an in cident * This is a particular which deferves our efpeeial no tice ; as it muft have rendered Zacharias's apparent, fudden lofs of fpeech, fo extremely remarkable ; that not one perfon, who was then attending worftiip in the temple, could remain ignorant of it. The people, we find, 'waited for Zacharias, to come out from the holy place, where the incenfe was burnt, and blefs them ; for fo the priefts ufed to do after burning the incenfe. (See Light- foot's Temple Worftiip, ch. 9. Lewis, b. iv. 13.) And they marvelled that he tarried Jo long. And vihen he came out he could not fpeak unto them ; to give them their accuf- tomed blefling, before they departed. And they perceiv ed, that he had Jeen a vifion in the temple ; for he beckoned unto them, and remained fpeechlefs. Now this laft part of his office, which Zacharias on this occafion appeared un able to perform, and aaually did not perform ; was that, for which the Jews entertained a much greats venera tion than any other. * " The benediSlion was to be pronounced by the prieft, ftanding fo that he might be feen ; with his hands lifted up and fpread ; and fpeak ing with a loud voice, with his face towards the aftem- O 3 bly. jq8 The t)ivine Miffiohs of Par T II. cideht fo very uncommon, that thofe who ^^¦>f^ were pretfent would naturally make it known ; and render it impoffible for any one afterwards to pubUffi fuch an account, had the fadt never happened; or falfify the time on which it did. And bly. This was the form of the bleffing, as it Was efta- tliflied by God himfelf, (Numb. vi. 24, &c ) The Lord hlefs thee and keep thee ; the Lord make his face to fijine up on thee, and be gracious unto thee : the Lord Uft up his countenance upon 'hee, and give thee peace. When this benediaion was faid in the fanauary, if we may be lieve the Jews, it was but one, and pronounced without any paufe, the people keeping profound filence : but out of the fanftuary, in their iynagogues, they made three df it ; the pritft paufing at the end of every verfe, and the people faying, Ameh, to each ofthem." '- " The divine blefling was always fuppofed to depend iipon the bltfling ofthe pvieft; which they thought_/B neccjfaiy, that fuch priefts as were admitted to no other fervice might perform this, left the people fliould at any time want it. And it was a maxim, that the bleffing pronounced by a prieft, who had fome blemifti in his body, was ahvavs to be accounted lawful. There is nothing performed among the 'Jews with fo much fo- lemnity, and in which they place fo much fanaity, as in this folemn Benediilion.''''— Lewis, Heb. Antiq. 1. ii. 7. — After this account of the folemnity ot that part of his ofiice, wliich Zacharias did 'not perform ; fignifying, at the fame time, to the whole congrefgation, that he had feen a vifion and was dumb ; we cannot need any other argument to convince us, of the great notice, that jnuft have been taken of it, by every one who was pre fent, at the time it came to pafs. John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi, 199 And befides this confideration, relat- P*'^'*' H. ing to the people in general ; it muft Uke- ^?¦vnJ wife be remembered, that the whole number of the Jewiffi priefts, was di vided into feveral diffindt bodies ; each of which performed ffie worffiip at the temple, in their appointed weekly cour fes, and ad no other time. So ffiat as Za charias could not poffibly officiate there, from ffie moment he appeared dumb, till he had his fpeech to all appearance reftor ed ; ffie time when ht firft ceafed to fpeak muft have been fo well known to all the reft of his own courfe, who were upon duty at the temple, at the fame time; and who were always a very confiderable number ; that it muft have been impof fible for him ever after to falfify the pe riod of this remarkable event *. In * It cannot fail of illuftrating this argument very greatly, to confider how many priefts there might be in their week of duty at the temple, together with Za charias ; and who muft all have been well acquainted with what pafiTed at this time. — Each of the twenty. four courfes had their weekly turn of duty in the tem ple^ twice in the year ; and the diftina families of eadh O 4 courfe 200 The Divine Miffions of Part IT. Jn fine, were ffiere no other confi- oi'^Y">0 derations to affure us of ffiis important point, courfe had their- appointed days in the wee'ic. — " Now the priefts in every one of the twenty-four courfes were exceeding many. For Jofephus relateth, that they were thoufands in every courfe. And this we are fure of, from evident fcripture j that at the crowning of Joafh, when an infurrection by Athaliah was feared; the priefts oftwo courfes only were reputed as a fufficient guard for the King, and about the temple. — 2 Kings xi. 5, 6, 7. — And when Uzziah would have burned incenfe, there were eighty priefis ready to withold him, 2 Chron. xxvi. 17, — So that among fo great a multitude, there in but one being permitted to burn incenfe, it was ne- cefliary, that he Ihould be chofen from among them by lot ; and the lot at this time fell to Zacharias."— Light foot, vol. i. 406. — Thus we fee, that a very large number of the priefts of Zacharias's own courfe muft have been witneffes of his remarkable behaviour at this time. But thefe were a few in comparifon of the reft of the fpeaators. — " There were conftandy in the temple, at the hour of prayer, Firft, the priefts of that courfe, that then ferved. Secondly, the levites that ferved under the priefts. Thirdly, the men of the ftation, as. the rabbins call them ; that is, certain men, that were to reprefent the wholecongregation, in putting their hands upon the he^ds of the facrifices. Fourthly, thofe whom devotion moved to leave their other employments, and to be pre fent at the fervice of God. All thefe might amount to a great number indeed. But the evangelift in naming _ the lubole multitude of the people, leemethto have fome fur ther meaning; as if he would intimate, that this was not upon an ordinary day ofthe week, but opon they2i^- bath. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 201 point, the v&xy fervice which Zacharias at ?* r t II, Jhis[.time performed, wpuld alone be fuf- ^or^ ficie^nt to preclude the leaft doubt about it. For on this day, his lot was to burn incenfe : and ffiis was a particular fervice, which no prieft had ffie honour to perform more than once,, in his whole life *. It was ef teemed bath-day, when the congregation was full ; not only of ¦the priefts of the feventh courfe, that went that day out of their fervice ; but alfo of all the multitude of the city; which were tied that day in a more fpecial manner, to ¦the public worftiip." Idem.i. 407. — See thefe things more at large in Lightfoot's Temple Worftiip, ch. vi. 7. Lewis, b. iv. ch. 13. * " Novi femper accedebant facerdotes, ut fortian- tur ad fuflaendum. Et nuUus bis fuffitum adolebat." " Whenever the lot was drawn, to determine the prieft, who ftiould burn the incenfe ; it was drawn by thofe only, who had not burnt incenfe before. The fame perfon never bumt incenfe tvjice" — Sigon. Rep. Heb. 1. iv. 13. Not. Ed. Nicolai. " Sacrificium juge vefpertinum iifdem ritibus quibus matutinum peragebatur, exceptis fortibus, quae denao non ducebantur, et benediBione ; fed eadem funaio iif dem mane et vefperi obtingebat, fi fuffitum excipias ; ad quem novo fortium duBu opus erat ?" " The evening facrifice was of courfe performed with the fame forms as the morning ; except the ceremony of dravoing lots^ and the bleffing t every one difcharged the fame oflice in the evening, that had fallen to him in the morning ; except the offering of incenfe ; fr vjhich it vjas aliuays ne ceffary 2oa The Divine Miffions of P A R T II. teemed the moft honourable of all ffie of- ^rv-s- fic^s, which ffie ordinary priefts had to perform ; and as their numbers were fo great, none were fuffered to draw- lots for it, who had ever performed it before. As ffiis eeffary that fome other perfon ftiould be chofeii?^ '-^— Relahd, Antiq. Heb. p. ii. c. 5. 5. Lightfoot indeed makes mention of an exception, when -the /awic perfon might burn incenfe /"zwi-f.- biit this, it will immediately be feen, cannot in the leaft in validate the argument we have drawn from the rule it felf. — " In the evening they (the priefts) caft not lots for their feveral emplpyfiients ; bnt thofe that' the lot had affigned them in the morning, they retairied in the afterncor : only about the matter of burning the incenfe they ctft hts anew, amongft thofe of the houfe qf the fa ther, ihat ferved that day, that had .NEVER burnt incenfe in th.ir lives. But if all of them had, at one time or other, been upon that employment; tlien he that had it by lot, at the morning fervice, did alfo perform it in the evening." (Ten, pie Worftiip, c. 9. near the end.) Befides that this was a cafe, which, from what we have feen of the prieftly families, could fcarce ever happen ; it is plain, that it could not happen at this time ; becaufe if Zacharias appeared dumb in the morning, he could not poffibly officiate again in the evening : and even if he could have done it, itis obvious, that the conclufion which this particular has been brought to eftabliffi, muft remain as valid as before. It may not be improper to add here one remarkable particular, that a prieft, who had been guilty of any great crime ; was never after permitted to perform this office. See Reland, as above. John Baptifi and Jefius CJjrift. 303 this therefore was fo yery particular an oc-^ Part ii. cafion ; one even that had never happened .xv^*.* to Zacharias before, and never could 'again ; and as his apparent lofs of fpeech rendered it impoflible for him to officiate again in the tfemple, till a twelvemonth after this happened; 2l.vi:6.. three months after the birth of John ; there was not even a poffibility left him, to falfify the time of his appearing, at. leaft, to hav6 been ftruck durrib, in the temple, on ffie occafion related. Whether then, for the prefent, we fuppofe this account of the angel's ap pearance and difcourfe to have been found ed in truth, or a meer fidtion ; and con fequently Zacharias's lofs of fpeech real, or pretended ; this we are bound to be lieve as an unqueftionable _/^£? ; that Za charias became in appearance dumb, on Hae occafion, and at the //w? related. And that was, as the evangelift has exprefsly informed us, fome littie time before the conception of John. For it came * to pafs, that ' * Luke i. 22, 204 The Divine Miffions of Part II. that as foon as the days of his, Zacharias's, miniftration were accomplified; during which he became dumb ; he departed to his own houfe ; and after thofe days his wife Elizabeth conceived. Supposing it poffible then for Zacha rias to have invented this refined expedi ent, and determined to make ufe of it, the more effedtually to conceal his projec ted impofture ;. was it poffible for him to have put it in pradtice at this time ? Or, on the contrary, will not the very time only of his apparent lofs of fpeech unan- fwerably prove, that it could not be the effedt of any fuch concerted defign ? We are exprefsly informed *, that Elizabeth had till this time continued abfolutely ban-en; and both She and Za charias, were now fo far advanced in years, that all thoughts of their having children muft . have been at an end. This being the cafe, though we ffiould fuppofe them to have planned the whole contrivance, in queftion, years before ; and to have beenfully t Luke i, 7,— 1 8. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 205 Iftilly refolved to execute it, whenever an Pa r t n. opportunity ffiould offer ; ftill it will be confeffedly impoffible for Zacharias to have begun executing this part of ffie plot, at the fooneft, till he knew with certainty, that Elizabeth was aSlually with child. Nothing can be more ridiculous in itfelf, or more inconfiftent with fo mafterly a ftroke of impofture, as this would have been ; than to imagine he ffiould begin executing a plot, the very exiftence of which neceffarily depended upon Eliza beth's being aSlually with child; at a time, when he had every reafon, the na ture of the cafe would admit of, to con clude, that She never would have chil dren. To believe him all on the fudden forging a divine revelation, and feigning himfelf dumb ; with an exprefs predic tion, that he ffiould continue fpeechlefs, till his wife ffiould bring forth a fon ; and all this with no other vievv, than to fet up ibis future fon for the Meffiah's Fore runner ; notwithftanding Elizabeth had hitherto continued barren, and he himfelf muft 3q6 The Divine Miffions of Pa R T II. muft have believed, at ffie very time, that ffie would always continue fo ; is fich a fuppofition, as the more we confider it, the more abfurd and ridiculous it muft ap-» pear. Yet impoffible as this evidently is, we rnuft beUeve every particular of it to have been true, before we are at liberty even to fuppofe, that Zacharias's interview with the Angel might be a fidtion, and his a.pparent lofs of fpeech a deceit. For it has juft been obferved, that this remark able tranfadtion came to pafs even fome time before Zacharias could have the leaft expedtation of a child. From the very nature of the thing itfelf, therefore, it appears abfolutely im poffible for Zacharias to have forged the angel's appearance, and have feigned him felf dumb ; at that time when, it is cer tain, he apparently became fo ; in order to' facilitate any preconceived impofture re lating to his fon. It is likewife apparent, that the whole of this tranfadtion related 'entirely to the future birth and charadter of his fon ; and confequently could not John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 2.0 f be forged on any other account. From Part il whence it inevitably follows, that Zacha rias muft really h'a.v^ converfed with an Angel, and have been adtually deprived of his fpeech, in the manner related by the evangeUft ; becaufe the time when it hap pened proves fufficiently, ffiat ffiere could be no deceit in ffie cafe. But notwithftanding, for the prefent let us imagine him already apprifed of Eli zabeth's unexpedted, though doubtful, fituation ; and determined at all events to profecute this long premeditated impof ture. Still it will be utterly incredible, that he ffiould venture to rifk any fteps of a public nature, and efpecially one fo re markable as this before us, at the very earlieft period, till the birth of tke child was fafely over. Elizabeth was already at an age, when ffie could no longer be expedted to become the mother of children. And Zacharias, if he was the cunning impof tor fuppofed, muft have governed him felf wiffi regard to the uncertain event of hej- 2o8 The Divine Miffions of Part II. her uncxpcdted fituation, by the common \yyr^ rules of probability in cafes of ffie fame kind. The point he had to confider was nothing more than a plain matter of fadt, of daily obfervation ; and Zacharias had all the experience of an advanced age to diredt his judgment about it. Can it then be conceived, that he could immediately enter upon the execution of his propofed impofture ; as if it was an abfolutely cer tain point, that the hero of this intended plot, muft ffiortly after be brought alive into the world ; merely becaufe Elizabeth was now, in her old age, and contrary to all expeStation, with child ? It is notorious he muft have known this to be, at beft, but an uncertain event, even when all favourable circumftances concurred; and in the prefent cafe, on account of Elizabeth's advanced age, more particularly doubtful than in common. So that, had he been already affured of the firfi necefi'ary point, with regard to Elizabeth's ftate and fituation; which how ever we have feen he was not ; it was impoffible John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 209 impoffible for him to be guilty of fuch ex- Part II. treme madnefs and folly, as to proceed at once to the forgery of a divine revelation j and to puniffi himfelf with this pretended lofs of fpeech, for a long, and fixed period of time ; purely to introduce an impof ture, relating folely to a child, who was not only yet unborn; but whofe birth, on fome peculiar accounts, was an event of more than ordinary hazard and uncer tainty. Further, what muft we think of this extravagant fuppofition, when we re- colledt, that the divine charadler, which, according to the angel's predidtion, the future child of Elizabeth was to appear in, neceffarily determined of which fex it muft be .? Certain it is, the Forerunner oi the Meffiah was always exprefsly prophecied of as a man. Behold I will fend you Eli jah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord ; and HE ffall turn ' the heart of tke fathers to the children, and the heart of the children P to 210 The Divine Miffions of Part n. /o the fathers; lefi I come and fmite the earth with a curfe *. And agreeably to this, the Angel affures Zacharias, in that revelation, which if it was forged, he him felf muft have planned ; '¦'¦thy wife EU zabeth fiall bear thee (not a child, but) a SON; and thou fiialt call his name Johni' Suppose then, that at the time of this vifion, when Zacharias became ap parently dumb; Elizabeth's pregnancy had been clearly afcertained : and that Zacharias was determined to begin his part in the plot, notwiffiftanding the great uncertainty of the birth of ffie child, upon which ffie whole muft depend. After all, ffie exiftence of the plot fuppofed will remain ftill as incredible as before. Becaufe no one can be conceived fo ab furd, as to forge a predidtion under the pretence of its being divine ; which ab folutely pronounced, ffiat a particular child yet unborn, and even but very lately conceived, ffiould infallibly prove a fon^ Above all, he who was cunning enough to * Mal. ch. iv. 5, 6. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 211 to introduce an impofture, with fo refined Par t IL ^ . Sea. I. an artifice as the pretended miraculous lofs ^y^r^ of fpeech ; can never be believed to have adopted fo apparently fooUffi a defign. A defign, which unavoidably required the certain foreknowledge of an event, that it was abfolutely impoffible for him to fore know ; and the contrary of which it was equally probable might take place. Should we, contrary to all reafon, fuppofe that Zacharias might be capable of fo wicked an attempt ; it can never be imagined he could contrive one fo exceed ingly fimple ; which nothing lefs than a ineer ideot, or an abfolute madman, could undertake or conceive. It muft not be forgot, ffiat the very fuppofition of any deceit in this cafe, neceffarily impUes, as has been already ffiewn, that Zacharias muft have been one of the moft fubtil impoftors ffie world ever produced. TUl J'uch a. one therefore can ,be fuppofed to contrive a deceit of the moft dangerous nature, in the diredt way, to betray 'it ; Zacharias can never be believed to have P 2 foretold, 212 'The Divine Miffons of p AR T II. foretold, under the mafk of divine reve- w'^^-Nj lation, that his child, yet unborn, would certainly prove a Son. But thefe are not all the abfurdities, which the nature of Zacharias's fuppofed impofture muft unavoidably have been at tended with. Could we even grant this moft ridiculous conceffion, that Zacha rias might unaccountably refolve upon this pretended predidtion ; ffiough he knew, at ffie fame time, that the accom- pUffiment of the event foretold, was in the higheft degree uncertain : ftill it will be found impoffible to believe, he could be fo extremely fooliffi, as to pretend to prophecy publicly, as he did *, but a very few days after John's birth; that his then infant fon was to be the Forerunner of the long expedted Meffiah. To be thoroughly fatisfied of this, we need only recolledt, what the nature of ffiis charaSler was ; and how long it muft be before John could enter upon it. As a very remarkable prophet, who was to preach * Luke i. 67, to the end. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. % 1 3 preach the baptifm of repentance, to re- ^^V" ^^' claim the people from ffieir fins, and make ^?-v^-' known the acceptable year of the Lord ; Zacharias well knew it would be impof fible for his fon, to enter upon his talk, till he was between twenty and thirty years of age *. So that the publiffiing, at the time he did, a pretended divine revela tion, foretelling that his fon was to be the Meffiah's Forerunner ; was, in fadt, no lefs ffian affirming it to have been re vealed to him from above, that an infant, who was then only eight days old, would infallibly live, at leaft, till he was above twenty years of age. But among all the deceivers, that the world has ever produced ; where ffiall we find one fo extravagantly fooliffi, fo bent upon procuring his own deftrudtion, as voluntarily to have ftaked the fuccefs of all his defigns ; and with his credit, even his life itfelf; upon his being able to afcertain the life of a mere infant, for the long term of twenty years'^ To forge P 3 a re- * See p. 102 — 104, 214 ^^ Divine Miffions of Part II. a rCvelatiou, foretelling the certain con- v,^V^ tinuance of the life of any perfon what ever, for no lefs than full twenty years to come; did even eveiy poffible circum ftance of age, health, and fituation, con fpire to render the continuance of it, for fuch a period, as probable as human ri^- ture could permit ; would be too glaring an abfurdlty for any one in hisjenfes to be capable of committing. Whereas in the prefent cafe, fo far was Zackarias from having even any fuch probabilities, to ground this fuppofed for gery upon ; that, on the contrary, he could not but know, that the continuance of Jokn's life, at the time when he uttered this predidtion, was not only a matter of the utmoft uncertainty, from the general nature of the thing; but likewife, on a peculiar account, more than ufually im probable. Zacharias could not have lived to old age, without being well apprifed, how very large a proportion of thofe who are born into the world, die even in in fancy itfelf; how many more never pafs the ' John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 2 1 5 ffie bounds of childhood ; and what great Part h. 1 ^1 . , o. ^ Sea. I. numbers of ffie reniainder ftill fall off, ^?-v"*-* about the firft years of maturity : and in ffiort, that A-om infancy till towards the age qf thirty years ; that very interval which he muft have undertaken to pro- jiounce for ; is, of all offiers, except old age, the moft uncertain and dangerous period of human life. This he could not but know was undoubtedly the cafe with mankind in general ; and he had befides a peculiar reafon to believe it would prove fo, with his own fon, in particular. If there was nothing miraculous in the cafe, John was the unexpedted, and al moft unnatural child of his old age; brought into life when Both his parents had already outUved the ftrength of their conftitutions, and began to feel fenfible approaches of decay. From whence it was more particularly probable, in the na tural courfe of things, that he might very foon give manifeft tokens of a weak con- ftitution, and ffiortly after decline. And can any thing be more exceedingly ridi- P 4 culous. 2i6 The Divine Miffions of Par T II. culous, than it would be to imagine ; that Sea. I. /I ij 1 v^->rsj a crafty veteran deceiver, ffiould plan out a laboured feheme of impofture, abfolutely requiring him to pretend to prophecy, ^2.tfuch a particular infant, but a few days old, Ihould certainly live to above twenty years of age f If this is not abfolutely in credible, it will be no eafy talk to affign any thing that can be fo. Yet. muft the poflibiUty of all this be entirely acquiefced in, before we are even at liberty but to fup pofe, that Zacharias could be a deceiver, and his lofs of fpeech a pretence. But befides the great uncertainty, and even improbability of John's living to the age, which Zacharias's prediSlion requir ed; there was another difficulty in the plot, impoffible to be removed; and which alone would have been fufficient to deter any man, in his fenfes, from adopt ing fuch a defign. It is notorious, that the tempers, abi lities, and difpofitions, of different men, are fo various and oppofite ; that nothing lefs than a knowledge far fuperior to all human John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi. 2 1 7 human forefight, could poffibly form even Part II. ° ^ ¦' Sea. I. the remoteft guefs, of what would prove ^y^r^ the future charaSler of an infant, only eight days old; when he ffiould be ad vanced to the full age of a man. And he muft have arrived at a degree of folly, not eafily to be conceived poffible ; who ffiould dare to foretell this, when con- fcious of his utter ignorance about it j and by pretending to fpeak from divine auffiority, purpofely contrive to lay open his own deceits to almoft certain detedtion. Yet if Zacharias was the counterfeit fup pofed, fuch muft have been the ftrange con dudt he purfued. On ffie day of John's circumcifion, no fooner ffid Zacharias's fpeech appear to be reftored, than he peremptorily pronounced this prophetical declaration. And thou, child, fioalt be called the prophet of the Higheft : for thou fijalt go before the face qf tke Lord, to prepare his ways ; to give knowledge of falvation to his people by the remifiion of their fins* . Nay the Angel, even when f Luke i. 76, 77. 21 8 The Divine Miffions of Part II. 'when he foretold John's conception and s^^>^ birth, is reprefented as defcribing his fu ture charadter and employment, with ftill greater exadtnefs. He fijall be great in the fight oj the Lord, and fiiall drink neither wine nor firong drink ; and he fiall be fil led with the Holy Ghoft, even from his mo ther's womb. And many of the children of Ifrael fiall he turn to the Lord their God. And hefiaallgo before him in the fpi rit and power of Elias ; to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the dif obedient to tke wifdom of the juft ; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Thus did Zacharias very minutely de- fcribe a moft fingular charadter ; and pro nounce, as by divine authority, that it was the very charadter, which iiis fon would afterwards appear in ; not only when it was yet but a few days fince his birth, but even ffiortly after of his conception. He foretold, that even from his child hood, he would be remarkable for his fin gular good underftanding, great abftemi oufnefs, and irreproachable condudt ; that he John Baptiji and Jefus Chrifi. 219 he would preach to the whole people the Par t il neceffity of repentance and reformation, with all the boldnefs and. freedom of the old prophets ; and that by the force of his own virtuous example, together with the goodnefs and energy of his dodtrine, he would bring great numbers to a true fenfe of religion and their duty. This, it muft be confeffed, was no common charadter; but one which re quired the joint poffeffion of many rare endowments to fulfill. To fupport it, he muft be poffeffed of great quicknefs of underftanding ; and a judgment improved by an extenfive knowledge of mankind. He muft have wifdom to extricate himfelf from the embarraffments, and fortitude to encounter all the dangers, to which fuch an attempt would unavoidably expofe him. In ffiort he muft be expert in inculcating ffie neceffity of a good life upon others ; and fo able a hypocrite, as to appear in all ¦ refpedtsto pradtice it himfelf; and yet, at the fame time, fo thoroughly wicked at heart, as to undergo all this drudgery, in order 2 20 The Divine Miffions of Part II. order to deceive the world by a moft profligate, and mifchievous impofture. But how can we beUeve it poffible for Zacharias to have deliberately contrived fuch a plot, as laid him under the necef fity of foretelUng, that a particular infant but juft born into the world ; nay, one not yet born; would certainly become a man of fuch uncommon abilities, and fo depraved a difpofition as ffiis ? Could he take pleafure in rifking his cre dit, and even his life, on ffie accompliffi ment of fuch events, as were not only impoffible to be foreknown, but in the higheft - degree improbable to happen ? Yet this muft have been Zacharias's de liberate and fettled choice ; if in the cafe under confideration he was guUty of any deceit at all. For ffiould John have turn ed out, as it was moft probable he would, aperfonof only common abilities; it would have been far beyond his power, to fup port that charadter, which his father had prophecied he would maintain. And un lefs he ffiould be brought likewife to a very uncom- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 221 lincommon pitch of the moft daring Part if. wickednefs ; it was very plain he could w'-v-nJ never be induced to undertake it. And here a ftill further difficulty ftarts up before us. How was it poffible for Zacharias to depend upon the certainty of fo evidently precarious an event, as his fon's becoming wicked enough to engage in the profecution of fo impious a defign ; even ffiould he prove able to carry it on ? We muft indeed allow, that if he A'S.- fignedyoiw to carry on this impofture, he muft certainly have propofed likewife to educate him in fuch vicious principles, as would fit him for the undertaking. This the nature of the thing itfelf requires. But then, this neceffary fuppofition, will be fo far from removing the difficulty juft mentioned ; that it renders it infurmount able ; and the whole defign, if poffible, even more incredible than before. Can it be believed, that when Za charias was already within ffie confines of old age, he could deliberately enter upon fuch a plot, as plainly required, that he himfelf 222 The Divine Miffions of Pa R T II. himfelf ffiould Uve at leaft twenty years longer, in the vigorous enjoyment of all his prefent abilities and cunning ? Yet this he muft have done, if he fet on foot the plot fuppofed. For it neceffarily re quired, that He ffiould live to educate his infant fon, in fuch principles of vice and irreligion, as would prepare him for un dertaking the plot he himfelf had begun ; and to inftill into him, fo much artifice and hypocrify, as would enable him to carry it on ; and laftly, to convince him of fuch advantages to be drawn from it, as would make him enamoured of the defign. In the natural courfe of things ; Za charias's only rule of judging in this whole matter ; it was a point of the greateft un certainty, whether he himfelf might live to fee John arrive at half the age of man hood. And ffiould he furvive that, and even a much later period ; he had no thing to expedt, but that his prefent adti- vity would long have left him, and his former cunning and abilities have been fo far John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 223 far deftroyed ; as utterly to difable him P a r t IL from training up this intended impoftor. w'-'v^ And ffiould this prove the cafe; as Zacha rias muft have expedted it would ; what muft at lengffi have enfued, from all his deep laid defigns, and the predidtions he had fo fooUffily publiffied, at the time of John's conception and birth .'' John could never have undertaken to perfonate that charadter, whkh Zacharias had foretold, as by divine authority, that he would in falUbly appear in ; and Zacharias s long concealed iniquity muft at laft have been detedted ; and puniffied wiffi, at leaft, its due infamy and reproach. John might indeed have become aban doned enough for any undertaking, by be ing fiiffered to grow up in the unreftrain- ed indulgence of all his appetites, and the total negledt of all rational inftrudtion. And in this manner he might have arrived at manhood, while Zacharias experienced the ufual infirmities of extreme old age, and was in all refpedts unable to corrupt him. But then this would have been quite 2 24 -^^ Divine Mifftons of Part II. quite infufficient for the execution of Ztf- Sea. I. charias's defign ; nay, it would neceffarily have prevented John from ever attempt ing to purfue it. Insufficient it muft have been; becaufe a moft extraordinary charadter was already particularly marked out for him to fupport ; and in which ffierefore it was abfolutely neceffaiy, that he ffiould be completely inftrudted ; and befides prevailed wiffi to affume it. That it muft have difabled him from ever adting his in tended part, is equally plain ; becaufe the fupport of it required the exertion of all thofe abilities, which a total negledt of his education, and his unreftrained indulgence in every vicious inclination, muft inevit ably have deftroyed. And what motives could prevail with One, who from his very infancy had grown up wiffiout all re- ftraint ; to affume, and perfift in a charac ter of moft extraordinary abftemioufnefs, feverity, and virtue .? Unless therefore we can believe, that, at ffie time of John's birth, Zacharias was ignorant John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 225 ignorant, even ofthe common period of Part il human life, and ffie ufual decays atten- s^^^^r^ dant upon great age ; and firmly perfuaded of the continuance of his own life ; nor of that only, but of all his adtive faculties, to a moft uncommon and improbable length of years : unlefs we can beUeve all this, it muft be clearly incredible, that he ffiould, about the time of John's concep tion, or birth, forge fuch a revelation con cerning the future charadter of his fon ; as made it neceffary for him himfelf to live to train him up in vice and hypocrify, for full twenty years to come. But, in addition to all the particulars already mentioned, how muft the impof fibility of this whole contrivance increafe upon us, when it is confidered ; that, in reality, Zacharias himfelf could not be lieve, that Jokn would ever have an op portunity to profecute his fuppofed defign ; even if he himfelf ffiould live long enough to train him up completely for it ; and moreover, muft have apprehended, that the worft puniffiment would overtake Q_ him 226 The Divine Miffions of Par T II. him himfelf, fliould he live fo long. Yet this is nothing more than a true ftate of the cafe. About the time of the \i\xt}cvoijohn, the whole Jewiffi nation was firmly per fuaded, that the true Mefiiah himfelf, and much more his Forerunner, would very fpecdily appear. This is fully evi dent irom the gofpel-hiftory In general ; but more efpecially from the remarkable condudt of Herod, in confequence of the appearance of the wife men at Jerufalem ; and the cruel maffacre of the children, which he thought it neceflary to proceed to, immediately after their departure. A cruelty, which he could never have re folved on, had he not known, that the expedtations of the people were fo univer fal and eager, as to think they endanger ed the fafety of his throne. At fuch a time as this, when the ar rival of the true Mefiiah himfelf, was looked on as an event, that might every day come to pafs, and could not be far cff; how could Zacharias imagine John would John Baptifi and Jefius Chrift. 227 would have any opportunity to counterfeit Part il. the charadter of his Forerunner ; when it ..y^r^ was plain that Jokn could not r.ppear upon the ftage, till full twenty years afterwards ? Zacharias could expect nothing elfe, than that the true harbinger of the Meffiah would have appeared In the mean time, and have proved his divine commiffion ; long before John would have been old enough to fet himfelf up in his ftead. And then Zackarias had good reafon to think, that if he himfelf ffiould be ftill aUve ; which, as this might happen very foon, might very probably be the cafe; his own forgeries of divine revelations, and the pretended lofs and recovery of his fpeech, would immediately be called to mind ; and that he ffiould meet with that infamy and puniffiment, vffiich crimes of this particular nature, and among the Jews above all others, could not but incur. So that whether he himfelf lived or died ; and whatever vicioufnefs and cunning he might be able to inftill into his fon ; He could not but think it extremely Impro- Q_2 babkj 22 B The Divine Miffions of Part II. bable, "Ccriitjohn ffiould ever have an op portunity to carry on the fuppofed impof ture ; and confequently, it is utterly in credible, that he could proceed to fuch dangerous and ffiocking forgeries, merely to lay a foundation for it, if he ffiould. When we lay together thefe moft re- ^markable particulars, all neceffarily in cluded in the very nature oi the fuppofed impofture itfelf; its abfurdities muft ap pear at onct fo many, and fo manifeft, as to ffiew it plainly impoffible for any one but a downright ideot, or an abfo lute madman, to have engaged in it ; at the fame time that it is equally impof fible even for thefe to have contrived it. And to fuppofe ftill, ihztfuch a plot could be the deliberate defign of an old, fub til, and fuccelsiul impoftor ; fuch as Zackarias, if any at all, muft have been ; would be judging in diredt oppofition to the plain eft didtates of common fenfe ; and in reality believing what is humanly fpeaking impoffible. And John^Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 229 And here, to conclude ffiis part of Part il rr Sea. 1. the argument, it is neceffary to obferve ; wo/^o ffiat every conclufion we have now drawn from the nature of the plot in debate, to prove the utter impoffibility of its exif tence, as far as relates to John ; is equally applicable to all the circumftances of the birth of Jefus likewife; which, we have feen long ago, muft have been the counterpart of the fame defign. His future birth was openly predidted, by his parents them felves, foon after his conception ; his life was pofttively affured for the fame term of years; his whole employment and public ckaraSler, were defined even more ex adtly than that of Jokn; though they were of fuch a nature, - that no kuman accompUffiments whatever could poflibiy fulfill them ; and Jofeph and Mary them felves muft have thought, at the very time, that in all probability Jefus would never have an opportunity to affume them. Though therefore the whole impof ture, as It relates to JeJ'us as well as John, is rendered utterly incredible, by confider- 0^3 '^^^ 230 The Divine Miffions of Part il ing its numerous abfurdltles, as far as they i,/-Y>j concern Jokn only ; the impoffibiUty ofthe plot becomes, as it were, doubly evident, when we add the confideration of the feveral circumftances ofthe birth oi Jefus, to that oijohn ; and furvey the whole connedted tranfadtion in one view. SEC- John Baptifi aiid Jefus Chrifi. SECTION II. THUS far we have been proving P a r t il. the impoffibility of the impofture f^->lf^ under confideration, merely by examin ing its own internal nature and conftitu- tion. But the point in debate will ftill admit of no fmall additional lUuftration, from confidering fome particulars that oc cur, in feveral diftindt fteps of thefe com plicated tranfadtions. For if the whole was an impofture, all the parts muft have been fo many diftindt fteps, deliberately agreed on by thofe who devifed, and car ried it on. Whereas feveral of thefe, when clofely attended to, will be found fuch as the contrivers of the whole defign could not be capable of adopting *. Ne- * To prevent an o'ojeaion, which might otherwife arife, it is here proper to apprife the reader, that in the remainder of this part, as well as in the laft, the argu ments are frequently drawn from various particulars re lated by the evangelifts ; without giving immediate proofs, that the particulars themfelves muft certainly have come to pafs, as they are related. This may (i_4 poffibly 232 The Divine Miffions of PartIL Neglecting then for the prefent, vx-v^ what has been fo fully proved to the con trary, from the internal nature of the whole defign; let us fuppofe it not im poffible for Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, and Jofeph, to have forged fome fuch revelations as they adtually pretended to have had made to them ; and at the very time too, when they declared them to have happened. Are there not ftill Ibme important particulars occurring in the pro grefs of the plot, which they could not have agreed on, had the whole been an impofture of their joint contriving ? In the account of Zacharias's vifion, befides the predidtion of the future con ception, birth, and divine charadler of Jokn ; we are told of a very fignal pu niffiment poffibly appear, at firft, like relying upon the authority of the EvangeUfts for their truth. But v^hen we re- collea, that it has been already proved, both from the circumftances of every perfon concerned, and from the internal nature of the thing, that there could not be any impofture in the cafe ; for the fake of which only, any of thofe particulars, which may hereafter be made ufe of, could be forged ; this feeming objeaion falls imme diately to the ground. John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi. 233 niffiment inflidted upon Zacharias, by the Pa r t II. Angel, for prefuming to doubt the accom- ^ • ^" plifliment ofhis predidtions. That he was inftantaneoufly ftruck dumb, for a fixed period of about nine months ; at the expi ration of which time he was as inftanta neoufly reftored to fpeech. Here it is obvious, ffiat if the Angel's appearance was nothing more than a fic tion, Zacharias's lofs of fpeech and fudden recovery of it, could be no better than a downright deceit. And this he muft have put in pradtice merely to gain credit to the pretended vifion itfeff, by the appearance of an adtual miracle in its fupport *. A mafterpiece of cunning it muft be confef fed ; and fuch as muft prove its author to have been very clofely attentive to every circumftance of what he was about. But, at the fame time, fo dangerous and defpe rate an expedient ; that however defirous he might be to contrive fome artifice or other * We mufl not forget, that the truth of the external fail, I. e. Zacharias's having publickly appeared dumb, in the manner Luke has related, has been fully proved al ready, p. 195,-204. 234 ^^ Divine Mifiions of i:ett 2. Part TI. other for this end, it is impoflible to be lieve he could venture upon This. For what muft this have been, but devoting himfelf to an abfolute and unin^ terrupted Silence, while he was in full en joyment of the powers of fpeech, for a continued feries of no lefs than nine months'? A reftraint, than which, it is plain, none could be more painful in it felf; none more inconvenient to the pro fecution of his defigns; none more likely to be the means oi betraying them. The mere painfulnefs of fuch a re ftraint, for fo long a continuance, was alone fufficient to have deterred any one from voluntarily laying himfelf under an obligation, of fo very irkfome a na ture. And had it not been fb, fuch a refo lution would have interfered fo diredtly, with the profecution of the plot ; that on this account alone he could never have adopted it. He was now only laying the foundation of a long and intricate impof ture ; in which Jofeph and Mary were in timately concerned wich him, and had their John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 235 their part likewife foon afterwards to adt. Part II. Sea. t. Nothing could be more defireable, and even neceffary, in fo dangerous and diffi cult an undertaking, than fecuring each other's courage and fidelity; by confer ring together, as often as might be, upon the plot they had agreed on, and the dan gers they were to guard againft. Whereas the. ft range expedient before us muft eiffier have effedtually prohibited all intercourfe of this kind between them ; or continu ally have e.'X'^oie.di Zacharias, and with him the whole confederacy, to imminent dan ger of detedtion. Above all, can it be thought credible, ¦ ffiat Zacharias could be fo confident of his own perpetual watchfulnefs and care ; as to believe, that a bare refolution to ap pear fpeechlefs, would enable him to con tinue abfolutely dumb, for fo confiderable a length of time ? That upon no occafion whatever, during fo long an interval, he ffiould be fo far off his guard, as to utter ^ftngle inadvertent word, and betray the cheat ? Or is it credible, that Zacharias, in 2 3^ The Divine Miffions of Far t IL in particular, with all his long experience and peculiar caution, ffiould choofe to rifle the detedtion of his iniquity upon fuch a manifeft hazard as this ? Scarce any fup pofition can be more ridiculous and incre dible. Could he not have hit upon fome other expedient to anfwer the fame end ; certainly he would much rather have left his interview with the angel, to be received upon his own long eftabliffied credit, and authority only ; than have attempted fup porting it h^ fuch a contrivance, as he hirh- felf muft have thought, at the very tirhe, was almoft fure to betray it *. But * The argument is here purpofely confined to the fuppofition, that Zacharias was only, to all appearance, dumb ; becaufe our tranflation is confined to this fenfe only. But fome ofthe beft commentators are ftrongly of opinion, that he appeared not only dumb, but deaf likewife. (See Hamm. on Luke i. 62. Lightfoot on Luke i. 22. See alfo Lamy on Luke i. 22.) And fliould this interpretation be allowed ; the abfurdities al ready mentioned on the ftrft fuppofition, will become at once fo exceedingly magnified ; that one cannot fcruple to pronounce, without the leaft hefitation, that it was impoffible for any deceiver to have run the hazard of fuch an expedient as This. John Baptifi and Jefus CJjrifi. 237 But the evidence to be drawn from Part il Sea. z. tills particular, will be found of ftill x^-yv^ greater weight ; by confidering, that veiy remarkable difference we find, between the confequence of the Angel's interview with Zacharias, and his appearance to Mary. Zacharias, it is faid *, was terri fied at ffiis interview, and expreffed great doubtffilnefs of the truth of his meffage ; and as a puniffiment for his unbelief was immediately ftruck dumb, in the manner juft now related. Mary likewife is repre fented as having been exceedingly afto- niffied at the angel's appearance, and wonderful declarations to her ; and plainly fignifying her opinion, that it was impof- - fible they ffiould come to pafs ; but at length, as acquiefcing in the expedtation of feeing them fulfilled ; and as having efcaped all kind of puniffiment, for firft doubting of their truth. Now if thefe appearances of the Angel, and of courfe all the circumftances re lated, * Luke i. 1 2 — — 20. 238 The Divine Miffions of P A R T n. lated, were mere fidtions of Zacharias ^.r^-^ and his Affociates; contrived for a founda tion to their fuhfequent impofture; it feems incredible, that Zacharias ffiould have been reprefented as ftruck dumb in this manner ; and yet Mary, at the fame time, as having efcaped all viftble rebuke. It fhould feem, had there been any deceit in the cafe, either that Both of them would have appeared in fome manner vifibly pu niffied ; or if One of them only, that it then muft have been Mary inftead of Za charias. From what has been obferved already, it is certain, that If we grant it poftible for Zacharias to have laid himfelf under this ftrange and painful neceffity, of appear ing totally deprived of fpeech, for io long a time ; it could be on no other account, than becaufe he thought it abfolutely ne ceffary to add the fandtion of an apparent miracle, to the relation of fo uncommon an event, filled wiffi fuch extraordinary predidtions. It muft be owned, that Za charias could not have hazarded this ex- traordi- Jolm Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 239 traordinary expedient; v/hich expofed him Part IL to fo much danger of hctriylng the whole ; .?¦v^«> unlefs he thought It abfolutely nee fiery, in order to procure credit to his own reia- latlon. But if Zachar'as himfelf, with all the advantages of his facred profeflion, his advanced age, and long eftabliffied repu tation, thought his own teftimony infuf ficient to gain credit to his relation of fuch a fadt ; how was it poffible he could ima gine, ffiat ffie angel's appearance to Mary, with a predidtion even ftill more wonder ful than his own, would be received, upon ^t fingle affirmation of Mary only? Had the fa5ls themfelves been but alike improbable, the credibility of the witnefi'es was very far from being equal. Zacharias had good reafon to expedt, that his teftimony would have a confiderable weight and influence with the people in general. But if he thought his own credit infiifficient to v/arrant an event of this extraordinary nature; v/hat regard could he think would be paid tp the fingle witnefs of an obfcure, ignorant girl, not yet 240 The Divine Miffons of Pa R t II. yet arrived at years of judgment and dif^ ^?-y-.^ cretion r What more obvious, than that fo improbable a tale, fupported only by the evidence of fo contemptible, and at the fame, fo interefted a witnefs, would be turned into ridicule ; or, at the beft, be regarded as the mere delufions of fear and fupetftition ; fo generally attributed to her fex. Besides, with regard to the faSls themfelves; the appearance of an Angel in the holy place of the temple, charged with a divine revelation to a prieft of re- fpedtable charadter, was an event fo fimi lar to what, all the Jews knew, had feve ral times happened, fince the fettlement of their nation ; that, on this account alone, they would be the more favourably inclined to believe it. Whereas, a ftill more aftoniffiing revelation, made to a mere, girl; bred up in obfcurity,and defti tute of all external caufes of refpedt; it muft naturally be expedted, would be heard with prejudice, and rejedted with contempt. And while no obvious motive whatever John Baptifi a?id Jefius Chrifi. 241 whatever could lead them to fufpedt Za- Part ii. Sea. 2. charias of any fuch deceit ; Mary's fttua- v/v^ tion, before her marriage was concluded, would very ffiortly have furniffied fo pro bable a caufe for her forging the revela tion in queftion ; as was enough to bring her veracity into univerfal fufpicion. It was not at all oppofite to any receiv ed opinion of the Jews, that the Meffiah's Forerunner ffiould be the fon of a refpec- . table prieft : fo that thus far Zackarias's account was veiy likely to be well receiv ed. But nothing could be more inconfif tent with all their acknowledged notions concerning the Mefiiah himfelf ; than the fuppofition, that He ffiould be born of one in no higher ftation, than the in tended wife of a f^r^^-^z/^T. This was fuch a ftumbling block as Zacharias had Uttle rea fon to ffiink, they could ever get over ; efpecially when joined to the reafon juft mentioned for fufpedting Marys veracity. How then can it be conceived, that Za charias and his affociates ffiould think it abfolutely neceffary to ftrengthen his tefti- R mony, 242 The Divine Miffons of Part II. mony, with ffie pretence of a miracle ; Sea. 2. even at fo manifeft a hazard of his inad vertently betraying the whole impofture ; and yet, at the fame time, leave the tefti mony of Mary quite unguarded, to ftand or fall by its own fufpicious credit and authority ? It is manifeft, that if they had jointly determined it neceffary to make ufe oiany apparent miracle at all ; they would either have contrived one to confirm Mary's re velation, as well as Zacharias's ; or Ma ry's alone; fince That ftood fo much more in need of fome external fupport. So that had thefe revelations been forged, for the only purpofe, for which they could be contrived ; we ffiould either have found, that Mary pretended to have been ftruck dumb, inftead of Zacharias ; or that fome other, no lefs apparent, miraculous pu niffiment, was as evidently inflidted upon Her likewife. Nor can it be here objedted, that im poftors are frequently inconfiftent with themfelves, and often betray their plots by John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 243 by flagrant folly in fome particulars, while P a r t II. they guard againft detedtion by the moft \^\f-( true, and the feveral parties concerned innocent of all finifter defigns ; the whole difficulty is cleared up at once ; and no thing could be more natural, than this beha viour, in confequence of thefe events. An honeft and undefigning heart could not but burn with a defire of communicating to its friend, fuch an aftoniffiing revelation as Mary had received concerning kerfelf; as well as of determining the credit it de ferved, by enquiring into the truth of what the angel likewife informed her, had already happened to her friend. Nor could any condudt be more natural, when Elizabetk and Ske certainly found them felves made the happy inftruments of ful filling thofe glorious promifes, which had been revealed to their forefathers; than their paffing fome time together, in ad miring thofe aftoniffiing events, which were already come to pafs; and thofe more aftoniffiing ftill, which were now upon the point of being fulfiUed. And R 4 furely, 248 The Divine Mifftons of Part II. furely, when their condudt approves it- wor^ felf, in every particular, the natural re fult of innocence, and is incompatible with the fuppofition of their guilt ; it would argue no fmall degree ,of per- verfenefs, ftUl to fuppofe them engaged in the profecution of an impofture. SEC John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 249 I SECTION III. F the few 'fadts juft confidered, pre- PartIL ceeding the births of Jokn and Je- ^?'v^ fus, bear witnefs in fo ftrong a manner, to the innocence and veracity of all thofe, who were moft immediately concerned in thefe events ; much more will feveral aftoniffiing particulars, that io^n followed them, convince us, that they could not poffibly be the effedts of human artifice and cunning; or arife from the fecret machinations of Zackarias and his Affo ciates ; the only perfons who could pol^ fibly have contrived them. Luke having particularly informed us ofthe time and place of Jefus's birth ; and ffie means by which it happened, that he was born at Bethlehem ; immediately goes on with the following narration. And tkere were in tke fame country, near Bethlehem, fioepkerds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their ftock by night, Andlo, the angel of the Lord came upon 250 The Divine Miffions of Pa R t II Sea. 3. upon them, and the glory of the Lord fione round about tkem, and they were fore afraid. And the angel faid unto them, fear not : for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, whick fiall be to all people. For unto you is born tkii day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Chrifi tke Lord. And this fijall be a fign unto you ; ye fijall find the babe wrapped in fwadling cloatks, lying in a manger. And fuddenly tkere was with tke angel a multitude of tke keavenly hofi ; praifing God, and faying ; glory to God in the higheft, and on earth peace, good will towards men. And it came to pafs, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the fioepkerds faid one to anotker ; let us now go even unto Bethlekem, and fee tkis thing whick is come to pafs, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And tkey came with hafte, and found Mary and Jo feph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when tkey had feen it, tkey made known abroad the faying which was told tkem con cerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at thoj'e things, which were told them John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 251 them by the fioepherds. But Mary kept all P^ ^"^ "• thefe things and pondered them in her heart: (-/"v^^ And the fiepherds returned glorifying and praifing God, for all the things that they had heard and feen, as it was told unto them *. Here a new fcene opens upon us, crouded with unexpedted vifions, and di vine revelations, bearing witnefs in the moft extraordinary manner to the facred charadter, and divine miffion of Jefus. But if the z'agtl's former appearances, and predidtions of the births of John and Jefus, which have already been confidered, were in reality but fiSlions of Thofe, to whom they were pretended to have been made ; ffien muft this aftoniffiing account of what happened to the Shepkerds of Beth lehem, be an impofture likewife. And if this be fo, it muft have been brought about in one or other of the following ways. Either the Skepkerds va\x^'\\2Lvehttn deluded by the ftrength of their own fuper ftitious * Luke ii, 8 »-— 20. 252 The Divine Miffions of Pa R T II. ftitious imaginations, into a belief, that ffiey faw angels which never appeared; and heard the moft furprifing things revealed to them, which in fadt were never fpoken. Or elfe, they muft have been corrupted by Zackarias, and his Confederates, pur pofely to give out this marvellous reve lation ; and to pretend to feek for Jofeph and Marj and the young child, by night, as if in confequence of it ; and ffiey knew, at the fame time, that every particular of this relation was entirely falfe. But we ffiall foon fee, that neither of thefe fup pofitions can poffibly be true. It is notorious, that nothing could bc more inconfiftent with the univerfal ex pedtation ofthe Jews, nor any thing more contradictory to all the notions they had formed of the long expedted Meffiahy their future king and deliverer ; than that he ffiould make his entrv into the world, in the fiable of an inn. On the contrary, they expedted him to appear, with fuch a glorious difplay of his fuperior dignity and power, as might feem a fit introduc tion John Baptift and Jefius Chrifi. 253 tion to that univerfal dominion, they be- Part IL Sea. 3. lieved he would affume. And it will w/-v"*-# readily be allowed, that the ftrength of imagination, however overheated, could not feign to itfelf divine appearances and revelations, diametrically oppofite to all its ftrongeft prejudices and conceits. Had the force of enthufiafm there fore painted ffiis chorus of angels, and didtated the glad tidings they brought ; the Angels could not have informed the ffiep herds, that a particular moft aftoniffiing event had adtually taken place, which could never before have entered into their thoughts ; and which, above all others, ^/6f_y firmly believed it impqfiible ffiould ever come to pafs. And indeed had it not been impoffible on this account alone, what can be more difficult to believe, than that feveral poor ffiepherds, thus accidentally met together, ffiould allht feized at once with fuch a ftrong enthufiaftic delufion ; all be poffeffed at once with the fame wild imagination ; all fee l^e fame angels, and hear the fame revelation, and fong of re joicing; 254 The Divine Miffons of Part IL joicing ; and all this relating folely to a ^/"V-^ matter fo extremely yorf/g'w from ffieir common thoughts and occupation, as the time, place, and minuteft circumftances of the birth of the Mefiiah .? Not to infift further therefore on ffie manifeft incredibility of fuch a fuppo fition ; if there was any deceit in ffie cafe, it muft needs have been in the Shepherds themfelves. They muft have been fe duced to affift in the grand plot ; and on this occafion only adted a part, they had been before inftrudted to perform. Let us fee then, whether this fuppofition is, at the bottom, at all more credible than the former. On this occafion we might appeal to the uniform pradtice of all impoftors ; who, with good reafon, are fo fearful of nothing, as of imparting their defigns to more perfons, than are abfolutely necef fary for the profecution of their plots. We might appeal to the condudt of that arch impoftor, Mahomet himfelf; who, though he was pradtifing upon a people ignorant John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 255 ignorant even to barbarifm, and liable to P a r t li. . Sea. %. all the extravagancies of the moft fooliffi w^-v-J creduUty ; did not dare to feek afliftance in his plot, from more than one , or two perfons, at the moft ; and concealed his connedtion even with them, wiffi fo much care and circumfpedtion, that it has coft even the moft learned no little pains to find them out *. Every argument likewife, that has been already -f- drawn from the pecu liar danger of the cafe, in the plot before US; to ffiew the incredibility of Zacharias's attempting to make any aflbciates at allin. the plot fuppofed ; might here be applied, with double force, to the fuppofition of his having made known his iniquity to the Shepherds in queftion. What more incredible, than that he ffiould almoft provoke fome one to be tray him, by laying himfelf open to fi many ; merely for the fake of executing a contrivance, by no means neceffary for the * See Prideaux's life of Mahomet, p. 36. ——49, Svo. — 2d. Edition. t See Part I. Sea. 4. 256 The Divine Miffions of Part IL the fuccefs of hls grand defign ? Or how' was it poffible for him to choofe to cor rupt thofe, above others, whofe fimpli- city and great ignorance of mankind, made ffiem, of all orders of men, ffie moft unfit to promote his fchemes; and the moft likely to be ffiocked at, and be tray his propofals ? It would be difficult to invent a fuppofition much more incon ceivable than this ; that Zacharias or Jo feph could attempt to corrupt a number of Shepkerds, to bear the witnefs thefe did to the divine charadter of Jefus ; or that They ffiould have become the zealous promoters oi fuch an impofture, and ever after have remained the faithful concea lers of it, if he had. But ftill new wonders rife up before us. Though we have already difcovered Jo many perfons, who muft certainly have been made partakers with Zacharias and Mary, in whatever impofture they were now carrying on; more adtors are ftill coming upon the ftage, to perform new parts in the plot. And John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 257 And when the days of her, Mary's, pu- Pa^i t II. rification, according to the law of Mofes, ^^ ' '^' were accomplified, that is, about a month after Jefus's birtii, they brought him to Je rufalem, to prefent him to tke Lord. As< it is written in tke law of the Lord, every male tkat openeth the womb, fiall be called holy to the Lord. And to offer a facrifice, according to that which is faid in the law of the Lord; a pair of turtle doves, or two young pidgeons. And behold, there was a man in Jerufalem, whofe name was Si meon ; and the fame man was juft and de vout, waiting for the confolation of Ifrael: and tke Holy Gkoft was upon kim. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghoft, that he ftjould not fee death, before he kad feen the Lords Chrift. And he came by the Spirit into the temple : And when the pa rents brought in the child Jefus, to do for him after the cuftom of the law, then took he kim up in his arms, and bleffed God, and faid; Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant de part in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have feen thy falvation ; which S thou 258 The Divine Miffions of Pa r t II. thou had prepared before the face of all Sea. 3. people: a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Ifrael. And Jofeph and his mother marvelled at thofe things which were fpoken of him. And Simeon blefied them, and faid unto Mary his mother ; Behold this child is fet for the fall, and riftng again, of many in Ifrael ; and for a fgn, which fioall be fpoken againft ; yea a fword fiall pierce through thy own foul alfo, tkat the thoughts of many hearts may be re vealed. And there was one Anna a prophetefs, the daughter of Pkanuel, of tke tribe of Afer ; fije was of a great age, and had lived with her hufiand feven years from her virginity : andfije was a widow qf about fourjcore and four years : which departed not from the temple, but ferved God with faftings and prayers night and day. And fioe coming in that infiant, gave thanks like- wife unto the Lord, and fpake of him to all them tkat looked for redemption in Je rufalem. And wken they had performed all things according to tke law of tke Lord, they Joh7i Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 259 they returned into Galilee, to their own city. Part II. -^ ' ¦^' Sea. 3. Nazareth, v/V^ Strange as this fuppofition will at once appear, it muft be owned, that if the other circumftances recorded of the births of John and Jefus, were only fo many parts of a deep laid Impofture ; the remarkable particulars juft related muft have been a fubtil contrivance from one end to the offier. Simeon and Anna, of whom fb ho nourable mention is made for their ac knowledged piety and goodnefs, muft at ffie bottom have been two moft impious deceivers ; who had been corrupted by Zacharias, or fome of- his aflbciates, to abett his impofture in the manner juft re lated. Their coming Into the temple at this particular time, as it is faid, by the Spirit ; Simeon's taking Jefus in his arms ; his moft rematkable addrefs of thankfgiv- ing to God, for the arrival of the Mefiiah ; and his prophetic afllirances to Mary con cerning her fin ; together with Anna's public thanks, and infpired declarations, S 2 pofiti\'eiy 26o The Divine Miffions of Part II. pofitlvcly afferting the divine charadter of f^^i-^'' "^"ft ^11 '^^v^ ^^^" ^^^ "^"^^"^^ of mere artifice and contrivance; and mea- fures firft privately concerted between them. Nay, what is ftill more, all the claims of Simeon and Anna to divine in fpiration, before this time ; and efpecially Simeon's revelation, that he fijould not fee death, before he had jeen the Lord's Chrift ; muft ail have been mere forgery and pre tence, from the very firft ; and, purpofely given out, with the view of tranfadting this particular fcene of the plot. So that, though the part, which, we muft now be lieve. They had undertaken to execute, did not bring them into pubUc view be fore ; They muft in reality have been privy to the whole impofture, and have agreed to adt the part they did to fupport it, fome time before they came upon the ftage. But how will it be poffible to folvc fuch a feries of difficulties as here thruft themfelves into view ? Can we fuppofe Zacharias refolutely bent upon purfuing the moft certain means to betray his own iniquity, John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 261 iniquity, and procure his deftrudtion ? P a r t IL . . . Sea. 3. Could the wickedeft and moft fubtil im- ^^^^^v^^ poftor, that ever lived, fingle out thofe of ffie moft approved piety and goodnefs, to make affociates in his crimes ; and choofe to lay open his impious devices, above all offiers, to the wife and good ? Could he fuppofe, ffiat they, who from youth to old age had perfevered in the pradtice of pie ty and religion, would at laft, on the fud den, become equally induftrious in the fervice of impiety and vice ? Could he expedt to conquer the virtue of fourfcore years ; and even without the leaft profpedt of reward ? Or could the fame perfons, who had approved themfelves fincere worffiippers of the God of Ifrael, through the moft dangerous ftages of human life ; at length proceed to mock him with hor rid blafphemies, in his very temple itfelf ; when they could have no inducement for doing it, at the extremity of old age ? If all this be allowed impoffible ; and the nature of the thing will not even ad mit a doubt ; then is it abfolutely incre- S 3 . dible. 262 The Divine Miffions of Part II. dlblc, that Zucharias OX fofepk coxAdhzvQ Sea. 3. ' o- 1 ^ ^?-v->^ attempted to corrupt Simeon and Anna ; and equally fo that They could have agreed to abett fuch an impofture, if either ofthem had . And fince their condudt was fo very re markable, though on this fingle occafion only, as to prove beyond doubt, that Tkey muft have been principals in the plot fup pofed, if in fadt it had any real exiftence ; the integrity of Zacharias, and every per fon concerned, appears inconteftibly prov ed ; and all the miraculous circumftances related of the births both of Jokn and of Jefus, muft be acknowledged as un queftionably true *. But * In addition to what has been here urged, drawn from the peculiar chctraSiers and circumftances of Sime on and Anna themfelves ; it is bkewife proper to ob ferve, that every argument which has been already al ledged, in Part i. Sea. 4. drawn from the nature ofthe fuppofed contrivance alone, to prove the utter incredi bility of Zacharias's communicating; fuch a plot to any one at all; muft here be allowed their full weight and influence in regard to Simeon and Anna ; and clearly prove it to have been impoflible for him to have made confederates of them. But befides, the very fuppofition, that they had ap plied to Simeon and Anna, and engaged them to aflift in Sea. 3. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 263 But the amazing artifices of Zacha- ^^^^'^ }^- rias and his affociates to conceal their im pofture, if in truth they had any to con ceal ; or, to fpeak more properly, the in- difputable evidences of their innocence and integrity, are not yet at an end. There S 4 ftill m their feheme ; is in faa immediately and eflentially deftruaive of their _;VBf plot itfelf. For, iffo, it muft either have been Zacharias and Elizabeth on one fide, or Jofeph and Mary on the other, who looked upon Si meon and Anna as fit perfons for their purpofe ; and in confequence of this opinion, applied to them to affift the caufe. But had Zacharias had any knowledge of Si meon and Anna, and looked upon them in this light ; certainly he would at firft have applied to Them alone, to affift him in fome fuch manner in favour of fohn, as they aaed with regard to Jefus ; and with their affift ance he wovdd have carried on his own plan concerning John only ; nor fliould we have found him conneaed, in any of his tranfaaions, with Jofeph and Mary ; or his contrivance for John, burthened with one of fo much more hazardous a nature, as that relating to Jefus, While, on the other hand, had Jofeph and Mary been the perfons who knew the real charaaers of Simeon and Anna, and engaged them to aa the part they did, rela ting to Jefus ; they could have had no reafon whatever for laying open their defigns to Zacharias and Eliza beth ; who, being old and childlefs, were evidently un capable of carrying on the other part of their impofture. So that, take which fide we pleafe, the fuppofition of either party's perfuading Simeon and Anna to engage in their plot ; is, at the bottom, abfolutely deftruaive qf the fuppofition of theit Joint impofture itfelf. 264 The Divine Miffions of Part II. f^iH remains to be confidered anoffier, and Sea 3. . . ' \^^\r^ a moft remarkable tranfadtion ; which will afford perhaps as decifive evidence, to de termine the point in debate, as any that has been hitherto taken notice of. It is related by Matthew * as follows. Now when Jefus was born in Bethle hem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold there came Wife Men from the e aft to Jerufalem, faying, 'vdhere is he that is born king of the Jews ? For we have feen his ftar in the eaft, and are come to worfiip him. When Herod tke king heard tkefie things, he was troubled, and all Jerufalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priefis and fcr ibe s ofthe people to gether, ke demanded of tkem, where Chrift ftjould be born ? And they faid unto him, in Bethlekem of Judea : for thus it is written by tke propket; And tkou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the leaft among the princes of Juda; for out of thee fiall come a governor, that fiall rule my people Ifrael. Then Herod, wken he had privily called the Wift * Matt. ii. I,— 16. John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi. 265 Wife Men, enquired of them diligently, what Pa r t IL time the.ftar appeared. And he fent them %y\^ to Bethlehem, and faid ; go, andfearch di ligently for ihe young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worfiip him alfo. When they had heard the king they departed; and lo, the fiar, which they faw in the eafi, went before them, till it came and ftood over where the young child was. When they faw the ftar they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Aid when they were come into the houfe, they faw the young child, with Mary his mo- tker, and fell down and worfiipped him : and when they had opened their treajures, they prefented him with gifts, gold, and frankincenfe, and myrrhe. And heing warned of God, in a dream, that they fijould not return to Herod, they departed into their own country anotker way. And wken tkey were departed, behold, the an gel of tke Lord appeareth unto Jofeph in a dream, faying ; arife, and take the young child and his mother, and fiee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for 266 The Divine Miffions of ¦ Par T IL for Herod will feek the young child to de- %y-^{^\i ftroy him. When he rofi, he took the young child, and his mother, by night, and de parted into Egypt ; and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled, which was fpoken of the Lord, by the pro phet faying; out of Egypt have I called my fon. Then Herod, when he faw that he was mocked of the Wife Men, was exceed ing wroth ; and fent forth, and few ali the ckildrcn Jjat were in Bethlekem, and in all the coafts thereof; from iwo years old and under; according to the time, which he had diligently enquired of the Wife Men. The evangelift makes no mention of ffie precife time, when this very remark able event came to pafs, nor is it mate rial to the fubjedt in hand. But as far as may be coUedted from fome circum ftances, it feems at leaft very probable, that it happened about a twelvemonth * af ter Jefus's birth. Various have been the opi- * See the notes on the i ith fea. of Macknight's Pa- raphraie on his Harmony of the Gofpels. Ham mond's obfervation on Luke ii. 24. — - See Lightfoot, vol. i. 205. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 267 opinions propofed, concerning the parti- Part H. cular charadter and country of thefe un- » method to deftroy the Other's, and even his own reputation ; this likewife muft be allowed a very ftrong collateral proof, U that 290 The Divine Miffions of Part IIL that they could not be deceivers. With charaGers fo extremely difficult to fup port, as thofe laid claim to by John and Jefus ; and before a people fo well qua lified, and fo willing as ffie Jews were to detedt them, had they been pretenders ; we may peremptorily pronounce, that no impoftors whatever could have adopted fuch a condudt as this. The evangelifts indeed have recorded but few inftances of any public inter courfe between the Baptift and Jefus ; and as few public declarations of Either, immediately relating to the Other. Per haps becaufe there were in reality few more of importance to mention; per haps becaufe they were fully fatisfied with mentioning thofe they have ; in ad dition to that abundant proof of John's divine charadter, contained in ffie mira culous circumftances of his birth. But few as the particulars of this kind, hand ed down to us, are ; thefe, when it is confidered, that on the fuppofition of an impofture, they muft have been pre concerted 'John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi. 291 concerted between them ; will add no Pai^t iii. little ftrength to our former conclufion ; and place the certainty of ffie divine ori ginal of John and Jefus, even in a ftill ftronger light than before. U 2 SEC- 292 The Divine Miffions of SECTION I. Part III. A | ^ H E condudt and charadters of ^Js^^ JL John the Baptift and Jefus Chrift, were in no particular more remarkably diftindt, than this; ffiat whereas Jefus fpent great part of his time in performing the moft aftoniffiing miracles, without number; the Baptift, we are exprefsly informed *, never attempted to work any miracle at all. Now fuppofing them to have been joint impoftors, Jokn muft have been as able to perform all Jefus's miracles, as Jefus himfelf was. For, on this fuppo fition, how aftoniffiing foever thefe works may appear to us, and plainly beyond the reach of all power lefs than the divine ; to be confiftent, we are obliged to con fefs, that at the bottom they could not be any thing more, than mere tricks and delufions. It is clearly impoffible like- wife, for two deceivers to have agreed to gether * John's Gofp. X. 41. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 293 gether upon fo hazardous a defign, with- Part hi. out laying open to each other all the wiles ^?-v^ and artifices each was mafter of, and by the help of which only they could hope to carry it on. If then ffiey were deceivers, it muft be allowed, that John knew how to work as many, and as great apparent miracles as^^i?- fus himfelf did. And confequently we muft beUeve, that his never attempting to per form any, was in truth owing to a private agreement, previoufly made between them; from a perfuafion, that this arti fice would conduce moft to the fuccefs of ffieir joint defign. Is it then credible John and Jefus could imagine, that the fuccefs of their plot would have been at all obftrudted, ffiould John have performed any of thefe aftoniffiing works ? At firft fight it feems evident, that deceivers, who were deter mined to attempt fo difficult and unpro mifing an impofture, would gladly have made ufe of every expedient, that could gain the good opinion of thofe they want- U 3 ed 294 ^^ Divine Miffons of Part III. ed to deceive. And fince the pecuUar ^./-vO part John undertook, was to prepare the people for the reception of Jefus ; by af furing them of his divine auffiority, and prepoffeffing them, as much as poffible, in his favour ; what more natural, than for Jokn himfelf to have exerted fome of thefe extraordinary powers ; ffie more ef fedtually to gain credit to his own pro phetic charadter ; and confequently, to all his declarations, concerning his Affociate, who was fo foon to appear ? If they thought it neceffary for pro curing Jefus's fuccefs, to fend a meffenger before him, to proclaim his fpeedy arri val, and prepare the Jews to receive him, when he ffiould come ; they muft un queftionably have been defirous to furniffi this pretended divine kerald, with the beft credentials in their power ; that his em bafly might be attended with the wiffied for effedt. Nor could they think, that any otker expedient would be fo emi nently ferviceable for this end, as the per formance of fome fuch feemingly mira culous John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 295 culous works, as we have iuft now feen, P^'^J ^^^• Sea. 1. John muft have been able to perform. Be- ^?V's. fides that great attention and reverence, which works of ffiis kind were fure to excite, on their own account alone ; ffiey were what feveral of the Old Prophets had occafionally performed; and in particu- cular, that very prophet * Elijah, in whofe fpirit and power Zacharias had ex pUcitly foretold, that Jokn would go before the Lord. This therefore would have been fo far from inconfiftent wiffi that charadter, in which John himfelf was to appear ; that it muft have feemed highly probable to Jefus and Himfelf, if impoftors, that the people might expedt fomething of this kind at his hands. And whether they ffiould require this or not ; thus much was evident and certain ; that no thing elfe could contribute fo effedtually to John's reception as a true prophet; and confequently to the eftabliffiment of Je fus's charadter, by his means. U 4 Since * I Kings, ch. xvii. and xviii. 2 Kings, ch. i. and ii. 296 The Divine Miffions of Part III. Since then John and Jefus could not but be fenfible, that the performance of fome feemingly great miracles would be highly inftrumental in fecuring Jokn's fuccefs, in his preparatory part of the plot ; their previous agreement, that, not- withftanffing this, Jokn ffiould abftain en tirely from making ufe of them ; muft have arifen from fortie apprehenfion, that if he did not, this would interfere with that part, which Jefus himfelf was foon after to adt ; and thus, in the end, obftrudt the fuccefs of the whole undertaking. From what then could fuch an ap prehenfion arife ? No other affignable foundation for it occurs, than a doubt, whether, if John ffiould work wonders as well as Jefus, the people might not be fo far prejudiced in favour oijohn ; efpe cially as He was to appear jf^/? before them ; as to believe, for the moft part, that John himfelf was the Meffiah; and therefore pay littie regard to JeJus, when he came. Or, at leaft, that they might be fo far kept In fufpence betweentheTwo, as never to give their John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 297 their hearty aflent to Either ; and by this Part iil means effedtually prevent the final fuccefs »^-v^ of Both. But thefe apprehenfions, however plaufible at firft fight, could not poffibly have any real exiftence. Had two fuch deceivers indeed ftarted up, at the fame time, without any fecret connedtion ; They might have had fome reafon to apprehend the worft of thefe inconveniencies, un lefs they prefently agreed to adt in con cert, and fupport each other. But as it is certain, that if John and Jefus were de ceivers, they muft from the beginning have concerted every ftep they took, to gether ; fo we may be affured, that They could not be influenced by any fuch ap prehenfions as thefe. The more fatisfadtory proofs John could give of his own infpiration; the more effedtually muft kis teftimony have eftabliffied the belief of Jefus's divine mif fion ; and not of his divine miflion only, but the precife nature, and defign, of his particular office. Whatever influence yo/^/z's autho- 298 The Divine Miffions of Part III. auffiorlty might have, in determining ffie opinion of the people, in one of ffiefe points ; the fame, it was to be expedted it would have, in the other. As Johns declarations could have no weight, with the Jews, in either of thefe particulars, but in confequence of their being perfuad ed, that he was commiffioned, from above, to make known to them whatever he declared ; it was natural to think, that his declarations would have the fame weight, in both thefe points, as in either. So that if John and Jefus were agreed in opinion, that it would be ferviceable to their joint defign, for John to appear as a divine meffenger, before the arrival oi Je fus; and to bear witnefs to Him at all; and had not this been the cafe John could not have appeared ; they mufl-, for ffie fame reafon, have thought it beft, for John to fupport hisown divine charadter by every artifice in his power ; and particularly, by this of performing great apparent mira cles, in preference to every other. Had John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 299 Had they even conceived the leaft fuf- Part hi. Sea. I. picion of any fuch ill confequence from this condudt, as was juft now fuggefted ; nothing would have been eafier, than to prevent their mutual credit from interfer ing, by this means, in the leaft with each other. What more obvious, than that they would have agreed, that John ffiould perform many works apparently miracu lous ; but that ffie moft aftoniffiing of all thofe they were able to contrive ; fuch as feeming to give fight to thofe who had been born blind, and raifing the dead; ffiould be inviolably referved for Jefus's hand alone. That John, in the mean time, ffiould on all thefe occafions incul cate upon the people, the great fuperiority of power with which they would ffiortly fee the Meftiah himfelf ev\.d.osNed ; and prefs this upon them, as the infallible criterion of that fuperior divine charadter, which, he was to teach them, belonged to Jefus alone. This would have been fo natural an expedient, that they could not over look it 3 and, at the fame time, fo ex tremely 300 The Divine Miffions of Part III. tremely ferviceable to their caufe, that it t/'VVj is inconceivable they ffiould decline mak ing ufe of it. And befides this obvious and eafy re- ftrldtlout with regard to ffie nature of the works themfelves ; various expedients would have been hit on, bv men of fuch fubtilty and. contrivance, as thefe muft have been; to render j^o^i^'s miracles far lefs ftriking, than thofe even ofthe fame kind, worked by Jefus himfelf; merely by means of their different manners of per forming them. In forrte inftances we find Jefus him felf making ufe of apparent, though not adequate means to accompliffi his works ; in others, not having recourfe to any. Sometimes he required certain qualifica tions in the perfons themfelves, for whom he was about to work them ; as neceffary affiftances for the fuccefs of his own en deavours : at others he perem.ptorlly pro nounced the word, and the work was performed. Some he chofe to com pleat in an inftant ; 'others were accom- pliffied John Baptifi and Jefius Chrift. 301 pliffied but by degrees. Upon fome oc- Part hi. cafions he openly implored afliftance from v.^^"**^ heaven, as ifit was God alone, whore- ally performed every thing he himfelf feemed to do ; on others he thought fit to adt, as if he himfelf was adtually en dowed with the fulnefs of divine power. It is not only a probable Juppofttion therefore, that many dlflerent methods of working ffie fame kind of miracles would have occurred to John and Jefus, at the fettling of their refpedtive parts, in the execution of the plot ; but it is an un deniable matter of faSl, that they adtu ally muft. It is evident likewife, that though every work conceived to be mi raculous neceffarily implies the exertion of divine power ; yet fome miracles, in the nature of the things themfelves, may be far more aftoniffiing than others ; and even the fame kind of miracles may be performed by different perfons, in a man lier fo unequally calculated to furprife ; as to make the fpedtators naturally con ceive far more exalted notions of the One, ffian the Other. So 302 The Divine Miffions of Part IIL So that, by taking in the performance sy>/-^ of apparent miracles to his aid, but con-» fining himfelf, all the while, to thofe of the leaft ftupendous and aftoniffiing na ture, and working even thefe in the moft diffident and humble manner; John might with much greater affurance have expedted to eftabliffi his own credit, and prepare the people for acknowledging the divine miffion of Jefus ; than he could hope to accompliffi thefe ends witkout tkem. And the miracles, which Jokn might have performed under thefe ob vious reftridtions, would have been fo far from involving the Jews in doubt and per plexity, about the difference between the charadter of Jefus, and His own ; that his repeated declarations of himfelf, as be ing only the Mejfiah's Forerunner ; and of Jefus as being the true Meftiah ; ftrength- ened by Jefus's more aftoniffiing works, and fuperior all-powerful manner of per forming them ; would have induced the Jews to acquiefce with greater readinefs, and certainty, In Their diftinSl pretenfions. For John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 303 For as John's divine auffiority would, by Part III. this means, have been more affuredly .^^-y-s^ eftabliffied ; fo it was to be expedted, that his peremptory, explicit declarations of Jefus's peculiar charadter, as well as his own, would be more implicitly believed. How ffien can it be conceived, that They, who, if impoftors, were mafters of fo compleat an art of working won ders, as no offier impoftors ever poffef^ fed; and who depended ultimately for fuccefs, upon the ufe they ffiould make of thefe wonderous works, more than any thing elfe ; as Jefus himfelf often de clared ; how can it be believed They could agree, that John ffiould entirely abftain from making the leaft ufe of them, when they would have been fo immediately capable of doing the greateft fervice to the caufe ? Nothing lefs than the moft evident dan ger refulting from ffiem, could perfuade an impoftor to forego the pleafure of put ting in pradtice fo exquifite an art ; and In the cafe before us, inftead of any ill con fequence to fear from it, there was a very evident. 304 The Divine Miffions of Part IIL evident, and ftrong reafon for Johris mak- yjr-sf^ ing ufe of it. The benefit to be expedted from it, was io great, ffiat ffiey muft both have been exceedingly defirous to make John's application of it fubfervlent to the reft of their plot ; and the expedients, by which this might have been done, were fo obvious and eafy, that they could not ef^ cape ffieir obfervation. Had John and Jefus been impoftors, we ffiould therefore undoubtedly have re ceived accounts of many miracles per formed by John ; though neither fo nume rous, nor aftoniffiing as thofe of Jefus himfelf. And had ffiis ever caufed the Jews to enquire ; in a manner fimilar to what they did upon another occafion ; why He performed thefe miracles, if he was not the Mefiiah ? His anfwer was ready, and would have been of fingular fervice to the whole joint undertaking — I indeed (he would have faid) do perform thofe mi raculous works, which have excited your admiration, and caufed this enquiry ; but there ftandeth one among you, whom ye know John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 305 know not ; He it is, who will perform Part HL, Sea. I . much greater works before you, than I v„^-y-0 am able to do. But thefe works, that I do, ffiey are abundantly fufficient to con^- vince you of my oion divine authority; and confequently to fatisfy you, that He alone, whom I have fo often pointed out to you as fuch, is the true Meffiah ; as well as that / myfef am his immediate Fore runner. X SEC-* 3o6 The Divine Miffons of SECTION II. 3ea. 2 Part III. Tp John and Jefus were joint deceivers, JL it is certain, not only from the nature of their defign itfelf, but likewife from ffiofe very diftindt, and remarkable kinds of life, they Each adopted ; that they did not begin to ffiew themfelves to ffie people, without having firft deliberately agreed to affume fuch particular charadters, as ap peared to them beft calculated for promot ing their plot. For befides, that this was a matter of fuch importance as they could not negledt ; the ckaraSters, they adtually appeared in, were fo extraor dinar y'vsx them felves, and fo diredtly oppofite to each other, that .they could not proceed from any thing but a preconcerted deftgn. From the very beginning Jokn prac- tifed all imaginable aufterity ; making his firft pubUc appearance in a covering * of camels hair, tied with a leathern girdle ; living with the moft fingular abftemiouf nefs, * Matthew iii. 4, John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 31 hefs, upon locufts and wild honey ; and Part excluding himfelf, in great meafure, from \y>r^ all human fociety. Nor did he himfelf only moft rigoroufly adhere to all the re ligious rites and ordinances, pradticed by the fevereft fedt among the Jews, the Pha- , rifees ; but he obliged all his own dif ciples, who affociated at all with him, to do the fame. Whence the Pharifees them felves put the queftion to Jefus ; why do * the difciples of John fafi often, and make prayers, and likewife the difciples of the Pharifees ; but thine eat and drink ? Such was ihefolitary and mortified life of John, from the beginning of his public appear ance in the charadter bf the Baptifi. Jesus, on the contrary, was the very reverfe of all this. He affumed a charac ter, not only void of all feverity and re- ¦ ft:raint, but fpent his whole time in a moft uncommon manner, in feeking the fociety of, and converfing familiarly with all ranks and orders of the people. And fo far was he from complying with the fuper- X 2 ftitious * Luke v. 33. 3o8 The Divine Miffions of Part III. ftitious ceremonial of any of the prevailing fedts, but more efpecially the rigid Pha rifees ; or exhorting his difciples to con form in the leaft, to them ; that, on all occafions, he himfelf conftantly broke through them, and boffi publicly and privately inveighed againft them. Society was what he fought above all things; even with the moft defpifed fort of men, and fuch as lay under a general reproach : and with thefe, and all others, he eat, and drank, and converfed, juft as oppor tunities offered, without the leaft refer- vednefs or reftraint. From his very firft appearance in the charadter of the Mef fiah, he bid adieu, not only to retirement, but even to domeftic life ; and might be faid to live perpetually in the public view of mankind. So that foil tude and aufte rity did not more remarkably diftinguiffi the charadter of John ; ffian focial inter courfe with all ranks of men, and a ready compliance with all their various indiffe rent cuftoms, may be faid to mark out the peculiar condudt of Jefus, Now John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 309 Now it is plainly impoffible for two Part iff. rt 7 1 • 1 r^^ Sea. 2. connected deceivers, to have refolved on w-^v-v-* two fuch fingular and oppofite charadters as thefe ; and more efpecially upon one fo fevere and difagreeable as that of the Bap tift ; unlefs they thought them indifpen- fibly neceffary for the accompliffiment of their defigns, and for that very reafon ' pitched upon them. It is evident like- wife, that whatever other confiderations might contribute to determine their choice ; the firfi and principal defign, which they could never lofe fight of, muft have been, to fingle out fuch a charadter for Each, as would appear to correfpond with, and fulfill, thofe prophetical reve lations concerning them, which had been publiffied by Zacharias and Mary, about the time of their births. While we fup pofe them to have been impoftors, thefe predidtions, as we have already feen, muft be acknowledged as th^ beginning and foundation of the whole plot. So that they were now under an abfolute necef fity of paying the ftridteft regard to them ; X 3 and 310 The Divine Miffions of Part III. and could neither forget nor negledt. to do it. If then either of thofe fingular char radters, which we find they adtually adopts ed, and efpecially that of Jefus, fliould prove, upon confideration, in any ftrik ing and capital particulars, wholly incon fiftent with, zndeyencontradiSiory to, what they themfelves muft know to be the commonly received fenfe of thofe predic tions, which had been at firft made pub lic concerning them ; this again muft be allowed another very ftrong prefu mptive argument, and indeed a conclufive one, that they could not be impoftors. Zacharias's prophetical declaration concerning Jefus, at the time of John's circumcifion, was as follows, Blefied be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath vifited and redeemed his people, and hath raifed up an horn of falvation for us, in the houj'e of his fervant David; as he fpake by the mouths of his holy prophets, which have been ftnce the world began : that we fiould be faved from our enemies, and from the hand John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 3 1 1 hand of all that hate us: to perform the Part hi. •^ , '^ -' Sea. 2. mercy promifed to ouf fathers, and to re- \.j^sr^ member his holy covenant : the oath which he fware to our father Abraham ; that he would grant unto us, that we being deli vered out of the kands of our enemies, might ferve him without fear ; in holinefs and righteoufnefs before him all the days of our life *. Agreeable to this, but more full and exprefs, was the revelation of the Angel and Mary. And behold, thou fialt con ceive in tky womb, and fialt bring forth a fon, and fijalt call his name Jefus. He fijall be great, and fiall be called tke fon of tke Higheft ; and the Lord God fball give unto kim tke throne of his father' David. And he fijall reign over the houfe of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there ffall be no end -f-. In what fenfe the Jews at this time in terpreted the predidtions of the Holy Pro phets, mentioned by Zacharias, and God's promifes to Abraham, is well known. In X 4 the * Luke i. 68,— 75. f Luke i. 30, — 32. 312. The Divine Miffions of Part III. the perfon of ffie Mefiiah, they univerfally expedted a temporal prince ; who ffiould deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, and raife them to an univerfal monarchy, which could never be oveiv turned *. And fince the prophecies cour- cerning Jefus, juft now quoted, were plainly fuch as coincided with this general opinion ; and Zackarias and Mary, who made them public, could not but know, that they would be univerfally underftood in this fenfe, and no other ; if they were forgeries, their defign in them muft ne ceffarily have been, that JeJus ffiould af fume fuch a charadter, as the predidtions they delivered, would be univerfally un derftood to foretell. For the fame rea fon, when Jefus himfelf came afterwards to deliberate upon a plan for his own public condudt ; he muft have been clear ly convinced, that no behaviour whatever would * This is abundantly evident, not only from the be haviour of the people in general to Jefus, but even qf his difciples themfelves, in a variety of inftances through out the gofpels. See likewife Lardner's Cred. &c, b. i. ch. 5. John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 313 would be looked upon as agreeable to Part IIL thofe prophecies, which he knew it was sxv^ abfolutely incumbent upon him to fulfill ; unlefs he plainly intimated a defign of fet ting himfelf up, at fome proper opportu nity, for ffieir temporal King. Was that remarkable kind of life, then, that Jefus adtually adopted, fuch as might probably induce the Jews to conclude, he entertained this defign ; or did he ever make any particular declara tions to promote this beUef ? On the coil- trary, his conftant and famUiar intercourfe, not only with the loweft orders of the people, but with the Publicans more efpe cially, who were looked upon as infa mous by the Jews ; was a principal part of his condudt, plainly calculated to de prive hirn of all outward refpedt and ho nour; and to prevent the Jews, as much as poffible, from entertaining any exalted notions about him. At the fame time, it appears, he never threw out any fuch crafty infin nations, as an impofior, in this c^ie, would not have failed 314 The Divine Miffions of Part III. failed to do ; calculated to lead the people \^rs^f-^ on with an opinion, that he was not with out fuch defigns, as they believed the Mefiiah would certainly put in pradtice ; though the proper feafon for ffieir execu tion was not yet arrived. Nay when, af ter having miraculoufly fed a great multi tude, he faw they began to be perfuaded, that he muft be the Mefiiah ; and for that reafon were propofing to fet him up im mediately for their King ; he indufirioufiy prevented it, by difperfing them ; and to avoid any further attempts of the fame kind, immediately left the place *. And at length, even when his death was juft approaching, he folemnly clofed the fcene with an explicit declaration to Pilate, that he laid no claim to any earthly kingdom ¦\. Could any condudt have been more oppofite than this, to. the fenfe, in which he well knew the Jews muft have under ftood thofe remarkable prophecies of his life and adtions, which had been made public * Jphn vi. 15, &c. t John xviii. 36 John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 315 pubUc by Zacharias and Mary ; as well as Part IH- to their univerfal opinion of that condudt, vxv's.' which the Meffiah was to purfue ? From beginning to end, it is evident, he per fifted in a regular oppofition to their in veterate opinions of both ; and yet never attempted to convince them, or even fo much as infinuated to them, that they were at all miftaken in their interpreta tion of either. But perhaps a fufpicion may here arife, that becaufe thefe prophecies had been given out no lefs than near thirty years, be fore Jefus began to appear in public; therefore he might on this account deter mine, that there was no neceffity to pay any regard to them; as predidtions long fince forgotten, and of no concern. Or perhaps, it may poffibly be objedted, Je fus niight think the knowledge of them was confined within fo narrow a circle, that on this account lil^ewife they were not worthy of his regard. Here it is obvious to remark, the truth pf which we have feen long ago, that 3x6 The Divi?ie Miffons of Part HI. that all ffie furprizing events faid to have accompanied Jefus's conception, his birth, his prefaitation in the temple, and efpecially his being fought after by ffie Wife Men ; muft certainly have been known, at ffie time, to very great numbers of the Jews. It is Ukewife as confeffedly obvious, that John and JeJ'us could not but expedt ffie me mory of all ffiefe particulars to be revived; as foon as their claims to the divine cha radters they afliimed, fliould become an objedt of the public attention. And as to ffie pr(.phecies, in particular, which had been at firft made pubUc about ffiem ; the number of years which hsd elapfed, fince ffie time when ffiey were given out, was a circumftance fo far from making it ffie lefs defireable to fulfill them ; ffiat, on the contrary, it was ffie moft fortunate circumftance, ffiat could attend them. Such a one indeed, as any impoftors, in their cafe, muft have wiflied for, if it had not exifted. For the longer it had been fince fuch prophecies were delivered, be- !bre the time for their accompUfliment ar rived ; John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 3 1 7 rived ; the greater certainly muft their au- ^^f. ^^^ thority be ; and confequently ffie more \^r>^r^ defirous an impoftor muft have been to fulfill ffiem. But befides all thefe confiderations, the charadter affumed by the Baptifi will very clearly convince us, that, in fadt, ' Jefus and He did not look upon it as un- 7ieceffary for them to do all in their power, to fulfill the prophecies in queftion. It is not now to be proved, that if John and Jefus were deceivers, their pub lic condudt and charadters muft in the beginning have been debated and agreed on, between them Both. And had they been of opinion, for any reafons what ever, that it was not neceffary for Jefus himfelf to pay any regard to thofe prophe cies, which had been fo long before fpread abroad concerning him ; for the fame rea fons, they would have determined it to , be unneceffary for John likewife ; efpe cially as he had but the inferior part to adt. It 3i8 The Divine Miffions of Part III. Jx muft be obferved too, at the famd Sea. 2. r^ wiffied for occafion, that might flatter their pride, and difpofe them to entertain a favourable opinion of him and his pr.e- tenfions ? On the contrary, he began imme- ffiately to rebuke them, and even Them in particular, with the greateft feverity, in the prefence of the whole multitude ; as it were declaring war againft them, and openly fetting them at defiance. Then went out to him (John the Baptift) Jeru falem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, conf effing their ftns. But wken ke faw many of tke Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptifm, he faid unto THEM ; 0 generation of vipers, who hath warned you to fiee from the wrath to come * ? Nothing could be more oppo fite, ffian this condudt, to the defign juft fuppofed ; nor was any thing elfe to be expedted from, it, but what adtually hap pened; * Matthew iii. 5, 6, 7. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 325 pened * ; that while the people, and the Part UL publicans fubmitted chearfully to his bap- y,y\r^ tifm, the Pharijees and rulers almoft uni verfally rejedted and oppofed it. In the mean time, fo far was Jefus from being cautious of giving offence to the leading fedts ; that he might not ob ftrudt the Baptifi, in his endeavours to gain ffiem ; that He likewife feized every opportunity of expofing even their pre tended virtues, as well as apparent vices : and as his own condudt was in every re-, fpedt diametrically oppofite to theirs ; fo he was continually pointing them out to the people, as ffie proper objedts of their averfion and contempt. Nor was this behaviour, either in John or Jefus, the fudden effedt of unguarded paffion, or furprife; but their cool, conftant, and deliberate choice. So that, as nothing could be more inconfiftent with that con dudt they would certainly have obferved, had they agreed on their refpedtive cha- Y 3 radters * Luke vii. 29, 30. 326 The Divine Miffions of Part III. radters with the defign juft fuggefted ; i„/-V>^ and as this defign is the only one capable of reconciling their charadters to the fup pofition of any impofture at all ; we muft neceffarily confefs, that the peculiar con dudt both of Jefus and of John *, when con-' * Had the oppofite charaaers and condua of John and Jefus, with regard to all the religious rites and cere monies, wliich were obferved by the different feas of the Jews, been owing to any private agreement between tHem; as it muft have been if they were deceivers; this at leaft we might certainly depend on, that Each would have taken care to prevent his ovun difciples from publickly raiiing pbjeaions, pn this accovint, tp the , Other. But, pn the contrary, we find, that when Jefiis was dining yvith Levi, and a great number were prefent ; then came to him the difciples of John, faying, why do vie and the pharifees faft oft ; and thy difciples f aft not ? Matt. ix. 14. and from Mark ii. 1 8. it appears, that they join- ed with the Pharifees in raifing this particular objeaion to Jefush condua. Whereas had Jefus and John been affpciates, it was impoffible, that Either fliould have been fo negligent of their common fuccefs ,- as to fuffer his own difciples, for want of proper information, to join with their common enemies in raiiing objeaions to the cre dit of the Other. For there is not the leaft room to fup pofe, that this might be an artful expedient defigned to make the Pharifees better pleafed with John ; fince we have feen, that the whole condua of John as well asjefus, on every important occafion, was fuch as, they knew would procure them the Pharifees'' utter hatred and aver sion. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 327 confidered feparately in its own nature. Part iii« and jointly in their relation to each w/^--^ other ; affords us one of ffie ftrongeft collateral proofs, we can poffibly defire, that They could not be engaged in the profecution of a deceit. Y4 SEC- 328 The Divine Miffions of SECTION III. Part III. ' | ^ PI E only defign John and JeJus ^^f^ JL could poffibly be engaged in, fup pofing there could be any plot in the cafe, was a deep laid defign of counterfeiting the two laft prophets the Jews ever ex pedted to behold : and one of whom efpecially, was to be by far the moft ac- compliflied, in all prophetical endow ments, of any they had ever feen. . And had They really undertaken fuch an at tempt as this ; nothing can be more ob vious, than that it would have been one conftant, and chief objedt of their care ; not to foretell any thing, and, more efpe cially, any thing relating to Each Other ; by which their prophetical knowledge might poffibly bc brought into queftion. This was manifeftly a point of fuch importance, as they could not but very carefully attend to, from the very firft en trance upon the execution of their defign. If tb^y were defirous of feeming to fore tell John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 329 telizrrv thing concerning Each Other, as Part IIL 1- V . ?. . . J , Sea. 3. by divine infpiration ; in order the more v'->r^ effedtually to fupport the delufion ; they muft firft privately have agreed upon fome particular adtions, which the One could fafely undertake to perform; and the Other might therefore fecurely venture to foretell. To have hazarded any predic tion, without this obvious and neceffary precaution ; would have been contriving the fureft method of expofing their want of all real infpiration, and laying open their impofture to the public view. Should it appear then, that John ac tually foretold of Jefus, upon a very re markable occafion, and as an infallible to ken whereby to diftlnguifh him for the true Mefiiah ; that Jefus would introduce a certain moft remarkable kind of religi ous rite ; totally different from what John himfelf made ufe of for the fame purpofe : and ffiould it likewife be found, that Je- fus, during his whole life, never fo much as attempted to put in pradtice any fuch rite ; nor ever alledged any reafon for de clining 330 The Divine Miffions of Part IIL cUuIug it; nay, nor ever made the leaft Sccl. 3' mention of it : this furely muft be ac knowledged as another convincing proof, that John and Jefus could not be the im poftors fuppofed. When John made his firft public ap pearance in the country round about Jor dan, preaching the baptifm of repentance for the remiffion of fins ; the whole mul titude, we find, came forth to be bap tized of him, and to learn from him the means of falvation *. And -j-, at this time, as the people were in expeSlation, and all men mufed in their hearts of John, whether he were the Chrifi or not ; John anfwered, faying unto them all; — I indeed baptize iyou with water ; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whofe fioes I am not worthy to unloofe : He shall bap tize * Matthew iii. i, &c. Marki. 3, &c. Luke iii. 2 — 1.4- t Luke iii. 15, 16. Compare Matt iii. 11. Mark J. 7, 8. And John i. 33. X For the nature and end of John's Baptifm, fee Lightfoot, vol. ii, p. 121. &c. See alfo Macknight's, fea. 14. note. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 331 tize you with the Holy Ghost Part ni- Sea. 3. AND WITH FIRE. And foon after this predidtion, when Jefus was come to John, and like the reft of the people had been baptized * by him ; to prevent the pof- fibUity of any doubt, about his being the perfon, whofe inftitution of this unheard of kind of baptifm, John h"kd particularly pointed out ; in order ffiat ffiey might know Him by this fign to be the true Meffiah ; John bare witnefs of him, and cried, faying ; this was he, of whom I Jpake, he that cometh after me is preferred before me ; for he was, before me -f-. Nothing could be more remarkable, on its own account, than the particular kind of baptifm here foretold ; nor could any occafion be of greater importance, than that on which this prophecy was de livered. Jokn had juft begun to baptize, in order to prepare the people for giving Jefus's high pretenfions a more favourable reception ; when, contrary to his views, they *. Matthew iii. 13 — 17. t John i. 15. and i. 26—34. 333 The Divine Miffons of Part III. they began already to imagine, that John himfelf xrii^t be the Meffi'ah. Such a perfuafion, ffiould it have con tinued, mufl; unavoidably have broke in upon their plan, and prevented the fuc cefs of the whole defign. Since John, who firft fetout as the 'W,e^\f}i\sForerunner, could not affume the charadler of the Mefiiah himfelf; how willing foever ffie people might be to give it him ; without effedtu ally proving himfelf an impoftor, in fo barefaced a manner, as could not long ef cape the notice of any intelligent obferver. It was therefore of the utmoft im portance to prevent this opinion from gain ing ground. And to ffiew how fenfible John himfelf was of the neceffity of doing it, in the moft effedtual method ; we find him folemnly declaring to all that came to him; that though ke did indeed baptize with water, he was not the Mefiiah ; but that one mightier than him, who was indeed the Mefliah, would very fpeedily appear. At the fame time, to give them the loweft comparative opinion of his own charac ter. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 333 ter, and the moft exalted one of '^efus ; he Part Hi- . Sea. 3. tells them, he himfelf was fo far from being v^-v"*-* the Mefiiah, that he was not even worthy to unloofe the very latchet of his ffioes. It was impoffible to fet ffie fuperior excellence and dignity of Jefus's charadter above his own, in a ftronger light. Yet left his own pofitive denial of the high office, they were incUned to afcribe to him, ffiould not be fufficient to put an end to their doubts ; he proceeds Ukewife to give them ^fign, by which they might diftin guiffi ffie Meffiah, not from himfelf only, but from every pretender to his charadter ; and by which they would ffiortly be con vinced, that Jefus was he. I indeed, fays he, baptize you with water ; a ceremony, which you yourfelves have long fince adopted, in the admiffion of profelytes into your own religion * : thereby declar ing myfelf a real prophet, commiffioned from on high. But the Mefiiah himfelf, when ffie proper time arrives, will bap tize you in a manner totally different from all * See Lightfoot, ii. 121, &c. Lewis, Antiq. Heb. b. iv. ch, 2. 334 ^^ Divine Miffons of Part III. all ffiat have gone before him ; namely, ^?vll/ with the Holy Ghofi, and with fire. The only effedt, which ffiis remark able prophecy could have, upon thofe to whom it was delivered, was, to make ' them believe, that the true Meffiah would, at fome time or other, inftitute fuch a kind of baptifm, as this prophecyplainly defcrib ed: and confequently, to make them rejedt every pretender to this charadter, and Je fus among the reft, 'xiHe ffiould not. And as this was the only poftible effedt it could be attended with, it muft have been the only one, vihxch Jokn himfelf could. wiffi, or intend it to have. If therefore Jokn was an impoftor, he could not have foretold this remarkable particular of his Affociate, in ffie deceit fuppofed ; unlefs it had been before agreed on between them ; and the manner, in vffiich Jefus was to perform it, had been already determined. And had Jokn de livered this prophecy in confequence of fuch a previous agreement, JeJ'us could not afterwards have negledted to fulfill it, when John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 335 when at lengffi He appeared. It is evi- Part hi. dent, this would have been purpofely be- s traying their plot, at their very entrance upon it. Foir how could John hope to maintain the reputation of a prophet, when y£/«.f's condudt ffiould appear plainly to fal fify his moft pofitive, and explicit predidtions concerning him ? Or if Johris eftabliffied credit ffiould, notwithftanding, be able to keep its ground ; what could poffibly fave Jefus from being rejedted, as a convidted impoftor .^ John had not only affured the people, ffiat the true Mefiiah would baptize, wiffi ffie Holy Ghofi and with fire ; but like- wife, that Jefus was that very Mefiiah of whom he fpoke. And yet Jefus, from his firft public appearance to his death, never fignified fo much as even an intention of introducing this new kind of baptifm among them *. Had the people refledted upon * Perhaps it may not be improper to obferve, that the completion of this prophecy on the day of Pen- tecoft, can be no objeaion, to what has been faid ; ftnce this accomplifhment of it happened not till after Jefus's 336 The Divine Miffions of Part III. upon thls apparent contradidtion, (and vffiat more likely to have happened ?) it would alone have been fufficient to make them rejedt the pretenfions oiBoth to all di vine infpiiation ; if ffiey had indeed been deceivers; becaufe then they could have had Jefus's death : whereas John's prophecy relating to it, was fo expreffed, and delivered on fuch an occafion, that he muil think the people would underftand him to mean, a particular kind of baptifm, which Jefus would intra- duce during his life. Befides, nothing can be more ab furd and ridiculous, than it would be to fuppofe impoftors foretelling of one another, fomething that they would do' after their death ; in order to promote the fuccefs of their plots, while they were alive. Neither can it be any objeaion to the force of this argument, that the true meaning of the prophecy itfelf is far from being fo certain, as we would feem to make it. For, with regard to the prefent point, the queftion is not, whether learned men have given the prophecy different in terpretations, many ages fince it was delivered j but what fe.ti.ftJohn himfelf muft have believed fhepeople would un derftand it in, when he delivered it. This alone was what an impoftor would have attended to, and could not but attend to ; becaufe upon this muft depend the future opinion of the people, whether it v/as really fulfilled or not. And the flighteft confideration of the prophecy it felf, and tl}e occafion on which it was delivered, Ihews at once, that the Jevus, who heard John pronounce it, could not but underftand it in that fenfe, in which it has here been reprefented. As indeed, that this was its true fenfe, appears undeniably, from what Jefus faid ta his difciples after his refurreaion, Aas i. 4, 5.. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 337 had no means whatever of reconciUnw the Part m. Sea. 3. predidtion, to the want of its accom-' pliffiment. Unless therefore we can believe, that two impoftors, who fet out upon a joint undertaking ; the very being and fuccefs of which neceffarily depended upon their mutually fupporting the credit of Each Other ; ffiould agree to begin their parts in fuch a manner, as was evidently calculat-' ed to deftroy the credit of Both ; this fingle prophecy of the Baptift's, when confidered jointly with the condudt of Jefus, muft alone be fufficient to ffiew, ffiat Jokn and Jefus could not poffibly be deceivers. Nor was this all. John not only feemed plainly to foretell, that Jefus would inftitute a new, and very extraordinary kind of baptifm, which Jefus, during his life on earth, never did ; but he likewife expreffed himfelf fo as to leave it highly probable, the people would underftand him to mean, \k\2it Jefus would not make ufe of the fame baptifm, he himfelf Z had 338 The Divine Miffons of Part III. had adopted; which notwiffiftanding y^r- v^'V'v.' fi^ foon after did. When yo^« declared, in order to make ffie people fully fenfible of the great dif ference, they would perceive, l)etween the Mefiiah znd Himfelf; that He indeed baptiz ed them with water, but that the Meffiah would baptize them with the Ho/)' G/'o/? and wiffi fire ; what more natural for John to think the people would conclude him to mean, than, that the Mefiiah would not make ufe of baptifm with water, for the admiffion of his difciples ? This the turn and manner of the declaration itfelf, as well as the occafion on which it was deli vered, it is obvious, feemed to render ex tremely probable. Had John therefore been an impoftor conneSled with Jefus ; and had it beep agreed between them, that Jefus ffiould neverthelefs baptize wiffi water too ; it is utterly incredible, that John could have omitted making exprefs mention of this particular ; that the people might not immediately judge him con vidted of having prophecied a lie ; when they John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 339 they ffiould fee J^/wj baptizing wiffi niUater Part HI. as well as Himfelf. v>-V*^ Had they been joint deceivers, inftead of faying only what he did, John would certainly bave declared ; I indeed baptize you with water, as the Messiah him self likewise will ; but He will moreover baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and with fire. For what opinion could John offierwife expedt the people to forrn of his own infpiration ; when they ffiouldfeejf^/sdifeiples,foonafter, baptiz ing the people with water, under the imme diate infpedtion of their Mafter ; and this even in greater numbers than John him felf had done ? After thefe things came Jefus and his difciples into the land oj Ju dea, and there he tarried with them, and bapti-zed. And prefently we are inform ed, that JeJ'us rnade and baptized, there, more difciples than John *. True indeed it is, that Jefus himfelf ^\d not baptize, but only his difciples ; as the Z 2 evan- * John iii. 22. and iv. i. 340 The Divine Miffons of Part III. evangelift exprefsly fay s*. But this circum ftance could make no difference either as to his adopting tkis particular ceremony, for ffie admiffion of his own difciples ; or ffie interpretation, which ffie people muft naturally be expedted to put upon it. It is plain, from the evangelift's manner of relating this, that he had no conception, that this circumftance made any alteration in the cafe ; for ffieii he would have taken care to remark it. Nor is it lefs evident, that the Baptift's own difciples, and even the Baptift himjelf, confidered it in the fame light, as 'li JeJus had performed the' , ceremony with his own hands. For, while Jefus was baptizing in this manner, John's ffifciples came, and faid unto him -f- ; Rabbi, he tkat was with thee beyond Jor dan, to whom thou bareft witnefs, behold, the fame baptizelh, and all men come to him. But, had they looked upon it as a cir cumftance, which made any difference in the cafe, that JeJus himfelf did not adtually baptize, • Johniv. 2. t Idem. iii. z6. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 341 baptize, but only his difciples; certainlyffiey Part IIL would not have failed to obferve it, on this .,y>r>J occafion, to ffieir mafter. As, on the other hand, had ffiis been an agreed par ticular between Jefus and Jokn, in order to fave ffie credit of John's divine infpira tion ; John would now at leaft have made tkat ufe of it, for which it was contrived; by teaching his difciples to reconcile his own predidtions to Jefus's condudt ; which was, feemingly, in every particular fo con- tradidtory to it. And now confidering both thefe par ticulars, as the nature of the cafe requires v.-e ffiould, Jn one connedted view ; firft, that Jokn exprefsly foretold, as the touch ftone of Jefus's being the true Meffiah ; ffiat Jefus would adopt a new and very fingular kind of baptifm ; which however, from his firft pubUc appearance to his death, He never ffid, nor ever mentioned a defign of doing it : and in the next place, that John expreffed himfelf in fuch a manner, as he could not but think, might very probably make ffie people un- Z 3 der- 343 The Divine Miffons of Part III. dcrftaud him to mean, that Jeffs would \,/'\r^ not baptize with water ; which, ho^evetj Jefus prefently after did, even in a greater degree than John himfelf had done ; .when we confider allthis, howie it poffible to believe John and Jefus to have been confpiring impoftors .? Had they been fuch, John could not have foretold any part of Jeffs'^ condudt, in order to convince the people, that He was the Meffiah ; which j''^5 had not before agreed with him, for this very purpofe, to perform. Nor could 'JeJ'us, after fuch an agreement, lay afide the defign of doing any thing, which he had before agreed, that John ffiould foretel ; without giving him timely notice of the alteration of his defigns. For though we have no autho rity to believe, that the Jews did, in fadt, ever objedt to the truth of their divine pretenfions, on account of this feeming contradidtion, between Jefus's baptifm, and John's prophecy concerning it; yet was it, from the nature of ffie thing, fo extremely probable, ffiat they would; and, at John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 343 at all times, fo very poflible that they Part HI. 1 -a 1 r Sea. 3. might; that no impoftors can be fup- .^/-yv^ pofed capable of deliberately expofing themfelves, for no end whatever, to fo manifeft a hazard of detedtion. Z4 SEC- 344 ^^^ Divine Miffions of SECTION IV. r. X TT Sea. 4. Part hl -T tery foon after John had deli- ,^/*.^^ V vered the prophecy juft confider^ ed, concerning the nature of Jefus's bap tifm ; we meet with another very remark able tranfadtion, which will ferve to throw ftill greater light upon their true ckarac- ters, and the conneSlion really fubfifting between them. Then cometh JeJus from Galilee to Jor dan, unto John, to be baptized of him. But Jokn forbad him, faying ; I have need to be baptized of thee, and come ft tkou to mef And Jefus anfwering faid unto kim, fiffer it to be fo now ; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteoufnefs. Then ke fuffered him. And Jefus, when he was baptized, went upfiraigkt way out of tke water ; and lo I tke heavens were opened unto him, and he faw the Spirit of God defending like a dove, and lighting upon him. Andlo I a voice from heaven, faying. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 345 faying, this is my beloved Son, in wkom I Part iil ^m well pleafed *. \y\/->.j It wUl readily be acknowledged, that if John and Jefus were joint deceivers, Jefus's coming to defire baptifm of John, muft have been an artifice firft privately concerted between them. It is plainly incredible, that Jefus ffiould apply pub licly to his Forerunner, on fo particular an account; unlefs they had previoufly agreed upon this ftep, for the fake of fome ad vantages, which they hoped to derive from it. So that, upon ffie fuppofition of any impofture, John muft in reality have approved of Jefus's requeft; and his refufal at firft to baptize Jefus ; as if it were more proper that Jefus ffiould baptize Him; could be nothing more than a well chofen expedient, to prevent the people from fufpedting any fuch precon certed agreement between them. What then could thefe propofed ad vantages be ? A very little refledtion upon the eafe will prefently convince us, that Jefus's being * Matthew jii. 13 — 17. 34^ 7%e Divine Mifftons of Part III. being bt^tixed by John; confidered only as to ffie nature of the thing itfelf; was a ftep fo far fi?om being calculated to pro mote ffie fuccefs of their fuppofed impof ture ; that, if it fhould have any effedt at all upon ffie opinions of the people, Jt muft neceffarily tend to prevent it. John's baptifm was plainly borrowed * from that, which the Jews made uf^ of, in ffie admiflion of heathen profelytes to the profeffion of Judaifm : and John made life of his, in a fimilar mannerj for ffie admiffion of his difciples into a ftiU purer profeffion. This purpofe, to which baptifm among ffie Jews had always been appUed ; together with fome traditions generally re ceived, that they ffiould all be baptized, and purified, againft the coming of ffie Meffiah -j- ; had naturally contributed to make * See note, p. 333. t " The Jews, it feems iad conceived an opinion that they were all to be baptized; either by the Meffiah himfelf, or fome of his retinue ; becaufe it is faid, Zach. xiii. i. In that day there Jhall bt a fountain opened to the houfe of David, and to the inhdhitants of Jerufalem, for fen andfor uncleannefs. Macknight's Comm. fea. t8. Not. on John i. 25. See Lightfoot on tbe place, ii. C22. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 347 make the Jews conceive a very high opi- ^^Z ^^^' mion of the dignity and holinefs of any ^yt,/'^ prc^het, who was commiffioned to bap tize : >and confequently to conclude, that there could not he fi great a degree of pu rity and hoUnefs in thofe, who themfelves ftood in need of being Ifaptized by him. This opinion muft likewife have prevailed particularly with regard to all who ffiould come to be baptized of Jcfhi ; as his was profeffedly no offier than the baptifm qf repentance, for the remifiion of fins ; and of which therefore, thofe only who had adtually finned, could be ffiought to ftand in need. What comparifon then muft it ne ceffarily have been expedted the people would make, between the ckaraSlers of John and Jefus; when they beheld Jefus become a fuppUant for baptifm to John } Was this a ftep calculated to prevent that fatal miftake, which the people had already ffiewn themfelves fo incUned to run into ; that of regarding John inftead of Jefus as the true Mefiiah f How could impoftors expedt 348 The Divine Miffions of Part III. expedt ffie people to reconcile the feeming fuperiority of John over Jefus, in point of holinefs and purity ; which to them would appear, fo plain, by Jefus's fubmit ting to be baptized by John ; with John's own declaration, fo lately made to them, that He was not worthy to do even the moft menial offices about the perfon of JeJ'us? Could He, ¦who was unworthy even to undo the latchet of Jefus's fboes, be a perfon of fo fuperior a charadter, as to make Jefus defirous of being baptized by him ? Which of thefe public declarations were the pcc|-1e to believe ; or rather, how could ffiey give any credit to Him, who was the author of both .? Above all, how couldThey themfelves think it would prove a more esfy tafk, to make the people be lieve, that Jefus wa? the true Mefiiah ; ffiould they give ffiem reaibn to think, that he ftood in need ot baptifm from One, who profeffedly baptized into repentance, for the remifiion of fins f JortN'§ John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 349 John's hefitating *, at firft, to com- ^^^"^ "'^' ply with Jefus's requeft, could make no ' alteration in the requeft itfelf; nor remove fo confiderable a ftumbling block out of ffieir way. Nor was any other confe quence to be expedted from this contri vance, but ffiat it would diftradt the opi nions of the people very much about them ; and induce many, from this time, to conceive but an inferior notion of Je fus's * It may here be worth while to obferve, that if John's refufal to baptize Jefus upon his firft requeft, was jHirely a contrivance to prevent the Jews from fufpeaing any deceit ; as it tnuft have been if John and Jefus were deceivers; it ihould feem, at leaft, highly probable, that thofe of Jefus's difciples, who afterwards wrote hif tories of his life and aaions, would not have given us accounts of Jefus's being baptized by John ; without at the fame time recording, this refufal ofthe Baptift, at firft, to comply with his defire. If this artifice feemed of moment enough to be put in praaice, nothing feems more natural, than that they fhould all have thought proper to record it. V/hereas it appears in faa, that tho' every one of the evangelifts have related Jefus's be ing baptized by John ; which is by no means the cafe in feveral of their moft important tranfaaions ; yet none but Matthew has made the leaft mention of John's refu fal at firft to do it. See Matthew iii. 13, 15. Marki. 9,— U. Luke iii. 21,22. John i. 32, — 34. 350 Ths Divine Miffions of Part III. fus's charadfer ; and entertain the ftroageft ' ^ fu%icions of the veracity of John. Since then it muft have occurred to John, and Jeffs ; who eoiiild not be igoo* rant of the mc^ prevailing opinions of ffie whole people, that the ftep now befoore us, was of fuch a nature in itfelf as to ffireaten them with the moft fatal infhi- ence on their credit, inftead of contribut ing at all to its fupport ; was there any ex ternal reafon, which might promife fo much benefit to their defign, as to induce them, notwithftanding, to adopt it ? A tradition of the fcribes, we are told *, prevailed univerfally, at this time ; ffiat Elias was not only to appear as the Mefiiah' s Forerunner, and to preach con cerning him ; but alfo, that he was to baptize Him, in perfon, and make him known to the people. Perhaps then they might think, that the prevalence of this tradition laid them under a neceffity of conforming to it ; and that great credif would accrue to them from exadtly ful* filling • See Whitby on Matthew xi, 14. John Baptifi and Jefius Chi^ifi. 351 filling it. But plaufible as ffiis objedtion Part ill. may at firft appear ; their own condudt ^./-v-sj will fufficiently prove it to be utterly groundlefs and falfe. Had Jckris baptizing Jefus been a ftep concerted between ffiem wiffi fuch a de fign; ffiey would unqueffionably have made this ufe of it, in fupport of their particular pretenfions, when any fair op portunity occurred. In particular, when ever they thought proper to appeal to thii tranfaSlion at all ; which, but for the fake of fome fuch tradition as that juft men tioned, they could never have agreed on ; the fulfilling of that tradition muft cer tainly have been the chief point, of which they would have reminded the Jews. If they judged the fulfilling of this tradition fo neceffary to the fuccefs of their plot; as, on this account, to do, what might otherwife have been attended with the moft prejudicial effedts to their caufe ; it muft be abfurd to fuppofe, they could ne gledt making that ufe ofit, for which alone it was defigned, when it had been adtually accom pUffied. Yet 353 The Divine Miffioni of Part IIL Yet Is there nothing; more certairiy Sea. 4. o » Kjr-\r^ ffiart that they muft have done fo ; fince, throughout all the gofpels, there is not the leaft hint to be met with, either of the tradition itfelf, or of its aecomplifiment on this occafion. Very foon after Jefus had been thus baptized, we find Jokn publicly bearing, witnefs to the truth of his divine preten-r fions. This is he, of whom I fpake, he that cometh after me is preferred before me, * &c. Again, he gives the fame teftimony, to the deputation of Pharifees, whom the rulers fent purpofely to enquire of him -f-, who He himfelf was ? But on neither of thefe remarkable occafions does he give them the leaft hint of his having fulfilled any fuch tradition; to ftrengthen the authority of his own declarations. And though, in anfwer to their further enquiry ; why he baptized then, fence he was neither tke Ckrifi, nor Elias, nor tkat Prophet ? John took occafion to tell them, that there ftood one among them, who was * Johni. 15, — 18. t Idem i. 19,-28, John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi, 353 Was fo highly preferred before him : yet Part HI- did he make no mention at all of his hav- < ing baptized Jefus ; and much lefs allege this tranfadtion, as the accompUffiment of any received tradition, concerning the true Mefiiah, and his expedted Fore runner. Nay, when he once adtually remind ed the people of the tranfadtion itfelf'^ ; not a word did he utter, concerning any tradition, which by this means had been fulfilled. Jefus kimj'elf Ukewife, when, a long time after this, he put -{- the Jews in mind of the witnefs which Jokn had borne to him; was as filent, with regard to the accompliffiment of this tradition, as John had been before him. And even the evangelifts; whofe frequent cuftom it is to inform us, that fuch particular things came to pafs, in order that certain pro phecies might be fulfilled ; have neitiier of them made mention of any tradition as having been accompllffied by this event. A a From * John i. 31 — 3|. t John V. 32 38, 354 ^^. Divine Miffions of Part ILL Frdm the nature of this tranfadtion 5^-t then we muft fireely confefs, that John and Jefus couldi not be deceivers : be caufe otherwife we muft maintain, that they agreed uponthis ftep without any hope or intention of procuring the leaft benefit by it ; at the fame time, that they could not but expedt, that it would diftradt and per plex the people in general about their ^z/- ^m^ pretenfions ; which it was, above all things, their intereft, to make them Ex adtly comprehend ; and thus very great ly obftrudt the fuccefs of their whole, plot. At leaft there is but one poffible way to avoid this conclufion. And that is by fup pofing, that the aftoniffiing voice and ap pearance, which was obferved' imme diately after Jefus was baptized, was no thing more than the effedt of Their ex quifite fkill and cunning : and that the whole affair was agreed on, merely for the fake of eftabUffiing ffieir credit, by this wonderful contrivance. And indeed could it be believed, that what happened on this occafion, might poffibly be the effedt of human John Baptift and Jefius Chrifi. 355 human contrivance ; no more were to be Pa*;T HI. Sea. 4. feid. John might well baptize Jefus ; in ^^v^J order to have- an opportunity of impofing upon, the people, with fomarvellous a de ceit, if they could perform it ; however prejudicial to ffieir credit, fuch a ftep might have been, without it. But that this could not poffibly be, is evident both fi-om ffie condudt of Jefus, and the nature of the thing. Had They contrived and executed fo exquifite a deception ; Jefus would cer tainly never after have appealed to Johns teffimony in his favour, without making particular mention of this miraculous ap pearance, at the time, when he was bap tized. He could not have reminded the Jews of John's anfwer to the Pharifees . ye fent unto John, and'R'E bare witnefs of me * ; without appealing at the fame time to the fadt before us ; fo much more con vincing, than every thing elfe, that John had ever witneffed in his favour. He A a 2 could * John V. 33, 356 The Divine Mifftons of Part III. could Hot have gone on appeaUng to his i,ysf..u own works, becaufe they were * greater witnefs than that of JOHN; without at the fame time appealing to this miraculous appearance likewife ; which had been fo fuccefsfully brought about, at ffie time when Jokn had baptized him. As for the nature of the thing, we need only repeat what adtuallycame topafs to de termine upon it. Now when allthepeoplewere baptized, it came topafs, that Jefus beingalfo baptized, and praying, tke heaven was open ed; and tke Holy Gkofi defended in a bodily fiape, like a dove, upon kim. And a voice came from heaven, whick faid, Tkou art my beloved fon, in thee lam well' pleafed ¦\-, It would be idle to go about to demonftrate, that, if John and Jefus were impoftors, ffiey could not have had the whole fyftem of nature at their difpofal ; could not have caufed the fky to open before a mul titude, and fomething vifible to defcend from it; which after lighting gently on the * John V. 36. t Luke iii. z\, 22. John Baptift and Jefus Chrift. 257 the head of Jefus, remained * upon him ; P^'^^ ^^'* could not have caufed a multitude to hear w/'v-sj an articulate voice, coming as from heaven upon them. Thefe were effedts evidently beyond the reach of human contrivance, fuch as the moft artful deceivers could ne ver entertain the leaft thought of accom- pliffiing. Not to infift therefore on the evi dence, which ffie miracle itj'elf affords ; a confideration entirely foreign to the de fign of this enquiry ; all the conclufion we would here draw from it, is, that no views of contriving fuch a marvellous appearance as this, could be inftrumental in caufing John and Jefus to agree, that Jefus ffiould eome to John, in this man ner, and be baptized. Their own con dudt has likewife ffiewn, that they cer tainly did not agree upon this ftep, in or der to fulfill any tradition, that prevailed at ffiat time. And as to the natural ten dency of the tranfadtion itfelf; that, we A a 3 have • Johni. 33. 35^ The Divine Miffions of Part llL^ave feen, was fo far from being Ukely to vOf"^-' encreafe ffieir credit, that ffiey themfelves muft have believed, if it had any effedt at all, it would fill the minds of the people with doubts and fufpicious about them. So that as no reafons whatever can be pro duced, for their agreeing to adt in this manner; confiftent with the point ffiey had in view, if tiiey were impoftors * ; and, * After what has been fuggefted in this, and the pre ceeding article, it muft needs become in a very high de gree improbable, that John and Jefus could be impof tors ; on this fingle account only, that JeJus baptized as WELL AS 'John. For what elfe could impoftors expea to follow, from Jefus's baptizing the people, when they had already received the baptifm of John ; and after Jefus h'lir.Jelf too had been baptized by h-m ; but that it w&uld un.ivoidably make the people believe, thaty^- Jus himfelf regarded Johns hapi'fm, as of no value or importance : and befides, by filling their minds with doubt and perplexity at fo unufual a condua, be a great means of preventing them from ever becoming hearty friends to theii caufe. Deceivers could ex'rea nothing elfe, by this means, but to weaken very greatly t.ie au thority they hiii hitherto required ; and at all events to obftrua the fuccefs of th?ir joint defigns. And accord ingly thus it happened. For foon after Jej'u, began to baptize the people in Jadea, (John iii. 22.) wV-A&John was doing the fame at Enon, near to Salim ; ( : 3 . ) — There (iroje a queftion, betvjeen Jome of Johns difciples, and the Jevjs, John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 359 and, at ffie fame time, many obvious and ^^^ ^^^• important confiderations occur, which -/"v>- Aa 4 muft Jews, about purifying. (Ibid 25.) That is, in other "words, when the Jews faw JeJus baptizing as well as John ; he whom John had himfelf baptized, now tak ing upon him to rebaptize the difciples of John ; and this too without any oppofition from him ; unable to ac count for fo unufual a condua, any other way, they objeaed 'to yo/^H'j particular followers ; that if JeJus was empowered to do this. They muft no longer pretend, that the baptifm of their own Mafter was of any ufe or importance. (See Macknight's Comm. fea. 21.) That this would be the confequence of their Both baptizing, in the manner they now did, was fo obvious, that it is incre dible any fuch impoftors could have "agreed to do fo. But even could this be thought poffible ; it muft at lea"ft be allowed, that they would have taken care to fumifti their own immediate folloviers, with fuch an anfwer to this obvious and material objeaion ; as might enable Them, at any time, to filence the fcruples ofthe people about it. If they could not do this, they would have laid afide the defign. But even this too they certainly did not do ; for Johns difciples, it appears, were un able to give an anfwer to the objeaion; and came to their mafter complaining. Rabbi, he that vjas viith thee beyond Jordan, to vohom thou bareft voitnejs, behold, the Jame baptizeth, and all men come unto Mm. — Thus re markably does every particular in the condua of John and JeJus contribute to prove, that they could not pofli biy be deceivers. What has here been obferved will likewife ferve to il luftrate very greatly the truth ofthe conclufion eftabliftied inthe/r/?feaion of tliis Part j from the confideration, that 360 The Divine Mifftons of Part III. j^ufl- h^ve deterred them from it ; it muft Sea. 4. vor**-" be confeffed, that Jefus's coming to Jokn, and being baptized by him, in the man ner he was, is indeed a very ftrong colla teral proof, that they could not be de ceivers.that John never attempted to perform any miraculous works. The only fuppofition capable of being there made, tho' at the fame time it proved abfolutely ground lefs, to reconcile that faa with the exiftence of an im pofture, vvas, that John might refrain fiom working wonders, for fear of diftraaing th^ judgment of the people between JeJus and Himjelf. But now, when we -fee that ^uiis baptized Jefus, and yet Je/aj rebaptized the difciples of John ; a praaice which, it was obvious, could not fail to fill the minds of the people with doubts and perplexity about them ; this faa alone is fufficient to convince us, it could not have been agreed between them, that John ftiould deprive himfelf of fo great an advantage, as that of working vjonders, upon any fucl\ account. SEC- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 36: SECTION V. WHEN John had now continued Part iil to ffiew himfelf to the people, ^J->,^^ for fome Ipace of time, and very foon af ter his baptizing Jeffs, in the manner we have juft now feen ; fuch an opportunity offered itfelf to him, of making known his divine pretenfions to the very chief of the people ; and preparing the way for Jefus, who was now juft beginning to ap pear ; as, had they been joint deceivers, John muft have been extremely defirous to obtain. The Jews * fent Priefts and Levites from Jerufalem ; to Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was then baptizing ; to aff him, who art thou '? And it will be well worth our while to obferve how he con dudted himfelf upon this critical occafion. And he confeffed, and denied not, but con feffed I am not the Ckrifi. And they affed him, what then ? Art tkou Elias ^ And ke faith, * John i. 19 — z8, 362 The Divine Mifftons of Part HI- faith, I am mt. Art thou that Prophet .? I and he tmjwered, no. Then faid they unto him, who art ihcu { that we may give an anfwer to tkem that J'ent us. What fay eft thou oj tkyj'elf^ He faid, I am the voice of one crying in the wildernefs, make ftraight the way of the Lord; as Jaid the prophet Efaias. And they, whick were fent, were of tke Pharifees. And they aff ed him, and faid unto him ; why baptizeft thou then ; if thou be not that Chrift, nor Elias, •neither ¦that Prophet^ John anfwered them, fay ing ; I baptise with water : hut there ftandeth One among you, wkom ye know not ; be it is, wko, coming after me, is preferred before me; wkofe fhoes latcket I am not worthy to unloofe. When it is confidered, who thofe per fons were, with whom we find John, on this occafion, engaged ; it will readily be feen, in what manner an impoftor, in his circumftances, muft have behaved. In ftead of being cafually applied to by fome of the multitude ; he was now addreffed by deputies fent purpofely from the rulers them- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 363 themfelves : and thefe too not indifcrimi- Part Hi- nately appointed, but Priefts and Levites ; men of knowledge and fkill in all facred matters ; and in fine, men of 'the moft re puted andfkUful icQ., Pharifees. Inftead of being afked for his inftrudtion in an eafy point of fpiritual advice ; the quef tion, to which they required an imme diate and categorical anfwer, was no lefs than this ; what particular ffivine charac ter he pretended to affume .? Questioned upon fo important a point, by' ffiofe who were beft able to judge of the truffi of his pretenfions, and would certainly examine them with the utmoft rigour ; by thofe likewife, who were capable of being his moft ferviceable friends ; but otherwife were fure to be his moft potent and inveterate enemies ; in what manner muft John, if an impoftor, have repUed to their demands f To give no determinate anfwer to fuch an embafiy, after having taken upon him to baptize the people, and utter prophecies ; would have been betraying the caufe he was em barked 364 The Divine Miffions of Part III. barked in, and a tacit confeffion of his yj^-^^ deceit. He muft therefore have declared, wkat divine charadter he took upon him. He would likewife have employed all his art and ingenuity, not in enumerating only, but in illuftrating all thofe proofs he had been able to devife, for the foun dation of his pretenfions ; and in urging them to the beft advantage. And as he veiy well knew, that thefe deputies from the Pharifees came prepoffeffed againft him ; if he was able to allege any cir cumftances, Ukely to remove their perfo nal prejudices, he could not have ne- gledlcd to throw in tkefe Ukewife; in or der to Induce them to examine the proofs, on which he reftcd his claim to infpiration, with more candor and Impartiality than he could otherwife expedt. This attack was what he muft have looked for, from the beginning ; and therefore have been long provided with his anfv/er. And the opportunity it afforded him, to try what could be done with ffie c\nei priefts and pkaf-ifees; if not to deceive, at leaft to puzzle John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 2>^^ -puzzle and confound them; was what he Part IH. would by no means have negledted. .?"v^ Thus, had Jokn been a deceiver, when he received this embaffy from the rulers, his firft care would naturally have been, to turn the facred profeffion of the mef fengers ffiemfelves, as well as thofe who fent them, to his own advantage ; by making them conceive of Himfelf wiffi more refpedt than before. To this end he would have reminded them, that He too was by birthright a prieft of the God of Ifrael, as well as ffiemfelves ; and the fon, of no lefs honourable a prieft, than Za charias; who maft yet have been well re membered among them; and who had lived and died with the reputation of un blemiffied virtue and integrity. Then he would have recounted to them at large, all thofe aftoniffiing events, that had happened to his Parents ; or at leaft were by many beUeved to have hap pened to them ; from Zackarias's lofs of fpeech in the temple, to his recovery of it again, at the time of his own circum cifion. Sea. 5. 366 The Divine Miffions of Part III. cifion. And he would have referred' them, to the neighbourhood where Za charias had lived, and where all thefe things had been noifed abroad at the very; time, for a full confirmation of the truth of aU he advanced. Above ail, he would certainly have given them a very particu lar account, both of the Angel's, and his Father's prophecy, concerning Himfelf; as thefe predidtions were the fole founda tion of whatever he might pretend to; and veiy minutely pointed out that parti cular charadter, in which he now ap peared. Such would certainly have been the anfwer oijohn to the Priefts and Levites, had he been a deceiver. But John it -ap- pears adopted a quite contrary, part. He decUned making ufe of even thofe fair and obvious means in his power, to re move, or at leaft leffen their prejudices againft him. He chofe to fupprefs ; for on tkis occafion it was impoffible for him to forget; all thofe marvellous events, which were believed to have accompanied his John. Baptifi- and Jefus Chrift. 367 his conception and birth ; and which, if Part hl he was a deceiver, muft have been the ^?'vO only, and- long laid foundation of all his prefent attempts. Nay he not only re- fufed to allege. Zacharias's and the An gel's prophecies in bis own behalf; but even anfwered ffie meffengers in fuch a manner, as he knew might be interpreted by ffie pharifees, and indeed by any one, to be contradidtory to them. The angel, it had been publicly af firmed, had foretold to Zackarias, that Jokn * fijould go before tke Lord, in tke fpirit and power of Elias. But when the meffengers put the queftion to Jokn him felf, art tkou EUas .? What anfwer did John give t He [aid. I am not. Now it is true indeed ffie Jews in ge neral expedted, that Elias ¦^ tke Tifijbite, himfelf; he, who had been fo diftin guiffied a prophet among them, above eight hundred years before ; was to be the identical perfon, who would appear again to * Luke i. 17. t See Whitby on Matthev/ xi. 14. Lightfoot, ii, 522. 183. 209. and j. 522. Pocock on Micah iv. 5. 368 The Divine Miffions of Part III to uffier In the Mefiiah. And confequent-* (»/V~^ hji as the meffengers, by their queftion, meant to afk Jokn, whether he was that very Elias; John, fince he knew their meaning, might very truly declare, he was not. But for this very reafon, fince the Jews in general expedted Elias himfelf to come again ; and not any other perfon, in a chiLV'dL&:er fi.milar to his ; it was plain, that all who had ever heard of the revelations given out at Jokn's birth, might have un derftood them as fpoken immediately of E.ht's kimj'elf; and confequently, might confider John's anfwer, upon this occa- ficrj, as diredtly contradidtory to them. And even fuch as had never heard of the Angel's prophecy to Zacharias, might probably confider this anfwerasa plain de claration from Jokn himfelf, that the of fice of Elias belonged not to Him. Nor was it poffible for Jokn himfelf to have been ignorant of this, or not aware ofit. Can it then be conceived, that an im poftor, laying claim to this very charadler and John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 369 and office, would have given an embafly Part HI- of the pharifees fuch an anfwer as thisj to an enquiry which ftruck diredtly at the very foundation of all his claims ? Or could Hae fame deceiver, who muft have been fo extremely defirous to be like Elias, in his whole appearance and con-- dudt,' as even to imitate him in ffie parti cularity of his drefs * itfelf; could He fend the priefts back with fuch an anfwer to the rulers, as he well knew would appear to tkem, to be an utter difclaiming of all con nedtion wiffi the charadter and office of Elias ? It was the eftabliffied opinion, that Elias muft firft come. If therefore John was only a deceiver, his intention muft have been, either to pafs for that very Elias, whom the whole nation through miftake expedted ; or he muft have de figned to convince the Jews, that they mifunderftood the prophecies concerning Elias; and' that H^ himfelf, though not that very Elias, whom they expedted, B b and * See note, p. 318. 37© The Divine Miffions of Part IIL and afked him after ; was in fadt the very yj>,^ per/on foretold under his nair\e. Any pre tender to ffie charadler of Elias was under an abfolute neceffity of adopting one, or the other, of thefe plans. If he plainly denied himfelf to be the perfon, whom they all expedted; and at the fame time made ufe of no endeavours to convince them, that they expedted a perfon, who really was not to appear; it is evident he did not try to procure himfelf the leaft chance for fuccefs. The only confequence of this condudt could be no other than ffiis ; that his prefent pretenfions, as well as all that had been before pubUffied about him, would be regarded as the effedt of artifice and impofture. His feeming to them to deny himfelf to be either oi thofe perfons, whom the Jews exper^ teftimony from inducing them to receive Jefus in the charadter ofthe Mefiiah himfelf. View the thing in whatever light we can; is it not utterly incredible, that a counterfeit of ffie Meffiah's Forerunner ffiould not profit himfelf of the univerfal perfuafion ; by pretenffing to be tkat very Elias, whom the whole Jewiffi people W-as- already difpofed to acknowledge and beUeve ? That he ffiould refufe to apply fo important a prepoffeffion to the fur- ffierance of his own impofture, which wats abfolutely grounded upon it, is on all confiderations clearly incredible : but cer- tainly, not to conform in this point, to the ur4verfal belief and expedtation ; and yet, at the fame time, to ufe no means whatever to remove it ; would have been a condudt fo apparently abfurd in an im poftor, as we cannot hefitate to pronounce, no impoftor could purfue *. Bb 2 How- * At the fame time it is certain, that John's denying kimfelf to be Elias, on this occafion, is perfeaiy con fiftent 372i The Divine Miffions of Part III. HowEVER, for a moment let us ne gledt this confideration, and turn to a par ticular in the condudt oi Jefus, which re lates immediately to this of John. What- fiftent with his true charaaer, if he was really the divine Forerunner ofthe Meffiah. " That the Baptift, on being aflced if he was Elias, fliould have anfwered in the ne gative, needs not tobe thought ftrange ; if the perfons, who put the queftion to him, believed, that Elias, the Tifhbite, vi'as coming perfonally from heaven to uflier in the Mefliah. For tho' the name of Elias did truly be long to John ; Malachi having called him thereby ; he was not the perfon whom the people expeBed, and the priefts meant, when they aflced him, art thou Elias ?" Macknight's Comm. fea. i8. note. " His meaning therefore is only this ; I am not that Elias in perjon, whom you expea; nor am I fuch a pro phet, as in the days ofthe Meffiah, you expect tcv rife from the dead." Whitby on Matthevy xi. 14. from Pocock, vol i. p. 193. It is plain therefore, that if John had anfwered, he vias Elias; he muft likewife have taken pains to fliew the priefts, that they Tv^ere mif taken in their notions of that Elias, who wa j to come. But to attempt convincing the Sanhedrim, that they were miftaken in their notions of /to prophet, whom they fent to aflt him, whether He was ; was what the true Forerunner of the Meffiah, might well know would be fruitlefs and vain. He therefore referred this deputation of the priefts, and thro' them the whole San hedrim, from whom they came, tQ IJaiah, for a true account of his Oftice ; and left them to the honeft ufe of thofe lights they were poflefled of, to determine vjht he was. John Baptift and Jefus Chrift. 373 Whatever charadter John publicly Part ih- affumed, or denied ; this at leaft is cer- ^xv^--* tain, that if Jefus and He were joint de ceivers ; and we have feen long ago, that ffiey muft have been confederates, or no impoftors at all ; Jefus could never fpeak of Jokn's peculiar divine charadter, in fuch a manner, as he knew Would, in all probability, be interpreted, to be di redtly contradictory to what John had faid of himfelf. John's denying himfelf to be Elias in the manner he did, was a par ticular* of fuch confequence, as he could not have determined to put in pradtice, without Jefus's knowledge and confent. When therefore John had declared, that he was not Elias ; had they been impof tors, Jefus could not afterwards have af firmed, that he was. Yet this, it appears, Jefus adtually did. John, as we have juft feen, declared to the priefts, without any particular ex^ planatlon of his meaning, that he was not Elias : and adding only, that he was ffie voice of one crying in the wildernefs, Bb 3 as 374 ^^ Divine Miffons of Part III. as faid the prophet Efaias j left them to •^/T^sr^ determine further about him, by them felves. But fometime after this, upon occafion of Jefus's receiving from him a very remarkable meffage, by two of his difciples ; Jefus took the opportunity to defcant very minutely upon the real cha radter of Jokn. And after having af firmed, tkat among all, wko were born of women, tkere kad not arifen a greater pro pket than John the Baptifi ; he clofed his remarkable account of him, with this moft emphatical declaration : And, if ye will receive it, tkis Is'Elias, which was FOR TO COME. Hc that hath ears to hear, let kim kear *. Nothing could be more emphatical, than this declaration ; nor, according to the notion, which the. people entertained of Elias, could any affertion feem more contradidtory, to what Jokn had faid of himfelf. True indeed it is, that John was not that Elias, about whom he was queftioned ; and equally true, that he was * Matthew xi. 14, 15. John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi, 375 was that Elias, who was for to come. So Pa"^? ^^^• • rn ^^^- S" that there was no real inconfiftency be tween what Jefus faid of John, and what He had before faid of himfelf. But to the people, John and Jefus were well appriz ed, that in this there muft appear a plain contradidtion, fo long as they retained their prefent opinion of Elias. Nor could they therefore, if impoftors, have afferted any thing -of fo much confequence, in terms, which they knew, might be thought contradidtory to each other ; without at the fame time ufing fuch arguments, as ffiey muft have prepared for this veiy purpofe, to convince the Jews, that they had taken up a falfe opinion of that Elias, who was indeed to come before the arrival of the Meffiah. For. what could they expedt the people would think ; if they ffiould think at all upon the matter; concerning two preten ders to divine infpiration and authority ; who feemed to them plainly to contradidt each other ; and this too, in a point of no lefs importance, than the very nature Bb 4 of 376 The Divine Miffions of Part III. of that prophetic charadter, which One of them affumed ; and upon the reality of which, his evidence, in favour of the Other, depended .'' However this feeming contradidtion did, in fadt, pafs unobferved ; in the nature of the thing itfelf, it was very highly improbable, that both priefts and people ffiould all overlook it. Nor can any fuppofition be much more incredible, than this ; that two the moft -fubtil pre tenders to divine infpiration, ffiould deli berately refolve to run the hazard of fuch a feeming material contradiSlion ; and, for no end whatever, furniffi every one with fo ftriking an argument for rejedting them, as convidted impoftors. In ffiort, John, who replied to the em bafly of the priefts in fuch a manner, as, he knew, would appear to them to be a refufal of any of thofe charadters, in fome one of which, he likewife knew, the whole nation expedted the Mefiiah' s Forerunner to appear ; and yet did not fo much as in timate to them, that they themfelves had formed any erroneous expedtations about him J John Baptifi afid Jefius Chrifi. 377 him ; could not be the crafty affociate of a Part iil counterfeit Meffah, Nor could Jefus, vvho wor>-» exprefsly attributed fuch a title to John, as he knew might appear a plain contra didtion to the teftimony, that John had already given of himfelf; be a pretended Mefiiah, adting in concert with Jokn ; who was to prepare his way before him, by af- fuming the part of his Forerunner *. • Befides what has been faid, to fliew, that if John and JeJus had been impoftors, the One could not have refufed the charaaer of Elias, nor the Other have after wards attributed it to him ; without, at the fame time, entering into a particular explanation of the exaa cha raaer, which they meant by that name : it is well worth om: notice, that Jefus's manner of fpeaking, on this oc cafion ; " and, if ye ivill receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come ;" plainly fliews, that he thought the people would not believe John was the true Elias ; and yet at the fame time we find, that he took no pains to con vince them that he really was. What could be more op pofite than this to the neceflTary condua of an impoftor ? SEC- 378 The Divine Miffons of SECTION VI. Part III. /^ Q inconteftable does the divine in- €ea. 6. ^^ . . 1,/^VVJ t^ fpiration of John and Jefut appear, that there is fcarce a word or adtion re corded of the Former ; which, upon a clofer infpedtion, will not furniffi us with fome ftrong collateral proof of the inte grity of Both ; by multiplying the abfurdi ties, that muft follow, from fuppofing them to have been impoftors. The next day ; after the priefts and levites had been fent by the Sanhedrim, to enquire of John, who he was ; John feeth Jefus coming unto him, and faith ; behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the world *. And again, the next day after, John fiood, and two of his difciples; and looking upon Jeffs, as he walked, ke faith ; behold the Lamb of God -f-. Now h'Sid John and Jefus been decei vers, it is evident, that all fuch remarkable decla- *' John i. 29. f Ibid. 35, 36^ John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 379 declarations oi Either, concerning the pe- Part HL culiar divine charadter aiid office of the Other, muft have been firft fecretly agreed on between them ; wiffi a view of pro moting their reception, in thofe particu lar charadters, which they thought fit to afcribe, in this manner, to Each Other. And this obfervation is the more particu larly applicable to the inftance before us ; becaufe the very peculiar charadter here given to Jefus, by his affociate, made no part of any of thofe divine revelations, which were given out, as having pre ceeded, and accompanied his birth. So ffiat, as none of thofe prophecies were at all concerned in the cafe, which they might think themfelves under a neceffity to fulfill ; it muft have been merely the benefits they expedted to arife, from pub licly giving Jeffs this very remarkable ap pellation, that could induce them to agree to do it. Is it poffible then, that Johns unex pedted and repeated declaration, of this new part of Jefus's charadter, now before us. 380 Ihe Divine Miffions of Part III. us, could be agreed on between them, from the hopes of any advantages to be derived from it ? Could it be thought ca pable of inclining the Jews to receive Je fus the more readily for the true Mefiiah ? The charadter here afcribed to Jefus, that of the Lamb of God, which taketh away the Jin ofthe world; evidently and diredtly al luded to the daily facrifices offered up in ffie temple at Jerufalem, for the whole people ; as well as the reft of the fin-of ferings appointed In ffie Jewiffi law * - In all which the death oj the viBim was re prefented as the means, by which the Jin oi ffiofe, for whom it was offered, was taken away : for, in the Jewiffi law, with out fiedding of blood there was no remif fion -f. If therefore any notice ffiould be taken of this remarkable charadter, afcribed by ffie Baptift to JefiiS ; whieh, from its no velty it v/as highly probable there would ; as * See Lightfoot and Whitby on the place. Lewis's Heb. Antiq. h. iv. ch. 4. and 6. t Epiftle to the Hebrews ix. 22. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 381 as Johris repetition of it plainly ffiewed, ^f^^ F^' he was very defirous there might ; it was impoffible, for the Jews to put any other interpretation upon it, than tkis ; ffiat Je J'us was one day to be publicly put to deaths as an atonement for the fins of all. But was this fuch an account ofthe de fign of Jefus's coming into the world, as an impoftor could imagine, would make ffie Jews more ready to receive him, for their long promifed Meffiah? Or even, was tk'is fuch a cataftropke, as would cor refpond with the received interpretation of thofe prophecies, that had been given out concerning Jefus, at the time of his birth .? In particular, could Jefus imagine, ffiat the Jews would confider this as an accom pliffiment of that predidtion ; that he ffiould free them from all their enemies, and fit on the throne of his father David ? The contrary is too notorious to admit of queftion. How then was it poflible, that ^e falfe Forerunner of a pretended Mefiiah, could fet himfelf to inculcate into the people, fuch 38a The Divine Miffions of ?ART III. fuck an opinion concerning his Affociate's real charadter and defigns, as was alone fufficient, ffiould they believe it, to make them immediately reje6l him ? Or what could be more oppofite to every conceiv able defign, an impoftor could entertain ; and confequently, what more impoflible for an impoftor to do ; than to take pains to make the people believe, that the very motive and defign of all his adtions was, to procure himfelf to be put to death ? This furely, if any thing could be fo, muft have been impoffible ; and therefore, neither John, who afcribed tkis charadter and of fice to Jefus ; nor Jefus, whofe reception and fuccefs it fo immediately concerned ; could poffibly be a deceiver. SEC- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 383 T SECTION vn. H E evangeUfts have not exprefsly Part HI. informed us, how long John con- »/- befides have confidered, ffiat his own im- w'-v^^ prifonment and death, would probably ftrike fuch a panic into the people ; how ever zealous they had before been in his favour ; as would reftrain them from lif tening afterwards to Jefus ; or paying the fame regard, ffiey might otherwife have done, to his pretenfions. Nay noffiing was more probable, than that Johns public miniftry being put to fo ignominious an end, would even de ftroy that good opinion of John himfelf, which ffiey had hiffierto entertained ; and induce them to believe, that notwith ftanding his fair outfide, he could be no better ffian an impoftor. For by what ar guments could Jokn think it was poffible, that the Jews could perfuade themfelves, he was really fent to be the divine Fore runner of this triumphant Mefiiah ; when they ffiould have feen him feized, by Herod's order, imprifoned, and put to death ? Cc 2 Beside 388 The Divine Miffions of Part HI. Beside therefore John's regard to his own fuccefs, his liberty, and even his Ufe itfelf; which no impoftor can be thought defirous of expofing to certain deftruc- tion, for no reafon : his conneSlion wiffi Jefus ; if they were deceivers ; and the neceffary dependance of Both upon the mutual fuccefs and affiftance of Each Other ; muft unqueftionably have reftrain- ed John from provoking, at this time, ffie inveterate hatred of Herodias ; and draw ing on himfelf Herod's violent fufpicion and difpleafure. So ffiat the remarkable behaviour of John, in this important par ticular, and at fo critical a conjundture * ; affords • Here we cannot but take notice of a very remarkable particular in Jefus's condua, which is clofely conneaed with what has juft been confidered in John's, No fooner was Jefus informed, that Herod had thrown John into prifon ; than He quitted Judea, and went into Gallilee, (See Matthew iv. 12. to the end; and Mark i. 14. to the end : ) and traverfing it all over ; as well that part 'ofit, which was under Herod's ]\xnf&iSaoT\, as that un der Philip's ; (Matthew iv. 23. Mark i. 39.) he there be- . gan firft to preach continually to the people j ekaed feve ral of his difciples to accompany him wherever he went ; performed the moft aftoniftiing works ; and drew the at tention of the whole countiy upon him. But had 7e/K.r and the John Baptift and Jefus Chrift. 3 89 affords us one of ffie ftrongeft prefumptive ^'^'l "^* proofs imaginable, that neiffier He nor wOr->-» Jefus could poffibly be deceivers. the Baptift been affociate impoftors, nothing feems more improbable, than that JeJus ftiould fingle out this parri- cular time ; and the dominions of that particular prince, who had but juft then imprifoned his partner in the fame wicked impofture ; in order there firft to make try al of all his devices ,- procure more aflbciates; and, at tended by them, to draw the multitude about with him, from all parts of the country. In an impoftor, thii would have been voluntarily feeking the fame fate, that his forerunner had but juft experienced ; and in reality provoking Herod to put an end, at once, to all their joint machinations. But this is what no impoftor whatever «an be fuppofed defirous to have done. Cc 3 SEC 390 The Divine Miffons of SECTION VIII. Part IH. Sea. 8. N~^ O fooner was John caft into pri- _ fon, than Jefus began to preach in a more public, and folemn manner than before. Very foon after this, he feledted his twelve difciples, to accompany him wherever he went ; and excited the atten tion of the whole people, by heaUng all difeafes, and even raifing the dead to life. When behold, after fome time fpent in thefe employments, he was addreffed, before all the people, by a deputation from Jokn, For tke difciples of Jokn fijewed him all thefe things ; having accej's to him in prifon, where ke was ftill conftned. And Jokn calling unto him two of kis difciples, fent tkem unto Jefus, faying ; art Thou hc tkat ftjould come, or look we for another ? Wken tke men were come unto him, tkey faid ; Jokn Baptift kath fent us to thee, faying, art Thou he that ftjould come, or look we for another'^ And in tkat fame kour He cured John Baptift and Jefus Chrifi. 391 cured many of their infirmities and plagues. Part in. and of evil fpirit s, and unto many that were ,y->^^ blind he gave fight. Then Jefus anfwer ing faid unto them ; go your way, and tell John, what things ye have Jeen and heard: how that the blind fee, the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, the deaf hear, the dead are raifed, to the poor tke gofpel is preached. And bleffed is he, whofoever fiall not be off'ended in me *. Here we muft again recolledt, ffiat if John and Jefus were impoftors. Neither oi them could take any public ftep, that might at all affedt ffie credit of the Other, unlefs it had been before agreed on be tween them. Nor could they even agree to put in pradtice any contrivance of this nature, but fuch as they thought would ferve to impofe upon the people more ef fedtually, and eftabliffi their credit more firmly than before. Here ffierefore the queftion imme diately prefents itfelf; whether, if John and Jefus had been deceivers, this moft Cc 4 extra- * Luke vii. 18 — 23. 392 The Divine Miffions of Part III. extraordinary meffage from the Baptifi to vz-v*^ Jefus, could poflibiy be agreed oh be tween them, from any hopes of its pro moting the authority of Either ? If, on the contrary, the obvious, natural, and only poffible effedt of it muft have been, exciting the people to call in queftion the veracity of Both ; this unexpedted meffage will furniffi us with another convincing argument of the truth of Jefus's divine charadter, as well as that of his Fore runner. Could it then be the reputation of Jefus, which they were in hopes of ad vancing, by means of this public deputa tion from John ? Nothing can be more certain, than that the only probable effedt of this contrivance ; ffiould it have any effedt at all ; muft have been, to under- . mine, inftead of eftabUffiing and encrea- fing, whatever degree of credit Jefus had yet been able to acquire, John, we know, was at this time, in poffeffion of an efta bliffied and univerfal authority. Though the people had not agreed upon anyparticu-* la? John Baptifi and Jefius Chrifi. 393 lar divine charadler to afcribe to him ; all Part hl were thoroughly convinced that his cha- Uf'VNt radter was really divine ; all believed him to be a prophet ; and held him in the higheft efteem and veneration. Thus perfuaded of Jokn's divine cha radter, as both Jefus and he well knew the people were ; what influence muft They themfelves expedt it would have upon the general opinion oi Jefus, ffiould the people find John fending his own difciples, pur pofely to declare, as it were, in public, that John himfelf was not fatisfied of the truffi of Jefus's divine pretenfions ? It is ob vious, ffiat as far as John's authority could influence the opinion of the people, this ftep could only ferve to prevent any one from becoming a difciple oi Jefus, who was not fo already ; and to bring his af fumed charadter into fufpicion, even wiffi ffiofe, who were. Was it poffible then for this contri vance to have been agreed on, with a view tp encreafe the credit of John him felf? So far from it, that they muft cer- tainlj 394 -^^ Divine Miffons of Part HI. tainly have expedted, it would be attended with at leaft as fatal an influence upon his own reputation, as that oi Jefus. John had before pubUcly borne fuch pofitive and re peated teftimony, tq Jefus's divine nature, and particular ch.iraSier; that thofe of the dulleft apprehenfions might be ex pedted to CO"" den m him at once, for an evident and moft barefaced impoftor ; ffiould he now, after all, begin to pro- fefs himfelf, in the leaft, doubtful about him. He it vvas, who from the beginning had declared, that the law was given by Mfs; but grace and li'ufk came by Jesus Christ ¦¦'. He It was, who had long be fore cried out, more than once ; Behold the'LA'M.'Bof God, whicktaketkaway the fin of tke world. Tkis is we of wkom I faid, after me cometh a man, whick is preferred before me; for ke was before r,ie. And I knew him not ; but tkat ke fijouldbe made manifeft to IJ'rael : tkerefore am I come baptizing witk water. Ahd Jokn bare record, faying; I J'aw the Spirit * John i. 17. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 395 Spirit dejcending from heaven like a dove. Part hl and it abode upon him. And I knew him not : but he that Jent me to baptize with water, the fame faid unto me ; upon whom thou fijalt fee the Spirit dejcending, and re maining on him, THESAMEz.fHE who bap tizeth with the Holy Ghoft. And I J'aw and bare record, that this is the Son of God -j-. And he tkat believetk on tke Son hath everlafting life ; and he that believeth not the Son, ffall not Jee life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him -f. . After fuch peremptory and repeated declarations as thefe; which, if true, place Jefus's divine miffion and charadter be yond doubt ; but, if falfe, muft have been falfehoods, which Jokn, at ffie very time of declaring them, knew to be fuch ; af ter all thefe declarations, what opinion muft he now have expedted the Jews would form of his own integrity ; when, after all, they ffiould find him publicly declaring himfelf unfatisfied of the truth of Jefus's pretenfions .? And in no other fenfe * John i. 29—34. t Idem. iii. 36, 39^ The Divine Miffions of ^s^a s"' ¦^^"^^ whatever could they be expedted to c/'V^o interpret the queftion before us ; thus publicly put to Jefus, in Johns own name, and by his own difciples. John Baptift hath fent us to thee, faying ; art Thou he that ffould come, or look we for an ether? The only conclufion the people could be expedted to draw, from the ftrong ap pearance of a contradidtion of fo flagrant a nature ; in one, who had fo often pre tended to pronounce Jefus's divine cha radter, by adtual infpiration; was evi dently this : That Jokn himfelf had hitherto deluded them by his fpecious pretences ; and that He, and whoever was connedted with him, muft be an errant im poftor. This was fo obvious a confe quence of the meffage before us, ffiould it be taken notice of at all ; and ffiould it not, it could certainly do them no good ; that it muft have occurred to every one, and more efpecially to two fo artful de ceivers, upon the firft propofal of fuch a ftep. It John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 397 It is therefore utterly increffible they Part IIL could agree together beforehand, that John ffiould fend a deputation to Jefus, with fuch a meffage as This, Let us in vent as many fecret caufes as' we are able, to account for it; none can ever make it poffible to have been ffie contrivance of t^o pretenders to ffivine infpiration; af ter ffiat public and remarkable teffimony, which Jefus had already fo often received from John. After ffiat, the manifeft and diredt tendency of it could be no other, than to blaft effedtually ffie reputation of Both. Nay, could we even hit on any de vice, that might feem to anfwer the pur pofe, it would not be allowable to urge it : becaufe Jeffs s condudt, on this oc cafion, clearly ffiews, that, if he was an impoftor, he himfelf knew of none. Had they themfelves provided any cunning expedient for this end; Jefus would certainly have made ufe of it, im mediately after he had given his anfwer to the meffage itfelf; to prevent the people from 398 The Divine Miffions of ?art hi. from drawing from it the moft natural ,^V^ conclufions, to the utter difcredit both of John and Himfelf. No fooner v^ovXdJohris difciples have left him, to return to their mafter ; than we ffiould have found Jefus artfully preventing thofe fufpicious, that muft otherwife be expedted to fpring up, in the minds of many, who had heard the meffage deUvered; by infinuating fome plaufible pretence, to account for Johris fending his difciples, at this time, to make io ftrange an enquiry. But Jefus, on the contrary, alleged nothing of this kind. And though the doubting meffage, which the people had juft heard, could have no other effedt, than to make them conclude, that John was certainly unable to point out the true Meffiah, ffiould he adtually appear ; Jefus took this opportunity, whUe the found of John's meffage was fcarce out of their ears, to affert, that John was that very mef fenger, who was to go before tke Meffiah's face, to prepare his way before him ; and, if they would receive it ; he was Elias, which John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 39^ which was for to come. Adding, to clofe Part hl ffie whole wiffi ffie greateft folemnity; ^/-vO he that hath ears to hear, let him hear *. What conclufion now muft we be forced to draw, from a condudt, on both fides, in every refpedt fo unaccountable as this ? If indeed Jefus was ffie true Mef fah, and John his real Forerunner; all this is very poffible to have come to pafs. They, who were accompliffiing the eter nal counfels of God, by fulfilUng a variety of explicit prophecies ; in fuch a man ner, as to afford mankind the moft ample proof of their divine miffions ; and yet fo as to leave ffiem to their own voluntary and free convidtion ; it is tobe expedted, muft have condudted themfelves, on feveral oc cafions, in a manner not eafily to be ac counted for, by beings like ourfelves ; utterly unable to comprehend the whole nature of fuch amazing difpenfations. But if They were mere human impof tors ; who could adt upon no other views than thofe of human cunning only ; we may * Matthew xi. lo, 14, 15. 40 o The Divine Miffion^ of Part III. may be bold to affert, that John could not yy>^ at this time have fent fuch a meffage to Jefus ; nor Jefus have behaved thus to the people, upon receiving it, if he had. They ffiemfelves muft have ffiought, that this would have been no lefs thzn provoking the people to rejedt them, as undoubted im poftors. However, though this meflage could not be agreed on between John and JefuSj with any view to promote their joint cre dit, and conceal ffieir deceit ; it may be afked perhaps, might not John fend it with a contrary defign .? Jokn had now been imprifoned fome time, and there appeared no profpedt of his releafe. It may poflibiy be thought he began at length to be difgufted with an undertak ing, which had been the means of bring ing him into fuch a dilemma ; and could afford no hopes of extricating him from it. That, in confequence of this, he had refolved to obtain what he could for himfelf, by betraying that plot, in which he had fucceeded fo ill : and fent his dif ciples John Baptift a?id Jefus Chrifi. 40 1 ciples to deliver this fufpicious meflage to Part HI. JeJ'us, before the whole multitude; hopes of deftroying Jefus's credit, by means of his own more eftabliffied au thority. Or at leaft, it may in general be fup pofed, ffiat he did it out of refentment ; owing to fome mifunderftanding, that had arifen between them. And furely it is very far from impoffible, it may be faid, for impoftors to betray themfelves, by their quarrels with each other. But had John been at length defirous to obtain his own enlargement, and what other advantages he could, by betraying fo iniquitous an impofture ; inftead of taking fuch a method as this, to open the eyes of the people ; he would certainly have difcovered the whole plot, at once, to Herod himfelf; from whom every favour, he could hope for, muft be immediately derived. From the beginning He had borne witnefs to Jefus, as the true Mefiiah, in fo remarkable a manner ; that by what means D d fo- 402 The Divine Miffions of Part III. foever Jefus ffiould be convidted of im- £ea. 8 - \,/rff~f^ pofture ; John could not poffibly efcape the fame condemnation. It was therefore impoffible for Him, to be defirous of lead ing the people themfelves to convidt Je^ fus, without his appearing at all volun tarily concerned in betraying him ; for this evident reafon ; that He could then have had no merit to plead in the difco very ; nor any thing to expedt from it, but that condign puniffiment, which was due to him for kis own ffiare in the plot. Had Jokn therefore been defirous to be tray Jejus, Herod himfelf was the only perfon to whom he would have applied ; and to him he would have plainly con feffed the whole plan of their impofture ; in hopes of obtaining his own pardon, at leaft, if not fome reward. And thus, this remarkable meffage from the Baptifi to Jefus ; which, becaufe the motive, that really occafioned it, does not appear ; may at firft, perhaps, be con- * ceived as fome fmall objedtion to their credit ; approves itfelf, upon a clofer in fpedtion. Joljn Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 403 fpedtion, in every light it can be viewed ; Part IH, one of the mofi fatisfadtory, circumftantial v^-v^ proofs, of ffie integrity and divine charac ter of ffiem Both, which the gofpels afford. And wheffier we can point out thofe par ticular motives *, which adtually induced the true Elias, to fend his difciples, with fuch an enquiry, to the true Mefiiah, is an enquiry of no real importance at all; however it might gratify our curiofity to be able to folve the queffion. Since, In the meantime, it appears abundantly plain, that no fuch meffage could on any account have been fent from John to Jefus, had they in reaUty been no better than impoftors. • The chief caufes vvhich have been afligned, as what might probably induce the Baptift to fend his difciples to JeJus with this enquiry, may be feen, in Jortin's dif- courfes concerning the Ch. Rel. ch. 5. on John the Bap- tifi. — Macknight's Comm. to his Harmony, fea, 42, —Whitby, and Lightfoot, on Matthew xi. 3. Dd 2 .SEC- 404 '^he Divine Miffions of SECTION IX. Part IIL 'V^T O T long before Jefus's public mi- e . 9. ^^ niftry, and his life, were put an end to together, he made a folemn entry into Jerufalem, attended by great multitudes, and amidft the general acclamations of the people * ; in fo much that all the city was moved, faying, who is this f And going the next day Into the temple, he took upon him, to cafi out them that fold and bought in the temple ; and overtkrew the tables of the money-changers, and the feats ofthem that fold doves : and faid unto them, it is written, my 'houfe fijall be called tke houfe of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves \. It would have been wonderful indeed if the rulers had not taken umbrage at his prefuming to do this. And it came topafi, that on one of thofe days, as ketaugkt tke people in tke temple, and preached the gofpel ; the chief priefis, and fcribes, came upon * Matthew ch. 21. Markxi. Luke xxi. John xiii t Matthew xxi, 12, 13. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 405 upon him, with the elders, and fpake unto Part hi. him, Jaying ; tell us by what authority doefi ...or^- thou thefe things? Or who is he, that gave thee this authority f And he anfwered, and faid unto them, I will alfo afi you one thing, and anfwer me ; and I will tell you by wkat autkority I do tkej'e things * ; The baptifm o/" John, was it from heaven, or of men ? And tkey reajoned witk themfelves, faying, if we fijall fay from heaven,- he will fay, why then believed ye him not ? But and ij^ we fay, of men ; all tke people will fione us ; for tkey be perfuaded that Jokn was a prophet. And they anfwered, tkat tkey could not tell whence it was. And Jefus Jaid unto them, neitker tell I you, by wkat autkority I do thefe things •\. The remarkable tranfadtion now be fore us will ferve greatly to illuftrate the integrity both of John, and of Jefus ; by furnlffiing us with another ftrong argu ment to ffiew, that the various teftimo- nies of the Former, to the divine charac- Dd 3 ter * Mark xi. 29. t Lukexx. I, — S. 4o6 The Divine Miffions of . Part III. ter of the Latter, could not have arifen ^^/'>,fi.^ from any fecret impofture concerted be- , tween them ; and confequently, that no fuch impofture could exift. When Jefus took upon him to prohi bit all that trafficking in the courts of the temple, which the priefts and rulers had long permitted to be carried on there ; the leaft he could expedt was, that they would foon come to enquire of him, by what authorityhe pretended to do this, and from whom he derived it ? For this wasaf- fumlng apower, which none, whowerenot commiffioned from God himfelf, or au- thorifed by Them, had any right to exer cife. It was openly Invading tkeir par ticular province, and ftriking at their whole authority, even in the face of the people. Whatever then might be the chief de fign of Jefus in driving the traders out of the temple, in this authoritative method ; fince it was. In a manner, certain, that the Sanhedrim would at leaft fend him a de putation to make tkis enquiry, in confe quence of it; Jefus, if he was an ini- poftoij John Baptift and Jefus Chrift. 407 poftor, muft have determined what an- Part hi. Jwcr to give them, before he put his de- w'-yv-i fign in execution. The nature of the cafe will likewife inform us, in what manner an impoftor, in JeJ'us's fituation, muft have determined to anfwer them. He had now been a long time tiying to gain credit to his di vine pretenfions, and had at length made a kind of public entry into the city, amidft the general acclamations of ffie people. And with ffiem he was now in fo high efteem ; that though the chief priefts, and the fcribes, and the chief of the people, fought to defircy him ; they could not find what they might do ; for all tke People were very attentive to kear him *. But as the chief priefts, and rulers, were a veiy formidable body, and all ftill oppofed him ; ffiould he not be able to make good his claims, when publicly challenged, in their name, to vindicate them ; he had good reafon to expedt, that by degrees the good will of the people Dd 4 alfo * Luke xix. 47, 48. 4o8 The Divine Miffions of Part III. ^Ifo would be alienated from him. As, Sea. 9. vx-y-^ on the other hand, the more advantage- oufly he could fupport his divine autho rity, in tkis particular encounter; the more immoveably he was fure to attach the people in general to his interefts ; and the more likely to gain over even fome of the rulers themfelves, if that were pof fible, to favour his caufe. Thus circumftanced, Jefus, if an im poftor, could not have wiffied for a more defireable event, than to have the ckief priefis, and fcribes, and elders, come pu blicly to demand of him, by what autho rity he pretended to do, what he had done ? Nay, if he was an impoftor, we may now fee, that the bringing about tkis public enquiry into his divine commiffion, muft have been the very defign he had in view; in exercifing that unexpedted au thority, which upon this occafion he af fumed. Had he been a deceiver then, he would eagerly have feized this defireable opportunity, of his own irnmediate con triving- John Baptifi and Jefus Chrifi. 409 triving ; to have enlarged upon every cir- Part hl cumftance that could be alleged, in fup- v.^^— ' port of his. ^m??^ authority. He would have related particularly, all thofe aftoniffi ing revelations, and other wonderful cir cumftances, which had accompanied his con' aon and birtii. He would have re minded them, on how many occafions ffie blind ha,d, by his operation, received their fght ; the lame walked; the lepers been cleanfed ; the deaf been made to hear ; and even the dead themfelves been raifedup. And in particular, had he been an impoftor in confederacy with . John ; he would have urged to them, in the hear ing of the people ; who werfc all zealous difciples of the Baptifi.; and whofe di vine authority he knew ffie priefts could not dare to deny ; thofe repeated and ex phcit teftimonies, which Jokn had fo of ten borne to his divine charadter ; and in which he had even pofitively declared him to be the true Mefiiah. And now Ukewife, when he had worked up the people, by all the arguments he could al lege. 41 o The Divine Miffions of Part III. \qop to the greateft fervor in his caufe ; Sea. 9. o ' o n ^ v-V»s.. had he been an impoftor, he would im mediately have declared himfelf their Mefiiah and King ; and have commenced at laft one decifive ftruggle, to deter mine the fate of the whole impofture. What ffien muft we be forced to conclude, with regard to the true charac ter of Jefus; who even upon this pe culiar occafion, procured by his own means ; though poffeffed oi fuch tefti monies, to eftabliffi his divine authority, as he knew the chief priefts could neither invalidate, nor difpute ; would not, even at this time, produce any of them in his own defence ? How is it poffible we can believe him to have been the deceitful con federate of the Baptifi ; who, even on fo peculiar an occafion, decUned all appeal to John's authoritative teftimony; and would not avail \\imieli oi kis univerfal credit ? But did he not in fadt, it may be aflc ed, exprefsly put the prieft-s in mind of John the Baptift ? And might he not in tend John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 41 1 'tend this, as an appeal to John's teffimony Part HL in his favour ? — True indeed it is, that Je- "„^r\r^ fus did adtually remind the priefts of John the Baptifi : but it is no lefs true, that he did this in fuch a manner, as to make the juftnefs of our conclufion even ftill more apparent, than it could have been, had he not made ffie leaft mention oijohn. For inftead of reminding them of John, io as to make the leaft ufe of His teftimony, in his own defence; it is evident, he did it with no other de fign, ffian merely to procure himfelf an opportunity of making no defence at all. I will alfo aff you one thing, (faid Je fus) and anfwer me ; and I will tell you by what authority I do thefe things. The bap tifm o/~ John, was it from heaven or of men ? And they anfwered, that they could not tell whence it was. And Jefus faid unto them, neitker tell I you, by wkat authority I do thefe tkings. The manner in which, we fee, Jefus on this occafion made mention oijohn, proves to demonftration, that though he was by no 412 The Divine Miffi07is of Part HI. no means forgetful of that explicit evi-» Sea. 9 dence,' which Jokn had fo frequently borne in his favour ; yet that he was deter^ mined to make no advantage of it, for the eftabliffiment of his own divine charac ter ; even at that very conjundture, when' it would have been of the moft fignal femce to him, to allege it. Whereas, had Jefus been an impoftor in confede racy with Jokn ; Inftead of making ufe of the Baptifi s name, at this time, merely in order to procure himfelf an opportu nity to be filent ; he would certainly have infifted on Jokn's teftimony, with all the power of his eloquence ; to eftabliffi the people immoveably in their prefent fa vourable opinion of kis own divine miffion, and authority. And indeed, when we confider the wkole of this very remark able tranfadtion ; the reformation in the temple, which Jefus took upon him to make ; together with his anfwer to the chief priefts and rulers, when they came upon him to demand by what authority he pretended to do this ; it appears undeni ably. John Baptifi and Jefus Chrift. 413 ably, from that extraordinary manner in Part HL which he chofe to make mention oijohn, ^y^^ upon this very peculiar occafion ; that the Baptifi and Jefus could not poffibly be affociate deceivers; and confequently, that Jefus himfelf could be no lefs than the true Mefiiah, and John the Baptifi than his divine Forerunner. o-jb? 4)it'i. ¦¦.!--:Smi CON- 414 CONCLUSION; TH E enquiry, we at firft fet out on, is now brought to an end; and ffie defired conclufion eftabliffied, it is hoped, by every argument at firft pro pofed. But the peculiar .nature of the tranfadtions confidered, and the various circumftances neceffary to be attended to, in order to place every material particular in its true light, and effedtually clear up ffie point in debate ; have unavoidably drawn it out to an unexpedted length. It may not therefore, in the laft place, be improper to take a ffiort Iketch of the whole evidence produced, in fupport of the important point to be proved; that when confidered at once in a coUedtive view, every diftindl part may be allowed its due influence and weight ; and the cer tainty of the conclufion be judged of, by the joint evidence of the whole. To fliew the utter incredibility of any fuch impofture, as tkat in debate, no thing CONCLUSION. 41^ ffiing more can be abfolutely requifite, thari to prove one or other of the following points. Either ffiat ffie plot fuppofed is of fo abfurd a nature in itfelf; ffiat it is im poffible to believe it could ever be under taken. Or however, if we have not materials enough to prove ffiis ; that all the particular perfons concerned, were fuch, and fo circumftanced; that it can not be beUeved poffible for Them to have contrived, or engaged in fuels a defign. Or laftly, that the manner of conducing ffie plot fuppofed, certainly was, in fe veral important particulars during its pro grefs, fuch as it could not have been ; had the only perfons concerned really con fpired in the profecution oi fuch an im pofture. To trace out a fatisfadtory proof of Either of thefe points, may in many cafes, for want of information, be extremely dif licult; in many abfolutely impoffible. But in whatever inftance either of them fingly can be clearly, and diftlndlly made out; 4i6 CONCLUSION. out ; by comparing the feveral circum ftances of the cafe, with the moft obvi ous, and allowed principles of human na ture ; tkere our doubts mufi be at an end ; and the fufpicion of any impofture mufi unavoidably be given up. When therefore the cafe confidered proves fuch, that not one of thefe points onlv, but all of them can be eftabliffied togetker; when it can not only be made to appear morally impqfiible, for the plot in queftion to have ever been contrived; but likewife, for tkofe particular perfons, who alone are concerned, to have con trived it; and moreover, equally incre dible for Them, if they had, to have con dudted it in the manner it appears, from the fadts themfelves, to have been condudt ed : when All thefe points can be made good together; then we have the comple- teft proof of the impoffibility of the plot in queftion, that the nature of fuch points can be ever capable of admitting. And,^ in this cafe the mind cannot but acqui efce without hefitation, and reft perfedtly fatisfied v/ith the conclufion. Now CONCLUSION. 417 Now by Each of thefe feveral kinds of proofs have we been enabled to efta bliffi the truth and certainty of all thofe miraculous events, which ffie evangelifts have recorded of the nativities of John the Baptifi, and Jefus Chrifi. In ffie firft place, it was obvious, that ffie various aftoniftiing circumftances, faid to have accompanied ffie conception and birth of John, are in their own nature fo evidently miraculous ; that if ffiey really came to pafsj His appearance in the world, and the divine charadter he at length affumed, mufi have been the im mediate appointment of God> With re gard to thefe fadts ffierefore, the only point to be proved was, that they really came to pafs. In order to prove this, it was plainly ffiewn, from a multiplicity of abfurdi ties, which muft unavoidably attend the contrary fuppofition ; that they could nei ther be invented by Jefus, nor his dif ciples, nor any one elfe, after the death of JOHN; nor by John himfelf, or any Ee of 4i8 CONCLUSION. of his difciples, during his life. That feme of them, firom their very nature alone, muft affuredly have come to pafs, in the manner, and at the time related ; and, upon ffie whole, ffiat if any of them did not, oi* if ffiere was ffie leaft- deceit in ffie accounts of any of ffiem ; Zacharias and Elizabeth muft have been ffie original and real managers of ffie plot. The contrivance of the plot in quef^ tion being thus traced up, as high as Them ; in order to determine, wheffier They could really be the contrivers of it or not ; it was, in the next place, fully ffiewn, that, if fo, ffie defign they muft have been engaged in, could not be con fined to John only ; nor could They them felves be the only perfons concerned in carrying it on. But, that they muft at the fame time have been engaged in pro moting another, fimilar impofture, which related in like manner to Jefus ; and was the counterpart of that concerning John. And likewife, that Jofeph and Mary muft have CONCLUSION. 419 have been intimately connedted with Za- vharias and Elizabeth, in the joint profe cution of Both. The foundation of the whole further enquiry being thus laid ; ffie next point was to prove the incredibility of the ex-^ iftence of thefe Joint impoftors, in the manner firft propofed ; by confidering the tircumfiances and fituation of Each of thofe perfons ; who, it had already been clearly feen, muft have contrived, and carried them on. This argument therefore was the firft attended to. And after having purfued it through the feveral tracks, which gra dually opened to our view, it brought us at length to this decifive conclufion ; That the whole fuppofition of thefe Joint impoftures muft be given up, as in every particular abfolutely groundlefs; and falfe. For, from an attentive confideration of the moft material ' circumftances at tending Each of the perfons concerned ; but more efpecially, the advanced age, Ee 2 facred 420 CONCLUSION. facred profeffion, and exemplary cha- raSier, of Zacharias ; together with the youth, and innocence, and unfullied re putation, of Mary; and from thefe par ticulars, confidered jointly with the pro grefs of the fuppofed plots themfelves ; it has been fully made appear. That nei tiier Any of the Four perfons concerned, whether^«g"/>' or jointly ; nor All of, them together; could poffibly be the contri vers of ffie impoftures fuppofed. It has indifputably appeared, that neither Zacharias and Elizabeth, on one fide, nor Jofeph and Mary, on the other ; could feparately have planned out, either the Two joint impoftures, re lating to both parties ; or ffiat One, more immediately relating to each. And moreover, that even if it were credible, that Each ftde could have in vented their own more immediate plot ; it would ftill, above all, remain abfo lutely incredible, that Either fide could have attempted to make affociates of the Other ; as well as ffiat They could have been CONCLUSION. 421 been prevailed on, to engage with them, if ffiey had. So that,_ as the only perfons, at all concerned in ffie tranfadtions under con fideration, have plainly turned out to be fuch perfons, as could neither have con trived, nor undertaken, ffie impoftures in debate ; all fufpicion of any depelt in the cafe, muft from this argument alone fall at once to ffie ground : ffie miraculous events in queftion muft be acknowledged to have come to pafs, in the manner they are related : and ffie ckaraSlers of Thofe extraordinaiy Perfons, whofe births they accompanied, muft be fubmitted to, as unqueftionably divine. Having thus, in the Firft Part, fully proved the incredibUity of the impoftures in queftion, from confidering all the cir cumftances of the feveral Parties con cerned ; in the Second, we proceeded to eftabliffi the farae point, by another ar gument ; of no lefs real ftrength, and^ at the fame time, more obvious than the former. This was an illuftration of fe- Ee 3 veral 422 CONCLUSION. veral moft ftriking abfurdities, unavoid^ ably contained in the internal nature of the fuppofed impoftures themfelves. Under this head it very plainly ap^ peared, that the fuppofition of any deceit in the cafe before us, would indifpenfably oblige us to fuppofe the truth of feveral particulars, all in ffie higheft degree im-> poffible to be believed. As, for inftance, that an old, prac ticed, and moft fubtil deceiver, could plan out an impofture to be carried into execution by one particular perfon only ; and even venture to feign himfelf dumb^ for a long fpace of time, merely to pre pare the way for it ; not only while the very perfon, for whom it was contrived, remained yet unborn ; but likewife be fore he was even conceived; nay, and while the contriver himfelf had every reafon the thing could admit' of, for be lieving, that this perfon, for whom he was contriving all this iniquity, would never aSlually exift. That CONCLUSION. 423 That befides, ffiis fame veteran de^ ceiver ffiould do all this, for the fake oi fuch a plot, /(j contrived; as, after all, he could not have the leaft hope of ever bringing on the ftage ; unlefs he could firft infalUbly yor^M/, not only the future birth, but even the fex too, of a par ticular infant, even before it was con ceived. That moreover, he could delibe rately fix upon fuch a plan for his in tended impofture, as obliged him pub licly to foretell, under the pretence of being divinely infpired ; that a certain infant, then but a few days old, would affuredly live tUl above the age of twenty years. And befides, that the fame infant, when arrived at that age, would certainly appear in public, and exercife the feveral fundtions of a moft extraordinary divine charaSler; which, humanly fpeaking, it was in the higheft degree doubtful, from the nature of the charadler alone, whe ther He might either be able, or inclined E e 4 to 424 CONCLUSION. to counterfeit ; and ffie true Owner of which, it was Ukewife univerfally beUeved, would appear in tke mean time ; and effedtually deprive this fuppofed intended counterfeit of any opportunity to affume his part. From the confideration of thefe, and other no lefs incredible fuppofitions ; all neceffarily implied in the plots in quef tion ; the nature of the cafe led us next to point out, fome remarkable particu lars, which we meet with in the courfe of ffiefe tranfadtions ; which plainly ap peared impoffible to have happened, had there really been any impofture on foot. And here it was foon perceived, that had the interviev/s of the Angel with Zackarias, and Mary, been ficr- tions of their own contriving, to gain a favourable reception for their intended impoftures; unqueftionably the Angel would not have been reprefented, as pu- niffiing Zackarias in that particular man-r ner, in which Zacharias pretended to have been puniffied by him ; or indeed in any manner at all ; and yet at the fame tim? CONCLUSION. 425 time fuffering Mary to efcape without any viftble mark of his difpleafure. Here likewife, it appeared evident beyond all contradidtion, that the fur- prifmg relations of the Shepherds at Beth lehem ; the behaviour of Simeon and Anna in ffie temple ; and the appearance and condudt of ffie Wife Men from the Eaft j together wiffi ffie reception They met with from Herod himfelf; and that cruel maf facre, which immediately enfued upon ffieir departure; were all fo many afto nifhing events, which could not poffibly have come to pafs ; had Zacharias, and ffie Other Three perfons originally con cerned, been engaged in a joint impof ture. For it appeared abundantly evident, from a variety of confiderations ; that ffie feve ral perfons, who were the immediate ac tors in all thefe unlooked for events ; were fuch Perfons, as neither Zacharias, nor any concerned with him, could have attempted feducing, to take part with ffiem, in carrying on their defigns ; and fuch 426 CONCLUSION. fuch likewife, as could never have become their affociates, if they had. Thus ffie truth of all ffie miraculous circumftances recorded of the concep tions and births of John ffie Baptift and Jefus Chrift, were fully proved ; in the two firft parts of this enquiry ; by every kind of diredt argument, which ffie na ture of the fadts themfelves could idmit. Fcr in them it had been ffieWn, that nei ther were the Perfons concerned capable of confpiring together in the plot fup pofed ; nor was the plot itfelf even ca pable of being contrived, and entered into ; nor could feveral fteps, of ffie ut moft importance, which adtually took place, have been adopted ; had there re ally exifted any fuch impofture, as That, which muft be fuppofed. But to render the joint force of tha whole ftiU more irrefiftible ; and that no argument, with which the gofpels could furniffi us, to illuftrate fo important a point, might Ue negledted; the defign of the laft Part has been, to examine Into the CONCLUSION. 427 the behaviour of John and Jefus Them felves ; in thofe inftances, in which they mift have had in fecret, as well as thofe in which ffiey had an apparent connedtion with Each Other ; and which muft there fore tend to illuftrate ftill further our former conclufion, and their true ckaraSters and defigns. And upon ffiis enquiry into the rela tive condudt of the fuppofed Impoftors Themfelves ; it has appeared very plainly, in a variety of particulars, of ffie utmoft importance to ffieir caufe, to have been fuch, as it is utterly incredible they c&uld have adopted ; had the feveral aftoniffiing events, before confidered, been ftSliti-r ous ; and They Themfelves nothing more ffian mere human impoftors. For, in this Part, it inconteftibly ap peared, that in many, even the moft re markable particulars of their public con dudt towards Each Other, they adted in fuch a manner, as, to thofe, who had nothing more than human forefight to. judge by, muft have appeared the readieft way to obftrudt, and overfet their whole defign ; 428 CONCLUSION. defign ; and confequently, in a manner, in which no impofiors could poffibly have determined to adt. Here therefore it may be allowable to clofe the whole argument, with ffiat moft Important conclufion, the eftabliffi ment of which was its fole objedt and defign. By "prow'ingjointly, the truth ofthe pre tenfions oijohnihe Baptift, ^nd Jeffs Chrifi, to divine authority and infpiration ; as the very nature of the fadts to be enquired into, abfolutely require we ffiould; we have effedtually vindicated, by two di- fiinSl, though connedted proofs, the truth and certainty of the Divine Miffion of Jefus. For, firft, if John the Baptift cer tainly was, what it has fo inconteftably appeared he muft have been, the divine Forerunner of the long expeSled Meffiah ; fent purpofely to prepare his way before him, and point Him out to mankind j then muft Jefus ; whom John frequently in the moft public, and peremptory man ner CONCLUSION. 4^9 ner pronounced to be That divine Perfo- nage; unqueffionably have been the true Meffiah. And ffiough, from the firft entrance upon ffie argument, the order of the fafts to be enquired into, naturally led us to afcertain firft, ffie true charadter of ffie Baptift ; and by ffiis means the cir cumftances of Jefus's birth, which were equally furprifing, have been attended to in the fecond place only ; yet Thefe Two grand Events have proved all along fo ftrmlar to Each Other, and fo infeparably conneSled; that in eftabUffiing the truth of One, we have neceflarily confirmed the miraculous nature of Both. Tn^ fame confiderations, which have fo fully ffiewn, that no deceit can have been made ufe of, by Zacharias and Eli zabeth, in order to lay a foundation for the divine pretenfions of John; have proved likewife, at the fame time, that Jofeph and Mary could not poffibly forge any of thofe miraculous circumftances recorded of the birth of Jefus ; to pave the 430 CONCLUSION* the way for His future appearance undef the affunied charadter of the Mefiiah. And thus the Diijine Mifiion of Jefus Chrifi ftands firmly eftabliffied ; not only on the adequate, and indifputable, be caufe infpired, teftimony of John th^ Baptifi; but likewife, independantly of His witnefs, upon the unqueffionable truth and certainty of all thofe miracu^ lous events, which the evangelifts havd truly informed us accompanied His owit firft appearance in the world. So confpicuoufly do the divine dif penfations of perfedt wifdom and truth, diftingulfti themfelves from the ffiort- fighted fchemes of human artifice and de ceit. Plots of human cunning often ap pear fpecious at firft fight, and well con nedted together ; but, on a nearer in fpedtion, foon betray evident tokens of inconfiftency, falfehood, and difguife; While, on the contrary, the ftupendous plans of divine providence, appear, at a diftance, like a number of unconnedted^ and perhaps even interfering events ; but, CONCLUSION. but, when moft fcrapuloufly examined, never fail to manifeft the fupreme wif dom of their all-perfedl Auffior ; in that irrefiftible force of evidence ffiey all joint ly produce. 43^ FINIS.