What has hitherto been collected from the ments, and undertook, by himself or his lieurecords of the Mussulman history, relates to tenants, fifty military enterprises. the twelve or thirteen years of Mahomet's From this time we have nothing left to acpeaceable preaching; which part alone of his count for, but that Mahomet should collect an life and enterprise admits of the smallest com- army, that his army should conquer, and that parison with the origin of Christianity. A his religion should proceed together with his new scene is now unfolded. The city of Me-conquests. The ordinary experience of human dina, distant about ten days' journey from affairs leaves us little to wonder at, in any of Mecca, was at that time distracted by the he- these effects: and they were likewise each asreditary contentions of two hostile tribes.sisted by peculiar facilities. From all sides, These feuds were exasperated by the mutual the roving Arabs crowded round the standard persecutions of the Jews and Christians, and of religion and plunder, of freedom and vieof the different Christian sects by which the tory, of arms and rapine. Beside the highly city was inhabited. The religion of Maho-painted joys of a carnal paradise, Mahomet remet presented, in some measure, a point of warded his followers in this world with a liberal union or compromise to these divided opinions. division of the spoils, and with the persons of It embraced the principles which were com- their female captives. The condition of Aramon to them all. Each party saw in it an bia, occupied by small independent tribes, exhonourable acknowledgment of the fundamen- posed it to the impression, and yielded to the tal truth of their own system. To the Pagan progress, of a firm and resolute army. After Arab, somewhat imbued with the sentiments the reduction of his native peninsula, the weakand knowledge of his Jewish or Christian fel-ness also of the Roman provinces on the north low-citizen, it offered no offensive, or very im- and the west, as well as the distracted state of probable theology. This recommendation pro- the Persian empire on the east, facilitated the cured to Mahometanism a more favourable re- successful invasion of neighbouring countries. ception at Medina, than its author had been That Mahomet's conquests should carry his reable, by twelve years' painful endeavours, to ligion along with them, will excite little surobtain for it at Mecca. Yet, after all, the prise, when we know the conditions which he progress of the religion was inconsiderable. proposed to the vanquished. Death or conHis missionary could only collect a congrega- version was the only choice offered to idolation of forty persons.+ It was not a religious, ters. "Strike off their heads! strike off all but a political association, which ultimately the ends of their fingers ! kill the idolaters, introduced Mahomet into Medina. Harassed, wheresoever ye shall find them!"§ To the us it should seem, and disgusted by the long Jews and Christians was left the somewhat continuance of factions and disputes, the in- milder alternative of subjection and tribute, habitants of that city saw in the admission of if they persisted in their own religion, or of the prophet's authority, a rest from the mise- an equal participation in the rights and liberries which they had suffered, and a suppres-ties, the honours and privileges, of the faithful, sion of the violence and fury which they had if they embraced the religion of their conquerlearned to condemn. After an embassy, there- ors. "Ye Christian dogs, you know your opfore, composed of believers and unbelievers,+tion; the Koran, the tribute, or the sword."|| and of persons of both tribes, with whom a The corrupted state of Christianity in the setreaty was concluded of strict alliance and sup-venth century, and the contentions of its sects, port, Mahomet made his public entry, and was received as the sovereign of Medina. unhappily so fell in with men's care of their safety, or their fortunes, as to induce many to From this time, or soon after this time, the forsake its profession. Add to all which, that impostor changed his language and his conduct. Mahomet's victories not only operated by the Having now a town at his command, where natural effect of conquest, but that they were to arm his party, and to head them with se- constantly represented, both to his friends and curity, he enters upon new counsels. He now enemies, as divine declarations in his favour. pretends that a divine commission is given him Success was evidence. Prosperity carried with to attack the infidels, to destroy idolatry, and it, not only influence, but proof. "Ye have to set up the true faith by the sword.§ ́ An already,” says he, after the battle of Bedr, early victory over a very superior force, achiev-" had a miracle shown you, in two armies ed by conduct and bravery, established the re- which attacked each other; one army fought nown of his arms, and of his personal charac- for God's true religion, but the other were inter. Every year after this was marked by fidels." Again; "Ye slew not those who battles or assassinations. The nature and ac- were slain at Bedr, but God slew them. If ye tivity of Mahomet's future exertions may be desire a decision of the matter between us, now estimated from the computation, that, in the hath a decision come unto you." nine following years of his life, he commanded his army in person in eight general engage p. 255. Mod. Univ. Hist. vol. i. lb. c. ix. p. 143 PART III. A BRIEF CONSIDERATION OF SOME Many more passages might be collected out of the Koran to the same effect. But they are unnecessary. The success of Mahometanism during this, and indeed every future period of its history, bears so little resemblance to the early propagation of Christianity, that no inference whatever can justly be drawn from it to the prejudice of the Christian argument. For, what are we comparing? A Galilean peasant accompanied by a few fishermen, with a conqueror at the head of his army. We compare Jesus without force, without power, without support, without one external circumstance of attraction or influence, prevailing against the prejudices, the learning, the hierarchy, of his country; against the ancient religious opinions, the pompous religious The Discrepancies between the several Gospels. rites, the philosophy, the wisdom, the autho POPULAR OBJECTIONS. CHAPTER I rity, of the Roman empire, in the most polish- I KNOW not a more rash or unphilosophica ed and enlightened period of its existence; conduct of the understanding, than to reject with Mahomet making his way amongst Arabs; the substance of a story, by reason of some dicollecting followers in the midst of conquests versity in the circumstances with which it is and triumphs, in the darkest ages and coun-related. The usual character of human testries of the world, and when success in arms timony is substantial truth under circumstannot only operated by that command of men's tial variety. This is what the daily experiwills and persons which attends prosperous un-ence of courts of justice teaches. When acdertakings, but was considered as a sure tes-counts of a transaction come from the mouths timony of divine approbation. That multi- of different witnesses, it is seldom that it is tudes, persuaded by this argument, should join not possible to pick out apparent or real inthe train of a victorious chief; that still greater consistencies between them. multitudes should, without any argument, sistencies are studiously displayed by an adThese inconbow down before irresistible power; is a con- verse pleader, but oftentimes with little imduct in which we cannot see much to surprise pression upon the minds of the judges. On us; in which we can see nothing that resem- the contrary, a close and minute agreement bles the causes by which the establishment of induces the suspicion of confederacy and fraud. Christianity was effected. When written histories touch upon the same The success, therefore, of Mahometanism, scenes of action, the comparison almost alstands not in the way of this important con- ways affords ground for a like reflection. Nuclusion; that the propagation of Christianity, merous, and sometimes important, variations in the manner and under the circumstances in present themselves; not seldom also, absowhich it was propagated, is an unique in the lute and final contradictions; yet neither one history of the species. A Jewish peasant over-nor the other are deemed sufficient to shake threw the religion of the world. the credibility of the main fact. The embassy I have, nevertheless, placed the prevalency of the Jews to deprecate the execution of of the religion amongst the auxiliary argu- Claudian's order to place his statue in their ments of its truth; because, whether it had temple, Philo places in harvest, Josephus in prevailed or not, or whether its prevalency can seed-time; both contemporary writers. No or cannot be accounted for, the direct argu-reader is led by this inconsistency to doubt, ment remains still. It is still true that a great whether such an embassy was sent, or whether number of men upon the spot, personally con- such an order was given. Our own history nected with the history and with the Author supplies examples of the same kind. In the of the religion, were induced by what they account of the Marquis of Argyle's death, in heard, and saw, and knew, not only to change the reign of Charles the Second, we have a their former opinions, but to give up their very remarkable contradiction. Lord Clarentime, and sacrifice their ease, to traverse seas don relates that he was condemned to be hangand kingdoms without rest and without weari-ed, which was performed the same day; on ness, to commit themselves to extreme dan- the contrary, Burnet, Woodrow, Heath, Echgers, to undertake incessant toils, to undergo ard concur in stating that he was heheaded; grievous sufferings, and all this, solely in con- and that he was condemned upon the Saturday, sequence, and in support, of their belief of and executed upon the Monday. Was any facts, which, if true, establish the truth of the reader of English history ever sceptic enough religion, which, if false, they must have known to raise from hence a question, whether the Marquis of Argyle was executed or not? Yet to be so. See Biog. Britann this ought to be left in uncertainty, according| This particular design may appear someto the principles upon which the Christian his- times, but not always, nor often. Thus, I tory has sometimes been attacked. Dr. Mid- think that the particular design which Saint dleton contended, that the different hours of Matthew had in view whilst he was writing the day assigned to the crucifixion of Christ, the history of the resurrection, was to attest by John and by the other evangelists, did not the faithful performance of Christ's promise to admit of the reconcilement which learned men his disciples to go before them into Galilee ; had proposed: and then concludes the discus- because he alone, except Mark, who seems to sion with this hard remark; "We must be have taken it from him, has recorded this proforced, with several of the critics, to leave the mise, and he alone has confined his narrative difficulty just as we found it, chargeable with all to that single appearance to the disciples which the consequences of manifest inconsistency."* fulfilled it. It was the preconcerted, the great But what are these consequences? By no means and most public manifestation of our Lord's the discrediting of the history as to the prin- person. It was the thing which dwelt upon cipal fact, by a repugnancy (even supposing Saint Matthew's mind, and he adapted his that repugnancy not to be resolvable into dif- narrative to it. But, that there is nothing in ferent modes of computation) in the time of Saint Matthew's language, which negatives the day in which it is said to have taken place. other appearances, or which imports that this A great deal of the discrepancy, observable his appearance to his disciples in Galilee, in in the Gospels, arises from omission; from a pursuance of his promise, was his first or only fact or a passage of Christ's life being noticed appearance, is made pretty evident by Saint by one writer, which is unnoticed by another. Mark's Gospel, which uses the same terms conNow, omission is at all times a very uncertain cerning the appearance in Galilee as Saint Matground of objection. We perceive it, not only thew uses, yet itself records two other appearin the comparison of different writers, but even ances prior to this: "Go your way, tell his in the same writer, when compared with him- disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you self. There are a great many particulars, and into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said some of them of importance, mentioned by Jo- unto you." (xvi. 7.) We might be apt to infer sephus in his Antiquities, which, as we should from these words, that this was the first time have supposed, ought to have been put down they were to see him: at least, we might inby him in their place, in the Jewish Wars.+ fer it, with as much reason as we draw the Suetonius, Tacitus, Dio Cassius, have, all inference from the same words in Matthew : hree, written of the reign of Tiberius. Each yet the historian himself did not perceive that has mentioned many things omitted by the he was leading his readers to any such conclurest, yet no objection is from thence taken sion; for, in the twelfth and two following to the respective credit of their histories. We verses of this chapter, he informs us of two have in our own times, if there were not some-appearances, which, by comparing the order of thing indecorous in the comparison, the life of an eminent person, written by three of his friends, in which there is very great variety in the incidents selected by them; some apparent, and perhaps some real contradictions; yet without any impeachment of the substantial truth of their accounts, of the authenticity of the books, of the competent information or general fidelity of the writers. events, are shown to have been prior to the appearance in Galilee. "He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country: and they went and told it unto the residue, neither believed they them: afterwards he appeared unto the eleven, as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen." Probably the same observation, concerning the particular design which guided the historian, may be of use in comparing many other passages of the Gospels. CHAPTER II. But these discrepancies will be still more numerous, when men do not write histories but memoirs; which is perhaps the true name and proper description of our Gospels: that is, when they do not undertake, nor ever meant to deliver, in order of time, a regular and complete account of all the things of importance, which the person, who is the subject of their history, did or said; but only, out of many similar ones, to give such passages, or such ac- Erroneous Opinions imputed to the Apostles. tions and discourses, as offered themselves more immediately to their attention, came in the A SPECIES of candour which is shown toway of their inquiries, occurred to their recol-wards every other book, is sometimes refused lection, or were suggested by their particular to the Scriptures; and that is, the placing design at the time of writing. of a distinction between judgment and testimony. We do not usually question the credit Middleton's Reflections answered by Benson, Hist. of a writer, by reason of an opinion he may Christ. vol. iii. p. 50. Lardner, part i. vol. ii. p. 735, et seq. 1 Ibid. p. 743. have delivered upon subjects unconnected with his evidence; and even upon subjects connect ed with his account, or mixed with it in the same discourse or writing, we naturally separate facts from opinions, testimony from observation, narrative from argument. enables us now to perceive. To those whe think that the Scriptures lead us to believe, that the early Christians, and even the apostles, expected the approach of the day of judg ment in their own times, the same reflection will occur, as that which we have made with respect to the more partial, perhaps, and temporary, but still no less ancient, error concern. ing the duration of Saint John's life. It was an error, it may be likewise said, which would effectually hinder those who entertained it from acting the part of impostors. The difficulty which attends the subject of the present chapter, is contained in this question; If we once admit the fallibility of the apostolic judgment, where are we to stop, or in what can we rely upon it? To which question, as arguing with unbelievers, and as arguing for the substantial truth of the Christian history, and for that alone, it is competent to the advocate of Christianity to reply, Give me the apostle's testimony, and I do not stand in need of their judgment; give me the facts, and I have complete security for every conclusion I want. To apply this equitable consideration to the Christian records, much controversy and much objection has been raised concerning the quotations of the Old Testament found in the New; some of which quotations, it is said, are applied in a sense, and to events, apparently different from that which they bear, and from those to which they belong in the original. It is probable to my apprehension, that many of those quotations were intended by the writers of the New Testament as nothing more than accommodations. They quoted passages of their Scripture, which suited, and fell in with, the occasion before them, without always undertaking to assert, that the occasion was in the view of the author of the words. Such accommodations of passages from old authors, from books especially which are in everyone's hands, are common with writers of all countries; but in none, perhaps, were more to be expected than in the writings of the Jews, whose literature was almost entirely confined to their But, although I think that it is competent Scriptures. Those prophecies which are al- to the Christian apologist to return this anleged with more solemnity, and which are ac-swer; I do not think that it is the only ancompanied with a precise declaration, that they swer which the objection is capable of receiv. originally respected the event then related, are, ing. The two following cautions, founded, I I think, truly alleged. But were it otherwise, apprehend, in the most reasonable distinctions, is the judgment of the writers of the New will exclude all uncertainty upon this head Testament, in interpreting passages of the Old, which can be attended with danger. or sometimes, perhaps, in receiving established interpretations, so connected either with their veracity, or with their means of information concerning what was passing in their own times, as that a critical mistake, even were it clearly made out, should overthrow their historical credit ?-Does it diminish it ?-Has it any thing to do with it? First, to separate what was the object of the apostolic mission, and declared by them to be so, from what was extraneous to it, or only incidentally connected with it. Of points clearly extraneous to the religion, nothing need be said. Of points incidentally connected with it, something may be added. Demoniacal posses.. sion is one of these points: concerning the reali Another error imputed to the first Christi- ty of which, as this place will not admit the ex. ans, was the expected approach of the day of amination, or even the production of the argu. judgment. I would introduce this objection ment on either side of the question, it would by a remark upon what appears to me a some- be arrogance in me to deliver any judgment. what similar example. Our Saviour, speak- And it is unnecessary. For what I am coning to Peter of John, said, “If I will that he cerned to observe is, that even they who think tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" it was a general, but erroneous opinion, of These words, we find, had been so misconstru- those times; and that the writers of the New ed, as that a report from thence "went abroad Testament, in common with other Jewish writamong the brethren, that that disciple shoulders of that age, fell into the manner of speaknot die." Suppose that this had come down ing and of thinking upon the subject which to us amongst the prevailing opinions of the then universally prevailed, need not be alarmearly Christians, and that the particular cir-ed by the concession, as though they had any cumstance, from which the mistake sprang, thing to fear from it, for the truth of Chrishad been lost (which, humanly speaking, was tianity. The doctrine was not what Christ most likely to have been the case,) some, at this day, would have been ready to regard and quote the error, as an impeachment of the whole Christian system. Yet with how little justice such a conclusion would have been drawn, or rather such a presumption taken up, the information which we happen to possess Juhn xxi. 22. brought into the world. It appears in the Christian records, incidentally and accidental. ly, as being the subsisting opinion of the age and country in which his ministry was exercised. It was no part of the object of his revelation, to regulate men's opinions concerning the action of spiritual substances upon animal bodies At any rate it is unconnected with testimony. If a dumb person was by a word H restored to the use of his speech, it signifies sentiments and doctrines relating to the Deity. little to what cause the dumbness was ascrib- Undoubtedly, also, our Saviour recognises the ed; and the like of every other cure wrought prophetic character of many of their ancient upon those who are said to have been possessed. writers. So far, therefore, we are bound as The malady was real, the cure was real, whe-Christians to go. But to make Christianity ther the popular explication of the cause was answerable with its life, for the circumstantial well founded or not. The matter of fact, the truth of each separate passage of the Old Tes change, so far as it was an object of sense or tament, the genuineness of every book, the inof testimony, was in either case the same. formation, fidelity, and judgment, of every Secondly, that, in reading the apostolic writ- writer in it, is to bring, I will not say great, ings, we distinguish between their doctrines but unnecessary difficulties, into the whole sysand their arguments. Their doctrines came tem. These books were universally read and to them by revelation properly so called; yet received by the Jews of our Saviour's time.in propounding these doctrines in their writ-He and his apostles, in common with all other ings or discourses, they were wont to illustrate, Jews, referred to them, alluded to them, used support, and enforce them, by such analogies, them. Yet, except where he expressly ascribes arguments, and considerations as their own a divine authority to particular predictions, I thoughts suggested. Thus the call of the Gen-do not know that we can strictly draw any contiles, that is, the admission of the Gentiles to clusion from the books being so used and apthe Christian profession without a previous plied, beside the proof, which it unquestionasubjection to the law of Moses, was imparted bly is, of their notoriety and reception at that to the apostles by revelation, and was attested time. In this view, our Scriptures afford a by the miracles which attended the Christian ministry among them. The apostles' own assurance of the matter rested upon this foundation. Nevertheless, Saint Paul, when treating of the subject, offers a great variety of topics in its proof and vindication. The doctrine itself must be received: but it is not necessary, in order to defend Christianity, to defend the propriety of every comparison, or the validity of every argument, which the apostle has brought into the discussion. The same observation applies to some other instances; and is, in my opinion, very well founded: "When divine writers argue upon any point, we are always bound to believe the conclusions that their reasonings end in, as parts of divine revelation: but we are not bound to be able to make out, or even to assent to, all the premises made use of by them, in their whole extent, unless it appear plainly, that they affirm the premises as expressly as they do the conclusions proved by them." CHAPTER III. valuable testimony to those of the Jews. But the nature of this testimony ought to be understood. It is surely very different from, what it is sometimes represented to be, a specific ratification of each particular fact and opinion; and not only of each particular fact, but of the motives assigned for every action, together with the judgment of praise or dispraise bestowed upon them. Saint James, in his Epistle,+ says, "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord." Notwithstanding this text, the reality of Job's history, and even the existence of such a person, has been always deemed a fair subject of inquiry and discussion amongst Christian divines. Saint James's authority is considered as good evidence of the existence of the book of Job at that time, and of its reception by the Jews; and of nothing more. Saint Paul, in his Second Epistle to Timothy,+ has this similitude: "Now, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth." These names are not found in the Old Testament. And it is uncertain, whether Saint Paul took them from some apocryphal writing "In the doctrine, for example, of the unity, the The Connexion of Christianity with the Jewish eternity, the omnipotence, the omniscience, the omni History. presence, the wisdom, and the goodness of God; in their opinions concerning providence, and the creation, preservation, and government of the world." Campbell on UNDOUBTEDLY our Saviour assumes the di- Mir. p. 207. To which we may add, in the acts of their vine origin of the Mosaic institution: and, in- impurities: in the religion itself being free from a species religion not being accompanied either with cruelties or dependently of his authority, I conceive it to of superstition which prevailed universally in the popu be very difficult to assign any other cause for found perhaps in all religions that have their origin in lar religions of the ancient world, and which is to be the commencement or existence of that insti-human artifice and credulity, viz. fanciful connexions be tution; especially for the singular circumstance of the Jews' adhering to the unity, when eve. ry other people slid into polytheism, or their being men in religion, children in every thing else; behind other nations in the arts of peace and war, superior to the most improved in their Burnet's Expos. art. 6 tween certain appearances and actions, and the destiny + Chap, v. 11 |