bear the sword of justice; but rather submit to their decisions, as in effect the decisions of an allwise and good providence." Such is the signification of a passage perverted by tyranny and priestcraft into an engine which, for many ages, irresistibly held mankind in oppression, ignorance, and superstition*. • Some excellent remarks on this much perverted passage may be seen in Paley's Moral Philosophy, Vol. II. chap. 4. and in Mr. Hall's Answer to Clayton, section 3. CHAPTER XII. THE TESTIMONY OF JOSEPHUS IN FAVOUR OF JESUS CHRIST. No portion of ancient records, since the re vival of learning, has so much engaged the attention, or for a time so widely divided the opinion of learned men, as the celebrated passage, found in the Jewish Antiquities, concerning Jesus Christ. During a whole century it has been the subject of much dispute among the critics, Catholic and Protestant, in every country throughout Christendom; till at length those who agreed in nothing else, came to agree in this, that the passage is the forgery of some Christian of the third century: nor, perhaps, does there exist a learned man of any estimation in Europe, who thinks it the production of the great Josephus. The passage is to this effect. "And about this time existed Jesus, a wise man, if indeed he might be called a man: for he was the author of wonderful works, and the teacher of such men as embrace the truth with delight. He united to himself many Jews, and many among the Gentiles. This was the Christ: and those, who from the first had been attached to him, continued their attachment, though he was condeinned by our great men, and crucified by Pilate. For he appeared to them alive again the third day: and these, with innumerable other marvellous things concerning him, being foretold by the divine prophets. And the race, who from him still call themselves christians, have not fallen away."* . * Γίνεται δε κατα τουτον τον χρονον Ιησους, σοφος ανηρ, είχε ανδρα αυτόν λέγειν χρη, ην γαρ παραδόξων εργων ποιητης, διδασκάλος ανθρωπων των ήδονη ταληθη δεχομένων και πολλούς μεν Ιουδαίους, πολλους δε και του Ελληνικού επηγάγετο. ὁ Χρισος ουτος ην. και αυτον ενδείξεις των πρώτων ανδρων παρ ημιν, σαυρῷ επι τετιμηκο τος Πιλάτου, ουκ επαύσαντο διγε πρώτον αυτον αγαπης σαντες. εφανη γαρ αυτοις τρίτην έχων ήμεραν παλιά ζων, των θείων προφητών ταύτά τε και αλλά μύρια θαυμασια περι αυτου ειρηκότων, εις νυν των Χρισιανών από του δε ωνομασμένων ουκ επέλιπε το φύλον. A. J. lib. 18. c. 3. 3. I shall here quote a few instances, to shew in what manner the learned have spoken of this passage. "We conclude," say Warburton, Div. Leg. vol. i. p. 295, "that the passage where Josephus, who was as much a Jew as the religion of Moses could make him, is made to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, is a rank forgery, and a very stupid The arguments, which have led learned men to reject this passage as a forgery, are principally the two following.-No ecclesiastical writer before Eusebius, in the third century, has taken any notice of it. Justin Martyr, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, have passed by it in silence, which they would not have done, if a testimony so decisive in favour of Jesus Christ existed in the works of Josephus in their days.—The sentiments contained in it, are the sentiments of a one too." Dr. Priestley says, Early Opin. vol. i. p. 109. "The famous passage in Josephus concerning Christ, is not a more evident interpolation, than many in these epistles of Ignatius." The judgment of Mr. Gibbon is particularly worthy of notice: "The passage concerning Jesus Christ," writes he, vol. ii. c. 16. "which was inserted in the text of Josephus, between the time of Origen and that of Eusebius, may furnish an example of no vulgar forgery. The accomplishment of the prophecies, the virtues, the miracles of Jesus are distinctly related. Josephus acknowledges that he was the Messiah, and hesitates whether he should call him a If any doubt can still remain concerning this celebrated passage, the reader may examine the pointed objections of Le Febre, and the masterly reply of an anonymous critic, whom I believe to have been the learned Abbe de Longuerue." Daubuz has written a very learned treatise to prove the genuineness of the passage; which, with the letters that passed between the learned on this subject, is annexed to the second volume of Josephus, Havercamp's edition. man. christian, which Josephus was not: therefore such a paragraph could not have come from his pen. Lardner is the principal person in our own country, who has enforced these objections; and to his authority it is chiefly owing, that the passage is given up as a forgery.* The time, however, is at length arrived to reclaim it, as the genuine production of the Jewish historian, and to place its authenticity beyond the reach of contradiction till the end of time. It is then granted, that Justin, Origen, &c. have not cited the passage concerning Christ. But did not these fathers know, that Philo and Josephus are the historians and apologists of all the followers of Jesus under the name of Esseans? And have they made use of the authority of Josephus in regard to these? They certainly have not; nor have they even mentioned him as a christian writer. If then they passed over in silence the writings of this great man, in regard to all the disciples of Christ, is it to be wondered at, that they should not have noticed his testimony to Christ himself? Indeed, the Christian fathers during the three first centuries looked upon the writings of Josephus with the greatest dread and • Lardner's Works, vol. vii. p. 120. |