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chain of our irregular affections at once, y tour amendment cannot be fecured without the grace of God, the prayers of good men. the help of the brethren, and our own fincere repentance, and conftant care. It is a good thing not to fin at all, it is also good, having finned, to repent; as it is beft to have health always but it is a good thing to recover from a diffemper. To God be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

END OF THE WRITINGS OF JOSEPHUS.

THREE DISSERTATIONS,

CONCERNING

JESUS CHRIST, JOHN THE BAPTIST, JAMES THE JUST, AND GOD'S COMMAND TO ABRAHAM, &c. &c.

DISSERTATION 1.

The TESTIMONIES of JOSEPHUS concerning JESUS CHRIST, JOHN the Baptist, and JAMES the Just, vindicated.

SIN

INCE we meet with feveral important teftimonies in Jofephus, the Jewish hiftorian concerning JOHN the Baptift, the forerunner of JESus of Nazareth, concerning Jefus of Nazareth himself, and concerning JAMES the Juft, the brother of Jefus of Nazareth; and fince the principal teftimony, which is that concerning of Jefus of Nazareth himfelf, has of late been greatly queftioned by many, and rejected by fome of the learned as fpurious, it will be fit for me, who have ever declared my firm belief that these teftimonies were genuine, to fet down fairly fome of the original evidence, and citations," I have met with in the first fifteen centuries concerning them, and then to make proper obfervations upon that evidence, for the reader's more complete satisfaction

But before I produce the citations themselves out of Jofephus, give me leave to prepare the reader's attention, by fetting down the fentiments of perhaps the most learned perfon, and the most competent judge that ever was, as to the authority of Josephus, I mean of Joseph Scaliger in the Prolegomena to his book De Emendatione Temporum, p. 17. Jofephus is the most diligent and the greateft lover of truth of all writers; nor are we afraid to affirm of him, that it is more fafe to believe him, not only as to the affairs of the Jews, but also as to those that are foreign to them, than all the Greek and Latin writers, and this, because his fidelity and his compafs of learning are every where confpicuous."

The ancient CITATIONS of the TESTIMONIES of JOSEPHUS,

from his own time til the end of the fifteenth century.

About A. D. 110. Tacit. Annal. lib. xv. cap. 44-NERO, in order to ftiAle the rumor, [as if he himself had fet Rome on fire] afcribed it to those people who were hated for their wicked practices, and called by the vulgar, Chriftians: thefe he punished exquifitely. The author of this name was Chrift, who, in the reign of Tiberius, was brought to punishment by Pontius Pilate the procurator.

About A. D. 147. Just. Mart. Dialog. cum Trypho, p. 230-Your [Jews] knew that Jefus was rifen from the dead, and afcended into heaven, as the prophecies did foretel was to happen.

About A. D. 230. Origen. Comment. in Matth. p. 234.-This James was of fo thining a character among the people, on account of his rightcoufnefs, that Flavius Jofephus, when, in his twentieth book of the VOL. III. TS

Jewish antiquities, he had a mind to fet down what was the cause why the people fuffered fuch miferies till the very holy houfe was demolith ed, he faid, that thefe things befel them by the anger of God, on account of what thy had dared to do to James the brother of Jesus, who was called Chrift; And wonderful it is that while he did not receive Jefus for Chrift, he did nevertheless bear witnefs that James was fo righteous a man. He fays farther, that the people thought that they fuffered these things for the fake of James.

About 4. D. 20. Contr. Cel. lib. i. 35, 36.-I would-fay to Celsus, who perfonates a Jew, that adinitted of John the Baptift, and how he baptized Jefus, that one who lived but a little while after John and Jefus, wrote, how that John was a baptizer unto the remillion of fins: For Jofephus teftifies in the eighteenth book of Jewish antiquities, that John was the Baptift and that he promifed purification to thofe that were baptized. The fame Josephus also, although he did not believe in Jefus as Chrift, when he was enquiring after the cause of the deftruction of Jerusalem, and of the demolition of the temple, and ought to have said, that their machinations against Jefus were the caufe of thofe miferies coming on the people, because they had flain that Chrift, - who was foretold by the prophets, he, though as it were unwillingly and yet as one not remote from the truth, says, "Thefe miferies befel the Jews by way of revenge for James the Juft, who was the brother of Jefus, that was called Christ, becaufe they had flain him who was a molt righteous perfon. Now this James was he whom that genuine difciple of Jefus, Paul, faid he had seen as the Lord's brother ; [Gal. i. 19.] which relation implies not fo much nearnefs of blood, or the famenets of education, as it does the agreement of manners and preaching. If therefore he lays the defolation of Jerusalem befel the Jews for the sake of James, with how much greater reafon might he have faid, that it happened for the fake of Jefus ? &c.

About A. D. 324 Eufeb, Demonftr Evan. lib. iii. p. 124.-Certainly the atteftation of thote I have already produced concerning our Savlour may be fufficient. However, it may not be amifs if, over and above, we make ufe of Josephus the Jew for a farther witnefs; who, in the eighteenth book of his antiquities, when he was writing the hiftory of what happened under Pilate, makes mention of our Saviour in thefe words: Now there was about this time, Jefus, a wife inan, if it be lawjul to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of fuch men as had a veneration for truth; he drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles: He was the Chrift. And when Pilate, at the fuggeftion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forfake him, for he appeared unto them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had fpoken of thefe, and ten thoufand other wonderful things concerning hini; whence the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." If therefore we have this historian's teftimony, that he not only brought over to himself the twelve apoftles with the feventy difciples, but many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles alfo, he must manifeftly have had fomewhat in him extraordinary above the rest of mankind; for how otherwife could he draw over fo many of the Jews, and of the Gentiles, unless he performed admirable and amazing works, and ufed a method of teaching that was net common? Moreover, the fcripture of the Acts of the Apoftles bears witnefs, that there were many ten thoufands of Jews, who were perfunded, that he was the Chrift of God, who was foretold by the prophets [Acts xxi. 20.]

About A. D 330. Hift. Ecclef. lib. i. cap 11.-Now the divine fcripture. f the gofpels makes mention of John the Baptift, as having his head cut off by the younger Herod. Josephus alfo concurs in this hiftory, And makes mention of Herodias by name, as the wife of his brother.

whom Herod had married, upon divorcing his former lawful wife. She was the daughter of Aretas, king of the Petrean Arabians; and which Herodias he had parted from her husband while he was alive à On which account also, when he had flain John, he made war with Aretas, [Aretas made war with him] becaufe his daughter had been used dishonorably: In which war, when it came to a battle, he fays, that all Herod's army was deftroyed, and that he suffered this because of his wicked contrivance against John. Moreover the fame Jofephus, by ac knowledging John to have been a moft righteous man, and the Baptift, confpires in his teftimony with what is written in the gofpels. He alfo relates, that Herod loft his kingdom for the fake of the fame Herodias,, together with whom he was himfelf condemned to be banished to Vien na, a city of Gaul And this is his account in the eighteenth book of the antiquities, where he writes this of John verbatim : “Some of the Jews thought that the deftruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very juftly, as a punishment for what he did against John that was called the Baptift, for Herod flew him, who was a good man, and one that comnianded the Jews to exercife virtue, both as to righteousnels towards one another, and piety towards God, and fo to come to baptifm. for that by this means the wathing [with water] would ap pear acceptable to him, when they made ufe of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remiffion of fome fins [only] but for the purification of the body, fuppofing ftill that the foul were thoroughly purified beforehand by righteoufnefs Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were greatly delighted in hearing his words, Herod was afraid that this fo great power of perfuading men might tend to fome fedition or other, for they feemed to be dif pofed to do every thing he should advise them to, fo he fuppofed it better to prevent any attempt for a mutation from him, by cutting him off, that after fuch mutation fhould be brought about, and the public should fuffer, to repent [of fuch negligence. Accordingly he was fent a prifoner, out of Herod's fufpicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death When Jofe phus had faid this of John, he makes mention alfo of our Saviour in the fame history, after this manner: "Now there was about this time, one Jefus, a wife man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of fuch men as receive the truth with pleafure; he drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles: alfo he was the Chrift. And when Pilate, at the fuggeftion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, thofe that loved him at the firft, did not forfake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day as the divine prophets had foretold, thefe and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And ftill the tribe of Chriftians, fo named from him, are not extinct at this day." And lince this writer, fprung from the Hebrews themselves, hath delivered these things above in his own work, concerning John the Baptift and our Saviour, what room is there for any farther evafion? &c.

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Now James was fo wonderful a perfon, and was fo celebrated by all others for righteoufnefs, that the judicious. Jews thought this to have been that occafion of that fiege of Jerufalem, which came on prefently after his martyrdom, and that it befel them for no other reafon, than that impious fact they were guilty of against him Jofephus therefore did not refufe to atteft thereto in writing by the words following: Thefe miferies befel the Jews by way of revenge for James the Juft, ho was the brother of Jefus that was called Chrift, on this account that they had flain him who was a moft righteous perfon."

The fame Jofephus declares the manner of his death in the twentieth book of the antiquities, in thefe words: Cefar fent Albinus into Judea to be procurator, when he had heard that Fefs was dead. Now Ananus junior, who, as we faid had been admitted to the high

priesthood, was in his temper bold and daring in au extraordinary manner. He was alfo of the fect of the Sadducees, who are more favage in judgment than the other Jews, as we have already fignified. Since therefore this was the character of Ananus, he thought he had now a proper opportunity [to exercife his authority] becaufe Festus was dead and Albinus was but upon the road; fo he affembles the fanhedrim of judges, and brings before them James, the brother of Jefus who was called Chrift, and fome others [of his companions] and when he had formed an accufation against them, as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be ftoned: But as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and those who were the most uneafy at the breach of the laws, they difliked what was done. They also fent to the King [Agrippa] defiring him to fend to Ananus that he fhould act fo no more for that what he had already done could not be justified," &c. About A. D. 360. Ambrofe or Hegessippus de Excid. Urb. Hierofolym. lib. i. cap. 12. We have difcovered that it was the opinion and belief of the Jews, as Jofephus affirms, [ho is an author not to be rejected, when he writes against himself], that Herod lost his army, not by the deceit of men but by the an er of God, and that juftly, as an effect of revenge for what he did to John the Baptift, a juft man, who had faid to him, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

he Jews themfelves alfo bear witness to Chrift, as appears by Jofephus, the writer of their hiftory, who fays thus: That there was at that time a ife man, if, fays he, it be lawful to have him called a man, a doer of wonderful works who appeared to his disciples after the third day rom his dea h, alive again, according to the writings of the prophets, who foretold these and innumerable other miraculous events concerning him; from whom began the congregation of Chriftians, and hath penetrated among all forts of men, nor does there remain any nation in the Roman world, which continues ftrangers to his religion. If the Jews do not believe us, let them at leaft believe their own writers. Jofephus, whom they efteem a great man, hath faid this, and yet hath he fpoken truth after fuch a manner, and fo far was his mind wandered from the right way, that even he was not a believer, as to what he hi felf faid; but thus he spake in order to deliver historical truth, because he thought it not lawful for him to deceive. while he was no believer, becaufe of the hardness of his heart and his perfidious intention. However it as no prejudice to the truth that he was not a believer but this adds more weight to his teftimony, that while he was an unbeliever, and unwilling this should be true, he has not denied it to be fo.

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About A D. 400. Hieronym de Vir. Illuftr in Josepho.—Jofephus, in the eighteenth book of antiquities, moft exprefsly acknowledges that Chrift was flain by the Pharifees, on account of the greatnefs of his miracles; and that John the Baptift was truly a prophet; and that Jeru falem was demolished on account of the flaughter of James the apoftle. Now he wrote concerning our Lord after this manner: "At the fame time there was Jefus, a wife man, if yet it be lawful to call him a man. for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of those who willingly receive the truth. He had many followers both of the Jews and of the Gentiles: He was believed to be Chrift. And when by the envy of our principal men. Pilate nad condemned him to the cross, this, notwithstanding thofe who had loved him at first, perfevered, for he appeared to them alive on the third day, as the oracles of the prophets had foretold many of thefe and other wonderful things concerned him: And the fect of Chriftians to named from him, are not extinct at this day

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About A D. 410. Ifidorus Pelufiota the fcholar of Chryfoftom, lib. iv. epift There was one Jofephus, a Jew of the greatelt reputation, and one that was zealous of the law; dne alfe that paraphrafed the Old

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