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Teltament with truth, and acted valiantly for the Jews, and had fhewed that their fettlement was nobler than can be defcribed by words. Now fince he made their interest give place to truth, for he would not fupport the opinion of impious men, I think it neceffary to fet down his words. What then does he fay? Now there was, about that time, 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 pleasure. 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, thofe that loved him at first did not forfake him, for he appeared to them the third day alive again, as the divine prophets had faid thefe. and a vast number of other wonderful things concerning him: And the tribes of Chriftians, fo named from him, are not extinct at this day." Now I cannot but wonder greatly at this man's love of truth in many refpects, but chiefly where he fays, Jefus was a teacher of men, which received the truth with pleafure."

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About A D 440 Sozomen. Hift. Ecclef. lib. i. cap. 1.-Now Jofephus, the fon of Mattathias, a prieft, a man of very great note both among the Jews and the Romans, may well be a witnefs of credit as to the truth of Chrift's history; for he fcruples to call him a man, as being a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of the words of truth: He names him Chrift openly; and is not ignorant that he was condemned to the crofs; and appeared on the third day alive, and that ten thousand other wonderful things were foretold of him by the divine prophets. He teftifies alfo, that those whom he drew over to him, being many of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews, continued to love him; and that the tribe named from him was not then extinct. Now he feems to me by this his relation, almost to proclaim that Chrift is God. However, he appears to have been fo affected with the strangenefs of the thing, as to run, as it were, in a fort of a middle way, fo as not to put any indignity upon believers in him, but rather to afford his fuffrage to them.

About A.D. 510. Caffiodorus Hift. Tripartit. e Sozomeno-Now Jofephus, the fon of Mattathias, and a prieft, a man of great nobility among the Jews, and of great dignity among the Romans, thall be a truth of Chrift's hiftory: for he dares not call him a man, as a doer of famous works, and a teacher of true doctrines; he names him Chrift openly; and is not ignorant that he was condemned to the crofs, and appeared on the third day alive, and that an infinite number of other wonderful things were foretold of him by the holy prophets. More.. over he teftifies aifo, that there were then alive many whom he had chofen, both Greeks and Jews, and that they continued to love him; and that the feet which was named from him was by no means extinct at this time.

About A. D. 640. Chron. Alex.640. p. 514.-Now Jofephus alfo relates in the eighteenth book of Antiquities, how John the Baptift, that holy man, was beheaded, on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip, the brother of Herod himself: For Herod had divorced his former wife, who was still alive, and had been his lawful wife; the was the daughter of Aretas, King of the Petreans. When therefore Herod had taken Herodias away from her husband, while he was yet alive (on whofe account he flew John alfo), Aretas made war against Herod, because his daughter had been dishonourably treated: In which war he fays, that all Herod's army was destroyed, and that he suffered that calamity, becaufe of the wickednefs he had been guilty of against John. The fame Jofephus relates that Herod loft his kingdom on account of Herodias, and that with her he was banifhed to Lyons, &c.

P. 526, 527.] Now that our Saviour taught his preaching three years, is demonstrated both by other necessary reasonings; as also out

of the holy gofpels, and out of Jofephus's writings, who was a wife man among the Hebrews, &c.

P. 584, 586.] Jofephus relates in the fifth book of the [Jewith] war, that Jerufalem was taken in the third [fecond] year of Vefpafian, as about forty years fince they had dared to put Jefus to death: In which time he fays, that James, the brother of our Lord, and bishop of Jerufalem, was thrown down [from the temple] and flain of them, by ftoning.

About A. D. 740. Anaftafius Abbas contr. Jud.-Now Jofephus, an author and writer of your own, fays of Chrift, that he was a just and good man, fhewed and declared fo to be by divine grace, who gave aid to many by figns and miracles.

About A. D. 79. Georgius Syncellus Chron. p. 339.-Thefe miferies befel the Jews by way of revenge for James the Juft, who was the brother of Jefus that was called Chrift, on the account that they had flain him who was a moft righteous perfon. "Now as Ananus, a perfon of that character, thought he had a proper opportunity, because Feltus was dead, and Albinus was but upon the road, fo he assembles the Sanhedrim of judges, and brings before them James, the brother of Jefus, who was called Christ, and fome 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 thofe that feemed the most equitable of the citizens, and thofe that were the most uneafy at the breach of the laws, they difliked what was done. They alfo fent to the King [Agrippa] defiring him to fend to Ananus that he should act fo no more, for what he had done already could not be juftified," &c

About A. D 850. Joban. Malela Chron. lib. x.-From that time began the deftruction of the Jews, as Jofephus, the philofopher of the Hebrews, hath written; who also said this, that from the time the Jews crucified Chrift, who was a good and a righteous man, (that is, if it be fit to call fuch an one a man, and not a God) the land of Judea was never free from trouble. These things the fame Jofephus the Jew has related in his writings.

About A. D. 860. Photius Cod. lib. xlviii.--I have read the treatise of Jofephus about the universe, whofe title I have elsewhere read to be, Of the fubftance of the univerfe. It is contained in two very fmall treafiles. He treats of the origin of the world, in a brief manner. However, he speaks of the divinity of Chrift, who is our true God, in a way very like to what we ufe; declaring that the fame name of Chrift belongs to him; and writes of his ineffable generation of the Father after fuch a manner, as cannot be blamed: Which thing may perhaps raife a doubt in fome, whether Jofephus were the author of the work, though the phrafeology does not at all differ from this man's other works However, I have found in fome papers, that this difcourle was not written by Jofephus, but by one Caius a prefbyter.

Cod. ccxxxviii.] Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee and of Perea, the fon of Herod the Great, fell in love, as Jofephus fays, with the wife of his brother Herod, whofe name was Herodias, who was the granddaughter of Herod the Great, by his fon Ariftobulus, whom he had flain. Agrippa was alo her brother. Now Herod took her away from her husband, and married her. This is he that flew John the Baptift, that great man, the forerunner [of Chrift] being afraid (as Jofephus fays) left he should raife a fedition among his people; for they all followed the directions of John, on account of the excellency of his virtue. In his time was the paffion of our Saviour.

Cod. xxxiii.] I have read the Chronicle of Juftus of Tiberias. He omits the greateft part of what was moft neceflary to be related, but, as infected with Jewith prejudices, being alfo himfelf a Jew by birth, he makes no mention at all of the advent, or of the acts done, or of the miracles wrought by Chrift.

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The time uncertain. Macarius in Actis Sanctorum, 10m. v. p. 149. ap. Fabric Jofeph. p. 61.-Jofephus, a prieft of Jerufalem, and one that wrote with truth the hiftory of the Jewith affairs, bears witness, that Chrift, the true God, was incarnate, and crucified, and the third day rofe again; whofe writings are repofited in the public library. Thus he fays: "Now there was about this time 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 : This 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 first 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. tians, fo named from him, are not extinct at this day." Since therefore And ftill the tribe of Chrifthe writer of the Hebrews has engraven this teftimony concerning our Lord and Saviour in his own books, what defence can there remain for the unbelievers ?

About A. D. 980. Suidas in voce Jefus.-We have found Jofephus, who hath written about the taking of Jerufalem (of whom Eufebius Pamphili makes frequent mention in his ecclefiaftical hiftory) faying openly in his Memoirs of the captivity, that Jefus officiated in the temple wis the priests. Thus we have found Jofephus faying, a man of ancient times, and not very long after the apostles, &c.

About A. D. 1060. Cedrenus Compend. Hiftor. p. 196.-Jofephus does indeed write concerning John the Baptift as follows: Some of the Jews thought that the deftruction of Herod's army came from God, and that he was punifhed very juftly for what punishment he inflicted on John, that was called the Baptift, for Herod flew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercife virtue, both by righteouinefs towards one another, and piety towards God, and fo to come to baptifm" But as concerning Chrift, the fame Jofephus fays, that about that time there was Jefus, a wife man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of fuch men as receive the truth with pleasure, for that Chrift drew over many, even from the Gentiles: Whom when Pilate had crucified, hole who at firft had loved him did not leave off to preach concerning him, for he appeared to them the third day alive again, as the divine prophets had teftitied, and spoken these and other wonderful things concerning him

About A. D. 1080. Theophylact, in Fran. lib. xiii.-The city of the Jews was taken, and the wrath of God was kindled against them; as alfo Jofephus witnesses, that this came upon them on account of the death of Jefus.

About A. D. 120. Zonarus Annal. tom. i. p. 267.-Jofephus in the eighteenth book of Antiquities, writes thus concerning our Lord and God, Jefus Chrift: "Now there was about this time 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 pleasure He drew over to him 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 crois, thofe that had loved him at firit did not forfake him, for he appeared to them the third day alive again, as the divine prophets had faid thefe and ten thoufand other wonderful things concerning him: And the tribe of Chriftians, fo named from him, are not extinct at this day."

About A. D. 20. Glycas Annal. p. 234--Then did Philo, that wife man, and Jofephus flourish. This laft was ftyled, The lover of truth, because he commended John, who baptized our Lord; and becaufe he bore witnefs that Chrift, in like manner, was a wife man, and the

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doer of great miracles; and that when he was crucified, he appeared the third day.

About A. D. 1240. Godfridus Viterbienfis Chron p. 366. e Verf. Rufini. -Jofephus relates, that a very great war arofe between Aretas, king of the Arabians, and Herod, on account of the fin which Herod had committed against John. Moreover, the fame Jofephus writes thus concerning Chrift: "There was at this time Jefus, a wife man, if at leaft it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of fuch men as willingly hear truth. He alfo drew over to him many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles: He was Chrift. And when Pilate at the accufation of the principal men of our nation, had decreed that he fhould be crucified, thofe that had loved him from the beginning, did not forfake him, for he appeared to them the third day alive again according to what the divinely inspired prophets had foretold, that thefe and innumerable other miracles fhound come to pafs about him Moreover, both the name and fect of Chriftians, who were named from him, continue in being unto this day."

About A. D. 1360. Nicephorus Calliftus Hift. Ecclef. lib. i. p. 90, 91.Now this concerning Herod the tetrarch] is attefted to, not only by the book of the holy gofpels, but by Jofephus, that lover of truth who also makes mention of Herodias his brother's wife, whom Herod had taken away from him, while he was alive, and married her, having divorced his former lawful wife, who was the daughter c Aretas, king of the Petrean Arabians. This Herodias he had married, and lived with her: On which account alfo, when he had flain John, he made war with Aretas, becaufe his daughter had been dishonorably ufed; in which war he relates, that all Herod's army was destroyed, and that he fuffered this on account of the most unjust flaughter of John. He also adds, that John was a moft righteous man Moreover, he makes mention of his baptifm, agreeing in all points thereto relating with the gofpel. He alfo informs us, that Herod loft his kingdom on account of Herodias, with whom alfo he was condemned to be banished to Vienna, which was their place of exile, and a city bordering upon Gaul, and lying near the utmost bounds of the weft.

About A. D. 1450. Hardmanus Schedelius Chron. p. 110.-Jofephus the Jew, who was called Flavius, a prieft, and the fon of Mattathias, a prieft of that nation, a most celebrated hiftorian, and very skilful in many things: He was certainly a good man, and of an excellent character, who had the highest opinion of Chrift.

About A. D. 1480. Platina de Vitis Pontificum in Chrifto.—I shall avoid mentioning what Chrift did until the 30th year of his age, when he was baptized by John, the fon of Zacharias, because not only the gofpels and epiftles are full of thofe acts of his, which he did in the molt excellent and most holy manner, but the books of fuch as were quite remote from his way of living and acting, and ordaining, are alfo full of the fame Flavius Jofephus himfelf, who wrote twenty books of Jewish Antiquities in the Greck tongue, when he had proceeded as far as the government of the emperor Tiberius, fays, "There was in thofe days Jefus, a certain wife man, if at least it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of men, of fuch efpecially as willingly hear the truth On this account he drew over to him many both of the Jews and Gentiles: He was Chrift. But when Pilate, inftigated by the principal men of our nation, had decreed that he fhould be crucified, yet did not thofe that had loved him from the beginning forfake him: And befides he appeared to them the third day after his death alive, as the divinely inspired prophets had foretold that these and innumerable other miracles fhould come to pafs about him And the famous name of Chriftians, taken from him a well as their feet, do till continue in being."

The fame Jofephus also affirms, that John the Baptift, a true prophet, and on that account one that was had in efteem by all men, was flain by Herod, the fon of Herod the Great, a little before the death of Chrift, in the castle Macherus; not because he was afraid for himfelf, and his kingdom, as the fame author fays, but because he had inceftoufly married Herodias the fifter of Agrippa, and the wife of that excellent perfon his brother Philip.

About A. D. 1480. Trithemius Abbas de Scriptor. Ecclef.-Jofephus the Jew, although he continued to be a jew, did frequently commend the Chriftians; and in the eighteenth book of Antiquities, wrote down an eminent teftimony concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.

OBSERVATIONS from the foregoing EVIDENCE and CITATIONS. I. THE Ayle of all these original teftimonies belonging to Jofephus is exactly the ftyle of the fame Jofephus, and efpecially the style about those parts of his Antiquities wherein we find thefe teftimonies. This is denied by no body as to the other concerning John the Baptift, and James the fuft, and is now become equally undeniable as that concerning Chrift.

II. Thefe teftimonies therefore being confeffedly and undeniably written by Jofephus himself, it is next to impoffible that he should wholly omit fome teftimony concerning Jefus Chrift; nay, while his teftimonies of John the Baptist, and James the Juft, are fo honorable, and give them fo great characters, it is alfo impoffible that this teftimony concerning Chrift fhould be other than very honorable, or fuch as afforded him a ftill greater character alfo. Could the very fame author, who gave fuch a full and advantageous character of John the Baptift, the forerunner to Jefus of Nazareth, all whose disciples were by him directed to Jefus of Nazareth, as to the true Meffias, and all whose difciples became afterwards the difciples of Jefus of Nazareth, fay nothing honorable of that Jefus of Nazareth himfelf? And this in an hiftory of thofe very times in which he was born, and lived and died, and that while the writer lived but a little after him in the fame country in which he was born, and lived and died? This is almost incredible. And further, could the very fame author, who gave fuch an advantageous character of James the Juft, and this under the very appellation of James the brother of Jefus, who was called Chrift, which James was one of the principal difciples or apoftles of this Jefus Chrift, and had been many years the only Chriftian bishop of the believing Jews of Judea and Jerufalem, in the very days, and in the very country of this writer? Could he I fay, wholly omit any, nay, a very honorable account of Jefus Chrift himself, whofe difciple and bifhop this James moft certainly was? This is alfo almoft incredible Hear what Ittigius, one of the wifelt and most learned of all those who have lately inclined to give up the teftimony concerning Chrift, as it ftands in our copies for fpurious, fays upon this occafion: "If any one object to me, that Jofephus hath not omitted John the Baptift, the forerunner of Chrift, nor James the difciple of Chrift, and that therefore he could not have done the part of a good hiftorian if he had been entirely filent concerning Chrift, I shall freely grant that Jofephus was not entirely filent concerning Chrift; nay, I fhall further grant, that when Jofe phus was fpeaking of Chrift, he did not abstain from his commendation; for we are not to determine from that inveterate hatred which the modern Jews bear to Chrift, what was the behavior of thofe Jews, upon whom the miracles that were daily wrought by the apostles in the pame of Chrift imprinted a facred horrer.""

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