thought, that in so immense a city as Rome was, there were not very great numbers who could look back fifty-seven or fifty-eight years? Might it not also have been known from many then living in the isle of Melita, whether St. Paul had been shipwrecked upon that island, healed the father of Publius the chief man of the island, and many other diseased persons, in the year of Christ 61, that is, fifty-nine years before? Might it not have been known at Ephesus, whether the wonderful things reported in this book were performed in that city in the years of Christ 56 and 57, that is, sixty-three years before? And might it not have been known at Philippi, whether the things said to have happened there in the year 54, that is, sixty-six years before, so fell out or not? What was more easy than to have confuted these stories, even at that distance of time, had they not been undeniably true? But let us descend further, to the time of Irenæus, who was made bishop of Lyons in the year of Christ 177. In his works are very many direct and express quotations from the Acts of the Apostles, and an abstract of a large part thereof. He represents this book as equally necessary to be received with the Gospel, and avers the truth of the things which are related in it". And had he not the certain means of knowing whether they were true or not? Unquestionably he had. He had been some time presbyter under Pothinus, who died for the testimony of Jesus at above ninety years of age. Pothinus therefore was born in the year of Christ 86. Might not he, in his younger days, have learnt from innumerable persons the truth of these facts? The churches of Lyons and Vienna joined in writing a letter to the churches of Asia and Phrygia, giving an account of the martyrdom and sufferings of Pothinus, and many of their brethren. And it is evident from this Epistle, that the martyrs and confessors of those two Gallic churches had before their eyes the example of the proto u Omnibus his cum adesset Lucas, diligenter conscripsit ea, uti neque mendax, neque elatus deprehendi possit, eo quod omnia hæc constarent, et seniorem eum esse omnibus, qui nunc aliud docent, neque ignorare veritatem, 1. 3. c. 14. §. I. Neque Lucam mendacem esse possunt ostendere, veritatem nobis cum omni diligentia annuntiantem, c. 15. §. 1. martyr Stephen, as related in the Acts of the Apostles*. But would they have had any regard to such an example, had they not been fully persuaded of its truth? Or is it in the least credible, that they should be encouraged to suffer imprisonments, racks, tortures, and the most cruel, lingering, painful deaths, for the sake of the Christian religion, had they not been first fully satisfied that the facts reported in this book, which was held sacred among them, were true? Irenæus, in his younger days, was under the instruction of Polycarp, ordained bishop of Smyrna by the apostles. Must not Polycarp well know whether the events recorded in the Acts of the Apostles were true or not? He had conversed familiarly, not only with the apostle John, but others also of the apostles. Smyrna was not so far from Ephesus but Polycarp went frequently thither to visit the apostle John, when he resided in that city. Most certainly then he must be well acquainted at least with what is said to have happened there, and with all those occurrences in which the apostle John is represented as having any part. Is it to be thought that he would have suffered martyrdom for the sake of the Christian religion, as it is certain he did, had he not been well assured that the things reported in the Acts of the Apostles were true? Irenæus was also acquainted with other ancient Christians who had conversed with the apostles, from whom he might learn the truth of this History. And when he was at Smyrna with Polycarp, how easily might he have gone to Ephesus, and have satisfied himself of the truth of those things which are related to have happened there? Quadratus, in his Apology to the emperor Hadrian, asserts that there were persons living even to his time, who had been healed by our blessed Lord'. It is possible there might some live to the time of Irenæus, who had been cured by the apostle Paul at Ephesus. However, it is unquestionable, there must have been many of their acquaintance then living, from whom he might receive a very clear and certain information of the truth of the facts. Though doubtless that which most fully confirmed Irenæus, and the other ancient fathers, in the belief of this x Vid. Euseb. E. H. 1. 5. c. 2. p. 135, C. y Euseb. E. H. l. 4. c. 3 History, and left no room for hesitation, were the remains of the same miraculous gifts continued in the church in their time. They saw things of the same wonderful nature performed with their own eyes, as I have already shewn you from their writings. But to give infidelity the greatest scope possible, let us suppose that the Christians of the first ages were such fools to hold this book as sacred, although they knew the facts contained therein were not true, and that they willingly exposed themselves to the loss of all things, and of life itself, under a pretence of believing these and the like facts, knowing them to be false. It is certain, this is little else than an impossible supposition. However, for argument's sake, let us at present suppose it. What were the enemies of Christianity all this while doing? How came it to pass that they did not publish this to the world, and lay open the knavery and folly of Christians? Was their enmity towards them so little that they would have spared them if they had known this? If so, why did they persecute them, harass them, fine them, imprison them, torture them, and put them to the most cruel deaths? or was this kept a secret from their enemies? But is it likely that a book which was in the hands of so many could be long concealed? Were there no half Christians, no false brethren, to betray such a secret? How many were there from time to time who fell off from the Christian religion! Would none of them discover this book? How many heretics had it in their possession, who professed it as their principle, that they ought not to suffer for their religion. Would none of them shew it? It is a thing indeed next to impossible to suppose that this book was not in the hands of many, both Jews and heathen, within a few years after it was published. Tertullian in his Apology calls upon the Roman powers to look into the books held sacred by the Christians. And at the same time that he says many accidents had put them into the hands of the heathen, he also affirms that it was not the way of the Christians to conceal them. And we very z Inspice Dei voces, literas no- et plerique casus ad extraneos stras, quas neque ipsi supprimimus, transferunt. C. 31, pr. p. 27, C. fin. plainly see that Trypho the Jewa, and Celsus the Epicurean, had read them: and no doubt many of the enemies of Christianity long before their time had perused them. Would not they have confuted the things herein related, when it might have been so easily done, had they not been true? Was not this the sure method to suppress the growth of Christianity, and wholly overthrow it? But supposing, which is indeed almost an impossible supposition, that no enemy of Christianity had seen the Acts of the Apostles till Trypho and Celsus: might not they have shewn the falsity of the facts related therein, had they not been true? They both lived in the time of the emperor Hadrian; but we will suppose they began not an inquiry into the truth of these things till the beginning of the reign of the emperor Antoninus Pius, or about the year of Christ 137. Might they not at that distance of time have easily satisfied themselves of the truth or falsity hereof? Trypho was both at Corinth and at Ephesus. It was but fourscore years before, that St. Paul is reported to have done his miraculous cures in the city of Ephesus. And should we allow that there were none then living who were St. Paul's converts, or had been cured by him, yet what numbers of their immediate descendants, how many that had seen and conversed with them must there have been living at that time. How strong must have been the tradition of the wonders performed! In fine, had either Trypho or Celsus, or any other of the enemies of Christianity in their time, made it appear to the world, that, upon a strict scrutiny into the facts related, there was found little or no tradition of them remaining in the places where they are said to have happened, they had done much more to the overthrow of the Christian religion than by all the other arguments they made use of, or methods they employed. But forasmuch as they did not make this appear, is it not a clear case that they could not, and a convincing proof of the truth of these facts? a Vid. Just. Mart. Dial. p. 98, a. et 227, B. et 235, D. b Vid. Orig. adv. Cels. 1. 1. p. 11, pr. 1. 2. p. 77. 1. 5. p. 273. 1. 6. p. 275, 276. 286, m. 1. 7. p. 343· CHAP. XVII. The evidence of the truth of Christianity arising from the principal matters related in the History of the Acts. I PROCEED now to the fourth general head, and shall lay before you the incontestible evidence these facts afford of the truth of Christianity. The facts are, that Jesus Christ, after a long course of miracles wrought for the benefit of mankind, was put to death at the instigation of the Jewish rulers; that he arose from the dead, was seen of, and conversed with his disciples forty days, and then ascended into heaven in their sight; that before he ascended he ordered them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, which was, that the Holy Ghost should come upon them, and endue them with power to be his witnesses, not only in Jerusalem, Judæa, and Samaria, but to the uttermost parts of the earth; and that this promise should be fulfilled within a few days; that his disciples being accordingly met together in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, that is, about ten days after his ascension, the Spirit of God descended on them in a most astonishing manner, enabling them to declare the wonderful works of God in a great variety of languages, which they had never learnt. This was not only foretold by our Saviour, but had been long before prophesied of, and promised by Joel. And in consequence of these miraculous gifts, the disciples courageously proceeded in executing the a Acts ii. 22, 23. v. 30. and x. 38, 39. b Acts x. 40, 41. ii. 24. 32. and i. 3. c Acts i. 2. 9, &c. e Acts ii. 1-12. f Acts ii. 16, &c. |
