Part 71 (2/2)
One of the best proofs, and most unquestionable, that Jesus was accused of being a _magician_, or that some of the early Christians believed him to have been such, may be found in the representations of him performing miracles. On a _sarcophagus_ to be found in the _Museo Gregoriano_, which is paneled with bas-reliefs, is to be seen a representation of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. He is represented as a young man, beardless, and equipped with a _wand_ in the received guise of a _necromancer_, whilst the corpse of Lazarus is swathed in bandages exactly as an Egyptian mummy.[273:1] On other Christian monuments representing the miracles of Jesus, he is pictured in the same manner.
For instance, when he is represented as turning the water into wine, and multiplying the bread in the wilderness, he is a necromancer with a _wand_ in his hand.[273:2]
_Horus_, the Egyptian Saviour, is represented on the ancient monuments of Egypt, _with a wand in his hand raising the dead to life_, ”just as we see Christ doing the same thing,” says J. P. Lundy, ”in the same way, to Lazarus, in our Christian monuments.”[273:3]
Dr. Conyers Middleton, speaking of the primitive Christians, says:
”In the performance of their miracles, they were always charged with fraud and imposture, by their adversaries. Lucian (who flourished during the second century), tells us that whenever any crafty juggler, expert in his trade, and who knew how to make a right use of things, went over to the Christians, he was sure to grow rich immediately, by making a prey of their simplicity. And Celsus represents all the Christian wonder-workers as mere vagabonds and common cheats, who rambled about to play their tricks at fairs and markets; not in the circles of the wiser and the better sort, for among such they never ventured to appear, but wherever they observed a set of raw young fellows, slaves or fools, there they took care to intrude themselves, and to display all their arts.”[273:4]
The same charge was constantly urged against them by Julian, Porphyry and others. Similar sentiments were entertained by Polybius, the Pagan philosopher, who considered all miracles as fables, invented to preserve in the unlearned a due sense of respect for the deity.[273:5]
Edward Gibbon, speaking of the miracles of the Christians, writes in his familiar style as follows:
”How shall we excuse the supine inattention of the Pagan and philosophic world, to those evidences which were represented by the hand of Omnipotence, not to their reason, but to their senses? During the age of Christ, of his apostles, and of their first disciples, the doctrine which they preached was confirmed by innumerable prodigies. The lame walked, the blind saw, the sick were healed, the dead were raised, demons were expelled, and the laws of nature were frequently suspended for the benefit of the church. But the sages of Greece and Rome turned aside from the awful spectacle, and, pursuing the ordinary occupations of life and study, appeared unconscious of any alterations in the moral or physical government of the world.”[274:1]
The learned Dr. Middleton, whom we have quoted on a preceding page, after a searching inquiry into the miraculous powers of the Christians, says:
”From these short hints and characters of the primitive wonder-workers, as given both by friends and enemies, we may fairly conclude, that the celebrated gifts of these ages were generally engrossed and exercised by the primitive Christians, chiefly of the laity, who used to travel about from city to city, to a.s.sist the ordinary pastors of the church, and preachers of the Gospel, in the conversion of Pagans, by the extraordinary gifts with which they were supposed to be indued by the spirit of G.o.d, and the miraculous works which they pretended to perform. . . .
”We have just reason to suspect that there was some original fraud in the case; and that the strolling wonder-workers, by a dexterity of jugglery which art, not heaven, had taught them, imposed upon the credulity of the pious Fathers, whose strong prejudices and ardent zeal for the interest of Christianity would dispose them to embrace, without examination, whatever seemed to promote so good a cause. That this was really the case in some instances, is certain and notorious, and that it was so in all, will appear still more probable, when we have considered the particular characters of the several Fathers, on whose testimony the credit of these wonderful narratives depends.”[274:2]
Again he says:
”The pretended miracles of the primitive church were all mere fictions, which the pious and zealous Fathers, partly from a weak credulity, and partly from reasons of policy, believing some perhaps to be true, and knowing all of them to be useful, were induced to espouse and propagate, for the support of a righteous cause.”[274:3]
Origen, a Christian Father of the third century, uses the following words in his answer to Celsus:
”A vast number of persons who have left those horrid debaucheries in which they formerly wallowed, and have professed to embrace the Christian religion, shall receive a bright and ma.s.sive crown when this frail and short life is ended, _though they don't stand to examine the grounds on which their faith is_ built, nor defer their conversion till they have a fair opportunity and capacity to apply themselves to rational and learned studies. And since our adversaries are continually making such a stir about our _taking things on trust_, I answer, that we, who see plainly and have found the vast advantage that the common people do manifestly and frequently reap thereby (who make up by far the greater number), I say, we (the Christian clergy), who are so well advised of these things, _do professedly teach men to believe without examination_.”[275:1]
Origen flourished and wrote A. D. 225-235, which shows that at that early day there was no rational evidence for Christianity, but it was professedly taught, and men were supposed to believe ”_these things_”
(_i. e._ the Christian legends) _without severe examination_.
The primitive Christians were perpetually reproached for their gross credulity, by all their enemies. Celsus, as we have already seen, declares that they cared neither to receive nor give any reason for their faith, and that it was a usual saying with them: ”Do not examine, but believe only, and thy faith will save thee;” and Julian affirms that, ”the sum of all their wisdom was comprised in the single precept, '_believe_.'”
Arn.o.bius, speaking of this, says:
”The Gentiles make it their constant business to laugh at our faith, and to lash our credulity with their facetious jokes.”
The Christian Fathers defended themselves against these charges by declaring that they did nothing more than the heathens themselves had always done; and reminds them that they too had found the same method useful with the uneducated or common people, who were not at leisure to examine things, and whom they taught therefore, to believe without reason.[275:2]
This ”believing without reason” is ill.u.s.trated in the following words of Tertullian, a Christian Father of the second century, who reasons on the evidence of Christianity as follows:
”I find no other means to prove myself to be impudent with success, and happily a fool, than by my contempt of shame; as, for instance--I maintain that the son of G.o.d was born: why am I not ashamed of maintaining such a thing? Why! but because it is a shameful thing. I maintain that the son of G.o.d died: well, _that_ is wholly credible because it is monstrously absurd. I maintain that after having been buried, he rose again: and _that_ I take to be absolutely true, because it was manifestly impossible.”[275:3]
According to the very books which record the miracles of Jesus, he never claimed to perform such deeds, and Paul declares that the great reason why Israel did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah was that ”the Jews required a sign.”[276:1] He meant: ”Signs and wonders are the only proofs they will admit that any one is sent by G.o.d and is preaching the truth. If they cannot have this palpable, external proof, they withhold their faith.”
A writer of the second century (John, in ch. iv. 18) makes Jesus aim at his fellow-countrymen and contemporaries, the reproach: ”Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe.” In connection with Paul's declaration, given above, these words might be paraphrased: ”The reason why the Jews never believed in Jesus was that they never saw him do signs and wonders.”
Listen to the reply he (Jesus) made when told that if he wanted people to believe in him he must first prove his claim by a miracle: ”A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a _sign_, and no sign shall be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonas.”[276:2] Of course, this answer did not in the least degree satisfy the questioners; so they presently came to him again with a more direct request: ”If the kingdom of G.o.d is, as you say, close at hand, show us at least some _one_ of the signs in heaven which are to precede the Messianic age.” What could appear more reasonable than such a request? Every one knew that the end of the present age was to be heralded by fearful signs in heaven. The light of the sun was to be put out, the moon turned to blood, the stars robbed of their brightness, and many other fearful signs were to be shown![276:3]
If any _one_ of these could be produced, they would be content; but if not, they must decline to surrender themselves to an idle joy which must end in a bitter disappointment; and surely Jesus himself could hardly expect them to believe in him on his bare word.
<script>