to make to, or in the hearing of, this his attendant. Whatsoever may be the grounds of suspicion that may be found attaching themselves to evidence passing through such a channel, or issuing from such a source; other evidence will, if taken in the lump, present itself as being in comparison much less trustworthy. All other evidence consists of statements, coming from we know not whom, at we know not what times, on we know not what occasion, each of them with we know not how many reporting witnesses, one after and from another, through so many different and successive channels, between the percipient witness or witnesses, and the last reporting witness or witnesses, from whom the historian received the statement in the way of personal intercourse. The period of rumour, and the period of observation-By these two appellations it should seem, may the two periods be not altogether unaptly or uninstructively distinguished. With reference to the period of rumour,-whether it was from Paul's own statement, or from a source still more exposed to suspicion, that the historian's conception was derived, one consideration presents itself, as requisite to be kept in mind. This is, With what facility, especially in that age, upon an occurrence in itself true, and including nothing that lies without the ordinary course of nature,-a circumstance out of the course of nature, giving to the whole a supernatural, and to use the ordinary word a miraculous, character, may, in and by the narrative have been superinduced *. Fact, for instance, as it really was-at the word of command, (suppose) a man, having the appearance of a cripple, stands up erect and walks: untrue circumstances, one or both superinduced by rumour-the man had been *See Ch. 15. Paul's supposable miracles explained. 1 so from his birth; from his birth down to that same time he had been an inhabitant of that same place. In the chapter on Paul's supposable miracles, about a dozen occurrences of this description will be found. On each one of these several occasions, the propriety of bearing in mind the abovementioned consideration, will, it is believed, not appear open to dispute, whatsoever on each several occasion may be the application made of it. SECTION 2. VISION I.-DIALOGUE ON THE ROAD: PAUL HEARS A VOICE, SEES NOTHING. I. ACCOUNT.-As per Acrs ix. 1-9. ix. 1. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,2. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. -3. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven :-4. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.-6. And be trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.-7. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no man.- -8. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus, -9. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. II. PAUL'S supposed FIRST OR UNSTUDIED ACCOUNT.— As per Acтs xxii. 3-11. xxii. 3. I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.-4. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.- -5. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them. which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.- -6. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. -7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?. -8. And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest. 9. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.- -10. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.11. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand uf them that were with me, I came into Damascus. III. PAUL'S supposed ORATORICAL OR STUDIED ACCOUNT. -As per ACTS xxvi. 9-20. xxvi. 9. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.- -10. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them.—11. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.- -12. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,-13. At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.14. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.-15. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.-16. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;-17._Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, ON comparing the three accounts of Vision 1st, the particulars will be found referable to twelve heads. Under no more than two of the twelve, will the conformity among them be found entire. Where disconformity has place it may be clear or not clear of contradiction. Clear it may be of contradiction, when it consists either of mere deficiency or mere redundancy, or of both: deficiency or redundancy, according as it is this or that account, which, on the occasion of the comparison, is taken for the standard. On the occasion in question, such is the importance of the occurrence, that the proper standard of reference and comparison is that which is most ample: that which, if not strictly speaking complete, wants the least of being so. On the part of the historian, speaking in his own person, omission is in such a case without excuse. Not so, necessarily, in the case of a person whom the historian speaks of as giving that person's own account of that same occurrence. What may be is, that in the nature of the occasion in which the person is represented as speaking of it, there is so much of suddenness, by reason of impending danger, or urgent pressure, that, of the quantity of time necessary for complete utterance, and even of that necessary for complete and correct recollection, more or less was wanting. On the occasion of that account of the matter, which is the first of the two on which the historian represents Paul as giving an account of this momentous occurrence,-this justification for want of completeness, or this excuse for want of correctness, might naturally enough have place. For it was while pleading for his life at Jerusalem, before a mixed multitude, no inconsiderable part of which were endeavouring at the destruction of it, that Paul is represented as delivering this first of his two accounts:call that the supposed unstudied or unpremeditated account. Not so, on the occasion on which he is represented as delivering the second of these same two accounts. On this occasion, it is true, he is represented as pleading in his defence. But it is pleading in and before a regularly constituted judicatory, and after time for preparation in much greater abundance than he could have wished:-call this the supposed studied or premeditated account. In this view, the proper standard of comparison can not be dubious. The historian being himself, in all three accounts, the immediately reporting witness, and having had his own time for the forming of them all,that which he gives in his own person, and which therefore naturally occupies the first place, should, in respect of both qualities, as well as in that of clearness, have been, (and, setting aside deceptious design, naturally would have been,) as perfect as it was in his power to make it. To the others alone could any excuse be afforded, in respect of any one of those requisites, by any circumstance peculiar to the respective cases. What is above being observed-Of the ten following instances of disconformity, seven will be found to be cases of simple deficiency, three of contradiction. In those which are cases of simple deficiency, it will be seen to have urgency for its justification or excuse; for the others there appears no justification or excuse. Of the twelve distinguishable heads in question, under two alone, viz. that of place and that of time, will the conformity be found complete. Place, a spot near to Damascus, in the road leading from Jerusalem to Damascus: Time, meaning time of day,-about noon. But, in the quality of trustworthiness deficient as all three accounts will presently be shown to be, it will be seen how little is contributed, by conformity as to the mere circumstances of time and place. Now then let us see the subjects, in relation to which a want of conformity is observable. To save words, the shortest form of description possible will throughout be employed. Omissions. 1. The light seen. 2. The dialogue. 3. Falling to the ground. 4. Language of the voice. 7. Paul's companions' posture. 9. If hearing, what they heard. 1. Light seen.-Between Acts account and Paul's 1st or supposed unstudied account, no disconformity |