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calling itpea them to repent , U > m&nm th ^ ir lives , aadi to lead ft new course <* f virtue , ap a proper qualificatdoa for $ higher and nobler state of being , in which vice would be followed by indefinitely great misery , and virtue by Indefinitely great happiness . . TVproyG
that he anpqunced . these glad tidings at the command of God , fie did , with fh& .-ppwer of God » tbwig 3 which no other power t > ut | hn $ of God qould do , tie voluntarily foid dc > wn hi * Ufc &S a proof that he himself believed the doo tfine which he brought to light , ajsp , as an example of the happy influence
which it produces under trials and suffering ; and , lastly , as a step p * ei 4 t pasly requisite to establish t ^ e truth of his subsequent resurrection . And liere it must be qJbserved , that the simple humanity of Christ is essential to the validity of the whole s < d * eme > Jesus Christ rose fro n * the dead a » a
pledge of the resurrection of mankind : he must , therefore , be in nature and constitution one of Jthat k > ir \ d , ^ For if hi inherited the divine niture , it moat obviously followed , that a being , who , by virtue of his superior nature survived death , is no proof of the
resurrection of . an inferior- r&cei , who , by the eooditipns of their being , are subject to death . This was the argument which the Pagan writers wished to inculcate , aud if it be solid , the gospel * . which contains the gbtfi tidings of a future state to inanb falls to the
ground * la proof of the assertion that t&ey proceed ov this ground * and with this view , in holding * the divine nature pf Christ , I briefly cite the following facts .
1 , First , the Pharisees , when they could no longer deny the works of J ^ sus , asserted that he was aided by a damoQ . " This man could not cast
out these , demons bu , t through Beel-? ebub , i ^ beii prince of thie ( fcuaona , ? Matt , xii . ^ 3 i ., By this they meant to aay , not onjhr tlmt Beelzebib a ^ ai&ted 4 esus , but tl | M b « resided within himv rfljifa is evident from ib $ worda of Mfwk > who represents the PJUarieees ae
spying that he hftcl ^ u unul e ^ a spirit chftp ^ iiL ; v © r . 2 B . This i ^ aa itica 4 tot Mf i « ne ^ t iai pottaace , thatigh tha mm > w % mnc&i f 0 f it ha « a ^ t b ^^ a sufflcjiQnt ^ Qbaenv ^ d iby ltor ^ ed > mem . For it cj ^ arijr $ he ( W » , ttftfc £ be ^ Ur 6 &t j m 0 Bt tttoutebld mw whichi tk& enemks of
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Jesus had to undermme Ha daim ^ waa to repreaem , h | m as a superna tural being , or p , superaatur ^ l being as united , with him * . v 2 . l& order % o aet aside th $
wgunient that Jesus Christ wa $ the me ^ ns of des trqying tl ^ e de « ion& , Pluiarch represents him as b ^ ing himaejf pja e of the demons that perished- . To this be it added , that th $ object $£ , the
magicians in the court of . Tib ^ erijPji on proposing * to place our Lord among the Pagan gods , could be no other than to destroy his claims as the piessenger of heaven , and ; to assimilate his religion with the religion . of the P © gan 9 v _ . ¦
3 . The Emperor Alexander Severus had the same object , as is thus attested byiEfeus Lampridius , a , writer whose testimony , as being a ^ Pagan , cannot reasonably be called in question . €€ He CAJtexander ) intended to tmild a temple to Christ , and to re- * ceiye hitft a * oong ; ttoe gods ; which fcave
A 4 ri ^ u ij ^ o is reported to designed ; who ord e red tj ^ qaples to \ k ^ x ^^ t ^ d ia all cities , without statues . Bu ^ he was hindered by those whp by consulting the oracle nad di ^ cQvexed ttot if such an event had happened to $ h $ persQn desired , all wowd be&omG Christians , aud other temples , would be forsaken . " See Lard- VH , 364 .
4 . Hadrian , in his letter to the Consul Servianua , preserved by V <>* piscus , ( in Saturnino , c . yiu ) or luard , VIL 363 ^ asserts that the devotees of Serapis weire beBevera ia > Chriat . Illi qui Serapim colunt . Christiani mmt % et devoti suat Serapi , qui se epifiLCopo ^ Chmti dicunt . ( € They whji , worship Serapis profe ^ CUri $ tia » ity , 5 writhe
Very bbbcmg of Cbri « t ATfe d ^<^ tee » of Seyrt ^ is . 5 The ^ e 4 t v % ) teea ; we re 4 oubtless such befie : y < ara iu > K . Ghxi&t > mHa . driau Jiimsjelf was ,, jtl ^ t is ^ tbey were believpra in his dtaiaity * tbuMng * or affectoftg to think , that . tfce ® 0 d which dweUed iu him was the seww ^> with Sei : «*> i 6 ., JTUosebUhooa of Ctotet ' e , yet
worshipejTs of Seiwpi ^ Ji ^ i 0 % ^^ kG ^ o ^ r ifafim ^^ JBmiUdei ' ^^ 1 ^^ vhi ^ u Thfi ^ deyotioit o £ " h til&ti i IniiWIfttixir J 3 o . od 2 iB ^ 3 id 3 » ^ t ™ hAife : h ^ ftifcotedta ti ^ flfbedievfir ip ^ ai fn foacb ^ of Ouiiiiaaitjrii Upptidr ^ frbodiaatpry to&a hyJ $ Mflm * vwiCh > x * p ^ eiM him ( Mtionflfio « k'ei § gtf » Wi ^ iwiHiwKA /^ itaiAsiao I « OWfr ^ 1 ^ L toatT at jij «^ 4 n ^ na
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298 The Divinity ef Ctitist adapted by ike P&gun , Philosopher *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1823, page 208, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1783/page/16/
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