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OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

CONVERSION AND APOSTLESHIP OF SAINT PAUL.

IN A LETTER TO GILBERT WEST, ESQ.

SIR, In a late conversation we had together, upon the subject of the Christian Religion, I told you, that, besides all the proofs of it which may be drawn from the prophecies of the Old Testament, from the necessary connection it has with the whole system of the Jewish religion, from the miracles of Christ, and from the evidence given of his resurrection by all the other apostles, I thought the conversion and the apostleship of Saint Paul alone, duly considered, was of itself a demonstration sufficient to prove Christianity to be a Divine Revelation.

As you seemed to think that so compendious a proof might be of use to convince those unbelievers that will not attend to a longer series of arguments, I have thrown together the reasons upon which I support that proposition.

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In the 26th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, written by a contemporary author, and a companion of Saint Paul in preaching the gospel, (as appears by the book itself, chap. xx. ver. 6. 13, 14. chap. xxvii. ver. 1, &c.) Saint Paul is said to have himself given this account of his conversion and preaching to King Agrippa, and Festus, the Roman governor : My manner of life, from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews, which knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify,) that after the most straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come for which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 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. 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. Whereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at mid-day, 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. 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. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet, for 1 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, delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coast of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer; and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul,

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thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness: For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds."

In another chapter of the same book he gives in substance the same account to the Jews, adding these farther particulars: "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. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight; and the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now, why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts xxii. 10-16.

In the 9th chapter of the same book, the author of it relates the same story, with some other circumstances not mentioned in these accounts: As, "that Saul in a vision saw Ananias," before he came to him, "coming in, and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight:" Acts, ix. 12. And that when Ananias had spoken to him, immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales," ver. 18.

And, agreeably to all these accounts, Saint Paul thus speaks of himself in the epistles he wrote to the several churches he planted; the authenticity of which cannot be doubted, without overturning all rules, by which the authority and genuineness of any writings can be proved or confirmed.

To the Galatians he says: "I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it; and

profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood," &c. Gal. i. 11-16,

To the Philippians he says, "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews. As touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Phil. iii. 4 — 8.

And in his epistle to Timothy he writes thus: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." 1 Tim. i. 12, 13.

In other epistles he calls himself " an Apostle by the will of God, by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ; and an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead." 2 Cor. i. 1; Col. i. 1; 1 Tim. i. 1; Gal. i. 1. All which implies some miraculous call that made him an apostle. And to the Corinthians he says, after enumerating many appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, "and last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time," 1 Cor. xv. 8.

Now, it must of necessity be, that the person attesting these things of himself, and of whom they are related in so authentic a manner, either was an impostor, who said what he knew to be false with an intent to deceive: or he was an enthusiast who, by the force of an overheated imagination, imposed on himself; or he was deceived by the fraud of others, and all that he said must be imputed to the power of that deceit; or what he declared to have been the cause of his conversion, and to have happened in consequence of it, did all really happen; and therefore the Christian religion is a Divine Revelation.

Now, that he was not an impostor, who said what he knew to be false with an intent to deceive, I shall endeavour to prove, by showing that he could have no rational motives to undertake such an imposture, nor

could have possibly carried it on with any success by the means we know he employed. First, then, the inducement to such an imposture must have been one of these two, either the hope of advancing himself by it in his temporal interest, credit, or power; or the gratification of some of his passions under the authority of it, and by the means it afforded.

Now, these were the circumstances in which Saint Paul declared his conversion to the faith of Christ Jesus, - That Jesus, who called himself the Messiah, and Son of God, notwithstanding the innocence and holiness of his life, notwithstanding the miracles by which he attested his mission, had been crucified by the Jews as an impostor and blasphemer; which crucifixion not only must (humanly speaking) have intimidated others from following him, or espousing his doctrines, but served to confirm the Jews in their opinion that he could not be their promised Messiah, who, according to all their prejudices, was not to suffer in any manner, but to reign triumphant for ever here upon earth.

His apostles, indeed, though at first they appeared to be terrified by the death of their Master, and disappointed in all their hopes, yet had surprisingly recovered their spirits again, and publicly taught in his name, declaring him to be risen from the grave, and confirming that miracle by many miracles they worked, or pretended to work, themselves. But the chief priests and rulers among the Jews were so far from being converted, either by their words or their works, that they had begun a severe persecution against them; put some to death, imprisoned others, and were going on with implacable rage against the whole sect. In all these severities Saint Paul concurred, being himself a Pharisee, bred up at the feet of Gamaliel, Acts, vii. 9. 22, 23, one of the chief of that sect: nor was he content, in the heat of his zeal, with persecuting the Christians who were at Jerusalem, but, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 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 to Jerusalem," Acts, ix. 1, 2. His request was complied with, "and he went to Damascus with authority and commission from the high priests," Acts, xxvi. 12. At this instant of time, and under these circumstances, did he become a disciple of Christ. What could be his motives to take such a part? Was it the hope of increasing his wealth? The certain consequence of his taking that part, was not only the loss of all that he had, but of all hopes of acquiring more. Those whom he had left were the disposers of wealth, of dignity, of power, in Judea. Those whom he went to,

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were indigent men, oppressed and kept down from all means of improving their fortunes. They among them who had more than the rest, shared what they had with their brethren, but with this assistance the whole community was hardly supplied with the necessaries of life. And even in churches he afterwards planted himself, which were much more wealthy than that of Jerusalem, so far was Saint Paul from availing himself of their charity, or the veneration they had for him, in order to draw that wealth to himself, that he often refused to take any part of it for the necessaries of life.

Thus he tells the Corinthians, "Even unto this present hour, we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; and labour, working with our own hands," 1 Cor. iv. 11, 12.

In another epistle he writes to them, "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours, but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children," 2 Cor. xii. 14.

To the Thessalonians he says, "As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness; nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail ; for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God," 1 Thess. ii. 4, 5, 6, 9. And again, in another letter to them, he repeats the same testimony of his disinterestedness" Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought, but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you," 2 Thess. iii. 8. And when he took his farewell of the church of Ephesus, to whom he foretold that they should see him no more, he gives this testimony of himself, and appeals to them for the truth of it: "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me," Acts, xx. 33, 34. It is then evident, both from the state of the church when Saint Paul first came into it, and from his behaviour afterwards, that he had no thoughts of increasing his wealth by becoming a Christian; whereas, by continuing to be their enemy, he had almost certain hopes of making his fortune by the favour of those who were at the head of the Jewish state, to whom nothing could more recommend him than the zeal that he shewed in that persecution. As to credit or reputation, that too lay all on the side he

forsook. The sect he embraced was under the greatest and most universal contempt of any then in the world. The chiefs and leaders of it were men of the lowest birth, education, and rank. They had no one advantage of parts or learning, or other human endowments, to recommend them. The doctrines they taught were contrary to those which they who were accounted the wisest and the most knowing of their nation professed. The wonderful works that they did, were either imputed to magic or to imposture. The very Author and Head of their faith had been condemned as a criminal, and died on the cross between two thieves. Could the disciple of Gamaliel think he should gain any credit or reputation by becoming a teacher in a college of fishermen? Could he flatter himself, that either in or out of Judea, the doctrines he taught could do him any honour? No he knew very well that the " preaching Christ crucified was a stumbling block to the Jews, and to the Greeks foolishness." He afterwards found by experience, that, in all parts of the world, contempt was the portion of whoever engaged in preaching a mystery so unpalatable to the world, to all its passions and pleasures, and so irreconcilable to the pride of human reason. "We are made," says he to the Corinthians, "as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things unto this day." Yet he went on as zealously as he set out, and "was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Certainly, then, the desire of glory, the ambition of making to himself a great name, was not his motive to embrace Christianity, Was it then the love of power? Power! over whom? over a flock of sheep driven to the slaughter, whose Shepherd himself had been murdered a little before. All he could hope from that power, was to be marked out in a particular manner for the same knife which he had seen so bloodily drawn against them. Could he expect more mercy from the chief priests and the rulers, than they had shown to Jesus himself? Would not their anger be probably fiercer against the deserter and betrayer of their cause, than against any other of the apostles? Was power over so mean and despised a set of men worth the attempting with so much danger? But still it may be said, there are some natures so fond of power, that they will court it at any risk, and be pleased with it even over the meanest. Let us see then what power Saint Paul assumed over the Christians. Did he pretend to any superiority over the other apostles? No; he declared himself the least of them, 1 Cor. xv. 9. and less than the least of all saints, Eph. iii. 8. Even in the churches he himself planted, he never pretended to any primacy or power above the other apostles, nor would he be regarded any otherwise by them than as the instrument to them of the grace of God, and preacher of the gospel, not as the head of

a sect. To the Corinthians he writes in these words: "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" (1 Cor. i. 12, 13.) And in another place, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" (1 Cor. iii. 5.) " For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake," (2 Cor. iv. 5.)

All the authority he exercised over them was purely of a spiritual nature, tending to their instruction and edification, without any mixture of that civil dominion in which alone an impostor can find his account. Such was the dominion acquired and exercised, through the pretence of divine inspiration, by many ancient legislators, by Minos, Radamanthus, Triptolemus, Lycurgus, Numa, Zaleucus, Zoroaster, Xamolxis; nay, even by Pythagoras, who joined legislation to his philosophy, and, like the others, pretended to miracles and revelations from God, to give a more venerable sanction to the laws he prescribed.

Such, in later times, was attained by Odin among the Goths, by Mahomet among the Arabians, by Mango Capac among the Peruvians, by the Sofi family among the Persians, and that of the Xeriffs among the Moors. To such a dominion did also aspire the many false Messiahs among the Jews. In short, a spiritual authority was only desired as a foundation for temporal power, or as the support of it, by all these pretenders to divine inspirations, and others whom history mentions, in different ages and countries, to have used the same arts.

But St Paul innovated nothing in government or civil affairs, he meddled not with legislation, he formed no commonwealths, he raised no seditions, he affected no temporal power. Obedience to their rulers, (Romans, xiii.) was the doctrine he taught to the churches he planted, and what he taught he practised himself; nor did he use any of those soothing arts by which ambitious and cunning men recommend themselves to the favour of those whom they endeavour to subject to their power. Whatever was wrong in the disciples under his care, he freely reproved, as it became a teacher from God, of which numberless instances are to be found in all his epistles. And he was as careful of them when he had left them, as while he resided among them, which an impostor would hardly have been, whose ends were centred all in himself.

This is the manner in which he writes to the Philippians: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,

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work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," (Phil. ii. 12.) And a little after he adds the cause why he interested himself so much in their conduct, "that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all," (Phil. ii. 15, 16, 17.) Are these the words of an impostor desiring nothing but temporal power? No: they are evidently written by one who looked beyond the bounds of this life. But it may be said, that he affected at least an absolute spiritual power over the churches he formed. I answer, "he preached Christ Jesus, and not himself." Christ was the "Head," he only the "minister," and for such only he gave himself to them. He called those who assisted him in preaching the gospel, his "fellow-labourers" and "fellow-servants."

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So far was he from taking any advantage of a higher education, superior learning, and more use of the world, to claim to himself any supremacy above the other apostles, that he made light of all those attainments, and declared, "that he came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, but determined to know nothing among" those he converted, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." And the reason he gave for it was, 66 that their faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God," (1 Cor. ii. 1, 2, 5.) Now this conduct put him quite on a level with the other apostles, who knew Jesus Christ as well as he, and had the power of God going along with their preaching in an equal degree of virtue and grace. But an impostor, whose aim had been power, would have acted a contrary part; he would have availed himself of all those advantages, he would have extolled them as highly as possible, he would have set up himself, by virtue of them, as head of that sect to which he acceded, or at least of the proselytes made by himself. This is no more than was done by every philosopher who formed a school; much more was it natural in one who propagated a new religion.

We see that the bishops of Rome have claimed to themselves a primacy, or rather a monarchy, over the whole Christian church. If Saint Paul had been actuated by the same lust of dominion, it was much easier for him to have succeeded in such an attempt. It was much easier for him to make himself head of a few poor mechanics and fishermen, whose superior he had always been in the eyes of the world, than for the bishops of Rome to reduce those of Ravenna or Milan,

and other great metropolitans, to their obedience.

Besides the opposition they met with from such potent antagonists, they were obliged to support their pretensions in direct contradiction to those very Scriptures which they were forced to ground them upon, and to the indisputable practice of the whole Christian church for many centuries. These were such dithculties as required the utmost abilities and skill to surmount. But the first preachers of the gospel had easier means to corrupt a faith not yet fully known, and which in many places could only be known by what they severally published themselves. It was necessary, indeed, while they continued together, and taught the same people, that they should agree, otherwise the credit of their sect would have been overthrown; but when they separated and formed different churches in distant countries, the same necessity no longer remained.

It was in the power of Saint Paul to model most of the churches he formed, so as to favour his own ambition: for he preached the gospel in parts of the world where no other apostles had been, "where Christ was not named" till he brought the knowledge of him, avoiding "to build upon another man's foundation," (Rom. xv. 20.) Now, had he been an impostor, would he have confined himself to just the same gospel as was delivered by the other apostles, where he had such a latitude to preach what he pleased without contradiction? Would he not have twisted and warped the doctrines of Christ to his own ends, to the particular use and expediency of his own followers, and to the peculiar support and increase of his own power?

That this was not done by Saint Paul, or by any other of the apostles, in so many various parts of the world as they travelled into, and in churches absolutely under their own direction; that the gospel preached by them all should be one and the same, the doctrines

1 If any one imagine that he sees any difference between the doctrines of Saint James and Saint Paul, concerning justification by faith or by works, let him read Mr Locke's excellent comment upon the Epistles of the latter; or let him only consider these words in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, ix. 27, “But I keep | under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away."

If Saint Paul had believed or taught, that faith without workswas sufficient to save a disciple of Christ, to what purpose did he keep under his body, since his salvation was not to depend upon that being subjected to the power of his reason, but merely upon the faith he professed? His faith was firm, and so strongly founded upon the most certain conviction, that he had no reason to doubt its continuance; how could he then think it possible, that while he retained the saving faith, he might nevertheless be a cast-away? Or if he had supposed that his election and calling was of such a nature, as that it irresistibly impelled him to good and restrained him from evil, how could he express any fear, lest the lust of his body should prevent his salvation? Can such an apprehension be made to agree with the notions of absolute predestination ascribed by some to Saint Paul? He could have no doubt that the grace of God had been given to him in the most extraordinary manner; yet we see that he thought his election was not so certain, but that he might fall from it again through the natural prevalence of bodily appetites, if not duly restrained by his own voluntary care. This single passage is a full answer, out

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