[CHAPTER I.]
WHATEVER may have been the moral character of the Jews, as a nation, at the time the reputed Messiah came among them, the priests and the people not only expected his advent, but they also considered that event as an end to their then subjugation, and more than a renewal of their former greatness and glory. And here the reader will perceive that they (the Jews) had no prejudice against the appearance of such a personage; the only thing they required was, his certain identity, that they might know the true Messiah was among them. Nothing could have been more favorable to his reception than such a universal expectation. This general belief throughout the nation was on their part equivalent to their saying to the God of Jacob, “We have long waited, and most ardently desired, the fulfilment of the promise made to Abram and his seed forever.” This short statement is faithful, and true as to the feelings and expectations of the whole Jewish nation.
In this stage of our remarks, every thing appears to warrant the conclusion, that, on the part of the descendants of Abram, no difficulty stood in the way of their submitting to their expected Lord and Master. To make him fully known to them, so that no mistake could possibly happen as to his person and authority, belonged to Jehovah alone; for if the Messiah promised, seemed in nowise to be represented in the person of Jesus, then the Jews would have been sure to have rejected him as another impostor of the same sort as had previously imposed on their nation. In reviewing, then, the New Testament, the object of the writer will be to show, that Jesus, the pretended Saviour of the world, was not sent from God, and consequently, the New Testament is not of Divine authority.
In the following inquiry, I shall not dispute the existence of Jesus, as a man, living about the time recorded of him, but take for granted the history of his life, with the exception of his divine mission, as this method will be better understood by the reader, as excluding irrelevant matter. In the Gospel history, then, it clearly appears, that Jesus wrote nothing of his own sayings or doings; it was all done by others. This omission to give a clear code of morals, adapted to the Gospel dispensation, and also rules and regulations for this new sect, will appear strange, when we refer to the formation and regulation of the Jewish Church. Moses, or whoever was its founder, took great pains to record the most minute things connected with the Jewish worship; while, on the contrary, the Christian Church is left in such a state of uncertainty, that its author wrote not a word himself, nor, for aught we know, did he give orders to his followers to commit to writing any thing he did or said, not even of the miracles he so often performed. It must appear passing strange, that a religion of such vast importance to the whole human race should be, as it were, left to chance, as to the manner in which it was to descend to posterity, when compared with the minuteness of the Mosaic code. Of the four evangelists, no one in particular had orders to write the life and doings of Christ, so that the inference is this: that all the history of the life of Jesus, including his death and resurrection, is but the testimony of others; consequently, we have no certainty that Christ ever said or did those things recorded of him. So that it amounts to this—somebody has said that Jesus performed miracles; and the same may be said of the rest of his sayings and doings; and we may add, that somebody has written that he was put to death, and that on the third day he arose from the dead.
It is from such vague and unauthenticated writings, written by nobody knows who, nor when they made their first appearance, that the foundation is drawn on which rests the Gospel Dispensation; and as the different writers have given different accounts of the things said to have taken place, no reliance can be given to any of the facts recorded as having actually occurred. The different writers have also given rise to doctrines so opposite to each other, that every sect can find Scripture evidence for the support of its respective dogmas. Eighteen hundred years have then passed away, and we are still ignorant of what is, and what is not, Gospel.
Is it possible that any thing can be more directly in opposition, than the Universalists and the different sects that believe in endless punishment in a future life? Again, can any two things be more opposite than the doctrines concerning the person of Christ, as held by the Unitarians and the Trinitarians; and yet, both of these doctrines are taken from the New Testament, which contains all that is written of him. And what is still more wonderful, each of these sects are positive with respect to their own opinions, and are surprised at each other’s ignorance of God’s Word; and even at the present day, they only want full power, and they would soon come to blows. Not only these opinions, but many more, equally opposed to each other, can be supported by referring to God’s unerring Word. It is a common saying, “the glorious uncertainty of the law”; I will add, it is the glorious uncertainty of the Gospel which has made so many priests, and also, it is its uncertainty which has been in every age of the church the cause of thousands of honest persons meeting a violent and cruel death, for the glory of God.
The reader will in the following pages discover, that my main object is to show that Jesus was no more sent from heaven to save mankind by the sacrifice of himself for the sins of the world, than others are sent to build houses or dig canals; and that the plan, as it is called, of human redemption, has brutalized the human race, and stood in the way of moral rectitude, and the development of kind and humane feelings. Although Matthew and Luke have recorded the miraculous conception of Jesus, yet, as it is omitted by Mark and John, I shall begin my remarks with the baptism of John. As it respects the heavenly origin of Jesus, he never mentions it in the course of his ministry, neither does his mother. Jesus, in speaking of himself, said he was the son of man. Now, if Joseph, or some other man, was not his father, he (Jesus) then went by a false name; for, in that case, he was but the son of a woman. We will leave this point of disputation with the Christians, and begin with the baptism of John.
After Jesus had been baptized by John, it is recorded, that there came a voice from heaven, saying, “Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark i., 11.) “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness, and he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan.” What possible end was to be obtained by this journey into the wilderness, and what kind of spirit it was that drove him there, we have no information. At any rate, in a forlorn state, and very hungry, Satan made his first visit to the Messenger of Peace. Jesus seemed no way surprised at this Satanic intrusion. They conversed together as old friends. We may suppose Satan to open the conversation somewhat in the following manner:—
“Why, Jesus! you seem to be any thing but in comfortable quarters. This is carrying temperance rather too far; nothing to eat or drink, and surrounded by wild beasts as hungry as yourself! I have heard that you represent to your nation that you are sent to them from Jehovah, your father. Now, if you have any thing to communicate to them of importance, this secluded spot is very unfavorable to make known your mission. Come, give over fasting, for if you are the Son of God, command these stones that they be made bread?” This observation, or, as it is called, this temptation of the Devil, caused Jesus to make this reply:—“It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth ont of the mouth of God. Then the Devil taketh him up into the holy city, [or coaxed him to leave the wilderness,] and setteth him on a pinnacle of the Temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written,, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the Devil taketh him up into art exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the worlds and the glory of them; and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall dawn and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the Devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matthew, chapter iv.)
To those Who are not afraid to examine this strange account, it must appear unworthy of the least credit. In the first place, as it stands recorded, the Devil and Jesus act as if they had been old and intimate acquaintances. This is the first announcement we have that any such personage as the Devil ever visited this earth, except he is the same identical being who, upwards of four thousand years before, came to the garden of Eden and tempted Eve, and was the cause of herself and her husband’s being expelled from that abode of innocence. If it were the intention of the writers of the life of Jesus, that it should be understood that the Devil had been resting quietly, and enjoying himself, and then appeared, ripe for new schemes of mischief, and Satan reasoning within himself was resolved again to try his hand,—is it possible, when this account is duly considered, that one person in a thousand can give credit to such nonsense?