A Series of Letters In Defence of Divine Revelation

H >> Hosea Ballou >> A Series of Letters In Defence of Divine Revelation

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It seems impossible, sir, for reason to compare our situation with
theirs, who have not been enlightened by the gospel, without kneeling,
like the woman in Simon's house, at the feet of Jesus.

2d. If the prophets where not divinely inspired, will you suggest any
way by which their pretentions to divine inspiration can be reconciled
with their honesty? They all speak in the name of the Lord, and
evidently aim at the high pretention of being spoken to, in a special
manner, by God himself. Will you say: they were a set of poor deluded
enthusiasts? But this would contradict your reason which can see in
every page of their writings a very different character. A passage
from the 1st chapter of Jeremiah is here quoted for an example. "Then
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, before I formed thee &c. I
sanctified thee; and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then
said I, ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child: But
the Lord said unto me, say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all
that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt
speak. Be not afraid of their faces; for I am with thee to deliver
thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my
mouth; and the Lord said unto me, behold, I have put my words in thy
mouth."

Here Jeremiah evidently designed to declare himself an inspired
prophet of God, by which he was justified in speaking in his name. Now
if all this was mere fiction, how can it be entitled to a better
character than that of blasphemy?

As a specimen of this prophet's knowledge of future events we may
notice his prophesy of the seventy years captivity. See chap. xxv. 11,
&c. xxix. 10, &c. Compare with 2 Kings xxiv. 2 Chron. xxxvi. Ezra i.
1, and other corresponding passages.

I will ask you to consult the character of Daniel, and observe with
what genuine humility he pretends to divine inspiration, chap. ii.
xxx. "But as for me, the secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom
that I have more than any living, but that the secret might be made
known, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." If
Daniel did not receive a divine revelation, it must be allowed that he
was deceived, or that he meant to deceive the king. But if he were
deceived, or if he meant to deceive, can you give any good account how
he could tell the king's dream and the interpretation, which reached
into the far distant periods of time, and which has been remarkably
fulfilled in the rise and fall of the four great empires of the world,
and is still fulfilling by the advances of the kingdom of Christ? I
will say nothing of the prophet Isaiah, who speaks of the Messiah more
than seven hundred years before he was born, as if he had been his
contemporary. Nor need I speak of Moses who foretold the dealings of
God with the house of Israel as if he had lived now and had written
their history. But I must insist on your paying some nice attention to
the prophesies of Christ concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. This
prophesy is recorded very circumstantially in the 24th of Matt. Be so
good, sir, as to compare this prophesy with the history written by
Josephus and let candor decide whether the author of that prophesy was
divinely inspired, or whether he was a poor deceived enthusiast.

If you allow that Jesus Christ was an honest man how is it possible
for you to deny his being divinely inspired? He certainly pretended to
foretell events; he most surely pretended to perform most astonishing
miracles. Of these facts we have as much evidence as we have that
there was such a man. Now, sir, if he were honest, he was divinely
inspired and endued, or he was an enthusiast even to insanity. And yet
in every instance, where the powers of his mind were tried, by the
profoundest learning, and sharpest wit that could be brought against
him, he discovered a mind as clear as light. A volume of vast extent
could not exhaust the subject I am now upon, but as you have the same
opportunity and means which I have to trace it, I shall insist on your
treating this subject with candor and shall expect you to acknowledge
that Jesus was divinely inspired, or show how he could be honest,
without this divine endowment.

3d. You acknowledge, that there are evidences in favour of divine
revelation, which would support it, if there were nothing to
counterbalance their testimony. I shall here find some fault. Why do
you allow that there are evidences in favour of divine revelation, and
not state what they are? Why do you insinuate that there is something
to counterbalance their testimony and not state what it is? When an
antagonist finds his opponent candid enough to allow that some
evidence stands on his side of the argument is it not necessary for
him at the same time to be informed what it is? Does he not need to
know what his opponent is willing to allow to be evidence? And does he
not likewise need to know how this evidence is counterbalanced?
However, as you have not favoured me with such necessary assistance, I
will attempt to proceed without it. But here I must go partly on
presumption and partly by guess. In the first place I will inquire
what particular circumstance recorded in scripture, which, if true,
would substantiate revelation; and which you may suppose there is
evidence sufficient to prove, if there was nothing to counterbalance
it? This I will presume is the resurrection of Jesus. Why I think you
would be most likely to have this particular in your mind, is, because
on this event, I believe all will agree, depend the validity of the
prophecies, the truth of the testimony of Christ himself, and the
authority of the apostles. I will then presume that you acknowledge
that there is evidence of this wonderful fact; but at the same time I
am to understand, that, in your mind there is something to
counterbalance, in some degree, if not entirely, this evidence.

Having proceeded so far, I am now to guess what the evidence is that
you think would support this all important fact, if it were not
counterbalanced. But here I find myself in difficulty. My difficulty
is in finding any kind of evidence which could prove such an event, if
there were nothing to counterbalance it, that could possibly be
counterbalanced. Will you say that the testimony of the disciples,
that they had seen the man alive after his death would be sufficient
evidence to prove the fact? Suppose twelve men of honest fame, should
report, and even depose, that the last man who was publicly executed
in Boston, had actually arose from the dead, and that they had ate and
drank with him a number of times since he was executed. Should you
suppose this sufficient evidence, if there were nothing to do it away?
But what could do it away? If the people could go to the grave and
find the body there, the testimony of the twelve would remain no
evidence at all, and therefore could not afterwards be called evidence
sufficient to support the fact if there were nothing to counterbalance
it. But suppose the people cannot find the body, would it not be
thought that the body might possibly have been conveyed away by design
of some who might have occasion to keep it a secret? But a guard is
placed to watch the grave; but a guard might be bribed. The one we
have account of was bribed, according to the story; and if they could
be bribed by the chief priests and rulers, why not by some body else?
Finally, would the testimony of these men be sufficient to prove such
an extraordinary fact even if the body could not be found? I think for
myself, that various opinions would result from such evidence. Some
would believe that these men had entered into some very extraordinary
plot, and calculated that they should be most likely to succeed by
means of persuading the people that they were favoured with a
knowledge of this resurrection. Others might believe them honest men,
but by some crafty contrivance imposed on. Others might believe that
the spirit of this man had appeared to the twelve, but that no real
resurrection had taken place. But I very much doubt whether any very
stable people would consider the testimony of the twelve men
sufficient to support this fact if there were nothing brought, or if
nothing could be brought against it. Such a circumstance would no
doubt cause a great deal of talk, the depositions and the names of the
deponents would be published in the newspapers, perhaps for several
weeks, but after a little time it would die away.

Finally, I cannot conceive of any evidence that could sufficiently
support the fact that Jesus who was crucified, did actually rise from
the dead, if nothing could be brought to counterbalance it, that could
possibly admit of being counterbalanced.

The question seems to remain, and the substance of it is this. 1st. If
Jesus did actually rise from the dead what kind of evidence would his
disciples need in order to be satisfied of the fact? And 2d. What kind
of evidence must they be able to bring to the people in order to
convince them of the fact?

I will here suppose that it is not necessary to prove that the
disciples of Jesus, who preached him and his resurrection all their
lives after they commenced at the day of pentecost, really believed
what they preached; but the evidence by which they believed it I now
inquire for. We must notice that the disciples did not expect the
resurrection, they were not believers of this fact when their master
was crucified. They were awfully disappointed, and not _only_
disappointed but intimidated, as the account fully shows. They all
forsook Jesus at his trial, and Peter for fear of being involved with
him denied being his disciple.

The evidence then of his resurrection must be such as will convince
those of the fact who have no expectation of the event. We will now
look at the account. "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene,
and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices,
that they might come and anoint him." This very rational account shows
as plainly as the case will admit that these women had no expectation
of his resurrection. I omit here what passed at the sepulchre when
these women were there, for this does not relate to the disciples. The
angel at the sepulchre told these women that Jesus had risen, and
directed them to go and tell his disciples. "Now when Jesus was risen
eariy, the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that
had been with him, as they mourned and wept." This mourning and
weeping could not be the effect of the pleasing expectation of soon
having their divine master with them; no, it was the natural effect of
the amazing disappointment which had closed all the hopes they had
entertained. "And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had
been seen of her," believed? no, "believed not." After that he
appeared in another form to two of them as they walked, and went into
the country.--And they went and told it unto the residue: neither
believed they them. "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat
at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they believed not them which had seen him after he had risen."
It seems unnecessary to quote into this communication all the
instances related by the four deponents of Jesus' being seen of the
eleven; his frequently being with them, eating with them, holding
lengthy conversations with them, &c. Now as these disciples knew that
Jesus had been crucified and buried, and a guard had been placed to
guard the sepulchre, and moreover knowing for certainty that the body
of Jesus was not where it had been deposited, and being favoured with
his presence on a variety of occasions for forty days, the evidence to
the disciples was of a character described by the author of the Acts.
"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many
infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God." I believe, sir, that such
evidence as Jesus is said to have given his disciples of his
resurrection would be entirely sufficient to remove all doubts in
their mind, however prone they were to unbelief. I am of opinion that
such evidence would convince you and me of a similar fact.--Two
questions are here necessary. 1st. Can we conceive how the evidence
could have been less without being insufficient? And 2d. Can we
conceive how it could have been stronger? I will not take up time to
argue these questions, I feel satisfied on them myself. I will now ask
whether we can imagine the possibility of any evidence that could
counterbalance the evidence of the resurrection in the minds of the
disciples? Thus we are brought to the suggestion, that any evidence
which could be sufficient to prove such a fact, if no evidence
appeared against it, must be such as admits of no refutation.

You will not forget, and think that I have been endeavouring to prove
the resurrection of Jesus, or that the disciples even believed it; all
I have been seeking for is that kind of evidence which would be
necessary to prove to the disciples such a fact, and to show that such
evidence cannot admit of refutation. However, you will at once see
that, allowing our reasoning to be correct, and allowing the disciples
did really believe the resurrection, either of which, I do not believe
you will undertake to dispute, the resurrection is proved beyond all
contradiction.

2d. Let us now inquire what kind of evidence was necessary for the
disciples of Jesus to bring to the people, in order to convince them
of this all-important fact on which the whole scheme and ministry of
the gospel rested. It seems that the disciples did not believe on the
testimony of others, though of their own intimate acquaintance,
persons in whom they would place as much confidence as in any in the
world, no doubt. Of course, they could not expect other people, who
had not been the disciples of Jesus, would believe in his resurrection
on their testimony. The evidence which the disciples had was
sufficient for them, but their testimony would surely be much less;
and any thing less would be insufficient as before stated.

We will now have recourse to the account. But first let us notice,
that we are not endeavouring to prove that the disciples ever
persuaded any to believe in the resurrection of Jesus; this is, as it
must be, considered a fact, not disputed. The question is by what
evidence did the apostles convince thousands of the people in
Jerusalem and its vicinity, that Jesus who was publicly executed, was
not only the true Messiah promised in the law and prophets, but that
he had actually arose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Before
Jesus ascended, he, after saying many other things to his disciples
who were together in the city of Jerusalem, said to them; "Thus it is
written, and thus it behoveth Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And
ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my
father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be
endued with power from on high." See the same account in Acts, "But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea,
and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." According
to this account, Jesus did not direct his disciples to undertake to
convince the people by their testimony, but charged them to wait for
divine power. Accordingly they did wait. Now look at the account which
we have, of what took place on the day of pentecost. I will not
mutilate this account by quoting parts, there is no need of quoting
what you have perfectly in your memory. Take particular notice of what
Peter said to the people who had been accessary to the crucifixion of
Jesus. He who was so intimidated as to deny Christ, now stands in the
midst of the people and boldly asserts, that Jesus of Nazareth was a
man approved of God among them by miracles and wonders, and signs
which God did by him, among them; and that they knew this to be the
case. He further tells them that they had with wicked hands crucified
and slain this man who was thus approved of God. And he assured the
whole house of Israel, that God had made this same Jesus whom they had
crucified both Lord and Christ. He moreover boldly declared that God
had raised Jesus from the dead. Now add to the testimony of Peter, the
astonishing manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, as
described in the account, and you have the evidence by which about
three thousand souls were convinced of the resurrection of Jesus in
one day. Here let us consider; the people had been acquainted with
Jesus, and had been eye witnesses of his miracles; many of them were
personally acquainted with Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead.
They had been, many of them, fed by his miracles and had seen his
wonderful works. Now put all together and it is evident that they had
sufficient reason to believe. I cannot conceive how reasonable people
in the candid exercise of their judgments, could avoid believing.

Look, sir, at the account of the miraculous cure of the lame man, who
lay at the gate of the temple. Notice the words used to effect it. "In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." "And all the
people saw him walking and praising God: and they knew that it was he
who sat for alms at the beautiful gate of the temple." Hear what Peter
says to the wondering multitude on this occasion. "Ye men of Israel,
why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by
our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of
Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath
glorified his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the
presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye
denied the holy one and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted
unto you; and killed the prince of life, whom God hath raised from the
dead: whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through faith in his
name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, and the
faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the
presence of you all." Here we have the evidence by which about five
thousand men, besides women, believed--that is, owned their belief.
When the high priest and others called Peter and John before them, and
demanded, by what power, or by what name they had done this thing,
Peter answers, filled with the Holy Spirit; "Ye rulers of the people,
and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done
to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole: be it known unto
you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the
stone which was set at naught by you builders." Hear what these rulers
say when Peter and John were sent aside. "What shall we do to these
men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is
manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it."

Such evidence as we have noticed, which the disciples were enabled to
bring to the people, of the resurrection of Jesus, was sufficient to
remove every reasonable doubt and to bring over to this faith, those
who had been his murderers.

I will now inquire whether it is reasonable to suppose that less
evidence would have effected such conviction?--And on the other hand,
I will ask whether stronger proof could in the nature of things be
given? And lastly, to come to our object again, does such evidence
possibly admit of being counterbalanced? I understand that these
questions admit of no other answers than such as go to show, that if
there be any evidence of the resurrection of Jesus, sufficient to
support it, if there were no evidence to counterbalance it, such
evidence is not capable of being counterbalanced.--You will perceive
that our reasoning must issue in the truth of the resurrection, unless
we assume the extravagant notion, that the people who lived in
Jerusalem and its vicinity, at the time of the crucifiction of Jesus,
were not brought over to believe it.

It is hoped that no objection will be brought from the circumstance of
the rejection of the gospel by the rulers of the Jews, and by the
major part of that hierarchy, as long as it is perfectly evident that
their opposition and unbelief were indispensably necessary for the
fulfilling of the prophecies, for the carrying of conviction to the
Gentiles, and for the purpose of perpetuating the necessary evidences
on which we, at this day, must rest our belief of this religion.

4th. You hardly know how to understand me when I suggest, that in
disproving the religion of Jesus Christ, you disprove all religion,
&c. I think I added, that there is no choosing between this religion
and some other, we must have this, or none.

By the religion of Jesus Christ, I mean to comprehend all that the
doctrine of the scriptures encourage us to believe in and hope for,
and also all that this doctrine requires, also all that it teaches us
to expect as resulting from obedience and disobedience. I am fully
persuaded that you never can disprove this religion, so as to do away
its effects on your own mind. Its maxims contain all the morality you
know of, and all that a Deist calls natural religion, he has been
taught from the revealed wisdom of God. The further you advance into
the society of man, where the light of the holy scriptures has least
extended, so much the more do you lose sight of the moral virtues; and
so much the more do you lose sight of the simple unity and divine
benevolence of God.

My meaning, sir, however, was not very extensive. It was to say, as in
a familiar conversation, I might express myself as follows: Brother,
if we disprove the religion of Jesus Christ, that is, if we give up
our present belief, there is no other religion, that we have heard of,
that can have the least claim to our belief. Judaism, Paganism,
Mahomedanism, could neither of them have any claims; nor in fact could
what people call Deism, or the belief in one God. If you say there is
certainly demonstrated in the very nature of things an eternal
unchangeable principle or law which governs all things; I will answer,
I am surprised to hear a rational being, who cannot remember
forty-five of our short years, and knows not that he shall live in the
world another hour, talk about eternal things, use great swelling
words of vanity about unchangeability, and yet deny that God has made
a revelation to man! I am really of the sentiment expressed by him who
is justly styled the light of the world, who said "No man knoweth the
Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him."

5th. You seem to inquire whether Jesus and his apostles might not be
honest men; and yet their testimony, concerning a future state be
erroneous. Answer, this case comes into the same argument as the case
of the prophets, to which attention has been paid. We have no more
reason to believe that Jesus and his apostles were honest men, than we
have to believe that they pretended to divine inspiration, and to the
power of working many very astonishing miracles. It does not appear
reasonable to suppose that these servants of God, thought they could,
and did heal the sick and raise the dead, when in fact they could do
no such thing. Therefore, if they pretended to do such things and did
them not, they were all impostors, and surely deserve no better
appellation. Now if I can bring to your mind my inference, it is this.
God would not endue Jesus Christ and his apostles with power to work
miracles, by which the attention of the people would be drawn to them
and by which they would naturally be led to place confidence in their
testimony, and yet leave them in the dark concerning those things of
which they speak to the people.

What you say on this subject, indicates that you did not understand me
to infer the validity of the apostles' testimony concerning a future
state, from any higher authority than their simple honesty unconnected
with the other part of the argument, which was as plainly set forth in
my former communication as you will now find it in this.

6th. You suppose that arguments equally energetic, and equally
conclusive might be drawn from our feelings, against, as in favour of
the necessity of divine revelation.

Though I am not of your opinion, yet I am disposed to think that
desires very fervent may in some instances exercise the human heart
against the knowledge of divine truth. But, sir, this is the effect of
moral disease, not of a sound mind. A foul stomach will nauseate at
the sight of wholesome food; distempered eyes are rendered painful by
the rays of light; one whose deeds are evil loves darkness for this
very reason. Now that people affected with these infirmities should be
exercised with fervent desires to avoid what gives them uneasiness is
surely very natural; but that a person in health and having good
exercise should loathe that which is good and nourishing, that one who
has sound eyes should dislike the enlivening beams of the sun, or that
one whose works are wrought in God, should love darkness rather than
light is not reasonable.

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