WHEN Christians are asked for the proof of the divinity of Jesus Christ,
they point to his miracles and precepts, and the Messianic prophecies,
said to have been fulfilled by his coming. And the same kind of evidence
is adduced to prove the divine claims of their bible and its religion,
including the Old Testament, which contains the prophecies. Their
divine origin and supernatural character are claimed to be proved by the
miracles, prophecies, and precepts found recorded in the Holy Book. All,
then, stand or fall together--the divinity of Christ, and the divinity
of the bible and its religion, all, rest on this threefold argument.
All, it is claimed, are attested and proved by a threefold display of
divine power, manifested,--
1. By the performance of various acts, transcending human power and the
laws of nature, called Miracles.
2. By the discernment of events lying in the future which no human
sagacity or prescience could have foreseen, unless aided by Omniscience;
the display of such power being called Prophecy.
3. By the enunciation of Moral Precepts beyond the mental capacity of
human beings to originate.
These three propositions cover the whole ground. They constitute the
three grand pillars of the Christian faith, which, if shown to be
untenable, must prostrate the whole superstructure to the ground. We
will examine each separately, commencing with miracles.
I. Miracles the first Pillar of the Christian Faith.
We will not occupy space in discussing the various meanings assigned to
the word miracle by different writers, but take the popular definition
as given above, and proceed to inquire how much evidence can be deduced
from the miracles represented as having been performed by Jesus Christ,
toward proving his divinity and the truth of his religion. In the first
place, it should be borne in mind that Christianity is not the only
religion which appeals to miracles as a proof of its divine authorship.
More than three hundred systems and sects are reported in history, most
of which have, from time immemorial, gloried in being able to wield this
knock-down argument as they claim it to be, in support of the truth and
divine authenticity of their various systems of faith. We have briefly
noticed some of the miraculous achievements reported in their sacred
books, and ascribed to their Gods and sin-atoning Saviors, and compare
them with similar ones related of Jesus Christ, commencing with Pagan
Miracles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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