72. But this conviction more evidently discovers itself in their endeavours to assign his mighty works unto other causes, so that they may not from them be forced to acknowledge his divine power, and the presence of God with him. And there are two pretences which they make use of. The first is that of their forefathers, Matt. xii. 24. They would have the devil to be the author of them,
420 JESUS OF NAZARETH [ EXERC. XVII.
and that he wrought them by magical incantations. This they pleaded of old, and this some of them pretend to adhere unto to this day; the folly of which blasphemy both reflects upon themselves, and is demonstratively removable from him whom, to their eternal ruin, they seek to reproach. For,—
(1.) Do they not know that their own Moses was generally esteemed, by the wisest of the heathen, to have been skilled and exercised in magic. So Pliny and Apuleius testify; and that he wrought won- ders by virtue thereof, Gelsus contends at large. And can they fix on a readier course to confirm such a suspicion in the minds of atherstical scoffers, than by their own taking up the same accusa- tion against the author of more and greater miracles than those wrought by Moses? What colour of answer can they return unto their reproaches, whilst themselves, with more open impudence, ma- nage the same accusation against the Lord Jesus? Besides, as is confessed, Egypt was the spring of magical incantations, the world’s academy for that diabolical cunning, where almost alone it was had in honour and reputation. There, in the king’s court, had Moses his education and conversation forty years. How much more just, then (though sufficiently unjust), might a suspicion seem concerning him, of his being skilled in that falsely-called wisdom, than concern- ing our Lord Jesus, who was persecuted thither, and returned thence in his infancy, which they childishly object unto him! So that in this whole vain pretence they do nothing but attempt to cast down their own foundations.
(2.) Neither, indeed, do they account skill in and use of magi- cal incantations a crime, but an excellency. Josephus would have us believe that the art of magic and the invention of incantations was part of the wisdom of Solomon; and their Talmudical doctors do expressly approve of that diabolical art. Nothing, then, but extreme malice and desperation could put them upon inventing this cloak for their infidelity, which not only casts down the foun- dation of their own profession, but involves also a contradiction unto those principles which at other times they avouch. So that Rabbi Achor was mistaken when he gave out that as a prophecy, which was indeed a history, namely, that a generation of ungodly men among the Jews would not believe the things that the Messiah should do, but should affirm that he doth them by magical art.
73. For the blasphemy itself, there needs no other answer be given unto it but what was returned by our Lord Jesus of old. If those things had been done by magical incantations, and consequently by the assistance of the devil, it must needs be upon a division of those wicked spirits among themselves, and that upon the main design of their kingdom, dominion, and interest in this world. The open and proclaimed work of our Lord Jesus in this world, was by all
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SECT. 73, 74.| THE ONLY TRUE AND PROMISED MESSIAH. 421
ways and means to overthrow the kingdom of Satan and his works. This he privately taught, this he publicly declared, to be the main end of his coming into this world.. The works and miracles which he wrought were very many, innumerable of them exercised on devils themselves, to their shame, terror, and dispossession of the habitations they had invaded. In and during this work, he declares them to all the world to be evil, wicked, malicious, unclean, and lying spirits, reserved for everlasting destruction in hell, under the wrath of the great God. For this cause they, on the other side, ceased not to oppose him, and to stir up all the world against him, until they thought they had prevailed in his death. If men, there- fore, shall imagine or fancy that the works of Christ against the interest of Satan, upon his person, unto his shame ;—wrought to confirm a doctrine teaching all the world to avoid him, abhor him, fight and contend against him; commending every thing that he hates, with promise of life eternal unto them who forsake him and maintain his quarrel against him; threatening every thing that he loves and labours to promote in the world with eternal vengeance,— were wrought by his help and assistance, they had more need to be sent unto the place where the maladies of those distracted in their wits are attended, than to have an answer given unto their folly.
74. They have yet another pretence, to preserve themselves from the efficacy of this self-conviction. But this is so perfectly Judaical, —that is, so full of monstrous, ridiculous figments,—that nothing but an aim to discover their present desperate folly, and with what unmanly inventions they endeavour to cover themselves from the light of their own conviction, can give countenance unto the repeti- tion of it. Besides, the fable itself is vulgarly known, and I shall therefore only give a brief compendium of it, seeing it may not be wholly avoided.