WO RKS OF FREDERIC HU1DEKOPER, VOLUME II. INDIRECT TESTIMONY. ACTA PILATI. CHRIST'S MISSION TO THE UNDERWORLD. NEW YORK: . DAVID G. FRANCIS. 1887. INDIRECT TESTIMONY OF HISTORY TO THE GENUINENESS OF THE GOSPELS. BY FREDERIC HUIDEKOPER. NEW YORK: DAVID G. FRANCIS. 1887. Copyright, BY FREDERIC HUIDEKOPER. 1879. UNIVERSITY PRESS: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE. PREFACE. THE history of mankind evinces that civilization has been highest in communities where conscience and hope- fulness have been most developed. 1 It further shows that these have been most developed in communities having most faith in a Moral Kuler of the universe, to whom mankind are responsible, and in whom they can X trust. 2 Yet further : no community without belief in revelation has ever believed in such a Euler. If we now turn to the question of revelation we find at least two communications, one through Moses and a later one through Jesus, which claim to be from God, and the evidence for which, internal or external, claims respect- ful attention. The one through Moses is so buried in a remote antiquity as to furnish us with little or no exter- nal evidence save what we find in the Old Testament and in the influence which Judaism exercised on Greek civ- ilization. The other, through Jesus, is at a date when 1 See Judaism at Rome, pp. 364, 367 - 371, 382 - 386. 2 See Judaism, pp. 367, 370, 386. IV PREFACE. external evidence, direct or indirect, is more abundant and permits more thorough scrutiny. Our knowledge of Jesus and his teaching rests chiefly on the genuineness and trustworthiness of four records termed Gospels. The direct evidence for their genuine- ness has been repeatedly given. The following work is an effort to present some of the indirect evidence. There are individuals who in a question of this kind reject any evidence for what is supernatural. Some do this heedlessly because indifferent to the subject ; some do it impatiently from antagonism to what they deem human credulity ; others who appreciate the subject find themselves unable to credit an interruption to the laws of nature. For these last mentioned a suggestion is placed in the note. 3 In the Appendix various fraudulent works by Chris- tians are given in Notes A to K inclusive. In these no 8 No fact can be better established than that the earth at no compara- tively remote period was uninhabited by mankind. They now live upon it, and it is obvious from geology that they originally were, as now, dis- tinct from, and independent of, any known animal. When the first human pair, or pairs, came into existence, it could not have been as help- less infants. They must have had capacity to care for themselves. This formation of two or more mature human beings, destitute of parents, must unquestionably have taken place. No recorded human experience has witnessed such an event, nor is there any natural law to which it can be referred. Yet this fact, though obviously a miracle, is one which it seems impossible to reject. Does not a consideration of it render easy the supposition that the Being who formed man would interpose for his education ? PREFACE. V miracles are attributed to Jesus except those found in our Gospels. This claims especial attention in the earliest of them, the Acts of Pilate, wherein 8, 9, should be studied. The inference is fair that in the first half, or perhaps in the first quarter, of the second century, the history of Jesus was so well established that even the author of a fraud, anxious to magnify the Master, did not venture in this respect to vary from it. Of these fraudulent works some were translated by the author and some are given in extant translations. He had intended revising both, except in the Ascension of Isaiah, that being from the ^Ethiopic, of which he is ignorant. The condition of his sight has precluded such revision. Its absence will not affect the argument, but may the interpretation of particular passages. He could have wished also further time for research on more than one point. Other and more imperative duties, however, claim what remains to him of vision. In bringing his work to a close he must acknowledge deep indebted- ness to Professor Ezra Abbot, of Cambridge, for valuable aid. MEADVILLE, PA., July 28, 1879. In this third edition there is, aside from minor emen- dations, some change of arrangement in Note M, and ad- dition to Note R MEADVILLE, PA., July 31, 1882. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page INTRODUCTION xili CHAPTER I. CONTROVERSIAL WANTS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS. Section I. These called for Jewish or Heathen Records of Jesus . 1 II. They occasion Pseudo-Heathen and Jewish Documents 3 Class 1. Pseudo-Records concerning Jesus " 2. Pseudo-Records concerning Christians .... 7 " 3. Pseudo-Predictions " 4. Pseudo-Teaching 7 III. Alleged Uncanonical Gospels 7 CHAPTER II. CONTROVERSIES. I. Between Jewish and Gentile Christians 8 II. Between Jews and Christians 11 1. The Ceremonial Law 11 2. The Messiahship of Jesus 13 III. Between Heathens and Christians 14 1. Concerning God. Whether but One ? Did He create the Universe ? Was He Corporeal ? What was his form ? Did He take Interest in Human Morality ? . 15 2. Concerning Jesus. His Divine Mission proved by (1) Old Testament Predictions, (2) Pseudo-Heathen Records, and (3) Character of his Teachings 16 3. Concerning Heathen Deities 17 4. " Idolatry 18 5. " Antiquity of Christianity and Heathenism 18 6. " Public Calamities 19 7. " Creation of Man 20 IV. Controversy between Catholics and Gnostics .... 20 Y111 TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. OPINIONS OF CHRISTIANS. Section Page I. Concerning Heathen Deities . . 21 II. Idolatry 27 III. " Christ's Mission to the Underworld . 29 IV. '* Resurrection of the Flesh 30 V. ^ the Millennium 31 VI. tlr Restoration of Jerusalem .... .32 VII. " Rome's Destruction 33 VIII. Beliar, or Antichrist 34 IX. " Nero's Return . 35 X. " Conflagration of the World 36 XL " God devoid of Name 36 XII. " Old Testament Predictions 37 XIII. Jesus as Deity of the Old Testament . . 38 XIV. " the Personal Appearance of Jesus ... 39 CHAPTER IV. CHRISTIAN CUSTOMS. I. The Sabbath 42 II. Sunday as a Day of Religious Gatherings .... 44 III. Eating of Blood 46 IV. Baptism 48 V. The Lord's Supper 50 CHAPTER V. DESIGNATIONS FOR GOD 51 CHAPTER VI. TERMS APPLIED TO CHRISTIANS. I. 'Ao-fjSely, Unbelievers 54 II. Atheists 55 III. Christians 55 IV. Third Race 56 TABLE OF CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER VII. TERMS USKD BY CHRISTIANS. Section Page I. 'A(r(j3r)S, do- f j3eia, avopos, az/o/xia 56 II. 2f/3o^ifj/oy, 0o/3ov/zei/os 57 III. Evo-e'/Seta, eio-f/S^y 57 IV. Geoo-e/Seta, Qfoo-e&s 58 V. 'ASeA- 28. Noyes' trans. " Let not him that eateth de- spise him who forbears eating ; and let not him who forbears eating judge him that eateth : for God hath received him. ... I know, and am per- suaded as a Christian, that there is nothing unclean of itself ; but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. . . . And he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not with con- viction [of its lawfulness] : for whatsoever is not [done] with confidence [in its lawfulness] is sinful." Rom. 14, 3, 14, 23. 6 " For in Christianity neither circumcision availeth anything nor un- circumcision." Galat. 5, 6; 6,15. "One man esteemeth one day above another : another ESTEEMETH EVERY DAY ALIKE. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Rom. 14, 5. "I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas [more than seventeen years after becoming a Christian], taking with me also Titus. I went up for the purpose of 10 INDIRECT TESTIMONY OF HISTORY. [CH. H. some of his arguments, if rigidly carried out, might have seemed to absolve Jews also from these observances. A consequence was that on his last visit to Jerusalem his fellow Apostles and more liberal friends feared violence towards him at the hands of his Christian but Judaizing brethren. 7 In periods of political disturbance which caused more than usual alienation between Jews and Gentiles, this controversy became very bitter, intensifying the antago- nism between the two branches of the Christian commu- nity, and increasing the number of localities where this antagonism amounted to non-intercourse. 8 The violent advocates of ritual observance may not even in Jerusalem have been conscientious observers of what they advocated, 9 yet the control which they exer- a disclosure, and I communicated to them the Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, privately, however, to the more prominent, that I might not run, or have run, in vain. Neither was Titus, a Gentile who was with me, compelled to be circumcised ; though [an effort to that effect was made] because of false brethren privately introduced, that they might spy out our freedom in Christianity for the purpose of enslaving us, to whom I did not even for an hour give in." Galat. 2, 1-5. The words translated, "for the purpose of a disclosure," are frequently rendered, " in accordance with a revelation." A different translation is sometimes given also to the remarks concerning Titus ; but the sharpness of collision is not affected by any translation. 7 " You see, brother, how many myriads of Jewish believers there are, and they are all zealots for the Law. But they have been informed that you teach all Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk after the [Jewish] customs. What then is to be done ? The multitude will assuredly come together ; for they will hear that you have come. Do therefore what we advise you. We have four men who have a vow on them. Take these and purify yourself with them, and pay the expenses for them, that they may shave their heads ; and all will know that those things of which they have been informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk in observance of the Law." Acts 21, 20-24. 8 See Judaism at Rome, pp. 254, 255, and on 266 the text prefixed to note 30. 9 "Now therefore why do you provoke the anger of God, by putting a 2.] CONTROVERSIES : JEWS WITH CHRISTIANS. 11 cised is evinced by the fact, that, in a locality outside of Judea, not only Peter was temporarily overborne by their vehemence, but also Barnabas, who, though a Jew, had been born and brought up in a Gentile locality. 10 Of all this controversy and conflict, not a trace appears in the Gospels. Had they, instead of being honest histo- ries of earlier events in Judea, been the fancy sketches which some have supposed, had they originated in the midst of this struggle, or had they grown by accretion under the hands of those who were engaged in the dispute, or living among the disputants, it seems morally impossi- ble that the Master should not have been made to say one word on the subject at issue. 2. Between Jews and Christians. This controversy may be divided into two parts : 1. Was the Ceremonial Law essential to salvation ? 2. Was Jesus the Christ ? The first of these questions brought out essentially the same points and counterpoints as the discussion in the preceding section. Christians affirmed that Abel, Enoch, Noah, and others had been acceptable to God without being circumcised, and therefore that circumcision could not be essential to his approval ; that Abraham had been acceptable without observing the sabbath, and that its observance therefore was not binding. 11 yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear ? " Acts 15, 10, Noyes' trans. 10 "When Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, be- cause he was to be blamed. For, before the arrival from James of certain [Judaizers], he ate with the Gentiles : but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him ; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." Galat. 2, 11 - 13. 11 "We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. At what date was it so reckoned ? After he was circumcised ? or when he was yet uncircumcised ? It was . . . while he was uncircumcised." Rom. 4, 9, 10. The intended inference is that if Abraham did not need circumcision as a means of becoming acceptable to God, neither do other 12 INDIRECT TESTIMONY OF HISTORY. [CH. II. The most animated opponents of the Jews were the semi-Jewish Christians, who, because they shared largely men. " Let no one then call you to account about food or drink, or a feast-day, or a new moon, or sabbaths ; which are a shadow of the things to come." Coloss. 2, 16, 17, Noyes' trans. " Why do you turn to the weak and beggarly rudiments whereunto you desire again to be in bond- age ? You observe DAYS and months." Gal. 4, 9, 10. The meaning is made plain by the following. ' ' The new moon and SABBATHS I cannot away with." Is. 1, 13. Compare note 6. Justin Martyr argues from the predecessors of Abraham against cir- cumcision and from the predecessors of Moses against sabbath-keeping. " Have you any other blame to lay against us, my friends . . . except that we do not like your ancestors circumcise our flesh, nor like you keep sabbaths ovde u>s v/j.e'is