They were constantly laying
snares, too, to entangle him in the web of the law. He was
justifiable, therefore, in avoiding these by evasions, by sophisms, by
misconstructions, and misapplications of scraps of the prophets, and
in defending himself with these their own weapons, as sufficient, _ad
homines_, at least. That Jesus did not mean to impose himself on mankind
as the Son of God, physically speaking, I have been convinced by the
writings of men more learned than myself in that lore. But that he might
conscientiously believe himself inspired from above, is very possible.
The whole religion of the Jews, inculcated on him from his infancy,
was founded in the belief of divine inspiration. The fumes of the
most disordered imaginations were recorded in their religious code,
as special communications of the Deity; and as it could not but happen
that, in the course of ages events would now and then turn up to which
some of these vague rhapsodies might be accommodated by the aid of
allegories, figures, types, and other tricks upon words, they have not
only preserved their credit with the Jews of all subsequent times,
but are the foundation of much of the religions of those who have
schismatized from them. Elevated by the enthusiasm of a warm and pure
heart, conscious of the high strains of an eloquence which had not been
taught him, he might readily mistake the coruscations of his own fine
genius for inspirations of an higher order.
Pages:
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555