date

27 Jan y 1816 Not Paul 1 o
27 Jan y 1816

Not Paul

1 o

Paul’s Vision

Ch

4

But though at no time a story of a vision i.e. a story in which an individual without any corresponding proof asserts himself to have seen a vision can present any rational / reasonable / title to credence, yet that at such a time as that in question stories to this effect should be brought forward and not only be brought forward but obtain extensive credence―in this there is nothing wonderful: in this there is nothing but what is perfectly in unison with / conformable to / the known state of things―in a word the known state of minds―even of the most cultivated minds at that time: and not much, at that time, but at times in a considerable degree posterior to, and therefore more [experienced] MS ‘experience’. / fuller of experience / and mature than the particular time in question.

For proof of this three / four / anecdotes will be abundantly sufficient: viz one related by Josephus the historian Flavius Josephus (37- c.98). himself as he says being an eye witness of what he relates: the two / three / others related by Tacitus the historian of Vespasian the Emperor. See, for example, Tacitus, Historiae, IV. lxxxiii for an account of a vision seen by Vespasian.

 Go on with these stories from Jug. True.
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  • Title: [15 Aug. 1815 For Jug True or Not Paul]
    Description: 15 Aug. 1815

    For Jug True or Not Paul

    Ch 3 Resources

    Hardness of heart

    Faith

    Josephus

    On the occasion of these two several miracles was

    Vespasian a sincere believer or a contriver of the imposture? Upon the face of this passage

    narrative, had it stood single, the answer might have remained been somewhat in doubt.

    But the doubt cleared is pretty well cleared up by two other stories, related of the same personage, one

    of them by Paistus himself, the other by his cotemporary, Flavius Josephus the Jew. Of the two That which is related by Paistus

    is its with relation to the matter here in question the more instructive. Being at Alexandria in Egypt,

    he repairs to the temple, turns out of it every person whom he finds there, remains alone, looks behind

    him and sees one of the chief men of the county, Basilides by name, who at that very time moment, was at a place

    eighty miles distant. Here then unless the same man was at two places at once, was a lie, and a lie of which this Vespasian who had not as yet made

    himself master of the thronea a Examine whether sowas the author: for, no other person being in the temple, Vespasian, just like any other

    person would have been who remained there by

    himself would have been was at liberty to see without contradiction as many persons there as he pleased.
  • Title: [27 Jan y 1816 Not Paul 1 o]
    Description: 27 Jan y 1816

    Not Paul

    1 o

    Ch Paul

    3

    2. General credulity of the times

    One word / A word or two / as to these visions, and these trances. Though on one occasion vision alone is the word― vision without trance, and on another occasion trance, trance alone without vision, the state of things which they are employed to designate seems to be much the same. A trance is the state of body and mind which the man was supposed to have been in, at the time when he is supposed to have been seeing a vision.

    One observation here presents itself, and after it / upon the back of it / two questions.

    The observation is that the story of a vision is precisely that sort of story of the falsity of which, supposing it false, no proof can by the nature of the case ever be afforded.

    As to the questions they are these:

    1. Suppose to the effect in question or any other effect, suppose at this time a day a story of a vision, seen by a man in a trance or not in a trance brought forward is there / would so much as / a single man endowed with any tolerable education or reading or experienced knowledge of the world be found to credit it to give credence to it?

    2. To a story of this kind suppose any such notion to have place as that in any case it could present a title to credence, where is the imposture or the impostor that might not make out a title to credence, and upon the strength of it set up and establish a false religion―any false religion that happened to suit his views?
  • Title: [head]
    Description: head>

    15 Aug. 1815

    Jug True or Not Paul

    Ch. 3 Resources

    § Hardness of heart

    Faith

    Josephus

    The other story is a story of Josephus. While Nero Wars of the Jews B. V. Ch. 12. L Estrange translation London 1702 Folio p. 909 was yet alive, and Vespasian, though in great force, had not as yet taken possession of the throne, Josephus who being was then a prisoner of his, obtained an audience, and saluted him by the title of Emperor. For this compliment, Vespasian when Emperor after upon coming to the throne set him at liberty: and presently he and his son Titus took into favour the discerning and ingenious prudent Jew.

    In those days it was the fashion to believe in miracles prodigies. Tacitus, the most discerning of all the Roman historians— Tacitus with all his discernment, believed or at any rate pretended to believe in miracles. Josephus possessed or at any rate professed the same credence. In those days times and indeed at all times it was in that country the fashion to believe in miracles. Witness in this propensity, Vespasian having for a long time his eye to the throne, but and with no better other title than that which he derived from conceived the notion, saw that by every incident by which the notion of his being a favourite of the powers above could be produced implanted or confirmed, his chance of success would be improved. deleted textOf these miracles in which in one of which he was sole pretended actor and real relating to the other principal actor, he was probably in both instances the /a/ contriver. But from his being in one of these instances a reporter of a miracle in which he being if not the contriver of imposture at any rate privy to it it was impossible he should could not have been a believer, it follows not but that he may have been a believer in other miracles.