22 Sept. 1813 Not Paul but Jesus

Not Paul but Jesus

or Considerations Shewing tending to shew that the doctrines Paul is of Paul constitute improperly stiled numbered among an Apostle no part no proper part of the religion of Jesus; /of Jesus that his doctrines […?]/ but form are a spurious and incongruous addition to it, not warranted by unconformable adverse to the spirit of it, and obstructive of its reception acceptance on the part of thinking minds.

Shewing that Paul was no Apostle of Jesus: that Paul’s doctrines are no part of the religion of Jesus: that they are unwarranted by it unconformable to it, and obstructive to its acceptance on the part of thinking minds.

Part I

I. Repugnancy to Jesus

II. Conversion Impostures

III. Hostility to Apostles

IV. Motives self-regarding

V. Miracles, none.

VI. Obscurity and Nonsense

Counter proofslb/>

VII. Jesus justified.

Part II

1. Asceticism - its mischievousness

2. By Jesus no countenance given to asceticism by his doctrinea

a First prove this position in very general and innoxious terms. Then come to the proof of the innocence of all innoxious pleasures . Then proof that he did right in not interdicting them. Then lastly come to the particulars of his doctrine and life.

3. nor by his practice

Introduction

Ch. 1. Uses of this enquiry

Ch. 1.

Impropriety of the practice of practicing placing doctrines delivered by other hands persons on a footing level with those delivered by Jesus. Universality of the practice.

Ch. 1 The evidence in favour of the divine mission of Paul - its weakness in comparison of the divine mission of Jesus.

Ch. 1 The evidence - its weakness in the case of Paul, compared with the case of Jesus

Paul

Ch. 2. Discrepancy of the doctrines of Paul on the subject of asceticism with the doctrines and practice of Jesus

Ch. 2. Asceticism preached by Paul and neither preached nor practiced by Jesus

Ch. 3. Abstruse and Incomprehensible Theology preached by Paul and not by without authority from Jesus

Ch. 4. Doctrine subversive of the first principles of morals and legislation, taught by Paul without authority from Jesus. Faith. Atonement. Atoning works of repentance.

Ch. 5. Lyttleton on the conversion of St Paul examined

Ch. 6. Paley’s Horæ Paulinæ examined.

Heads of Argument proposed 7 Jany 1816

I. Repugnancy to Jesus

1)The doctrine of Paul a great part are have no without authority or foundation in any doctrine of Jesus: viz. 1 the speculative doctrines by Calvinists called in the way of preeminence the five points

2

2. the inculcation of Asceticism.

3

II. Impostures

No sufficient reason exists for believing that Paul had any such divine commission as he pretended to, or any commission from God. This stems from the alledged circumstance of his supposed conversion, and the different accounts given of it.

2. His account of the appearance of Jesus after his resurrection different from all other accounts.

Hostility to Apostles.

Saint Paul kept himself all along in a state of real hostility with all the real Apostles, the persons chosen by, and witnesses of the life doctrines and precepts of Jesus.

III. Motives self regard.

5.

In the desire of Reputation, power and opulence may be seen the real inducements by which Paul was led into and kept in the course of life pursued by him.

6

V. Miracles, none.

No sufficient reason appears for supposing that by Paul any real miracle was ever wrought:

1. Of the passages in the Acts from whence an assurance to on the affirmation might be obtained, no such inference need be deduced.

7

1 and 2. By Paul himself no specific pretension to the having performed any individual miracle is any where advanced.

VI. Obscurity and Nonsense

Counter proofs

The emptiness and unmeaningness of Paul’s discourse in a multitude of places, are such as suffice to render untenable the supposition of any special commission or help from an all -wise being.

9

They are such as suffice of themselves to afford a reasonable ground for the suspicion of imposture

VII. Jesus justified

10.

In forbearing to de liver the doctrines de livered by Paul Je sus not de any thing really of the encountered

22 Sept. 1813 Not Paul but Jesus

Introd?

Middleton - service done by him to genuine Christianity by clearing it from the objection opposed by spurious miracles

I

Would Jesus have left his religion so incompleat depending for its completion or about to be on the converted but till then bitter enemy?

Paley’s Horæ Paulinæ to be examined

Shew first the nonsensicalness to prepare readers for bearing to see the intelligible parts questioned.

Give, in notes, a sample of the nonsense in the nonsense chapters exhibiting separately the small quantity of sense in those Chapters: then report the substance of the intelligible Chapters.

On the occasion of the doctrines - state the improbability that Jesus, had he approved of them, should in all the time of his mission

have withholden matters of such importance.

VI.

Debility planted in men’s minds by the obligation of admiring such nonsense

IV

The other Apostles, really Apostles, sent by Jesus. Paul nobody’s Apostle but his own, unless the Holy Ghost.

VI

The state in which over the minds of his addressees, were it shewn by the wildness and nonsensicalness of the language which would be addressed to them with safety and success.

1. The story told by Paul of his conversion would not have a claim to credence, if told by and of a man whose character were totally unknown

2. The confessedly bad character of Paul places him below below that of a man unknown.

Paul to the Romans

Nonsense No of Verses

Ch.1 32

Ch.2 29

Ch.3 31

Ch.4 25

Ch.5 21

Ch. 6 23

Ch. 7 25

Ch. 8 (28 &29 Predestination 34 Christ’s intercession) 39

Ch.9 33

Ch. 10 (Preachers necessary v. 14) 21

Ch. 11. Grace not works V. 5.&6. 36

Ch. 12 The first that has any sense

Heads for the distribution of the matter of Paul’s Epistles

I. Paul’s Motives

1 Contribution-extracting matter

2. Opulence-proving matter

3. Recommendatory matter

II. His Disposition

4. Groundlessly interpretative matter.

5. Self trumpeting matter

III His Doctrine IV

6. Cacodæmonism (1) matter

7. Ascetic matter (2)

8 Terrific matter (3)

9 Deontological matter (4)

IV his Style or say III

10. Figurative matter

2

11. Tautological matter

1

12. Simply nonsensical matters

This should come before the dogmatic matter, to shew how little ground there is for inferences deduced from such trash

3

13 Mutually contradictory matter

I Salvation universal

Paul to Romans

Ch. X v. 9 and for faith If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ib. v. 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Rom. Ch XI. v. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

II. All the world employed in a loose sense - Confer Devils offer of all the Kingdom of the Earth.

Romans Ch. X. V. 18 ‘Their sound’ (of the preachers of the Gospel) ‘went into all the Earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.’

Sexuality

To over population regular motives of irregular - ought to be thankful to them for putting up with such : as in a