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    sought some less obnoxious presence for destroying the object o £ his fears , The Jewish historian by saying that fear and jealousy induced Herod to murder the Baptist , intended his readers to

    conclude that * the story of the daughter pleasing him and of the promise into which he was seemingly betrayed , was a mere contrivance between Herod and his

    . lanuly . Some incidents , mentioned in the evangelical records ^ justify this conclusion ; and they are . pointed out by Mr . Jones * in his IHtistrations of the Four

    Gospels , . ; > Farther , Josephus does not ( mention tjhe reproof given Herod ; by the Baptist ; but he mentions a fact which proves the truth of ib "« And it was the opinion of -the Jews , that to avenge his death ,

    cthere came upon the army of H ^ r-© d > the destroyer from God iricensed' at Ms baseness . " The army ofc which Jtoac ^ phus here speaks had mar . ched against Aretas ^ father of the divorced wife , who made war © n H ^ rod fortbe insult offered his

    family in the pet-sg i * of his daughter . Iw t ? he beginning of the first battle , Herod and his army were completely-routed ; and the victory * terminated in favour of the injured father . No \ v as it was a

    Fact notorious * to the Jewish people , * that the Baptist had the firm , ness to advise Herod not to repudiate his wifely aud thus endeavoured to prevent the war between him and A ret as , the language natural for th £ Jews to use on such

    an event was , ' * The destruction of his army is a judgment upon him from Oed for violating bis law , and killing his prophet ^ who bad the magnanimity to kdmonish luiiu of his < rime . " : This language therefore points

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    to the reprofctf which the Baptist gave Herod as its cause > and pro . ceeds frornjt ^ ilone as its con § e . quence . And it h remarkable , that while Joseph us appears to differ from the evangelists , he con . firms , and . what is more , be

    intended toconfirreij their narratives . The evangelists represent Jesus and his disciples- as having one solemn conaimnvication with the -Baptist ; and the attestations tben given to the former-we re ealcu .

    Jatedj in a remarkable manner , to alarm the men in power , as leading-then * to suspect our Lord and his forerunner gwitty of aeon .

    spiracy against- the state . The evangelists evidently labour t # preclude this suspicion : by representirtg John & « haying no intercourse with Jesus either before or

    aftejt his baptism f For the last of these historians hold up the Baptist as deela * riog $ ( and » again , as repeating his declaration ) that he had no knowledge of Jesus till he was pointed out to him by the descent of the Holy Spirit ; and the second < rf tfaenk u&es the word im *

    mediatel y tivice ^ to s } ie \ v ^ that John had no time to conspire with Jesus after his baptism , the latter having instantly departed at the pressing instigation of the Hah' Spirit . Luke

    moreover ^ represents the people of every class as coming to ask his advice , thus acknowledging his authority to command them . This communication wkh Jesus , - " aim

    his admonitions to th « peojp le . at © thus alluded to by Josep nus : " H ' erod ^ seeing bis communicati ons with others , and a 11 his heare rs elated with his discourses , feared test his pdwer of persuasion dhoiiM iwdiace them to rehel ; ft ^ ^ 5 ^ seemed eager to aet in conform ity With km advice . " ' Among those whp came for ad-

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    S 52 Jcsephus on the Mission of John the Baptist .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1811, page 232, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2415/page/40/