Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-01-22
The Supernatural Darkness at the
CrucifixiOn.

CrucifixiOn.
The following article, extracted from the
learned work of Horne on I he critical study of the
Scriptures. contains clear and satisfactory an
swer to the doubl, which Gs5bon, the historian,
has inslnuated, with regard 10 the supernatural
darkness at The Crucifxion. While protesting
regard FOR The great Founder of the Christian
Religion, and for the system of doctrines which
he inculca'ed upon bis followers that elegant
but skeptical writer failed no, to improve every
opportunity mat offered, 10 express his plausi.
Bile, but sophis'ical objections, with more or less
direciness. against the gospel. ln the article
below, we have one Of those objections, along
with lis answer. which We commend TO the
careful perasal of all.
The preternatural darkness of three hours
which prevailed in the land of Judaa a. the time
Of Cbrists crucfixion, and which has been re-
corded by three of the evangelsis, is unnoticed
by any prolane historian from which clrcum
stance Mr. Glbbon has taken occasion to insin-
uae that the evidence Of the evangelists is not
sufficient TO establish The truth Of facts, unless
II is supported by the concurrent testimony oil
pagan contemporary writer's. Speaking OF that
darkness, he expresses his surprise that this
miraculous event "pasSed Uithout notice an an
age Of science and history Ii happened" he
adds, ''j,.Iiug the lifeline Of Seneca and the ell
der Pliny, who must hape experienced the imms-
diote effects, or received the earliest intelligence
of the prodigy Each Of these philosophers, in
a laborous work, has recorded all the great
phenomena Of nature, earthquakes, meteorS, com
efs and ecl,pses phich has ind.totigable industry
could collect Both the one and the other have
omitted to mention The greatest phenomenon,
to which the mortal eye has been witness since
the creation of the globe. A distinct chapter Of
Pliny is deUoted to echpseS Of an extraordinary
nature and unusual duration bu, he contents
himself with describing The singular defect OF
lieh, which followed the murder of Caesar, when,
during the greatest part of The year, The orb OF
The sun appeared pale and without splendouf.
The sentences printed in itac are those IN
which The scep,ical historian has had recourse
TO those misrepresentation which unhspplly
pervade 100 many Of his splendid pages. On
this passage We remark,
FiRsr, That the eclipse being confined 10
Juda, its immediate effects could mol necessarily
have been experienced by Seneca or Pliny
neither of whom could have been on The spot
in he,reeion of Tiberius, when the eipse took
place; nor can it be proved, that they had lm'
immediate information from all paris of the
globe as soon as any extraordinary phenome
non had taken place.
SECONDLY, Neither Pliny nor Seneca have
left any works that correspond 10 The historians
pompous description. Seneca does not trea
on eclipses a, all, in the passage referred 10; nc
speaks indeed of earthquakes, bui only In We
ry cursory manner, and does not instance more
Than four or five, because his object was evi
IDENTIFY DOT 10 write history oi them, but to IN
vestiga,e their symptoms, causes, and prognos
tics The same remark applies TO Piiny Will
respect TO earthquakes. They are mentioned
only 10 introduce philosophical observations
The historian, therefore, has bU' very ieeb!
props to support his assertion.
TptRpLy. The distinct chapter OF Piny, II
which, according 10 the historians lol'y repre-
lsen,a,ion. We should expect to fnd the suoJec
of e,ipses exhausted by It's full and eiabofa'
detail consists of only eighteen 'CordS' the pun
por of which is, that "eclpses oi the sun ar
sometimes of extraordinary duration; such
,ha, which took place on lbe death OF Caesar
and during the war with Antony, when The su
appeared pale for nearly year
LASTLY, This miraculous pre'erna'ural dalN
ness did not pass without no'Ice. Omi'ting ~
supposed a,lesiaiion Of it by Phlegon Ia Paga
chronologi. who wrote during lhe reign ol hs' IN
, emoeror n adrian. and whose testimony Is cite
nv Ter,uliian, Origen, and Euseb'ns,) and ais
! me supposed mention of il by Thaius lwh
i lived in The second century,) which Is ci'ea
r,lus Af,lcanus, a writer Of great emnenc