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unexceptio

nable.

in

brings in Eris, the Son of Harmonius, fpeaking of the State
of Souls, he means that the Soul is generated of Harmony,
and joined to a Body, which when it leaves, it goes
to the Air to be born again. And this is the rational
and true Account of Plato's Story. Now is not this
rare Stuff for Men, with a ferious Face, to confront
with our Saviour's. Refurrection, which was fo credibly
attefted by fo many unexceptionable Witnesses?

You cannot fay that this is related like one of the idle Teftimony Tales, which People are wont to raise about Ghosts, of Chrifl's rifing from which they fancy they have feen, it may be between the deal fleeping and waking, in the Night-time, when any thing may be made every thing by Fancy,or Fear, orPrepoffeffion. But our Saviour was feen often in the broad day-time, when no body expected him, and his Body handled and felt by thofe that doubted of the Sincerity of it. "Tis plain, that thofe that faw him could not be impos'd upon by a melancholy Fancy, which might incline them to think that they faw a Ghost; for fome of his Beholders were afraid that he was a Ghoft; but our Saviour undeceives the Miftake, and bids them handle him and fee, for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones which he had. Their Eating and Drinking with him after his Refurrection, and Converfing with him, at feveral Times, during the Forty Days, before his Afcenfion, fhews that he could be no Phantafm; and we may queftion, upon the fame grounds, the Reality of any Natural Body. All that can be said is against the Truth of the Relation; for no one can seriously believe, that fuch a Number of People should have a Melancholy Dream, that they all faw a dead Man for so many times together, when their Eyes were wide open. But in behalf of the Relation, what can be more Authentick than this? If one or two fober Witneffes are to be credited, why not thofe that report this? If you fay that the Women who firft faw Chrift after his Refurrection, were idle People, and not to be credited; yet Peter, and John, and the reft of his Difciples, who faw him afterwards, could not all lie under the fame Imputation. Peter himself denied him upon his Tryal, when he was

under

under no Danger for fticking to him, tho' before he was fure he was the Meffias; then how fhould he feal it with his Blood that he was fo, and that he was rifen. from the Dead, when he was fure (upon your Suppofition) he was an Impoftor. Nothing could work this great Change in him, but that he was abfolutely certain that he was rifen from the Dead, to make him thus couragcoufly to his Death own this Matter of Fact. Or, if you fuppofe that all the Difciples combined together to propagate this Story; yet how fhould Five Hundred more of the Brethren, whom he is faid to be feen by 1 Cor. xv. 6. agree in the fame Forgery? Two or Three can hardly ever fo agree upon a falfe Story, to make things to hang together, that the Cheat fhall not be difcovered; but that fuch a Number of thefe thould be in a Cabal, to make fuch a Lie pafs upon the World, and none of all thefe fall off or falter in their Evidence, I am fure is impoflible. The Apostle St. Paul fays, when he wrote that Epiftle to the Corinthians, That many of thofe Five Hundred Brethren were then alive; and therefore no one can fuppofe him to have had the Confidence, tó have appealed to fo many Witneffes, if the Matter had not been unquestionable.

Think you not that every few or Gentile, that had been ftartled with this ftrange Relation, would not have enquired, when he came to Jerufalem, of the Truth of thefe Matters; where there were fo many People, that could inform him of the perfect Certainty? and, if he had not received full Satisfaction by indubitable Evidence, do you think that ever he would have profeffed fuch a ftrange and hazardous Faith? Imagine, that a remarkable Person who was publickly executed at London, and afterwards buried, and a Guard fet to attend the Grave, that no one should play Tricks with the Body; imagine, that this executed and interred Perfon, fhould appear within a few Days, fuppofe, in a Court of Judicature, or in a Church, where five Hundred People were gathered together, who all knew him, and fhould there converfe with them, be handled by them, and thew

Ff 4

them

them the difcriminating Marks of his Body, think now what a Noife this would make. But if the five hundred Perfons fhould all conftantly affirm the Truth of the Thing; who could forbear believing it, tho' ever fo ftrange; efpecially if the Relators got only Ill-Will, and Danger, for reporting it? would not every body, who came to London, enquire into the Truth of this Story, where it was fo eafie to be fatisfied about it, and any one of the meaneft Capacity might find out whether it was a Cheat or no? For if he found that such a great Number of Eye-witneffes did pofitively avow the Truth of the Matter of Fact, and all agree upon the fame Circumftances in their Relation, at the fame Time when the Government was threatning them for the fpeaking of it, it is impoffible but that fuch Perfon, if unprejudiced, muft believe the Relation, notwithstanding the furprisingness of it. For Men may with as much Reafon disbelieve their own Eyes, as the concurrent Testimony of fuch a Number of Witneffes.

Phil. But then there is fomething in the Evangelifts related, which makes this whole Matter look fufpicious, and that is the Story of the Disciples ftealing away the Body. 'Tis certain there was fome fuch Story among the Jews, or elfe the Writers of the Gofpel would not have been falving it, and when the common People found the Body milling, 'twas eafie to perfuade them Chrift was rifen from the Dead.

Cred. It is allow'd, that this was a Story frequent among the Jews in the Time of Juftin Martyr, who makes mention in two Places of an Embaffy, fent from the Sanhedrin to all the difperfed fews, to take heed of a new Sect, raised by one Jefus, a Galilean, whom they had crucified; but his Difciples ftealing away his Body, pretended he was rifen from the Dead, and did afcend into Heaven. And now we have allow'd you this Story, What does it make for you? Nay, rather, What a wonderful Support is it of the Truth of our Saviour's Refurrection? For this Story continuing among the Jews, does very much confirm the Truth of the Evangelift's Relation; and if 'tis plain they tell Truth in one

Part

Part of the Matter of Fact, they must be fuppofed to do fo in the reft. If they be fo open and fincere as to relate that malicious Stery, which the Jews had trump'd up against them, why fhould we think, they are not as Faithful in any Thing else? All St. Matthew adds, more than what the Sanhedrin own in their circulatory Letter, is, That there was a Guard fet, which is very probable; for they who believed Chrift to be an Impoftor, and who, they knew, had foretold to his Difciples, That he would rife again the third Day, would naturally have fufpected that fuch a Trick might be play'd; but if they took Care to guard the Sepulchre for three or four Days, they knew they should render then the Imposture most manifest. Therefore, I fay, there is no Reafon to fufpect the Truth of St. Matthew's Relation as to the Guard, but that he told the Story just as 'twas related among the Jews, in the Time when he wrote. For no one can fuppofe he was fo confident, as to make mention of Soldiers being placed about the Sepulchre to watch, if there had been no fuch Thing; and when there were fo many People alive, who could have contradicted it?

And now fee how clearly this proves the Truth of Chrift's Refurrection. For this manifeftly evinces, That our Saviour had predicted his Refurrection, which made the Jews fo cautious against his Difciples practifing any Thing, which might feem to make good their Mafter's Word. But unless Jefus Chrift really knew he was to rife again, how could he be fo hardy to affert it? If he defign'd only an Imposture upon the World, and to have the Credit of being the Founder of a new Religion, this was the most imprudent Means in the World to effect it. For if he did not rife again after his Death, all his Followers must have left his new Religion for Shame, as being fet up by a lying Deceiver. But however, no Impoftor in the World could be fo filly, to put his Religion in danger of vanishing within three Days after his Death. If an Impoftor were not a perfect Ideot, he would allow himself more Time than this, before he would publickly be proclaimed a Cheat; he would probably have allowed fifty or an hun

dred

dred Years to run out before his Refurrection, so that before that Time his Friends might be dead, that they might not upbraid his Memory with the Deceit; hoping that, within that Time, the new Sect might get fuch Strength and Number, as to be able to fubfift, notwithstanding a Dif appointment. Therefore, unless Christ knew certainly he was to rife again in three Days, he would never have pretended to it; for this would have been at once to destroy the Religion he had been fo long a preaching, and, within three Day's Time after his Death, not to have one Difciple left. You cannot fay he had Hopes, That his Difciples would convey away his Body, for that was too hazardous an Enterprise for them to undertake, who forfook him upon his Trial only; or that thofe, whom you fuppofe fo grofsly to be abused by him, fhould bear him fo much Good-will, as to fupport his Credit, after he had fo bafely impofed upon them.

Again, This Story carries with it a Crowd of Improbabilities and Contradictions. Suppofe the Difciples had a Mind to fteal his Body away, yet how fhould they dare to attempt it? Would a few poor unarmed Men venture to break open a Grave, which was furrounded with Soldiers? But, you'll fay, the Soldiers were negligent, and afleep. But how could the Difciples fuppofe, that the Soldiers fhould be fo negligent? And how came they to nick the Time fo exactly, when they were all afleep? For they cannot be fuppofed, to have flept all the Time, they were upon the Guard. Or how came none of them to wake, all the Time they were engaged in this Theft? To roll fuch a great Stone away from the Mouth of a Cave, muft take up a confiderable Time, and would have made fo much Noife, as would, in all Probability, have roufed up a drowsy Soldier; and then the Enterprise had been for ever fpoiled, and the Attempters ruin'd. But suppose them to have rolled away the Stone, with all the Silence and Succefs imaginable; they, to be fure, would venture no Hazard more, but would have flunk away with the Body, as faft as they could. But if the Difciples did fteal away the Body, they must act like Mad

men

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