in a great many. Now to what a Number of Witneffes our Saviour appear'd after his Refurrection, the Apoftle to the Corinthians has given us this Enumeration; I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Chrift died for our Sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was Buried, and that he Rofe again the third Day according to the Scriptures; and that he was feen of Cephas, then of the Twelve; after that he was feen of above five hundred Brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain at prefent. Befides this, he was feen of James, then of the Apoftles, and last of all he was feen of me, as of one born out of time. Here is a competent Number of Witneffes, and that they had fufficient Means and Opportunities to know and be inform'd of the Truth, is undeniable.

ties of

Truth.

At his firft return from the Grave in- And Op; deed, our Saviour chofe to discover him- portunifelf to his Difciples by degrees. Hence knowing we read of his appearing and disappearing the fo frequently; of his with-holding their Eyes, that they fhould not know him ; of his coming filently to them, when the Doors were fout, and then, in a fhort time, vanishing out of their fight again.

I Cor. xv. 3, Egar.

But

But as these Expreffions f (when rightly understood) can no ways affect the Reality of his Refurrection-Body; fo do they serve to denote his Reservedness at first, which proceeded, no doubt, from a kind Concern for his Difciples, leaft too fudden a Recovery from the Despair, they were in upon his Death, might make their Joy too exceffive and tumultuous for them to bear: But when some few Interviews of this kind were paffed, we find that they conversed with him with the greatest Freedom and Familiarity. They eat and drank with him; they faw him do many wondrous Works, and received Orders and Inftructions from him about the Inftitution and Government of his Church: They themfelves declare, that, to convince them of the Truth of his Refurrection, he fhewed them his Hands and his Feet, and, to one more incredulous than the reft, he indulged the Liberty of feeling the very Prints, which the Nails had made in them; that he upbraided them with Unbelief, in not giving Credence to a Matter fo well attefted; fhewed them the Reasons of his Refurrection, and expounded to them the Scriptures,

con

Vid. Withy on John xx. 19. The Trial of the Witneffes, p. 66, &c. And Dr. Peare's Vind. Part 1. Ditton on the RefurreЯtion.

p. 16.

concerning this very Article, with fo peculiar an Energy, that they felt their Hearts fet on fire, even when they did not perceive that it was he. In fhort, they declare, that, at his Departure, he blessed them, and comforted them, and took his Leave of them, and that, after they had received all his Commands and Directions, they faw him actually taken up from them, and afcend into Heaven. Here was no room for any Dream or Deception: Men could never fancy that they faw a Perfon for forty Days together; that he eat and drank in their Prefence, that he argued and expounded the Scriptures to them, convinced them of feveral Errors and Miftakes; gave them Promises, Rules, and Inftructions, for their Comfort and the Government of a Church; and, after all, went up to Heaven in their Sight, whilft Angels stood by, and told them, that he, who was taken up into Heaven, fhould come in like manner again, as they had feen him go into Heaven: This, I fay, could be no Dream or Deception of their own; and therefore, if their Teftimony was falfe, it muft have proceeded from a malevolent Defign to abufe Mankind with a downright Forgery.

Acts i. 11.

h

in

But

From

their Icapa.ity to

execute an Inposture.

But now, fuppofing them wicked enough to engage in fuch an Undertaking; yet, where would they have had Abilities to put it in Execution? They were not bred up in Courts, or engaged in fuch a way of Living, wherein the Arts and Intrigues of the World were either taught or practifed; they were no Men of polite Converfation, that, by the Helps of Philofophy, and Eloquence of Speech, were able to infinuate a Fondnefs, and raife an Efteem of themselves in the reft of Mankind; but their Difcourses were plain and homely, as well as their Education and Condition in the World fuch, as could neither prompt their Ambition, nor qualify them for great Attempts. They were, in fhort, poor illiterate Fishermen, and therefore not in much likelihood to entertain fo great a Thought, as putting an ImpoThe Im-fture upon the whole World. But, adprobability mitting they had cunning and courage of its Suc- enough to fet about it, yet how could

cefs.

they poffibly promife themfelves Succefs, when the profeffed Enemies of Chrift's Refurrection had fo many urgent and weighty Reasons to induce them to ufe their utmoft Efforts to prove it false; when they had as much Time and Opportunity, as they could defire, in order

Ditton on Chrift's Refurrection.

to

to difcover the Impofture, and had Power in their Hands, to enable them to examine fuch Perfons and Things, as might conduce to the Discovery. Nay, put the The SufCafe, that they were fo fubtle as to con- ferings it trive, and fo fortunate as to conceal the expofed them to. Imposture; yet ftill we are to confider them as Men, and, confequently, of the fame Paffions and Defires with other Men; and being fo, k that they should relinquish all the darling Pleafures, Profits, and Accommodations of Life, and voluntarily expose themselves to Scorn, to Tortures, to Perfecutions, and even Death itself, only to propagate a Story, which they themselves know to be a Lye, and that an abfurd, infipid, incredible Lye (if a Lye at all) is a thing unnatural, and morally impoffible.

Zerlots

Inftances perhaps there may be found, The Cafe ❝ of Cheats, and Criminals, who have of Chrifti"fometimes afferted their Innocence, an Martyrs, and " and denied their Guilt, to the utmost of Crimi"Extremity; but between Criminals mals or dying and denying plain Facts, and the quite dif Apoftles dying for their Teftimony, ferent. there is this material Difference, that Criminals deny the Truth, in hopes of faving their Lives, the Apoftles willingly parted with their Lives, rather than

deny

South's Serm. vol. 5. Dr. Pearce's Vind. Part 1.