Phenix XXVI.

The Refurrection rescued from the Soldiers Calumnies: In two Sermons preach'd at St. Mary's in Oxford, about the Year 1619. By ROBERT JONES, D. D.

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To the Reader.

T being the conftant Custom to usher all forts of Books into the World with a Preface, I thought good to give this short Account of the two following Sermons. Their Author, Dr. Robert Jones, (a Man fufficiently eminent for his extraordinary Parts) was appointed to preach a Refurrection Sermon on Eafter Day in St. Mary's Church in Oxford; which he perform'd with very great Applause and Satisfaction. Yet having deliver'd fomething in the Repetition-Sermon, which did not please the nicer Palates of fome of his Auditors, he was oblig'd by the Principals of the University, to make a Recantation Sermon, which how ingeniously he perform'd, I leave the intelligent Reader, after a ferious Perufal, to judg and cenfure. Farewel.

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The Repetition-Sermon.

MAT. XXviii. 13.

His Difciples came by Night, and ftole him away while we flept.

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THAT's the beft News abroad? So we muft begin: 'Tis the Garb (les novelles) the grand Salute, and common Preface to all our Talk. And the News goes not as things are in themselves, but as Mens Fancys are fashion'd, as fome luft to report, and others to believe: The fame relation fhall go for true or falfe, according to the Key wherein Mens Minds are tun'd; but chiefly as they ftand diverfe in Religion, fo they feign and affect different News. By their News ye may know their Religion, and by their Religion foreknow their News. This Week the Spanish Match goes forward, and Bethlem Gabor's Troops are broken; and the next Week Bethlem Gabor's Troops go forward, and the Spanish Match is broken. The Catholick is for the Spanish Match, and the Proteftant for reftoring the Palatinate; and each Party think that the Safety of the Church and Succefs of Religion depends upon the Event of one or other, and therefore they crofs and countertell each others News. Titius came from London yefterday, and he fays that the new Chappel at St. James's is quite finish'd: Caius came thence but this Morning, and then there was no fuch thing on building. Falfe News follows true at the Heels, and oftentimes outftrips it.

Thus goes the Chronicle-News, the Talk of the Factious and Pragmatick; but the Chriftian News, the Talk of the Faithful, is fpent in Evangelio, in hearing and telling fome good News of their Saviour: and now all the Talk is of his Refurrection. The Chriftian Current goes, News from Mount Calvary, the fixteenth day of Nifan, in the Year Thirty Four, Old Stile, as the three holy Matrons deliver it at the eighth Verfe of this Chapter. But fince there are certain Soldiers arriv'd, and they fay there was no fuch matter as the Refurrection, 'twas but a gull put upon the World by his Difciples; for it fares with fpiritual News as with temporal, it is variqufly and contrarily related, till the falfe controuls the true.

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And as our modern News comes neither from the Court nor the Camp, nor from the place where things are acted, but is forg'd in Conventicles by Priefts, or in fome Paul's Affembly, or fuch like place, and the Divulge committed to fome vigilant and watchful Tongue: So it is with the News of the Non-refurrection; it came not from Mount Calvary, but the Priests are the Authors of it, at the eleventh Verse; and at the twelfth, they frame and mold it to the mouth of the Watch. The Divulgers, Men of double-Credit, they know the Truth, for they are of the Watch; and they will not lie, for they are Soldiers; nay, they will maintain it, for they are Knights, Milites, Knights of the Poft, they are hir'd to fay, faying, and they did fay, His Difciples came by night, and stole him away whilst we slept.

The Words are fo plain, they need no opening. May it please you that I make three Curforys over them; one for the Soldiers, another for the Disciples, and the third for our Saviour. In the two firft we will beat the Point Pro Con, and in the latter reconcile it, for that's the fashion also. No Erfor so abfurd but finds a Patron, nor Truth fo found but meets with an Adverfary, nor Point controverted but the oppofite Tenet may be reconcil'd. Be they diftant as Heaven and Hell, as incompatible as Jew and Chriftian, yet they fhall meet with a Moderator, and a cogging diftinction shall state the Queftion on the abfurder fide.

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Firit then for the Soldiers, whofe Curfory hath no Parts, that's not the Soldiers manner, but yet is fprinkled with Abfurditys, that's the manner of the Watch.They speak partly as they fight, voluntarily, and partly as they watch, fupinely; and thus they begin their Talk:

Ye Men and People of Judah and Jerufalem, this Jefus of Nazareth was a very Jugler, a neat Compiler of Impoftures, pretended Title to the Crown of Judah made himself the Meffias and the Son of God, brought fuch ftrange Opinions as would turn the whole World out of Bias; having no proof from Sense or Reafon for his Noveltys, he would needs confirm them by Miracles; and in the world's eye he seem'd to do Wonders, tho his Works were indeed but mere Delufions, wrought by flight of Hand, Hocus Pocus: All which was fo manifeftly difcover'd, that, to ftop the current of fuch falfe Coin, my Lord Prefident was forc'd to nail him to the Cross for a Counterfeit. His Mafter-trick was that of the Refurrection, whereof he fore-fpake in his Life-time; for he was no ordinary Dealer, but would make his Cunning to furvive his Perfon, and durft forefay fo. To put this piece. in Exe cution, he entertain'd a Rabble of Ruffians, whom he term'd

his

his Difciples, as all Plotters have Partners: Thefe he inftructed in the Game while he liv'd, and they were to play it when he was dead. The Lift of his Difciples confifted of Men and Women; for in all crafty Carriages there lies a Woman's Part. The Men were to perform all manner of fact, and the Women, whofe activity lies in their Tongue, were to report the Miracle...

The High Priefts and fome of the Sanhedrim being wife to apprehend, and wary to prevent the dangerous Confequences hereof, procur'd a Warrant from the Prefident to feal up the Tomb, and place a Watch there, and we were the Partys appointed to guard it. The Charge we underwent requir'd good Service, for his Difciples were common Night-walkers like their Mafter, notable Cutters, and carry'd as much Courage as Cunning; fuch tall Fellows with their Weapons, that they made it but a fleight either to withstand or affault a whole multitude, and durft do any thing in their Mafter's behalf. The other Night, when we apprehended him in Gethsemane, we were moft of the luftieft Fellows in Jerufalem, and pretty well appointed, yet they ftood to it ftoutly, made a tall fray, and fometimes put us to the worst. At the firft Onfet we were all knock'd down, and at our Recovery Rabbi Malchus, a Follower of the High Prieft's Company and our Captain, was fingled out by one of their fide, a Sailor he feem'd, who with his Whinyard lopt off one of his Ears, and had the Blow hit right, it would have cleft him down to the Twift. Nay they were all Bravoes, and their bloody Mind was feen upon Judas Iscariot, one of their own Company, who because he was our Bloodhound to fcent their Mafter out, they perfecuted the poor Wretch till they had paunch'd him; for not far from their Walk he was found hang'd with his Guts about his Heels. And for their bloody Pranks that way, the place begins to bear the name of Aceldama, the bloody Field.

For the Exploit of his Refurrection, they had the Affiftance of their Fellow She-Difciples, night Houfe-Wives too; for they were hovering about the Sepulcher from the dead of the Night till the Morning, and were as the Counter-Watch to give notice of fome Advantage to the Difciples, who lay not far off, fomewhere above Ground, while their Mafter was under it. All the day-time they ftir not for fear of Paffengers, frequenting to and fro in the Gardens and Walks about Mount Calvary, it being both Sabbath and Paffover; but in the night they took their Opportunity by this means. We had been extremely over-travel'd, both to apprehend and guard him, first to the High Prieft, next to the President; from him to Herod

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and back again; then to his Arraignment, then to his Execution, and ever fince at his Grave: fo turbulent the Man was, that his very dead Body would not lie ftill and be quiet. This Over-watching, feconded with the Darkness of the Night, and Coldness of the Air, caft us into a heavy Sleep; thereupon the Women gave the Watch-word to the Disciples, who immediately do exhumate his Body; and while they tranflate and bury it elsewhere, the Women trot into the Town, and bruit it abroad that their Mafter is risen.

And the credulous City is partly inclin'd to believe the Legerdemain; they are willing to frame their Faith and build their Salvation upon a flying Gull, rais'd by three way-going Women, gadling Gofhips that came from Galilee; one of them notorious, fo devilish, that there came feven Devils out of her, how many ftaid behind God knows; it is like she was so full, there was room for no more; and by her ye may guess at her Companions. Confider of it; the matter is of moment, a main point of State, that concerns your own Nation: We are but Strangers, and no further interefted than for the Truth's fake to speak it; and therefore be advis'd whether ye will rely herein upon the word of a Woman, or upon the faith and reputation of a Soldier. And here the Soldier puts up, he fheaths his malicious and blafphemous Tongue, more fharp and deadly than his Sword, and gives our Saviour a Wound more mortal far than thofe upon the Cross; they did but put him in a Trance, fufpend his Life for a day or two, at the moft but kill his Humanity; but this would murder his Divinity, and dead his Immortality, it would nullify the Gospel, and fruftrate all our Faith: for if Christ be not rifen (faith St. Paul) then is our Preaching vain, and your Faith is alfo vain. And therefore I come to my fecond Cursory; For his Difciples ftole him away by Night.

Herein we will deal chriftianly and civilly, not give the Lie to the Soldiers, foul Words to the Watch. But yet we may say, that their Tale hath no Truth in any point of it, but a mere Saying; Saying, fay ye. They fay not of themselves, but as the Priefts taught them; they knew they faid falfe, and therefore our faying to the contrary will eafily obtain. And therein we follow not the random of their roving, but take the fum of their Saying, as 'tis here fet down by the Holy Ghoft, giving it Order and Parts. The words then may eafily be taken judiciarily, in form of an Accufation, and then morally they are Calumny: The Soldiers either not heard, or not practis'd the Doctrine of John Baptift, Accufe no Man falfly. Or they may be taken popularly, in form of a Report or Rumour, and then morally they are a mere Gull or Slander. In

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