wards left no Means untried to put a stop SERM to it and to difcredit it, were not able III, IV. either to prevent it, or to fuppress or confute it, is becaufe the Witnesses of the Refurrection testified nothing but the Truth; and Truth can never be confuted, but will always, however it may be contradicted, remain invincible, and cannot by the most violent Oppofition be convicted of Falfhood.

THE Jewish Rulers had the dead Body of Jefus committed to their keeping, and they themselves fet a Band of Romans to guard it, that it might not be convey'd away. Why then did they not produce it, to the Confufion of those who pretended that he was rifen? They certainly would have done this, had the Body been ftill in their Poffeffion. They muft therefore grant, and they do grant, that the Body was miffing out of the Sepulchre on the third Day, tho' the Sepulchre was hewn out of a Rock, and fecur'd by a great Stone feal'd with their own Seal, and guarded by a strong Watch placed there by themfelyes. How fa

vourable

eafi

vourable so important a Conceffion even
of Enemies is to the Teftimony of the
Apostles, any indifferent Perfon may
ly difcern. It might justly be expected,
that they who guarded the Sepulchre
fhould in a fatisfactory manner account
for the removal of the Body. But they
never gave any tolerable account of this;
never any but fuch as is not only to the
laft degree improbable, but big with
Incónfiftency, which fufficiently demon-
ftrates the Falfhood of it. All that they
ever had to say was, That the Disciples
came by Night and ftole away the Body
while the Soldiers flept.

BUT how very unlikely is it that the Difciples, who had fo lately deferted their Master while he was living, fhould all of a fudden grow fo refolute as to attempt to rescue him when dead out of the Hands of threefcore Roman Soldiers. Could they hope to overpower such a Force, if they found them waking; or could they reasonably expect to find them all fleeping at once? It is incredible, efpecially confidering the strictness

SERM.

III, IV.

SERM.

III, IV.

བ

of the Roman Discipline, that out of fuch a Number of Roman Soldiers upon Duty there should not be one awake. Or fuppofing they had been all asleep, yet in all likelyhood the execution of this Attempt, the opening the Sepulchre, and the removal of the Body muft have awaked fome, at least one out of fixty, in which cafe the Plot of the Apostles would have been defeated. Moreover, if the Soldiers were all afleep, as they pretended, how could they know that the Difciples ftole away the Body of Jefus? For ght they could tell to the contrary, he might be rais'd to Life again, as the Difciples, who faw him, when they were awake, affirm'd. How worthy Acceptation are the Depofitions of fuch Perfons, who bear Teftimony to what was done when, as they themselves confefs, they were afleep? In the beginning of this Difcourfe I obferv'd, that Knowledge and Integrity are the neceffary Qualifications requir'd in a credible Witness; Knowledge of the Facts which he teftifies, and Integrity to declare what

he

he knows, and nothing more. These
Soldiers may
from their own Confeffion
be proved to have neither of these Qua-
lifications. For they profefs to teftify,
what they could not poffibly know;
what happen'd when, as they pretend,
they were afleep. Surely our Unbe-
lievers have either no Eyes or no Fore-
head, when they affirm and ftand to it,
That thefe Soldiers who teftify what was
done while they flept, are more credible
Witneffes than the Apoftles, who decla
red what they faw and heard and felt for
forty Days together. And yet these are
-
the Men who will not be impos'd upon
by idle Tales and Fables; who will not
take any thing upon Truft; but require
Demonstration e're they yield their Af-
fent, and laugh at others for believing
upon flight and infufficient Grounds. But
how high a Value foever these Men may
fet upon fo abfurd an Evidence, it ap-
pears that their Predeceffors in Infidelity,
the High Priefts themselves, had but a
mean Opinion of it, and thought it no
fufficient Foundation for any judicial Pro
ceedings.

I 2

SERM.

III, IV.

III, IV.

ceedings. For the Apoftles were never SERM. fo much as queftion'd on this account. They were punish'd for Teaching in the Name of Jefus, but never for stealing away his Body; as they certainly would have been, could any fuch Villany have been prov'd upon them. And it is very plain that the Soldiers, if they really were asleep, could not confiftently testify more than this, That the Body of Jefus was in the Grave before they flept, and was gone when they awak'd; which, as I before obferv'd, fince it allows that the Body tho' guarded was miffing on the third Day, and could not be produc'd by those who had the Charge of it, is fo far from overthrowing, that it confirms the Teftimony of the Disciples.

THIS Evidence of the Soldiers, which convicts itself of Falfhood, is yet all there is on the Side of Infidelity. The Enemies of Chriftianity have never pretended, nor do now pretend to produce any other Testimony.

I SHALL only further obferve, that the Evidence of our Lord's Refurrection

hath