eating, drinking, and talking, are SIGNS of Life: nor are the Letters of Distinction set at the Centre or Circumference, a stronger Evidence of the fame Circle, than the Wounds which THOMAS handled, could be of the fame JESUS.

Now, if this be true, as undeniably true it is, then was the Fact related in Scripture of our Saviour's RESURRECTION, a Matter, for its own Nature as evident, not only as any mathematical PROPOSITION, but as the the very firft Principles and Ideas upon which that Propofition is to be demonftrated.

AND thus much for the EVIDENCE of the Matter of Chrift's RESURRECTION.

THE Infallibility of the Perfons receiving this Evidence may, perhaps, be more briefly determined, For the Infallibility of the Perfon depends a good deal upon the Evidence of the Thing. If that be moft clear and obvious, there is but one Condition wanting, to make a Person an infallible Judge, and most

*For this Reason, what we call in the English Infallible Proofs, are, in the Greek Teftament, called rezupxɔ Signs, or Marks, of DISTINCTION.

especially

efpecially in a Matter of FACT, which is, that he have the right Use of his Senfes and Underftanding, and is affected by the Thing in Queftion, in the fame Manner, that other reason-able Men would be, in the fame Circumftances.

TAKE any Man from amongst us, that may be supposed to have the quickest SENSE, and strongest REASON: if he had seen an intimate Friend put to Death before his Eyes, and wounded remarkably in the Hands and Feet, and Side, would he not, upon a fecond View of the fame Body, pronounce it to be the fame? And would not fuch a Declaration be a Proof to others, that he enjoyed the Use of his Senfes and his Understanding? In short, could he make any other Declaration without quitting all Pretence to EITHER? If this would be the Conduct of our Man of juft Difcernment, why the Apostles acted the fame Part in the fame Circumftances. The Apostles, therefore, acted the Part of a Perfon of as quick Senfes, and as ftrong Reafon, as we can imagine; and, as they acted fuch a Part, they were certainly People of fuch a Character: fince a Man's Serious Actions make his Cha

racter.

UPON

UPON the Whole then, the Matter of Chrift's Refurrection was a Thing in its own Nature EVIDENT, and the Apostles very capable of difcerning it. If they did discern it, therefore, as the Scripture reprefents, that DISCERNMENT was an infallible Proof.

THIS high Qualification in the Apostles for being Witneffes, leads me to the third Thing propofed, which was, To enquire for what particular Reafons it might feem good to divine Providence, that this Fact should be attested by chofen Witneffes, rather than by a promiscuous Multitude.

Ir was neceffary, in an Affair of this Importance, that the Witnesses, whofoever they were, fhould be infallible. GOD could not confiftently, either with his Wisdom or his Goodness, have made choice of any but fuch as were fo qualified. It may be asked, perhaps, why he did not qualify more, and why ́ our Saviour did not fhew himself in the fame evident Manner to his Enemies, the Jewish People?

In answer to this, we may observe, that, to have given the Jews infallible Proof, with

a

a Design of making them Witneffes of the Refurrection, would have been to no Manner of Purpose.

THEY wanted Ingenuity and Integrity, Qualities as neceffary in the Character of able Witneffes, as Infallibility. It is required of Witnesses in our COURTS of Justice, that they fpeak the whole Truth, as well as nothing but the Truth; and how the Jews would have behaved in that Particular, may be gathered from their Conduct upon like Occafions. They had feen Lazarus raised from the Dead; had this worked any proper Effect upon the Rulers or upon the People? Did they turn Witnesses of

bis RESURRECTION?

THEY had seen, at the Crucifixion, the Graves opened, the Temple rent, the Sun darkened, and Nature itself in a Convulfion; infallible Proofs to the Roman Centurion, that Jefus was the Son of God: (Mark xv. 39.) but to the Jewish People no Proof at all, that Jefus had common Honefty. So far were they from being affected by these tremendous Proofs of his Power and Majefty, that, after all, they ftile him before Pilate a Deceiver. Sir,

that

that Deceiver faid, while he was per alive (Mat. xxvii. 63.)

To have given the Jews, therefore, infal lible Proofs, with a Defign of making them Witnesses of the Refurrection of CHRIST, would have been to no manner of Purpose, fince, by their Temper and Behaviour they were not only unworthy, but utterly incapable of fuch an Office.

WITH regard to other Nations, they were, tho' upon different Accounts, as incapable as the Jews. Our Saviour neither lived nor died amongst them: of consequence they had never known him alive or dead, and therefore could not be Witnesses of his RESURRECTION.

THE Witnesses, therefore, must have been of the Country where Jefus lived and died; and fince the Jews for good Reasons were excluded, the Matter remained within the Circle of his own FOLLOWERS. The Question now will be, why, out of all these, fome only were chofen Witneffes ?

THIS was not, perhaps, because the APO STLES alone had infallible Proof. O

THAT