other point, viz. that all the difciples were prefent when the commiffion was given, two of the hiftorians are exprefs as to that, and fay, that the eleven were there, and consequently Thomas must have been present, as he was one of the eleven; and this the other two do not contradict, but rather suppose it. But then, with respect to both these points, St. John's gospel fets forth the contrary, where it is faid exprefsly, that Thomas was not prefent when the commiffion was given; and that Chrift appeared twice afterward, at one of which times Thomas was cured of his unbelief. This being the cafe, the question is, how muft our judgments be determined, when two oppofite points are maintained ? And the answer is obvious; if we follow nature, the less number ought to give place to the greater, where the evidences are of equal credit, and are equally qualified to know the truth; and, confequently, that the one biftorian, viz. St. John, ought to give place to the four, who contradict him. And then, as part of St. John's history will be set aside ; fo the doctrine of Chrift's refurrection will be thereby cleared of fuch incumbrance as that part of his gofpel has brought upon it. However, in order to bring thofe hiftorians to fome agreement, and fave St. John harmlefs, it will be proper to confider John's hiftory, as ending with the 23d verfe of the xxth chapter of his gofpel; and then, that history will tally with all the other histories, jo far as not to contradict them in either of the points before mentioned. But then, the queftion will be, what must be done with the remainder of John's gofpel? And the anfwer likewife is obvious, viz. it must be rejected as fpurious. What faith the fcriptures? Caft out the bond-woman and her fon; for the fon of the bond-woman fhall not be heir with the fon of the free woman. The part of John's gofpel referred to, may have been added to that history by fome other hand; principally, perhaps, for the fake of that ridiculous story of Thomas's unbelief related in it, that being the principal point it is concerned with. I call that branch of history a ridiculous ftory; because it seems defigned to reprefent Thomas, as acting a most ridiculous part in it. The hiftorian, in giving an account of Thomas's unbelief, has certainly dropped thofe circumstances which attended the cafe, and yet are neceffary to be known, in order to form a proper judgment upon it. The history lets forth, that fome of the difciples came to Thomas Thomas, and told him they had seen the Lord; upon which he is represented to have replied, inftantly, [Except I fhall fee in his hands the print of the nails, and put my fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his fide, I will not believe ;] this, to me, feems incredible. The difciples muft, furely, have told Thomas the circumftances of the cafe, and in what manner their Mafter had appeared, and fhewed himself to them, and what was the ground of their affent, elfe there was nothing to lead him to make fuch a declaration; if Thomas had not difliked what was the ground of affent to the other disciples, then, he could have had no occafion given him to declare what should be the ground of affent to himself. This being the cafe, I shall therefore supply the history with fuch circumftances as plainly appear to be both natural and neceffary, taking in fuch help, from the general hiftory of Christ's refurrection, as it affords; and with this help the cafe will appear in a two-fold light; as thus. The difciples, who had feen Chrift, after his refurrection, came to Thomas, who had not seen him, and told him they had feen the Lord; upon this, Thomas asked them bow, and in what manner their Master had appeared, and fhewed himself to them? They answered, that when they were gathered together (the door being shut for fear of the Jews) their Mafter inftantly appeared and ftood in the midst of them, and after he had conversed with them fome time, he then as inftantly disappeared and vanished out of their fight; and that, as he had appeared to them at different times, fo he had made that appearance under different forms. This account was so far from being satisfactory to Thomas, that, on the contrary, he was naturally led to fufpect it; for as this account afforded no fort of proof of the identity or fameness of Christ's perfon, that is, it did not make it appear, that the person whom they had feen was the very fame person who had been crucified, but rather rendered it greatly uncertain; seeing that appearance was under different forms, and was fo inftantaneous as made it look more like an apparition, than a real refurrection; fo from hence there seemed just ground for Thomas to fear, that those difciples might have been misled. And, as the aforefaid account was not fatisfactory to Thomas, fo he gave his fellow-difciples to understand what would be fatisfactory to him; namely, that as the crucifixion of Christ had had rendered his body particularly remarkable, by the scars and marks that the spear and nails must have made upon it; fo the feeing and feeling those parts of the body should be the test to him, and the ground of his affent, or dissent; and, if the perfon, who had appeared, was his real and very Master, he did not doubt but he would give him fuch fatisfaction; nor would he be displeased with him for defiring it; seeing it was acting with fuch care and caution, in an affair of great importance, as every honeft, prudent man, who is not disposed to follow every dreamer, ought, and would be difpofed to do. But then, the cafe may be put in another light, which may, perhaps, not appear quite fo favourable to Thomas. The difciples, who had seen Chrift after his refurrection, came to Thomas, and told him they had feen the Lord. Upon which Thomas asked them, in what manner Christ had appeared, and fhewed himself to them? To which they answered, that they had not only seen his perfon, but also had converfed with him; and that he had eat and drank in their prefence, and had exposed to their view those parts of his body, which the fpear and nails had pierced; that he had required them, and they had feen and handled thofe L 4 |