that is, as men who had projected a LET. plan (and thought themfelves able to XVII. execute it) of perfuading the world that their mafter was rifen from the dead, when he was not rifen, and of propagating over the earth a new religion, upon the strength of that perfuafion. We can know no more of the apoftles than the Gofpel hiftory with great fimplicity and evident fincerity informs us. Let any man duly confider their characters and qualifi cations as there defcribed; let him then ftand forth, lay his hand upon his heart, and fay, that he can poffibly bring himself, for a single moment, to believe, they could ever have entertained the thought of projecting and executing fuch a plan. I fhould be glad to fee that man. I would fubfcribe handfomely towards

LET. erecting a ftatue to his memory. For, XVII. take him either as a fool, or a knave, he is at the top of his profeffion.

But if no fuch plan by fuch perfons were or could be concerted, then the evidence of the apoftles and difciples (to 500 of whom Chrift appeared at once, and among whom he walked in and out for forty days together) is as good and valid for the fact of his refurrection, as for any other fact concerning his life or his death. Nor is it true, that "God chose to

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deprive all mankind of the proper " evidence of the resurrection, because "the Jews of that age were finners." Whatever evidence it had pleased God to vouchsafe to "the Jews of that

age," "all mankind" befides could have received it only upon teftimony; and they enjoy now, upon teftimony, more and better evidence for the refurrection

furrection of Chrift, than ever was LET. produced for any one tranfaction that XVII. has happened, from Adam to the prefent hour. The defcent of the Spirit on the day of Pentecoft; the propagation of the Gospel by inftruments otherwife totally inadequate to the work; the converfion of fo many thoufand Jews; the deftruction of Jerufalem; and the establishment of the Christian church, in oppofition to the efforts of the whole Roman empire -all these considerations, added to the original pofitive evidence for the fact, and the futility and abfurdity of the arguments then and fince employed to invalidate it, form fuch a moral demonftration in it's favourthe only demonstration we can have, in cafes of this kind-that there must be fomething very wrong indeed in T 4

the

LET. the head, or the heart of him, who, XVII. at this time of day, fets himself to

deny and blaspheme it. With joy and pleasure I defire to risk upon the truth of it every thing that is dear to me, in this life, and that which is to

come.

P. 47. It is afked, whether God expects that we fhould "fhew our "faith and reliance on him by mak86 ing a facrifice of our reason, and believing, not by an act of the un"derstanding, but of the will?" How neceffary, in many cafes, the concurrence of the will is towards the production of faith, daily experience may convince us. We fee men rejecting the strongest evidence, when opposed by intereft, prejudice, and paffion; and accepting the flighteft, which falls in with them. The best

arguments

arguments in the world avail nothing LET. on one fide, when pride, pleasure, and XVII. profit are engaged on the other. Hope of what is deemed good, and fear of what is deemed evil, will find means to elude the force of all the fyllogifms which the most skilful difciple of Ariftotle can frame. "This man (faid "the rulers of the Jews) doeth many "miracles." Acknowlege and receive him, therefore, as a man sent from God.-"No: we will apprehend and "crucify him."-For what reafon ?"Because if we let him alone, all men "will believe in him; and the Ro

mans will come and take away our "place and nation" But he has raifed Lazarus from the dead-"Why then, we will put Lazarus to death.

"again" What can be done with fuch people as these? Or what effect

would