now fuppofing, by the Apoftles themselves; thefe forgeries must have been agreed upon immediately after JESUS's death; and continually related by the apostles wherever they made difciples, from the time of their firft beginning to preach the gofpel. If, when the apoftles first began to preach the doctrines of JESUS, they had inftructed their difciples in the doctrines of mere reafon only, and informed them that JESUS himfelf taught nothing more; evident it is, that they themselves never after could have delivered to their difciples in writing, those astonishing accounts of his fupernatural works and doctrines, which the gofpels contain.

On our prefent fuppofition therefore 'tis plain, that all the miraculous works and fupernatural doctrines attributed to JESUS in the gospels must have been invented, and agreed on, immediately after his death; before the apoftles began to preach at all in his name. And this being the cafe, it will neceffarily follow, that the plot fuppofed must have been contrived, and agreed on, not merely by the apoftles themfelves; but in conjunction with them, by all the difciples there were at Jerufalem connected together at that time; that is, by upwards of AN HUNDRED perfons more; fince we find there were fo many af-. fembled together with the apostles, to choose one into their body in the room of JUDAS ISCARIOT*, before they firft began to preach the gof pel after JESUS's death. All thefe hundred difciples must unavoidably have been parties in the fuppofed impofture: for as they had all been difciples of JESUS himself, while he was aliye + and fome, moft probably, were of the number of thofe, who had even been fent out by JESUS, two by two, to preach in all the towns where he himself * A&si. 15, &c. + Ibid. ver. 21, 22.

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intended to go*; and of course must all have been thoroughly acquainted with the works he really did perform, and the doctrines he really did teach; it is felf-evident, that unless they were. all parties to the forgery fuppofed, thofe who were not would immediately have contradicted fo extravagant, as well as wicked, an imposture; and thus the whole defign muft immediately have been quafhed; and all the difciples concerned brought to that punishment, to which the jewish. rulers would have been extremely well pleased to have had an opportunity to bring them.

Is it then credible, that no less than upwards of AN HUNDRED perfons could agree with the apoftles to confpire in fuch a falfification of the life and doctrines of JESUS, as that fuppofed? Or if they could, is it credible that no one of them fhould ever after. confefs it, when they were fure of receiving the most ample rewards from the rulers of the Jews for fuch a confeffion? Who were the perfons concerned? Men, who by the very fuppofition itself, must have become difciples of JESUS, and endangered themselves on that account, folely because he preached to them the pureft doctrines of natural religion, and moral virtue; and practifed himself what he taught to others; without having any other confideration to induce them to liften to him, or pay him the leaft regard. Is it credible, or rather is it not abfolutely incredible, that no less than an hundred and twenty perfons who had attached themselves to JESUS on fuch motives as thefe, or indeed on any motives; fhould at once agree together, immediately after his death, to bear witness to a most extravagant falfification of his life and doctrines, merely to impose upon the world; and this by fuch an impofition as was directly calcu

Luke x.

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Sect. 2. fated to bring all the evils of perfecution upon themselves? But had thefe difciples been other fort of men; or were we deftitute of this unanfwerable proof of their virtuous difpofitions, where was there an impofture ever fet on foot, in which it was neceffary that at least an hundred and twenty perfons fhould originally confpire? Or where was fuch an impofture attempted, and not betrayed? All hiftory, and the univerfal experience of mankind muft convince us, that fuch a fuppofition is not to be admitted.

But befides, if even this infuperable objection could be got over, the difficulty would in fact be fo far from removed, that it would infinitely increase upon us. JESUS had been preaching his doctrines, whatever they really were; and performing fuch works, whatever they were, as he really did perform; for no lefs than about four years before he was put to death. And during this period, as he himself publickly affirmed to the High Priefts, he had spoken openly to the world; he had ever taught in the fynagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews alway reforted, and in fecret he had faid nothing: fo that his doctrines were well known to all that had heard him *!—And juft the fame may be faid of his works. If then JESUS had been nothing more than a mere man, who only went about inculcating the precepts of pure morality, without laying claim to any divine character, or pretending to exert any fupernatural powers; what effects muft have followed the mad attempt of even an hundred and twenty of his difciples, to perfwade the Jews immediately after his death, that Jesus had made all the fupernatural declarations, and performed all the miraculous works, which we find afcribed to him in the gofpels? Could the moft obftinate affertions, even of an * John xviii. 20, 21. hundred

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hundred and twenty people, declaring within a few weeks after his death, that he had miracufoufly cured great multitudes of all kinds of difeafes, given fight to the blind, and even restored the dead to life, perfwade the people to believe that he had really done fo; when they knew, as they must have known, that he never had? Could their affertions, that JESUS had raised LAZARUS, and the widow of Nain's fon to life, in the prefence of many Jews; and fed many thousand people with a few loaves and fifhes; have induced the people to believe, that he had really done fo; when they knew no fuch miracles had been heard of, while he was yet alive? Or could their affertions, that he had always declared himself a greater perfonage than a prophet; even THE LORD; the only begotten Son of God; and the MESSIAH or CHRIST; and that be should judge the world; &c. &c; could their affertions make the Jews believe, that JESUS had really affumed thefe divine characters, when all who had heard him knew that he had not? The fuppofition is fo extravagantly ridiculous, that it needs but to be mentioned in order to be exploded.

Befides, many of thofe particulars by which the divine character and fupernatural powers of JESUS are ascertained, are fuch, and fo circumftanced, that it is evident to demonftration the apostles themselves could not forge them.

It is related*, that JESUS gave fight in a miraculous manner to a man who was publickly known to have been born blind; that upon this the man was carried to the Pharifees; that they queftioned him much about, the miracle which had been wrought upon him; and excommunicated him for the opinion he profeffed of the divine character of Jesus, who had wrought it. * John ix.

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We are told too, that the Pharifees had before agreed, that whoever confeffed JESUS to be the CHRIST, fhould be put out of the fynagogue, Thefe are facts, which the apoftles themselves could not affert falfly juft after the death of JESUS, without betraying themselves; nor could the rulers have had occafion to come to fuch a refolution, if JESUS had been nothing more than a preacher of mere reafon and moral virtue, who laid no claim to any fupernatural powers.

It is related, that JESUS reftored LAZARUS to life in the prefence of many Jews, with a very particular detail of all the circumstances attending it. That fome of the Jews immediately informed the Pharifees, of the miracle they had seen him perform that upon this information the Chief Priefts and Pharifees met in council to debate what they fhould do upon it; that CAIAPHAS the High Prieft for that year, declared his opinion for putting JESUS to death, and that from that time they determined to purfue this defign; confulted together about the means of accomplishing it; and iffued out their orders, that whoever knew where he was fhould declare it, that they, might apprehend him. Thefe are facts of fuch a nature as not to admit of having been, forged by the apoftles immediately after JESUS's death; and fuch facts as prove unanswerably that JESUS was not a mere preacher of morality.

If JESUS was a mere preacher of morality, the teftimony which JOHN BAPTIST bore to him as being the Meffiah 1, muft likewife have been forged; and, on our prefent fuppofition, by the apostles themselves. But this could not poffibly be the cafe: the apoftles could not have afferted, that the Jews fent priests and levites to John, to afk bim, who art thou; and that JOHN bore witness * John ix. 22. + John xi. ‡ John i.

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