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had not time to procure all the ingredients that were neceffary. For which reason they went the first day of the week, and bought more."

Our Author rather thinks, that all the fpices which they wanted, were bought at once, and in the evening, after the Sabbath was ended, as St. Mark fays. Nor need St. Luke, he tells us, be otherwife understood. He is to be understood, fays he, in this manner. And they returned, and prepared fpices and ointments. Nevertheless, they refted the Sabbathday, according to the commandment. And deferred preparing

them till that was over.'

Our Author, under this head, makes feveral other remarks, fome of which feem, to us, to be of no confiderable importance; for example, the following.Dr. Macknight fays the fpices were prepared by pounding, mixing, and melting them into an ointment. Our Author tells us, that there was no occafion for this. These women, he fays, were not inhabitants of Jerufalem, but had come up thither with our Lord, as attendants upon him, at the time of the Paffover. He cannot conceive, therefore, how they fhould be furnifhed with peftles and mortars, and other veffels, for pounding, mixing, and melting fpices. He rather thinks, they bought fpices already mixed into an ointment, prepared and fitted for the ufe intended by them. In countries where embalming was in use, he tells us, and where they buried foon after men had expired, and efpecially in great cities, and near them, fuch as Jerufalem, there must have been fhops or ware-houfes, of Apothecaries, or Embalmers, or Confectioners; where spices of all forts proper for funeral rites, and alfo bandages and rollers, might be had, and upon the shortest notice, for all forts of perfons, according to their feveral circumftances. Such remarks, are furely, of no great value!

The last and most important article of our Author's enquiry is, The journey of the women from Galilee to the fepulchre, and the appearances of our Lord to them, and to others, after his refurrection.-There are undoubtedly, he fays, fome real, or feeming, difficulties in this part of the Evangelical History, which have been of late increased and multiplied by Annotators, and other Writers, and not at all diminished by Dr. Macknight.

This being the cafe, fays he, I have found myself to be under a difability to unfold it by my own skill only. I have, therefore, upon this occafion, had recourfe to a learned and judicious friend; who, I before knew, had fome uncommon ob→

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fervations upon this fubject. The answer with which he has favoured me, is to this purpose.

"I never could bring my mind to think, that Chrift appeared first to Mary Magdalene feparately, but that his first appearance was to the watch: who, I think, faw the angel, and the rolling away of the stone, as well as felt the curμov péyar, attending the prefence and action of the angel, for fear of whom the keepers did shake, and became wol vexpoí, as dead men. Some of whom, as the fame Evangelift fays, Tives The xuradías, came into the city, and fhewed unto the chief Priefts all the things that were done. The appearance to Mary Magdalene, I think, was in common to her and to the other women, who went all together to the fepulchre, and once only, not twice, as is generally fuppofed, and faw our Saviour, and were coming back to the city, with the account of what they had feen and heard to the Apostles, at the fame time, that fome of the watch came to relate all that was done, to the chief Priests. And they did make their report to the Apostles, before the two went from the reft of the company to Emmaus. No notice is, indeed, mentioned by the two in discourse with Chrift, of the women's haying related their interview with Jefus, because it should seem none of the company believed a word of what the women said. Mark xvi. 11. Luke xxiv, 11. And none of the Evangelists pretend to give an exact detail of all circumftances."

This, I apprehend, to be the truth, or nearly fo, And it will be the key to this hiftory. And I now intend to digest the feveral particulars of it, in their proper order, as well as I can, If I fhould at all differ from my friend, it will be in fuch points only, as are not very material. And ftill I must acknowlege myself indebted to him for a clear infight into this history.'

After premifing a few obfervations, our Author goes on to relate the feveral parts of this hiftory, and to digeft them in their proper order. He concludes his Letter in the following manner :

I have now performed all that I intended. For I never propofed to go any farther, than the appearances of our Lord to the Disciples, and others, on the day of his refurrection.

Shall I now recollect, and fum up, what has been faid under this fifth and laft article of our enquiry?

Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, and other women, who had come up with our Lord to Jerufalem from Galilee, and had often attended upon him, went up to the fepulchre, bringing the fpices which they had prepared. As they were going, they faid among themselves, Who shall roll us away the ftone from

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the door of the fepulchre? For it was very great. But, when they came nigh to the fepulchre, they perceived, that the fone was rolled away. That obftacle, therefore, to their performing the intended office of refpect, in embalming the body, of which they had been apprehenfive, was removed. Which, afforded them for the prefent a good deal of fatisfaction. But when they had entered in, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus. This filled them with the utmost furprize and concern. Whereupon, with the consent and approbation of all the reft of the women, Mary Magdalene, and fome others of them, ran down immediately, in all hafte, to the Apoftles at Jerufalem, telling them, that they had been at the fepulchre, that they found the stone rolled away from the door of it: they therefore entered in, but found not the body of Jefus: They have taken away the Lord out of the fepulchre, faid they, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter and John therefore ran to the fepulchre, entered into it, and found every thing exactly agreeing to the report of the women. The body of Jefus was gone, but the cloths, with which he had been covered, remained, every part of them, and lying in great order. So that they could not but wonder greatly at what had happened. But, as it was not fafe or prudent for them to ftay there, they foon went away again to their own home, But Mary Magdalene, and the other women who had come back to the fepulchre from the Apoftles ftaid behind. And foon after those Disciples were gone away, there appeared to them two angels, and one of them faid to them, "Fear not. Ye feek Jefus, who was crucified. He is not here. He is rifen, as he faid. Come, fee the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his Difciples, that he is rifen from the dead. And they departed quickly from the fepulchre, with fear, and great joy, and did run to bring the Difciples word. As they were going to tell his Difciples, behold, Jefus met them, faying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then faid Jefus unto them: Be not afraid, Go tell my brethren, that they go into Galilee. And there shall they fee me. Now when they were going, behold fome of the watch came into the city, and fhewed unto the chief Priests all the things that were done." So in Matt. xxviii. 5-11. or as in John xx. 18. Mary Magdalene came, and told the Difciples, that he had feen the Lord, and that he had spoken thefe things unta ber. When fhe, and the reft of the women, now came down to the Apostles, it might be about feven or eight, at the latest about eight or nine, in the forenoon. Nor did the women, nor any of the Difciples, go up to the fepulchre any more after this. Thefe juft mentioned, are all the journies to the fepulchre which are recorded by the Evangelifts. Some while after the return of thofe women, and after they had reported their testimony to the

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Apostles, two of their company went to the village called Emmaus; where Jefus appeared to them alfo, and was known to them, about three of the clock in the afternoon, or fooner. And about the fame time the Lord appeared alfo to Peter, though we cannot exactly fay the place. Jefus having clearly made known himself to the two at Emmaus, as they were fitting down to table, he afterwards withdrew, when it was about three afternoon. They then rose up the fame hour, and returned to Jerufalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them. They arrived there about five afternoon, or fooner. Immediately after which Jefus alfo came, and flood in the midft, and graciously manifefted himself to them, giving them full affurance, that it was he himself.

According to different computations, Jefus fhewed himself to his Difciples and followers, four or five times on the day in which he rofe from the dead. First to Mary Magdalene, and the women with her, at the fepulchre: next to the two who went to Emmaus, then to Peter, and at length to the eleven at Jerufalem, who were affembled together, about five of the clock in the afternoon. If we compute the appearance to Mary Magdalene, to be diftinct from that to the women, there are frue appearances, otherwife, four only.

Thus I have digefted the hiftory of our Saviour's refurrection, and his first appearances to the difciples. I please myfelf with the perfuafion, that I have done it in a plainer manner, than it has been done of late by fome others. These thoughts therefore are now referred to your confideration. And I remain, with true esteem,

SIR,

Your friend and well-wifher. E. F

R.

Memoirs of ****, commonly known by the Name of GEORGE PSALMANAZAR; a reputed Native of Formofa. Written by himself in order to be published after his Death. Containing an Account of his Education, Travels, Adventures, Connections, Literary Productions, and pretended Converfion from, Heathenifm to Chriftianity; which laft proved the Ocsafion of his being brought over into this Kingdom, and paffing for a Profelyte, and a Member of the Church of England. 8vo. 4s. fewed. R. Davis, &c.

REDULITY and Impofture feem to have been coeval with mankind, and they will, doubtlefs continue infepa

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rable companions to the end of time. What age, what country has not produced Knaves to invent,-and Fools to believe?

But of all the Deceivers by whom the world hath been cheated, there never, furely, was a more confummate mafter of his art, than George Pfalmanazar! Other Impofters owed much of their fuccefs to the ignorance of the age they lived in, or of the people they had to deal with; but this man carried on a fyftem of artifice and falfhood for half a century together, undetected to the laft; and this in an enlighten'd age, among a fenfible and discerning people,-impofing even on the learned themselves: so that it may be truly faid, not only the multitude were duped, but the KNOWING ONES were taken in.-But we fhall wave all farther preliminary reflections, and proceed to gratify our Reader's curiofity, in laying before him fome of the most remarkable circumftances which diftinguished the life of that very extraordinary person, to whom the public is obliged for the famous pretended Hiftory of Formofa; and for a confiderable part of the UNIVERSAL HISTORY.

Previous, however, to the extracts we shall make from the Anecdotes with which this work abounds, we shall give a tranfcript of the penitent Author's laft Will and Teftament; as that is the best introduction of the Narrative, and will abundantly ferve to authenticate the particulars which follow:

The laft Will and Teftament of me a poor firful and worthless creaturé, commonly known by the affumed name of George Pfalmanazar.

Thy ever bleffed and unerring Will, Oh moft gracious, though offended God! be done by me and all the world, whether for life or death.

Into thy all-merciful hands I commit my foul, as unto a moft gracious father, who, though juftly provoked by my paft vain and wicked life, but more especially fo during the youthful fallies of a rash and unthinking part of it, has yet been graciously pleafed, by thy undeferved grace and mercy, to preserve me from the reigning errors and herefies, and the more deplorable apoftacy and infidelity of the present age, and enabled me to take a conftant and ftedfaft hold on the only author of our falvation, thy ever adorable and divine Son Jefus Chrift, our powerful and meritorious Redeemer, from whofe alone, and allpowerful interceffion and merits (and not from any the leaft inherent righteousness of my own, which I heartily abhor as filthy rags in thy all purer eyes) I hope and beg for pardon and reconciliation, and for a happy refurrection unto that bleffed immortality to which we are redeemed by his most precious and ineftimable blood. I likewife bles and adore thy infinite good

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