2. The Second Argument which proves that the Evangelifts would never have forg'd the like matters of fact, fuppofing they had been altogether falfe, is, that by counterfeiting them, they neceffarily rendered themselves liable to be put to a great Confufion, when they should find themselves obliged to perform the very fame Miracles. For, befides that it was very natural for any one to say to them thus; If it be true that your Mafter has wrought fo many ftrange Miracles, furely he has alfo given you Power to do the like your felves; it being well known that the first thing they taught was, that Jefus Chrift had fent them abroad with Power to perform the very fame Works he had done. 'Twas no time therefore to use Shifts, or stand doubting and fhuffling, they were obliged either to fupprefs what they knew concerning the Miracles of Jefus Chrift, or to perform the fame themfelves. Chrift himself, when he fent them to preach in the different Parts of Judea, commanded them faying, Heal the Sick, cleanfe the Lepers, raife the Dead, caft out Devils, freely you have received, freely give, Matth. 1o. 8. And these are the Characters he gave of the calling of his Difciples. And thefe Signs shall follow them that believe; in my Name shall they caft out Devils, they Shall Speak with new Tongues, they shall take up Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they fhail lay hands on the Sick, and they shall recover, &c. And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and comfirming the word with Signs, &c. Mark 16. 17, 18, 20.

Thus it appears they could not well relate what fe fus Chrift had done, without at the fame time pu ing what they themselves were obliged the further Confirmation of the Go did not relate the leaft Miracle, w time affirming they were able to do therefore certainly be one of thefe

that those Men had utterly loft their Reafon, or that they fincerely believed the Miracles of Jefus Chrift.

Had they thought them to be false, they would neither have engaged themselves to maintain an unwarrantable Fiction,by fetting down fo many Circumstances more than fufficient to difcover the real Truth of it; nor have rendred themselves liable to Shame and Confufion, by relating fuch Miracles they were not able fo much as to imitate, at that very time when they professed themselves abfolutely capable of doing every thing their Master himself had done.

Thus it appears to us, that the Miracles of Jefus Chrift are fuch matters of fact which the Disciples had neither the Boldness, the Power, nor the Will to counterfeit, fuppofing they never had been done. And I think this enough to convince us in this refpect, and to make us look upon thofe Miracles which have illuftrated the Life and Death of Jefus Chrift, as a Center of Truth that will infallibly perfwade us of the Truth and the Divinity of the Chriftanity we profess.

CHAP. III.

The fecond Center of Truth. A particular Confideration of the Refurrection of Jefus Christ.

HAV

Aving spoke of the Miracles of Jefus Chrift, we come now to his Refurrection; an Event which ought chiefly to be confidered in the Connexion it has with those Miracles: For if this Refurrection be true, without dispute thofe Miracles are fo too; And if

thofe

thofe Miracles are true, one cannot eafily doubt of the Truth of our Saviour's Refurrection.

Now to take away all Scruples that may arife in our Minds concerning the Truth of the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift, 'tis but reflecting a while upon Chrift himself, upon the Jewish Doctors, who used all poffible Care and Precaution to prevent fo much as a Report after his Death, that he was rifen from the Dead upon the Teftimony of the Watch appointed to guard his Sepulchre, upon the Procedure of the Apostles, and the difcourfe of all the Disciples in general; and lastly, upon that ready Difpofition of Mind found in a great number of Jews to embrace Christianity at Jerufalem a few Weeks after the Death of Jefus Chrift, and at a time when nothing could be easier than to enquire into the Truth of his Refurrection.

As for Jefus Chrift, the Evangelifts unanimously tell us that he had feveral times foretold his Death and Refurrection to his Difciples: Nay 'tis obfervable, that those very Predictions are oftentimes intermixed either with fuch Circumstances as do not easily of themselves enter into any Man's Mind, or with those which feem to have no manner of Relation one with another'; which proves that they cannot be the imaginary Conceits of a pleasant Fancy, that delights in the Invention of Fables. It is very improbable that the Evangelifts fhould have invented the Difcourfe of Jefus Chrift with St. Peter concerning the Sufferings that fhould certainly befall him at his going up to Jerufalem: And it is worth taking notice of, that St. Peter had but just made a very excellent Confeffion of what Jefus Chrift was, in Prefence of all the other Difciples, telling him, Thou art the Chrift the Son of the living God; and that us Christ had crowned this admirable Confeffior that extraordinary Promife of his, Bleffed

Simon Barjona. For flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I fay alfo unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church; and the gates of bell fhall not prevail against it, &c. Matth. 16. 17, 18. Immediately after Chrift foretold what Death he was to fuffer from the Chief Priefts and Scribes; but added withal, he fhould rife again the third Day. Whereupon St. Peter rebuked him, and faid, Be it far from thee, O Lord: this fhall not be unto thee. But Jefus Christ instead of approving of that feeming Concern and Affection his Difciple had for him, feverely reproved his Indifcretion in these words, Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me for thou favoureft not, &c. This Hiftory feems to be very natural and fincere, and that mixture of Circumftances which in all probability have no manner of relation with one another, could not of it felf easily enter in any Man's Mind. St. Peters Confeffion was excellent, and the Promife Jefus Chrift made him was extraordinary: Nay the very Expreffion of it implied fomewhat ftrange and difficult. But above all, it seems at first view that Jefus Chrift too rigorously cenfures the great Zeal which Peter fhewed for his Perfon, and it does not feem very natural that he who told him, Bleffed art thou Simon Barjona, and promised to make him a Pillar of his Church, fhould tell him prefently after, Get thee behind me Satan. 'Tis plain, a Man muft, in spite of himself, perceive that 'tis the force of Truth, and not the natural Agreement of those Circumstances that obliged the Evangelift to joyn them both together in one and the fame Recital. And that which neceffarily occafions this Reflexion of ours is, that Jefus Chrift had really foretold his Death and his Resurrection, before ever he had fuffered the one, or the other was brought to pass.

But

But what proves this better than any thing else, is, that Fefus Chrift, upon cooler Thoughts, and the very Day before his Paffion, did fuch a thing as had never been done before, and which doubtless never will be done again; and that is, he inftituted a Memorial of that Death he was just upon the point of fuffering: He foretold that he fhould fuffer Death from the Chief Priests, the Scribes, and the Doctors of the Law: Nevertheless he might have easily avoided it if he would by retiring into another place. But he chid, or rather storm'd at the Indiscretion of Peter, who would have diverted him from that Death; therefore he confidered it as an Event that was to be attended with very happy and faving Con: fequences with respect to Mankind. And what hap py Confequences could his Death have been attended withal, unless it was to have been immediately followed by his Refurrection?

He first instituted a Memorial of his Death, and then voluntarily fuffered it: He commanded that it should be commemorated, therefore he regarded it as an Event which was to be the Means of our Salvation. He forefaw that it would be commemorated; he forefaw then what would most infallibly come to pass, and that too in a time when there was but little Appearance of its ever happening. He did not fay, that they should commemorate his Death only till he rofe again, but till his Second Coming. He forefaw then, that he should speedily rife again, and that after his Refurrection he fhould depart in order to return again at the End of the World.

Besides, no reasonable Man can imagine that the Evangelifts had wholly invented the Account of the Inftitution of the Eucharift: For there is a great deal of Difference between a Doctrine and a Practice. A Doctrine can hardly be forged, especially because