themselves to promote any measure, it is always in their power to impofe upon the vulgar; that private orders, for example, might have been given, that Jefus, though fufpended on a crofs, fhould not be much hurt; that the fepulchre, being under ground, might have proper apartments adjoining to it, where there might be every accommodation that was requifite for his complete recovery and refreshment; and that a few leading perfons being in the fecret, the rest might be impofed upon to believe the story of a refurrection, or any thing else.

Thus the origin of Chriftianity, it might have been faid, did not materially differ from that of the feveral species of heathenism or Mahometanifm, which the people first believed without any proper enquiry, and to which their defcendants adhered because they had been received by their ancestors before them.

But the circumftances attending the actual promulgation of Christianity were fuch, as that nothing of this kind can ever be advanced by any unbelievers, at all acquainted

with the history of the times; because it is evident, that Jefus Christ, and his religion, and especially the account of his refurrection, on which the whole of it hinged, immediately engaged the closest attention of great numbers, and that thousands felt themselves interested in the highest degree to examine into the truth of it.

In the first place, the apoftles, and other primitive Chriftians, were certainly interested not to give up their ease, their little fortunes, and their lives, for an idle tale. And, on the other hand, the chief priests and rulers of the Jews, who had been fo much exasperated at Jefus as to procure his death, even with fome rifque to themselves, from his popularity with the common people, would feel themfelves more strongly interested to fupprefs his followers, and his religion, after his death; and this they evidently did, without lofing any time in the bufinefs.

Not more than fifty days elapfed between the crucifixion of Jefus and the most open publication of the account of his refurrection, an event spoken of even before his death,

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death, against any impofition with respect to which all poffible precautions had been taken, and concerning which many rumours must have prevailed from the paffover to Pentecoft (for no fecrecy was enjoined with respect to it) from the very day of his appearance. On the day of Pentecost, however, it was boldly afferted by such a number of perfons, who were witneffes of the fact, that some thousands (who had themselves feen the miracles of Jesus) were fully convinced of its truth, and gave public teftimony of their faith by being immediately baptized.

Obferve in how full and explicit a manner Peter, on this occafion, gave his teftimony, as quoted in the preceding Dif courfe, Acts ii. 22. Ye men of Ifrael, hear my words. Jefus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and figns, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; him ye have taken, and with wicked hands have crucified and flain. This fefus hath God raised up, whereof we all (and about one hundred and twenty were then with him) are witnesses.

The

The boldness of the apoftles in giving this public teftimony to the refurrection of Jefus, a teftimony which his audience evidently could not contradict, exafperated the rulers of the country to the highest degree; and the event being then recent, they would, no doubt, do every thing that men, and men in power, could do in order to discover the cheat, if any fuch had been ufed.

This endeavour to fupprefs Christianity began in the very country, and in the very city, in which it was firft promulgated, where Jefus had always appeared in public, and confequently where himfelf, and all that he had done, were known to thoufands. And this violent oppofition, than which we know of nothing in the hiftory of mankind more violent, and which began as early as it was poffible for it to begin, was continued by the Jews, with very few interruptions, till it was taken up by the Romans, who were alarmed at the rapid fpread of the new religion, which foon appeared to be hoftile to all the old ones, on the obfervance of which it was univerfally imagined

imagined that the temporal profperity of ftates depended. And this perfecution of Christianity did not end till about three hundred years after its promulgation, that is, till all farther fcrutiny into the facts was equally impoffible and needlefs.

Did not this fituation of things most ftrongly invite all perfons to make the most rigorous inquiry into the truth of the facts on which Chriftianity was founded, and especially that of the refurrection of Jesus ? Would not all the five hundred as long as they lived (and according to Paul many of them were living in the year 52, and the apostle John, it is fuppofed, did not die till about A. D. 90) be continually speaking of it, and examined concerning it. This would certainly be the cafe if any fuch event had happened at this day, and human nature we cannot doubt to have been the fame in all ages.

What, then, could any of those who are now unbelievers in Chriftianity have done, if they had been living at the time of the promulgation of it, more than other unbelievers then did, who, whatever else they