Chap. 1. Sed. 4· Book IV. 419 SECT. IV. Of the Arguments of Chrijl's Refl.rreilion. CHrifla{ter his paflion Jl!mcd himfelf alive by many infaHiblc proofs.. And fo h~ Atlu. l' had need to perfwade men tnto the fmh of fo ftrange. a truth; tf we confult with antiquity, or novelty, with primitive times, or hter tunes , never was mat~er carried on with more fcruple, and Oownefs of belief, With more doubts and dtfficulu_es than was this truth of Chrill's refurrection. Mary Magdalcn faw it firft and reported it, But they believed her t!ot, Mark 16. 10. the two Difci ples tlllt went to Emmam, they faw it alfo and reponed tt, but they beltved them not, Luke 24. 37· dtvers women together faw him, and came and told the Difciples, but th~i-; n-ords feemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not, Luke 24.1 1. They all faw h1m and even feeing him, Yet they believed not for .Joy, but wondrcd, Luke 24. 41. When the wonder was over, and the reft told it but to one that happened to be abfent, you know how peremptory he was, Not he, except he Jaw in hu hands the print of the nails, and p~~t hw fingers into the print of rhe nails, and th>:ufl hvs hands mto hu fide, he would not believe, John 20. 25, ---In after-times the whole world llopt their cars at this report of the refurre[/ion of Chrifl, it was with the Grecians at Athens a vtry [corn;_When they h.ard of the rcfi!rrc{fionof the de.rd, {omc mock[d, Acts 17. 32. It was wuhFcjlw, the great Roman, t¥.'1~, a licknefs of the braio, a platn phrenzy; Feflm faid with a loud voice, Pa~<l, th"' art befidcs thy (elf, m11cb lc~rning doth maize thee mad, Acts 28. 24.--But come we to our own times, the rofurrection of Chriit is to this day as much oppofed by Jews, and Atheifls, as any one Article of our Creed. A~d furely we had ned to look to it, for if Chrifl be not ri(en (as the Apoftle argues) thep is our preaching vain, and your faith is alfo vain, I Cor. 15. 14. If Chrijl benot rifi:n, ye are yet in your fins; and they which arc fallen ajleep in Chrifl, arc pcrifhed, I Cor.I 3 -I7 ,18. Of all the precious truths in the Book of God, we had need to preferve this truth, and to be well skilled in the defending of this truth of the refurrc[fion of Chrijl. Some talk of a tolleration of all Religions, and fome defire tlm the lews may have free commerce amongft us; it will then be time, as 1 think, tO be well armed at this point. Let the ordinary Profelfors of our times, who are of weak judgments, and fiery fpirits, look to this point, leallas now, when they cannot anfwer a Separatift, they turn Scparatills, and when they cannot anfwer an Aminomian, they turn Antinomians, and when rhey onnot anfwer a Seeker. ~aker, Blafphemer, they turn to trem, fo when they cannot anfwer the fubtle Arguments of a Jew, they lhould as ealily turn Jews, and deny Chritt, and the refurredion of Chrill. • I mean nor to enter intocontro~erlies; only I lhall declare·from what heads, Argu– ments of this nature may be drawn. As-- 1. M?re generally from Gentiles grants; Jews conceffions, typical inftrudions; propheucal pred1d10ns. · 2._ More fpecially from thefe clear demonllrations, that circumltantially and fub– fhnmlly do prove this Chrif! to haverifen again. I. the Arguments in general are--- !. From Gentiles gra)lts: Pi/ate that condemned C'· rill:, tellified in a letter to Tiberizu Cefar, that ChriH was rifen again; and therefore Tibcriru delired the Senate to 1irtul.l. cont. ?dmit Chrill: into the number of their gods, which when they refufed, T ibcriU< was Gent. Eg h· 1ncenfed, and gave freeleave to all Chrif!ians to profefs Chrillianity. And to the Gen- ~ df, ~"" tiles, S;bylla left written thefe very words, He Jba!l end the neceffity of death by three ~hr~::" dayes flap, .and then returnmg from death to /,fe again, he jha/1 be th: firfl that jha/1 fhen· the bcgrnmng of refimell:ion to his chofen, for that by conqteering drath, he jha/1 bring ,.,life. 2. From Jews conceffions; Jo(eph:<f, the moll learned among{\ the latter Jews ac– knowledgeth, that after Prlatc had crucifiedhim, he appcttrcd unto his followers the third J•{e~IJ. Anri;; d:'Y• acc~rdmgly a; the Prophets had foretold. 1 he Scribes and Pllarifces being allo- llb. 8. '· 9. mfhed wHh the fudden news of his riling ag1in . confirmed by the Souldiers whom they fet to watch. _found no orher my to r<tilt the fame, but only by faying (as all the 1ewsdo unto th1sday) that his DiJciples came by night, and llole away !lis body, V v ll'hiles
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