II. That they have not deceived others.

By this you will understand, that they have not deceived others of design: all other deceptions having been considered under the former head.

In support of this assertion I observe,

1. That the known probity of the apostles places them beyond every reasonable suspicion of intentional deception.

The probity of the apostles stands on higher ground, and has been regarded with higher confidence by mankind, than that of any other men whatever. This has been so often evinced, and with arguments so plainly unanswerable, that it would be probably thought tedious to expatiate on the subject at the present time. Suffice it then to say, that the histories which they have given us of our Saviour's life, contain more internal and decisive proofs of sincerity than any other human writings; that they recite facts, and utter doctrines, with a simplicity and artlessness unequalled; that their story, both as to the subject, and as to the manner, is such, as no impostor could or would tell; that the character of Christ is drawn with excellencies so great, combined with features so distinctive, as to prove it beyond the power of human invention, and much more beyond the invention of such humble, uneducated men; that, greatly as they respected.him, horrible as were the injuries which he received from his enemies, gross and abominable as was the character of those enemies, and intensely as the apostles abhorred both them and their conduct, they have recited his whole story without a single panegyrical remark concerning him, and without a single testimony of resentment, unkindness, or prejudice against them. Let it be remembered, also, that no impostor would have ever thought of terminating his account concerning a favourite and splendid character with the history of his trial and crucifixion as a malefactor; that no impostor, if we were to suppose him to have done this, would have prefaced this history with a recital of his own disbelief that this favourite was to die; especially after he had predicted his death many times, in the plainest language; that no impostor would have recorded his own ignorance and disbelief of the true character, mission, and doctrines of the hero of his story; or his severe and stinging reproofs of his follies and faults, and all this without disguise or palliation; that the doctrines and precepts contained in the Gospel are beyond

the discovery of any men, particularly of such men; that, if an impostor could discover them, he could never have enjoined them on mankind, because of their spotless purity and perfect excellence; that every impostor must, of course, have blended with the better doctrines and precepts which he thought proper to deliver, others sufficiently licentious to countenance, or at least to palliate, his own crimes; that the end, uniformly proposed and intensely pursued in the Gospel, viz. the amendment of the human character, is such as no impostor would be willing to promote; that four impostors, writing independently, or without concert, could not possibly have exhibited the same accordance of facts, nor the same perfect harmony of doctrines; and that the character of the apostles was, in their own age, not only unimpeached, but considered as superior to that of all other virtuous men. To these proofs of integrity ought to be added that decisive relinquishment of all the pleasures of this luntary endurance of all its distresses, and, in the end, their voluntary surrender of life itself, for the sake of the religion which they professed, and of the Master whom they served.

one, their cheerful life, and their vo

That men who gave so many efficacious and uniform proofs of integrity, should conspire to palm upon mankind this gross imposition, is too replete with absurdity to be admitted by any sober man.

2. The apostles had no interest in attempting to deceive mankind with respect to this event.

In order to render the imposition profitable to its authors, it was necessary that it should be believed; and, to gain credit elsewhere, it must first gain credit where it was originally published. The story was first declared to the Jewish nation; and without a single hope or thought of spreading it among other nations. It was for twelve years confined to Jews only. Now, let me ask, what inducement had the apostles to believe that a tale, so incredible in itself, would be received by this people? a tale concerning the resurrection of a crucified malefactor; for such, if false, must the story have been; and such, although true, it was believed to be by the Jews. By them Christ was regarded as an impostor, as a blasphemer of God, as an impious pretender to the Messiahship, and an impious opposer of a religion unquestionably

derived from Heaven. Yet with Jews this publication was to begin, and, so far as they knew, to end; Jews beyond example bigoted to their own religion, and furious in their hostility to every other; the bitter persecutors of Christ, while he lived, and the accusers and witnesses who caused his death, What hope could any but a madman entertain that among such people such a story could gain even a solitary admission? To give credit to this story was in a Jew no other than to yield up his religion, his bigotry, his connection with the Jewish church, his interest in the public opinion of his countrymen, and in the protection of its government. It was to expose his possessions, his family, and his life, to become excommunicated, outlawed, and an outcast from society, and to place himself within the reach of all the dreadful threatenings contained in the law of Moses. At the same time, it was to acknowledge himself a murderer, a murderer of the Messiah, a murderer of the Son of God; to confess, that he had found this glorious person in the son of a carpenter; in a man, emphatically styled by him and his countrymen, ‘ a friend of publicans and sinners; a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber?' It was, also, to renounce all his bright and dawning hopes of the deliverance of himself and his nation from Roman servitude, by that mighty Prince, with whom they were all in hourly expectation of triumphing and reigning over every nation on earth. All this, also, was to be done without any good to balance these mighty evils, either in hand or in reversion. Never was there a field so unpromising to the talents or the efforts of an impostor.

At the same time, this tale was to be told by the followers of the person professedly raised, and the enemies of those to whom it was told; by men, poor, ignorant, and despised, without friends, and without influence; abhorred by their countrymen, and regarded as apostates from their religion. Never were persons so ill qualified for successful efforts at imposition. Suppose such a story were now to be told. None of these embarrassments, it is evident, would attend the recital, except those which arise out of the story itself. The narrators would lie originally under no public odium. The subject would be obnoxious to no peculiar prejudice. The reception of it would be followed by no peculiar sacrifices; by no civil or religious disqualifications; by no loss of property, reputation, safety, or

even quiet. How plain is it, that such a story, if false, couldnot even here produce any other effect but pity, contempt, and ridicule? To persuade others to believe it, is in the nature of the case a thing so hopeless and desperate, that no impostor has been found weak, rash, or impudent enough to think of making the attempt. But, of all persons on earth, none were ever more disadvantageously situated to propagate such a story, than the apostles. The Jews were certainly less inclined to believe this story than the apostles themselves. They refused to believe it, long after very sufficient evidence had been furnished them of its truth. The Jews would certainly require evidence still more ample. This the apostles could not but know, and therefore must have been hopeless of persuading them to believe it, unless themselves were able to support it by such evidence. But this evidence could never be produced in support of a falsehood.

If the story did not gain belief, the attempt to spread it could be of no possible use to the apostles. As, then, they could not entertain a single hope of inducing the Jews to believe it, they could have no possible inducement to attempt to palm it upon the Jews. But if the Jews did not believe. it, it could never be received by any other people. Jews, in great numbers, were scattered over all the countries in which the apostles could ever hope or wish to spread the story. These Jews carried on a continual correspondence with those at Jerusalem, and in immense numbers visited that city every year. If, then, the story were not believed at Jerusalem, this fact would be perfectly well known wherever Jews resided. But the knowledge that the story gained no credit at Jerusalem, the place where the event had professedly existed, would effectually prevent it from gaining the least credit in any other place. To the spot, where the event was said to exist, all thinking men would have recourse, to learn the true state of the evidence concerning it. If it were there found insufficient, it would at once be pronounced to be insufficient by all men. The Gospel was, probably, directed by Christ to be preached first at Jerusalem and in Judea, for this as one great reason, that the story of his resurrection, on which his whole scheme depended, being established there in the immoveable belief of multitudes, might be successfully and irresistibly published in other countries.

But, whatever advantages the apostles could derive, or expect to derive from their imposture (if it were one,) must be wholly derived from persuading mankind to believe this story. They themselves perfectly understood, and frankly declared to mankind, that their whole system turned on this single hinge. If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain,' is the constant language of all which they said. For proof of this you need only examine the sermons of St. Peter and St. Paul, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Unless this fact were established, therefore, they could not hope for a single follower, nor for the smallest reward. But of the establishment of this fact among either Jews or Gentiles, I flatter myself I have shown they could not, in the existing circumstances, form even the remotest hope. They had not, therefore, the smallest interest in making the attempt.

3. They were assured, with absolute certainty, of suffering every imaginable disadvantage.

All the losses and injuries mentioned under the preceding head, must have stared them in the face at the beginning. At every step of their progress new evils could not fail to arise, and those of the most distressing kind. Had they been blind enough not to have perceived their miserable destiny, before they commenced this wretched work of deception, the first attempt could not fail to produce the most ample conviction; and to this every new attempt would add fresh proof. The scourge, the prison, and the cross have always proved effectual antidotes to imposition. All other dishonest men, are, equally with Voltaire, no friends to martyrdom. Had the apostles possessed the same character, they would have soon been wearied of the sufferings which they everywhere underwent. Everywhere they were hated, calumniated, despised, hunted from city to city, thrust into prison, scourged, stoned, and crucified. For what were all these excruciating sufferings endured? Gain, honour, and pleasure are the only gods to which impostors bow. But of these the apostles acquired, and plainly laboured to acquire, neither. What, then, was the end for which they suffered? Let the infidel answer this question.

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As they gained nothing, and lost every thing in the present world, so it is certain that they must expect to gain nothing,