with his ufualDecency calling them Inconfiftenciess Improbabilities, Abfurdities, and Contradictons.

Be his Objections what they will, the Importance of the Subject demands, what the Writer has no Claim to, a ferious Answer. I fhall therefore compare the feveral Writers of the Gospel together, as to the manner of stating the Fact, and take Notice of the Confiderer's Exceptions, as they fall in my Way. I would afk then, wherein do Matthew, Mark, and Luke differ as to the Point in Queftion? Do they not agree one and all that Chrift fhewed himself to the Eleven Apoftles? This, I think, is granted. And do they not further agree with Regard to his Difcourfe, that it was in Sum and Subftance the fame? This the Confiderer does not deny. Where then lies the Difference? Why Matthew, it seems, difagrees with Luke as to Time and Place; for Matthew fays it was at a Mountain in Galilee; whereas, according to Luke, it was at Jerufalem'. The Confiderer will excufe me, if I take no Notice of his pretended Difference of Time; the Matter of Place being once explained, the Time will rectify itself.

It is allowed then, that the Place of Interview, according to St. Matthew, was in Galilee; according to St. Luke, at Jerufalem. What then? Does St. Matthew fay that he met his Difciples no where but in Galilee, or St.

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* First Edit. p. 70. Third Edit. p. 5. Firft Edit. p. 59. Third Edit. p. 47.

Luke

Luke that he faw them only at Jerufalem? Nothing like it. What hinders then, but that they might meet both in Galilee and Je rufalem? The Confiderer thinks that, in the Sense of these Writers, they met for the first and laft Time; but here again he concludes, as ufual, a great deal too faft, and outruns his Evidence. Does either of them declare that it was the first and last Time? No. What Circumftance then is it, upon which the Confiderer builds fo pofitive a Conclufion? Why it is this; neither of thefe Writers mentions more than one Interview with Chrift and his Apofles, therefore in their Senfe of the Matter, there could be but one. Is this the Logic, that is to prove Chrift and his Apoftles to be Cheats and Impoftors? To Show Mankind the ftupid Nature of Bigotry, and to hold forth the acceptable Light of Truth? Is it not amazing that a, Man fhould fet up for a Difturber of Religion, who is fo poorly provided with that natural Logic of common Senfe, which all Men are born with?

a

Had the Confiderer had the least Inclination to treat the Gospel with any Fairness, he could not have mistaken fo egregiously in this Part. Matthew and Luke, he obferves, difagree in Time and Place. Is it not a natural Confequence that they speak of different Appearances? Doubtlefs it is. But inftead of making this

• Page 87, 72.

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Ufe of it, he fuppofes them, without the leaft Proof for it, to fpeak of one and the fame Appearance, and to contradict one another in affigning different Times and Places,

But that there may not remain any Doubt or Obfcurity upon this Part of the History, it is proper to take notice of the Reason why the Meffage fent from the Sepulchre, appointed the Disciples to go into Galilee to fee Jefus, though he notwithstanding appeared to them that very Night at Jerufalem.

Our Bleffed Lord before his Crucifixion told his Difciples, After that I am rifen, I will go before you into Galilee. This was the Evidence he promised to give of his Resurrection; and Galilee probably was chofen for the Place, because he had fpent much Time, and had many Difciples there, who were to have this Evidence given them. This then was the public Appearance, of which our Lord had given Notice in his Life-time; whereas the Appearances at Jerufalem were not upon Notice given, and were to the eleven Apostles, and to such, only as happened to be with them.

The Angels therefore, and our Lord himfelf in his first Appearance, remind the Difciples to go into Galilee, to receive the Evidence he had promised to give them of his Resurrection. There was no Occafion to mention his Intention to fee them that Night at Jerufalem, of which no Expectation had been given.

Matt. xxvi. 32.

Mark xiv. 28.

Now

Now though the Appearance at Jerufalem was to the Eleven only; yet the Meffage to meet him in Galilee was to all his Difciples. St. Mark makes the Promise of this Appearance to concern the Women as well as the Men. The Words of the Angels to the Women are, there fhall ye fee him as he faid unto you. This then was a public Meeting before an Affembly warned to be present; and here it was (as there is great Reason to fuppofe) that our Lord appeared to above five hundred Brethren at once, according to the Relation made by St. Paul.

The intermediate Appearance to the Apostles interfered not with this Appointment, which was observed by the Apostles, who went into Galilee to fee Jefus there. This being the Ap pearance foretold, and the Evidence fpecially promised, St. Matthew paffes over all the other Appearances, and reports this as the Completion of our Lord's Prophecy, as the Affurance given in his Life-time, repeated by the Angels, and by himself at the Sepulchre. He mentions the Eleven only as travelling into Galilee, in Obedience to the Command they received; but it is to be collected from his fhort Account, that others were present and faw the Lord-For he fays of the Eleven, When they saw him they worshipped him-and adds, but fome doubted; who can hardly be fuppofed to be any of thofe,

⚫ 1 Cor. xv.

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who had seen him before at Jerufalem, and upon seeing him now worshipped him.

But it may be proper to confider under one View the feveral Appearances of Jefus, and the Order of them, as it may be called from the facred Hiftorians.

1. The firft, which was at or near the Sepulchre, to Mary Magdalene and other Women, has been accounted for at large already.

2. That to the two Difciples going to Emmaus was on the Day of the Resurrection, and is attended with no material Difficulty arifing from the Account as to Time or Place, or any other Circumstances. The Confiderer has no Fault to find, but that there is something miraculous in the Circnmstances of it. This too has been confidered, as far as was neceffary.

in

3. The fame Day our Lord appeared to St. Peter, but whether before he converfed with the two Disciples or after, is not certain. It was not till after the two Difciples had left Jerufalem, and set out for Emmaus; for it appears the Account they give our Lord of what had come to their Knowledge, that they knew nothing of any Appearance to Peter: And yet it was before these two Disciples returned to Jerufalem; for they found the Eleven difcourfing of this Appearance to Peter. It is doubtful therefore whether of the two last men tioned should be placed first; but they both happened on the Day of the Refurrection.

4. The