for any worldly interest; persons of no education, no improvement, no endowments of mind (natural or artificial) anywise considerable: they were, as to condition and manner of life, fishermen, publicans, and mechanics; as to abilities of mind, they were (as they report themselves) illiterate and simple; they were also men of no great natural spirit or courage, but rather irresolute and timorous; as their deserting their Master, their renouncing him, their flying and skulking, reported by themselves, declare the base or ignoble, the despicable or abject, the weak, the foolish things of the world,' they did style themselves; and in that no adversary will, I suppose, contradict them. And is it possible, that a few (in this respect, I mean very few) persons thus conditioned and qualified, should have the wit to contrive, or the courage to maintain a forgery of such importance? What hope they could frame to themselves of any success therein, upon so extreme disadvantages, is to any man very obvious. No kind of friends in all the world could they imagine ready to back them, or yield them any encouragement; but heaven, hell, and earth they had reason to expect all to be combined in opposition to them and their design. They had all reason to fear, that God himself would cross them and blast their wicked endeavours to propagate the belief of such a lie, which most profanely they dared to father on him, and to vent in his name. They could not hope the father of lies himself, or any powers of darkness would be fa

'Chrys. tom. v.

2 Aets, iv. 13. 3 Matt. xxvi. 56; John, xx. 19; 1 Cor. i. 27, 28.

1 Cor. iv. 7.

5 Chrys. tom. v. Orat. Ixiv. in Babylam.

vourable or helpful to them, whose interest they so manifestly impugned, that the success of their doctrine, whether true or false, could not but much prejudice their kingdom; as in effect we see that it did in a manner quite subvert it. They were sure among men to encounter the most potent, and most earnest adversaries that could be: all the grandees of the world, both political and religious, deeply concerned in honour and interest to labour with all their power the detection of their cheat, and overthrow of their design. Whence it must be a boldness more than human, more than gigantic, that could bear up against all these adversaries; if their testimony was in their conscience false. Against all these oppositions and disadvantages, what could those poor men have to confide in, beside the natural prevalence of truth, and divine assistance thereto; being in their hearts assured of the former, and therefore greatly hoping for the latter?

9. And how indeed could such a cheat, contrived and conducted by so, to human esteem, weak and silly a knot of people, so easily prosper, and obtain so wonderful a progress, so as presently to induce very many persons, ('myriads of believers,' as it is in Acts, xxi. 20,) many of them considerable, (even a great crowd or company of priests,' as it is said in the Acts,') to embrace it, together with all the crosses and damages attending it?—so as to escape all inquisition about it, and overbear all persecution against it, being neither convincible by proof, nor controllable by force; but in despite of all assaults holding its ground, and run

1 Acts, vi. 7.

ning forward with huge success; according to that in the Acts: 'so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed."

10. The matter of their testimony (if we consider that as we should do) and its drift were very implausible, such as no impostors would be likely to forge, and no hearers, without great evidence of truth, would be ready to admit. It was no fine story apt to please the lusts, to flatter the humours, or to gratify the fancies of men ; but rather very distasteful to flesh and blood, (whose inclinations it mainly thwarted,) likely to offend the ears of all men, who should hear it; apt to raise fierce anger and indignation in Jews, great contempt and scorn in Gentiles toward it.3 The Jews, to whom it was first addressed, it did plainly charge with heinous iniquity and impiety in cruelly murdering a person most innocent, most excellent in virtue and dignity, most dear to God; it withal defeated their longings for a gaudy Messias, who should restore and rear them into a lofty state of temporal prosperity, substituting in the room a spiritual King, with overtures of felicity invisible and future, little suiting their gross conceit and carnal gust of things; it also imported the abrogation of those ritual laws, and revolution of those special privileges wherein they did so please and pride themselves; it opened the enclosures of God's favour and grace, making

1 2 Thess. iii. 1; Acts, xix. 20; vi. 7; xii. 24. karа KρÁTOS vžave, grew by main force.

2 Chrys. in 1 Cor. Or. v.

3 Si rem credibilem crediderunt, videant quàm sint stolidi qui non credunt. Si autem res incredibilis credita est, etiam hoc utique incredibile est, sic creditum esse quod incredibile est, &c. Aug. de Civ. D. xxii. 5. Vid. Chrys. tom. vi. Orat. Ixi.

them common to all people: ' it crossed their secular interests of emolument and honour annexed to the present outward frame of religion, which it dissolved; it menaced severe vengeance and horrible desolation to their nation and city: and was such a report likely to be entertained by them otherwise than with displeasure and detestation ? Neither unto the Gentiles was it likely to be acceptable; for it did also subvert all the religion established among them by law and custom; destroying consequently all the interests of those who were concerned in upholding thereof; such as those who made that famous uproar, crying out, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians.' It seemed to thwart the common maxims of policy, and dictates of worldly prudence; it could not but appear to men prepossessed with admiration of secular wealth, power, and glory, a story most ridiculously extravagant, that so pitiful and wretched a person, as Jesus seemed in the eye of the world to have been, should in this miraculous way be declared the Son of God, and Lord of all things, author of life and salvation to all men; sovereign object of all worship and obedience: such a story therefore it was not likely that any men in their senses should conspire to forge, should offer to obtrude on the world, so incapable of it, so averse from embracing it; and being such it were strange that by a general repulse it should not presently be stifled and quelled. One would indeed think that this report, had it been false, might easily have been disproved and quashed. They who were mightily concerned, and as eagerly disposed to confute it, wanted no means 2 Ib. xix. 28, 34.

Vid. Acts, xxii. 21, 22.

of doing it they were not surprised in the matter; but were forewarned of it, and did forbode it coming: they were not drowsy, or neglectful, but very apprehensive, careful and cautious in preventing it; that it should not be produced, or being so, that it might be defeated; for to this purpose they caused the sepulchre of our Lord to be sealed up and guarded by soldiers, that, being masters of his body, they might by exhibiting it disprove any report that should be made about his resurrection : they had full opportunity of examining the matter to the bottom; it being fresh and presently divulged after its being reported done: they having also the power and authority on their side, in furtherance of the discussion of the business, we may accordingly suppose them very zealous, diligent, and active in thoroughly sifting it, and striving to detect the falsehood therein; they did so certainly, and thereto they added strict prohibitions, fierce menaces, and bloody persecutions toward the suppression thereof; yet could they not by all their industry confute it, nor by all their fury quell it. Why? Because it was not confutable; because truth prosecuted with vigorous integrity and constancy, or rather supported by divine protection and blessing, is invincible. Put the case, there were now the like fact by so many people reported done within these two months, wherein the church and state were in like manner exceedingly concerned, and should therefore employ all their power and care to discover the truth; one would think it impossible, that were it an imposture it should escape detection, and being soon, with the general satisfac

3

1 Acts, v. 28. 2 Matt. xxvii. 64. 3 Acts, iv. 17; xviii. 5, 28.