31. The malevolence and incredulity of our adversaries, the unbelievers, are visible in nothing so much as the criticisms they make on the resurrection. They complain, and with some degree of reason, that this most miraculous and important event, instead of possessing that extraordinary and uncommonly clear evidence, which its incredible nature requires, bears, on the contrary, every mark of a forgery. Instead of Christ"s re-appearing to all the world, that the world might believe, he is said to have appeared to his disciples, who were the only men on earth whose evidence could be exceptionable in the case; men who already engaged in the attempt of forming a sect or party,* could by no means be disinterested in their report; the only men on earth who could be suspected of forgery in the present instance. These are the men, say our enemies, who were to preach Jesus Christ to the world, and to find arguments to support the fact, which Christ might have _uncontrovertibly_ established by appearing again in public. But the generation was unworthy of that condescension, we reply, which they wickedly paraphrase thus: "G.o.d, who desireth: not the death of a sinner, left them in their sins, that they might die--G.o.d, who spared not his beloved Son, but gave him to the bitterness of death, that _sinners might be saved_, chose, nevertheless, to deprive all mankind of the proper _evidence of the resurrection_, because the Jews of that age were _sinners!_" Mercy is the character of the first act, but how shall we characterize the latter? Is the G.o.d of the _Christians_ inconsistent with himself? Did the great and merciful Being act thus? Did he inspire four men to write accounts of the _resurrection_,* which disagree with each other in almost every circ.u.mstance? Does his divine truth bear the resemblance of forgery and invention, that we may shew our faith and reliance on him, by making a sacrifice of our reason; and believing by an act, not of the understanding but of the will? But why, O thou Supreme Governor! why hast thou given us reason, if reason be the accursed thing which we ought to cast from us? Or rather, is not reason the first and only revelation from thee; and are not those enthusiasts accursed, who, promulgating vile systems unworthy of thee, find their base purposes are not to be accomplished, till they have first deprived us of thy best gift?
* See the concluding chapters of the four Evangelists.
These, my Lords, are the reflections of infidels and unbelievers; reflections which our truly Christian zeal and detestation would have prevented us from repeating, if we had not been supported by a pleasing antic.i.p.ation of the glorious and satisfactory manner in which they will be answered, explained, and overthrown by your Lordships, to the entire satisfaction and conviction of us weak Christians. Not by persecution, pains, penalties, fines and imprisonment, otherwise the unbelievers will then sneeringly say, that your Lordships are incapable of answering them, or, what is more unfortunate, that they are really unanswerable.
FINISH.