Aonoz tez kisteōz, or, An endeavour to evince the certainty of Christian faith in generall and of the resurrection of Christ in particular / by Daniel Whitbie, chaplain to the Right Reverend Father in God, Seth, Lord Bishop of Sarum ...

CHAP. XI. OF THE RESƲRRECTION of our Saviour Christ.

THE CONTENTS.

PROLEGOMENA in order to the de∣monstration of the Resurrection of our Lord. 1. That the Apostles did presently attest the thing. 2. This attestation could not be a bare∣faced and notorious lye. Arg. 1. from the testimony. Arg. 2. from these 3 considerations. 1. that our Saviours body did not continue in the sepulcher when they proclaimed him risen. 2. That his Disciples did not conveigh his body thence. Nor 3. was that done by any other persons who had no relation to Christ, and no affection for him. Arg. 3. from the conside∣ration of the persons testifying.

AND thus we have dispatch'd our de∣monstrations of the Christian Faith. We now proceed unto that Article of it from which we may infer the rest, viz. The Resurrection of our blessed Saviour. Which that we may conclude with Greater evidence, we premise,

§. 1. THAT the Apostles did presently attest the thing. The predictions of our Lord and Saviour, own'd by the malice of the Jew, and all their vain endeavours to pre∣vent what he foretold touching his Re∣surrection; the expectation of his friends, and that abundant satisfaction which they found in this particular; the early records of the Christians Story, and Symbols of his faith, which every where inculcate it, all these give in a full assurance of this truth. Nay had the knowledge of his resurrection been defer'd beyond that period which he himself had fixed, how impossible had it been to have cajold the world into so firme and stedfast a belief of the particular circumstances? to have held up the drooping Spirits, & baffled hopes of his disciples? or to have kept the insulting Jew from giving visible demonstra∣tions of the vanity of their pretensions, or from crying out of the imposture. Could his

Disciples be assured of his resurrection, by fre∣quent apparitions of him, and not endeavour to acquaint the world with what so much con∣cern'd the truth of his predictions, and their hopes, & which was of so great importance to mankind, and could not be neglected by the Disciples of our Lord, & they be faithfull unto the commission which they pretended? Or could they be so quick & nimble to conveigh his body from the sepulcher, and yet their tongues be backward to proclaim him risen? Would interest or reason suffer them to pull the greatest prejudice on their cause, to blast their Growing hopes, and frustrate their bold adventure by an undue concealment of what their Masters promise and predictions had made so necessary to be divulged? But

§. 2. 2^ly I premise that common prudence would not suffer the Disciples of this JESUS, to pretend such things in confirmation of their testimony, which must infallibly render it the scorn and hatred of the world. Wherefore they could not possibly pretend such things were newly acted on a publick stage, and in the face of their professed adversaries, which owed their being only to their phancies, and of which their story gave the first account unto the world. For men to certify to all Jerusalem, that lately there was such a man

as JESUS known throughout all Judea to be mighty both in words and deeds,* 1.1 one who did publickly foretell unto the Scribes & Pharises the place and manner of his death, the time, and glorious issues of his resurrectiō, and to averre that this prediction was notorious to his mor∣tall enemies, and the contrivers of his suf∣ferings, and made them industrious to secure his body, & watch the motions of his friends, and carefully provide against what ever the most subtile malice could invent to gull their senses, and put a cheat upon them,

3^ly To pretend the earth did quake and tremble, and the watch grow pale, and that dead bodys did arise and shew themselves to many (whicha 1.2 resurrectiō was a thing expected by the Jewes upon the advent of their Shilo,) I say to testify all this unto those persons who could as readily confute, as they relate it, yea whose interest it was to confute it, was the most certaine way to ruine and confound their testimony, had it been found a lye, and consequently assures us that it must be true.

These things premised, our Arguments will

naturally result from a due estimate of these particulars. The testimony, and the persons te∣stifying.

§. 3. FOR 1. it was a relation in it self in∣credible, whose fundamentall article contained the ignominious and accursed death of the beloved Son of God, and the miraculous re∣surrection of a man condemned for blasphemy. A thing which they might easily foresee could gain no reputation to them, but of fools and madmen, especially considering it found so little credit in that City where it was preten∣ded to be done.

It was 2^ly a testimony which did acquit this Jesus from all the calumnies and false as∣persions of the Jew, pronounced their greatest Rabbies an evill brood of vipers, hypocrites,* 1.3 fools and blind, serpents and vipers, a wicked and adulterous generation, a divelish damned crew; nay their whole Nation Guilty of the most horrid crime that could be charged upon man, even the murther of the Lord of life, and which assured them there was no salvation to be hoped, but from that very person whom they had taken, and by wicked hands had crucifyed and slaine; and that all power both in heaven and earth was given to him; which told them also that he would shortly come and execute

the most dreadfull vengeance on their Nation which ever yet befel mankind; that he would cancell their Laws, bury their temple in its own ruines, and cut them off from being any more a people.

3^ly It was a testimony delivered at such a season when all the Jews seem'd to be crouded into one Metropolis, and their dispersions re∣collected; for t'was the† 1.4 Passeover, and so that time when all stood bound to worship at Je∣rusalem, Deut. 16.5.6. and when the Messias was become the universall matter of their ex∣pectation; and therefore such a testimony as must be throughly sifted both by the Jew (who were it true must be the greatest sinner, and after a few days the greatest sufferer) and by the Gentile, (for whom it did pretend the greatest kindness,) and undoubtedly would have been suppress'd, had not the evidence of truth upheld it since.

4ly. This testimony avouched a thing no sooner done than certified to the world; and the same Theatre which saw it acted, heard it as soon proclaimed to the face of the professed adversaries of Christ. Earthquakes, and apparitions of dead men, the consternations of the watch, and their confessions thereupon; the testimony of five hundred men eye witnesses of his ascension, (and many of them living when St Paul indi∣ted his Epistle to the Church of Corinth) were all produced in evidence of the fact; and there∣fore means of information could not be want∣ing in this case to those that sought them. For can we think those Jews who persecuted Paul whilst preaching in the Synagogues of A∣sia, and afterwards impeached him at Jerusa∣lem, would not enquire into the truth of this his confident report among them; or that St Paul should be so wholly void of reason, as to divulge a lye so palpable, in such a place where there were Jews abundant to evince its fals∣hood, and in an Epistle to be read in all the Churches of the World.

And yet this testimony so incredible in it self, so contradicted by the Jew, so punctual, and yet so various in its circumstances, so fresh in its delivery, which underwent so critical and severe a scrutiny; I say this testimony found a reception more incredible than it self. For the bare relation of it converted thousands, which nothing but the insuperable force of truth, and the more pierceing influence of Heaven could so miraculously have effected.

§. 4. OUR second demonstration of the Resurrection of our Saviour, will arise from three conclusions. First that our Saviours bo∣dy was removed from the Grave. For its conti∣nuance there must surely have discovered the falsehood of this bold assertion, and made all o∣ther ways of confirmation of it, not only need∣less, but absurd, whilst by an ocular demonstra∣tion any one might have perceived the truth, and discovered the impudent folly of all those, who durst affirm that it was risen from the dead.

2ly. The disciples of our Saviour cannot be justly charg'd with its conveiance from the Sepulcher, for (besides the no advantage, nay the assurance of the worst of miseries which could attend the promulgation of this do∣ctrine;) they dream'd of a Messiah who should

sway the Scepter, and subdue the Nations under them; and when they found it otherwise, their hopes lay buried in his Grave, and expired to∣gether with him. After such manifold expe∣rience of their Masters power to assist them by an Almighty hand; after their solemne protestations made to own him in the sharpest tryals, they shamefully deserted him, and at first assault betook themselves to their heeles; their Prolocutor renounced him, and secon∣ded his denyal with an oath; they barr'd their dores, and hid their heads, dreading every thing they heard or saw. And can it be imagi∣ned that persons so extreamly timerous should hazard their lives to rescue his dead body from the Grave, who after all obligement both of faith and duty, did so little to preserve him from it, against a watch so vigilant, and zea∣lously concerned to prevent the mischiefs of a second, and therefore more pernitious error? After commands so strict & peremptory to se∣cure the Sepulcher, in vain must they attempt to rifle it; which if any say they did whilest the watchmen slept, how came they privy to it, what credit can their word deserve? if whilst they waked, what could induce those watch∣men to make lyes their refuge and wilfully permit the cheat? Besides it is a timerous trade to play the thief, much more to rob the Grave

of its Inhabitants, and they might well expect that vengeance should arrest them in a fact de∣signed to delude the world, and to entitle God unto the worst of villanies, and hence not only their respect unto their Master, but their own safety must have taught them to di∣spatch their business, and not to spend their time in the uncasing of his body, and rowling up the Napkins that were about his head, and to do things of such needless curiosities.

But 3ly more incredible it is, that persons unconcerned for this Jesus should run so great an hazard, or be concerned to remove his bo∣dy thence; or that the Apostles should bot∣tom all their hopes on such a tottering foun∣dation, & trust to the fidelitie of those men, who in this very busines, in which their silence could alone befriend them, were the worst of cheats. Tis lastly most incredible that persons of this temper should still go on to stifle and conceal the matter, and not be tempted by the pleasure of the thing, the service they might do to their Religion, the hopes of a consider∣able reward, or by the hatred of a cheat so Gross and palpable, to manifest the shame and infamy of those that forged it. Besides how could his own Disciples hope by mighty signs and won∣ders, by Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit, great & numerous, to give in evidence unto his

Resurrection (which they confidently preten¦ded) had he been still reserved under the power of death, and only by their own or others art reoved from his Sepulcher? How is it that they never thought within themselves, he could not save himself, and whence shall we expect Salvation? He could not by his Mira∣cles of power and Goodness prevail upon one Nation to believe his Doctrine, and can we, though destitute of all that power which resi∣ded in him, think to reduce the world into obedience, or to impart the Holy Ghost to others, when we our selves have the Spirit of delusion only? Nay might not the example of Theudas, Judas, and many others (both of their own and other Nations) all whose en∣deavours (although their hopes and their abi∣lities were greater and their undertaking less) proved unsuccesful, and ended in the ruine of those bold adventurers, be sufficient to deter them from such bold attempts? Lo here a te∣stimony which gives the Greatest evidence to it self, and yet asserted by such men, who nei∣their would deceive, nor were deceived in this particular, and consequenty whose attestation could be no deceit. Which that it may appear with greater evidence,

Consider first, That they pretended to ma∣ny and infallible convictions of the Truth, to

frequent apparitions of this Jesus, attended with some signal circumstance to evidence their truth unto them, and gae it out that they conversed with him fourty daies, saw many Miracles done by him, received instructions from his mouth, to feed his Sheep, to teach all Nations and Baptize them. Yea that they were endowed with power from him to confirm the testimony by mighty signes and wonders, and for the truth of this they frequently appeal'd unto their adversaries, and the experience of those who did embrace their Doctrines; in all which confident appeals and attestations, re∣quiring little more then eyes and ears to certi∣fie the truth unto them, tis equally incre∣dible they should deceive or be deceived.

Did they give credit to this Jesus, they must conclude him risen according to his own prediction, and therefore could not be decei∣vers in asserting it? Did they conclude him an Impostor, what motives could they have to pub∣lish him the Saviour of the World, who after he had call'd them to leave all and follow him, and made such ample Promises unto them of Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel, left them so sadly in the lurch, exposed unto shame and infamy? Did they give credit to the Sacred Oracles, and reverence the Law of Moses, why did they not dread those Judgements which

God proclaimed against the false and lying Prophet? if they did not believe it, why were they so concerned for the Truth of the predi∣ctions of the Law concerning the Messias, as to assert them with the loss both of the freedome and safety of their lives?

Should we ascribe the cheat unto the powers of imagination, (since they pretended to be eye witnesses of the Resurrection, and to de∣liver nothing but what they saw and heard) is it not strange to think that Phancy should create a person to them frequently appearing, preaching, and instructing, giveing out com∣missions, administring of holy Ordinances, and the like; that it should draw them out unto the mount of Olives after an aery Phantasm, and then present it, carryed up into Heaven? In short, they were certain his body was not pri∣vately conveyed away by their endeavours, and that this only was pretended to disgrace their testimony, and what could farther be re∣quired to assure both them and us, that they were not deceived? To Conclude,

If this relation were untrue either they were beside their senses when they did be∣lieve, or besides their wits when they affirm'd it, and did endeavour to confirm what they did not believe with loss of life and fortunes; and if so, what shall we say to the world

of Christians, that maugre all temptations to the contrary did stedfastly believe these men, who had so little reason to believe themselves? It is prodigious to think, that a poor ignorant young man, of meanest birth and breeding, of a most hateful Nation, and hated by that Nation to the death, because pretending that he was a Prophet sent from God, and after this his death, only avouched to be so by twelve Fishermen, pretending with loud boasts of mi∣racles, false as God is true, to testifie his Re∣surrection, though a greater falshood, and pro∣mising to all that would believe it nothing, be∣sides this power of working Miracles, but death and miseries at present, which their ex∣perience proved to be true: I say, it is pro∣digious to think, that He and his Disciples should with no other charmes worke such a lasting Faith in all the wisest part of men, that neither time nor vice, though most concerned to do so, should ever be able to deface it. And yet what's so prodigiously incredible, must be certain truth, or else the Resurrection must be so.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. 24.19. Matt. 20.18, 19. Mark 10.33., 34. Mar. 8.31 Matt. 27.63. v. 66.
• a 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 id est, Messias resuscitabit dormientes in pulvere. Midrash Tillin. f. 42. 1. Justi quos suscitabit Deus è mortuis in diebus Messiae. Gloss. in Bab, 102. Sanhed. f. 92. Non tantum ex libris Mosaïcis, verum etiam Pro∣pheticis constat resurrectionem mortuorum conjunctam fore ad∣ventui Messiae. Manasse Ben Israël de Resur. l. 3. c. 2. Vide Cochum in duos Tit. Talmud. p. 317.
• * 1.3

  Matt. 3.7. Matth. 16.3. ch. 23. Matt. 23.17.33. Matt. 12.39. Matt. 23.33. Act. 4.11.12. Matt. 28.18. Matt. 24. Maro. 13. Luc 19.
• † 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (2700000) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Joseph. de Bell. Jud. l. 7. c. 17.