Observations on the History & Evidences of the Resurrection of Jesus

The following Observations took their Rise from a Pamphlet entitled, The Resurrection of Jesus considered, in Answer to the Trial of the Witnesses. By a Moral Philosopher. The Author of which, in order to overturn the Testimony of the Evangelists, hath attempted to shew that they contradict each other in the Accounts they have given of this Fact. To this Pamphlet there came out two very learned and ingenious Answers; which I read with great Satisfaction, as I found in them solid Confutations of many Objections against Christianity started in the first. But I must confess, (though with the utmost Respect to the Knowledge and Abilities of the Authors of the two last-mentioned Pamphlets) that I was not so fully satisfied with their Manner of clearing the Sacred Writers from the Contradictions charged upon them. This set me upon reading and examining with Attention the Scriptures themselves; and with no other Biass, than what arose from the Astonishment I was under at finding Writers, who for above these sixteen hundred Years have been reputed holy and inspired, charged with such a Contrariety in their Accounts, as ill agreed with either of those Epithets. Of the Truth of this Charge therefore, I acknowledge I had great Difficulty to persuade myself. And indeed it was not long before I discovered, as I imagined, the Vanity and Weakness of such an Imputation; which however, I cannot stile altogether groundless, since it has an Appearance of being founded in the Words of the Gospel; though in reality, that Foundation lies no deeper than the Outside and Surface of the Words: Neither will I call it malicious, since having upon farther Inquiry found it to be of a very ancient Date, I know not the first Authors of it, and consequently can form no Judgment of their Intentions. What I have to offer in Defence of the Evangelists, is built in like manner upon the sacred Text; whose true Meaning (which upon this Occasion I searched for in vain in the Notes of many eminent Commentators) I have endeavoured to investigate and prove, by comparing their several Accounts with each other, and noting the Agreement and Disagreement of the Circumstances. A Method that hath led me unavoidably into Critical Observations; for the Length and Dryness of which I should however think myself obliged to make some Excuse, did I write only for Amusement, or expect to be read by those, who seek in Books for nothing more solid than Entertainment.But altho’ the clearing the Sacred Writers from the Imputation of contradicting each other, was the principal, and indeed the sole Object I had at first in View; yet having, in the Pursuit of this Object, perceived the Light breaking in upon me still more and more the farther I advanced, and discovering to me almost at every Step some new Circumstances, which tended to illustrate and confirm the Testimony given by those inspired Historians to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, I was induced, by these Discoveries, to go very far beyond my first Design, into a Consideration of the Evidences of this great and important Article, not those only recorded in the sacred Writings, but others arising from subsequent Events and Facts; of which we have, by several Ways, many clear and unquestionable Proofs. The Method in which I have proceeded in this Consideration, is as follows: I have begun with laying down the Order in which the several Incidents related by the Evangelists, appear to have happened; and in the next Place, I have made some Observations upon the Method and Manner, in which the Proofs of this astonishing Event were laid before the Apostles, who were appointed to bear Witness of it to all the World. And to these I have, in the third Place, added an exact and rigorous Examination of the Proofs themselves; from all which I have endeavoured to shew, that the Resurrection of Christ was most fairly and fully proved to the Apostles and Disciples, those first Converts and Preachers of Christianity.