I begin now to want evidence; I am forbid to call this imagination, what else to call it I know not.  There is not the least intimation given from history, that there was any cheat in the case of Lazarus, or that any one suspected a cheat.  Lazarus lived in the country after he was raised from the dead; and though his life was secretly and basely sought after, yet no body had the courage to call to a trial for his part in the cheat.  It may be said, perhaps, the rulers were terrified.  Very well:  but they were not terrified when they had Christ in their possession, when they brought him to a trial; why did they not then object this cheat to Christ?  It would have been much to their purpose.  Instead of that, they accuse him of a design to pull down their temple, to destroy their law, and of blasphemy; but not one word of any fraud in the case of Lazarus, or any other case.

But not to enter into the merits of this cause, which has in it too many circumstances for your present consideration; let us take the case to be as the Gentleman states it, that the cheat in the case of Lazarus was detected; what consequence is to be expected?  In all other cases, impostors, once discovered, grow odious and contemptible, and quite incapable of doing further mischief; so little are they regarded, that even when they tell the truth, they are neglected.  Was it so in this case?  No, says the Gentleman; the Jews were the more careful that Christ should not cheat them in his own resurrection.  Surely this is a most singular case.  When the people thought him a Prophet, the chief priests sought to kill him, and thought his death would put an end to his pretensions:  when they and the people had discovered him to be a cheat, then they thought him not safe, even when he was dead, but were afraid he should prove a true Prophet, and, according to his own prediction, rise again.  A needless, a preposterous fear!

In the next place, the Gentleman tells us how proper the care was that the chief priests took.  I agree perfectly with him.  Human policy could not invent a more proper method to guard against and prevent all fraud.  They delivered the sepulchre, with the dead body in it, to a company of Roman soldiers, who had orders from their officer to watch the sepulchre.  Their care went further still; they sealed the door of the sepulchre.

Upon this occasion, the Gentleman has explained the use of seals when applied to such purposes.  They imply, he says, a covenant, that the things sealed up shall remain in the condition they are till the parties to the sealing agree to open them.  I see no reason to enter into the learning about seals:  let it be as the Gentleman has opened it; what then?

Why then, it seems, the apostles and chief priests were in a covenant that there should be no resurrection, at least no opening of the door, till they met together at an appointed time to view and unseal the door.