to the other accusation, had there been any ground to make use of it.  And yet as it happens, we are sure the very question of the resurrection came under debate; for Festus tells King Agrippa, that the Jews had certain questions against Paul, of one Jesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.  After this, Agrippa hears Paul himself; and had he suspected, much less had he been convinced that there was a cheat in the resurrection, he would hardly have said to Paul at the end of the conference, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

But let us see what the council and senate of the children of Israel thought of this matter, in the most solemn and serious deliberation they ever had about it.  Not long after the resurrection, the apostles were taken; the High Priest thought the matter of that weight, that he summoned the council and senate of the children of Israel.  The apostles are brought before them, and make their defence.  Part of their defence is in these words:  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.  The defence was indeed a heavy charge upon the senate, and in the warmth of their anger, their first resolution was to slay them all.  But Gamaliel, one of the council, stood up, and told them, that the matter deserved more consideration.  He recounted to them the history of several imposters who had perished, and concluded with respect to the case of the apostles then before them:  If this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found to fight against God.  The council agreed to this advice, and after some ill treatment, the apostles were discharged.  I ask now, and let any man of common sense answer, Could Gamaliel possibly have given this advice, and supposed that the hand of God might be with the apostles, if he had known that there was a cheat discovered in the resurrection of Jesus?  Could the whole senate have followed this advice, had they believed the discovery of the cheat?  Was there not among them one man wise enough to say, How can you suppose God to have anything to do in this affair, when the resurrection of Jesus, upon which all depends, was a notorious cheat, and manifestly proved to be so?  I should but lessen the weight of this authority by saying more, and therefore I will rest here, and give way to the Gentleman to go on with his accusation.

Mr. A. My Lord, Before I proceed any further, I beg leave to say a few words in reply to what the Gentleman has offered on this head.

The Gentleman thinks, that the detection in the case of Lazarus ought to have made the Jews quite unconcerned in the case of Jesus, and secure as to the event of his own resurrection.  He says very true, supposing their care had been for themselves:  but governors have another care upon their hands, the care of their people; and ’tis not enough for them to guard against being imposed on themselves, they must be