and twenty so qualified [Acts 1.  Compare vv. 15,21,22 together].  And Saint Paul says, that Christ after his rising was seen by 500 at once, many of whom were living when he appealed to their evidence.  So that the Gentleman is mistaken, when he imagines that a few only were chosen to see Christ after he came from the grave.  The truth of the case is, that, out of those who saw him, some were chosen to bear testimony to the world; and for that reason had the fullest demonstration of the truth, that they might be the better able to give satisfaction to others.  And what was there in this conduct to complain of? what to raise any jealousy or suspicion?

As to the witnesses themselves, the first the Gentleman takes notice of, are the angels and the women.  The mention of angels led naturally to apparitions:  and the women were called poor silly women; and there is an end to their evidence.  But to speak seriously:  will the Gentleman pretend to prove, that there are no intelligent beings between God and man; or that they are not ministers of God; or that they were improperly employed in this great and wonderful work, the resurrection of Christ?  Till some of these points are disproved we may be at rest; for the angels were ministers, and not witnesses of the resurrection.  And it is not upon the credit of the poor silly women that we believe angels were concerned, but upon the report of those who wrote the gospels, who deliver it as a truth known to themselves, and not merely as a report taken from the women.

But for the women what shall I say?  Silly as they were, I hope at least they had eyes and ears, and could tell what they heard and saw.  In this case they tell no more.  They report that the body was not in the sepulchre; but so far from reporting the resurrection; that they did not believe it, and were very anxious to find to what place the body was removed.  Further they were not employed.  For, I think, the Gentleman in another part observes rightly, that they were not sent to bear testimony to any people.  But suppose them to be witnesses; suppose them to be improper ones; yet the evidence of the men surely is not the worse, because some wonen happened to see the same thing which they saw.  And if men only must be admitted, of them we have enow to establish this truth.

I will not spend your time in enumerating these witnesses, or in setting forth the demonstration they had of the truth which they report.  These things are well known.  If you question their sincerity, they lived miserably, and died miserably, for the sake of this truth.  And what greater evidence of sincerity can man give or require?  And what is still more, they were not deceived in their expectation of being ill treated; for he who employed them, told them beforehand that the world would hate them, and treat them with contempt and cruelty.