But as ill supported as this charge is, there was no avoiding it; it was necessity and not choice, which drove the Gentleman to it:  for since Christ had foretold his resurrection, if the whole was a cheat, he certainly was conscious to it, and consequently the plot was laid in his own time.  And yet the supposing Christ conscious to such a fraud in these circumstance, is contrary to all probability.  It is very improbable, that he, or any man, should, without any temptation, contrive a cheat to take place after his death.  And if this could be supposed, it is highly improbable that he should give publick notice of it, and thereby put all men on their guard; especially considering there were only a few women, and twelve men, of low fortunes, and mean education, to conduct the plot, and the whole power of the Jews and Romans to oppose it.

Mr. A. seemed sensible of these difficulties, and therefore would have varied the charge, and have made Christ an enthusiast, and his disciples only cheats.  This was not properly moved, and therefore not debated; for which reason I shall pass it over with this short observation; that enthusiasm is as contrary to the whole character and conduct of Christ, as even fraud is.  Besides, this imagination, if allowed, goes only to Christ’s own part; and leaves the charge of fraud, in its full extent, upon the management from the time of his death; and therefore is of no use, unless the fraud afterwards be apparent.  For if there really was a resurrection, it will sufficiently answer the charge of enthusiasm.

I pass on to the second period, to consider what happened between the death and resurrection of Christ.  And here it agreed that Christ died, and was buried.  So far then there was no fraud.

For the better understanding the charge here, we must recollect a material circumstance reported by one of the evangelists; which is this:  After Christ was buried, the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate, the Roman governor, and informed him, that this deceiver (meaning Jesus) had in his lifetime foretold, that he would rise again after three days; that they suspected his disciples would steal away the body, and pretend a resurrection; and then the last error would be worse than the first.  They therefore desire a guard to watch the sepulchre, to prevent all fraud.  They had one granted; accordingly they placed a watch on the sepulchre, and sealed up the stone at the mouth of it.

What the event of this case was, the same writer tells us.  The guards saw the stone removed by angels, and for fear they became as dead men:  when they came to the city, they reported to the chief priests what had happened:  a council is called, and a resolution taken to bribe the soldiers to say, that the body was stolen while they were asleep; and the council undertook to excuse the soldiers to Pilate, for their negligence in falling asleep when they were on duty.

Thus the fact stands in the original record.  Now, the council for Woolston maintains, that the story reported by the soldiers, after they had been bribed by the chief priests, contains the true account of this pretended resurrection.