After the jury had consulted together, the foreman rose up,


The Foreman of the Jury. We desire to hear the objections argued
and answered separately. We shall be better able to form a judgement,
by hearing the answer while the objection is fresh in our minds.

Judge. Gentlemen, you hear the opinion of the jury. Go on.

Mr. A I am now to disclose to you a scene, of all others the most
surprising. "The resurrection has been long talked of, and, to the
amazement of everyone who can think freely, has been believed through
all ages of the church." This general and constant belief creates in
most minds a presumption that it was founded on good evidence. In
other cases the evidence supports the credit of the history; but here
the evidence itself is presumed only upon the credit which the story
has gained. I wish the books dispersed against Jesus by the ancient
Jews had not been lost; for they would have given us a clear insight
into this contrivance: but it is happy for us, that the very account
given by the pretended witnesses of this fact, is sufficient to destroy
the credit of it.

The resurrection was not a thing contrived for its own sake. No!
it was undertaken to support great views, and for the sake of great
consequences that were to attend it. It will be necessary therefore to
lay before you those views, that you may be the better judge of this
part of the contrivance, when you have the whole scene before you.

The Jews were a weak superstitious people, and, as is common