Judge. You say right, Sir. Let us hear what you answer to
this charge.

Mr. B. My Lord, I was unwilling to disturb the Gentleman by
breaking in upon his scheme; otherwise I would have reminded him that
this court sits to examine evidence, and not to be entertained with
fine imaginations. You have had a scheme laid before you, but not one
bit of evidence to support any part of it; no, not so much as a
pretence to any evidence. The Gentleman was, I remember, very sorry
that the old books of the Jews were lost, which would, as he supposes,
have set forth all this matter; and I agree with him, that he has much
reason to be sorry, considering his great scarcity of proof. And since
I have mentioned this, that I may not be to return to it again, I would
ask the Gentleman now, how he knows there ever were such books? And
since, if ever there were any, they are lost, how he knows what they
contained? I doubt I shall have frequent occasion to ask such
questions. It would indeed be a sufficient answer to the whole, to
repeat the several suppositions that have been made, and to call for
the evidence upon which they stand. This would plainly discover every
part of the story to be mere fiction. But since the Gentleman seems
to have endeavored to bring under one view the many insinuations which
have of late been spread abroad by different hands, and to work the
whole into a consistent scheme; I will, if your patience shall permit,
examine this plot, and see to whom the honour of the contrivance
belongs.

The Gentleman begins with expressing his "amazement, that the
resurrection has been believed in all ages of the church." If you ask
him, Why? he must answer , Because the account of it is a forgery; for