ancient prophecies to prove that the Messias was to die and rise
again; the ancient books referred to are extant, and no such
prophecies, he says, are to be found. Now, whether the Gentleman can
find these prophecies or no, is not material to the present question.
It is allowed that Christ foretold his own death and resurrection; if
the resurrection was managed by fraud, Christ was certainly in the
fraud himself, by foretelling the fraud which was to happen: disprove
therefore the resurrection, and we shall have no further occasion for
prophecy. On the other side, by foretelling the resurrection, he
certainly put the proof of his mission on the truth of the event.
Whether it be the character of the Messias, in the ancient Prophets, or
no, that he should die, and rise again; without doubt Jesus is not the
Messias, if he did not rise again: for, by his own prophecy, he made
it part of the character of the Messias. If the event justified the
prediction, it is such an evidence as no man of sense and reason can
reject. One would naturally think, that the foretelling his
resurrection, and giving such publick notice to expect it, that his
keenest enemies were fully apprised of it, carried with it the greatest
mark of sincere dealing. It stands thus far clear of the suspicion of
fraud. And had it proceeded from enthusiasm, and an heated
imagination, the dead body at least would have rested in the grave, and
without further evidence have confuted such pretensions: and since the
dead body was not only carried openly to the grave, but there watched
and guarded, and yet could never afterwards be found, never heard of
more as a dead body, there must of necessity have been either a real
miracle, or a great fraud in this case. Enthusiasm dies with the man,
and has no operation on his dead body. There is therefore here no
medium: you must either admit the miracle, or prove the fraud.

Judge. Mr. A. You are at liberty either to reply to what