in his life, I think they would not have been afraid of seeing any done
by him after his death.

But the Gentleman is of another mind. He says, they had
discovered a plain cheat in the case of Lazarus, whom Christ had
pretended to raise from the dead; and therefore they took all this care
to guard against a like cheat.

I begin now to want evidence; I am forbid to call this
imagination, what else to call it I know not. There is not the least
intimation given from history, that there was any cheat in the case of
Lazarus, or that any one suspected a cheat. Lazarus lived in the
country after he was raised from the dead; and though his life was
secretly and basely sought after, yet no body had the courage to call
to a trial for his part in the cheat. It may be said, perhaps, the
rulers were terrified. Very well: but they were not terrified when
they had Christ in their possession, when they brought him to a trial;
why did they not then object this cheat to Christ? It would have been
much to their purpose. Instead of that, they accuse him of a design to
pull down their temple, to destroy their law, and of blasphemy; but not
one word of any fraud in the case of Lazarus, or any other case.

But not to enter into the merits of this cause, which has in it
too many circumstances for your present consideration; let us take the
case to be as the Gentleman states it, that the cheat in the case of
Lazarus was detected; what consequence is to be expected? In all other
cases, impostors, once discovered, grow odious and contemptible, and
quite incapable of doing further mischief; so little are they regarded,
that even when they tell the truth, they are neglected. Was it so in
this case? No, says the Gentleman; the Jews were the more careful that