difpute these Circumftances; it is fufficient to fhew, that his Obfervation is not fupported by the Text he pretends to build on. St. John fays, the Body with the Spices was wound up in linen Cloths; and without Doubt the Spices lay next the Body, and were covered by the linen Cloth; and the Corpfe bound in linen might be feen, without feeing the Spices. Suppose, however, that they faw the Spices, and how the Body was preferved for keeping; why then he says, Would they not then, being Witnefes of that, have taken the Soldiers back, refting contented that his Difciples knew nothing of any Prophecy of his rifing again; and therefore could have no Defign under that Pretence to steal away the Body, and report he was rifen?

It is hard to make out the Sense of this Reason

ing; but if it has any, it ftands upon thefe very abfurd Suppofitions, 1. That had the Disciples expected a Refurrection, they would not have buried the Body, according to the Custom of the Country, with Spices, but would have faved that Expence as being unneceffary. 2. That this was a fufficient Ground for the chief Priests to conclude, that the Disciples expected no Refurrection. 3. That they were governed in this Affair merely by what they knew or believed of the Sentiments of the Disciples. As to the first of thefe Suppofitions, the fpicing or not fpicing the Body could have no Influence on the Refurrection; and therefore the Difciples could not be deter

mined

mined to add or omit Spices, by their believ ing or not believing the Refurrection. Had they expected fully that Jefus would rife, would that have prevented their fhewing the common Respect to their Mafter, which all the Country did to their dead Friends? or could the Charge of Spices enter into the Confideration of this Matter? 2. If there is no Shew of Probability, in fuppofing the Disciples to be influenced in adding or omitting Spices, by their Expectation of a Resurrection, there could be no Ground to conclude from their fpicing the Body, that they did not expect a Refurrection. 3. There is not the leaft Intimation in the Gofpel, that the chief Priests knew the Opinion of the Disciples in this Cafe, or that they would have confidered it as of any Weight or Moment at all. They had heard of our Lord's Prophecy, that he would rife again, and it filled them with great Anxiety; for to his great Power and wonderful Works they had been Witneffes. As to the Disciples, they had them in Contempt; and though, in order to frame a plaufible Pretence to Pilate for having a Watch for the Sepulchre, they tell him of their Apprehenfions that the Disciples might steal the Body; yet there is no Probability that this Pretence was the true and only Ground for their Fear. You fee now how his first Demonstration against the Gospel Hiftory comes out.

His fecond is from the Behaviour of Mary

Magdalene and the other Women. He fays, They knew to be fure that Nicodemus had laid the Body in Spices; and yet Luke and Mark fay they brought Spices early in the Morning, when the Sabbath was paft, to anoint the Body. And if this was the Cafe, fays he, what need had it of more? and fo infers that St. John's Account of Spices ufed by Nicodemus, and St. Mark's and St. Luke's of the Women bringing Spices afterwards, cannot be reconciled &.

As the Confiderer pretends here to argue from Facts related by the Evangelifts, I would afk him, Whence he had the Fact upon which all this Reasoning depends? The Evangelifts give him no fuch Information. Nay, their Account is inconfiftent with it; for the Women were not prefent when Jofeph and Nicodemus bound up the Body with Spices; nor does it appear that they faw the Body after it was bound up; if they did, they could not fee the Spices which were hid by the linen Winding-fheet. St. Matthew fays, the Women fat over against the Sepulchre; St. Mark, that they beheld where the Body was laid. Had they been concerned in preparing the Body for Burial, would the Evangelifts have feparated their Cafe from that of Jofeph and Nicodemus fo remarkably? Would they have afcribed the whole Care of the Body and the Funeral to the Men only, and faid no more of the Women, than that

First Edit. p. 35. Third Edit. p. 26.

they

they faw where the Body was laid? These Accounts plainly fuppofe that the Women were without watching, while the Body was preparing, and that when it was carried out to be buried, they went after to observe the Place where it was laid. St. Luke's Account is more exprefly fo. His Words are, The Women fol lowed after, and beheld the Sepulchre, and how the Body was laid. It is not, as at 49. of the fame Chapter, συνακολοθήσασαι, they went in Company with Jofeph; but xatanoλsdýσaσa, they followed after him. The Evangelift adds, εθεάσαντο τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ ὡς ἐτέθη τὸ wμa as does not fignify, as the Confiderer understands it, quo modo but quod; and the Paffage is not to be rendered quo modo pofitum eft, but quod pofitum, or fepultum eft corpus, i. e. they came to the Sepulchre, and faw that the Body was buried.

h

But allowing for once, that the Women knew what had already been done to the Body, what then? They could not but know that all was done in great hafte, in a tumultuary Manner. And will the Confiderer pretend to fay, that as much had been done by Jofeph and Nicodemus, as was ufual or neceffary to be done? and that the whole Ceremony was already compleated? This is more than appears from the Evangelifts, and much more than in the Nature of the Thing is poffible to be true.

Inftances in the New Testament are frequent, where rim is ufed in this Sense.

No Nation was more careful of their Dead than the Jews. The Body was first to be washed all over and cleaned with much Care, and afterwards to be anointed. But in regard to Chrift's Body, there was not Time before the Sabbath to perform even thus much of the Ceremony. When it was taken down from the Cross, the Evening was coming on; and it was not yet dark, when it was left in the Sepulchre 2.

The Funeral Ceremony, 'tis plain, was not, nor could already be compleated. Offices of this folemn Kind, efpecially for Perfons of Character and Distinction, were not used to be performed the Moment they were dead, nor to be huddled up in fo hafty and negligent a Manner. Mofes informs us that, when Jacob was embalmed, no less than forty Days were employed in the Operation". And Herodotus (whofe Authority perhaps the Philofopher may like better) tells us, that amongst the Egyptians, from whom the Jews borrowed that Practice, no less than feventy Days were required to compleat it.

Jofeph and Nicodemus intended, no doubt, to interr the Body of Chrift, in a Manner agreeable to the Notion they had of his Dignity and Character. No lefs than an hundred Pound Weight of Spices and Perfumes were

a

Compare Matt. xxvii. 57. with Luke xxiii. 54. Gen. 1. 3.

Herod. lib. ii.

procured