Observations On the History and Evidences of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The following Observations took their Rise from a Pamphlet entitled, The Resurrection of Jesus considered, in Answer to the Trial of the Witnesses. By a Moral Philosopher. The Author of which, in order to overturn the Testimony of the Evangelists, hath attempted to shew that they contradict each other in the Accounts they have given of this Fact. To this Pamphlet there came out two very learned and ingenious Answers; which I read with great Satisfaction, as I found in them solid Confutations of many Objections against Christianity started in the first. But I must confess, (though with the utmost Respect to the Knowledge and Abilities of the Authors of the two last-mentioned Pamphlets) that I was not so fully satisfied with their Manner of clearing the Sacred Writers from the Contradictions charged upon them. This set me upon reading and examining with Attention the Scriptures themselves; and with no other Biass, than what arose from the Astonishment I was under at finding Writers, who for above these sixteen hundred Years have been reputed holy and inspired, charged with such a Contrariety in their Accounts, as ill agreed with either of those Epithets. Of the Truth of this Charge therefore, I acknowledge I had great Difficulty to persuade myself. And indeed it was not long before I discovered, as I imagined, the Vanity and Weakness of such an Imputation; which however, I cannot stile altogether groundless, since it has an Appearance of being founded in the Words of the Gospel; though in reality, that Foundation lies no deeper than the Outside and Surface of the Words: Neither will I call it malicious, since having upon farther Inquiry found it to be of a very ancient Date, I know not the first Authors of it, and consequently can form no Judgment of their Intentions. What I have to offer in Defence of the Evangelists, is built in like manner upon the sacred Text; whose true Meaning (which upon this Occasion I searched for in vain in the Notes of many eminent Commentators) I have endeavoured to investigate and prove, by comparing their several Accounts with each other, and noting the Agreement and Disagreement of the Circumstances. A Method that hath led me unavoidably into Critical Observations; for the Length and Dryness of which I should however think myself obliged to make some Excuse, did I write only for Amusement, or expect to be read by those, who seek in Books for nothing more solid than Entertainment.