The time of this testimony; not years after, but three days after, they declared he was risen ; yea, before their rage was quelled, while Calvary was yet dyed with the blood they had spilled. If it had been a fraud, it is not likely they would have come forward in such broad daylight, amidst so much opposition.
Lastly, the motives which induced them to pub lish the resurrection; not to gain fame, riches, glory, profit ; no, they exposed themselves to suf fering and death, and proclaimed the truth from conviction of its importance and certainty.
4. Summary of Arguments. "Collect," says Saurin, "all these proofs together; consider them in one point of view, and see how many extravagant suppositions must be advanced, if the resurrection of our Savior be denied. It must be supposed that guards, who had been particularly cautioned by their officers, sat down to sleep; and that, however, they deserved credit when they said the body of Jesus Christ was stolen. It must be supposed that men, who have been imposed on in the most odious and cruel manner in the world, hazarded their dearest en joyments for the glory of an impostor. It must be supposed that ignorant and illiterate men, who have neither reputation, fortune nor elo quence, possess the art of fascinating the eyes of all the church. It must be supposed either that five hundred persons were all deprived of their senses at a time, or that they were all deceived in the plainest matters of fact ; or that this multi tude of false witnesses had found out the secret of never contradicting themselves or one another, and of being always uniform in their testimony. It must be supposed that the most expert courts of judicature could not find out a shadow of con tradiction in a palpable imposture. It must be supposed that the apostles, sensible men in other cases, chose precisely those places and those times which were most unfavorable to their views. It must be supposed that millions madly suffered im prisonments, tortures and crucifixions, to spread an illusion. It must be supposed that ten thousand miracles were wrought in favor of falsehood, or all these facts must be denied ; and then it must be supposed that the apostles were idiots; that the enemies of Christianity were idiots; and that all the primitive Christians were idiots.
"The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ affords us a variety of useful instructions. Here we see evidence of divine power; prophecy ac complished; the character of Jesus established ; his work finished ; and a future state proved. It is a ground of faith, the basis of hope, a source of consolation, and a stimulus to obedi ence." 5. Causes of Apparent Discrepancies. A few words upon the apparent discrepancies of the gospel narratives will not be nti placed.
'I here discrepancies were early perceived ; and a view of what the fathers have done in the at tempt to reconcile them has been given by Nie meyer (De Ezangt'listarum in Narrando Christi in 1'itam reditu dissensions, 1824). A numerous Lost of theologians, however, rose to combat and refute this writer's positions; among whom we find the names of Doderlein, Less, Semler, Teller, Jlaschius, Michaelis, Plessing, Eichhorn, Herder, and others. Among those who have more re cently attempted to reconcile the different accounts is Griesbach, who, in his excellent Prolusio de Fontibus nude Ez'angelista' seas de Resurree tione Dotnini nurrationes hausertntt, 1793, re marks that all the discrepancies are trifling, and not of such moment as to render the narrative uncertain and suspected, or to destroy or even diminish the credibility of the Evangelists; but rather serve to show how extremely studious they were of truth, `and how closely and even scrupulously they followed their documents.' 6. Literature. Besides works already referred to, see Jesus and the Resurrection, by Principal H. C. G. Mottle, M. A.; G. D. Boardman's Epiph anies of the Risen Lord; The True Site of Cal vary and Suggestions Relating to the Resurrec tion, by Fisher Howe; C. R. Morrison's Proofs of the Resurrection from a Lawyer's Standpoint; Dr. Kennedy's, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ a ilistorical Fact; Dr. Reuen Thomas, Througle /)oath to Life; Sermons by J. C. Hare, The Stone Rolled from the Door of the Sepulcher.