WHat's the best News abroad? So we must be­gin: 'Tis the Garb (les novel­les) the grand salute, and common Preface to all our [Page 2]talk. And the news goes not as things are in themselves, but as mensfancies are fa­shioned, as some lust to re­port, and others to believe: The same relation shall goe for true or false, according to the key wherein mens minds are tuned; but chiefly as they stand diverse in Reli­gion, so they feign and affect different News. By their News ye may know their Religion, and by their Reli­gion fore-know their News. This week the Spanish Match goes forward, and Bethleem Gabors Troups are broken; and the next week Bethleem Gabors Troups goe forward, and the Spanish Match is bro­ken. The Catholique is of the [Page 3] Spanish match, and the Pro­testant of restoring the Pala­tinate; and each party think that the safety of the Church and success of religion de­pends upon the event of one or other, and therefore they cross and counter-tell each others news. Titius came from London yesterday, and he sayes that the new Chap­pel at St. James is quite fi­nished: Caius came thence but this morning, and then there was no such thing on building. False news follows true at the heels, and often­times outstrips it.

Thus goes the Chronicle-news, the talke of the facti­us and pragmatick; but the [Page 4] Christian news, the talke of the faithful is spent in Euan­gelio, in hearing and telling some good news of their Saviour: and now all the talk is of his Resurrection. The Christian current goes, News from Mount Calvary, the sixteenth day of Nisan, in the year thirty four, old style; as the three holy Ma­trons deliver it at the eighth verse of this Chapter. But since there are certain Soul­diers arrived, and they say there was no such matter as the Resurrection, 'twas but a gull put upon the world by his Disciples; for it fares with spiritual news as with temporal, it is variously and contrarily related, till the [Page 5]false controls the true. And as our modern News comes neither from the Court nor the Camp, nor from the place where things are a­cted, but is forged in Con­venticles by Priests, or in some Pauls Assembly, or such like place; and the divulge committed to some vigilant and watchful tongue: So it is with the News of the Non­resurrection; it came not from Mount Calvary, but the Priests are the Authors of it, at the eleventh verse; and at the twelveth, they frame and mould it to the mouth of the Watch. The Divul­gers, men of double credit, they know the truth, for they are of the Watch, and they [Page 6]will not lye, for they are Souldiers; nay, they will maintain it, for they are Knights, Milites, Knights of the Post, they are hired to say, saying, and they did say, His Disciples came by night and stole him away whilst we slept.

The words so plain, they need no opening. May it please you that I make three Cursories over them; One for the Souldiers, another for the Disciples, and the third for our Saviour. In the two former we will beat the point pro and con, and in the latter reconcile it, for that's the fashion also. No error so absurd but finds a Patron, [Page 7]nor Truth so sound but meets with an Adversa­ry, nor point controverted but the opposite tenent may be reconciled; be they di­stant as Heaven and Hell, as incompatible as Jew and Christian, yet they shall meet with a Moderator, and a cogging distinction shall state the question on the ab­surder side. First then for the Souldiers, whose Cursory hath no parts, that's not the Souldiers manner, but yet is sprinkled with absurdities, that's the manner of the Watch. They speak partly as they fight, voluntarily, and partly as they watch, supinely. And thus they begin their talk:

Ye men and people of Judah and Jerusalem, This Jesus of Nazareth was a ve­ry Jugler, a neat Compiler of Impostures, pretended title to the crown of Judah, made himself the Messias and the Son of God, brought such strange opinions as would turn the whole world out of bias; having no proof from sense or reason for his No­velties, he would needs confirm them by miracles; and in the worlds eye he see­med to do wonders, though his works were indeed but meer delusions, wrought by slight of hand, hocus pocus. All which was so manifestly discovered, that to stop the [Page 9]current of such false coin, my Lord President was for­ced to nail him to the Crosse for a Counterfeit. His Ma­ster-trick was that of the Re­surrection, whereof he fore­spake in his life-time: for he was no ordinary dealer, but would make his Cun­ning to survive his person, and durst fore-say so. To put this piece in Execution, he entertained a rabble of Ruffians, whom he termed his Disciples, as all Plotters have Partners: These he instructed in the game while he lived, and they were to play it when he was dead. The list of his Disciples con­sisted of Men and Women; for in all crafty carriages [Page 10]there lyes a Womans part. The men were to perform all manner of fact, and the women, whose activity lies in their tongue, were to report the miracle.

The High-priests and some of the Sanedrim being wise to apprehend, and wary to prevent the dangerous con­sequences hereof, procured a warrant from the President to seal up the Tomb, and place a Watch there; and we were the parties appointed to guard it. The Charge we underwent required good service, for his Disciples were common Night-wal­kers like their Master, no­table Cutters, and carried as [Page 11]much courage as cunning; such tall fellows with their weapons, that they made it but a sleight either to with­stand or assault a whole mul­titude, and durst do any thing in their Masters be­half. The other night, when we apprehended him in Gethsemane, we were most of the lustiest fellows in Je­rusalem, and pretty well ap­pointed, yet they stood to it stoutly, made a tall fray, and sometimes put us to the worst: At the first On-set we were all knock'd down, and at our Recovery, Rabbi Mal­chus, a follower of the High­priests company and our Captain, was singled out by one of their side, a Sayler he [Page 12]seemed, who with his whin­yard lopt off one of his ears, and had the blow light right, it would have cleft him down to the twist. Nay they were all Bravers, and their bloody mind was seen upon Judas Iscariot, one of their own company, who because he was our Blood­hound to sent their Master out, they persecuted the poor wretch till they had paunch'd him; for not far from their walk he was found hang'd with his guts about his heels. And for their bloody pranks that way, the place begins to bear the name of Aceldama, the bloody field.

For the exploit of his re­surrection, they had the as­sistance of their fellow-she-disciples, night house-wives too, for they were hovering about the Sepulchre from the dead of the night till the morning, and were as the Counter-watch to give notice of some advantage to the Disciples, who lay not far off, some where above ground, while their master was un­der it. All the day-time they stir not for fear of Pas­sengers, frequenting to and fro in the gardens and walks about Mount Calvary; it be­ing both Sabbath and Passeo­ver; but in the night they took their opportunity by this means: We had been [Page 14]extreamly over-travell'd, both to apprehend and guard him, first, to the High­priest, next to the President; from him to Herod, and back again; then to his arraign­ment, then to his Execution and ever since at his grave; so turbulent the man was, that his very dead body would not lye still and be quiet. This over-watching, seconded with the darkness of the night, and coldnesse of the ayre, cast us into a heavy sleep; thereupon the women give the watch-word to the Disciples, who immediately do exhumate his body; and while they translate and bury it elsewhere, the wo­men trot into the Town, and [Page 15]bruit it abroad that their Master is risen.

And the credulous City is partly inclined to believe the Legerdemain; they are willing to frame their faith and build their salvation up­on a flying gull, raised by three way-going women, gadling Gossips that came from Galilee; One of them no­torious, so divellish that there came seven divells out of her, how many staid behind God knows; it is like she was so full, there was room for no more; and by her ye may guess at her compani­ons. Consider of it; the matter is of moment, a main point of State, that [Page 16]concerns your own Nation: We are but strangers, and no farther interessed then for the truths sake to speak it; and therefore be advised whether ye will rely herein upon the word of a woman, or upon the faith and repu­tation of a Souldier. And here the Souldier puts up, he sheaths his malicious and blasphemous tongue, more sharp and deadly then his sword, and gives our Savi­our a wound more mortal far then those upon the Cross; they did but put him in a trance, suspend his life for a day or two, at the most but kill his Humanity; but this would murther his Di­vinity, and dead his Immor­tality, [Page 17]it would nullifie the Gospel, and frustrate all our Faith: for, If Christ be not risen (saith S. Paul) then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. And therefore I come to my second Curso­ry, For his Disciples stole him away by night.

Herein we will deal Chri­stianly and civilly, not give the lye to the Souldiers, foul words to the Watch: But yet we may say, that their tale hath no truth in any point of it, but a meer say­ing, Saying, say ye. They say not of themselves, but as the Priests taught them; they knew they said false, and therefore our saying to [Page 18]the contrary will easily ob­tain. And therein we fol­low not the Random of their roving, but take the sum of their saying, as it is here set down by the Holy Ghost, gi­ving it order and parts. The words then may easily be taken Judiciarily, in form of an accusation, and then Morally they are Calumny; the Souldiers either not heard, or not practised the doctrine of John Baptist, Accuse no man falsely. Or they may be taken popular­ly, in form of a report or ru­mour, and then morally they are a meer gull or slan­der. In what sense soever, there are three parties wron­ged in them; The Disciples, [Page 19]our Saviour, and the Souldi­ers themselves. The Disci­ples here are tax'd of theft, that they - should come by night, and steal away their Master: Our Saviour of Im­potency and Imposture, that he neither could nor did rise from the dead, but was con­veyed away by his Disciples: And the Souldiers of capital negligence, that they were asleep. In the Cursory then for the Disciples, may ye please that I lay down three plain Contradictories ro the words of the Text, as they lie in order: First, the Disci­ples came not hither by night. Secondy, he was not stole a­way. Thirdly, the Souldiers were not asleep. For proof [Page 20]of each whereof there are no cogent demonstrations in nature Quòd sint; single vo­luntary actions that leave no evident effect, admit it not. We preach not before Jews and Infidels, to whom this doctrine is scandalous and fool shness; but the simple­hearted Christian, the wil­ling hearer shall have ratio­nall probabilities, and per­swasive arguments, suffici­ent to convey belief into a heart illuminated, and pre­pared by grace for it. For the first then, His Disciples came not by night.

The body moves not vo­luntarily, unless the motion be grounded upon the Will; [Page 21]so that when the influence of the Will upon the exter­nal members is either inter­cepted or frustrated by any forreign accident, the body hardly admits of going and comming. The heart, and first mover of the Disciples, was now mated and set up by a Lease of impetuous passions. All those Vio­lents of the Soul which have mischiefs for their Objects, and are immediately distra­ctive to the Patient that en­dures them, as sorrow, fear and despair, did now wholly possess them: Extreme sor­row for their Masters present sufferings, as much fear for their own future danger, and their like despaire for their [Page 22]fore hoped happinesse. Their senses seel the sorrow, their fear torments their fancies, and their memory maintains their despair; their whole soul so assaulted, that there wanted nothing but a Fever to make them quite fran­tick. And Peter came neer to that, so distracted, that for his Masters sake first he will needs fight, then he flyes away; anon again he follows after him, at length he for­swears him, and in the end goes out and cries. In this mode he is carried up and down, till he layes a clog on his conscience, that would hold him work enough without coming to Mount Calvary. The case of his [Page 23]other fellows might be as bad, or worse, although the Scripture be therein silent. Thus far they go all with Peter, that they sleep, and flye, and follow after off.

But when their Master was past all recovery, then each passion plaid his part to hinder all humour from comming to Mount Calvary. Their sorrow contracts, and closeth them up in Jerusa­lem: Sorrow loves to be pri­vate and lurk in a corner. Fear kept them within doors: Fear dare not go a­broad, especially in the night, if she do, it is to flie a danger, not to invite it. And to Despair all business must [Page 24]yield: despair will not stir in her own behalf, unless to do her self a mischief, but of any other she is quite careless. To say then they came by night, makes it but the more unlikely. They could not watch one hour with him in Gethsemane when it concerned his life, while there was yet hope to vin­dicate him from the Cross; and can they now watch with him a whole night when he was dead and buri­ed? If they were for a nights exploit, they would have done it the night before, when there was a fairer op­portuuity, and greater secu­rity. They now had no more means this night, but [Page 25]more danger. When they they went to Gethsemane, they had but two Swords in all, and were there disarmed of them; but one coat a­peece, and some stript of that; no weapon to assault, nor armour to defend. Fit furniture, and fair voyage for poor Fishermen to make to Mount Calvary in a dark night, to affront the Roman Watch. And to what end? if their Master could rise a­gain, what need they come hither? if not, they did him no wrong to abandon him.

But why mention we the Resurrection? they came not thither, not to a thought of it. He had indeed fore­told [Page 26]them of it, but they un­derstood it not: they could not prosecute what they never apprehended; could they hope to make others believe what they could not imagine? Could others grant that feareable, which they esteemed impossible? or had they once belief, yet they forsook it when they forsook their Master. They were beaten from it in Geth­semane, where but one of the Jews received any losse, and he but of one of his eares, and that restored again; but they all lost every one his faith, they lost their Savi­our, and their Souls to boot. They were now as faithless as their fellow Judas, as [Page 27]faithless in their Master as he was to him. The Resur­rection quite forgot, not onely the thing it self, but their Masters mention of it: and therefore they embalm his dead body, and do en­tombe it as forlorn. The Priests themselves believed more then the Disciples: they feared it, and therefore fortified the Sepulcher; but the Disciples did not so much as hope. And when he was risen de facto, they could not believe it, though the women avouched it: [...], the womens talk seemes an old Wives tale, when they tell the Disciples of the Re­surrection. Thomas will not [Page 28]trust his own eyes though he see, and his eares though he hear him. Had they any by-intent, they would have been very forward to report and spread the fame; but they stood mute at it, and began to spread themselves each man what way his fan­cy led him: the fame of the Resurrection did not fright them. And how came the newes abroad? who told it to the high Priests? not his Disciples, nor the women, but the Souldiers here them­selves. But why stand we to defend the Disciples in a fact never committed? no such thing done as they ob­jected. He was not stole a­way [Page 29]at all; My second Contra­dictorie.

Nor by the Disciples, nor by any else, unless men were mad, or weary of their lives. The advantage of the Act could no way recom­pence the danger. The Lawes so strict for medling with Sepulchers, that they could expect no lesse then to incur the crime of Sacri­ledge; which may be seen at large in the Digests de Sepul­chro violato: which Lawes, though since compiled, yet for the most part were then and there in force, the Jews being under the Roman Ju­risdiction. And though they should plead that they did [Page 30]onely translate the body, not abuse it, yet they could not avoid the Objection of dolus malus, and so incur an arbitrary censure, which would be layd very heavily upon them, things running as they did against our Sa­viour. What fair Interpreta­tion could they look for on his behalf, when he himself was charged with Treason, for asking a peny to pay tri­bute? Or if some had the will to steal him, yet none had the power or meanes to perform it. The Watch there, termed Souldiers, were of a middle nature between Souldiers and Hangmen; Spiculatores, they carried a speare in their hands, but a [Page 31]halter at their girdles, al­wayes ready for any deadly service. They were [...], Satellites, a Guard to the Governour; and Custo­des, Jaylours, Warders for Prisoners; and Vigiles, Watch­ers for their bodies who suf­fered: the common Exe­cutioners of corporal punish­ment, whether it reached onely to sense, or forward to life. To express their Roman nature home, the Eastern Nation borrowed Language from the Western, the Greeks from the Latine, Cu­stodia; and the Syriaque, as Master Fuller observes, from Quaestionarij, Officers ad quae­stionem & inquisitionem, Que­stioners or Inquisitors, Tor­mentors, [Page 32]or Serjeants of the Rack, to extort Confessions in criminal Examinations. At the peril of their life it was, if the party under their exe­cution did not endure the extremity of the Law. If the Prisoner escaped with no punishment, or with lesse, or in ultimo supplicio recovered by his life, or his dead body otherwise disposed then the Lawes ordained or permit­ted, then were those Soul­diers to take the room of the Prisoners, to be wasted and spent out upon the same punishment whereto the Prisoner was liable; Ejusmodi paena consumendi, the very words of the Law. Could any man now imagine the [Page 33] Watch could now be either so careless, or such Cowards as to let our Saviour to be stole away? Men durst as well have fetcht him from the Crosse as from the Grave.

But say that they were such maimed Souldiers, as that they had neither eye to watch, nor heart to ward; yet the Sepulcher it self was so impregnable, that it alone would secure the body. There could be no burglary, nor breaking it up, no un­dermining; The Soyl was Pick-axe proof, a firm Rock spred out of the Roots of Golgotha, gabion'd and rough-cast with flint. No [Page 34]removing of the Tombe­stone; that besides its weight & sullennes to give way, was rib'd and clasped down with Iron barres and bonds; the closure souldered with the Seal of the Sanedrim. Their [...], and [...], their fortifying the Sepulcher, and sealing up the Stone, sayes it was so, in the latter verse of the former Chapter. For though he should revive, yet the high Priests never meant he should rise more, either by his own, or by the strength of others. The Watch was but a stale to co­lour their pretence, and to lead their request to Pilate. The Womens, Who shall roll [Page 35]us away the Stone? was a matter more then they ima­gined, a task above the strength of a man. A whole set of leavers could not lift it: no rolling it away but by the force of an An­gel.

And now look into the Grave, see the remains of the Resurrection, the im­partiall witnesses and silent sayings that he was not stole away. The Linnen and Grave-Clothes wherein he was involved, lined and lo­den with a compound of Myrrhe, Aloes and Mastick, gums and spices Arabique, unguents and balms of Gi­lead, a Seare-cloth both [Page 36]costly and massie, [...], to the worth or weight of an hundred pounds, somewhat unwieldy to be handled: the Kerchief so wrapt and displeited, as though yet it had not been used; and yet so laid aside, as though he would have come again. What man­ner of men would leave these things thus? His friends would not for shame have stript him, and carried him away naked. His soes would have esteemed the Linnen and embalming Compounds farre beyond his body. Friend or Foe, or Newter, they durst not stay to flea the glewy Seare-cloth from his skin, and give a di­ligent [Page 37]folding to the Ker­chief. But if notwithstan­ding he was stolne away, why was not search made to recover his body? no Hue and Cry to pursue the Male­factors? no Proclamation out for their attachment? why were not the Women apprehended, or taken up­on suspicion? why not so much as questioned? Que­stioned! about what? The Souldiers knew well enough he was not stolne away; for they sate by, and markt it; they were the Watch, and they did watch, they were not asleep; which is my last Contradictory.

Hitherto they talk like souldiers, of coming by night, and stealing away; now like Watchmen, in saying they were asleep. So sottish and unreasonable is malice, that to burn his neighbours house, he will set fire on his own; to bring in an accusa­tion on Christ and his Disci­ples, they make confession of a crime in themselves: they gull and befool them­selves, and say that the Watch was asleep. It may be as Watchmen they durst sleep, tis ordinary; but they durst not so as Souldiers, their discipline too strict, and the penalty thereof too se­vere. He that forsakes the watch, capite punitur, tis death [Page 39](saith Paulus) in law 9. in Ex­cubias, §. de re militari; and some good captains interpret sleep equivalent to absence; what ever were the Letter of the Law, practice made it so. And Polybius tells us it was so put in excution. If any man of the Watch be found asleep, (saith he) [...], he is put to the Bastinado, a capital punish­ment, and reach'd to the head: For the then Bastina­do was Fuste caeditur; and as they now passe the Pikes, a thousand to one but the par­ty died under it. A whole Squadron of men being to do execution, one back-friend or other would pash out his brains, as now one [Page 40]pike or other would broch him through. The Roman Discipline extreme dogged, and so profest it self, especi­ally toward the Watch. The Ban-doggs of the Capitol, because they barked not that night when the Gaules surprized it, had their leggs broken, and were split alive upon a two-forkt stake set up in publick; and in memo­ry thereof (saith Livie) some doggs were yearly so used, for examples sake to make Watch-men beware.

And the Rounders so im­partial herein, that they would make execution ipso facto. Epaminondas walks the Round, and finding one [Page 41] souldier asleep, some of the Corrounders entreat for him; well, saith he, for your sakes I will leave him as I found him, and therewithall he stakes him to the ground with his Halbert: he found him in a dead sleep, and so he left him. Some dimme prints of that Discipline are seen to this day in our mo­dern warrs, where sometime the Rounder will clap a mus­ket-shot through a sleepy head. But anciently they durst do no other; for to wink at the fault, or delay the punishment, was in the Governour Patrimonii & aestimationis damnum, a losse of lands and honour; and in under-Officers capitale [Page 42]supplicium. They durst not then sleep wilfully, and they had no need to sleep, they were not over-watcht. How the Day-watch stood I have not yet read; but for the Night-watch, all the World knows it was divided into four equal parts, each con­taining three Planetary houres, or one quarter of the night, how long or short soever. And the turn came about but every third night, and then every third hour they were relieved by put­ting in a fresh Watch. It was now past the Vernal Aequi­noctial, no one Night-watch sate full three modern houres; so three houres over in above threescore would [Page 43]bring no over-watching. See­ing then they neither durst nor did, why yet do they say they were asleep? The reason is, they are of the ragged Regiment, mercena­ry Souldiers, hired to it by the Priests with a large piece of money. The Provant­man will undertake to say any thing, yea, to do any thing for money; for ten­groats a Week tug at a Wheel-barrow, and fo a stiver more serve the enemy, and for a Peece pistol a Prince; suffer any thing for money, for a Dollar take the Strappado; for a brace, draw at a decimation. Thus the Priests dealt with the silly Souldiers, as they did with [Page 44] Judas, onely put them upon hanging. An old trick of the Priests, and much in use at this day, saving that now they practise it one upon the other, and so let them; good speed may they have.

But for all this they might be asleep, whether our Sa­viour were stole away or no. Somewhat the begging Soul­diers would have, & they shal, his stealing away we can by nomeans grant. The Resurre­ction, an article of our Creed, the very groundsel of all our Faith: his Resurrection the pattern & pledge of ours, the tenure where by we hold our title to salvation. But for their being asleep we wil not much contend; it is credible [Page 45]they were so, the contrary being neither implied, nor expressed in the Scripture. But yet their sleep is no proof of their saying. They know the things were done just as they say, for they were asleep the while. A right Ro­man reason, a proof put from a Priest to serve a sleepy Souldier. If they were asleep, how could they say he was stollen rather then risen? or if they suppose him stollen, how knew they his Disciples did it rather then other men? This must needs argue in them either calumny to ac­cuse a party without cause, or levity to lay the cause upon a wrong party; either way folly to alledg so senseles areason. [Page 46]All our knowledge is either from Sense, or Reason; from Reason they could not have it, that hath made against them all this while; from any sense they could not, for they were asleep, in sleep all sensation is intercepted. They could neither hear, see, smell, taste nor feel the Disciples coming, or his stealing; if they did, they were not asleep. If some one were awake, and per­ceived it, why did he not give an Alarum to the rest? if they understood it after­wards from others, why do they not produce authentick witnesses? If the Disciples themselves confessed it, why were they not punished, [Page 47]and order taken to stop the rumour of the Resurrection? There is no way now left, but to pretend the Spirit, as our Enthusiasts do, and to say, that while they slept they had it in a dream by re­velation. But that is refu­ted by retortion of the same, for by revelation eve­ry Christian knowes the con­trary; God reveals it unto him.

But why do the Souldiers produce this reason? the reason is, they took it upon trust from the Priests. It is an old errour (let us not contend for the age) to be­lieve that the Priest cannot erre. But why are the Soul­diers [Page 48]got thus to argue a­gainst themselves? the rea­son is, no body else durst do it. In those times the souldiers bare all the sway, assumed all power to make Kings and Emperours. But since the Priest hath done the like, putting the Souldier by. And now the Peasant thinks tis come to his turn, under pre­tence of his priviledge in Parliament: he would dis­pose of Kings and Common­wealths, and rather then re­turn it to the Priest from whom he hath taken it, would cast the course back again upon the Souldiers. Nothing now contents the Commonalty but Warre and Contention; he hath taken a [Page 49]surfeit of peace, the very name of it growes odious: Now to give the Souldier his Pasport, we summe up four exceptions against his say­ing; First, it is not verisimile, the unlikelihood of it hath appeared in every Contradi­ctory. Secondly, They were ignari rerum, had no infor­mation of what they affirm; neither eye, nor ear-witness of what they say, for they confess themselves asleep. Thirdly, Their saying is contrary to what they had said before; in the morning they told another tale, at the eleventh verse of this Chapter; if that were true, this is false; if that were not true, why should we be­lieve [Page 50]this? or who will trust men in contrary tales? Lastly, the parties were corrupted, hired with a large summe to utter their say­ing, at the twelfth verse. These two latter lie without the Text, and therefore I wholly forbear them, espe­cially for the point of cor­ruption: 'Tis a crafty crime, and commonly hard to prove. We also forbear the lie to the Souldier, because he abhorres it. But to the Priests who put this lie in their mouths, and to their Disciple-Priests who at this day practise lying, and allow it to be lawful, we would mend the old saying, A Liar should have a good [Page 51]memory, and rather require in him a good Wit. His memory serves but to a­void contradictions of him­self, but his Wit to pre­vent the contradictions of others, that an untruth seem not also unlikely. If therefore the Priests would have lied wisely, and with credit, like Satan himself, the Serpent whom they served, they should, as they did for­merly, have laid our Saviour to Satan's charge, and have said, that the foul Fiend came by night & fetcht him away; leaving out, whil'st the watch slept, and instead there­of have argued from the de­scent of the Angel, and the earthquake: this could not so [Page 52]easily have been discovered; but it might even as easily, where Faith had a Fortifica­tion; Humane reasons urged against it are but as Paper­shot. Carnal wisdom work­ing against God is but dirt and rottenness. Our coun­sels are confounded, when carried against Christ. And so I come to my third and last Cursory, upon the word of our Saviour.

Hitherto we have cleared the Disciples, but we must also give the Souldier con­tent. There is no such difference, but the matter may be reconciled, and the question stated on the Souldiers side. Said I not, [Page 53]it was the fashion? The Souldiers then are in the right, their saying very sound and Christian; A Disciple of his did come by night, and stole him away, and the Souldiers were a­sleep. A Disciple of his, and his most beloved Dis­ciple, his humane soul came by night, was united to his body, raised it, and with­drew it from the Sepulcher by stealth, while the Soul­diers were so between sleeping and waking that they perceived it not. Of this Cursory very briefly, as the words lie in order, declining all emergent Controversies, for that our [Page 54]present quarrel lay onely with the Souldier.

We term him a Disciple, who receives knowledge and chastisement from a­nother. As our Saviour was God, his soul was: [...], the truest and most proper Disciple that ever was: it had received both knowledge and cha­stisement, as never man had, knowledge of all man­ner, both Divine and Hu­mane, infused and acqui­red: but whether it had no Ignorance, we leave it to the Catholicks. And all manner of chastise­ment, both exemplary, and satisfactory, for all [Page 55] Mankind; the chastise­ment of our peace was upon it: but whether it satisfied for Reprobates, we leave it to the Armi­nians. His soul came, it could move, for it was separate; the soul was from the body, though neither from the God­head: as all the rest of the Disciples, it forsook him on the Crosse, and now it came again: but it came not as it went, it went by violence and for­raign force, the Jewes expel­led it from him, although he also willing it should go; but it came purely volunta­ry, by a domestick agent: but whether by vertue of the [Page 56] Godhead, or its own mo­tive faculty, we leave to the School-men. It came then, not as poor Lazarus soul came to Abraham's bosom, carried by Angels, but sin­gle upon its own force, and without any help of others: But whether attended and waited upon by a troop of Angels, we leave it to the Fathers. For the time, it came by Night, not for fear of the Jews, as Nico­demus came to him, but for love of his promise, that he might rise the third day. He came the second Night, the Night second to his Passion, but third to the day of his Re­surrection, some time be­tween [Page 57]Mid-night and Morn­ing; but at what time, we leave it to the Chronolo­gers. The Undè of its coming was from some­where else, from a distant Ubi, for it was not come before it came: but from whence definitively, whe­ther from Heaven or Hell, we leave it to the Calvinists. The Quò or Term of its coming was the Grave, he subsisted there; but the end of the Comer, was the Re-union to the body, to make his real presence there: but whether thereby he be­came omnipresent, to be eve­ry where while he was in the grave, we leave to the Luther­ans. His final intent, not to or­ganize [Page 58]the body, it was not dismembred, nor any way corrupted, not so much as in fieri, no not dispositively, but to animate those mem­bers, and to raise the body from the grave, in which action both the body and the soul had their mutual ef­ficiency, each co-elevating other to make up the Re­surrection: but whether these two Agents imply several o­perations really distinct, we leave it to the Nomina­lists.

The manner of his resur­rection so miraculous and in­effable, that bad words ex­press it best. In a moral rela­tion to the Jewes, it is here [Page 59]termed stealing: not to shew what our Saviour did in his rising, but to intimate what the Jews had committed by their crucifying. Things of a super-eminent nature are fain to borrow words of an inferiour signification, when they are related to a low ca­pacity; so God gives him­self attributes, not as he is, but according to the weak­nesse whereby man appre­hends him. And here the action of our Saviour is set down, not as it is done, but according to the wickedness that the Jews had done. The active signification of stealing belongs to our Sa­viour, but the moral evil of it reflected upon others. [Page 60]The Law saith, he steals who fraudulently takes a­way something of anothers, with intent to get the thing it self, its use or possession; if this definition be true, his resurrection was stealing. His body was now cadaver puni­ti, the carcase of one that had publickly suffered, and thereby forfeit to the State; no man might meddle with it further then to bury it, nor that without special per­mission; it was now none of his, his right and possession of it both gone; tradiderat, he had made delivery of it, dispensed and passed it away to Pilat: Pilat disposed his right to bury it, to the Watch to detain it, and now [Page 61]it was theirs. When there­fore he took it from the Grave, he stole it: his repos­session of it defrauded all the Prae-detainers. Said they not also he was a Deceiver? But whether the Angel that rolled away the stone, were necessary or ministerial, we leave it to the Hermonists. By natural relation his body was his own, as being the essential and proper coun­ter-part of his soul, prae co­existent with it in one per­son; but morally it was not so, or if it were, yet he might steal it for all that. A man may steal that which is his own, by interverting that right in it which hath been transferred to another: and [Page 62]what kind of Theft this was, we leave it to the Lawyers. God forbid we should lay other Theft to our Saviour, then that he attributes to himself, in saying, He came like a Thief in the night, (i. e.) secretly and una­wares: so was his convey­ance from the Grave, close, without the consent and no­tice of those that were pre­sent; such a carriage we commonly call stealth. We steal away from a room, when we depart without the knowledge of the Company: But whether he could con­vey himself so closely, as to passe thorough the Tombe­stone, we leave it to the Phi­losophers.

Yet so close it was, that the Watch perceived it not, for they were asleep; they were set to watch it, but they did not. Not to watch is all one with not to be a­wake, and that with to be be asleep. We commonly call him sleepy that is neg­ligent or careless of what passeth, as the contrary we terme vigilant: so the Watch was fast asleep, they never gave heed to the Resurrecti­on; that so farre from their belief, that they had no o­pinion of it. But if death be a kind of sleep, he is soundly asleep that lies for dead, and so did the Watch, in the 4th verse of this Chapter, [...], for fear [Page 64]of the Angel they fell a sha­king, and became as dead men. His presence gave them a strong Dormative, it wrought beyond sleep. Sleep reacheth but only to a Ligation of sense; but in them all motion ceased, they were examinate: but whether that fit held them onely by way of Syncope, or did determine in a Catapho­ra, or soporiferous passion, we leave it to the Physitians. Fearful and Cowardish Soul­diers, more womanish than wo­men! At the presence of the Angel the Women stand upright, but the Souldiers fall in a swoun. Help them good Women, unbutton the Souldiers, ye need not fear [Page 65]their Halberts. There's work for you and your Spices, your odours to comfort and recall their Spirits. Bestow that Charity on the dying Souldiers which you inten­ded on your dear Saviour; for he is risen, and needs them not, but they may be­nefit the Souldiers. The Souldiers used to such fits, they had one of them the o­ther night in Gethsemane; but whether these dejections were sins in the Souldiers, we leave to the Casuists. Thus they were [...], laid as men asleep; for it signifies rather the reclinati­on or posture of one asleep, then the affection of sleep it self. He that lies still [Page 66]without sense or motion, whether he be in a sleep, or trance, or dead, we say [...], and we call the Church-yard [...], be­cause the dead lie there as if they were asleep, they stir not. And so we must all be layd: There's no Dormitory. Our case somewhat like the Souldiers: We are appointed here to watch our Saviour; and as we do it, we are sub­ject to the Souldiers infirmi­ty, apt to be cast asleep, and become as dead men. Yet let us not be subject to their fear, our death is but like their swouning, that's the worst. We are liable to rise again, and our Resurrection shall be like our Saviours: [Page 67]His and ours make a mutual Aspect; His the Specimen, and ours the Complement. What he practised on him­self he perfects in us: He will come again by night, and steal us to glory, while we lie sleeping in the Grave. Even so come Lord Jesus.