The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

4. They sealed it with their Blood. This last proof confirms all the other. If a person of clear fame assert a thing, which he is ready to maintain with the loss of his Life, there is no reason to doubt of the truth of his Deposition. 'Tis no wonder that Philostratus, a bold Grecian, to show his Art, painted Apollonius Tyanaeus as a Demi-god, exempted from death, and clothed with immortality. But if he had been drawn from his Study, where he dressed that Idol of Iniquity, to appear before the Magistrates, to give an account of the truth of his Relation, he certainly would have renounced his pretended Hero, rather than have given his Life for a Lie. Now the Apostles endured the most cruel Deaths to confirm the Truth of their Testimony. And what could possibly induce them to it, if they had not been certain of his Resurrection? Could love to their dead Master animate them to suffer for the honour of his Name? This is inconceivable▪ For He promised that He would rise the third Day, and ascend to Heaven, and make them partakers of his Glory: So that if He had lain in the rottenness of the Grave, What charm, what stupidity was able to make them preserve so high a Veneration for a Deceiver? Nothing could remain in them but the memory and indignation of his Imposture. Now if it be the dictate of natural Reason, that the concurrent Testimony of two or three credible Persons, not weakened by any exception, is sufficient to decide any Cause of the greatest moment, that respects Life, Honour and Estate, how much more should the attestation of ⟨p. 476⟩the Apostles put this great Truth beyond all doubt, since they parted with their Lives, the most precious possession in this World, for it; and which is infinitely more, if Deceivers, they would certainly be deprived of Eternal Life in the next. In short, Since the Creation never was a Testimony so clear and authentic, the Divine Providence so ordering the circumstances, that the Evidence should be above all Suspicion. Neither did it ever happen, that any thing affirmed by so many and such worthy Persons, was ever suspected, much less found, to be false. 'Tis the most unreasonable stiffness not to yield an entire Assent to it.

4. They seal'd it with their Blood. This last proof confirms all the other. If a person of clear fame assert a thing, which he is ready to maintain with the loss of his Life, there is no reason to doubt of the truth of his Deposition. 'Tis no wonder that Philostratus, a bold Grecian, to shew his Art, painted Apollonius Tyanaeus as a Demi-god, exempted from death, and cloathed with immortality. But if he had been drawn from his Study, where he drest that Idol of Iniquity, to appear before the Magistrates, to give an account of the truth of his Relation, he certainly would have renounc'd his pretended Hero, rather than have given his Life for a Lie. Now the Apostles endur'd the most cruel Deaths to confirm the Truth of their Testimony. And what could possibly induce them to it, if they had not been certain of his Resurrection? Could love to their dead Master animate them to suffer for the honour of his Name? This is inconceiveable For He promis'd that He would rise the third Day, and ascend to Heaven, and make them partakers of his Glory: So that if He had lain in the rotenness of the Grave, What charm, what stupidity was able to make them preserve so high a Venration for a Deceiver? Nothing could remain in them but the memory and indignation of his Imposture. Now if it be the dictate of natural Reason, that the concurrent Testimony of two or three credible Persons, not weaken'd by any exception, is sufficient to decide any Cause of the greatest moment, that respects Life, Honour and Estate, how much more should the attestation of