alarmed with the suggestions of danger to the Roman state. This was
the first fear that moved him; must not therefore the second now
suggested to him be of the same kind?

The next circumstance to be considered, is that of the seal upon
the stone of the sepulchre. The council for Woolston supposes an
agreement between the Jews and disciples about setting this seal. But
for this agreement there is no evidence; nay, to suppose it,
contradicts the whole series of the history, as the Gentleman on the
other side observed. I will not enter into the particulars of this
debate; for it is needless. The plain natural account given of this
matter, shuts out all other suppositions. Mr. B. observed to you, that
the Jews having a guard, set the seal to prevent any combination among
the guards to deceive them: which seems a plain and satisfactory
account. The council for W. replies, Let the use of the seals be what
they will, it is plain they were broken; and if they were used as a
check upon the Roman soldiers, then probably they consented to the
fraud: and then it is easily understood how the body was removed.

I must observe to you here, that this suspicion agrees neither
with the account given by the evangelist, nor with the story set about
by the Jews; so that it is utterly unsupported by any evidence.

Nor has it any probability in it. For what could move Pilate,
and the Roman soldiers, to propagate such a cheat? He had crucified
Christ, for no other reason, but for fear the people would revolt from
the Romans; perhaps too he consented to place a guard upon the
sepulchre, to put an end to the people's hope in Jesus: and is it
likely at last that he was consenting to a cheat, to make the people
believe him risen from the dead; the thing, of all others, which he was