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It follows, that we now consider their message to the apostles. John, as before, ver. 18, says: "Mary Magdalene came, and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things unto her." Matt. xxviii. 9, 10, before transcribed. And Mark xvi, 10, 11, " And she went, and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not." St. Luke, xxiv. 9-11, is more particular. "And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with him, who told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not."

Thus is the message, or testimony of the women, related by several evangelists; but the disciples did not believe them.

Nor do I discern in the gospels any more journies of the women, or of the apostles, to the sepulchre, and back again, than these already mentioned. The first journey of the women to the sepulchre, was early in the morning: when they saw that the stone was rolled away from the sepulchre, and missed the body of Jesus. Mary Magdalene, then, with some other of the women, came down to the apostles, and informed them of what they had seen with great surprise. Whereupon Peter and John went to the sepulchre, and then returned to their own home. Mary Magdalene, and the others, who had come down to the apostles, followed Peter and John to the sepulchre. And when those two apostles returned back to Jerusalem, Mary and her companions stayed yet a while near the sepulchre. And whilst they were there attending, Jesus came, and showed himself to them. Whereupon Mary and all the women came down to Jerusalem, and went to the apostles, assuring them that they had seen Jesus: and went no more to the sepulchre. which indeed there could be no reason, when they were persuaded that Jesus had left it, and was alive again. As Lightfoot says, in the place before referred to, p. 270, Here Matthew speaks short. For he mentioneth but one journey ' of the women to the grave, and back, and saith, that as they came back, Jesus met them. Whereas Mary Magdalene had two journeys. As she returned, now the watchmen are come into the city, and bribed to deny that he was risen. And so the chief priests and elders gave money to hire the nation into unbelief.'

For

The next appearance of our Lord is to the two disciples

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going to Emmaus. Of this I understand St. Mark to speak briefly, ch. xvi. 12, 13, “ After that, he appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue. Neither believed they them. After that," meaning after the appearance of Jesus to the women before related, ver. 9, 10, and after that they had delivered their message and testimony to the eleven.

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Of those two disciples St. Luke speaks more particularly and at large, ch. xxiv. 13-35, " And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all those things which had happened. And it came to pass, that whilst they communed together, and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. And he said unto them: What manner of communications are these, that ye have one to another as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him: Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them: What things? And they said unto him: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God, and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he who should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, who were early at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body, they came saying, that they had seen a vision of angels, which said he was risen. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even as they said. But him they saw not. Then he said unto them: O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went. And he made as if he would have gone farther. And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in, to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, [or as he was sitting down to table with them,] he took bread, and

blessed it, and brake unto them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight; [that is, he retired, and went away.] And they said one to another: Did not our hearts burn within us, whilst he talked with us in the way? and whilst he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon. And they told them what things were done in the way, and how he was known unto them in breaking of bread."

Here ariseth a question, whether these two disciples did set out for Emmaus before the disciples knew of Mary Magdalene's having herself seen Jesus. You say, p. 648, 'It seems that these two had left the city before any of the women came with the news of Christ's personal appear'ance.' And presently afterwards you say, p. 648, 649, The smallest attention will show, that Cleophas and his companion do not here speak of Mary Magdalene's second 'information.' Le Clerc likewise says, That" these two 'disciples set out for Emmaus before Jesus had shown himself to Mary Magdalene.' I believe this may be the opinion of many. I also may have said the same myself. But my honoured friend above mentioned thinks otherwise, as we have seen. 6 They did,' as he says, make their re'port to the apostles, before the two went from the rest of the company to Emmaus. No notice is mentioned by the two in discourse with Christ of the women's having related their interview with Jesus, because it should seem, none of the company believed a word of what the women 'said,' Mark xvi. 11; Luke xxiv. 11. And none of the 'evangelists pretend to give an exact detail of all circum'stances.'

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Let us now go over the particulars of ver. 21—24, “ And beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, who were early at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body, they came, saying, That they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive." It follows in the same discourse of the two disciples, ver. 24," And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even as the women had said. But him they saw not." Referring to what St. John writes of

"Cum vero duo ex discipulis Jesu, mane ejusdem diei, antequam se Mariæ Magdalenæ stitisset Jesus, profecti essent Jerosolymâ Emmaüntem. Cleric. Harm. p. 487.

Peter and John visiting the sepulchre, chap. xx. 3-10: and to what St. Luke writes of Peter, chap. xxiv. 12.

It might be expected that now, after this, these two disciples should also distinctly mention the second report of Mary Magdalene, related by St. John, xx. 11—18, provided that report had been made to the apostles before the two set out for Emmaus. This omission is accounted for by my friend in the manner above mentioned: they take no notice of this, because they paid little regard to it. And does not this appear also in what the eleven say to these two when they came to them, and told them what they had seen? Luke xxiv. 34, "They said to them: The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon." They say nothing of Mary Magdalene, though she certainly had been with them before that time, and made her second report to them, " that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things unto her," John xx. 18.

Let me now cite some observations of your own, p. 652, 'As soon as Jesus departed, the two disciples made all the haste they could to Jerusalem, that they might have the pleasure of acquainting them with the agreeable news. But they were in some measure prevented: for immediately on their arrival, the eleven, with the women, accosted 'them, giving them the news of their Master's resurrection. "And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them 'that were with them, saying: The Lord is risen indeed, ' and hath appeared unto Simon." The apostles had given little credit to the reports of the women, supposing they 'were occasioned more by imagination than reality; but when a person of Simon's capacity and gravity declared that he had seen the Lord, they began to think that he was risen indeed. Their belief therefore was not a little 'confirmed by the arrival of these two disciples, who de'clared that the Lord had appeared to them also. Ver. 35, "And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known unto them in breaking of bread," that is, by his prayer before meat. Mark however represents the reception which their report met with somewhat differently; ch. xvi. 12," After that he appeared in another • form," ev eтepa μoppy, i. e. in another dress, the dress of a traveller, "unto two of them, as they walked and went into the country." Ver. 13, " And they went and told it ⚫ unto the residue; neither believed they them." But there is no inconsistency between the evangelists; for though the greatest part of the apostles believed that Jesus was

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risen, as Luke affirms; some who had not given credit either to the women or to Simon, continued obstinately to disbelieve, in spite of all that these two disciples or the rest could say.'

I shall add somewhat farther from your Preliminary Observations, p. 39, where you say, ' The male disciples being 'the witnesses, upon whose testimony the world was to believe that our Lord arose from the dead, it concerned ⚫ mankind more to be informed of his appearances to them, 'than to be made acquainted with his appearances to the 6 women. Luke knew this; and therefore, while he has ' related the appearances to the male disciples, he has omitted 'the appearances to the women altogether. It seems, the brevity which he studied did not permit that both should be told. In like manner the apostle Paul, summing up 'the evidence of our Lord's resurrection, takes no notice of "his appearances to the women, because they were not to be the witnesses of this matter to the world, 1 Cor. 'xv. 1-9.'

And here from your observations just mentioned, ariseth another consideration. For you say, that St. Luke has ' omitted Christ's appearances to the women altogether.' If that be so, we are not to expect, that these two should take any notice of Mary Magdalene's second report, though it had been made to the apostles before they set out from Jerusalem. St. Luke's words are these: ch. xxiv. 1-}], "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they [that is, the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee, ch. xxiii. 55.] came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices, which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them: Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you, when he was yet in Galilee, saying: The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words. And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, who told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and