Q. What was the State of the Controverfy about keeping of Eafter?

A. The Afiatick Churches kept their Eafter upon the fame Day the Jews obferved their Paffover, viz. the Fourteenth Day of their firft Month, chiefly anfwering our March; and this they did upon what Day of the Week foever it fell And from hence they were ftiled Quarto-decimans; keeping Eafter up, on the Fourteenth Day after the Appearance of the Moon. The other Churches, efpecially thofe of the Weft, kept Eafter upon the Lord's Day following the Jewish Paffover. Thefe latter pleaded Apoftolical Tradition, the Afiaticks the Practice of the Apostles themfelves.

Q. When was this Controverfy determined?

A. In the great Oecumenical Council of Nice, affembled by the Emperor Conftantine; wherein it was ordained, that Eafter fhould be kept upon one and the fame Day throughout the World, not according to the Custom of the Jews, but upon the Lord's Day; which Decree was ratified and published by the Imperial Letters to all the Churches.

Q. What are we Chriftians obliged to believe concerning the Refurrection of Jelus Chrift?

A. That the eternal Son of God, who was crucified and died for our Sins, did not long continue in the State of Death; but on the third Day, by his infinite Power did revive and raife himself, by re uniting the fame Soul to the fame Body which was buried, and fo rofe the fame Man.

Q. What

Q. What Proof is there of our Saviour's Refurrection from the Dead?

A. The Teftimony of fufficient and credible Witneffes, which is the only Evidence a Matter of Fact is capable of receiving. And then a Witness may be faid to be fufficient and credible, when he is throughly informed concerning the Fact of which he teftifies, and is faithful in the Relation of it.

Q. What Teftimony have we of our Saviour's Refurrection?

A. The pious Women, which thought with Mat.16.1. fweet Spices to have anointed him dead, found him alive. The Apostles, who converfed with Mat. 28.1. him frequently after his Refurrection, were fatisfied he had a real Body, by his eating and John 21. drinking with them. St. Thomas did not be- 13. lieve, till he had fearched the Holes that the 20. 27. Nails had made in his Hands, and thrust his Hands into bis Side. The reft of the Difciples testify the fame, to whom he also appeared, even to Five hundred Brethren at once. that, he was feen of James; appeared to St. Ste- 6,7. phen at his Martyrdom, and to St. Paul at his Acts 7.55. Converfion.

After 1 Cor. 15.

Q. It is plain the Witneffes were throughly informed in the Matter of Falt; bow doth it appear they were faithful in relating it?

A. They being plain illiterate Perfons, it is unlikely they fhould be fkilled in the Art of Deceiving; befides, the Doctrine they taught forbad all Falfhood upon Pain of Damnation; fo that the fealing the Truth of this Fact with their Blood is a fufficient Evidence of their Sincerity.

Q. The Teftimony of an Adversary is of N 2 great

9.5.

3.

great Force; do his Enemies any way confirm this Truth?

A. Thofe Soldiers that watched at the Sepulchre, and pretended to keep his Body from the Hands of the Apoftles; they which felt Mat. 28. the Earth trembling under them, and faw the Countenance of an Angel like Lightening, and bis Raiment white as Snow; they, who upon Ver. 12. this Sight did fake and became as dead Men, while he whom they kept, became alive; even Mat. 28. fome of thefe came into the City, and fhewed unto the chief Priests all the Things that were done.

II.

2.

Q. Is there any farther Teftimony in this Cafe than that of Men?

A. Yes; the Angels bare Evidence to the Mat. 28. Truth of it. One came and rolled back the Stone from the Door, and fat upon it, faith St. Matthew. John 20. Two, faith St. John, in White, fitting the one at the Head, and the other at the Feet, where the BoLuke 24. dy of Jefus bad lain, faid unto the Women, Why feek ye the Living among the Dead? He is not here, but is rifen.

12.

5.

Q. Why did not our Saviour appear to the whole Jewish Nation for their Conviction, as well as to his Followers?

A. Because it was only of abfolute Neceffity, that thofe who were to be the firft Publibers of the Gospel, fhould have the utmost Evidence and Satisfaction concerning the Truth and Reality of Chrift's Refurrection; for by the fame Reafon that he was obliged to have appeared to the Jewish Nation, it may be proved that the whole Roman Empire ought to have had the fame Advantage, and that he fhould have fhewn himfelf to all the feveral fucceeding

fucceeding Ages of the World. Moreover, the Jews, by their malicious Refiftance of the Evidence of our Saviour's Miracles, even of the greatest, of raising Lazarus from the Dead, had made themselves unworthy and incapable of fo extraordinary la Way of Conviction; and for their obftinate Infidelity, joined with their cruel Ufage of the Son of God, were determined for Objects of God's Wrath.

Q. Why was it necessary Christ should rise from the Dead?

A. To fhew the Debt he died for was difcharged; and that his Satisfaction was accept

Deut. 18.

21, 22.

ed. If Christ be not rifen, ye are yet in your 1 Cor. 15. Sins. And moreover, to prove himself to be 17. the Meffiah, and to evidence the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine. He had appealed to it as a Sign of his being a true Prophet, and Mat. 12. therefore by the Way of Trial, which God 38,39, &c. prefcribed the Jews, viz. the Accomplishment of Predictions, he had appeared to be a falfe Prophet had he failed in it. So that if Chrift be not rifen, your Faith is vain. God having raised our Saviour from the Dead, after he was condemned and put to Death for calling himfelf the Son of God; is a Demonftration, that he really was the Son of God; and if he was the Son of God, the Doctrine he taught was true and from God.

Q. How long did Jefus Chrift abide in the State of the Dead?

A. He rofe the third Day, before his Body faw Corruption.

Q. How can our Saviour be faid to have been three Days and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth, when there was only Part of

two Days, and one entire Day between?

A. That is, three Days according to the common Computation of Days, both antient and modern, and particularly in Scripture recJohn 11. koning. Thus Lazarus is faid to be four Days dead, though the fourth Day whereon he was raised, was one of them. Eight Days are faid to be accomplished for Christ's Circumcifion, but the Day of his Birth and Circumcision too went both into that Reckoning.

39. Luk.2.21.

I Cor. 15.

Q. How is the Refurrection of Christ an Argument of our Resurrection?

A. Because by his rifing from the Dead be became the Firft-fruits of them that flept; which Firft-fruits among the Jews were a Pledge and Earneft of a future Harveft. And this fecures our Refurrection to eternal Life, that he who hath promised to raise us up, did raise himself from the Dead. We are the Members of that Body of which Chrift is the Head; if the Head be rifen, the Members cannot be far behind.

Q. Wherein shall the Bleffednefs of the Refur rection of good Chriftians confift?

A. In the mighty Change which shall be made in their vile and mortal Bodies, and the glorious Qualities they fhall be invefted withal. And in the confequent Happiness of the whole Man, of the Soul and Body united and purified,

Q. How did the Primitive Chriftians chiefly express their Joy upon this Festival?

A. It was famous for Works of Mercy and Charity. The Emperors were wont by their Imperial Orders to releafe Prisoners, unless they were detained for very heinous Crimes.