--that the veil of the temple
was rent in twain from the top to the bottom--that there was an
earthquake--that the rocks rent--that the graves opened, that the bodies
of many of the saints that slept arose and came out of their graves
after the resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto
many.' Such is the account which this dashing writer of the book of
Matthew gives, but in which he is not supported by the writers of the
other books.

The writer of the book ascribed to Mark, in detailing the circumstances
of the crucifixion, makes no mention of any earthquake, nor of the rocks
rending, nor of the graves opening, nor of the dead men walking out. The
writer of the book of Luke is silent also upon the same points. And
as to the writer of the book of John, though he details all the
circumstances of the crucifixion down to the burial of Christ, he
says nothing about either the darkness--the veil of the temple--the
earthquake--the rocks--the graves--nor the dead men.

Now if it had been true that these things had happened, and if the
writers of these books had lived at the time they did happen, and
had been the persons they are said to be--namely, the four men called
apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,--it was not possible for them,
as true historians, even without the aid of inspiration, not to have
recorded them. The things, supposing them to have been facts, were of
too much notoriety not to have been known, and of too much importance
not to have been told. All these supposed apostles must have been
witnesses of the earthquake, if there had been any, for it was not
possible for them to have been absent from it: the opening of the graves
and resurrection of the dead men, and their walking about the city, is
of still greater importance than the earthquake. An earthquake is always
possible, and natural, and proves nothing; but this opening of the
graves is supernatural, and directly in point to their doctrine, their
cause, and their apostleship. Had it been true, it would have filled
up whole chapters of those books, and been the chosen theme and general
chorus of all the writers; but instead of this, little and trivial
things, and mere prattling conversation of 'he said this and she said
that' are often tediously detailed, while this most important of all,
had it been true, is passed off in a slovenly manner by a single dash
of the pen, and that by one writer only, and not so much as hinted at by
the