"It is a sad Misfortune, that attends our modern enquiry after Truth, that there are no other Memorials extant of the Life and Miracles of _Jesus_, than what are written by his own Disciples. Not only old Time has devour'd, but Christians themselves, (which in the Opinion of the impartial makes for us) when they got Power into their Hands, wilfully destroy'd many Writings of our Ancestors, as well as of _Celsus_ and _Porphiry_ and others, which they could not answer; otherwise I doubt not but they would have given us clear Light into a the Imposture of _Lazarus_'s Resurrection: But if _Jesus_, according to his own _Evangelists_, was arraign'd for a _Deceiver_ and _Blasphemer_, in pretending to the Sonship and Power of God by his Miracles; in all Probability this Piece of Fraud in _Lazarus_ was one Article of the Indictment against him; and what makes it very likely, is that the _Chief Priests_ and _Pharisees_, from the Date of this pretended Miracle, _took Council together to put him to Death_, not clandestinely or tumultuously to murder him, but judicially to punish him with Death, which, if they proved their Indictment by credible and sufficient Witnesses, he was most worthy of. "As it is plain from the Story in _John_, that there was a Dispute among the By-standers at _Lazarus_'s Resurrection, whether it was a real Miracle or not; so it is the Opinion of us _Jews_, which is of the Nature of a Tradition, that the _Chief-Priests_ and civil Magistrates of _Bethany_, for the better Determination of the Dispute and quieting of the Minds of the People, requir'd that _Jesus_ should re-act the Miracle upon another Person, there lately dead and buried. But _Jesus_ declining this Test of his Power, the whole Multitude of Believers as well as of Unbelievers before, question'd the Resurrection of _Lazarus_; and were highly incens'd against both him and _Jesus_ for the Deceit in it. And this was _one_ Reason among others of that vehement and Universal Outcry and Demand, at _Jesus_'s Tryal, for his Crucifixion. I'll not answer for the Certainty of this Tradition or Opinion, but as the Expedient was obvious, so it has the Face of Truth and Credibility; and for the Proof of it, I need only appeal to Christian _Priests_ and _Magistrates_; whether, under a Dispute of a Miracle of that Consequence, they would not require, for full Satisfaction, it should be acted over again; and, if the _Juggler_ refused, whether there would not be a general Clamour of People of all Ranks for his _Execution_.