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For they were not allowed to go forth. But if they also transgressed the law, how would such cowards have dared to go forth? And how could they persuade the crowd? Saying what? Doing what? With what zeal did they have to stand up for the dead man? Expecting what recompense? What reward? Seeing him still alive and only seized, they fled; and were they going to speak boldly for him after his death, if he had not risen? And how could these things make sense? For that they would neither have wished, nor would they have been able, to invent a resurrection that had not happened, is clear from that. He discussed many things about resurrection with them, and continually said, as these men themselves have stated, that "After three days I will be raised." If, therefore, he did not rise, it is very clear that these men, having been deceived, and having been made hostile to an entire nation because of him, and having become homeless and stateless, would have turned away from him, and would not have wished to bestow such glory on him, since they had been deceived and had fallen into the utmost dangers because of him. But that they would not even have been able, if the resurrection were not true, to invent it, this does not even need argument. For in what did they trust? In the cleverness of their words? But they were more unlearned than all. But in the abundance of their money? But they did not even have a staff, nor sandals. But in the distinction of their family? But they were of humble station, and from humble people. But in the greatness of their homeland? But they were from insignificant villages. But in their own number? But they were no more than eleven, and they themselves were scattered. But in the promises of the teacher? What promises? For if he did not rise, not even those would have been credible to them. And how would they have borne a raging populace? For if their chief did not bear the word of a female doorkeeper, and all the rest were scattered when they saw him bound, how would they have thought to run to the ends of the world and plant a fabricated account of a resurrection? For if one did not stand against the threat of a woman, and the others not even at the sight of bonds, how could they stand against kings and rulers and peoples, where there were 58.783 swords and frying pans and furnaces and countless deaths every day, unless they had enjoyed the power and influence of the risen one? Such and so many signs occurred, and the Jews felt no reverence for any of these things, but they crucified the one who had performed them; and were they going to be persuaded about a resurrection by these men simply speaking? This is not so, it is not; but the strength of the risen one accomplished these things. β'. But consider for me their ridiculous villainy. "We remember," he says, "that that deceiver said while still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.'" And if he was a deceiver, and was boasting falsely, why are you afraid and running about, and using so much diligence? "We are afraid," he says, "lest his disciples steal him, and deceive the many." And yet this was shown to make no sense at all. But nevertheless, malice is contentious and shameless, and attempts irrational things. And they command it to be secured for up to three days, as if fighting for dogmas, and wanting to show that even before this he was a deceiver, and they extend their malice even to the tomb. For this very reason he rose sooner, so that they might not say that he lied, and was stolen. For to rise sooner held no charge against him; but to rise later was full of suspicion. For if he had not risen then, while they were sitting right there and guarding, but after they departed after the three days, they would have had something to say and to contradict, even if senselessly. For this reason, therefore, he acted beforehand. For it was necessary that the resurrection happen while they were sitting by and guarding. Therefore it also had to happen within the three days; for if it had happened after they had passed and they had departed, the matter would have been suspicious. For this reason he also allowed them to seal it, as they wished, and soldiers sat by. And it did not concern them that they were doing and working at these things on the Sabbath, but they looked to one thing only, their own wickedness, thinking that by this they would prevail; which was a matter of extreme foolishness, and of fear that was now greatly shaking them. For those who had seized him alive, feared him dead. And yet if he were a mere man, they should have been confident. But that they might learn that

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γὰρ ἐξῆν προελθεῖν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν νόμον παρέβαινον, πῶς ἂν ἐτόλμησαν οἱ οὕτω δειλοὶ προελθεῖν; Πῶς δὲ καὶ πεῖσαι τὸν ὄχλον ἠδύναντο; τί λέγοντες; τί ποιοῦντες; ποίᾳ δὲ προθυμίᾳ στῆναι εἶχον ὑπὲρ τοῦ νεκροῦ; τίνα δὲ προσδοκῶντες ἀντίδοσιν; ποίαν ἀμοιβήν; Ἔτι ζῶντα καὶ μόνον κατασχεθέντα ἰδόντες ἔφυγον· καὶ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι ἔμελλον, εἰ μὴ ἀνέστη; Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοιεν ταῦτα λόγον; Ὅτι γὰρ οὔτ' ἂν ἠβουλήθησαν, οὔτ' ἂν ἠδυνήθησαν πλάσαι ἀνάστασιν μὴ γενομένην, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν. Πολλὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῖς διελέχθη, καὶ συνεχῶς ἔλεγεν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι εἰρήκασιν, ὅτι Μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐγείρομαι. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐκ ἀνέστη, εὔδηλον ὡς ἀπατηθέντες οὗτοι, καὶ πρὸς ὁλόκληρον ἔθνος δι' αὐτὸν ἐκπολεμωθέντες, καὶ ἄοικοι καὶ ἀπόλιδες γενόμενοι, ἀπεστράφησαν ἂν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἠβουλήθησαν τοιαύτην αὐτῷ περιθεῖναι δόξαν, ἅτε ἠπατημένοι, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους δι' αὐτὸν ἐμπεσόντες κινδύνους. Ὅτι δὲ οὐδ' ἂν ἠδυνήθησαν, εἰ μὴ ἦν ἀληθὴς ἡ ἀνάστασις, πλάσαι αὐτὴν, τοῦτο οὐδὲ λόγου δεῖται. Τίνι γὰρ ἐθάῤῥουν; τῇ δεινότητι τῶν λόγων; Ἀλλὰ πάντων ἦσαν ἀμαθέστεροι. Ἀλλὰ τῇ περιουσίᾳ τῶν χρημάτων; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ῥάβδον, οὐδὲ ὑποδήματα εἶχον. Ἀλλὰ τῇ περιφανείᾳ τοῦ γένους; Ἀλλ' εὐτελεῖς ἦσαν, καὶ ἐξ εὐτελῶν. Ἀλλὰ τῷ μεγέθει τῆς πατρίδος; Ἀλλ' ἀπὸ χωρίων ἦσαν ἀσήμων. Ἀλλὰ τῷ πλήθει τῷ ἑαυτῶν; Ἀλλὰ τῶν ἕνδεκα οὐκ ἦσαν πλείους, καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ διεσπάρησαν. Ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις τοῦ διδασκάλου; Ποίαις; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀνέστη, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖναι ἤμελλον εἶναι αὐτοῖς πισταί. Πῶς δ' ἂν ἤνεγκαν δῆμον μαινόμενον; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ κορυφαῖος αὐτῶν θυρωροῦ ῥῆμα οὐκ ἤνεγκε γυναικὸς, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ πάντες δεδεμένον ἰδόντες διεσπάρησαν· πῶς ἂν ἐνενόησαν εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης δραμεῖν, καὶ φυτεῦσαι πεπλασμένον ἀναστάσεως λόγον; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ μὲν πρὸς γυναικὸς ἀπειλὴν οὐκ ἔστη, οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ πρὸς δεσμῶν ὄψιν. πῶς ἠδύναντο πρὸς βασιλέας καὶ ἄρχοντας καὶ δήμους ἵστασθαι, ὅπου 58.783 ξίφη καὶ τήγανα καὶ κάμινοι καὶ μυρίοι καθ' ἡμέραν θάνατοι, εἰ μὴ τῆς τοῦ ἀναστάντος δυνάμεως καὶ ῥοπῆς ἀπέλαυσαν; Τοιαῦτα σημεῖα γέγονε καὶ τοσαῦτα, καὶ οὐδὲν τούτων ᾐδέσθησαν Ἰουδαῖοι, ἀλλ' ἐσταύρωσαν τὸν πεποιηκότα· καὶ τούτοις ἔμελλον ἁπλῶς λέγουσι πείθεσθαι περὶ ἀναστάσεως; Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν· ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἰσχὺς ταῦτα εἰργάσατο. βʹ. Σκόπει δέ μοι τὴν κακουργίαν αὐτῶν τὴν καταγέλαστον. Ἐμνήσθημεν, φησὶν, ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ πλάνος ἐκεῖνος ἔτι ζῶν, Μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐγείρομαι. Καὶ εἰ πλάνος ἦν, καὶ ψευδῆ ἐκόμπαζε, τί δεδοίκατε καὶ περιτρέχετε, καὶ τοσαύτῃ κέχρησθε σπουδῇ; ∆εδοίκαμεν, φησὶ, μήποτε κλέψωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἀπατήσωσι τοὺς πολλούς. Καίτοιγε ἀπεδείχθη τοῦτο οὐκ ἔχον λόγον καθόλου. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ κακία φιλόνεικον καὶ ἀναιδὲς, καὶ τοῖς ἀλογίστοις ἐπιχειρεῖ. Καὶ μέχρι τριῶν ἡμερῶν κελεύουσιν ἀσφαλισθῆναι, ὡς ὑπὲρ δογμάτων μαχόμενοι, καὶ βουλόμενοι δεῖξαι καὶ πρὸ τούτου πλάνον ὄντα, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ τάφου τὴν κακίαν ἐκτείνουσι. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο τάχιον ἀνέστη, ἵνα μὴ λέγωσιν, ὅτι ἐψεύσατο, καὶ ἐκλάπη. Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἔγκλημα οὐκ εἶχε, τὸ θᾶττον ἀναστῆναι· τὸ δὲ βράδιον, ὑποψίας ἔγεμε. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὴ τότε ἀνέστη, καθημένων αὐτῶν αὐτόθι καὶ φυλαττόντων, ἀλλ' ἀναχωρησάντων μετὰ τὴν τριήμερον, εἶχόν τι λέγειν καὶ ἀντιλέγειν, εἰ καὶ ἀνοήτως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν προέφθασεν. Ἔδει γὰρ παρακαθημένων αὐτῶν καὶ φυλαττόντων, γενέσθαι τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ εἴσω τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἔδει γενέσθαι· ὡς εἴγε παρελθουσῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀναχωρησάντων ἐγένετο, ὕποπτον τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔμελλεν εἶναι. ∆ιὸ καὶ σφραγίσαι συνεχώρησεν, ὡς ἠβούλοντο, καὶ στρατιῶται παρεκάθηντο. Καὶ οὐκ ἔμελεν αὐτοῖς ἐν σαββάτῳ ταῦτα ποιοῦσι, καὶ ἐργαζομένοις, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἓν μόνον ἑώρων, τὴν ἑαυτῶν πονηρίαν, ὡς ταύτῃ περιεσόμενοι· ὅπερ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας ἦν, καὶ φόβου σφόδρα αὐτοὺς κατασείοντος λοιπόν. Οἱ γὰρ ζῶντα αὐτὸν κατασχόντες, ἀποθανόντα δεδοίκασι. Καίτοιγε εἰ ψιλός τις ἄνθρωπος ἦν, ἔδει θαῤῥεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθωσιν, ὅτι