VIII AGNOSTICISM: A REJOINDER 281 



entrance of which was closed, not by a well-fitting 

 door, but by a stone rolled against the opening, 

 which would of course allow free passage of air. 

 A little more than thirty-six hours afterwards 

 (Friday 6 P.M., to Sunday 6 A.M., or a little after) 

 three women visit the tomb and find it empty. 

 And they are told by a young man " arrayed in a 

 white robe" that Jesus is gone to his native 

 country of Galilee, and that the disciples and Peter 

 will find him there. 



Thus it stands, plainly recorded, in the oldest 

 tradition that, for any evidence to the contrary, 

 the sepulchre may have been emptied at any time 

 during the Friday or Saturday nights. If it is 

 said that no Jew would have violated the Sabbath 

 by taking the former course, it is to be recollected 

 that Joseph of Arimathsea might well be familiar 

 with that wise and liberal interpretation of the 

 fourth commandment, which permitted works of 

 mercy to men nay, even the drawing of an ox or 

 an ass out of a pit on the Sabbath. At any 

 rate, the Saturday night was free to the most 

 scrupulous of observers of the Law. 



These are the facts of the case as stated ty the 

 oldest extant narrative of them. I do not see why 

 any one should have a word to say against the 

 inherent probability of that narrative ; and, for my 

 part, I am quite ready to accept it as an historical 

 fact, that so much and no more is positively known 

 of the end of Jesus of Nazareth. On what 



