sciple were near Him, they were not at a distance, as the others say
they were.

They contradict each other upon the pretended apparitions which they
relate that Jesus made after His pretended resurrection; for Matthew
speaks of but two apparitions: the one when He appeared to Mary
Magdalene and to another woman, also named Mary, and when He appeared to
His eleven disciples who had returned to Galilee upon the mountain where
He had appointed to meet them. Mark speaks of three apparitions: The
first, when He appeared to Mary Magdalene; the second, when He appeared
to His two disciples, who went to Emmaus; and the third, when He
appeared to His eleven disciples, whom He reproaches for their
incredulity. Luke speaks of but two apparitions the same as Matthew; and
John the Evangelist speaks of four apparitions, and adds to Mark's
three, the one which He made to seven or eight of His disciples who were
fishing upon the shores of the Tiberian Sea.

They contradict each other, also, in regard to the place of these
apparitions; for Matthew says that it was in Galilee, upon a mountain;
Mark says that it was when they were at table; Luke says that He brought
them out of Jerusalem as far as Bethany, where He left them by rising to
Heaven; and John says that it was in the city of Jerusalem, in a house
of which they had closed the doors, and another time upon the borders of
the Tiberian Sea.

Thus is much contradiction in the report of these pretended apparitions.
They contradict each other in regard to His pretended ascension to
heaven; for Luke and Mark say positively that He went to heaven in
presence of the eleven apostles, but neither Matthew nor John mentions
at all this pretended ascension. More than this, Matthew testifies
sufficiently that He did not ascend to heaven; for he said positively
that Jesus Christ assured His apostles that He would be and remain
always with them until the end of the world. "Go ye," He said to them,
in this pretended apparition, "and teach all nations, and be assured
that I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Luke
contradicts himself upon the subject; for in his Gospel he says that it
was in Bethany where He ascended to heaven in the presence of His
apostles, and in his Acts of the Apostles (supposing him to have been
the author) he says that it was upon the Mount of Olives. He contradicts
himself again about this ascension; for he notes in his Gospel that it
was the very day o