mm
 
 Dr. W A T S O N's 
 
 APOLOGY 
 
 O R 
 
 CHRISTIANITY.
 
 AN 
 
 APOLOGY 
 
 FOR 
 
 CHRISTIANITY, 
 
 A SERIES OF LETTERS, 
 
 ADDRESSED TO 
 
 EDWARD GIBBON, Efq; 
 
 AUTHOR or THE 
 
 Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 
 
 By R. WATSON, D.D. F.R.S. 
 
 AND REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY 
 IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 It's have Jiot Jlllo'-died cunningly deuifjci fables. 
 a Pet. i. i6. 
 
 C A M r> R 1 D G E, 
 
 ^rl.^tcd by "J .Ar:kdtac'.n I^i inter to the UNIVERSITY; 
 
 Fcr T. U y. Man//, ani J. IVccdyer, in Cambridc-f; 
 
 //. IV.:!,, J. D,Jjhy, T. Cad.'!l, /. lVUk\e,J. R'Mon 
 
 & Co, H. llingrflcn, Strand, and T. Evan\,' 
 
 I'ater-nofttr Row, London. 
 
 M.UCC. LXXVI.
 
 Z773 
 
 LETTER FIRST. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 IT would give me much unea- 
 finefs to be reputed an Enemy 
 to free inquiry in religious 
 matters, or as capable of being ani- 
 mated into any degree of perfonal 
 malevolence againft thofe who dif- 
 fer from me in opinion. On the 
 contrary, I look upon the right of 
 private judgment, in every con- 
 cern refpeding God and ourfelves, 
 as fuperior to the control of human 
 A au-
 
 t ^ ] 
 
 authority , and have ever regarded 
 free difquifition, as the beft mean of 
 illuftrating the doftrine, and efta- 
 bUfhing the truth of Chriilianity. 
 Let the followers of Mahomet, and 
 the zealots of the church of Rome, 
 fupport their feveral religious fyf- 
 tems by damping every effort of 
 the human intelledt to pry into the 
 foundations of their faith-, but ne- 
 ver can it become a Chriftian, to be 
 afraid of being afked a reafon of 
 the faith that is in him ; nor a 
 Proteftant, to be ftudious of en- 
 veloping his religion in myftery 
 and ignorance ; nor the church of 
 England, to abandon that modera- 
 tion, by which fhe permits every 
 individual et /entire qua velit, et 
 qua fentiat dicere. 
 
 It
 
 [ 3 ] 
 
 It is not, Sir, without fome re- 
 luctance, that, under the influence 
 of theie opinions, I have prevailed 
 upon myfelf to addrcfs thefe letters 
 to you-, and you will attribute to 
 the fame motive, my not having 
 given you this trouble fooner. I 
 had moreover an expectation, that 
 the talk would have been under- 
 taken by Tome perfon, capable of 
 doing greater juftice to the fubjeCt, 
 and more worthy of your atten- 
 tion. Perceiving however, that 
 the two laft chapters, the fifteenth 
 in particular, of your very labori- 
 ous and claflical hiitory of the De- 
 cline and Fall of the Roman em- 
 pire, had made upon many an 
 imprefllon not at all advantageous 
 toChriftianity ; and that the fiience 
 
 A 2 of
 
 [ 4 ] 
 
 of others, of the Clergy efpecially, 
 began to be looked upon as an 
 acquiefcence in what you had 
 therein advanced; I have thought 
 it my duty, with the utmoft re- 
 fpet and good-will towards you, 
 to take the liberty of fuggelting to 
 your confideration, a few remarks 
 upon fome of the paflfages, which 
 have been efteemed, (whether you 
 meant, that they fhould be fo ef- 
 teemed, or not) as powerfully mili- 
 tating againft that revelation, which 
 flill is to many, what it formerly 
 was to the Greeks , FooU/Jinefs -, but 
 which we deem to be true, to be 
 the -power of God unto falvation to 
 every one that believeth, 
 " To the inquiry, by what means 
 the Chriftian faith obtained fo re- 
 
 mark- 
 
 9.
 
 [ 5 ] 
 
 markable a viftory over the efta-. 
 blilhed religions of the earth, you 
 rightly anfwer, By the evidence of 
 the dodtrine itfelf, and the ruhng 
 providence of it's Author. But af- 
 terwards, in aflfigning for this afto- 
 nifiiing event five fecondary caufes, 
 derived from the pafllons of the 
 human heart and the general cir- 
 cumftances of mankind, you feem 
 to fome to have infinuated, that 
 Chriftianity, hke other Impoftures, 
 might have made it's way in the 
 world, though it's origin had been 
 as human as the means by which 
 you fuppofe it was fpread. It is 
 no wifli or intention of mine, to 
 faften the odium of this infmuation 
 upon you ; I fhall fimply endeavour 
 to flicw, that the caufes you pro- 
 A 3 duce.
 
 [ 6 ] 
 ducc, are either inadequate to the 
 attainment of the end propofed; or 
 that their efficiency, great as you 
 imagine it, was derived from other 
 principles than thofe, you have 
 thought proper to mention. 
 
 Your firfl caufe is " the inflexi- 
 " ble, and, if you may ufe the ex- 
 " preffion, the intolerant zeal of 
 " the Chriftians, derived, it is true, 
 " from the Jewifh religion, but 
 " purified from the narrow and 
 " unfocial fpirit, which inftead of 
 " inviting, had deterred the Gen- 
 " tiles from embracing the law of 
 " Mofes." Yes, Sir, we are 
 agreed, that the zeal of the Chrif- 
 tians was inflexible, neither deaths 
 nor life, nor princip^Jities, nor pow- 
 ers, tior things prefent, nor things to 
 
 comet
 
 r 7 ] 
 
 come^ could bend it into a repara- 
 tion from the hve of God, which was 
 in Chrift Jefus their Lord; it was 
 an inflexible Obftinacy, in not blaf- 
 pheming the name of Chrift, which 
 every where expofed them to per- 
 fecution -, and which even your 
 amiable and philofophic Pliny 
 thought proper, for want of 
 other crimes, to punifli with death 
 in the Chriftians of his province, 
 . We arc agreed too, that 
 the zeal of the Chriftians was into- 
 lerant; for it denounced tribulation 
 and anguifi upon every foul of man 
 that did evil^ of the "Jew firjl, and 
 alfo of the Gentile-^ it would not 
 tolerate in Chriflian worfhip, thofe 
 who fupplicated the image of Cje- 
 far, who bowed down at the altars 
 A 4 of
 
 [ 8 ] 
 
 of Pagan ifm, who mixed with the 
 votaries of Venus, or wallowed in 
 the filth of Bacchanalian feftivals. 
 But though we are thus far agreed, 
 with refpedt to the inflexibility and 
 intolerance of Chriflian zeal; yet 
 as to the principle from which it 
 was derived, we are toto ccelo di- 
 vided in opinions You deduce it 
 from the Jewifli religion , I would 
 refer it to a more adequate and a 
 more obvious fource, a full pcr- 
 fuafion of the truth of Cliriflianity. 
 What ! think you that it was a 
 zeal derived from the unfociable 
 fpirit of Judaifm, which infpired 
 Peter with courage to upbraid the 
 whole people of the Jews in the ve- 
 ry capital of Judea, with having de- 
 livered up J ejus ^ with having denied 
 
 him
 
 [ 9 ] 
 
 him in the prefence of Pilate, with 
 having defired a murderer to be 
 granted them in his Jiead^ with hav- 
 ing killed the Prince of life ? Was it 
 from this principle, that the fame 
 Apoftle in conjundlion with John, 
 when fummoned, not before the 
 dregs of the people, (whole judg- 
 ments they might have been fup- 
 pofed capable of mifleading, and 
 whofe refcntment they might have 
 defpifed,) but before the rulers and 
 the elders and the fcribes, the dread 
 Tribunal of the Jewifh nation, and 
 commanded by them to teach no 
 more in the name of Jefus ; boldly 
 anfwered, that they cculd not hut 
 fpeak the things^ which they had feen 
 and heard? they Imd feen with 
 their eyes^ they hadliand'ed with their 
 
 hav.ds
 
 [ lo ] 
 
 hands the word of life ; and no human 
 jurifdidtion could deter them from 
 being faithful witneffes of what 
 they had feen and heard. Here 
 then you may perceive the genuine 
 and undoubted origin of that zeal, 
 which you afcribs to what appears 
 to me a very infufficient caufe; and 
 which the Jewifh rulers were fo far 
 from confidering as the ordinary 
 effect of their religion, that they 
 were exceedingly at a lofs how to 
 account for it , now when they faw 
 the holdnefs of Peter and John, and 
 perceived that they were unlearned 
 and ignorant men, they marvelled. 
 The Apoftles, heedlefs of confe- 
 quences, and regardlefs of every 
 thing but truth, openly every where 
 profciTed themfelves witneffes of 
 
 the
 
 [ " ] 
 
 the refurredion of Chrifl ; and with 
 a confidence, which could proceed 
 from nothing but convidion, and 
 which pricked the Jews to the heart, 
 bade the houfe of Ifrael know affur- 
 edlyy that God had made that fame 
 Jefus^ whom they had crucified, both 
 Lord and Chrifi. 
 
 I mean not to produce thefe 
 inftances of apoftolic zeal, as di- 
 rect proofs of the truth of Chri- 
 flianityi for every religion, nay, 
 every abfurd k^ of every religion, 
 has had it's zealots, who have not 
 fcrupled to maintain their principles 
 at the expcnce of their lives j and 
 we ought no more to infer the truth 
 of Chrillianity from the mere zeal 
 of it's propagators, than the truth 
 of Maliometanifm from that of a 
 
 Turk.
 
 [ 12 ] 
 
 Turk. When a man fuffers hini- 
 fclf to be covered with infamy, 
 pillaged of his property, and drag- 
 ged at laft to the block or the flake, 
 rather than give up his opinion ; 
 the proper inference is, not that 
 his opinion is true, but that he be- 
 lieves it to be true , and a queftion 
 of ferious difcufiion immediately' 
 prefenis itfelf, upon what foun- 
 dation has he built his belief? This 
 is often an intricate inquiry, includ- 
 ing in it a vaft compafs of human 
 learning ; a Bramin or a Mandarin, 
 who fhould obferve a miflionary 
 attefting the truth of Chriftianity 
 with his blood, would, notwith- 
 ftanding, have a right to aflc many 
 queilions, before it could be expe<5l- 
 cd, that he fliould give an aflent 
 
 to
 
 [ 13 ] 
 
 to our faith. In the cafe indeed 
 of the Apoftles, the inquiry would 
 be much lefs perplexed ; fince it 
 would briefly refolve itfelf into this, 
 whether they were credible re- 
 porters of fnfls, which they them- 
 felves profeffed to have feen -.and 
 it would be an eafy matter to fliew, 
 that their zeal in attefting what 
 they were certainly competent to 
 judge of, could not proceed from 
 any alluring profpecft of worldly 
 intereft or ambition, or from any 
 other probable motive than a love 
 of truth. 
 
 But the credibility of the A- 
 poPdcs* tcflimony, or their com- 
 petency to judge of the fac^s 
 which they relate, is not now to be 
 examined j the qucflion before us 
 
 fimply
 
 [ 14 ] 
 
 fimply relates to the principle, by 
 which their zeal was excited ; and 
 it is a matter of real aftonifhment 
 to me, that any one converfant with 
 the hiftory of the firll propagation 
 of Chriflianity, acquainted with the 
 oppofition it every where met with 
 from the people of the Jews, and 
 aware of the repugnancy which 
 mud ever fubfift between it's tenets 
 and thofe of Judaifm, fhould ever 
 think of deriving the zeal of the 
 primitive Chriftians from the Jew- 
 ifh religion. 
 
 Both Jew and Chriftian, in- 
 deed, believed in one God, and 
 abominated idolatry ; but this 
 deteftation of idolatry, had it been 
 unaccompanied with the belief of 
 the refurredion of Chrift, would 
 
 pro-
 
 [ >5 ] 
 
 probably have been jufl as Ineffi- 
 cacious in exciting the zeal of the 
 Chriftian to undertake the conver- 
 fion of the Gentile world, as it had 
 for ages been in exciting that of 
 the Jew. But fuppofing, what I 
 think you have not proved, and 
 what i am certain cannot be admit- 
 ted without proof, that a zeal 
 derived from the Jewifh religion 
 infpired the firft Chriftians with 
 fortitude to oppofe themfelves to 
 the inftitutions of Paganifm ; what 
 was it, that encouraged them to 
 attempt the converfion of their own 
 countrymen ? Amongfi: the Jews 
 they met with no fuperftitious 
 oblervances of idolatrous rites ; 
 and tht-rcfore amonift them, could 
 have no opportunity of '* declaring 
 
 and
 
 [ i6 ] 
 
 and confirming their zealous op- 
 pofition to Polytheifm,or of fortify- 
 ing by frequent protellations their 
 attachment to the Chriftian faith." 
 Here then at leaft, the caufe you 
 have afligned for Chriftian zeal 
 ceafes to operate ; and we mud look 
 out for fome other principle than a 
 zeal againft idolatry, or we fhall 
 never be able fatisfadtorily to ex- 
 plain the ardour,with which the Apo- 
 ftles prefled the difciples of Mofes, 
 to become the difciples of Chrift. 
 Again, does a determined op- 
 pofition to, and an open abhorrence 
 of, every the miinuteft part of an 
 eftablilhed religion, appear to you 
 to be the mod likely method of 
 conciliating to another faith thofe 
 who profefsit ? TheChriftians, you 
 
 con-
 
 [ "7 3 
 
 contend, could neither mix with 
 the Heathens in their convivial 
 entettainments, nor partake with 
 them in the celebration of their 
 folemn feftivals^ they could neither 
 aflbciate with them in their hyme- 
 nseai, nor funereal rites-, they could 
 not cultivate their arts, or be fpefta- 
 tors of their fhews-, in fliorr, in 
 order to efcape the rices of Poly- 
 theifm, they were, in \.our opinion, 
 obliged to renounce the commerce 
 of mankind, and all the offices and 
 amufements of life. Now, how 
 fuch an extravagant and intempe- 
 rate zeal as you here dcfciibL', can, 
 humanly fpeaking, be confuiercd 
 as one of tlie chief raufcs of liic 
 c]'.!ck prop/:gation (A Chiilliaiiity, 
 i.. o^-pofition to all tirj cdabHili.-d 
 B vo\.:rs
 
 [ i8 ] 
 
 powers of Paganifm, is a circum- 
 fiance I can by no nneans compre- 
 hend. The Jefuit miilionaries, 
 tvhofe hunian prudence no one 
 will queftion, were quite of a con- 
 trary way of thinking; and brought 
 adelerved cenfure upon themfelves, 
 for not fcrupling to propagate the 
 faith of Chrift, by indulging to 
 their Pagan converts a frequent 
 \\(<i of idolatrous ceremonies. Upon 
 the whole it appears to me, that 
 the Chriftians were in no wife 
 indebted to the Jewifh religion, for 
 the zeal with which they propagat- 
 ed the gofpel amongft Jews as weU 
 as Gentiles j and that fuch a zeal as 
 you defcribe, let its principle be 
 what you pleafe, could never have 
 been devifed by any human under- 
 hand-
 
 [ '9 ] 
 
 (landing, as a probable mean of 
 promoting the progrefs of a refor- 
 mation in religion; much lefs could 
 it have been thought of, or adopted 
 by a few ignorant and unconnefled 
 
 men. 
 
 In expatiating upon this fubjedl 
 you have taken an opportunity of 
 remarking, that " the contempora- 
 " ries of Mofes and Jofhua had 
 *' beheld with carclefs indifference 
 "the moft amazins; miracles and 
 *' that in contradidtion to every 
 *' known principle of the human 
 " mind, that fingular people (the 
 '* Jews) feems to have yielded a 
 *' ftronger and more ready aflent 
 *' to the traditions of their remote 
 *' anceflors, than to the evidence of 
 *' their own fenfes." This obfer- 
 B 2 vation
 
 [ 20 ] 
 
 vation bears hard upon the veracity 
 of the Jewifli fcriptures; and, was it 
 true, would force us either to rejeft 
 them, or to admit a pofition as 
 extraordinary as a miracle itfelf*, 
 that the teftimony of others pro- 
 duced in the human mind, a 
 ftronger degree of conviction con- 
 cerning a matter of fad, than the 
 teflimony of the fenfes themfelves. 
 It happens however, in the pre- 
 fent cafe, that we are under no 
 necefTity' of either rejefling the 
 Jewifh fcriptures, or of admitting 
 fuch an abfurd pofition ; for the 
 faft is not true, that the contempo- 
 raries of Mofes and Jofhua beheld 
 with carelefs indifference, the mi- 
 racles related in the Bible to have 
 been performed in their favour. 
 
 That
 
 [ 21 ] 
 
 That thefe miracles were not fuffi- 
 cient to awe the Ifraelites into an 
 uniform obedience to the Theo- 
 cracy, cannot be denied ; but, 
 whatever reafons may be thought 
 beft adapted to account for the 
 propenfity of the Jews to idolatry, 
 and their frequent defedion from 
 the worfhip of the one true God, a 
 *'ftubborn incredulity" cannot be 
 admitted as one of them. 
 
 To men, indeed, whofe under- 
 ftandings have been enlightened 
 by the Chriftian revelation, and 
 enlarged by all the aids of human 
 learning , who are under no temp- 
 tations to idolatry from without, 
 and whofe reafon from within, would 
 revolt at the idea of worfhipping 
 the infinite Author of the univerfe 
 C 3 iineicr
 
 [ " ] 
 
 under any created fymbol ; to men 
 who are compelled, by the utmoft 
 exertion of their reafon, to admit 
 as an irrefragable truth, what 
 puzzles the firfl: principles of all 
 reafoning the eternal existence 
 of an uncaufed Being , and who 
 are confcious, that they cannot 
 give a full account of any one 
 phenomenon in nature, from the 
 rotation of the great orbs of the 
 univerfe to the germination of a 
 blade of grafs, without having 
 recourfe to him, as the primary 
 incomprehenfible caufe of it; and 
 who from feeing him every where, 
 have, by a ftrange fatality, (convert- 
 ina an excefs of evidence into a 
 principleofdifbeliefjattimesdoubt- 
 ed concerning his exiftence any 
 
 where,
 
 [ H ] 
 
 v/here, and made the very univerfc 
 their God; to men of fuch a 
 Itamp, it appears almoft an incre- 
 dible thing, that any human being 
 which had feen the order of nature 
 interrupted, or the uniformity of 
 it's courfe fufpended, though but 
 for a moment, fhould ever after- 
 wards lofe the imprefTion of reve- 
 rential awe, which, they apprehend, 
 would have been excited in their 
 minds. But whatever effe6l the 
 vifible interpofition of the Deity 
 might have in removing the fcep- 
 ticifm, or confirming the faith of a 
 few Philofophers, it is with me a 
 very great doubt, whether the peo- 
 ple in general of our days, would 
 be more ftrongly affedled by ir, 
 B 4 than
 
 [ 24 ] 
 
 than they appear to have been in 
 the days of Mofes. 
 
 Was any people under hea- 
 ven, to efcape the certain de- 
 flrudlion impending over them, 
 from the clofe purfuit of an en- 
 raged and irrefiflible enemy, by 
 feeing the waters of the Ocean be- 
 coming a wall to them on their 
 right hand and on their left; they 
 would, I apprehend, be agitated by 
 the very fame pafllons we are told 
 the Ifraelites were, when they faw 
 the fea returning to his ftrength, 
 and fwallowing up the hoft of 
 Pharaoh; they would fear tlie Lord^ 
 they would believe the Lordy and 
 they would exprefs their faith and 
 their fear by praifing the Lord : 
 
 they
 
 [ 25 ] 
 they would not behold fuch a great 
 work with carekfs indifference, but 
 with aftonifhment and terror; nor 
 would you be able to deted the 
 ilighteft veftige oi fiubborn incre- 
 dulity in their fong of gratitude. 
 No length of time would be able 
 to blot from their minds the me- 
 mory of fuch a tranfadlion, or in-i 
 duce a doubt concerning it's Au- 
 thor, though future hunger and 
 thirft might make them call out 
 for water and bread, with a de- 
 fponding and rebellious importu- 
 nity. 
 
 But it was not at the Red Sea 
 only, that tlie Ifraelites regarded 
 with fomething more than a care- 
 kfs indifference the amazing mira- 
 cles which God had wrought , for 
 
 when
 
 [ 26 ] 
 
 when the law was declared to 
 them from mount Sinai, all the 
 people faw the thunderings^ and the 
 lighlemngs, and the mife -of the tern- 
 pejl^ and the mountain fmoking ; and 
 when the people faw it, they removed 
 andjlood afar off, and they faid unto 
 Mofes, Speak thou with us, and we 
 will hear-, but let not God fpeak 
 with usy lefl we die. This again. 
 Sir, is the Scripture account of the 
 language of the contemporaries of 
 Mofes and Jolhua; and I leave it 
 to you to confider, whether this is 
 the language oi jiubborn incredulity , 
 and carekfs indiffei'ence. 
 
 We are told in Scripture too, that 
 whilft any of the contemporaries of 
 Mofes and Jofhua were alive, the 
 whole people fcrved the Lord , the 
 
 im-
 
 [ 27 ] 
 imprelTion, which a fight of the mi- 
 racles had made, was never effaced ; 
 nor the obedience, which might 
 have been expefted as a natural 
 confequence, refufed, till Mofes and 
 Jofhua, and all their contempora- 
 ries, were gathered unto their fa- 
 thers ; till another generation after 
 them ar of e^ which knew not the Lor d.^ 
 nor yet the works which he had done 
 for Ifrael, But the people ferved 
 the Lord all the days of Jofliua^ and 
 all the days of the elders that out- 
 lived foPiuay who had feen all the 
 great works of the Lord that he did 
 for Ifrael. 
 
 I am far from thinking you, Sir, 
 
 unacquainted with Scripture, or 
 
 xkTirous of finking the weight of 
 
 k's teflimony ; but as the words of 
 
 o the
 
 [ 28 ] 
 
 the hiftory, from which you muft 
 have derived your obfervation, wili 
 not fupport you, in imputing care- 
 lefs indifference to the contempora- 
 ries of jMofes, ovjlubborn incredulity 
 to the forefathers of the Jews; I 
 know not what can have induced 
 you to pafs fo fevere a cenfure up- 
 on them, except that you look up- 
 on a lapfe into idolatry as a proof 
 of infidelity. In anfwer to this, 
 I would remark, that with equal 
 foundnefs of argument we ought 
 to infer, that every one who tranf- 
 greffes a religion, difbelieves it; and 
 that every individual, who in any 
 community incurs civil pains and 
 penalties, is a difbeliever of the ex- 
 iftence of the authority by which 
 they are inflicted. The fandtions 
 
 of
 
 [ ^9 I 
 
 of the Mofaic law were, in your 
 opinion, terminated within the Har- 
 row limits of this life ; in that par-* 
 ticular then, they muft have refem- 
 bled the fanftions of all other civil 
 laws : tranfgrefs and die is the lan- 
 guage of every one of them, as 
 well as that of Mofes; and I know 
 not what reafon we have to expeft, 
 that the Jews, who were animated 
 by the fame hopes of temporal re- 
 v/ards, impelled by the fame fears 
 of temporal punifhments with the 
 reft of mankind, fhould have been 
 fo fingular in their condud, as 
 never to have liftened to the cla- 
 mours of paffion before the ftill 
 voice of reafon j as never to have 
 preferred a prefent gratification of 
 fenfe, in the lewd celebration of 
 
 ido-
 
 [ 3 ) 
 "idolatrous rites, before the rigC 
 obfervance of irkfomc ceremonies. 
 Before I releafe you from the 
 trouble of this letter, I cannot help 
 obferving, that 1 could have wifli- 
 ed you had furni(hed your reader 
 with Limborch's anfwers to the 
 objefbions of the Jew Orobio, con- 
 cerning the perpetual obligation 
 of the law of Mofes-, you have in- 
 deed mentioned Limborch with 
 relped, in a fhort note; but though 
 you have ftudioufly put into the 
 mouths of thejudailing Chriftians in 
 the Apoftolic days, and with great 
 ftrength inferted into your text, 
 whatever has been faid by Orobio, 
 or others againft Chriftianity, from 
 the fuppofed perpetuity of the 
 Mofaic difpenfation ; yet you have 
 
 not
 
 [ 3" J 
 
 not favoured us with any one of the 
 numerous repHes, which have been 
 made to thefe feemingly ftrong 
 objeftions. You are pleafed, it 
 is true, to fay, " that the induftry 
 *' of our learned divines has abun- 
 *' dantly explained the ambiguous 
 " language of the old Teflament, 
 " and the ambiguous condud of 
 "the Apoftolic teachers." It re- 
 quires, Sir, no learned induftry, to 
 explain what is fo obvious. and fo 
 exprefs, that he who runs may 
 read it : The language of the old 
 Teftament is this , Behold^ the days 
 come^ faith the Lord, that I will 
 make a nevj covenant vnth the houfe 
 of Ifrael, and zvith the houfe of Ju~ 
 dah ; not according lo the covenant 
 that 1 ?nade vjitL their faUurs^ in 
 
 th:
 
 [ 32 ] 
 
 the day that I took them hy the hand 
 to bring them out of the land of E- 
 gypt. This, methinks, is a clear 
 and folemn declaration, there is no 
 ambiguity at all in it, that the co- 
 venant with Mofes was net to be 
 perpetual, but was in fome future 
 time to give way to a new covenant. 
 I will not detain you with an ex- 
 planation of what Mofes himfelf 
 has faid upon this fubjed-, but you 
 may try, if you pleafe, whether you 
 can apply the following declaration, 
 which Mofes made to the Jews, 
 to any prophet or fucceiTion of 
 prophets, with the fame propriety 
 that you can to Jefus Chrilli 
 The Lord thy God will raife up un- 
 to thee a Prophet, from the midjl of 
 thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, 
 
 unto
 
 [ n ] 
 
 unto him fJiall ye hearken. If you 
 think this ambiguous or obfcure, I 
 anfwer, That it is not a hiltory, but 
 a prophecy , and as fuch unavoid- 
 ably liable to fome degree of ob- 
 fcurity,till interpreted by the event. 
 Nor was the condufl of the Apof- 
 tles more ambiguous, than the lan- 
 guage of the old Teftament ; they 
 did not indeed at firft comprehend 
 the whole of the nature of the new 
 difpenfation ^ and when they did 
 underftand it better, they did not 
 think proper upon every occafion 
 to ufe their Chriftian liberty , bur, 
 with true Chriftian chanty, accom- 
 modated themfelves in matters of 
 indifference to the prejudices of 
 their weaker brethren. But he who 
 changes his condud with a change 
 C of
 
 [ 34 ] 
 
 of fentiments, proceeding from an 
 increafe of knowledge, is not am- 
 biguous in his condu6l-, nor fhould 
 he be accufed of a culpable dupli- 
 city, who in a matter of the lafl: 
 importance endeavours to conci- 
 liate the good -will of all, by con- 
 forming in a few innocent ob- 
 fervances to the particular perfua- 
 fions of different men. 
 
 One remark more,and I have done. 
 In your account of the Gnoftics, you 
 have given us a very mnnute cata- 
 logue of the objedions, which they 
 made to the authority of Mofes, 
 from his account of the creation, 
 of the patriarchs, of the law, and 
 of the attributes of the Deity: I 
 have not leifure to examine, whether 
 the Gnoftics of former ages really 
 
 made
 
 r 35 ] 
 
 made all the objedions you have 
 mentioned. I take it for granted, 
 upon your authority, that they did: 
 but I am certain if they did, that 
 the Gnoftics of modern times have 
 no reafon to be puffed up with 
 their knowledge, or to be had in 
 admiration as men of fubtile pene- 
 tration or refined erudition ; they 
 are all miferable copiers of their 
 brethren of antiquity, and neither 
 Morgan, nor Tindal, nor Boling- 
 broke, nor Voltaire, have been 
 able to produce fcarce a fingle new 
 objedlion. You think, that the 
 Fathers have not properly anfwer- 
 ed the Gnoftics. I make no quef- 
 tion. Sir, you are able to anlVcr 
 them to your own fatisfadlioni and 
 informed of every thing, that has 
 C i. been
 
 [ 36 ] 
 
 been faid by our indujlrious di- 
 vines upon the fubjedl: and we 
 fhould have been glad, if it had 
 fallen in with your plan to have 
 adnriiniftered together with the poi- 
 fon it's antidote ; but fince that is 
 not the cafe, left it's malignity 
 Ihould fpread too far, I muft juft 
 mention it to my younger readers, 
 that Leland and others, in their 
 replies to the modern Deifts, have 
 given very full, and, as many 
 learned men apprehend, very fa- 
 tisfaflory anfwers to every one of 
 the objedions, which you have de- 
 rived from the Gnoftic herefy. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LET-
 
 LETTER SECOND. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 *' r "A H E doftrlne of a fu- 
 " I ture life, improved by 
 *' *- every additional cir- 
 *' cumflance, which could mve 
 " weight and efficacy to that im- 
 " portant truth," is the fecond of 
 the caufes to which you attribute the 
 quick increafe of Chriftianity. 
 Now if we impartially confider the 
 -circumftances of the perfons, to 
 whom the do<5lrine, not fimply of 
 c 3 a
 
 [ 38 ] 
 
 a future life, but of a future life- 
 accompanied with punifhments as 
 well as rewards i not only of the 
 immortality of the foul, but of the 
 immortality of the foul accompa- 
 nied with that of the refurreftion, 
 was delivered ; I cannot be of opi- 
 nion that, abftrafled from the fu-. 
 pernatural teftimony by which it 
 was enforced, it could have met 
 with any very extenfive reception 
 amongft them. 
 
 It was not that kind of fu- 
 ture life, which they expeded ; 
 it did not hold out to them 
 the puniflimenls of the infernal 
 regions, as aniles fabulas : to the 
 queflion, ^id fi poji mcrttm mane- 
 ant animis' they could net anfwer 
 v/ith Cicero and the philofophers, 
 
 Bea~
 
 [ 39 ] 
 
 Be at OS effe comedo \ becaufe 
 there was a great probability, that it 
 might be quite otherwife with them. 
 I am not to learn, that there 
 are pafTages to be picked up in 
 the writings of the antients, which 
 might be produced as proofs of 
 their expelling a future ftate of 
 punifliment for the flagitious ; but 
 this opinion was worn out of credit, 
 before the time of our Saviour: 
 the whole difputation in the firft 
 book of the Tufculan Queflions, 
 goes upon the other fuppofition : 
 nor was the abfurdity of the doc- 
 trine of future punifhments con- 
 fined to the writings of the philo- 
 fophers, or the circles of the learned 
 and polite; for Cicero, to mention 
 no others, makes no fecret of it in 
 C4 his
 
 [ 40 ] 
 
 his public pleadings before the- 
 people at large. You yourfelf. 
 Sir, have referred to his oration for 
 Cluentius ; in this oration, you 
 may remember, he makes great 
 mention of a very abandoned fel- 
 low, who had forged I know not 
 how many wills, murdered I know 
 not how many wives, and perpe- 
 trated a thoufand other villainies ; 
 yet even to this profligate, by 
 name Oppianicus, he is perfuad- 
 ed, that death v^^as not the 
 occafion of any evil*. Hence, 
 I think, we may conclude, that 
 
 fuch 
 
 * Nam nunc quidem qaid tandem mali 
 illi r.iors attulit ? nifi forte ineptiis ac 
 fabulis ducimur, ut exiftimemus apud in- 
 feros impiorum fuppliciapcrferre; acplu- 
 res iilic ofFendifie inimicos quam hie 
 reliqaifTc qux fi falfa fint, id quod 
 omnes intelligunt, &c.
 
 [ 4' ] 
 
 fuch of the Romans, as were not 
 wholly infeded with the annihila- 
 ting notions of Epicurus, but 
 entertained, (whether from remote 
 tradition, or enlightened argumen- 
 tation,) hopes of a future Hfe, had 
 no manner of expeftation of fuch 
 a life, as included in it the feverity 
 of punifhment, denounced in the 
 Chriftianfchemeagainft the wicked. 
 Nor was it that kind of fu- 
 ture life, which they wiflied -, 
 they would have been glad enough 
 of an Elyfium, which could have 
 admitted into it men who had fpent 
 this life, in the perpetration of 
 every vice, which can debafe and 
 pollute the human heart. To a- 
 bandon every feducing gratification 
 of fcnfe, to pluck up every latent 
 
 root
 
 [ 42 ] 
 
 root of ambition, to fubdue every 
 impulfe of revenge, to diveft 
 themfelves of every inveterate habit, 
 in which their glory and their 
 pleafure confifted ; to do all this 
 and more, before they could look 
 up to the doc"t:rine of a future life, 
 without terror and amazement, 
 was not, one would think, an eafy 
 undertaking; nor was it likely, that 
 many would forfake the religious 
 inftitutions of their anceftors, fet 
 at nought the gods, under whofe 
 aufpices the Capitol had been 
 founded, and Rome made miftrefs 
 of the world, and fuffer them- 
 felves to be perfuaded into the 
 belief of a tenet, the very mention 
 of which made Felix tremble, by 
 any thing lefs than a full convic- 
 tion
 
 [ 43 3 
 
 tion of the fupernatural authority 
 of thofe who taught it. 
 
 The feveral fchools of Gentile 
 philofophy had difcufled, with no 
 fmall fubtlety, every argument, 
 which reafon could fuggeft, for and 
 againft the immortality of the foul ; 
 and thofe uncertain glimmerings of 
 the light of nature, would have pre- 
 pared the minds of the learned for 
 the reception of the full illuftration 
 of this fubjed by the gofpel, had 
 not the refurredion been a part 
 of the dodrine therein advanced. 
 But that this corporal frame, which 
 is hourly mouldering away, and 
 refolved at laft into the undiftin- 
 guifhed mafs of elements, from 
 which it was at firft derived, fliould 
 ever be clothed with immortality^ 
 
 that
 
 [ 44 ] 
 
 that this corruptible Jliould cvet' 
 put on incorruption, is a truth fa 
 far removed from the apprehenfion 
 of philofophical refearch, fo dif- 
 fonant from the common concep- 
 tions of mankind, that amongft 
 all ranks and perfuafions of men 
 it was efteemed an impoffible thing. 
 At Athens the philolbphers had 
 liftened with patience to St. Paul, 
 whilfb they conceived him but a 
 fetter forth of flrange gods ; but 
 as foon as they comprehended, that 
 by the avaroi<ri?i he meant the 
 refurredion, they turned from him 
 with contempt. It was principally 
 the infilling upon the fame topic, 
 which made Feftus think, that 
 much learning had made him mad: 
 and the quellions, how are the 
 
 dead
 
 [ 45 ] 
 dead raifed up? and, with what 
 body do they come? feem, by 
 Paul's folicitude to anfwer them 
 with fullnefs and precifion, to have 
 been not unfrequently propofed to 
 him, by thofe who were defirous 
 of becoming Chriftians. 
 
 The dodlrine of a future life then^ 
 as promuiged in the gofpel, being 
 neither agreeable to the expeda- 
 tions, nor correfponding with the- 
 wiihes, nor conformable to the 
 reafon of the Gentiles, I can dif- 
 cover no motive, (fetting afide the 
 true one, the divine power of it's 
 firft preachers) which could in- 
 duce them to receive it , and in 
 confequence of their belief, to 
 conform their loofc morals to the 
 rigid (landard. of gofpel purity, 
 
 upon
 
 t 46 ] 
 
 upon the mere authority of a few 
 contemptible filhermen of Judea. 
 And even you yourfelf. Sir, feem 
 to have changed your opinion, con- 
 cerning the efficacy of the expedati- 
 on of a future hfe in converting 
 the Heathens, when you obferve in 
 the following chapter, that "the 
 " Pagan multitude referving their 
 *' gratitude for temporal benefits 
 " alone, rejeded the ineftimable 
 ** prefent of life and immortality, 
 " which was offered to mankind by 
 " Jefus of Nazareth.'* 
 
 Montefquieu is of opinion, that it 
 will ever be impoffible for Chrif- 
 tianity to eftablifh itfelf in China 
 and the eaft, from this circum- 
 ftance, that it prohibits a plurality 
 of wives : how then could it have 
 
 been
 
 [ 47 ] 
 
 been poflible for it to have pervaded 
 the voluptuous Capitol, and tra- 
 verfed the utmofl limits of the 
 empire of Rome, by the feeble 
 efforts of human induftry, or hu- 
 man knavery ? 
 
 But the Gentiles, you are of 
 opinion, were converted by their 
 fears , and reckon the dodlrines of 
 Chrift's fpeedy appearance, of the 
 millennium, and of the general 
 conflagration, amongfl: thofe ad- 
 ditional circumflances, which 
 gave weight to that concerning 
 a future ftate. Before I proceed to 
 the examination of the efficiency of 
 thefe feveral circumflances, in 
 alarmjng the apprehenfions of the 
 Gentiles, what if I fhould grant 
 your pofition ? ftill the main quef- 
 
 tioa
 
 [ 48 ] 
 
 tion recurs. From what fource did 
 they derive the fears, which convert- 
 ed them ? Not fiirely from the 
 mere human labours of men, who 
 were every where fpoken againfir, 
 made a fpedacle of, and confidered 
 as the filth of the world, and the 
 offscouring of all things not 
 furely from the human powers of 
 him, who profeffed himfelf r^^ in 
 fpeech^ in bodily prefence contempt- 
 ible, and a defpifer of the excellency 
 cf fpeech, and the enticing words of 
 men's wifdom. No, fuch wretched 
 inftruments were but ill fitted, to 
 infpire the haughty, and the learned 
 Romans, with any other paffions 
 than thofe of pity, or contempt. 
 Now, Sir, if you pleafe, we will 
 confider that univerfal expectation 
 
 of
 
 [ 49 ] 
 
 of the approaching end of the 
 world, which, you think, had fuch 
 great influence in convertin'2: the 
 Pagans to the profefTion of Chri- 
 ftianity. The near approach,you fay, 
 of this wonderful event had been 
 predicted by the Apoltles, " though 
 " the revolution of feventeen cen- 
 " turies has inftruded us, not to 
 " prefs too clofely the myfterious 
 " language of prophecy and reve- 
 'Mation." Tiiat this opinion, even 
 in the times of the Apoftles, had 
 made it's way into the Chriftian 
 church, I readily admit; but that 
 the Apoftles ever, either predicted 
 this event to others, or cherifhed 
 the expectation of it in rhemlclvcs, 
 do-s not fx-m pro').ii)ie to me. 
 As t!;i:- ib a point of fomc difficuhy 
 D and
 
 [ so ] 
 
 and importance, you will fufFer me 
 to explain it at fome length. 
 
 It mufl be owned, that there are 
 feveral paffages in the writings of 
 the Apoftles, which, at the firfl 
 view, feem to countenance the 
 opinion you have adopted. ISlow^ 
 f^ys St. Paul, in his epiflie to the 
 Romans, it is high time to awake 
 out ofjleep'j for now is our falvation 
 nearer than when we believed: the 
 flight is far /pent, the day is at hand. 
 And in his firfl: epiflie to the 
 Theffalonians, he comforts fuch 
 of them as were forrowing for the 
 lofs of their friends, by affuring 
 them, that they were not loft for 
 ever ; but that the Lord when he 
 came, would bring them with him; 
 and that they would not, in the 
 
 par-
 
 [ 51 ] 
 participation of any blcffings, be 
 in any wife behind thofe, who 
 fliould happen then to be alive; we, 
 fays he, (the Chriftians of what- 
 ever age or country, agreeable to 
 a frequent ufe of the pronoun we) 
 ivhic/i are alivc^ and remain unto the 
 co7ning of the Lord, fJiall not prevent 
 them which are ajleep ; for the Lord 
 himfef fJiall defcend from heaven 
 witli a fhout, with the voice of the 
 archangel, and with the trump of 
 God, and the dead in Chrifl fJiall rife 
 firfl : then, we which are alive and 
 remain, fhall be caught up together 
 with them in the clouds, to meet the 
 Lord. In his epiftle to the Phi- 
 lippians, he exhorts his Chriftian 
 brethren, not to dlfquiet themfelves 
 with carking cares about their tem- 
 D 2 poral
 
 [ 52 ] 
 
 poral concerns, from this powerful 
 confideration, that the Lord was at 
 hand; let your moderation be knoivn 
 unto all men\ the Lord is at 
 hand; be careful about nothing. The 
 apollle to the Flebrews, inculcates 
 the fame dodrinc, admonilliing 
 his converts to provoke one ano- 
 ther to love^ and to good works; 
 and Jo much the more, as they 
 faw the day approaching. The 
 age in which the Apoflles Hved, 
 is frequently called by them the 
 end of the world, the laft days, 
 the laft hour. I think it unnecef- 
 fary. Sir, to trouble you with an 
 explication of thefe and other fimi- 
 lar texts of fcripture, which are 
 ufually adduced in fuppcrt of your 
 opinion j fincc 1 hope to be able 
 
 to
 
 [ 53 ] 
 
 to give yon a direct proof, that the 
 ApoRIrs neither comforted them- 
 felves, nor encouraged others with 
 the dcjigiitful hope of feeing their 
 maitercciniiig again into the world. 
 It is evident then, tha: St. John, 
 who furvived all the other Apoftles, 
 could not have liad any fuch ex-- 
 pedation; CmcQ in the Book of 
 the Revelation, the future events 
 of thcChriftian church, which were 
 not to take place, many of them, 
 till a long jcries of years after his 
 death, and feme of which have not 
 yet been accomphfhed, are there 
 minutely delcrlbed. St. Peter, in 
 like m^anner, flrongly intimates, 
 tnat tiic u:iv of the Lord mii^ht 
 b^ uiid to he at iiand, though it was 
 at tlie cii;l.uice of a thoufand years 
 D i or
 
 [ 54 ] 
 
 or more , for in replying to the 
 taunt of thofe who did then, or 
 fliould in future afk, Where is the 
 fromife of his coming? he fays, Be- 
 lovedt he not ignorant of this one 
 thing, that one day is with the Lord 
 as a thousand years, and a thoufand 
 years as one day : the Lord is notjlack 
 concerning his promife, as fome men 
 count Jlacknefs. And he fpeaks of 
 putting off his tabernacle, as the 
 Lord had fhewed himj and of his 
 endeavour, that the Chriftians after 
 his deceafe, might be able to have 
 thefe things in remembrance : fo 
 that it is pafl: a doubt, he could 
 not be of opinion, that the 
 Lord would come in his time. 
 As to St. Paul, upon a partial 
 view of whofe writings the dodrine 
 
 con-
 
 [ 55 ] 
 
 concerning the fpeedy coming of 
 Chrift is principally foimdedj it 
 is manifeft, that he was confcioiis 
 he fhould not live to fee it, not- 
 withftanding the expreffion before 
 mentioned, we which are alive-, 
 for he foretels his own death in 
 exprefs terms the time of my 
 departure is at hand , and he fpeaks 
 of his reward, not as immediately 
 to be conferred on him; but as 
 laid up, and referred for him till 
 fome future day / have fought 
 a good fight, I have finiJJied my cour[e\ 
 henceforth there is laid up for me a 
 crown of righteoufnefs, which the 
 Lord, the righteous judge, fliall give 
 me at that day. There is moreover 
 one pafTcige in his writings, which 
 is fo exprefa, and iuil to the pur- 
 D 4 pofc,
 
 [ 56 ] 
 
 pofe, that it will put the matter, 
 1 think, beyond all doubt; it occurs 
 in his fecond Epiftle to the Ihef- 
 falonians : They, it feems, had 
 either by mifinterpreting feme 
 parts of his former letter to them, 
 or by the preaching of fome, who 
 had not the fpirit of truth; by fome 
 means or other, they had been led 
 to expe6t the fpeedy coming of 
 Chrift, and been greatly difturbed 
 in mind upon that account : To 
 remove this error, he writes to 
 them in the following very folemn 
 and uftediionate manner; JVehefeech 
 you^ brethren, by the ccming of our 
 Lord Jefus Chrijl, and by our ga- 
 thering together unto him, that ye 
 he not fccn JJiakcn in mind, or be 
 troubled, neither by fpirit, ncr by 
 
 ivord
 
 [ 57 ] 
 
 word, mr by letter as from us, as 
 that the day of the Lord is at handy 
 let no mail deceive ycu by any means. 
 I le then goes on to defcribe a fall- 
 ing away, a great corruption of 
 tl)e Chriftian church, which was 
 to happen before the day of the 
 Lord : now by this revelation of 
 the man of fin, this myftery of 
 of iniquity, which is to be con- 
 famed with the fpirit of his mouth, 
 deflroyed with the brightnefs of 
 his coming, we have every reafon 
 to believe, is to be underftood the 
 paft and prefent abominations of 
 the church of Rome. Kow then 
 can it be faid of Paul, who clearly 
 forcfaw this corruption above fe- 
 ventecn hundred years ago, tlut 
 be cxpc(5led the coming of the 
 
 Lord
 
 [ 58 ] 
 
 Lord in his own day? Let us 
 prefs, Sir, the myfterious language 
 of prophecy and revelation, as 
 cloftly as you pleafe-, but let us 
 prefs it truly J and we may, per- 
 haps, find reafon from thence to 
 receive, with lefs reluftance, a reli- 
 gion, which defcribes a corruption, 
 the ftrangenefs of which, had it 
 not been foretold in unequivocal 
 terms, might have amazed even a 
 friend to Chriftianity. 
 
 I will produce you, Sir, a pro- 
 phecy, which, the more clofely you 
 prefs it, the more reafon you will 
 have to believe, that the fpeedy 
 coming of Chrift could never have 
 been preditled by tlie Apoflles. 
 Take it, as tranflated by Bifliop 
 Newton : But the Spirit fpeaketh 
 
 ex-
 
 [ 59 ] 
 
 exprefsly^ that in the latter times, 
 fame JJiall apojiatize from the faith; 
 giving heed to erronecus fpirits, and 
 do5f fines concerning dcawns, through 
 tJie hypocrify of liars; havi>ig their 
 confcience feared with a red hot iron-, 
 forbidding to marry, and command- 
 ing to nhflain from meats. Here 
 you iiave an exprcfs prophecy 
 the Spirit hath fpoken it that in 
 the latter times not immediately, 
 but at fome diftant period -- fome 
 fliould apoftatize from the faith 
 ibme, who had been Chrillians, 
 fliould in truth be io no longer 
 but fliould give heed to erroneous 
 fpirits, and doctrines concerning 
 demons : Prefs this exprefiion 
 clofely, and you may, perhaps, 
 difcover in it the erroneous tenets, 
 
 and
 
 [ 6o ] 
 
 and the demon, or faint vvorniip 
 of the church of Rome; through 
 the hypocrify of liars: you re- 
 recognize, no doubt, the prieft- 
 hood, and the martyrologifts , 
 having their confcience feared with 
 a red hot iron : callous, indeed, 
 muft his confcience be, who traf- 
 ficks in indulgences j forbidding 
 to marry, and commanding to ab- 
 ftain from meats : this language 
 needs no prefTing -, it difcovers, at 
 once, the unhappy votaries of mo- 
 naftic life, and the mortal fin of 
 eating flefli on faft days. 
 
 If, notwithftandino; what has 
 been faid, you Hiould ftill be of 
 opinion, that the Apoftles ex- 
 pected Chrifl: would come in their 
 tune , it will not follow, that this 
 
 their
 
 [ 6i ] 
 
 their error ought in any wife to 
 diminifh their authority as preach- 
 ers of the gcfpel. I am fenfible, 
 this pofition may alarm even feme 
 well-wifhers to Chriftianity , and 
 fupply it's enemies with, what they 
 will think, an irrefragable argu- 
 ment: the Apoflles, they will fay, 
 were infpired with the fpirit of 
 truth-, and yet they fell into a grofs 
 miftake, concerning a matter of 
 great importance; how is this to 
 be reconciled ? Perhaps, in the fol- 
 lowing manner: When the time of 
 cur Saviour's miniftry was nearly 
 at ?n en:i, he thought proper to 
 raife the fpiiirs of his difcipks, wlio 
 wc-c quite ca-l down with what he 
 h id to^'i t!,c r. about his defign of 
 leaving ilicni J by promifing, that 
 
 he
 
 [ 62 ] 
 
 he would fend to them thcf holy 
 Ghoft, the Comforter, the Spirit 
 of truth-, who fliould teach them 
 afi things, and lead them into all 
 truth. And we know, that this 
 his promife was accomphfhed on 
 the day of Pentecoft, when they 
 were all filled with the holy Ghoftj 
 and we know farther, that from 
 that time forward, they were en- 
 abled to fpeak with tongues, to 
 work miracles, to preach the word 
 with power, and to comprehend 
 the myftery of the new difpenfa- 
 tion, which was committed unto 
 them. But we have no reafon 
 from hence to conclude, that they 
 were immediately infpired with 
 the apprehenfion of whatever might 
 be known; that they became ac- 
 quainted
 
 [ 63 ] 
 
 qualnted with all kinds of truth i 
 they were undoubtedly led into 
 fuch truths, as it was necelTary for 
 them to know, in order to their* 
 converting the world to Chriftian- 
 ity ; but in other things, they were 
 probably left to the exercife of 
 their underftandings, as other men 
 ufually are. But furely they might 
 be proper witnefTes of the life and 
 refurreclion of Chrift, though they 
 were not acquainted with every 
 thing, which might have been 
 known; though in particular, they 
 were ignorant of the precife time, 
 when our Lord would come to 
 judge the world. It can be no 
 impeachment, cither of their inte- 
 grity as men, or their ability as 
 hiflorians, or their honefty a? 
 
 preaTh-
 
 [ 64 ] 
 
 preachers of the gofpel, that they 
 were unacquainted with what had 
 never been revealed to them -, that 
 they followed their own under- 
 ftandings, where they had no better 
 light to guide them , fpeaking from 
 conjecture, when they could not 
 fpeak from, certainty; of themfelves, 
 when they had no commandment 
 of the Lord. They knew but in 
 part, and they prophefied but in 
 part; and concerning this particu- 
 lar poinc, Jefus himfelf had told 
 them, juTl as he was about finally 
 to leave them, that it was not for 
 them to know the times and the 
 feajons^ uhich the Father had put 
 in his ozvn power. Nor is it to be 
 wondered ar, that the ApoRles 
 were left in a ftate of uncertainty, 
 
 con-
 
 [ Ss ] 
 
 concerning the time in which Chrift 
 fhould appear-, fince Beings, far 
 more exaked and more highly fa- 
 voured of heaven than they, were 
 under an equal degree of ignorance-. 
 Of that dr,y, lays our Saviour, a^id 
 of th.it I:ouf , hwjocth no cm -, 720, 
 not the angels irJuch are in heaven^ 
 neither the Son^ hut the Father only. 
 I am afraid. Sir, I have tired you 
 with fcripture quotations-, but if I 
 have been fortunate enough to con- 
 vince you, either that the fpeedy 
 coming of Chrift was never ex- 
 pefted, much lefs predial ed., by the 
 Apolllesi or that their millake in 
 tliat particular expectation, can in 
 no dco-rec diminifli the general 
 weight of tlieir tciVimony as Iv.llo- 
 ri.'.ns, I flKiil not be ferry for r'l- 
 E dcKiii
 
 [ 66 ] 
 
 ennui I may have occafioned you. 
 
 The doj^rine of the Millennium, 
 is the fecond of the circumftances 
 which you produce, as giving 
 weight to that of a future ftate; 
 and you reprefent this dodrine as 
 having been " carefully inculcated 
 " by a fucceflion of the fathers, 
 " from JuiVm Martyr and Irense- 
 ** us down to Laflantius j" and 
 obferve, that when " the edifice of 
 " the church was almoft completed, 
 " the temporary fupport was laid 
 " afide i" and in the notes, you re- 
 fer us, as a proof of what you ad- 
 vance, to " Irenseus, the difciple of 
 " Papias, who had feen the Apoftle 
 '* St. John," and to the fecond Dia- 
 logue of Juftin with Trypho. 
 I wifli, Sir, you had turned to 
 c Ew-
 
 [ 67 ] 
 
 Eufcblus, for the charader of this 
 Papias, who had i^een the Apoflle 
 St. John i you would there have 
 found him reprefented as hctle bet- 
 ter than a credulous old woman ; 
 very averfe from reading, but 
 n^iighcily given to picking up {lo- 
 ries and traditions next to fabulous ; 
 amongfl: which Eufebius reckons 
 this of the iVIillennium one. Nor 
 is it, I apprehend, quite certain, 
 that Papias ever faw, much lefs 
 difcourfed, as feems to be infmu- 
 ated, with the Apoftle St. John. 
 Eufebius thinks rather, that it was 
 John the prefbyter he had feen. 
 But what if he had km the Apoftle 
 himfclf ? many a v/eak-hcaded man 
 had undoubtedly fccn him, as well 
 as Papias ; and it would be hard 
 F. 2 i.'^dccd
 
 [ es ] 
 
 indeed upon Chriftians, if they 
 were compelled to receive as apo- 
 ftolical traditions, the wild reveries 
 of ancient enthufiafm, or ftich crude 
 conceptions of ignorant fanaticifm, 
 as nothing but the ruft of antiqui- 
 ty can render venerable. 
 
 As to the works of Juftin, the 
 very Dialogue you refer to con- 
 tains a proof, that the do6trine of 
 the Millennium had not, even in 
 his time, the univerfal reception 
 you have fuppofed ; but that many 
 Chriftians of pure and pious prin- 
 ciples rejeded it. I wonder, how 
 this paffage efcaped you; but it 
 may be, that you followed Tillot- 
 fon, who himfelf followed Mede, 
 and read in the original , inftead 
 of u ; and thus unwarily violated 
 
 the
 
 [ 69 ] 
 
 the idiom of the language, the 
 fenfe of the context, and the autho- 
 rity of the beft editions.* In the 
 note you obferve, that it is unne- 
 ceflary for you to mention all the 
 intermediate fathers between Ju- 
 E 3 ftin 
 
 Juftln, in anfwering the queftion 
 propofed by Trypho, Whether the Chri- 
 ftians believed the dodlrine of the Mil- 
 lennium, fays, nfA.o\oyriacc av croi Kact "Crgo- 
 Ti^ov, oT lyu /xsy xoci a^Xci "jB-oXXot ravrx 
 <P^oti[ji-if, ui; xa V7a.)nu<; fni^a&i, tto yi- 
 vvia-oixivov. IloXXa? ^ uv xxi Tuf ti55 KA0A- 
 PAS KAI EYZEBOYS ovruv X^irtottm TNn- 
 MHS raro f^y, yvw^t^siv, to-jj/xana croi. The 
 note fubjoined to this pafTage out of Ju- 
 |ftin, in Thirlby's Ed. an. 1722. is, 
 rioXXa; y av Kcci ruiv tij? xaSa^a?] Medus 
 (quern fequitur Tillotfonus, Reg. Fidei 
 per. iii. fed. 9. p, 756. Sc feq.) legit tuv 
 u rr,; Kcc^x^xi;. Vchemcnter errant viri 
 pra.'clari. 
 
 And in Jebb's Edit. an. 1719. we have 
 the following note: Dodlrina itaque de 
 Millennio, neque erat univerfalis ecclefiar 
 traditio, nee opinio de fide recepta, &c.
 
 [ 70 j 
 
 flin and Laflantius, as the fal, 
 you fay, is not difputed. In a 
 man, who has read fo many books, 
 and to fo good a purpofe, he mufl 
 be captious indeed, who cannot 
 excufe fmall miftakes: that unpre- 
 judiced regard to truth, however, 
 which is the great chara(5leriftic of 
 every diftinguiflied hiftorian, will, 
 I am perfuaded, make you thank 
 me lor recaHing to your memory, 
 that Origen, the moft learned of 
 all the fathers, and Dionyfius, bi- 
 fhop of Alexandria, ufually for his 
 immenfe erudition furnamed the 
 Great, were both of them prior to 
 Ladantius, and both of them im- 
 pugners of the Millennium do- 
 ftrine. Look, Sir, into Moflieim, 
 or almoft any writer of ecclefiafti- 
 
 cal
 
 [ 7' 3 
 
 cal hlftory ; and you will find the 
 oppofidon of Origen and Dlony- 
 fius to this fyftem, particularly 
 noticed : look into fo common an 
 author as Whitby , and in his 
 learned treatife upon this fubjedl, 
 you will find he has well proved 
 thefe two propoficions , firft, that 
 this opinion of the Millennium was 
 never generally received in the 
 church of Chrift : fecondly, that 
 there is no juft ground to think 
 it was derived from the Apoftles. 
 From hence, 1 think, we may 
 conclude, that this Millennium 
 do(5lrine, (which, by the bye, 
 though it be new modelled, is not 
 yet thrown afide) could not have 
 been any very ferviceable fcaffbld, 
 E 4 in
 
 [ 72 ] 
 in the eredion of that mighty edi- 
 fice, which has crufned by the 
 weight of it's materials, and debafed 
 by the elegance of it's ftrudure, 
 the ftatelieft temples of heathen 
 fuperftkion. With thefe remarks, 
 I take leave of the Millennium-, 
 juft obferving, that your third 
 circumftance, the general confla- 
 gration, feems to be effedually in- 
 cluded in your firfl:, the fpeedy 
 coming of Chrift. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 LET-
 
 LETTER THIRD. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 YO U efteem " the miraculous 
 "powers afcribed to the 
 *' primitive church," as the 
 third of the lecondary caufes of the 
 rapid growth of Chriftianity; I 
 fhould be wiHing to account the 
 miracles, not merely afcribed to 
 the primitive church, but really 
 performed by the Apoftles, as the 
 one great primary caufe of the 
 converfion of the Gentiles. But 
 
 waving
 
 [ 74 ] 
 
 waving this confideration, Itt us fee 
 whether the miraculous powers, 
 which you afcribe to the primitive 
 church, were in any eminent degree 
 calculated to fpread the beUet of 
 Chrillianiry amongft a great, and 
 an enlightened people. 
 
 They confided, you tell us, "of 
 '* divine infpirations, conveyed 
 *'' fometimes in the form of a fleep- 
 *' ing, fometimes of a waking vifi- 
 *' on V and were liberally bellowed 
 " on all ranks of the faithful, 
 " on women as on elders, on boys 
 ** as well as upon Bifhops." " The 
 " defign of thefe vifions, you fay, 
 " was for the mofl: part either to 
 " difclofe the future hiftory, or to 
 " guide the prefent adminiftraiion 
 *' of the church." " You fpeak of 
 
 *' the
 
 [ IS ] 
 *' the expnlfion of Demons as an 
 " ordinary triumph of reHgion, 
 " ufually performed in a public 
 " manner -, and when the patient 
 ** was relieved by the (kill or the 
 " power of the Exorcift, the yan- 
 " quifhed Demon was heard to 
 " confcfs, that he was one of the 
 *' fabled gods of antiquity, who 
 '' had impioufly ufurped the ado- 
 *' ration of mankind-," and you 
 reprefent even the miracle of the 
 refurredion of the dead, as fre- 
 quently performed on neceflary 
 occafions. Caft your eye. Sir, 
 upon the church of Rome, and 
 afl< yourfelf, (I put the queftion 
 to your heart, and beg you will 
 confult that for an anfwer; afk. 
 yourfelf,) whether her abfurd pre- 
 
 tenfions
 
 [ 76 ] 
 tenfions to that very kind of mira- 
 Gtilous powers, you have here 
 difplayed as operating to the increafe 
 of Chriftianity, have not converted 
 half her numbers to Proteftantifm, 
 and the other half to Infidelity? 
 Neither the fword of the civil 
 magiftrate, nor the pofleflion of the 
 keys of heaven, nor the terrors of 
 her fpiritual thunder, have been 
 able to keep within her Pale, even 
 thole who have been bred up in 
 her faith , how then fhould you 
 think, that the very caufe, which 
 hath almoft extinguifhed Chriftia- 
 nity amongft Chriftians, fhould 
 have eftabliflied it amongft Pagaris ? 
 I beg, I may not be mifunderffSSd; 
 I do not take upon me to my, 
 that all the miracles recorded in the 
 
 hiftorv
 
 [ n ] 
 
 hiftory of the primitive church 
 after the apoftoUcal age, were for- 
 geries; it is foreign to the prefent 
 purpofe to deHver any opinion upon 
 that fubjefl j but I do beg leave to 
 infift upon this, that fuch of them 
 as were forgeries, muft in that 
 learned age, by their eafy detedion, 
 have rather impeded, than accele- 
 rated the progrefs of Chriftianity : 
 and it appears very probable to me, 
 that nothing but the recent pre- 
 vailing evidence, of real, unque- 
 ftioned, apoilolical miracles, could 
 have fecured the infant church 
 from being deltroyed by thofe, 
 which were falfely afcribed to it. 
 
 It is not every man, who can nicely 
 feparate the corruptions of religion 
 from religion itfelfj norjufllyappor-
 
 [ 78 I 
 
 tlon the degrees of credit due to the 
 diverficies of evidence ; and thofe, 
 who have abiUty for the tafk, are 
 iifually ready enough to emancipate 
 themfelves from gofpel reftraints, 
 (which thwart the propenfities of 
 fenfe, check the ebullitions of paf- 
 fion, and combat the prejudices 
 of the world at every turnj by 
 blending it's native fimplicity with 
 the fuperftitions, which have been 
 derived from it. No argument fo 
 well fuited to the indolence or the 
 immorality of mankind, as that 
 priefts of all ages and religions are 
 the fame :, we fee the prctenfions of 
 the Romifn priefthood to miracu- 
 lous powers, and we know them 
 to be falfe , we are confcious, that 
 tliey at Icafl mufl: facrifice their 
 
 inte-
 
 [ 19 ] 
 mtegrlty to their intereft, or their 
 ambition; and being perfuaded, 
 that there is a great famenefs in 
 the pafllons of mankind, and in 
 their incentives to aftion ; and 
 knowing, that the hiftory of pad 
 ages is abundantly (lored with 
 fimiJar claims to fupernatural au- 
 thority, we traverfe back in imagi- 
 nation the mofl: diftant regions of 
 antiquity , and finding, from a 
 luperficial view, nothing to difcri- 
 minate one fet of men, or one 
 period of time from another i we 
 haftily conclude, that all revealed 
 religion is a cheat, and that the 
 miracles attributed to the Apoftlcs 
 ihcmfelves, are fupported bv no 
 b;;tter tcftimony, nor more worthy 
 our attention, than the prou'i:^ir.s 
 
 of
 
 [ So ] 
 
 of Pagan ftory, or the lying 
 wonders of papal artifice. I have 
 no intcntio'n in this place, to en- 
 Jarge upon the many circumftances, 
 by which a candid inquirer afcer 
 truth might be enabled to diflin- 
 guifli a pointed difference between 
 the miracles of Chriil and his 
 Apoftles, and the tricks of antient 
 or modern fuperftition. One ob- 
 fervation I would juft fugged to 
 you upon the fubjed ; the miracles 
 recorded in the old and new Tefta- 
 ment, are fo intimately united with 
 the narration of common events, 
 and the ordinary tranfadions of 
 life, that you cannot, as in pro- 
 fane hi (lory, feparate the one 
 from the other. My meaning will 
 be ill u ft rated by an inftance j Ta- 
 citus
 
 C ^i J 
 
 eitus and Suetonius have handed 
 down to us an account of many 
 great adlions performed by Vef- 
 pafian; amongft the reft, they 
 inform us of his having wrought 
 fome miracles, of his having cured 
 a lame man, and reftored fight 
 to one that was blind. But what 
 they tell us of thefe miracles, is fo 
 unconnefted with every thing that 
 goes before and after, that you 
 may rejedl the relation of them 
 without injuring, in any degree, 
 the confiftency of the narration of 
 the other circumftances of his life : 
 On the other hand, if you rejedl 
 the relation of the miracles faid to 
 have been performed by Jefus 
 Chrift, you muft neceflarily rejeft 
 the account of his whole life, and 
 F of
 
 [ 82 ] 
 
 ot feveral tranfaftions, concerning 
 which we have the undoubted 
 teftimony of other writers befides 
 the Evangelifts. Butif this argu- 
 ment (hould not ftrike you, perhaps 
 the following obfervation may 
 tend to remove a little of the pre- 
 judice, ufually conceived againft 
 gofpel miracles, by men of lively 
 imaginations, from the grofs for- 
 geries attributed to the firft ages 
 of the church. 
 
 The phasnomena of phyficks 
 are fometimes happily illuftrated 
 by an Hypothefis; and the moft 
 recondite truths of Mathematical 
 fcience not unfrequently inveftigat- 
 ed, from an abfurd pofition ; what 
 if we (hould try the fame method 
 of arguing in the cafe before us. 
 
 Let
 
 [ 85 ] 
 
 Let us fuppofe then, that a new 
 rev^elation was to be promulgcd to 
 mankind, and that twelve unlearn- 
 ed and unfriended men, inhabitants 
 of any country moft odious and 
 derpicable in the eyes of Europe, 
 Ihould by the power of God be 
 endowed with the faculty of fpeak- 
 ing languages they had never learn- 
 ed, and performing works furpafling 
 all human ability, and that being 
 ftrongly impreffed with a particu- 
 lap truth, which they were com- 
 miflioncd to promulgate, they 
 Ihould travel, not only through the 
 barbarous regions of Africa, but 
 through all the learned and polHhed 
 ftates of Europe ; preaching every 
 where with unremitted fedulity a 
 new religion, working ftupendous 
 F 2 miracles
 
 [ 84 ] 
 
 miracles in atteftation of thcif 
 miffion, and communicating to 
 their firft converts (as a feal of their 
 converfion) a variety of fpiritual 
 gifts; does it appear probable to 
 you, that after the death of thefe 
 men, and probably after the deaths 
 of moft of their immediate fuccef- 
 fors, who had been zealoufly at- 
 tached to the faith they had feen fo 
 miraculoufly confirmed, that none 
 would ever attempt to impofe upon 
 the credulous or the ignorant, by a 
 fiaitious claim to fupernatural 
 powers? would none of them afpirc 
 to the gift of tongues? would none 
 of them miftake phrenfy for illu- 
 mination, and the delufions of ^ 
 heated brain for the impulfes of 
 the fpirit? would none undertake 
 ; to
 
 [ 85 ] 
 
 to cure inveterate diforders, to 
 expel Demons, or to raife the dead ? 
 As far as I can apprehend, we 
 ought, from fuch a pofition, to 
 deduce, by every rule of probable 
 reafoning, the precife condufion, 
 which was in fzd: verified in the 
 cafe of the Apoftles ; every fpecies 
 of miracles, which heaven had 
 enabled the firft preachers to per- 
 form, would be counterfeited, either 
 from mifguided zeal, or interelled 
 cunning i either through the imbe- 
 cility, or the iniquity of mankind; 
 and we might juft as reafonably 
 conclude, that there never was any 
 piety, charity, or chaflity in the 
 world, from feeing fuch plenty of 
 pretenders to thefe .virtues, as that 
 there never were any real miracles 
 F 3 per-
 
 [ 86 ] 
 
 performed, from confidering the 
 great (lore of thofe, which have 
 been forged. 
 
 But, I know not how it has 
 happened, there are many in the 
 prefent age ( I am far from includ- 
 ing you. Sir, in the number) whofe 
 prejudices againfl all miraculous 
 events have arifcn to that height, 
 that it appears to them utterly 
 impoffible for any human tefti- 
 mony, however great, to ellablifh 
 their credibility. I beg pardon 
 for filling their reafoning, prejudice; 
 I have no defign to give offence 
 by that word -, they may, with 
 equal right, throw the fame impu- 
 tation upon mine , and I think it 
 juft as illiberal in Divines, to attri- 
 bute the fcepticifm of every Deifl 
 
 to
 
 [ 8/ ] 
 
 to wilful infidelity j as it is in the 
 Deifts, to refer the faith of every 
 Divine to profeflional biafs. I have 
 not had fo little intercourfe with 
 mankind, nor fhunned fo much 
 the delightful freedom of focial 
 converfe, as to be ignorant, that 
 there are many men of upright 
 morals and good underftandings, 
 to whom, as you exprefs it, " a 
 'latent and even involuntary fcep- 
 " ticifm adheres-," and who would 
 be glad to be perfuaded to be 
 Chriftians : and how fevere foever 
 fome men may be in their judge- 
 ments concerning one another ; yet 
 we Chriftians at leaft, hope, and 
 believe, that the great Judge of all 
 will make allowance for *' our ha- 
 bits of ftudy and refledion," for 
 F 4 various
 
 [ 88 ] 
 
 vafious drcumftances, the efficacy 
 of which in giving a particular 
 bent to the underftandings of men, 
 we can neither comprehend, nor 
 eftimate. For the fake of fuch 
 men, if fuch fhould ever be induced 
 to throw an hour away in the peru- 
 fal of thefe letters, fuffer me to 
 ftep for a moment out of my way, 
 whilft I hazard an obfervation or 
 two upon the fubjeft. 
 
 Knowledge is rightly divided by 
 Mr. Locke into intuitive, fcnfuive, 
 and demonftrative , it is clear, that 
 a pad miracle can neither be the 
 object of fenfe, nor of intuition, 
 nor confequently of demonitration , 
 we cannot then, philofophically 
 fpeaking, be faid to know, that a 
 miracle has ever been performed. 
 But in ail the great concerns of 
 
 hfe.
 
 r 89 ] 
 
 life, we are influenced by probabi- 
 lity, rather tlian knowledge: and 
 of probability, the fame great au- 
 thor eilabhfhes two foundations i 
 a conformity to our own experience, 
 and the tellimony of others. Now 
 it is contended, that by the oppo- 
 fition of thefe two principles, pror 
 bability is deftroyedj or, in other 
 terms, that human teftimony can 
 never influence the mind to aflent 
 to a propofition repugnant to uni- 
 form experience. Whofe expe- 
 rience do you mean ? you will not 
 fay, your own j for the experience 
 of an individual reaches but a little 
 way , and no doubt, you daily af- 
 fent to a thoufand truths in poli- 
 ticks, in phyficks, and in the bufi- 
 nefs of common life, v/hich you 
 
 have
 
 [ 90 J 
 
 have never feen verified by expe- 
 rience. ~ You will not produce the 
 experience of your friends , for that 
 can extend itfclf but a little way, 
 beyond your own. - But by uni- 
 form experience, I conceive, you 
 are defirous of underftanding the 
 experience of all ages and nations 
 fince the foundation of the world. 
 I anfwer, firft , how is it, that you 
 become acquainted with the expe- 
 rience of all ages and nations? You 
 will reply, from hiftory. Be it fo : 
 perufe then, by far the moil an- 
 tient records of antiquity, and if 
 you find no mention of miracles in 
 them, I give up the point. Yes-,- 
 but every thing related therein re- 
 fpecling miracles, is to be reckon- 
 ed fabulous. Wljy? Becaufe 
 
 mi-
 
 f^ 9' ] 
 
 miracles contradidl the experience 
 of all ages and nations. Do you 
 not perceive, Sir, that you beg the 
 very queftion in debate? for we 
 affirm, that the great and learned 
 nation of Egypt, that the Heathen 
 inhabiting the land of Canaan, that 
 the numerous people of the Jews, 
 and the nations, which, for ages, 
 furrounded them, have all had 
 great experience of miracles. You 
 cannot otherways obviate this con- 
 clufion, than by queflioning the 
 authenticity of that book; con- 
 cerning which, Newton, when he 
 was writing his Commentary on 
 Daniel, exprefled himfelf to the 
 perfon,* from whom I had the 
 
 anec- 
 
 Dr. Smith, late Mafler of Trinity 
 College.
 
 [ 92 ] 
 
 anecdote, and which dcferves not 
 to be loft*, " 1 find more fure 
 marks of authenticity in the Bible, 
 than in any profane hiftory what- 
 foever." 
 
 However, I mean not to prefs you 
 with the argument ad verecundiam:, 
 it is needlefs to fohcit your mo- 
 defty, when it may be poffible, 
 perhaps, to make an imprefTion 
 ijpon your judgment : I anfwer 
 therefore, in the fecond place, that 
 the admifiion of the pnnciple, by 
 which you reje(St miracles, will lead 
 us into abfurdity. The laws of 
 gravitation, are the raoft obvious 
 of all tiie laws of nature , every 
 perlon in every part of the globe, 
 mud of neceffity have had expe- 
 Tience of them : There was a time, 
 
 when
 
 C 93 1 
 
 when no one was acquainted with 
 the laws of magnetilmj thefe fu- 
 Ipend in many inftances the laws 
 of gravity, nor can I fee, upon 
 the principle in queftion, how the 
 reft of mankind could have credit- 
 ed the teftimony of their firft dif- 
 coverer ; and yet to have rejedted 
 it, would have been to reje6l the 
 truth. But that a piece of iron 
 Ihould afcend gradually from the 
 earth, and fly at laft with an in- 
 crcafing rapidity through the air; 
 and attaching itfelf to another piece 
 of iron, or to a particular fpecies of 
 iron ore, fhould remain fufpended 
 in oppofition to the adion of it's 
 gravity, is confonant to the laws of 
 nature. I grant it; but there 
 was a time, when ix was contrary, 
 
 I
 
 [ 94 ] 
 
 I fay not to the laws of nature, 
 but to the uniform experience of 
 all preceding ages and countries; 
 and at that particular point of time, 
 the teftimony of an individual, or 
 of a dozen individuals, who Hiould 
 have reported themfelves eye wit- 
 neffes of fuch a fad, ought, ac- 
 cording to your argumentation, to 
 have been received as fabulous. 
 And what are thofe laws of nature, 
 which, you think, can never be 
 fufpended? are they not different 
 to different men, according to the 
 diverfities of their comprehenfion 
 and knowledge ? and if any one of 
 them, (that, for inftance, which 
 rules the operations of magnetifm 
 or elcftricity,) fhould have been 
 known to you or to me alone, 
 
 whilft
 
 [ 95 1 
 
 whilft all the reft of the world 
 were unacquainted with it ; the 
 efFedts of it would have been 
 new, and unheard of in the an- 
 nals, and contrary to the expe- 
 rience of mankind ; and there- 
 fore ought not, in your opinion, to 
 have been believed. Nor do I 
 underftand, what difference, as to 
 credibility, there could be, between 
 the effefls of fuch an unknown law 
 of nature and a miracle-, for it is a 
 matter of no moment, in that view, 
 whether the fufpenfion of the known 
 laws of nature be effected, that is, 
 whether a miracle be performed, by 
 the mediation of other laws that 
 are unknown, or by the miniftry of 
 a perfon divinely commiffioned; 
 fince it is impoffible for us to be 
 
 cer-
 
 f 96 ] 
 
 certain, that it is contradiftory to 
 the conftitution of the univerfe, 
 that the laws of nature, which 
 appear to us general, fhould not 
 be fufpended, and their adion 
 overruled by others, dill more ge- 
 neral, though lefs known -, that is, 
 that miracles fhould not be per- 
 formed before fuch a Being as 
 Man, at thofe times, in thofc 
 places, and under thofe circum- 
 ftances, which God, in his univer- 
 fal providence, had preordained. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LET-
 
 LETTER FOURTH. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I Readily acknowledge the uti- 
 lity of your fourth caufe, " the 
 virtues of the firft Chriftians,'* 
 as greatly conducing to the fpread- 
 ing their religion ; but then you 
 feem to quite mar the compliment 
 you pay them, by reprefenting their 
 virtues, as proceeding either from 
 their repentance for having been 
 the mod abandoned finners, or 
 from the laudable defire of fup- 
 G porting
 
 [ 98 3 
 porting the reputation of the (b- 
 ciety, in which they were engaged. 
 That repentance is the firft ftep 
 to virtue, is true enough; but I 
 fee no reafon for fuppofing, ac- 
 cording to the calumnies of Celfus 
 and Julian, " that the Chriftians 
 allured into their party, men, who 
 walhed away in the waters of bap- 
 tifm the guilt, for which the tem- 
 ples of the gods refufed to grant 
 them any expiation." The Apo- 
 ftles. Sir, di^ not, like Romulus, 
 open an afylum for debtors, thieves, 
 and murderers J for they had not 
 the fame fturdy means of fecuring 
 their adherents from the grafp of 
 civil power ; they did not perfuade 
 them to abandon the temples of 
 the gods, becaufe they could there 
 .1 ob-
 
 [ 99 ] 
 
 obtain no expiation for their guilt j 
 but becaufe every degree of guilt, 
 was expiated in them with too 
 great facility ; and every vice 
 praflifed, not only without remorfe 
 of private confcience, but with the 
 powerful fandtian of public appro- 
 bation. 
 
 " After the example, you fay, 
 " of their Divine Mafter, the 
 *' miflionaries of the gofpel ad- 
 " drefled themfelves to men, and 
 " efpecially to women, opprefled by 
 " the confcioufncfs, and very often 
 " by the effects of their vices." 
 This, Sir, I really think, is not a fair 
 reprefentation of the matter; it 
 may catch the applaufe of the 
 unlearned, embolden many a 
 tripling to cafl off for ever the 
 
 G 2 fwcct
 
 [ 100 1 
 
 fweet blufh of modefty, confirm 
 many a diffolute veteran in the 
 pradtice of his impure habits, and, 
 fuggeft great occafion' of merri- 
 ment and wanton mockery to the 
 flagitious of every denomination 
 and every age ; but ftill it will 
 want that foundation of truth, 
 which alone can recommend it to 
 the ferious and judicious. The 
 Apoftles, Sir, were not like the 
 Italian Fratricelli of the thirteenth, 
 nor the French Turlupins of the 
 fourteenth century, in all the dirt 
 that has been raked up againft 
 Chriftianity, even by the worft of 
 it's enemies, not a fpeck of that 
 kind have they been able to fix, 
 either upon the Apoftles, or their 
 Divine Mailer. The gofpel of 
 
 Jefus
 
 [ loi ] 
 
 Jefus Chrift, Sir, was not preached 
 in fingle houfes, or obfcure villages, 
 not in fubterraneoLis caves and im- 
 pure brothels, not in lazars and in 
 prifons ; but in the fynagogues and 
 in the temples, in the llreets and in 
 the market-places of the great 
 capitals of the Roman provinces; 
 in Jerufalem, in Corinth, and in 
 Antloch, in Athens, in Ephefus, 
 and in Rome. Nor do I any 
 where find, that it's miflionaries 
 were ordered particularly to addrefs 
 themfelves to the fliamelefs women 
 you mention ; I do indeed find 
 the direct contrary; for they were 
 ordered to turn away from, to have 
 no fellowfhip or intercourfe with 
 fuch, as were wont to creep into 
 houfes J and lead captivs f.Vy women 
 G 3 ladm
 
 [ 102 ] 
 laden with fms^ led away with 
 divers lujis. And what if a few 
 women, who had either been fe- 
 duced by their paflions, or had 
 fallen viftims to the licentious 
 manners of their age, fhould be 
 found amongft thofe, who were 
 moft ready to receive a religion 
 that forbad all impurity ? I do not 
 apprehend, that this circumftance 
 ought to bring an infinuation of 
 difcredit, either upon the fex, or 
 upon thofe who wrought their re- 
 formation. 
 
 That the majority of the firil 
 converts to Chriftianity, were of 
 an inferior condition in life, may 
 readily be allowed ; and you your- 
 felf have in another place given a 
 good reafon for it 5 thofe who are 
 
 dif-
 
 [ 103 ] 
 
 diftinguifhed by riches, honours, 
 or knowledge, being fo very in- 
 confiderable in number, when 
 compared with the bulk of man- 
 kind : But though not many migh- 
 ty, not many noble, were called; 
 yet fome mighty, and fome noble, 
 fome of as great reputation as any 
 of the age in which they lived, 
 were attached to the Chriftian 
 faith. Short indeed are the ac- 
 counts, which have been tranf- 
 mJtted to us, of the firft propagat- 
 ing of Chriftianity; yet even in 
 thefe, we meet with the names of 
 many, who would have done cre- 
 dit to any caufe ; I will not pre- 
 tend to enumerate them all, a few 
 of them will be fufficient to make 
 you recolie<5l, that there were, at 
 G 4 Icafl,
 
 [ 1^4 ] 
 
 leafl, fome converts to Chriftianityi 
 both from among the Jews and 
 the Gentiles, whofe Hves were not 
 ftained with inexpiable crimes. 
 Amongft thefc we reckon Nico- 
 demus, a ruler of the Jews, Jofeph 
 of Arimathea, a man of fortune 
 and a counfellor, a nobleman and 
 a centurion of Capernaum, Jairus, 
 Crifpus, Softhenes, rulers of fyna- 
 gogues, Apollos an eloquent and 
 learned man, Zenas a Jewifh law- 
 yer, the treafurer of Candace queen 
 of -Ethiopia, Cornelius, a centu- 
 rion of the Italian band, Dionyfius 
 a member of the Areopagus at 
 Athens, and Sergius Paulus, a man 
 of proconfular or praetorian au- 
 thority, of whom it may be re- 
 marked, that if he.refigned his 
 
 high
 
 [ -05 ] 
 
 high and lucrative office in confe- 
 quence of his turning Chriftian, it 
 is a ftrong prefumption in it's fa- 
 vour; if he retained it, we may 
 conclude, that the profeffion of 
 Chriftianity was not fo utterly 
 incompatible with the difcharge 
 of the offices of civil life, as you 
 fometimes reprefent it. This Ca- 
 talogue of men of rank, fortune, 
 and knowledge, who embraced 
 Chriftianity, might, was itneceffary, 
 be much enlarged; and probably 
 another converfation with St. Paul 
 would have enabled us to grace it 
 with the names of Feftus, and king 
 Agrippa himfelf-, not that the 
 writers of the Books of the new 
 Teft:ament feem to have been at all 
 folicitous, in mentioning the great 
 
 or
 
 [ io6 ] 
 
 or the learned, who were converted 
 to the faith : had that been part of 
 their defign, they would, in the 
 true ftile of impoftors, have kept 
 out of fight the publicans and 
 finners, the tanners and the tent- 
 makers with whom they converfed 
 and dwelt -, and introduced to our 
 notice none but thofe, who had 
 been brought up with Herod, or 
 the chief men of Afia whom they 
 had the honour to number amongft 
 their friends. 
 
 That the Primitive Chriftians 
 took great care to have an unfullie<;i 
 reputation, by abftaining from the 
 commiffion of whatever might 
 tend to pollute it, is eafily admit- 
 ed i but we do not fo eafily grant, 
 that this care is a '* circumftance, 
 
 " which
 
 [ 107 ] 
 " which ufually attends finall affem- 
 " bhes of men, when they feparate 
 " themfelves from the body of a 
 '* nation, or the religion to which 
 " they belong." It did not attend 
 the Nicolaitanes, rhe Simonians, 
 the Menandrians, and the Carpo- 
 cratians in the firft ages of the 
 church, of which you are fpeaking; 
 and it cannot be unknown to you, 
 Sir> that the fcandalous vices of 
 thefe very early Sectaries, brought 
 a general and undiflinguifhed cen- 
 fure upon the Chriflian name ; and 
 fo far from promoting the increafe 
 of the church, excited in the minds 
 of the Pagans an abhorrence of 
 whatever refpcded it ; it cannot be 
 unknown to you. Sir, that feveral 
 Sedaries both at home and iibroad 
 
 "might
 
 [ w8 ] 
 
 might be mentioned, who have 
 departed from the religion to which 
 they belonged; and which, un- 
 happily for themfelves and the 
 community, have taken as little 
 care to preferve their reputation 
 unfpotted, as thofe of the firfl; and 
 fecond centuries. If then the firft 
 Chriftians did take the care you 
 mention, (and I am wholly of your 
 opinion in that point;) their folici- 
 tude might as candidly, perhaps, 
 and as reafonably be derived from 
 a fenfe of their duty, and an honeft 
 endeavour to difcharge it, as 
 from the mere defire of increafing 
 the honour of their confraternity 
 by the illuftrious integrity of it's 
 members. 
 You are eloquent in defcribing 
 
 the
 
 [ 109 ] 
 
 the auftere morality of the primitive 
 Chriftians, as adverfe to the pro- 
 penfities of fenfe, and abhorrent 
 from all the innocent pleafures and 
 amufements of life , and you en- 
 large, with a ftudied minutenefs, 
 upon their cenfures of luxury, and 
 their fentiments concerning mar- 
 riage and Chaility , but in this cir- 
 cumftantial enumeration of their 
 errors or their faults, (which I am 
 under no neceflity of denying or 
 excufing,) you feem to forget the 
 very purpofe, for which you pro- 
 fefs to have introduced the mention 
 of them i for the pi6lure you have 
 drawn is fo hideous, and the 
 colouring fo difirjal, that inftead 
 of alluring to a clofer infpedlion, 
 
 it
 
 [ no ] 
 it mufl have made every man of 
 pleafure or of fenfe turn from it 
 with horror or difguft ; and fo for 
 from contributing to the rapid 
 growth of Chriftianity by the au- 
 fterity of their manners, it mull be 
 a wonder to any one, how the firft 
 Chriftians ever made a fingle 
 convert, It was firft objedted by 
 Celfus, that Chriftianity was a 
 mean religion, inculcating fuch a 
 pufillanimity and patience under 
 affronts, fuch a contempt of riches 
 and worldly honours, as muft 
 weaken the nerves of civil govern- 
 ment, and expofe a fociety of 
 Chriftians to the prey of the firft 
 invaders. This objedtion has been 
 repeated by Baylej and though 
 
 fully
 
 [ J>I ] 
 
 fully anfwered by Bernard and 
 others, it is ftill the favourite theme 
 of every Efprit fort of our own age ; 
 even you, Sir, think the averfion of 
 Chriftians to the bufinefs of war 
 and government, * a criminal dif- 
 *' regard to the pubHck welfare." 
 To all that has been faid upon 
 this fubjeft, it may with juftice, I 
 think, be anfwered, that Chriftia- 
 nity troubles not itfelf with order- 
 ing the conftitutions of civil focie- 
 ties ; but levels the weight of all it*s 
 influence at the hearts of the in- 
 dividuals which compofe them ; 
 and as Celfus faid to Origen, was 
 every individual in every nation a 
 gofpel Chriftian, there would be 
 neither internal injuflice, nor ex- 
 ternal
 
 [ "2 ] 
 
 ternal war , there would be none of 
 thofe paflions, which imbitter the 
 intercourfes of civil life, and defo- 
 late the globe. What reproach 
 then can it be to a religion, that it 
 inculcates dodtrines, which, if uni- 
 verfally pradtifed, would introduce 
 univerfal tranquillity, and the mod 
 exalted happinefs amongft mankind? 
 It muft proceed from a total 
 mifapprehenfion of the defign of 
 the Chriftian difpenfation, or from 
 a very ignorant interpretation of 
 the particular injundions, forbid- 
 ding us to make riches or honours 
 a primary purfuit, or the prompt 
 gratification of revenge a firft prin- 
 ciple of adion, to infer, that an 
 individual Chriftian is obliged by 
 
 his
 
 [ 113 ] 
 
 his religion to offer his throat to 
 an affailin, and his property to the 
 firft plunderer i or that a fociety of 
 Chriftians may not repel, in the 
 beft manner they are able, the 
 unjuft afTaults of lioftile invafion. 
 
 I know of no precepts in the 
 gofpel, which debar a man from 
 the polTeffion of domeftic comforts, 
 or deaden the adlivity of his pri- 
 vate friendfhips, or prohibit the 
 exertion of his utmoft ability in 
 the fervice of the publick ; the 
 nifi quietiim nihil heatum is no 
 part of the Chriftian's Creed his 
 virtue, is an aflive virtue ; and 
 we juftly refer to the fchool of 
 Epicurus, the doctrines concern- 
 ing abftinence from marriage, 
 ?I from
 
 i 114 ] 
 
 from the cultivation of friencifhip, 
 from the management of publick 
 affairs, as fuited to that felfifh 
 indolence, which was the favourite 
 tenet of his philofophy. 
 
 I am. Sir, 
 
 LET-
 
 LETTER FIFTH. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 *' r ^ H E union and the dif- 
 I "ciplinc of the Chri- 
 "* " flian church," or, as 
 you are pleafed to ftile it, of the 
 Chriftian republic, is the laft of 
 the five fecondary caufes, to which 
 you have referred the rapid and 
 extenfive fpread of Chriftianity. 
 It muft be acknowledged, that uni- 
 on eflentially contributes to the 
 ftrength of every affociation, civil, 
 II 2 niili-
 
 [ i'6 ] 
 
 military, and religious ; but unfor- 
 tunately for your argument, and 
 much to the reproach of Chriftians, 
 nothing has been more wanting 
 amongft them, from the apoftolic 
 age to our own, than union. 
 I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and 
 1 of Cephas^ and I of Chrift, are ex- 
 prefTions of difunion, which we 
 meet with in the earlieft period of 
 church hiftory; and we cannot look 
 into the writings of any, either 
 friend or foe to Chriftianity, but 
 we find the one of them lamenting, 
 and the other exulting in an im- 
 menfe catalogue of feftaries ; and 
 both of thern thereby furnifhing us 
 with great rcafon to believe, that 
 the divifions with refpedt to doc- 
 trine, woiTnip, and difcipline, which 
 
 have
 
 [ "7 ] 
 
 have ever fubfifted in the church, 
 mufl have greatly tended to Juirt 
 the credit of Chriftianity, and to 
 alienate the minds of the Gendles 
 from the reception of fuch a vari- 
 ous and difcordant faith. 
 
 I readily grant, that there was 
 a certain community of do6lrine, 
 an intercourfe of hofpitality, and a 
 confederacy of difciphne eftabhliied 
 amongft the individuals of every 
 church ; fo that none could be ad- 
 mitted into any alTcmbly of Chri- 
 ftians, without undergoing a pre- 
 vious examination into his manner 
 of life*, (which fhews by the bye, 
 H 3 that 
 
 Nonnulli pracpofiti funt, qui in vitam 
 et mores corum, qui admittuntur, in- 
 quirant, ut noii concefTa facicntcs candi- 
 tlatos rcligioiiis arceant a fuis convcnti- 
 bus, Orig. Con, Ccl. Lib. 2.
 
 [ 1^8 J 
 
 that every reprobate could not, aa 
 the fit feized him, or his intereft 
 induced him, become a Chriftian) 
 and without protefting in the mod 
 lolemn manner, that he would 
 neither be guilty of murder, nor 
 adultery, nor theft, nor perfidy ; 
 and it may be granted alfo, that 
 thofe who broke this compadt, 
 were ejefted by common confent 
 from the confraternity into which. 
 they had been admitted ; it may 
 be further granted, that this con- 
 federacy extended itfelf to inde- 
 pendent churches -, and that thofe 
 who had, for their immoralities, 
 been excluded from Chriftian com^ 
 munity in any one church, were 
 rarely, if ever admitted to it by 
 another ; jufl as a member, who 
 
 has
 
 [ "9 ] 
 
 has been expelled any one College 
 in an Univerfity, is generally 
 thought unworthy of being ad- 
 mitted by any other: But it is 
 not admitted, that this feverity 
 and tliis union of difcipline 
 could ever have induced the Pa- 
 gans to forfake the gods of their 
 country, and to expofe themfelves 
 to the contemptuous hatred of their 
 neighbours, and to all the feve- 
 ritics of perfecution exercifed, 
 with unrelenting barbarity, againft 
 the Chriftians. 
 
 The account you give of the 
 origin and progrefs of epifcopal 
 jurifdidion, of the pre-eminence of 
 the Metropolitan churches, and of 
 the ambition of the Roman Pontiff, 
 I believe to be in general accurate 
 H 4 and
 
 [ 120 ] 
 
 and true -, and I am not in the leafl: 
 furprifed at the bitternefs, which 
 now and then efcapes you in 
 treating this fubjed: ; for, to fee the 
 moft benign rehgion that imagina- 
 tion can form, becoming an in- 
 Itrument of oppreflion ; and the 
 moft humble one adminiftering to 
 the pride, the avarice, and the 
 ambition of thofe, who wilhed to 
 be confidered as it's guardians, 
 and who avowed themfelves it's 
 profeffors, would extort a cenfure 
 from men more attached probably 
 to church authority than yourfelf : 
 Not that I think it, either a very 
 candid, or a very ufeful undertak- 
 ing, to be folely and indullrioufly 
 engaged in portraying the charac- 
 ters of the profeffors of Chriftl- 
 
 anity
 
 [ 121 ] 
 
 anlty in the worfl colours ; It is not 
 candid, becaufe *' the great law of 
 " impartiality, which obliges an 
 " hiftorian to reveal the imper- 
 * fedtions of the uninfpired teach- 
 " ers and believers of the gofpel,'* 
 obliges him alfo not to conceal, or 
 to pafs over with niggard and re- 
 ludant mention, the illiiftrious 
 virtues of thofe, who gave up for- 
 tune and fame, all their comforts, 
 and all their hopes in this life, nay, 
 life itfelf, rather than violate any 
 one of the precepts of that gofpel, 
 which, from the teftimony of in- 
 fpired teachers, they conceived they 
 had good reafon to believe; it is 
 not ulcful, becaufe " to a carelefs 
 *' obfcrvcr," (that is, to the gene- 
 rality of mankind) " iheir faults 
 
 " may
 
 [ 122 ] 
 
 " may feem to cad a fhade on the 
 '* faith, which they profeffed;" and 
 may really infe6l the minds of the 
 young and unlearned erpecially,with 
 prejudices againft a religion, upon 
 their rational reception or rejedion 
 of which, a matter of the utmoft 
 importance may (believe me, Sir, it 
 may, for ought you or any perfon 
 elfe can prove to the contrary,) 
 entirely depend. It is an eaiy 
 matter to amufe ourfelves and 
 others with the immoralities of 
 priefts, and the ambition of pre- 
 lates, with the ablurd virulence of 
 fynods and councils, with the ridi- 
 culous doflrines, which vifionary 
 enthufiafts or intetefted churchmen 
 have fandified with the name of 
 Chriftian , but a difplay of inge- 
 o nuity.
 
 [ '23 ] 
 
 nuity, or erudition upon fuch fub- 
 jedls is much mifplaced; fince it 
 excites almofl; in every perfon, an 
 unavoidable fufpicion of the purity 
 of the fource itfelf, from which 
 fuch polkited ftreams have been 
 derived. Do not miftake my 
 meaning , I am far from wifhing, 
 that the clergy fliould be looked 
 up to with a blind reverence, or 
 their imperfedtions fcreened by the 
 fanclity of their function, from the 
 animadverfion of the world: quite 
 the contrary j their condu6l, I am 
 of opinion, ouglit to be more 
 nicely fcrutinized, and their de- 
 viation from the refcitudc of tlic 
 gofpcl, more fcvcrcly ccnliTcd, than 
 that of other men , but great care 
 fliould be taken, not to reprelent 
 
 tiLir
 
 [ 124 ] 
 
 their vices, or their indifcretlons, 
 as originating in the principles of 
 their reHgion. Do not miftake 
 me; T am not here begging quar- 
 ter for Chriftianity ; or contending, 
 that even the principles of our re- 
 ligion fhould be received with im- 
 pHcit faith, or that every objec- 
 tion to Chriftianity fliould be ftifled, 
 by a reprefentation of the mifchief 
 it might do, if publicly promulg- 
 ed: on the contrary, we invite, 
 nay, we challenge you to a diredt 
 and liberal attack , though oblique 
 glances, and difingenuous infinua- 
 tions, we are v^-illing to avoid , well 
 knowing, that the charafler of our 
 religion, like that of an honeft 
 man, is defended with greater 
 difficulty againft the fuggeftions 
 
 of
 
 [ 125 ] 
 
 of ridicule, and the fecret maligni- 
 ty of pretended friends, than againft 
 pofitive accLifations, and the avow- 
 ed malice of open enemies. 
 
 In your account of the primitive 
 church, you fet forth, that " the 
 " want of difcipline and human 
 " learning, was fupplied by the 
 ** occafional afliftance of the pro- 
 *' phets , who were called to that 
 " function, without diftindtion of 
 " age, of fex, or of natural abili- 
 " des." That the gift of pro- 
 phecy was one of the fpiritual gifcs, 
 by which fomc of the firfi Chridians 
 were enabled to cooperate with the 
 Apoftles, in the general defign of 
 preaching the Gofpej ^ and that 
 tir.s girr, or rather, as Mr. Locke 
 thinks, tr.c giit of tongues, (by the 
 
 often*
 
 [ 126 ] 
 
 oftentatlon of which, many of them 
 were prompted to fpeak in their 
 affemblies at the fame time,) was 
 the occafion of fome diforder in 
 the church of Corinth, which re- 
 quired the interpofition of the A- 
 poftle to compofe, is confefTed on 
 all hands. But if you mean, that 
 the prophets were ever the fole 
 pallors of the faithful ; or that no 
 provifion was made by the Apo- 
 ftles for the good government and 
 edification of the church, except 
 what might be accidentally derived 
 from the occafional affiftance of the 
 prophets, you are much miftaken ; 
 and have undoubtedly forgot, what 
 is faid of Paul and Barnabas hav- 
 ing ordained elders in Lyftra, Ico- 
 nium, and Antioch; and of Paul's 
 
 com-
 
 [ 127 ] 
 
 commiflion to Titus, whom he 
 had left in Crete, to ordain elders 
 in every city ; and of his inftruc- 
 tions both to him and Timothy, 
 concerning the qualifications of 
 thofe, whom they were to appoint 
 bifhops : one of which was, that a 
 bifhop fhould be able by found 
 do6lrine, to exhort and to convince 
 the gain-fayer; nor is it faid, that 
 this found doctrine was to be com- 
 municated to the bidiop by pro- 
 phecy, or that all perfons, without 
 diftindion, might be called to that 
 office i but a biffiop was to he able 
 to teach, not what he had learned 
 by propliLcy, bat what Paul had 
 publicly preached i the things that 
 thou h,:ijl heard of me among many 
 'xj^'Unejj'eSj tlie fame comihit thiou to 
 
 faiths
 
 [ 128 ] 
 
 faithful men, who fiall he able to 
 teach others alfo. And in every 
 place almoft, where prophets are 
 mentioned, they are joined with 
 Apoftles and teachers, and other 
 miniflers of the gofpel; fo that 
 there is no reafon for your repre- 
 fenting them as a diftinft order of 
 men, who were by their occafional 
 affiftance to fupply the want of di- 
 fcipline and human learning in the 
 church. It would be taking too 
 large a field, to inquire, whether 
 the prophets, you fpeak of, were 
 endowed with ordinary or extra- 
 ordinary gifts; whether they al- 
 ways fpoke by the immediate im- 
 pulfe of the Spirit, or according to 
 the analogy of faith', whether their 
 gift confuted in the foretelling of 
 
 future
 
 [ 129 ] 
 
 future events, or in the interpreting 
 of fcripture to the edification and 
 exhortation and comfort of the 
 church, or in both : I will content 
 myfelf with obferving, that he will 
 judge very improperly concerning 
 the prophets of the apoftolic church, 
 who takes his idea of their office or 
 importance, from your defcription 
 of them. 
 
 In fpeaking of the community 
 of goods, which, you fay, was 
 adopted for a fhort time in the 
 primitive church, you hold as in- 
 conclufive the arguments of Mo- 
 flieim , who has endeavoured to 
 prove, that it was a community, 
 quite different from that recom- 
 mended by Pythagoras or Plato; 
 ronfifting principally in a common 
 I ule,
 
 [ 130 ] 
 
 ufe, derived from an unbounded 
 liberality, which induced the opu- 
 lent to fliare their riches with their 
 indigent brethren; there have been 
 others, as well as Molheim, who 
 have entertained this opinion , and 
 it is "not quite fo indefenfible, as 
 you reprefent it-, but whether it be 
 reafonable or abfurd, need not now 
 be examined: it is far more ne- 
 cefTary to take notice of an expref- 
 fion, which you have ufed, and 
 which may be apt to miflead un- 
 wary readers into a very injurious 
 fufpicion, concerning the integrity 
 of the Apoftles. In procefs of 
 time, you obferve, *' the converts, 
 " who embraced the new religion, 
 " were permitted to retain the pof- 
 *< feflion of their patrimony." 
 
 This
 
 [ 131 ] 
 
 This expreffion, permitted to retain^ 
 in ordinary acceptation, implies an 
 antecedent obligation to part with : 
 now, Sir, I have not the fliadow of 
 a doubt in affirming, that we have 
 no account in fcripture of agy fuch 
 obligation being impofed upon the 
 converts to Chriftianity, either by 
 Chrift himfelf, or by his Apoftles, 
 or by any other authority: nay, in 
 the very place, where this commu- 
 nity of goods is treated of, there is 
 an exprefs proof, (I know not how 
 your impartiality has happened to 
 overlook it,) to the contrary. 
 When Peter was about to inflid an 
 exemplary punifhment upon Ana- 
 nias (not for keeping back a part 
 of the price, as feme men are fond 
 of reprefenting it, but) for his 
 1 1 Jying
 
 L 132 ] 
 
 lying and hypocrify, in offering a 
 part of the price of his land, as the 
 whole of it ; he faid to him' whilft 
 it remained (unfold,) was it not 
 thine own ? and after it was/old^ was 
 it not 'in thine own power? From 
 this account it is evident, that 
 Ananias was under no obhgation 
 to part with his patrimony \ and 
 after he had parted with it, the 
 price was in his own power; the 
 Apoftle would have permitted him 
 to retain the whole of it, if he had 
 thought fit; though he would not 
 permit his prevarication to go un- 
 punifhed. 
 
 You have remarked, that " the 
 " feafts of love, the agapce, as they 
 *^' were called, conftituted a very 
 " pleafing and efTential part of 
 
 " pubHc
 
 [ 133 3 
 
 *' public worfliip " Left any one 
 fhould from hence be led to fufpedl:, 
 that thefe feafts of love, this pleaf- 
 ing part of the puhUc worfhip of 
 the primitive church, refembled 
 the unhallowed meedngs of fome 
 impure fefbaries of our own times, 
 I will take the liberty to add to 
 your account, a fhort explication of 
 the nature of thefe agapc^:. Ter- 
 tullian, in the :59th chapter of his 
 Apology, has done it to my hands. 
 The nature of our fupper, fays he, 
 is indicated by it's namej it is called 
 by a word, which, in the Greek 
 language, fignifies Love. We are 
 not anxious about the expence of 
 the entertainment; fincc we look 
 upon that as gain, which is ex- 
 pended with a pious purpofj, in 
 I 3 the
 
 t 134 ] 
 
 the relief and refrefhment of all 
 our indigent. The occafion of 
 our entertainment being fo ho- 
 nourable, you may judge of the 
 manner of it's being condudled j 
 it confifts in the difcharge of reli- 
 gious duties , it admits nothing vile, 
 nothing immodeft. Before we fit 
 down, prayer is made to God. The 
 hungry eat as much as they defire, 
 and every one drinks as much as 
 can be ufeful to fober men. We 
 fo feaft, as men, who have their 
 minds imprefled with the idea of 
 Ipending the night in the worfhip 
 of God J we fo converfe, as men, 
 who are confcious that the Lord 
 heareth them, &c. Perhaps you 
 may objed to this teftimony, in 
 favour of the innocence of Chriflian 
 
 meet-
 
 [ '35 ] 
 
 meetings, as liable to partiality, 
 becaufe it is the teftimony of a 
 Chriflian j and you may, perhaps, 
 be able to pick out from the 
 writings of this Chriftian, fome- 
 thing that looks like a contradic- 
 tion of this account: however, I 
 will reft the matter upon this tefti- 
 mony for the prefent -, forbearing 
 to quote any other Chriftian wri- 
 ter upon the fubjedl, as 1 ftiall in a 
 future letter, produce you a tefti- 
 mony, fuperior to every objeclion. 
 You fpeak too of the agapse, as an 
 efiential part of the public worftiip; 
 this is not according to your ufual 
 accuracy ; for, had they been efien- 
 tial, the edidt of an heathen ma- 
 giftrate would not have been able 
 to put a ftop to them j yet Pliny, 
 14 in
 
 [ 136 ] 
 
 in his letter to Trajan, exprefsly 
 fays, that the Chriftians left them 
 off, upon hispublifhing an edi(5t pro- 
 hibiting affembhes ; and we know, 
 that in the council of Carthage, in 
 the fourth century, on account of 
 the abufes which attended them, 
 they began to be interdided, and 
 ceafed almoft univerfally in the 
 fifth. 
 
 I have but two obfervations to 
 make upon what you have advanced, 
 concerning the feverity of eccle- 
 fiaftical pennance ; the firft is, that 
 even you yourfelf do not deduce it's 
 inftitution from the fcrioture : but 
 
 A. ' 
 
 from the power, which every vo- 
 luntary Ibciety has ever it's own 
 members-, and therefore, however 
 extravagant, or however abfurd ; 
 
 how-
 
 [ ^Zl ] 
 however oppofite to the attributes 
 of a commiferating God, or the 
 feelings of a falUble man, it may 
 be thought; or upon whatever 
 trivial occafion, fuch as that, you 
 mention, of calumniating a Bifliop, 
 a Prefbyter, or even a Deacon, it 
 may have been inflifted ; Chrift and 
 his Apoftles are not anfwerable for 
 it. The other is, that it was of 
 all poITible expedients, the leaft 
 fitted to accomplifli the end, for 
 which you think it was introduced, 
 the propigation of CJiriRianity. 
 The ligliL of a penitent humbled 
 by a public conkfiion, emaciated 
 by fading, clothed in fackcloth, 
 pruitrated a: ri.e door of the aflcm- 
 bly, and iTipior.n^ for years toge- 
 tlier tiie p.adon of his olJences, 
 
 and
 
 [ '38 ] 
 
 and a readmiffion into the bofom 
 of the church, was a much more 
 likely means of deterring the Pa- 
 gans from Chriftian community, 
 than the pious Hberality you men- 
 tion, was of alluring them into it. 
 This pious liberaHty, Sir, would 
 exhauft, even your elegant powers 
 of defcription, before you could 
 exhibit it in the amiable manner 
 it deferves ; it is derived from the 
 neiv commandment of loving one 
 another -, and it has ever been the 
 diftinguifliing charaderiftic of 
 Chriftians, as oppofed to every 
 other denomination of men, Jews, 
 Mahometans, or Pagans. Jn the 
 times of the Apoftles, and in the 
 firft ages of the church, it fhewed 
 itfelf in voluntary contributions 
 
 for
 
 f '39 ] 
 
 for the relief of the poor and the 
 perfecuted, the infirm and the 
 unfortunate-, as foon as the church 
 was permitted to have permanent 
 poflreffions in land, and acquired 
 the protedion of the civil power, 
 it exerted itfelf in the erc<5lion of 
 hofpitals of every kind j inflitutions 
 thefe, of charity and humanity, 
 which were forgotten in the laws 
 of Solon and Lycurgus; and for 
 even one example of which, you 
 will, 1 believe, in vain explore the 
 boafted annals of Pagan Rome. 
 Indeed, Sir, you will think too 
 injurioufly of this liberality, if you 
 look upon it's origin as fuperltiti- 
 ous , or upon it's application as an 
 artifice of the priefthood, to ieduce 
 the indigent into the bofom of the 
 
 church i
 
 [ I40 ] 
 
 thurch; it was the pure and im* 
 corrupted fruit of genuine Chri- 
 ftianity. 
 
 You are much furprifed^ and not 
 a little concerned^ that Tacitus and 
 the younger Pliny, have fpoken fo 
 flightly of the Chriflian fyftem; 
 and that Seneca and the elder 
 Pliny, have not vouchfafed to 
 mention it at all. This difficulty 
 feems to have ftruck others, as v/ell 
 as yourfelf , and I might refer you 
 to the conclufion of the fecond 
 volume of Dr. Lardncr's Colleftion 
 of Ancient Jewifh and Heathen 
 Teflimonies to the Truth of the 
 Chriftian Religion, for full fatis- 
 faftion in this point j but pci-haps 
 an obfervation or two, may be fuf- 
 ficlent to diminifh your furprife. 
 o Ob-
 
 [ HI 1 
 
 Obfcure fe<5laries of upright 
 morals, when they feparate them- 
 felves from the religion of their 
 country, do not fpeedily acquire 
 the attention of men of Letters. 
 The Hiftorians are apprehenfive 
 of deprecating the dignity of their 
 learned labour, and contaminating 
 their fplendid narration of illuftri- 
 ous events, by mixing with it a 
 dilgufting detail of religious com- 
 binations ; and the philofophers are 
 ufually too deeply engaged in ab- 
 ilrad fcience, or in exploring the 
 infinite intricacy of natural appear- 
 ances, to bufy themfelves with what 
 they, perhaps haftily, eilecm popu- 
 lar fupcrftitions. Hillorian'j and 
 philofophers, of no mean reputa- 
 rioHj might be mentioned, I be- 
 lieve.
 
 [ 142 ] 
 
 lieve, who were the cotemporanes 
 of Luther and the firft reformers ; 
 and who have paffed over in neg- 
 ligent or contemptuous filence, 
 their daring and unpopular at- 
 tempts to fhake the liability of 
 St. Peter's Chair. Oppofition to 
 the religion of a people, muft be- 
 come general, before it can deferve 
 the notice of the civil magiftrate; 
 and till it does that, it will moftly 
 be thought below the animadver- 
 fion of diftinguilhed writers. This 
 remark is peculiarly applicable to 
 the cafe in point. The firft Chri- 
 ftians, as Chrift had foretold, were 
 hated of all men for his name's fake : 
 it was the name itfelf, not any vices 
 adhering to the name, which Pliny 
 puniflied -, and they were every 
 i where
 
 [ J43 ] 
 
 where held in exceeding contempt, 
 till their numbers excited the ap- 
 prehenfion of the ruling powers* 
 The philofophers confidered them 
 as enthufiafts, and negledled them , 
 the priefts oppofed them as inno- 
 vators, and calumniated them; the 
 great overlooked them, the learned 
 defpifed them, and the curious 
 alone, who examined into the foun- 
 dation of their faith, believed them. 
 But the negligence of fome half doz- 
 en of writers,(mo{l of them however 
 bear incidental teftimonytothe truth 
 of feveral fafls refpedlingChriftiani- 
 ty,) in not relating circumflantially 
 the origin, the progrefs, and the pre- 
 tenfions of a new fedl, is a very 
 infufficient reafon for queftioning, 
 eitljer the evidence of the principles 
 
 upon
 
 [ H4 ] 
 
 upon which it was built, or the 
 fupernatural power by which it 
 was fupported. 
 
 The Roman hiftorians, moreover, 
 were not only culpably incurious 
 concerning the Chriftians , but un- 
 pardonably ignorant of what con- 
 cerned either them, or the Jews: 
 1 fay, unpardonably ignorant j be- 
 caufe the means of information 
 were within their reach ; the writ- 
 ings of Mofes were every where 
 to be had in Greek ; and the works 
 of Jofephus were publiflied, before 
 Tacitus v/rote his Hiftcry ; and yet, 
 even Tacitus has fallen into great 
 abfurdity, and fclfcontradiclion in 
 his account of the Jews-, and though 
 Tertullian's zeal carried him much 
 too far, when he called him Men- 
 
 daciorum
 
 [ H5 ] 
 
 daciorum loquacij[fimus, yet one can- 
 not help regretting the Httle pains 
 he took to acquire proper informa- 
 tion upon that lubje^l. He de- 
 rives the name of the Jews by a 
 forced interpolation from mount 
 Ida in Crete*-, and he reprefents 
 them as abhorring all kinds of 
 images in public worfhip, and yet 
 accufes them of having placed the 
 iman-e of an Afs in the holy of 
 holies; and prefently after he tells 
 us, that Pompey, when he profaned 
 the temple, found the fanftuary 
 entirely empty. Similar inaccu- 
 racies might be noticed in Plu- 
 tarch and other writ'.TS, who have 
 K fpoken 
 
 * Inclytiim in Creta Idam niontcm, ac- 
 cob.s Id'-os aui^^o in barbarum cogno- 
 mcnto judiCi vocitari. Tac. Hill. L.j, 
 fub. Jnic.
 
 [ ,46 ] 
 
 fpoken of the Jews; and you your- 
 felf have referred to an obfcure 
 paflage in Suetonius, as offering a 
 proof how ftrangely the Jews and 
 Chriflians of Rome were confound- 
 ed with each other. Why then 
 Ihould we think it remarkable, that 
 a few celebrated writers,who looked 
 upon the Chriflians as an obfcure 
 fed of the Jews, and upon the 
 Jews as a barbarous and detefted 
 people, whofe hiflcry was not 
 worth the perufal ; and who were 
 moreover engaged in the relation 
 of the great events, which either 
 occafioned or accompanied the ruin 
 of their eternal empire j why fhould 
 we be furprifed, that men occupied 
 in fuch interefling fubjeds, and 
 influenced by fuch inveterate pre- 
 
 judiceSj
 
 [ '47 ] 
 
 judices, fhould have left ns but 
 fliort and imperfed: defcrlptions of 
 the Chriftian fyftem ? 
 
 " But how fhall we excufe, you 
 " fay, the fupine inattention of the 
 " pagan and philofophic world, to 
 *' thofe evidences, which were pre- 
 ** fented by the hand of omnipo- 
 "tence, not to their reafon, but 
 * to their fenfes?" ''The laws 
 " of nature were perpetually fuf- 
 " pended, for the benefit of the 
 *' church : But the fages of Greece 
 " and Rome turned afide from the 
 *' awful fpedacle." To their fhame 
 be it fpoken, that they did fo 
 " and purfuing the ordinary oc- 
 *' cupadons of life and ftudy, ap- 
 " peared unconfcious of any alter- 
 *' ations in the moral or pliyfical 
 
 K 2 *' govern-
 
 [ 148 ] 
 
 "government of the world."- 
 To this objeftion, I anfwer in the 
 firft place, that we have no reafon 
 to believe, that miracles were per- 
 formed, as often as philofophers 
 deigned lo give their attention to 
 them; or that, at the period of time 
 you allude to, the laws of nature 
 were perpetually lufpended, for the 
 benefit of the church. It may be, 
 that not one of the few heathen 
 writers, whofe books have efcaped 
 the ravages of time, was ever pre- 
 fcnt, when a miracle was wrought ; 
 but will it follow, becaufe Pliny, or 
 Plutarch, or Galen, or Seneca, or 
 Suetonius, or Tacitus, had never 
 feen a miracle, that no miracles 
 were ever performed ? They in- 
 deed were learned, and obfervant 
 men; and it may be a matter of 
 
 fur-
 
 [ H9 ] 
 furprife to us, that miracles fo cele- 
 brated, as the friends of Chriftianity 
 fuppofe the Chriftian ones to have 
 been, fliould never have been men- 
 tioned by them though they had 
 not ken them ; and had an Adrian 
 or a Vefpafian been the authors of 
 but a thoufandth part of the mi- 
 racles, you have afcribed to the 
 primitive church, more than one 
 probably of thele very hiuorians, 
 philofophers as they were, v/ould 
 have adorned his hiftory with the 
 narration of them : for tliough they 
 turned afide from the awful Ipedla- 
 cle of the miracles of a poor de- 
 fpiled Apollle yet they bcrlicld 
 v/ith exulting complacency, .ind 
 have related with unfulptxiing 
 credulity, the oflentatious tricks 
 K 3 of
 
 [ 150 ] 
 of a Roman Emperor. It was 
 not for want of faith in miraculous 
 events, that thefe Sages neglefted 
 the Chriftian miracles, but for want 
 of candour, and impartial exami- 
 nation. 
 
 I anfwer in the fccond place, 
 that in the A6ts of the Apoftles, 
 we have an account of a great 
 multitude of Pagans of every con- 
 dition of life, who were fo far from 
 being inattentive to the evidences, 
 which were prefented by the hand 
 of omnipotence to their fenfes, that 
 they contemplated them with re- 
 verence and wonder* and forfaking 
 the religion of their anccftors, and 
 all the flattering hopes of worldly 
 profit, reputation, and tranquillity, 
 adhered with aftonifliing refolution 
 
 to
 
 [ 5i ] 
 
 to the profelTion of Chriftianity. 
 From the conclufion of the Acls, 
 till the time in which feme of the 
 Sages you mention flouriflied, is a 
 very obfcure part of church hillory ; 
 yet we are certain, that many of 
 the Pagan, and we have fome 
 reafon to believe, that not a few 
 of the Philofophic world, during 
 that period, did not turn afidc from 
 the awful fpedacle of miracles, 
 but faw and believed; and tiiat a 
 few others fiiould be found, who 
 probably had never feen, and there- 
 fore would not believe, is furciy 
 no very extraordinary circumilnnce. 
 Why fhould V;e not arifwer to ob- 
 jections, fuch as thefc, with the 
 boldnefi of St. Jerome; and bid 
 Ceifus, and Porpliyry, and Julian, 
 K 4 and
 
 [ 152 ] 
 
 and their followers, learn the llki- 
 ftrious characters of the men, who 
 founded, built up, and adorned 
 the Chriftian church*? why fhould 
 we not tell them, with Arnobius, 
 of the orators, the grammarians, 
 the rhetoricians, the lawyers, the 
 phyficians, the philofophers, " who 
 " appeared conlcious of the alter- 
 *' ations in the moral and phyfical 
 "government of the world;" and 
 from that confcioufnefs, forfook 
 the ordinary occupations of life 
 
 and 
 
 Difcant Celfus, Piophyrius, Julla- 
 nus, rabidi adverfus Chriltum caucs, dif- 
 cant eorum feftatores, qui putant Eccle- 
 fiam nullos Philofoplios et eloquences, 
 nullos iiabuifle Doilcrcs ; quanti et 
 quales viii cam fundaverint, extruxerinr, 
 ornaverintquL; et definant fidem nollrani 
 ruftica:^ taniuir. limplicitatis arguerc, fu- 
 amque potius imperitiam acnofcant. 
 Jero. Free. Lib. de lUuf. Eccl. bcrip.
 
 [ >5i ] 
 
 and {ludy, and att:iched themfelves 
 to the Chridian dircipline"\^ 
 
 I aniwcr in tlie laft place, that 
 the mh-aclcs of Chrillians were 
 fahl-ly attributed to magic ; and 
 were for tliat reafon tho-jo-ht iin- 
 worthy the notice of the writers, 
 you iiave referred to. Suetonius, 
 in his Hie of Nero, calls tlie Chrif- 
 tian>, Men of a new and magical 
 fupL^ditlon : i" i a;]i fL-nHble, that 
 you hujh at thofe " fa-rac'ous com^ 
 " mentators," who tranflate the 
 ori'^'.nal v.ord by magical-, and 
 adopting the idea of Mofneim, you 
 tifinh it oiight t'3 be rendered mif- 
 ci.ievous v[- [^;_r:;ici''Uh: U^ncitiefticn- 
 ably it ireqi.:e:;'jy has iha: rn:an- 
 
 * Arnnb. Ccn. Gen. L. i i. 
 -j (.cvas hr,i:,in:.;m, rL;r,f,T".;t'';r.:'; ncva; 
 ct ;a.v' ;..<;. buvt. in l\z\:o, c. \'j.
 
 [ 54- ] 
 
 ingj with due deference, how- 
 ever, to Moflieim and yourfelf, I 
 cannot help being of opinion, that 
 in this place, as defcriptive of the 
 Chrillian religion, it is righdy tranf- 
 lated magical. The Theodofian 
 Code mnft be my excufe, for dif- 
 fenting from fuch refpefVable au- 
 thority; and in it, 1 conjediure, 
 you will find good reafon for being 
 of my opinion.* Nor ought any 
 friend to Chriftianity, to be afto- 
 nifiied or alarmed at Suetonius* 
 applying the word Magical to the 
 Chrillian religion ; for the miracles 
 
 wrought 
 
 *& 
 
 * Chaliiffij, ac Magi, et casteri quos val- 
 gus makfxcs ob facinorum magnitudinem 
 
 Eppellat. Si qujs magus vel magicis 
 
 conraminibus adiuetus, qui malcficus vulgi 
 confuciudme nuucupatur. ix Cod. Tlieo- 
 do. Tit. XVI.
 
 [ ^55 ] 
 
 wrought by Chrift and his Apoftlc?, 
 principally confided in alleviating 
 the diftrelTes, by curing the obfti- 
 nate difeafes of human kind ; and 
 the proper meaning of magic, as 
 underftood by the ancients, is a 
 higher and more holy branch cf the 
 arc of healing. * The elder Pliny 
 loft his life in an eruption of Vefu- 
 vius, about forty feven years afcer 
 the death of Chrift-, feme fifteen 
 years before the death of Pliny, the 
 Chriftians were perfccuted at Rome 
 
 for 
 
 * Pliny, fpeaking of the origin of ma- 
 gic, fays, Natam primum c mcdicina 
 nemo dubitat, ac fpecie falutari irrcpfiflc 
 vclut altiorcm fanSlior cmquc mcdicinam. He 
 aftcrwardi fays, that it was inixcd witlx 
 mathematical arts ; ami thus 7r.:2^ici and 
 mathematici arc joined by Pliny, as mciLfici 
 and mnthcmniici are in the Theodoliau 
 Code. Plin. Nut. Ilift, Lib. 30. c i.
 
 [ 156 J 
 
 for a crime, of which every perfon 
 knew them innocent; but from 
 the defcription, which Tacitus 
 gives, of the low eftimation they 
 were held in at that time, (for which, 
 however, he alTigns no caufe; and 
 therefore Vv^e may reafonably con- 
 jc'flure it was the fame, for which 
 the Jews were every where be- 
 come fo odious, an oppofition to 
 polytheilm) and of the extreme 
 fufferings they underwent, we can- 
 not be much furprlied, that their 
 name is not to be found in the 
 works of Piiny, or of Seneca-, the 
 fed itfelf muft, by Nero's perfecu- 
 tion, hcive been ahiioft deftroyed in 
 Rome; and it would have rbeen 
 uncourtly, not to fay unfafe, to 
 have noticed an order of men, 
 
 whole
 
 [ 157 ] 
 
 whofe innocence an emperor had 
 determined to traduce, in order to 
 divert the dangerous, but deferved 
 ftream of popular cenfure from 
 himfelf. Notwidiftanding this, 
 there is a palTage in the Natural 
 Hiftory of PHny, which, how 
 much foever it may have been over- 
 looked, contains, I think, a very 
 ftrong ailufion to the ChriQians; 
 and clearly intimates, he had heard 
 of their miracles. In fpeaking 
 concerning the origin of magic, 
 he fays, there is alio another 
 faction of magic, derived from 
 the Jews, rvlofes and Lotopea, and 
 fubfilling at prefent.* The word 
 
 faftion 
 
 Ril ct alia niarriccs f.i.lio, a rvTofi; 
 ft'tn'nvu/n ft I.o:;)j)ca JuJ;i;is pendens, 
 Plin, Nat. Jii I. I.ia. ^o. c. 2. Edit. Ilar- 
 di! i3,-. Li.idiRT and others, have ir.adi; 
 
 lli':iu
 
 [ 158 ] 
 
 fadlion, does not ill denote the 
 opinion the Romans entertained of 
 the religious affociations of the 
 Chriftians , f and a magical fac- 
 tion implies their pretenfions, at 
 leaft, to the miraculous gifts of 
 healing ; and it's defcending from 
 Mofes, is according to the cuftom 
 of the Romans, by which they 
 confounded the Chriftians with the 
 Jews ; and it's being then fubfift- 
 ing, feems to have a ftrong refer- 
 ence to the rumours Pliny had 
 negligently heard reported of the 
 Chriftians. 
 
 Submitting each of thefe an- 
 
 fwers 
 
 flight mention of this pafTage, probably 
 from their reading in bad editions Jamne 
 for etiamnum, a Mofe et Jamne etjotape Ju- 
 dseis pendens. 
 
 f Tertulli;!n reckons the Sel of the 
 Chriftians, inter \\^nn%failiones. Ap. c.38.
 
 [ 159 ] 
 
 fwers to your cool and candid 
 confideration -, I proceed to take 
 notice of another difficulty in your 
 fifteenth chapter, which fome have 
 thought one of the moft important 
 in your whole book The filence of 
 profane hiftorians, concerning the 
 preternatural darknefs at the cruci- 
 fixion of Chriil. You know, Sir, 
 that feveral learned men are of 
 opinion, that profane hiftory is not 
 filent upon this fubjc6t ; I v.'ill, 
 however, put their authority for the 
 prefent quite out of the queftion. 
 I will neither trouble you with the 
 teftimony of Phlcgon, nor with the 
 appeal of Tertullian to the public 
 regifters of the Romans; but meet- 
 ing you upon your own ground, 
 and granting you every thing you 
 i dcfirc,
 
 [ i6o ] 
 
 defire, I will endeavour, from a 
 fair and candid examination of the 
 hiflory of this event, to fugged a 
 doubt, at leaft, to your mind, whe- 
 ther this was " the'greateft phse- 
 " nomenon, to which the mortal 
 " eye has been witnefs, fince the 
 " creation of the globe.'* 
 
 This darknefs is mentioned by 
 three of the four EvangeHfts ; St. 
 Matthew thus expreffes himfelf, 
 now from the fixth hour there was 
 darknefs ever all the land until the 
 ninth hour ; St. Mark fays, and 
 when the fixth hour was come, there 
 was darhiefs ever the whole land 
 until the ninth hour; St. Luke", 
 and it was about the fixth hour, and 
 there was darknefs over all the earth 
 until the ninth hour-, and the fun was 
 
 dark- 
 a
 
 [ 'Si ] 
 
 darkened. The three Evangelifts 
 agree, that there was darknefs-, 
 and they agree in the extent of the 
 darknefs : for it is the fame expref- 
 fion in the original, which our 
 tranflators have rendered ear^h in 
 Luke, and land in the two other 
 accounts; and they agree in the 
 duration of the darknefs, it lafted 
 three hours: Luke adds a par- 
 ticular circumftance, i/ial the fun 
 was darkened. I do not know, 
 whether this event be any wheie 
 elfe mentioned in fcripture, fo that 
 our inquiry can neither be extenfive 
 nor.difficult. 
 
 In philofophical propriety of 
 fpeech, darknefs confilb in the to- 
 tal abfence of light, and admits of 
 no degrees-, however, in the more 
 L com-
 
 [ 1^2 ] 
 
 common acceptation of the word, 
 there are degrees of darkncfs, as 
 well as of light ; and as the Evan- 
 gelifts have faid nothing, by which 
 the particular degree of darknefs 
 can be determined j we have as 
 much reafon to fuppofe it was flight, 
 as you have that it was exceffive; 
 but if it was flight, though it had 
 extended itfelf over the lurface of 
 the whole globe, the difficuky of 
 it's not being recorded by Pliny or 
 Seneca vani flies at once*. Do you 
 
 not 
 
 * The Author of L'Evangile de la 
 
 Raifor:, is miilaken in faying, that the 
 Evaiigeliits fpeak of a thick darbieji j ^nd 
 that iiiillake has led him into another, 
 into a diibclief cf the event, bccaui'e it has 
 jiot been mentioned by the writers of the 
 times les hiitoriens (the Lvangcliils) 
 ont le front de nous dire, qu' a fa mort la 
 terre a ete coaverte d' cpaifits tcnebres 
 en p'ein midi et en pi- ine lune ; comme {\ 
 tcus ies ccrivaiucdc ce tems-la 11' auroient 
 
 ras
 
 [ 1^3 ] 
 
 not perceive, Sir, upon what a 
 {lender foundation this mighty ob- 
 je6lion is grounded ; v;hen we have 
 only to put you upon proving, that 
 the darknefs at the crucifixion was 
 of fo unufual a nature, as to have 
 excited the particular attention of 
 all mankind, or even of thofe who 
 were witnefTes to it ? Bift I do not 
 mean to deal fo logically with you; 
 rather give me leave to fpare you 
 the trouble of your proof, by prov- 
 ing, orfhewing the probabihty at 
 lead, of the dire6l contrary. There 
 is a circumftance mentioned by 
 St. John, which feems to iiulicate, 
 that the darknefs was not fo exccf- 
 five, as is generally fuppofed ; for 
 it is probable, that during the con- 
 I 2 ri nuance 
 
 pa? rcmarqiic un fi etrangc miracle! L'E- 
 vaii. tie la Raif. P, jy.
 
 [ i64 ] 
 
 tinuance of the darknefs, Jefus 
 fpoke both to his mother, and to 
 his beloved difciple, whom he faw 
 from the crofs j they were near the 
 crofs , but the foldiers which fur- 
 rounded it, mull have kept them at 
 too great a diftance, for Jefus to 
 have feen them and known them, 
 had the darknefs at the crucifixion 
 been excellive, Hke the preterna- 
 tural darknefs, which God brought 
 upon the land of Egypt ; for it is 
 exprefsly faid, that during the con- 
 tinuance of that darknefs, they faw 
 not one another. The exprefiion in 
 St. Luke, the fun was darkened, 
 tends rather to confirm, than to 
 overthpow this reafoning. I am 
 fenfible, this exprefTion is generally 
 thought equivalent to another 
 the fun was eclipfedj but the 
 i Bible
 
 [ 1^5 ] 
 
 Bible is open to us all ; and there 
 can be no prefumption, in endea- 
 vouring to inveftigate the mean- 
 ing of fcripture for ourfelves. 
 Luckily for the prefent argumen- 
 tation, the very phrafe of the fun*3 
 being darkened, occurs, in fo many 
 words, in one other place (and in 
 only one) of the new teftament; 
 and from that place, you may pofll- 
 bly fee reafon to imagine, that the 
 darknefs might not, perhaps, have 
 been fo intenfe, as to deferve the 
 particular notice of the Roman 
 naturalifts : And he opened the 
 hottojnkfs pit^ and there arofe afmoke 
 cut of the pity as the [moke of a great 
 furnace ; and the fun was darkened*^ 
 and the air, hy reafon of the fmoke of 
 the pit. If we fhould fay, that the 
 L 3 fun
 
 [ i66 ] 
 
 fun at the crucifixion was obnubi- 
 lated, and darkened by the inter- 
 vention of clouds, as it is here re- 
 prefented to be by "the intervention 
 of a fmoke, like the ftnoke of a 
 furnace, I do not fee what you 
 could object to our account; but 
 fuch a phenomenon has, furely, no 
 right to be efteenied the greateft 
 that mortal eye has ever beheld. 
 I may be miftaken in this inter- 
 pretation ; but I have no defign to 
 mifreprefent the fadt, in order to 
 get rid of a difficulty -, the darknefs 
 may have been as intenfe, as many 
 commentators have fuppofed it; 
 but neither they, nor you can prove 
 it was fo; and I am furely under 
 no necefiity, upon this occafion, of 
 granting you, out of deference to 
 any commentator, what you can 
 
 neither
 
 [ i67 1 
 
 neither prove nor render probable. 
 But you (till, perhaps, may think, 
 that the darknefs, by it's extent, 
 made up for this deficiency in 
 point of intenfenefs. The original 
 word, exprefllve of it's extent, is 
 fometimes interpreted by the whole 
 earth , more frequenily in the new 
 teftament, of any little portion of 
 the earth; for we read of the land 
 of Judah, of the land of I:hel, of 
 the land of Zabulon, and of the land 
 of Nephthalim-, and it may very 
 properly, I conceive, be tranflated 
 in the place in queftion by Region. 
 But why Ihould all the world take 
 notice of a darknefs, which extend- 
 ed itfclf for a few miles about Je- 
 rufalem, and laftcd but three hours ? 
 The kalians, tfir'cially, had no 
 rca'.on to remark the event as fin- 
 L 4 gular J
 
 [ '68 ] 
 
 gular; fince they were accuftomed 
 at that time, as they are at prefent, 
 to fee the neighbouring regions To 
 darkened for days together by the 
 eruptions of ^Etna and Vefuvius, 
 that no man could know his neigh- 
 bour.* We learn from the fcrip- 
 ture account, that an earthquake 
 accompanied this darknefs j and a 
 dark clouded fky, I apprehend, very 
 frequently precedes an earthquake; 
 but it's extent is not great, nor is 
 it's intenfenefs exceflive, nor is the 
 phasnomenon itfelf fo unufual, 
 as not commonly to pafs unnoticed 
 
 in 
 
 * nos autem tenebras cogitemus tan- 
 tas, quanta; quondam eruptione Etnaiorum 
 ignwxxvi finitimas regiones ob/cura'vijje dicun- 
 tur, ut per biduum nemo hominem homo 
 agnofceret. Cic. de Nat. Deo. 1. 2. And 
 Pliny, in defcribing the eruption of Vefu- 
 vius, which fuffocatcd his uncle, fays, 
 Dies alibi, illic nox oraoibus nodlibus ni- 
 grior denfiorque.
 
 [ i69 ] 
 
 in ages of fclence and hlftory. I 
 fear, I may be liable to mifrepre- 
 fentation in this place ; but 1 beg it 
 may be obferved, that however 
 flight in degree, or however con- 
 fined in extent the darknefs at 
 the crucifixion may have beenj I 
 am of opinion, that the power of 
 God was as fupernaturally exerted 
 in it's produdion, and in that of 
 the earthquake which accompanied 
 it, as in the opening of the graves, 
 and the relurredion of the faints, 
 which followed the refurref^ion of 
 Chrift. 
 
 In another place, you fcem not 
 to believe " that Pontius Pilate 
 *' informed the Emperor of the 
 *' unjufl lentencc of death, which 
 "he had pronounced agiiinfi a;i 
 
 *' iti-
 
 [ '70 1 
 
 * innocent perfon :" And the fame 
 reafon, which made him filent as 
 to the death, ought, one would 
 fuppofe, to have made him filent 
 as to the miraculous events, which 
 accompanied it: and if Pilate in his 
 difpatches to the Emperor, tranf- 
 mitted no account of the darknefs 
 (how great foever you fuppofe it 
 to have been) which happened in 
 a diftant province-, I cannot ap- 
 prehend, that the report of it could 
 have ever gained fuch credit at 
 Rome, as to induce either Pliny or 
 Seneca to mention it as an authen- 
 tic fa6t, 
 
 I am, See.
 
 LETTER SIXTH. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I Mean not to detain you long 
 with my remarks upon your 
 fixreenth ChaDter , for in a 
 fhort apology for Chriftianity, it 
 cannot be exoefted, that I fnould 
 apologize at length, for the indif- 
 cretions of the firft Chriftians. 
 Nor have I any dlfpofition to reap 
 a malicious pleal'ure, from exagge- 
 rating, what you have had i'o much 
 goodnaturetl pleafure in extenuat- 
 ing?
 
 [ 72 ] 
 
 ing, the truculent barbarity of their 
 Roman perfecutors. 
 
 ^M. de Voltaire has embraced 
 every opportunity, of contrafting 
 the perfecuting temper of the 
 Chriftians with the mild tolerance 
 of the antient heathens , and I never 
 read a page of his upon this fubjed, 
 without thinking Chriftianity ma- 
 terially, if not intentionally, obliged 
 to him, for his endeavour to deprefs 
 the lofty fpirit of religious bigotry. 
 I may with juilice pay the fame 
 compliment to youj and I do it 
 with fmcerity , heartily wifliing,that 
 in the profecution of your work, 
 you may render every fpecles of 
 intolerance univerfally deteftable. 
 There is no reafon, why you (hould 
 abate the afperity of your invedive; 
 
 fince
 
 [ ^n ] 
 
 fince no one can fufpeft you of a 
 defign to traduce Chriftianity, under 
 the guife of a zeal again ft perfecu- 
 tion ', or if any one fhould be fo 
 fimple, he need but open thegofpel 
 to be convinced, that fuch a fcheme 
 is too palpably abfurd, to have 
 ever entered the head of any fen- 
 fible and impartial man. 
 
 I wifh, for the credit of human 
 nature, that I could find reafon to 
 agree with you, in what you have 
 fdid of the " univerfal toleration of 
 *' Polyiheifm ; of the mild indiffe- 
 *' rence of antiquity \ of the Roman 
 '' Princes beholding, without con- 
 *' cern, a thoufand forms of reli- 
 " gion fubfifting in peace under 
 *' tiicir gentle fway." But there 
 ^re fome pafliigcs in the Roman 
 
 Hift-
 
 [ '74 ] 
 
 * Hiftory, which make me hefitatc 
 at leaft in this point j and almoit 
 induce me to believe, that the Ro- 
 mans were exceedingly jealous of 
 all foreign religions, whether -they 
 were accompanied with immoral 
 manners or net. 
 
 It was the Roman cuftom indeed, 
 to invite the tutelary gods of the 
 nations, which they intended to 
 fubdue, to abandon their charge; 
 and to promile them the fame, or 
 even a more auguil worfhip in the 
 city of Rome *; and their triumphs 
 were graced as much with the 
 exhibition of iliclr captive gods, 
 
 as 
 
 * In oppugnationibiis, ante omnia fo'i- 
 tum a R-omanis Saccidotibus evocari De- 
 um, ciijus in tutcla id oppidum efiet ; 
 prornitdque illi eandeni, aut ampliorem 
 .npud Romar.os cultum. Pliu, Nat. Hill. 
 L. 3S. C. iv.
 
 [ ^75 3 
 
 as with the lefs humane one of 
 their captive kings *. But this 
 cuftom, though it filled the city 
 with hundreds of gods of every 
 country, denomination, and quali- 
 ty, cannot be brought as a proof of 
 Roman toleration ; it may indicate 
 the excefs of their vanity, the ex- 
 tent of their fuperftition, or the 
 refinement of their policy ; but it 
 can never Ihew, that tlie religion 
 of individuals, when it dillered 
 from public wifdom, was either 
 connived at as a matter of indiffe- 
 rence, or tolerated as an inahenable 
 
 right of human nature. 
 
 UoOH 
 
 " Roma triumphantis quotlcns Ducis 
 
 inclita curriim 
 Plaufibus cxcepit, tcticns aUai ia D;v f'ln 
 Adciidit, ipoliis fibiinct nova luiinina 
 
 fecit. Pruciui.
 
 ( 176 ) 
 Upon another occafion, you. 
 Sir, have referred to Livy, as relat- 
 ing the introdudtion and fiipprefllon 
 of the rites of Bacchus , and in that 
 very place we find him confeffing, 
 that the prohibiting all foreign re- 
 ligions, and the abolifhing every 
 mode of facrifice which differed 
 from the Roman mode, was a 
 bufinefs frequently entrufted by 
 their anceltors to the care of the 
 proper m agi ft rates ; and he gives 
 this reafon for the procedure, That 
 nothing could contribute more 
 cffedually to the ruin of religion, 
 than the lacrificing after an exter- 
 nal rite, and not after the manner 
 inftituted by their fathers *, 
 
 Not 
 
 * Quotles hoc patrum avorumque aetate 
 negotium eil magiftratibus datum, ut Ta- 
 
 cra
 
 [ ^11 1 
 
 Not thirty years before this event, 
 the Prsetor, in conformity to a de- 
 cree of the fenate, had ifllied an 
 edidb that no one (hould prefume 
 to facrifice in any public place after 
 a new or foreign manner*. And 
 in a ilill more early period, the 
 JEdiles had been commanded to 
 take care, that no gods were wor- 
 M fhipped, 
 
 era externa fieri vetarent ? facrificiilos 
 vatefque foro, circo, urbe prohiberent? 
 aticinos libros conquircrent comburerentque ? 
 omnem difciplinam facrificandi, prajter- 
 quam more Romano, abolcrent? Judica- 
 bant enim prudentiflinii viri omnis divini 
 humanique juris, niliil a:quc diflblvendas 
 religionis efle, quam ubi non patrio, fed 
 externo ritu facrificaretur. Liv. L. xxxix. 
 C. xvi. 
 
 * Ut quicumque Uhro^ 'vatuims freca- 
 tio7!cfvc, aut nrtcm facrificandi confcnptam 
 haberet, cos libros omnes liltcrafqLHj ;id fe 
 ante Kalcndas Aprilcs dcfcrret : ncu quis 
 in publico facrovc loco, novo aut exierno 
 ritu facrificaret. Liv. L. xxv. C. i.
 
 [ 178 ] 
 
 fliipped, except the Roman gods ; 
 and that the Roman gods were 
 worlliipped after no manner, but 
 the eftabUfhed manner of the 
 country *. 
 
 But to come nearer to the times, 
 of which you are writing. In 
 Dion Cafllus you may meet with a 
 great courtier, one of the interior 
 cabinet, and a poHfhed ftatefman, 
 in a fet fpeech, upon the moll 
 momentous fubjed, exprefling 
 himfelf to the Emperor, in a man- 
 ner agreeable enough to the prac- 
 tice of antiquity, but utterly incon- 
 fiftent with the mod remote idea 
 of religious toleration. The fpeech 
 
 alluded 
 
 * Datum inde negotium icdilibus, ut 
 animadverterent, ne qui, nifi Romani 
 Dii, neu quo alio more, quam patriocok- 
 rentur. Liv. L. iv. C. 30.
 
 C ^19 ] 
 
 alluded to, contains, I confefs it, 
 nothing more than the advice of 
 an individual j but it ought to be 
 remembered, that that individual 
 vras Maecenas, that the advice was 
 given to Auguftus, and that the 
 occafion of giving it, was no Jefs 
 important than the fettling the 
 form of the Roman government. 
 He recommends it to C^efar, to 
 Vvorfliip the gods himfelf, accord- 
 ing to the cftablifhed form; and to 
 force all others to do the fame; and 
 to Jiate and to puni/Ji all thofe, who 
 fliould attempt to introduce foreign 
 religions*: nay, he bids him in the 
 M 2 fame 
 
 * T 
 
 kxt x'-A^.^;. Dion. Caf. L. 52.
 
 [ i8o ] 
 
 fame place, have an eye upon the 
 philofophers alfoj fo that free think- 
 ing, free fpeaking at leaft, upon 
 religious matters, was not quite fo 
 fafe under the gentle fway of the 
 Roman princes j as, thank God, it 
 is under the much more gentle 
 government of our own. 
 
 In the Edi(5l of Toleration pub- 
 lifhed by Galerius after fix years 
 unremitted perfecution of the Chri- 
 ftians, we perceive his motive for 
 perfecution, to have been the fame 
 with that, which had influenced 
 the condu6l of the more antient 
 Romans, an abhorrence of all inno- 
 vations in religion. You have 
 favoured us with the tranflation of 
 this edict, in which he fays " we 
 " were particularly defirous of re- 
 
 " claiming
 
 [ i8i ] 
 
 " claiming into the way of reafon 
 " and nature," ad bonas mentes (a 
 good pretence this for a Polythei- 
 ftic perfecutor) "the deluded Chri- 
 " ftians, who had renounced the 
 " religion and ceremonies inftituted 
 *' by their fathers" this is the 
 precife language of Livy, defcrib- 
 ing a perfecution of a foreign re- 
 ligion three hundred years before, 
 turba erat ne<: [acrificantiiim nee 
 precantium Deos patrio more. And 
 the very expedient of forcing the 
 Chriftians to deliver up their reli- 
 gious books, which was pradifcd 
 in this perfecution, and which 
 Mofheim attributes to the advice 
 of Hierocles, and you to that of 
 the philofophers of thofc times, 
 fcems clear to me, from the places 
 M 3 in
 
 [ l82 ] 
 
 in Livy, before quoted, to have 
 been nothing but an old piece 
 of ftate policy, to which the Ro- 
 mans had recourfe, as often as they 
 apprehended their eftablilhed re 
 ligion to be in any danger. 
 
 In the preamble of the letter of 
 toleration, which the emperor Max- 
 imin reludantly wrote to Sabinus 
 about a year after the publication 
 of Galerius' Edift, there is a plain 
 avowal of the reafons, which induc- 
 ed Galerius and Diocletian to com- 
 mence their perfecution , they 
 had feen the temples of the gods 
 forfaken, and were determined by 
 the feverity cf punifliment to re- 
 claim men to tkir worihip *. 
 
 In 
 
 * I,v}iuhv o-;)/jJo uTruvTUi ccvO^uttsc, xotloc-
 
 I "83 ] 
 
 In fhort, the fyflem recommend- 
 ed by Msecenas, of forcing every 
 perfon to be of the emperor's reli- 
 gion, and of hating and punifhing 
 every innovator, contained no 
 new doctrine i it was correfpondent 
 to the pra6ticc of the Roman fenate, 
 in the moil; illuftrious times of the 
 republic ; and feems to have been 
 generally adopted by the emperors, 
 in their treatment of Chriftians, 
 whilft they themfelves were Pa- 
 gans ; and in their treatment of 
 Pagans, after they themfelves be- 
 came Chriftians ; and if any one 
 M 4 fliould 
 
 >ji^S:-i5T? T'/;? Tuv Otuv Z-^yia-KHo.^, tu tSvfi 
 
 UTTO Tx'i ^iu'j Ti'v aOavaTo.'V uyc<.'/^iJi^ri!7f.v\oir, 
 
 x:iav rut (jsuv uiXK^^r/jocn. Eufcb. Lib. 
 ix. C. 4.
 
 t 184 ] 
 
 fliould be willing to derive thofe 
 laws againft Heretics (which are 
 io abhorrent from the mild fpirit 
 of the gofpel, and fo reproachful 
 to the Roman Code) from the 
 blind adherence of the Chriftian 
 emperors to the intolerant policy 
 of their Pagan predeceflbrs, fome- 
 thing, I think, might be produced 
 in fupport of his conjeclure. 
 
 But I am forry to have faid fo 
 much upon fuch a fubject. In 
 endeavouring to palliate the feverity 
 of the Romans towards the Chri- 
 ftians, you have remarked, " it was 
 " in vain, that the opprefTed believer 
 " aflerted the inalienable rights of 
 '' confcience, and private judg- 
 " mcnt." " Though his fituation 
 " might excite the pity, his argu- 
 
 *' ments
 
 [ i85 ] 
 
 *' ments could never reach the un- 
 " derflanding, either ot the philo- 
 " fophic, or of the believing part: of 
 " the Pagan world." How is this. 
 Sir ? are the arguments for liberty 
 of confcience, fo exceedingly incon- 
 clufive, that you think them inca- 
 pable of reaching the underftand- 
 ing, even of philofophcrs ? A cap- 
 tious adverfary would embrace 
 with avidity, the opportunity this 
 pafifage affbrds him, of blotting 
 your character with the odious 
 -ftain of being a perfecutor-, a ftain, 
 which no learning can wipe out, 
 which no genius or ability can 
 render amiable. I am far from 
 entertaining fuch an opinion of 
 your principles; but thisconclufion 
 feems fairly deducible from what 
 
 you
 
 [ 'se ] 
 
 you have faid, that the minds of 
 the Pagans, were fo pre-occupied 
 with the notions of forcing, and 
 hating, and punifhing thofe, who 
 differed from them in rehgion, that 
 arguments for the inalienable rights 
 of confcience, which would have 
 convinced yourfelf and every phi- 
 lofopher in Europe, and flaggered 
 the refolution of an inquifitor, were 
 incapable of reaching their under- 
 Handings, or making any impref- 
 fion on their hearts j and you 
 might, perhaps, have fpared your- 
 felf fome perplexity, in the invefti- 
 gation of the motives, which in- 
 duced the Roman emperors to per- 
 fecute, and the Roman people to 
 hite the Chriftians, if you had not 
 overlooked the true one, and adopt- 
 
 *ed
 
 [ '87 ] 
 
 cd with too great facility, the er- 
 roneous idea of the extreme tole- 
 rance of Pagan Rome. 
 
 The Chriftians, you obferve, 
 were accufed of atheifm : and ic 
 muft be owned, that they were the 
 greatefl of all atheifls, in the opi- 
 nion of the polytheifls; for, inftead 
 of Hefiod's thirty thoufand gods, 
 they could not be brought to ac- 
 knowledge above one; and even 
 that one they refufed, at the hazard 
 of their lives, to blafpheme with 
 the appellation of Jupiter. But is 
 it not fomewhat fingular, that the 
 pretenfions of the Chriflians to a 
 conftant intercourfe with fuperior 
 beings, in the working of miracles, 
 fiiould have been a principal caufe 
 of converting to their faith, thofe 
 
 who
 
 [ 188 ] 
 
 who branded them with the impu- 
 tation of atheifm ? 
 
 They were accufed too, of form- 
 ing dangerous confpiracies againfl 
 the ftate : This accufation, you 
 own, was as unjufl: as the preced- 
 ing; but there feems to have been 
 a pecuUar hardfliip in the fituation 
 of the Chriftians ; fince the very 
 fame men, who thought them dan- 
 gerous to the ftate, on account of 
 their confpiracies; condemned them, 
 as you have obferved, for not inter- 
 fering in it's concerns , for their 
 criminal difregard to tlie bufinefs 
 of war and governnient ; and for 
 their entertaining dodlrines, which 
 were fuppofed *' to prohibit them 
 " from affuming the charader of 
 " foldiers, of magiftrates, and of 
 " princes:"
 
 [ 189 ] 
 
 princes :" Men fuch as thefe, 
 would have made but poor confpi- 
 rators. 
 
 They were accufed, laftly, of the 
 moll horrid crimes : This accu- 
 fation, it is confeffed, was mere 
 calumny, yet, as calumny is ge- 
 nerally more extenfive in it's influ- 
 ence, than truth, perhaps this ca- 
 lumny might be more powerful in 
 flopping the progrefs of Chrifli- 
 anity, than the virtues of the Chri- 
 ftians were in promoting it: and 
 in truth, Origen obferves, that the 
 Chriftians, on account of the crimes 
 which were malicioufly laid to their 
 charge, were held in fuch abhor- 
 rence, that no one would fo much 
 as fpeak to them. It may be 
 worth while to remark- from him, 
 
 that
 
 r 190 1 
 
 that the Jews, in the very begin- 
 ning of Chriftianity, were the au- 
 thors of all thofe calumnies, which 
 Celfus afterwards took fuch great 
 delight in urging againft the Chri- 
 ftians, and which you have men- 
 tioned with fuch great precifion.* 
 
 It is no improbable fuppofition, 
 that the clandeHine manner, in 
 which the perfecuting fpirit of the 
 
 Jews 
 
 * Videtur mihi fecifie idem Celfus, 
 quod JudiEi, qui fub Chriilianifmi ini- 
 tium errorem Iparfere, quafi ejus feftaj 
 homines maftati pueri vefcerentur carni- 
 bus ; et quod, quoties eis libeat operam 
 dare occultis libidinibus, extindo himine 
 conitupret, quam quifque naclus fucrit. 
 Quai faH"a ct iniqua opinio dudum valde 
 inultos a leligione noitra alienos tcnnit; 
 perfuafos, quod talcs fin' Cliriltiani; et a<i 
 hoc teinporis noiuiuUos fallit j quia ea dc 
 caufa Chriilianos avcrfaiuur, ut nee fim- 
 plex colloquium cum. eis habere velint, 
 Oricr. con. Cel. Lib. vi.
 
 [ '91 ] 
 Jews and Gentiles, obliged the 
 Chriftians to celebrate their Eu- 
 charift, together with the expref- 
 fions of eating the body, and drink- 
 ing the blood of Chrift, which were 
 ufed in it's inftitution, and the 
 cuftom of impardng a kifs of cha- 
 rity to each other, and of callino- 
 each other by the appellations of 
 brother and filler,* gave occafions 
 to their enemies to invent, and in- 
 duced carelcfs obfervers to believe, 
 all the odious things which were 
 faid againft the Chriiliims. 
 
 You have diiplaycd at length, 
 in exprefiive diclion, the accuia- 
 tions of die t-nemics of ChrKI janity, 
 and you have told us, of the im- 
 prudent 
 
 The Rnmr.ns ii'"-! rhcfa c:;nr.'::i.M,s 
 in fo impure a i-uU-, th,;t Marr'i;:! calls 
 tncm, ^.u:n:i:;; ncqji';..;. Lib.Il.K ri-r., ,-.
 
 [ 192 ] 
 
 prudent defence, by which the 
 Chrifttans vindicated the purity of 
 their morals , and you have hud- 
 dled up in a fhort note, (which 
 many a reader will never fee) the 
 teftimony of Pliny to their inno- 
 cence j permit me to do the Chri- 
 ftians a little juftice, by producing 
 in their caufe the whole truth. 
 
 Between feventy and eighty 
 years after the death of Chrift, 
 Pliny had occafion to confult the 
 emperor Trajan, concerning the 
 manner, in which he fhould treat 
 the Chriftians; it feems as if there 
 had been judicial proceedings a- 
 gainfl: them, though Pliny had ne- 
 ver happened to attend any of them. 
 Pie knew, indeed, that men were 
 to be puniHied for being Chriftians, 
 i or
 
 [ 193 1 
 or he would not, as a fenfible ma- 
 giftrate, have received the accufa- 
 tions of legal, much lefs of illegal, 
 anonymous informers againft them; 
 nor would he, before he wrote to 
 the emperor, have put to death 
 thofe, whom his threats could not 
 hinder from perfevering in their 
 confeflion, that they were Chri- 
 ftians. His harfh manner of pro- 
 ceeding " in an office the moft re- 
 *' pugnant to his humanity," had 
 made many apoftatize from their 
 profeflion , perfons of this com- 
 plexion, were well fitted to inform 
 him of every thing they knew 
 concerning the Chriftians; accord- 
 ingly, he examined them , but not 
 one of them accufed the Chrifli- 
 ans of any other crime, than of
 
 [ 194 ] 
 
 praying to Chrift, as to fome God, 
 and of binding themfelves by an 
 oath, not to be guilty of any 
 wickednefs. Not contented with 
 this information, he put two maid 
 fervants, which were called mini- 
 fters, to the torture-, but even the 
 rack, could not extort from the 
 imbecility of the fex, a confelTion 
 of any crime, any account different 
 from that which the Apoftates had 
 voluntarily given -, not a word do 
 we find of their feafting upon mur- 
 dered infants, or of their mixing in 
 inceftuous commerce. After all 
 his pains, Pliny pronounced the 
 meal of the Chriftians to be 'pro^ 
 mifcuous and innccent : perfons of 
 both fexes, of all ages, and of every 
 condition, aflembled promifcuoufly 
 
 to-
 
 L ^95 ] 
 
 together: there was nothing for 
 chaftity to blufh at, or for huma- 
 nity to fhudder at, in thefe meet- 
 ino^s ; there was no fecret initia- 
 tion of profelytes by abhorred rites-, 
 but they eat a promifcuous meal in 
 Chriftian charity, and with the moft 
 perfed innocence.* 
 
 Whatever faults then, the Chrl- 
 
 flians may have been guilty ot in 
 
 after times i though you could pro- 
 
 N 2 duce 
 
 * affirm^bant autcm, lianc i\u(l^ 
 
 fiimmam vel culp;e fax-, vcl crroris, quod 
 effent foliti ftato die ante lucem coiivenire; 
 carmenquc Chrifto, quafi Deo, tliccrc fe- 
 cum inviccm: feque facramento non. in 
 fedus aliquod obllriiigcrc, fed iie rurta, ne 
 Jatrocinia, nc adultcria committercnf, ne 
 fidcm fallerent, ne depofitum appellati 
 abaegarcnt: quibu^ peracti,-,, morcin libt 
 difccdcndi fuiilc, riiriulqui; ccxuiiJi ad 
 capiendum cibum, proht/juntm tameii, (t 
 iijuuxiian. i'lin. I'.pir. xc ii, LiL). x.
 
 [ '96 ] 
 
 duce to us a thoufand ambitious 
 prelates of Carthage, or fenfual 
 ones of Antioch, and blot ten 
 thoufand pages with the impurities 
 of the Chriftian clergy ; yet at this 
 period, whilft the memory of Chrift 
 and his Apoftles, was frefh in their 
 minds J or, in the more emphatic 
 language of Jerome, " whilft the 
 *' blood of our Lord was warm, 
 " and recent faith was fervent in 
 " the believers ;" we have the great - 
 eft reafon to conclude, that they 
 were eminently diftinguifhed for 
 the probity and the purity of their 
 lives. Had there been but a fha- 
 dow of a crime in their aflemblies, 
 it muft have been detefted by the 
 induftrious fearch of the intelli- 
 gent Pliny i and it is a matter of 
 
 real
 
 [ -^91 ] 
 
 real furprlfe, that no one of the 
 apoftates, thought of paying court 
 to the governor, by a falfe tefti- 
 mony ; efpecially, as the apoftacy 
 feems to have been exceeding ge- 
 neral i fince the temples, which 
 had been almoft deferted, began 
 again to be frequented; and the 
 vidims, for which a little time be- 
 fore, fcarce a purchafer was to be 
 found, began again every where to 
 be bought up. This, Sir, is a 
 valuable teftimony in our favour; 
 it is not that of a declaiming apo- 
 logift, of a deluding prieft, or of a 
 deluded martyr, of an orthodox 
 biOiop, or of any " of the mofl 
 " pious of men" the Chriltians ; 
 but it is that of a Roinan magi- 
 ftrate, philofopher, and lawyer; 
 N 3 who
 
 [ '98 ] 
 
 \cho cannot be fuppofed to have 
 wanted inclination to deted the 
 immoraUties, or the confpiracies of 
 the Chriftians ; fince, in his treat- 
 ment of them, he had ftretched the 
 authority of his office, and violated 
 alike the laws of his country, and 
 of humanity. 
 
 With this teftimony, I will con- 
 clude my remarks , for I have no 
 difpofition to blacken the character 
 you have given of Nero ; or to 
 lefien the humanity of the Roman 
 magiftrates ; or to magnify the 
 number of Chriftians, or of mar- 
 tyrs j or to undertake the defence 
 of a few fanatics, who by their 
 injudicious zeal, brought ruin upon 
 themfelves, and difgrace upon th'eir 
 profeffjon. I may not probably 
 
 have
 
 [ 199 ] 
 have convinced yon, that you are 
 wrong in any thing, which you 
 have advanced -, or that the authors 
 you have quoted, will not lupport 
 you in the inferences, you have 
 drawn from their vvorks; or that 
 Chriftianity ought to be diilin- 
 gui filed from it's corruptions j yet 
 I may, perhaps, have had the good 
 fortune to lefien, in the minds of 
 others, fome of that diflike to the 
 Chrillian religion, which the peru- 
 fal of your book had unhappily 
 excited. 1 have touched but upon 
 general topics , for I fhould have 
 wearied out your patience, to fay 
 nothing of my readers', or my own, 
 had 1 enlarged upon every thing 
 \]\ which I diifent fi'om you-, and 
 a minute examination of yotir 
 N 4 work
 
 [ 200 ] 
 
 work would, moreover, have had 
 the appearance of a captious dif- 
 pofition, to defcend into illiberal 
 perfonalities ; and might have pro- 
 duced a certain acrimony of fenti- 
 ment or expreiTion, which may be 
 ferviceable in fupplying the place 
 of argument, or adding a zeft to a 
 dull compofition-, but has nothing 
 to do with the inveftigation of truth. 
 Sorry (hall I be, if what I have 
 written, fhould give the lead inter- 
 ruption to the profecution of the 
 great work, in which you are en- 
 gaged , the world is now pofleffed 
 of the opinion of us both, upon 
 the fubjed in queftion *, and it may, 
 perhaps, be proper for us both to 
 leave it in this flate ; I fay not this, 
 from any backwardnefs to acknow- 
 ledge
 
 [ 201 ] 
 
 ledge my miftakes, when I am 
 convinced that I am in an error -, 
 but to exprels the almoft infiipe- , 
 rable reluctance, which I feel to the 
 bandying abufive argument, in 
 public controverfy : It is not, in 
 good truth, a difficult taflc, to 
 chaftife the froward petulance of 
 thofe, who miftake perfonal invec- 
 tive for reafoning, and clumfy 
 banter for ingenuity , but it is a 
 dirty bufinefs at beft, and fhould 
 never be undertaken by a man of 
 any temper, except when the inte- 
 refts of truth may luiTer by his 
 negle6t. Nothing of this nature, 
 I am fenfible, is to be expeded 
 from you ; and if any thing of the 
 kind has happened to efcape my- 
 felf, I hereby difclaim the intention 
 
 of
 
 [ 202 ] 
 
 of faying it, and heartily wifli it 
 Ufifaid. 
 
 Will you permit me. Sir, 
 through this channel, (I may not, 
 perhaps, have another fo good an 
 opportunity of doing it,) to addrefs 
 a few words ? not to yourlelf, but 
 to a fet of men, who diflurb all 
 ferious company with their profane 
 declamation againft Chriilianity ; 
 and who having picked up in 
 their travels, or the writings of the 
 deifts, a few flimfy objedlions, 
 infedl with their ignorant and irre- 
 verent ridicule, the ingenuous minds 
 of the rifing generation. 

 
 [ 203 ] 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 Suppofe the mighty work accom- 
 pliihed, the crolli trampled upon, 
 Chriftianicy every where profcribed, 
 and the religion of nature once 
 more become the religion of Eu- 
 rope , what advantage will you 
 have derived to your country, or to 
 yourfelves, from the exchange? 
 I know your anfwer you will have 
 freed the world from the hypocrify 
 of Priefts, and the tyranny of Super- 
 flition. No i you forget that Ly- 
 caraus, and Numa, and Odin, and 
 Mango-Copac, and all the. great 
 Icgidators of ancient or modern 
 {lory, have been of opinion, that 
 the aiTairs of civil fociety could not 
 v/ell be conduced widiout fime 
 
 rcli-
 
 [ 204 J 
 
 religion j you muft of necefllty 
 introduce a priefthood, with, pro- 
 bably, as much hypocrify ; a reli- 
 gion, with, aflbredly, more fuper- 
 flition, than that which you now 
 reprobate with fuch indecent and 
 ill-grounded contempt. But I will 
 tell you, from what you will have 
 freed the world ; you will have 
 freed it from it's abhorrence of vice, 
 and from every powerful incentive 
 to virtue ; you will, with the reli- 
 gion, h^vc brought back the de- 
 praved morality, of Paganifm ; you 
 will have robbed mankind of their 
 firm affurance of another life ; and 
 thereby you will have defpoiled 
 them of their patience, of their 
 humility, of their charity, of their 
 chaility, of all thofe mild and 
 
 filent
 
 [ 205 ] 
 
 filent virtues, which (however de- 
 fpicable they may appear in your 
 eyes) are the only ones, which me- 
 liorate and fublime our nature; 
 which Pagianifm never knew, which 
 fpring from Chriftianity alone, 
 which do or might conftitute our 
 comfort in this life, and without 
 the pofleffion of which, another 
 life, if after all there fhould hap- 
 pen to be one, muft (unlefs a mi- 
 racle be exerted in the alteration 
 of our difpofition) be more vicious 
 and more miferable than this is. 
 
 Perhaps you will contend, that 
 the univerfal light of reafon, that 
 the truth and fitnefs of things, are 
 of thenifelves, fufficient to exalt 
 the nature, and regulate the man- 
 ners of mankind. Shall we never 
 
 have
 
 [ 206 ] 
 
 have done with this groundlefs 
 commendation of natural law ? 
 Look into the firfl chapter of Paul's 
 Epiftle to the Romans, and you 
 will fee the extent of it's influence 
 over the Gentiles of thofe days , or 
 if you diflike Paul's authority, and 
 the manners of antiquity ; look 
 into the more admired accounts of 
 modern Voyagers , and examine it's 
 influence over the Pagans of our own 
 times, over the fenfual inhabitants 
 of Ottaheite, over the Cannibals of 
 New Zeland, or the remorfelefs 
 Savages of America. But thefe 
 men are Barbarians. Your law of 
 nature, notwithft:anding, extends 
 even to them: but they have mif- 
 ufed their reafon; they have then 
 the more need of, and would be 
 
 the
 
 [ 207 ] 
 
 the more thankful for that revelation, 
 which you, with an ignorant and 
 faftidious felf-fufficiency deem ufe- 
 lefs. Bur, they might of them- 
 felves, if they thouglit fit, become 
 wife and virtuous. I anfwer 
 with Cicero, ut nihil intereft^ utnim 
 nemo vakat, an neyno valere pojjlii 
 fic non intdligo quid inter/it^ ulrum 
 nemo fit Japiens^ an nemo ejfe pojftt. 
 
 Thefe however, you will think, 
 are extraordinary inftances-, and that 
 we ought not from thefe, to take 
 our meaiure of the exceiler.cy of 
 the law of nature-, but rather from 
 the civilized fia:cs of China and 
 Japan, or from the nations vvhich 
 llourilkcd in learning and in art?, 
 before ClaifLianity was heard of in 
 tlic woild. You mean to fiv, tb.it 
 
 by
 
 [ 208 j 
 
 by the law of nature, which you 
 are defirous of fubftitutlng in the 
 room of the gofpel, you do not 
 underftand thofe rules of condudt, 
 which an individual, abftradled from 
 the community, and deprived of 
 the inftitution of mankind, could 
 excogitate for himfelf ; but fuch a 
 fyftem of precepts, as the mod 
 enlightened men of the moft en- 
 lightened ages, have recommended 
 to our obfervance. Where do you 
 find this fyftem ? We cannot meet 
 with it in the works of Stobseus, 
 or the Scythian Anacharfis, nor in 
 thofe of Plato or qf Cicero, nor in 
 thofe of the Emperor Antoninus, 
 or the flave Epidetus ; for we are 
 perfuaded, that the moft animated 
 confiderations of the xt^ettpu, and 
 a the
 
 C 209 ] 
 
 the honejium, of the beauty of 
 virtue, and the fitnefs of things, are 
 not able to furnifh, even a Brutus 
 himfelf, with permanent principles 
 of adion -, much lefs are they able, 
 to purify the polluted recefles of a 
 vitiated heart, to curb the irregula- 
 rity of appetite, or reftrain the im- 
 petuofity of pafiion in common 
 men. If you order us to examine 
 the works of Grotius, or Puffendorf, 
 of Burlamaqui, or Hutchinfon, for 
 what you underftand by the law of 
 nature ; we apprehend that you are 
 in a great error, in taking your 
 notions of natural law, as difcove- 
 rable by natural reafon, from the 
 elegant fyftems of it, which have 
 been drawn up by ChrilVian Philo- 
 fophcrs , fince they have all laid 
 O their
 
 [ 2IO ] 
 
 their foundations, either tacitly oc 
 expr^rfsly, upon a principle derived 
 from revelation, A thorough know- 
 ledge of the Being and attributes 
 of God : and even thofe amongft 
 yourfelves, who, rejefting Chrifti- 
 anity ftill continue Theifts, are 
 indebted to revelation (whether you 
 are either aware of, or dlfpofed ta 
 acknowledge the debt, or not) for 
 thofe fublime fpeculations concern- 
 ing the Deity, which you have, 
 fondly attributed to the excellency 
 of your own unaffifted reafon. If 
 you 'ivould know the real genius of 
 natural law, and how far it can 
 proceed in the inveftigation or 
 enforcement of moral duties ; you 
 muft confult the manners and the 
 writings of thofe, who have never 
 
 heard
 
 [ 2" 1 
 
 heard of either the Jewlfh or the 
 Chriftian difpenfation, or of thofe 
 other manifeftations of himlelf, 
 which God vouchfafed to Adam 
 and to the Patriarchs, before and 
 after the flood. It would be diffi* 
 cult perhaps any where, to find a 
 people entirely deftiture of traditio- 
 nary notices concerning a Deity, 
 and of traditionary fears or expefl- 
 ations of another life-, and the mo- 
 rals of mankind may have, perhaps, 
 been no where quite fo abandoned, 
 as they would have been, had they 
 been left wholly to themfelves in 
 thefe points : however, it is a truth, 
 which cannot be denied, how much 
 foever it may be lamented, that 
 though the generality of mankind 
 have always had fonie faint con- 
 o 2 ceptions
 
 [ 212 ] 
 
 captions of God, and his provi- 
 dence -, yet they have been always 
 greatly inefficacious in the pro- 
 dudlion of good morality, and 
 highly derogatory to his nature, 
 amongft all the people of the earth, 
 except the Jews and Chriftians ; 
 and fome may perhaps be defirous 
 of excepting the Mahometans, whp 
 derive all that is good in thdrKor^n 
 from Chriflianity. 
 
 The laws concerning juflice, 
 and the reparation of damages, 
 concerning the fecurity of property, 
 and the performance of contrails^ 
 concerning, in fhort, whatever af- 
 feds the wellbeing of civil fociety, 
 have been every where underilood 
 with fufficient precifion ; and if 
 you choofe to Hile Juftinian's code.
 
 [ 213 ] 
 
 a code of natural law, though you 
 will err againft propriety of Ipeech, 
 yet you are fo far in the right, that 
 natural reafon difcovered, and the 
 depravity of human namre compel- 
 led human kind, to eftabhfli by 
 proper fandions the laws therein 
 contained; and you will have 
 moreover Carneades, no mean 
 Philofopher, on your fide; who 
 knev/ of no law of nature, different 
 from that which men had inftituted 
 for their common utility; and 
 which was various according to the 
 manners of men in different cli- 
 mates, and changeable with a 
 change of times in the lame. And 
 in truth, in all countries where 
 Paganifm has been the eftablifhed 
 religion, though a philofopher may 
 o 3 now
 
 [ 2'4 ] 
 
 now and then have ftepped beyond 
 the paltry prefcript of civil jurif- 
 prudence, in his purfuit of virtue -, 
 yet the bulk of mankind have 
 ever been contented with that fcan- 
 ty pittance of morality, which en- 
 abled them to efcape the lafh of 
 civil punifhment : I call it a fcanty 
 pittance! becaufe a man may be 
 intemperate, iniquitous, impious, 
 a thoufand ways a profligate and a 
 villain, and yet elude the cogni- 
 zance, and avoid the punifhment 
 of civil laws. 
 
 I am fenfible, you will be ready 
 to fay, what is all this to the pur- 
 pofe ? though the bulk of mankind 
 may never be able to inveftigate 
 the laws of natural religion, nor 
 difpoied to reverence their fanftions 
 
 when
 
 [ 215 ] 
 
 when inveftigated by others, nor 
 felicitous about any other ftandard 
 of moral reditude, than civil legif- 
 lation-, yet the inconveniences which 
 may attend the extirpation of 
 Chriftianlty, can be no proof of 
 it's truth. I have not produced 
 them, as a proof of it's truth , but 
 they are a llrong and conclufive 
 proof, if not of it's truth, at lead 
 of it's utility , and the confideration 
 of it's utility, may be a motive to 
 yourfelves for examining, whether 
 it may not chance to be true-, and 
 it ought to be a reafon with every 
 good citizen, and with every man 
 of found judgment, to keep his 
 opinions to himfelf, if from any 
 particular circumftances in his 
 rtudies or in his education, he fliould 
 o 4 have
 
 [ 2l6 ] 
 
 have the misfortune to think that 
 it is not true. If you can difcover 
 to the rifing generation, a better 
 religion than the Chriftian, one 
 that will more effedtually animate 
 their hopes, and fubdue their paf- 
 fions, make them better men or 
 better members of fociety, we im- 
 portune you to publifli it for their 
 advantage i but till you can do that, 
 we beg of you, not to give the 
 reins to their pafTions, by inftilling 
 into their unfufpicious minds your 
 pernicious prejudices : even now, 
 men fcruple not, by their lav/Iefs 
 lull, to ruin the repofe of private 
 families, and to fix a ftain of infa- 
 my upon the nobleft : even now, 
 they hcfitate not, in lifting up a 
 murderous arm againft the life of 
 
 their
 
 [ 217 ] 
 
 their friend, or againfl their own, as 
 often as the fever of intemperance, 
 ftimulates their refe-ntment; or the 
 fatiety of an ulelefs Hk excites their 
 defpondency : even now, whilft we 
 are perfuaded of a refurreclion from 
 the dead, and of judgement to come^ 
 we find it difficult: enough to refill 
 the foUcitations of fenfe, and to 
 efcape unlpoitcd from the Tcenti- 
 ous manners of the world : But 
 what will become of our virtue, 
 what of the confeqi:ent peace and 
 happinels of fociety, if you per- 
 fuade us, that there are no fuch 
 things ? in two words, you may- 
 ruin yourfelves by your attempt, 
 and you wiH certainly ruin your 
 country by your fucccis. 
 
 But the confideration of the in- 
 utility
 
 [ 2i8 ] 
 
 utility of your defign, is not the only 
 one, which fhould induce you to 
 abandon it; the argument a tuto 
 ought to be warily managed, or it 
 may tend to the filencing our op- 
 pofition to any fyflem of fuperfti- 
 tion, which has had the good for- 
 tune to be fanftified by public au- 
 thority ; it is, indeed, liable to no 
 objedion in the prefcnt cafe; we 
 do not, however, wholly rely upon 
 it*s cogency. It is not contended, 
 that Chriftianlty is to be received, 
 merely becaufe it is ufeful ; but 
 becaufe it is true. This you deny, 
 and think your objedlions well 
 grounded; we conceive them ori- 
 ginating in your vanity, your im- 
 morality, or your mifapprehenfion. 
 There are many worthlefs doc- 
 trines.
 
 [ 219 1 
 
 trines, many fuperftitious obferv- 
 ances, which the fraud or folly of 
 mankind have every where annex- 
 ed to Chriftianity, (efpecially in the 
 church of Rome,) as ellential parts 
 of it ; if you take thefe forry ap- 
 pendages to Chriftianity, for Chrif- 
 tianity itfelf, as preached by Chriflr, 
 and by the Apoftles-, if you con- 
 found the Roman, with theChriftian 
 religion, you quite mifapprehend 
 it's nature j and are in a ftate fimilar 
 to that of men, mentioned by Plu- 
 tarch, in his treatifc uf fuperftition; 
 who flying from fuperftition, leapt 
 over religion, and lunk into down- 
 right Atheifm.* Chriftianity is 
 
 not 
 
 Le Papifme, fays Helvetius in a 
 
 Poflhumous Work, n' eft aax ycax d'un 
 hijnirac Ignsv (^u'une pure idolatrie - -ous 
 
 fommes
 
 f 220 ] 
 
 not a religion very palatable to a 
 voluptuous agej it will not conform 
 it*s precepts to the ftandard of 
 falhion , it will not lefTen the de- 
 formity of vice by lenient appella- 
 tions i but calls keeping, whore- 
 dom-, intrigue, adultery; and du- 
 elling, murder ; it will not pander 
 the luft, it will not licence the intem- 
 perance of mankind; it is a trouble- 
 fome monitor to a man of pleafure; 
 and your way of life may have made 
 
 you 
 
 femmes ctonnes de 1' abfarditc de la reli- 
 gion paienne. Celle de la religion Papifte 
 etonnera bien d' avantage iinjour la pofte- 
 rue. We trufr, that day is not at a great 
 diftance, and deifin will then be buried in 
 the ruins of the church of Rome; for the 
 taking the fuperftition, the avarice, the am- 
 bition, the intolerance of Antichrillianifm 
 for Chriftianity, has been the great error, 
 upon which infidelity has built it's fyftem, 
 both at home and abroad.
 
 [ 221 ] 
 
 you quarrel with your religion. 
 As to your vanity, as a caufe of 
 your infidelity, fuffer me to pro- 
 duce the fentiments of M. Bayle 
 upon that head , if the defcription 
 does not fuit your charadcr, you 
 will noc be offended at it ; and if 
 you are offended with it's freedom, 
 it will do you good. " This in- 
 " dines me to believe, diat Liber- 
 " tines, like Des-Barreaux, are not 
 " o-ready perfuaded of the truth of 
 *' what they fay. They Inive made 
 " no deep examination-, tliey have 
 " learned ibme few objeftions, which 
 " they are perpetually making a 
 " nolle with-, tliey Ipeak from a 
 " principle of ollen^^irion, and give 
 *' theiTifclves the lie in the time Ct 
 ' dan:.>r. Vanity has a gre-ter
 
 (C, 
 
 [ 222 ] 
 
 ** fhare in their difputes, than con- 
 *' fcience; they imagine, that the 
 ** fingularity and boldnefs of the 
 *' opinions which they maintain, 
 *' will give them the reputation of 
 men of parts : by degrees, they 
 get a habit of holding impious 
 *' difcourles; and if their vanity be 
 " accompanied by a voluptuous life, 
 ** their progrefs in that road is the 
 fwifter." * 
 
 The m.ain llrefs of your objec- 
 tions, refts not upon the infuffi- 
 ciency of the external evidence to 
 the truth of Chriftianity-, for few of 
 you, though you may become the 
 future ornaments of the fenate, or 
 of the bar, haiarever en:iployed an 
 hour in it's examination ^ but upon 
 
 the 
 * Bayle, Hift. Dift, Art. Des-Barreau;.-,
 
 ( 223 ) 
 
 the difficulty ot the dodrines, con- 
 tained in the new teftament : they 
 exceed, you fay, your comprehen- 
 fion; and you felicitate yourfelves, 
 that you are not yet arrived at the 
 true ftandard of orthodox faith, 
 credo, q^uia impoffibile. You think, 
 it would be taking a fuperfluous 
 trouble, to inquire into the nature 
 of the external proofs, by which 
 Chriftianity J5 eflablifhed ; fince, in 
 your opinion, the book itfelf car- 
 ries widi it it's Ovvn refutation. A 
 gendeman as acure, probably, as 
 any of you ; and who once believ- 
 ed, perhaps, as little as any of you, 
 has drawn a quite different conclu- 
 fion from the perufal of the new 
 Teftament , his Dook [however 
 exccntionable it may be thought in 
 ron:e particular partij exhibits r^o^ 
 
 onlv
 
 [ 224 3 
 
 only a diftinguiflied triumph of 
 realon over prejudice, of Chriftia- 
 nity over Deilm ; but it exhibits, 
 what is infinitely more rare, the 
 character of a man, who has had 
 courage and candour enough to 
 acknowledge it,* 
 
 But what if there fliould be fome 
 incomprehenfible dodtrines in the 
 Chriftian religion ; fome circum- 
 ftances, which in their caufes, or 
 their conlequences, iurpafs tlie reach 
 of human realon; are they to be 
 rejeded upon that account? You 
 are, or would be thought, men of 
 reading, and knowledge, and en- 
 larged undcrllandings ; weigh the 
 matter fairly, and confider whether 
 revealed religiort be not, in this re- 
 
 fptd-, 
 
 * See A View of the Internal Evidence, 
 &c. by Soame Jcnyub.
 
 [ 225 ] 
 
 fpedl, juft upon the fame footing, 
 with every other objeft of your 
 contemplation. Even in mathe- 
 matics, the fcience of demonftra- 
 tion itfelf, though you get over it's 
 firft principles, and learn to digefb 
 the idea of a point without parts, 
 a line without breadth, and a fur- 
 face without thicknefs , yet you 
 will find yourfelves at a lofs to 
 comprehend the perpetual approxi- 
 mation of lines, which can never 
 meeti the dodrine of incommen- 
 furables, and of an infinity of infi- 
 nites, each infinitely greater, or 
 infinitely lefs, not only than any 
 finite quantity, but than each other. 
 In phyfics, you cannot comprehend 
 the primary caufe of any thing i 
 not of the light, by which you fee; 
 P nror
 
 [ 226 ] 
 
 nor of the elafticity of the air, by 
 which you hear -, nor of the fire, 
 by which you are warmed. In 
 phyfiology, you cannot tell, what 
 nrll gave motion to the heart; 
 nor what continues it ; nor why it's 
 motion is lefs voluntary, than that 
 of the lungs-, nor why you are 
 able to move your arm, to the 
 right or left, by a fimple volition : 
 you cannot explain the caufe of 
 animal heat; nor comprehend the 
 principle, by which your body was 
 at firft formed, nor by which it 
 is fuftained, nor by which it will 
 be reduced to earth. In natural 
 religion, you cannot comprehend 
 the eternity or omniprcfence of the 
 Deity -, nor eafily underftand, how 
 his prefcience can be confident 
 
 with
 
 [ 227 ] 
 
 with your freedom, or his immu- 
 tability with his government of 
 moral agents; nor why he did not 
 make all his creatures equally per- 
 fed; nor why he did not create 
 them fooner: In (hort, you can- 
 not look into any branch of know- 
 ledge, but you will meet with fub- 
 jcdts above your comprehenfion. 
 The fall and the redemption of hu- 
 man kind, are not more incom- 
 prehenfible, than the creation and 
 the confervation of the univerfe ; 
 the infinite Author of the works 
 of providence, and of nature, is 
 equally infcrutable, equally paft our 
 finding out in them both. And it 
 is fomewhat remarkable, that the 
 deepeft inquirers into nature, have 
 ever thought with moft reverence, 
 P 2 and
 
 [ 228 ] 
 
 and fpoken with mofl diffidence, 
 concerning thofe things, which in 
 revealed religion, may feem hard 
 to be underltood ; they have ever 
 avoided that felf-fufficiency of 
 knowledge, which fprings from 
 ignorance, produces indifference, 
 and ends in infidelity. Admirable 
 to this purpofe, is the reflexion of 
 the greateft mathemadcian of the 
 prefent age, when he is combating 
 an opinion of Newton's, by an hy- 
 pothefis of his own, ftill lefs defen^ 
 fible than that which he oppofes: 
 Tous les jours que je vois de 
 CCS efprits-forts, qui critique les 
 verites de nclre religion, et s'en 
 inocquent meme avec la plus im- 
 pertinente fuffifance, je penfe, che- 
 tifs mortels ! combien et combien 
 
 des
 
 [ 229 ] 
 
 des chofes fur lefquels vous raifon- 
 nez fi legerement, font elles plus 
 fublimes, et plus eleves, que celles 
 fur lefquelles le grand Newton 
 s'egare fi groflierement.* 
 
 Plato mentions a fet of men, 
 who were very ignorant, and 
 thought themfelves fupremely wife ; 
 and who rejedled the argument for 
 the being of a God, derived from 
 the harmony and order of the uni- 
 verfe, as old and trite ; J there have 
 been men, it feems, in all ages, 
 who in affecting fingularity, have 
 overlooked truth : an argument, 
 however, is not the worfe for being 
 old ; and furely it would have been 
 a more juft mode of reafoning, if 
 you had examined the external evi- 
 p 3 dence 
 
 * Eulcr. I Dc Leg. Lib.x.
 
 [ 230 ] 
 
 dence for the truth of Chriftianity, 
 weighed the old arguments from 
 miracles, and from prophecies, be- 
 fore you had rejeded the whole 
 account from the difficulties you 
 met with in it. You would laugh 
 at an Indian, who in peeping into 
 a hiftory of England, and meeting 
 with the mention of the Thames 
 being frozen, or of a fhower of 
 hail, or of fnow, fhould throw the 
 book afkle, as unworthy of his fur- 
 ther notice, from his want of ability 
 to comprehend thefe phsenomena. 
 In confidering the argument from 
 miracles, you will foon be con- 
 viced, that it is pofllble for God 
 to work miracles ; and you will be 
 convinced, that it is as pofllble for 
 human teftimony, to eflablifli the 
 
 truth
 
 [ 23^ ] 
 
 truth of miraculous, as of phyfical 
 or hiflorical events; but before 
 you can be convinced, that the 
 miracles in queftion, are fupported 
 by fuch teftimony, as deferves to 
 be credited, you mud inquire at 
 what period, and by what perfons, 
 the books of the old and new Tefta- 
 ment werecompofed; if you reject 
 theaccount, without making this ex- 
 amination, you rejed it from pre- 
 judice, not from reafon. 
 
 There is, however, a fliort me- 
 thod of examining this argument, 
 which may, perhaps, make as great 
 an impreflion on your minds, as 
 any other. Three men of diftin- 
 guifhed abilities, rofe up at differ- 
 ent times, and attacked Chriftianity 
 with every objedtion which their 
 P 4 ma-
 
 [ 232 ] 
 
 malice could fuggefl:, or their 
 learning could devife ; but neither 
 Celfus in the fecond century, nor 
 Porphyry in the third, nor the em- 
 peror Julian himfelf in the fourth 
 century, ever queflioned the reality 
 of the miracles related in the Gof- 
 pels. Do but you grant us, what 
 thefe men (who were more likely 
 to know the truth of the matter, 
 than you can be) granted to their 
 adverfaries, and we will very rea- 
 dily let you make the moft of the 
 Magic, to which, as the laft 
 wretched fliift, they were forced to 
 attribute them. We can find you 
 men, in our days, who from the 
 mixture of two colourlefs liquors, 
 will produce you a third as red as 
 blood, or of any other colour you 
 
 de-
 
 [ '2-?,3 ] 
 
 defire , ff diia citius, by a drop 
 refembling water, will reftore the 
 tranfparency , they will make two 
 fluids coalefce into a folid body; 
 and from the mixture of liquors 
 colder than ice, will inftantly raife 
 you a horrid explofion and a tre- 
 mendous flame : thefe, and twenty 
 other tricks they will perform, with- 
 out having been fent with our 
 Saviour to Egypt to learn magic -, 
 nay, with a bottle or two of oil, 
 they will compofe the undulations 
 of a lake-, and by a little art, they 
 will refl:ore the funflions of life to 
 a man, who has been an hour or 
 two under water, or a day or two 
 buried in the fnov/: but in vain 
 will thefe men, or the greateft Ma- 
 gician that Egypt ever faw, fay to 
 
 a
 
 [ 234 ] 
 
 a boifterous fea, 'Peace^ he fiill j in 
 vain will they fay to a carcafe rot- 
 ting in the grave. Come forth j the 
 winds and the fea will not obey 
 them, and the putrid carcafe will 
 not hear them. You need not 
 fufFer yourfelves to be deprived of 
 the weight of this argument, from 
 it's having been obferved, that the 
 Fathers have acknowledged the 
 fupernatural part of Paganifm; 
 fince the Fathers were in no condi- 
 tion to detefl a cheat, which was 
 fupported both by the difpofition 
 of the people, and the power of the 
 civil magi (Irate ,* and they were 
 from that inability, forced to attri- 
 bute to infernal agency, what was 
 too cunningly contrived to be 
 
 de- 
 * See Ld Lyttlct. Obf. on St.Paul. p. 59,
 
 [ ^35 ] 
 
 detected, and contrived for too 
 impious a purpofe, to be credited 
 as the work, of God. 
 With refped to prophecy, you 
 may, perhaps, have accuftomed 
 yourfelves to confider it, as origi- 
 nating in Afiatic enthufiafm, in 
 Chaldean myflery, or in the llibtle 
 flratagem of interefted Priefts ; and 
 have given yourfelves no more 
 trouble concerning the predidions 
 of facred, than concerning the ora- 
 cles of Pagan hi (lory. Or if you 
 have ever call a glance upon this 
 fubjeift, the diffenfions of learned 
 men concerning the proper inter- 
 pretation of the Revelation, and 
 other difficult prophecies, may have 
 made you rafhly conclude, that all 
 prophecies were equally unintel- 
 ligible;
 
 [ 236 ] 
 
 liglble ; and more indebted for their 
 accomplifliment, to a fortunate 
 concurrence of events, and the 
 pliant ingenuity of the expofitor, 
 than to the infpired forefight of 
 the prophet. In all that the prophets 
 of the old Teftament have deli vered, 
 concerning the deftruftion of par- 
 ticular cities, and the defolation of 
 particular kingdoms, you may fee 
 nothing but fiirewd conjedures, 
 which any one acquainted with the 
 hiftory of the rife and fall of em- 
 pires, might certainly have made : 
 and as you Vv'ould not hold hin-i for 
 a prophet, who fnould now affirm, 
 that London or Paris would afford 
 to future ages, a fpeclacle juft as 
 melancholy, as that which we now 
 contemplate, with a fjgh, in the ru- 
 ins of Agrigentum or Palmyra j fa 
 
 you
 
 [ '^%1 ] 
 
 you cannot perfuade yourfelves to 
 believe, that the denunciations of 
 the prophets againft the haughty 
 cities of Tyre or Babylon, for in- 
 ftance,proceeded from tiie infpirati- 
 on of the Deity. There is no doubt, 
 that by fome fuch general kind of 
 reafoning, many are influenced to 
 pay no attention to an argument, 
 which, if properly confidered, car- 
 ries with it the {IrongefL conviftion. 
 Spinoza faid, That he would have 
 broken his atheiftic fyftem to 
 pieces, and embraced without re- 
 pugnance, the ordinary faith of 
 Chriftians, if he could have perfuad- 
 ed himfclf of the refurredion of 
 Lazarus from the\dead ; and I 
 queftion not, that there arc m.any 
 dilbelievers, who would relinquifh 
 i their
 
 [ 238 ] 
 
 their Delftic tenets, and receive the 
 gofpe), if they could perfuade them- 
 felves, that God had ever fo far 
 interfered in the moral government 
 of the world, as to illumine the 
 mind of any one man with the 
 knowledge of future events. A 
 miracle flrikes the fenfes of the 
 perfons who fee it, a prophecy ad- 
 drefies itfelf to the underftandings 
 ofthofe who behold it's completion; 
 and it requires, in many cafes fome 
 learning, in all fome attention, to 
 judge of the correfpondence of 
 events with the predidions con- 
 cerning them. No one can be 
 convinced, that what Jeremiah and 
 the other prophets foretold of the 
 fate of Babylon, that it fhould be 
 befieged by the Medes; that it 
 
 Ihould
 
 [ ^29 ] 
 
 Ihould be taken, when her mighty 
 men were drunken, when her 
 fprings were dried up ; and that it 
 fhould become a pool of water, 
 and fhould remain dcfolate for ever; 
 no one, I fay, can be convinced, 
 that all thefe, and other parts of 
 the prophetic denunciation, have 
 been minutely fulfilled, without 
 fpending fome time in reading the 
 accounts, which profane Hiftorians 
 have delivered down to us con- 
 cerning it's being taken by Cyrus j 
 and which modern travellers have 
 given us of it's prefent fituation. 
 Porphyry was fo perfuaded of the 
 coincidence between the prophecies 
 of Daniel and the events, that he 
 was forced to affirm, the prophecies 
 were written, after the things pro- 
 
 phefied
 
 [ 240 ] 
 
 phefied of had happened ; another 
 Prophyry has, in our days, been 
 fo aftoniflied at the correfpon- 
 dence between the prophecy con- 
 cerning the deftrudion of Jerufa- 
 lem, as related by St. Matthew, 
 and the hiftory of that event, as 
 recorded by Jofephus ; that rather 
 than embrace Chriftianity, he has 
 ventured (contrary to the faith of all 
 ecclefiaftical hiftory, the opinion 
 of the learned of all ages, and all 
 the rules of good criticirm)to afTert, 
 that St. Matthew wrote his Gofpel 
 after Jerufalem had been taken and 
 deftroyed by the Romans. You 
 may from thefe inftances perceive 
 the ftrength of the argument from 
 prophecy, it^ has not.,. been able 
 indeed to vanquilh the prejudices 
 
 of
 
 [ 241 ] 
 
 of either the antient or the modern 
 Porphyry ; but it has been able to 
 compel them both, to be guilty of 
 obvious falfehoods, which have 
 nothing but impudent afiertions to 
 fupport them. 
 
 Some over-zealous interpreters 
 of fcripture have found prophecies 
 in fimple narrations, extended real 
 predictions beyond the times and 
 circumftances to which they natu- 
 rally were applied, and perplexed 
 their readers with a thoufand quaint 
 allufions and allegorical conceits; 
 this proceeding has made men of 
 fenfe pay lefs regard to prophecy 
 in general -, there are fome predic- 
 tions however, fuch as thofe con- 
 cerning the prefent ftate of the 
 Jewifh people, and the corruption 
 Q^ of
 
 [ 242 ] 
 
 of Chriftianity, which are now 
 fulfilling in the world ; and which, 
 if you will take the trouble to ex- 
 amine them, you will find of fuch 
 an extraordinary nature, that you 
 will not perhaps hefitate to refer 
 them to God as their author ; and 
 if you once become perfuaded of 
 the truth of any one miracle, or of 
 the completion of any one prophecy, 
 you will refolve all your difficulties 
 (concerning the manner of God's 
 interpofition, in the moral govern- 
 ment of our fpecies, and the nature 
 of the do6lrines contained in reve- 
 lation) into your own inability 
 fully to comprehend the whole 
 fchem.e of divine providence. 
 
 We are told however, that the 
 ftrangenefs of the narration, and 
 
 the
 
 [ 243 ] 
 
 the difficulty of the dodlrines con- 
 tained in the nev/ Teftament, are 
 not the only circumftances which 
 induce you to reje6t it j you have 
 difcovered, you think, fo many 
 contradictions, in the accounts which 
 the EvangeUfts h.ave given of the 
 Hfe of Chrift, that you are co:n- 
 pelled to confider the whole as an 
 ilUdigcfled and improbable ftory. 
 You would not reafon thus, upon 
 any other occafion ; you would not 
 rejeft as fabulous the accounts 
 given by Livy and Polybius of 
 Hannibal and the Carthaginians, 
 though you fhould dilcovcr a di'i"-- 
 rence betwixt them in feveral poiius 
 of little importance. You cannot 
 co-npare tiic iiiflory of the fame 
 events as d.divcrcd by any two 
 (> 2 hifto-
 
 [ 244 1 
 
 hiftorlans, but you will meet with 
 many circumftances-, which,though 
 mentioned by one, are either wholly 
 omitted or differently related by 
 ^he other j and this obfervation is 
 peculiarly applicable to biogra- 
 phical writings : But no one ever 
 thought of dilbelieving the leading 
 circumftances of the lives of Vi- 
 tellius or Vefpafian, becaufe Taci- 
 tus and Suetonius did not in every 
 thing correfpond in their accounts 
 of thefe emperors ; and if the me- 
 moirs of the life and do6lrines of 
 M. de Voltaire himfelf, were fome 
 twenty or thirty years after his 
 death, to be delivered to the world 
 by four of his moft intimate ac- 
 quaintance , T do not apprehend 
 that we fhould difcredit the whole 
 o ac-.
 
 f 245 ] 
 
 account of fuch an extraordinary- 
 man, by reafon of feme flight in- 
 confiftences and contradi6lions, 
 which the avowed enemies of his 
 name might chance to difcover in 
 the feveral narrations. Though we 
 Ihould grant you then, that the 
 Evangelifts had fallen into fome 
 trivial contradidions, in what they 
 have related concerning the life of 
 Chrift ; yet you ought not to draw 
 any other inference from our con- 
 ceflion, than that they had not 
 plotted together, as cheats would 
 have done, in order to give an un- 
 exceptionable confiftency to their 
 fraud. We are not however dif- 
 pofed to make you any fuch con - 
 ceffionj v/e will rather fliew you 
 CL 3 t^^=
 
 [ 2^6 ] 
 
 the futility of your general argu- 
 ment, by touching upon a few of 
 the places, which you think are 
 mod liable to your cenfure. 
 
 You obferve, that neither Luke, 
 nor Mark, nor John have men- 
 tioned the cruelty of Herod in 
 murdering the infants of Bethleem; 
 and that no account is to be found 
 of this matter in Jofephus, who 
 wa-Qte the life of Herod; and there- 
 fore the fact recorded by Matthew 
 is not true. The concurrent te- 
 ftimony of many independent 
 writers concerning a matter of fa6t, 
 unqueftionably adds to it's proba- 
 bility ; but if nothing is to be re- 
 ceived as true, upon the teftimony 
 of a fingle Author, we muft give up 
 
 fome
 
 [ 247 ] 
 fome of the beil writers, and dif- 
 believe fome of die mod interelling 
 facls of ancient hi (lory. 
 
 According to Matthew, Mark, 
 and Luke, there was only an in- 
 terval of three months, you fay, 
 between the bapufm and cruciiixi- 
 on of Jefus; from which time 
 taking away the forty days of the 
 temptation, there will only remain 
 about fix weeks for the whole pe- 
 riod of his public miniftry ; which 
 lafted however according to St. 
 John, at the leaft above three years. 
 Your objedion fairly Hated 
 ftands thus, Matthew, Mark, and 
 Luke, in writing the hiRory of Jeius 
 Chrift, mention the feveral events 
 of his life, as following one another 
 in continued fucceffion, without 
 0^ 4 tak-
 
 f 248 ] 
 
 taking notice of the times in which 
 they happened; but is it a juft 
 conclufion from their 'filence, to 
 infer that there really were no in- 
 tervals of time between the tranf- 
 actions which they feem to have 
 conneded ? many inftances might 
 be produced from the mod admired 
 Biographers of Antiquity, in which 
 events are related, as immediately 
 confequent to each other, which 
 did not happen but at very diltant 
 periods : V;-e have an obvious exam- 
 ple of this manner of writing it St. 
 Matthew; who conneds the preach- 
 ing of John the Baptift with the 
 return of Joleph from Egypt, 
 though we arc certain, that the 
 latter event preceded the former by 
 a great many years. 
 
 John
 
 [ 249 1 
 
 John has faid nothing of the 
 inflicutton of the Lord's fupper; 
 the other Evangelifts have faid 
 nothing of the wafhing of the difci- 
 pies' feet : What then ?' are you 
 not afnamed to produce thefe facls, 
 as indances of contradidion? if 
 omiffions are contradiclions, look 
 into the hiftory of the age of Louis 
 the fourteenth, or into the general 
 hiftory of M. de Voltaire, and you 
 will meet v-'ih a great abundance 
 of contradiclions. 
 
 John, in mentioning the difcourfe 
 which Jefus had with his mother 
 and his beloved difciple, at the 
 time of his crucifixion, fay?, that 
 Hie with Mary Magdalene, ftood 
 near the cro'^-j Matthew, on the 
 Other hand, fays, that Mar^ Mag- 
 dalene
 
 [ 250 ] 
 
 dalene and the other women were 
 there, beholding afar off: this you 
 think a manifeft contradidlion-, and 
 Icoffingly inquire, whether the 
 women and the beloved dilciple, 
 which were near the crofs, could 
 be the fame with thofe, who Hood 
 far from the crofs ? It is difficult 
 not to tranfgrefs the bounds of 
 moderation and good manners, in 
 anfwering fuch fophiflry, what! 
 have you to learn, that though the 
 Evangelifts fpeak of the crucifixion, 
 as of one event, it was not accom- 
 plifhed in one inftant, but lafted 
 feveral hours ? And why the wo- 
 men, who were at a diftance from 
 the crofs, might not during it's 
 continuance, draw near the crofs ; 
 or from being near the crofs, 
 
 might
 
 [ 251 ] 
 
 might not move from the crofs, is 
 more than you can explain to either 
 us, or yourfeives. And we take 
 from you your only refuge, by de- 
 nying exprefsly, that the different 
 Evangelifts, in their mention of the 
 women, fpeak of the fame point 
 of time. 
 
 The Evangelifts, you affirm, 
 are fallen into grofs contradiclions, 
 in their accounts of the appearances, 
 by which Jefus manifefted himfelf 
 to his difciples, after his refurrec- 
 tion from the dead ; for Matthew 
 fpeaks of two, Mark of three, 
 Luke of two, and John of four. 
 That contradi(ftory propofitions 
 cannot be true, is readily granted; 
 and if you will produce the place, 
 in which Matthev/ fiys, d:at Jcfus 
 e ' Clu-in:
 
 t '5^ I 
 
 Chnll appeared twice and no of* 
 icner^ it will be further granted, 
 that he is contradi6led by John, v\ 
 a very material part of his narra- 
 tion; but till you do that, you 
 riiuft excufe ine, if I cannot grant, 
 that the Evangelifts have contra- 
 dided each other in this point j for 
 to common underftandings it is 
 pretty evident, that if Chrifl: ap- 
 peared four times, according to 
 Jolm's account, lie mud have ap- 
 peared twice, according to that of 
 Matthew and Luke, and thrice, 
 according to that of Mark. 
 
 The different Evangehils are 
 not only accufed of contradicfling 
 each other, but Luke is faid to 
 have contradiifled himfelf; for in 
 j-as Gofpel he tells us, that Jefus 
 
 af-
 
 [ 253 ] 
 
 afcended into heaven from Bethany; 
 and in the Acls of the Apoftles, of 
 which he is the reputed author, he 
 informs us, that he afcended from 
 Mount Olivet. Your objedion 
 proceeds either from, your icrno- 
 rance of geography, or your illwiil 
 to Chriftianity , and upon either 
 fuppofition, deferves our contempt: 
 he plcafed, however, to remember 
 for the future, that Bethany was 
 not only the name of a town, but 
 of a diftricl: of Mount Olivet ad- 
 joining to the town. 
 
 From this fpecimen of the con- 
 tradictions, afcribed to the hiilo- 
 rians of the life of Chrift, you may 
 judge for yourfdvcs, what little 
 reafon there is to rejefl Chriftianity 
 upon their account-, and how fadly 
 
 you
 
 [ 254 ] 
 
 you will be Impofed upon (in a 
 matter of more confequence to you 
 than any other) if you take every 
 thing for a contradiction, which the 
 uncandid adverlarics of Chriftianity 
 think proper to call one. 
 
 Before I put an end to this ad- 
 drefsj I cannot help taking notice 
 of an argument, by which fome 
 philofophers have of late endea- 
 voured to overturn the whole fyftem 
 of revelation: And it is the more 
 necelTary to give an anfwer to their 
 objedlion, as it is become a com- 
 mon lubjed: of philofophical con- 
 verfation, efpecially amongfl: thofe, 
 who have vifitcd the continent. 
 The objirdion tends to invalidate, 
 as is fuppofed, the authority of 
 Mofes , by fiiev.ing, that the earih 
 
 is
 
 ( '^5S ). 
 is much older, than it can be prov- 
 ed to be from his account of the 
 creation, and the fcripture chrono- 
 logy. We contend, that fix thou- 
 fand years have not yet elapfed, 
 fince the creation , and thefe phi- 
 lofophers contend, that they have 
 indubitable proof of the earth's 
 being at the leaft fourteen thou- 
 fand years old ; and they complain, 
 that Mofes hangs as a dead weight 
 upon them, and blunts all their 
 zeal for inquiry. * 
 
 The Canonico Recupero, who, 
 it feems, is engaged in writing 
 the hiflory of mount Etna, has 
 difcovered a {Iratum of Lava, 
 which flowed from that mountain, 
 according to liis opinion, in the 
 
 time 
 * Brydonc'. Travel-^.
 
 time of the fecond Punic war, or 
 about two thoufand years ago j this 
 ftratum is not yet covered with 
 foil, fufficient for the produdion of 
 either corn or vines-, it requires then, 
 fays the Canon, two thoufand years, 
 at lead, to convert a ftratum of 
 lava into a fertile field. In fink- 
 ing a pit near Jaci, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Etna, they have dif- 
 covered evident marks of feven 
 diftind lavas, one under the other; 
 the furfaces of which are parallel, 
 and moft of them covered with a 
 thick bed of rich earth ; now, the 
 eruption, which formed die loweit 
 of thefe lavas, (if we may be al- 
 lowed to reafon, fays the Canon, 
 from analogy,) flowed from the 
 mountain at leafl fourteen thoufand 
 
 years
 
 6> 
 
 years ago. It might be briefly an 
 fwered to this objeclion, by denying 
 that there is any thing in the hifto- 
 ry of Mofes repugnant to this opi- 
 nion concerning the great antiquity 
 of the earth; for though the rife and 
 progrefs of arts and fciences, and 
 die fmall mukipHcation of the hu- 
 man fpecies, render it almofl: to a 
 demonftration probable, that man 
 has not exifted longer upon the 
 furface of this earth, than accord- 
 ing to the Mofaic account; yet, 
 that the earth itfdf was then created 
 out of nothing, when man was 
 placed upon it, is not, according to 
 the fentiments of fome philofo- 
 phers, to be proved from the ori- 
 ginal text of ficred fcripture; we 
 might, I lay, reply, with thefe phi- 
 R lolbphers,
 
 [ 258 ] 
 
 lofophers, to this formidable ob- 
 je6lion of the Canon, by granting 
 it in it's full extent -, we are under 
 no neceflity, however, of adopting 
 their opinion, in order to fhew the 
 weaknefs of the Canon's reafoning. 
 For in the firll place, the Canon 
 has not fatisfadorily eftablifhed his 
 main facl, that the lava in queftion, 
 is the identical lava, which Dio- 
 dorus Siculus mentions to have 
 flowed from Etna, in the fecond 
 Carthaginian warj and in the fe- 
 cond place, it may be obferved, 
 that the time necefTary for con- 
 verting lavas into fertile fields, 
 muft be very different, according 
 to the different confiftencies of the 
 lavas, and their different fituations, 
 with refpe6t to elevation or de- 
 
 preffion i
 
 [ 259 ] 
 
 preflion , to their being expofed to 
 winds, rains, and to other circum- 
 ftances-, juft as the time, in which 
 the heaps of iron ilag (which re- 
 fembles lava) are covered with ver- 
 dure, is different at different fur- 
 naces, according to the nature of 
 the flag, and fituation of the fur- 
 nace ; and fomething of this kind 
 is deducible from the account of 
 the Canon himfelf-, fince the cre- 
 vices of this famous ftratum are 
 really full of rich, good foil, and 
 have pretty large trees growing in 
 them. 
 
 But if all this (hould be thought 
 not lufRcient to remove the ob- 
 jedVion, I will produce the Canon 
 an analogy in oppofiiion to his 
 analogy, and which is grounded on 
 R 2 more
 
 [ 260 ] 
 
 more certain fa(5ls. Etna and Ve- 
 fuvius refemble each other, in the 
 caufes which produce their erup- 
 tions, and in the nature of their 
 lavas, and in the time neceflary to 
 mellow them into foil fit for vege- 
 tation; or if there be any flight 
 difference in this refpefl, it is pro- 
 bably not greater than what fub- 
 fifts between different lavas of the 
 fame mountain. This being ad- 
 mitted, which no philofopher will 
 deny, the Canon's analogy will 
 prove juft nothing at. all, if we can 
 produce an inftance of feven dif- 
 ferent lavas (with interjacent Ilrata 
 of vegetable earth) which have 
 flowed from mount Vefuvius, with- 
 in the fpace, not of fourteen thou- 
 fand, but of fomewhat lefs than 
 
 fe-
 
 [ 26< J 
 
 feventeen hundred years; for then, 
 according to our analogy, a ftratum 
 of lava may be covered with ve- 
 getable foil, in about two hundred 
 and fifty years, inftead of requiring 
 two thoufand for the purpofe. The 
 eruption of Vefuvius, which de- 
 ft royed Herculaneuni and Pom- 
 peii, is rendered ftill more famous 
 by the death of Pliny, recorded by 
 his nephew, in his letter to Taci- 
 tus; this event happened in the 
 year 79- it is not yet then quite 
 feventeen hundred years, fincc Her- 
 culaneuni was fwallowed up: but 
 we are informed by unqusftionable 
 authority, that " the matter which 
 *' covers the ancient town of Her- 
 " culaneum, is not the produce of 
 '' one eruption only , for there are 
 R 3 " evident
 
 [ 262 ] 
 
 " evident marks, that the matter 
 " of fix eruptions has taken it's 
 *' coiirfe over that which lies im- 
 " mediately above the town, and 
 " was the caufe of it's deftruflion. 
 *' Thefe ftrata are either of lava or 
 *' burnt matter, with veins of good 
 ^^ foil betwixt them.^'* I will not 
 add another word upon this fubjev5l; 
 except that the bifliop of the dio- 
 cefe, was not much out in his ad- 
 vice to Canonico Recupero to 
 take care, not to make his mountain 
 older than Mofes , though it would 
 have been full as well, to have fiiut 
 his mouth with a reafon, as to have 
 
 flopped 
 
 * See fir William Hamilton's Remarks 
 upon the Nature of the Soil of Naples and 
 it's Neighbourhood, in the Philof. Tranf. 
 Vol. Ixi. p. 7.
 
 [ ^^i ] 
 
 Hopped It with the dread of an 
 ecclefidftical cenfure. 
 
 You perceive, with what eafe a 
 little attention will remove a great 
 difficulty ; but had we been able to 
 fay nothing, in explanation of this 
 phsenomenon, we fhould not have 
 adted a very rational part, in mak- 
 ing our ignorance the foundation 
 of our infidelity, or fuffering a 
 minute philofophcr to rob us of our 
 religion. 
 
 Your objedlions to revelation, 
 may be numerous ^ you may find 
 fault with the account, which 
 M'jfcs has given of the creation 
 and the fall , you may not be able 
 to get water enough for an uni- 
 verlcil delude; nor room enoufrh 
 in the ark of Noah, for all the dif- 
 R 4 ferent
 
 [ 2^4 ] 
 
 fercnt kinds of aerial and terreftrial 
 animals i you may be diffatisfied 
 with the command for facrificing 
 of Ifaac, for plundering the Egyp- 
 tians, and for extirpating the Ca- 
 naanites; you may find fault with 
 the Jewifli ceconomy, for it's cere- 
 monies, it's facrifices, and it's mul- 
 tiplicity of priefts ; you may objefl 
 to the imprecations in the pfalms, 
 and think the immoralities of David, 
 a fit fubje6t for dramatic ridicule ^-j- 
 you may look upon the partial 
 promulgation of Chriftianity, as 
 an infuperable objedion to it's 
 truth j and waywardly reject the 
 
 good- 
 
 f See, Saiil ct David Hyperdrame. 
 
 Whatever cenfure the author of this 
 compofition may deferve for his intention, 
 the work itfelf deferves none; it's ridicule 
 is too grofs, to miflead even the ignorant.
 
 [ ^6i ] 
 
 goodnefs of God toward yourfelves, 
 becaufe you do not comprehend, 
 how you have deferved it more 
 than others , you may know no- 
 thino: of the entrance of fin and 
 death into the world, by one man's 
 tranfgrefllon ; nor be able to com- 
 prehend the doflrine of the crofs 
 and of redemption by Jefus Chrift ; 
 in fliort, if your mind is fo difpofed, 
 you may find food for your Icep- 
 ticilm in every page of the Bible, 
 as well as in every appearance of na- 
 ture; and it is not in the power of 
 any perfon, but yourfelves. to clear 
 up your doubts; you mufl; read, and 
 you mufl think for yourfelves; and 
 vou mud do both with temper, 
 v.itli candour, and with care. In- 
 ndclity is a rank weed ; i: is nur- 
 tured
 
 [ 266 ] 
 
 tured by our vices, and cannot be 
 plucked up as cafily as it may be 
 planted : your difficulties, with re- 
 fpe(fb to revelation, may have firfl: 
 arifen, from your own refleftion on 
 the religious indifference of thofe, 
 whom from your earlieft infancy, 
 you have been accuftomed to revere 
 and imitate ; domeftic irreligion 
 may have made you a willing 
 hearer of libertine converfation -, 
 and the uniform prejudices of the 
 world, may have finifhed the bufi- 
 nefs at a very early age , and left 
 you to wander through life, with- 
 out a principle to dired your con- 
 ducr, and to die without hope. We 
 are far from williing you to trufl 
 tlie word of tlie Clergy for the 
 truth of your religion ; we beg of 
 
 you
 
 [ 26; ] 
 you to examine it to the bottom, 
 to try it, to prove it, and not to 
 hold it i\\{x unlcfs you find it good. 
 I'ill you are difpofed to undertake 
 this tafk, it becomes you to confider 
 with great ferioufnefs and attention, 
 whether it can be for your intereft 
 to efteem a few witty farcafms, or 
 metaphyfic fubtleties, or ignorant 
 mifreprefcntations, or unwarranted 
 aiTertions, as unaniwcrable argu- 
 ments againfi: revelation; and a 
 very flight reikclion will convince 
 you, that it will certainly be for 
 your reputation, to em{)loy the 
 flippancy of your rhetoric, and t!ie 
 poignancy of your ridicule, upon 
 any lubjeft, rather thim upon the 
 fiibjcct of Religion. 
 
 J take my leave with rccom- 
 niending;
 
 [ 268 ] 
 
 mending to your notice, the advice 
 which Mr. Locke gave to a young 
 man, who was defirous of becom- 
 ing acquainted with the dodrines 
 of the Chriftian religion. " Study 
 " the holy fcripture, efpecially the 
 " newTeftament: Therein are con- 
 *' tained the words of eternal life, 
 " It has God for it's author ; Salva- 
 ' tion for it's end ; and Truth 
 *' without any mixture of error fcr 
 " i'ts matter*." 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 Locke's Pofth. Works.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 I am obliged to a Gentleman, to 
 whom 1 have not the sood for- 
 tune to be perlonally known, 
 tor the following remarks: they 
 were communicated to me, when 
 thefe Letters wcx^e in a great mea- 
 lure printed oif i but the public, 
 I am perfuaded, will think them 
 too interefling to have been fup- 
 prei7jd. 
 
 Her,! arks on certain p^^Jfages in Mr, 
 Gibbon'j " iliftory of the De- 
 " cline and ^'aii of the Roman 
 *' Empire." By R.Wynne, R.Uur 
 of St. Alphagc^ hondon. 
 
 T V is not a little furpriHng, that 
 ^ this jii!l;y a;I:;^;r^d hiilori.ia 
 fiouid ciilcovcr lii.h ar. cxccis of 
 
 can-
 
 [ 270 ] 
 
 candour towards Nero, the moft 
 execrable monfter that ever dif- 
 graced a throne, and at the fame 
 time an uncommon prejudice a- 
 gainft the profeflbrs of Chriftianity, 
 the innocent vidims of his rage. 
 He gives an account of the 
 dreadful fire that confumed the 
 greater part of Rome [Chap. XVI. 
 p. 532.] in the reign of Nero; and 
 endeavours to vindicate his charac- 
 ter from the imputation of having 
 fet the City on fire, contrary to the 
 concurrent teftimony of all the 
 Roman hiftorians *. Nay, Mr. G. 
 talks of Nerc's generofiiy and hiima- 
 jiity^ on account of lome f popular 
 
 * Tacit, Annal. XV. Sueton. in Neron. 
 Dio'i. Caljius, Lib. LXII. p, 10(4. Orojiiis 
 VII. 7. " 
 
 f Qucc quanqaa.m popularia, occ. fays 
 Tacitus.
 
 [ 271 ] 
 
 Guls\ which, as Tacitus hints *, were 
 intended to remove the fulpicion of 
 of his being the incendiary. But 
 let us hear what Suetonius fays of 
 this melancholy event, the caufe of 
 it, and of the emperor's behaviour 
 on this occafion; who certainly had 
 a better opportunity of inveftigating 
 the truth,' (as he was born in the 
 reign of Vcfpafian, -f- and is reck- 
 oned a mod accurate and candid 
 writer) than our author.* *' Quafi 
 " deformitate veterum jcdificiorum, 
 " ct angulliis flexurifque vicorum 
 " offenlus, incendit urbem tnm 
 '' paUvn, ut plerique confulares, 
 
 cubi- 
 
 Scd non ope hiimana, non largitionibu9 
 priiicipib, .'.ill dcuni placaincntis, decedchat 
 int'iiiinii, qi:in jiiiruin inccndiuni crei'-crc- 
 cur. iuLtn. .Ir.ual. XV. 
 
 I .\bout 5 or 6 \'car3 after the fire.
 
 [ 272 ] 
 
 "cublcularlos ejus, cum flupa tse- 
 " daque, in prsdiis fuis deprehenfos 
 " noa attigerint : et quccdam horrea 
 " circa domum Auream, quorum 
 '* fpatium maxime defiderabat, ut 
 " bellicis machinis labefaftata, at- 
 " que inflammata Tint, quod faxeo 
 *' muro confl:rud:a erant-" " Hoc 
 " incendium e turri Mascenatiana 
 " profpedtans, l^^iufqut famm^, ut 
 " aiebat, pulchritudine, aAvotriv ///'/ in 
 ** illo fuo fcenico habicu decanta- 
 '^ vit*." ' Mr. G. after Tacitus, 
 mentioning Nero's throwing open 
 the imperial gardens to the diftreff- 
 ed multitude, &c. applauds his 
 generofity. It appears very pro- 
 bable, 
 
 This circumftance is mentioned by 
 Tacitus, who was born before this fire, 
 as a report which the Emperor could not 
 fupprefs. Idem. I Lid.
 
 [ 273 ] 
 bable, however, from Suetomus^ that 
 this was done to carry the efFefls 
 of the poor fufferers into his gar- 
 dens, which he promiled to do 
 cratis ; but would not fuffer the 
 owners to touch what the flames 
 had fpared, and converted all to his 
 own ufe. ' " Ac ne non hinc quo- 
 " que, fays his impartial Biogra- 
 " pher, quantum police praida: et 
 " manubiarum invaderet, poUicim-; 
 '^ cadavcrum et ruderum gratui- 
 " tarn egcdionem, nemini ad reli- 
 " quias rerum fuarum adire per- 
 " mifit."'' 
 
 I From thefe paflages, and the 
 
 authors referred to in the note 
 
 above, the guiic and proHigacy of 
 
 S Nero, 
 
 * ZuLtcn. in Ncron, Chap. XXXVIII.
 
 [ 274 ] 
 
 Nero, with regard to this confla- 
 gration which lafted fix days, can- 
 not be queftioned, I think, without 
 an uncommon degree of fcepticifm , 
 and a perfon, who by. a pretended 
 invertigation of truth, endeavours 
 to explain away a nctoricus matter 
 of fa^, recorded by a cotemporary 
 and feveral fucceeding hiftorians, 
 hardly deferves a ferious anfwer. ^ 
 Let us now examine the account 
 of the dreadful havock Nero made 
 among the Chrifiians, in order to avoid 
 the public odiufn, which he hadjujily 
 incurred for fecting the Capital on 
 fire, that he might enlarge his 
 palace, &c. 
 
 ' " With this view [to divert the 
 " fufpicion of his having fet Rome 
 
 "on
 
 [ 275 3 
 
 "on fire*] he [Nero] inflidcd the 
 " moft exquifite tortures on thofe 
 " men, who, under the vulgar ap- 
 *' pellation of Chriltians, were 
 " already branded with deserved 
 " infamy.'" " They derive their 
 *' name and origin from Chrifr, 
 " who in die reiii,n of Tiberius had 
 *' fuffcred death, by the fentence 
 " of the procurator Pontius Pilate." 
 " For a while, this dire fupcrili- 
 " tion was checked ; but it again 
 " burft forth ; and not only fpread 
 " itfelf over Judea, the firft feat of 
 '* this mifchievous fedl, but was 
 " even introduced into Rome, the 
 " common afykim, which receives 
 *' and protcds whatever is atro- 
 S 2 " cioL'.s." 
 
 * CihloKi ^I'randation of" a paflagc i'.i 
 1 ualus.
 
 [ 276 ] 
 
 " cious." " The confejfions of thofe 
 *' who- were feized, difcovered a 
 " great multitude of their accom- 
 "plices-, and they were all convided, 
 *' not To much for the crime of 
 "fetting fire to the city, as for 
 "THEIR hatred cf mankind'* ' 
 " They died in torments; and their 
 " torments were embittered by 
 *' infult and derifion." " Some 
 " were nailed on crofles ; others 
 *' Ibwn up in fkins of wild beads, 
 " and expoled to the fury of dogs : 
 " others again, fmeared over with 
 " conibuftible materials, were ufed 
 *' as torches to illuminate the 
 *' night." " The gardens of Nero 
 " were deftined for the melancholy 
 " fpeftacle, which was accompanied 
 *' with a hurfe race, and honour- 
 
 " ED
 
 [ 277 ] 
 
 " ED WITH THE PRESENCE of 
 
 " the Emperor; who mingled v/ith 
 *' the populace in the drels and at- 
 "titude of a charioteer.") *' The 
 ^'- guilt of the Chriftians defer-ved^ 
 *' indeed, the mojl exemplary puni/Ii- 
 *' ment j but the puWic abhorrence 
 " was changed into commiferation, 
 *' from the opinion that thofe un- 
 " happy wretches were facrificed, 
 " not fo much to the rigour of ju- 
 '-'- flice^ as to the cruelty of the 
 "tyrant."* 
 
 That the learned reader may 
 judge, whether the above be a juft 
 trandation of Tacitus's v/ords, -I 
 fiiall tranfcribe the original paffiige 
 to which the Author refers ^ and 
 S 3 cannot 
 
 ' * Cibhn'i Decline and Fall of the Ro"- 
 man Empire, Chip. XVI. p. 533> 534.
 
 [ 278 ] 
 
 cannot help oblerving, that though 
 theRoman isfar from being candid, 
 in the account he gives of lliis 
 tranfaflion; yet the Englifh hifto- 
 rian is lefs candid in his tranflation 
 and remarks on the former ; not- 
 withftanding they are both excellent 
 hiftorians. 
 
 " Ergo abolendo rumori Nero 
 *'fabdiditreos,etqueritiffimispoenis 
 '*affecit, quos {i)ferfagitiainvifos 
 *' vulgus Chriftianos appellabat." 
 ** Auftor nominis ejus Chriflus, 
 '^ qui, Tiberio imperitante, per 
 " procuratorem Pentium Pilatum 
 " fupplicio affedlus erat." " Re- 
 *' preffaque in praffens exitiabilis 
 " fuperftitio rurfus erumpebat, non 
 *' mode per Juda^am, originem 
 *'ejus mali, fed per urbem etiam : 
 
 " quo
 
 [ 279 1 
 
 quo cun6ta iindique atrocia aut 
 "pudenda confluunt celebrantur- 
 "que." "Igitur primo correpti 
 " qui [i)fatebantur, deinde indicio 
 *eorum multitudo ingens, haut 
 perinde in crimine incendii, quam 
 " (3) cdio humani generis convidi 
 "ilint." "Et pereuntibus addita 
 " ludibria, ut ferarum tergis con- 
 " tecli, laniatu canum intenrent ; 
 " aut crucibus affixi,aut flammandi, 
 atque ubi defeciiTet dies, in ufuoi 
 " nodurni luminis urerentur." 
 " Hortos fuos ei fpeftaculo Nero 
 *' obtulerat, et Circenfe ludlcrum 
 ' edcbat, habitu aurigs permixtus 
 '' plebi, vel circulo infiftens." " Un- 
 " de quanquam adverfus {4,)fontes, 
 *' novijfma esempla merit os^ mifera- 
 " tio oriebatur -, (5) tamq^aam non 
 s 4 '' utili'
 
 [ 28o ] 
 
 " utiliiale publicd^ fed in fevitiam 
 " unius abfumerentur,"* 
 
 Remarks on the above paffage^ and 
 Mr. Gibbon's tranjlation^ i^c. 
 
 It does noc appear from Tacitus, 
 that the Chriftians " were branded 
 " with deferved infamy :" we may 
 learn from Pliny f, his friend and 
 cotemporary, the true meaning of 
 pr flagitia invifos Chrijiianos, 
 which he calls JIagitia coharentia 
 jwmini ; fo that the pretended crimi- 
 nality was inherent in the name of 
 Chriftian, which was detefted by 
 the Pagans. {2)^11 fatehantur^ were 
 
 thofe, 
 
 * Tacit. Annal. lib. XV. Cap. 44. 
 f Lib. X. Ep. 97.
 
 [ 28i ] 
 
 thofe, who confejfed that they were 
 Ch riftians; not that they had fired the 
 city, of which Tacitus, as well as 
 his tranflator, knew them to be in- 
 nocent. The fame Pliny informs 
 us, that upon the bare confeffion of 
 Chriftianity, they were punifhed 
 even with death, if they perfifted : 
 Confitentes^ iterum ac tenia interro- 
 gavi, fupplicium minatus; perfeve- 
 r antes duci juffi. 
 
 The words of Tacitus are a 
 little ambiguous, though he clears 
 the Chriflians from the vile impu- 
 tation , but there is no ambiguity 
 in thetrandationifor Mr.G. makes 
 them confefs the crime, and difcover 
 a great multitude oj their accomplices. 
 It is true, he fays, after Tacitus, 
 ^' that they were convi6ted, not fo 
 
 " much
 
 [ 282 ] 
 
 " much for the crime of fetting fire 
 " to the city, as/jr their hatred of 
 " human kind." Indeed, the lat- 
 ter claufe does not feem to convey 
 the true meaning of Tacitus ; who, 
 by odio humani generis^ fignifies, that 
 they were hated by all mankind j 
 which is partly explained by his 
 invifos per flagitia a Httle above, 
 they were hateful on account of their 
 name, which was reckoned infa- 
 tncus. This was plainly foretold 
 by the humble founder of their 
 religion, *' that they Ihould be 
 *' hated of all m.en on account of 
 " his name." Add to this, that 
 Suetonius informs us, that " Nero 
 " infiifled various punifliments on 
 " theChriillans, on account of their 
 i " new
 
 [ 283 ] 
 
 new and impious fuperftitlon ," * 
 but does not mention the flightefl; 
 fufpicion of their having fet fire 
 to the city, though he gives a par- 
 ticular account of it in another 
 chapter J of the life of Nero. 4. It 
 is far from acting the part of a 
 candid and impartial hiftorian to 
 afiert, as Tacitus does, and his 
 tranflator even in Wronger terms, 
 that the Chriflians were jontes, et 
 noviffima exempla msritos^ without 
 fpecifying any crime that they were 
 guilty of. Indeed he knew, or 
 might have known, from his friend 
 Pliny, diat they were guilty of no 
 crime-, but that their religion bound 
 
 them 
 
 Affliai fuppliciis Chriftiani, genus 
 homiiium fupcrftitionis nova; ac maleficic. 
 Sict. in Aero. Cap. 16. 
 |. Ibid. Cap. xxxviii.
 
 L 284 ] 
 
 them by a folemn engagement not 
 to commit any.t 
 
 As to Mr. Gibbon's four obfer- 
 vations on the above pafTage in 
 Tacitus, the firll is obvious and 
 inconteftable ; the fecond and third 
 are vague conjectures, fupported 
 by no authority -, but the fourth is 
 totally void of foundation, viz. 
 '- That the religious tenets of the 
 " Chriftians, were never made a 
 " fubjed of punifhment, or even 
 " of enquiry." The contrary is 
 exceedingly evident, from the E- 
 pifde of Pliny, and the pafTage in 
 Suetonius quoted above ; and Mr. 
 G. refers to the latter in his firfl: 
 obfervation, fo that he could not 
 overlook it. The lad inftance of 
 
 Mr. 
 
 f Plin. Lib. X. Ep, 97.
 
 [ 285 ] 
 
 Mr. G*s altering the fenfe of Ta- 
 citus in this celebrated paflage, is 
 af theconclufion , where he renders 
 (5) tamqttam non utilitate puhlica, 
 " not fo much to the rigour ofju- 
 '^ Jlice" as if the Chriftians were, 
 in fome meafure, jujlly punifhed ; 
 whereas the hiftorian mentions only 
 the public utility, which was often 
 made the pretence for punifliing the 
 innocent Chriftians. 
 
 Remarks on the Author'' s n count cf 
 the conduEJ of Pliny the younger, 
 and the emperor Trajan, to'ujards 
 the Chrifiicins. 
 
 '*"Under the rc'gn of Trajan^''* 
 fays Mr. G.* " the younger Pliny 
 
 '' was 
 * Chap, xvi, p. 540, 541.
 
 [ 2S6 ] 
 
 " was entrufted with the govern- 
 " ment of Bithynia and Pontus. 
 " He foon found himfelf at a lofs 
 " to determine, by what rule of 
 " juftice, or of law, he fhould direft 
 " his condud in the execution of 
 * an ofEce, the moft repugnant to 
 " his humanity. Pliny had never 
 " affifted at any judicial proceed- 
 *' ings againft the Chriftians, with 
 " whofe name alone he feems 
 "to be acquainted; and he was 
 " totally uninformed with regard 
 " to the nature of their guilt, &c." 
 " Tlie life of Pliny had been 
 " employed in the acquifition of 
 " learning, and in the bufinefs of 
 *' the world. Tl:e anfwer of 
 " Trajan^ to which the Chriftiai^ 
 *' of the fucceedins; a^^e have ivo.- 
 
 " quently
 
 [ 287 U 
 
 " quently appealed, difcovers as 
 " much regard for juftice and hu- 
 " manity, as could be reconciled 
 " with his miflaken notion of reli- 
 " gious policy. Inftead of difplay- 
 " ing the implacable zeal of an 
 " InquifUor^ the emperor ex- 
 " prefTes much more folicitude to 
 " proted: the fecurity of the inno- 
 " cent, than to prevent the efcape 
 "of the guilty. Though he 
 " directs the magiftrates to punifli 
 " fuch perfons as are legally * con- 
 " vidled, he prohibits, with a very 
 " humayie inconfiftency, from mak- 
 " ing any enquiries concerning the 
 " fuppofed criminals." 
 
 Not- 
 
 * How could they be legally conviacd, 
 if, as Mr. G. informs a few lines hijrhcr, 
 
 " there
 
 [ 288 ] 
 
 Notwithftanding thcfe encomi- 
 ums on Trajan and Pliny ^ I can 
 look upon their mijlaken notion of 
 religious policy^ in no other light, 
 but that of Intolerance ; and it was 
 the height of arrogance in the for- 
 mer to afTume, and the mod fervile 
 flattery in the latter to pay, divine 
 honours to his mailer. Their 
 Roman anceilors would have blufh- 
 ed to demand fuch bale adulation, 
 and fpurned at the propofal with 
 
 in- 
 
 " there were no general laws or decrees of 
 " the fenate in force againft the Chriflians, 
 " and neither Trajan, nor any of his 
 ' virtuous pred.^ceffors, had publicly de- 
 " clared their intentions concerning the 
 " new fea." 
 
 J Mchr.cthy in his tranHrttion of Pliny's. 
 Letters, endeavours to exculpate him by 
 the faixie ar^^uments.
 
 [ 2Sg ] 
 
 indignation , and yet Plifiy ufes the 
 mean artifice of introducing the 
 eniperor's image* among thole of 
 the gods, in order to lay a fnare 
 f for the Chriftians. Hence their, 
 refufil to offer incenfe, &c. to the 
 idols, was looked upon as want of 
 refpecl to their fovereign, and con- 
 flrued into- treafon by a minion of 
 the court, and puniflied accord- 
 ingly. It farther appears by his 
 own account, that this learned, 
 humane^ and uninformed governor, 
 was v/ell informed of tlie innocence, 
 and inoffenfive behaviour of the 
 ChiiflianSi for, in the fame letter, 
 T he 
 
 Jmnpln! tiur, qumn propter hoc ji'fftrati: 
 opt'-rri, thun (ic luno Jupplicarent. Lib. X. 
 i'i'- 97-
 
 t 290 ] 
 
 he gives the emperor, a candid 
 and circumftantial accounc of the 
 laudable defign of their private 
 afiembUcs; which, however, they 
 had omitted, in purfuance of the 
 edi6t, which he had pubUflied by 
 his mailer's orders. Notwith- 
 ftanding all this, in the true fpirit 
 of an Inquijttcr^ the humane Pliny 
 put two Deaconefles to the torture, 
 in order, as he fays, to find out the 
 truth-, but found in their confef- 
 jfion, only an excefiive and bad fu- 
 perflition, as he calls it. With 
 how much more dignity, as well 
 as juftice, did one of Nero's go- 
 vernors behave towards the apoftle 
 Paul on a fimilar occafion ? " It 
 *' is not the ctiltom of the Romans, 
 c " fays
 
 ( 291 ) 
 
 ^' fays Fejtus to the Jews, to give 
 " up any man to be put to death, 
 *' before the accufed have the ac- 
 *' cufers face to face,* and has an 
 *' opportunity of making his de- 
 " fence, as to the crime laid to his 
 " charge." + '' Beins: defirous of 
 " knowing the crime, of which the 
 " Je'ujs accufed Paul^ fays Lyfias 
 " the tribune, I brought him before 
 *' rheir council ; whom I found to 
 *' be accufed concerning queftions 
 " of dieir law, but to have nothing 
 " laid to his charge worthy of 
 T 2 " death 
 
 * Thofe Chriftians, whom Pliny exa- 
 mined, had no other accufcr, but an ano- 
 nymous libel: Propofilus ejl hbellus fine 
 ti:t/r,rt:, 7nu!torum nomtna continens. Idem, 
 ibid. 
 
 f Acts XXV, i6.
 
 [ 292 ] 
 
 " death or of bonds." J In the 
 ilime ftile the recorder addreflt^s the 
 tumultuous citizens of Ephefus, 
 *' Thefe men, fays he, whom you 
 " have brought hither, are neither 
 ** robbers of temples, nor blaf- 
 '' phemersofyour goddefs. There- 
 *' fore, if Demetrius, and the arti- 
 " ficers who are v^ith him, have a 
 *' charge againil any one, the courts 
 " are open, and there are procon- 
 " iuls; let them implead one an- 
 *' other."* 
 
 Pliny likewife tells the emperor, 
 *' That, let their confeffion be 
 *' what it would, he did not doubt, 
 *' but their uerfeverance and in- 
 
 *' iiex- 
 
 \ Afts xxiii. 28, 29, 30. 
 * Aftsxix. 37,38.
 
 [ 293 1 
 " flexible obftinacy { ought to be 
 " punifhed."t Trajan, by his 
 anlvver, approves of what Pliny had 
 done with regard to the Chrillians; 
 and though he would not have 
 him fearch for fuch vi6lims to his 
 tyranny, yet he orders them to be 
 punifhed, .unlefs they renounced 
 their rehgion: however, he difap- 
 proved of anonymous libels, about 
 which his governor of Bythinia 
 feems to heficate. 
 
 Before 
 
 \ This heroic conflancy and inflexibility, 
 ou^ht rather to liave been admired by a 
 Roman, 
 Juitum et tenacem propofui virum 
 
 Non civium ardor prava juberitium. 
 Ken vultiis inllantis tyranni, 
 
 Mencc quatit fohda 
 
 ilor. Lib. ill. Ode 3- 
 
 t Ncquc enim duhitubam, qualccunque 
 
 efi"et
 
 [ 294 1 
 
 Before I diimils tlus remarkabJe 
 Epiflle, I cannot help obferving, 
 that it feems to contradict Mr. 
 G's aflertion, about the fmall num- 
 ber of Chriftians in the Roman 
 empire, and the contemptible liglic 
 in which they were looked upon by 
 the Roman magiftrates. " Many, 
 *' fays Pliny, of every age, rank, 
 " and fex, are, and will be, brought 
 *' to a trial , nor are cities only, 
 " but villages, and the country 
 " infeded with the contagion of 
 " that fuperfhition It is certainly 
 " evident that the temples, which 
 '' were almoft delerted, begin to be 
 
 *'fre- 
 
 efTet quod fatcrcntur, pervicaciam certe, 
 t inflexibilem obflinationem debere pu- 
 airi. Lib. x. Ep. 97.
 
 [ ^95 ] 
 
 "frequented; and the facrlfices, 
 *' which had been long intermitted, 
 " begin to be renewed *, &c. 
 
 * Multi omnis a^tatis, omnis ordini?, 
 utiiufque fexus etiam, vocantur in peri- 
 culum, ct vocahuntur. Neque enim ci- 
 vitatcs tantum, fed vicos etiam atqueagros 
 fupcrllitionis ilHus ccntagiopervagata eft: 
 c]u:e videtar filti et corrigi poire. Certe 
 latis^ conftat, prope jam defolata templa 
 co-'pifTe celcbrari, et iacra folennia diu in- 
 rermiffarepeti; pafrimque venire viftimas, 
 quarum adhuc rariFimus emptor invenie- 
 hatyr. /^fw, JiJi/. 
 
 This was in confequence of the perfecn- 
 tion carried on by f liny and his mild and 
 humane mailer. 

 
 E R R A T A. 
 
 P. 47. Fcr Capitol, read Capital, 
 
 III. For as Celfus faid to Origen, read 
 
 as Origen faid to Celfus, 
 141. /V deprecating, rra^ depreciating.
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 305 De Neve Drive - Parking Lot 17 Box 951388 
 
 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095-1388 
 
 iturn this material to the library from which it was borrowed
 
 J? 
 
 ^tl 58 00820 5212 
 
 A A 000 088 185