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diff --git a/old/40978-8.txt b/old/40978-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fd132d8..0000000 --- a/old/40978-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3132 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Watson Refuted, by Samuel Francis - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Watson Refuted - Being an Answer to The Apology for the Bible, in a Series - of Letters to the Bishop Of Llandaff - -Author: Samuel Francis - -Release Date: October 8, 2012 [EBook #40978] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WATSON REFUTED *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - -WATSON REFUTED - -BEING AN ANSWER TO THE APOLOGY FOR THE BIBLE. - -IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO THE BISHOP OF LLANDAFF. - -By Samuel Francis, M.D. - - Pudet me humani generis, cujus mentes et aures talia fern - potuerunt. - - --Div. Augustin. - -LONDON: - -PRINTED and PUBLISHED BY R. CARLILE, 55, FLEET STREET - - - - -ADVERTISEMENT. - -I had written a considerable part of another work, containing strictures -on religion. The appearance of the Bishop of Llandaff's pamphlet, and -the number of editions that have been published for the purpose of -encouraging its sale among the poorer classes, induced me to take up the -pen expressly in answer to this publication, that I might undeceive -the multitude, and show that, under the imposing title of a Bishop, -Dr. Watson has been guilty of the most gross misrepresentations, and, -whether intentionally or from ignorance, has deceived his readers, -while, under the pretence of meekness, he triumphs in the detection of a -few errors, committed by a man who does not pretend to be a Theologian, -or to be possessed of any great learning. He has uniformly passed -over the weighty arguments of the Age of Reason, and stopped at a few -immaterial inaccuracies. I hope, in the following sheets, to show, that -the learned Professor of Divinity has committed errors in the Natural -Sciences and History, which would be inexcusable in any author; but, -when coming from a dignified Clergyman, who wishes to dictate to the -nation, their detection cannot fail to show to the public, how necessary -it is for men to employ their faculty of reason, and not to yield it to -those whose profession is to teach things they acknowledge to be above -reason, and incomprehensible. I shall, as soon as my other avocations -permit, give the world a tract upon religion in general, with strictures -on the Jewish and Christian systems. For this reason, I shall not, in -the present pamphlet, enter deeply into any abstract reasoning, but -confine myself chiefly to the detection of the errors contained in the -Apology for the Bible. - -S. F. - -London, Aug. 15, - -1790, - - - - -WATSON REFUTED - - - - -LETTER I. - -MY LORD, - -You have thought it not inconsistent with your dignity as a Bishop, to -oppose the _Age of Reason by Thomas Paine_, and I, as a member of the -community, find myself called upon to expose your reasoning, and stop -the career of error. You disclaim controversy; but if your candour -is any thing more than a vain boast, I entertain hopes of seeing the -defender of Christianity again step forward to answer my arguments, if -he deems them of sufficient weight to disturb his quiet. I am sincerely -glad to find a dignified churchman begin a dispute with men, whom -formerly the pious members of the Church would have deemed fit victims -for the fire or the gallows; at the same time, I feel deep regret, that -the Bishop has not yet altogether laid aside the clerical passion for -the extermination of the heterodox. I hope, says Dr. Watson, that -there is no want of charity in wishing, that Mr. Paine's life had been -terminated long before his publication. This may be consistent with -Christian charity, but nature and reason teach us ugly unbelievers -another doctrine: and, however inveterate I may be against those of -the clergy who persecute and deceive the multitude, I confess, that the -death of a person, whom I conceive to be acting for what he thinks the -public good, would give me no pleasure; and the Bishop allows the purity -of Mr. Paine's motives. The wish of the philosopher is, let reason guide -us, and all parties have freedom of debate. No dogmatical dictates of -bigotted priests, no passive obedience to the mandates of inquisitors, -nor to the persecutions so often fomented by churchmen. To the progress -of letters, during this century, we owe the mildness and condescension -of clergymen: till philosophy taught us, the clergy never discovered, -that persecutions for heresy and witchcraft, or inquisitions and popery, -were horrid institutions. Dares Dr. Watson affirm, that freedom of -inquiry was ever suffered on religious subjects? that people were -allowed to examine the grounds of the doctrines taught by the Church? -No, Sir, your predecessors of all beliefs have ever persecuted -philosophers and inquirers into truth, both in science and in religion. -Neither Galileus nor Rousseau escaped the malevolence of the opposers -of science; and in the Bible they found authorities for their inveterate -opposition to the progress of truth and knowledge. The New Testament -informs us, that the wisdom of God is foolishness to man, that human -learning produces nothing but pride 1, and that the poor in spirit gain -the kingdom of heaven. - - 1 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain - deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of - the world, and not after Christ." Colos. ii. 5, 8. - - "Cum sit nobis divinis literis traditum cognitiones - philosophorum stultas esse, ad ipsum re et argumentis - docendum et; ne quit bouesto sapieutiæ nomine inductus, aut - inanis eloquentiæ splendore deceptus, humanis malet quam - divinis credere." - - Lactantius, Inst. lib. i. chap. 2. - -Under these and other similar pretences, have barbarous priests led -their credulous followers to massacres in the name of their God; by -means of that touchstone word, _Faith_, they made the multitude forget -that their leaders were but men. Now, Sir, we have grown bolder: -knowledge being no longer confined to clerical seminaries, priests are -not kings. The church totters; and a single pamphlet, you say, "has -unsettled the faith of thousands." Now, that you cannot stifle reason, -you pretend to liberality of sentiment. - -The natural historian, or the astronomer, fears not the publication of -opinions contrary to his own, except from a scholastic habit, learned in -the clerical seminaries, which still disgrace almost every country. The -chemist eagerly peruses all theories; the divine alone refuses to argue -with his opponents, and trembles at the very name of reason. I differ in -my philosophical opinions from Mr. Paine; my principles extend so much -farther than his, that I suspect I come under the class which you are -pleased to call madmen, and every clergyman would affect to despise, but -dare not argue with, before an unprejudiced tribunal. These, Sir, are -the effects of superstition, and the cunning policy of the Church. The -Bible is hardly suffered to be read in Catholic countries. The English -reformers could not go so far; their revolution sprung from a dawn of -philosophy. The English clergy, however, would confine us to the -reading of that unintelligible farrago, and the still more insufferable -commentaries upon it. So did the scholastics with Aristotle; their -bigotted partiality to this author was nearly of the same force with the -priestly attachment to the Bible. They retarded science; but the motives -of the clergy are stronger. By the Bible they live; and it is not -uncommon to hear the parson deride in private what he preaches from the -pulpit. - -But to your first letter. - -After the pious wish for Thomas Paine's death, you proceed to state -how miserable the adoption of his doctrines would render the "unhappy -virtuous." Fear not such a dire event: the _pious_ are few in number, -and of those, few have the courage to open a book controverting their -opinions, and which, they are taught to believe, contains nothing but -blasphemies But, should chance lead them to a detection of their errors, -they would only become less devout, and more useful citizens. Freed from -the prospect of hell and heaven, they will have leisure to think of -this world, in which they live somewhat like hermits, loving only their -priests, and ready to sacrifice victims to credulity. - -You say, that guillotine massacres were not the effect of the Popish -religion, but of the disbelief of this system. This deserves some -consideration. It is not true, that the majority of the people of Paris -were unbelievers. No, Sir, they swore to the miracles of Abbe Paris, -and were as ready to give testimony to the wonderful cures and prodigies -operated by his intercession, as the Jews or Christians have been -to vouch for theirs. The fact is this: the lively disposition of the -French, the unintelligibility of their religion, and the shameful -conduct of the priests, turned their attention to the more serious -object of politics; but this event could not immediately change the -nature of the murderers of the Protestants on St. Bartholomew's day. -Does your Lordship imagine, that the peasants of La Vendee are models of -morality? If you think so, I must undeceive you. Nothing but ignorance -prevails in that district; like the ancient crusaders, they are led -solely by their priests, who, by means of certain words which early -habits and superstition have made their followers respect, and, together -with want of communication with the rest of France, have inflamed them, -and driven them to slaughter: even miracles have not been wanting in -that part of the country; but in this, as in many other instances, they -have disappeared, on the arrival of incredulous troops, whose hearts are -perhaps hardened by God, like the Egyptians of old. Since God diminishes -men's faith in proportion as he gives them human wisdom, let us not -endeavour to controvert this heavenly will, by endeavouring to make -the enlightened people of the eighteenth century so credulous as in the -former days of ignorance. The Bishop allows, that the higher classes -of every country all lean towards infidelity; they are more guided by -reason, and reason is the avowed enemy of faith, it being the criterion -of faith, that it contains natural impossibilities. It is unfortunate -that so many sects pretend to faith, and differ so much among -themselves; and that to explain their faiths, they use the weapons of -reason against one another. This of itself proves, that faith is but -a cant word, since the faithful argue about what comes not under human -knowledge. Thus all religious sectaries, whether Christians, Jews, -Mahometans, Boodzoists, or Bramins, as staunchly believe contradictory -doctrines, while, in the inquiries that depend on their reason, we find -that, wherever men have long been civilized, they have, in astronomy, -in physics, or ethics, come in general to the same conclusions. The -language of the philosopher is understood in Pekin as well as in Rome; -but the religious fanatics of every country differ in their opinions, -and consider all but themselves as dreamers and impostors. The Bramin -laughs at the story of Noah and the ark, the stopping of the sun, and -the incarnation of God; while the Christian shows the same contempt for -the incarnation of Vishnu, and other articles of the Braminical -faith. The exercise of reason alone shows us the true limits of our -intellectual faculties. Ignorance of this is the cause of all reveries -in science, as in religion; it is only superstition that incites men to -launch beyond their conceptions. - -You accuse of infidelity all those who commit crimes against society. -When we answer, that the Jewish and Christian religions have deluged -the world with blood, you reply, that it is not as being Jews and -Christians, but because they were wicked. At the same time, I hope you -allow, that the Spartans, the Athenians, the Romans, the Chinese, did -not commit half the atrocities which disgrace Jewish history, the aera -of the crusades and the Christian persecutions, of the invasion of -America, the massacres of heretics, &c. The candid observer must -therefore conclude, that right and wrong is not confined to sects; that -the Christian religion, whatever its precepts may be, has not been able -to prevent crimes, while nations who knew not so much as the name of -Moses or Christ, produced a Confucius, an Aristides, a Socrates, an -Epaminondas, a Cincinnatus. Among these nations, who knew not the Lord -Jehovah, we find Archimedes, Epicurus, Demosthenes, Plato, Aristotle, -Cicero, while the chosen people of God, and their successors, the -Christians, borrowed their language, the very names of their gods, and -the little science they knew, from these despised infidels. It was not -the oracle of Delphos, the augurs, or the sybils, that enlightened the -Greeks and Romans. The rabble credited them, as the ignorant Jews and -Christians did their prophets and apostles. In short, morals cannot be -invented; there cannot be two systems of morality. The precepts must be -directed to principles existing in the heart of man. Ignorance conceals -from nations the rule of conduct, in the same manner that it prevents -them from knowing geometry; the moment they study either, they are put -in the road of truth. No wonder, then, that in the times of the greatest -oppression, when frightened into certain doctrines by the stories -of nurses and parents, many learned men should not have been able -to conquer their first prejudices. You certainly know the time when -astrology and the philosopher's stone were in fashion; the believers -in these reveries were men of science. Van Helmont, Stahl, Boyle, -and innumerable others were possessed of this madness. You can be no -stranger to the numerous wretches that suffered for witchcraft and -necromancy, and, upon the very brink of death, confessed they were -guilty. - -The next reflection the Doctor makes, is respecting gospel moderation, -for which purpose he quotes, "Who art thou that judgest another man's -servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth." Yet has this been -done by all Christian rulers; and the clergy are at this moment, -in express defiance of this maxim, about to send missionaries to -disseminate principles that have ever produced internal dissensions, and -without which infidels have lived in perfect happiness. It is, perhaps, -an excess of piety; but cool observers pretend, that it is the high -priest, not the High God, that they are going to preach: to fill their -knapsacks is the first object of these pilgrims, and their God is -made subservient. Unluckily for the Bishop, he could not adduce a more -detestable maxim, to show his charity, than that which I have just -quoted: it is the pivot of Oriental despotism; it teaches passive -obedience to all classes; the father is the tyrant of his children, the -nabob of his subjects, the emperor of all: it is a maxim whose tendency -is to root in men's minds, that we are the property of one another, and -may be inherited as cattle. To those of my readers who are pleased with -it, I wish a thorough experience of its effects. - -The remainder of your first letter contains observations to which I -perfectly accede. Your conclusion against Thomas Paine is perfectly -fair. Any apparent deviation from moral justice in the world must prove -as much against the goodness of God, as a similar inconsistency in his -immediate actions and commands proves against revealed religion. My -Lord, we are in the abyss of error; your question with Thomas Paine -is about the comparative absurdity of the two Opinions. The deistical -notions of your adversary do not agree with his reasonable tenets; but -I readily grant, that, to a religious person, nothing is incredible; and -that the greater the inconsistencies, the more sublime the system. -But let me ask your Lordship, what you conclude against one, who, like -myself, is not a Deist? and repeats, with the first philosopher of the -age, that there are only four possible hypotheses upon the causes of the -universe: 1st. That they are purely good. 2dly. That they are malicious. -3dly. That they are a mixture of good and evil. And, lastly, That they -neither possess benevolence, nor any other passions. The two first -hypotheses are equally contradicted by daily experience, the mixture of -good and evil is too apparent: the third is denied, by the steadiness of -the laws of nature: the last, then, only is admissible. - -You next proceed to justify several actions of the Jews, which you and -the Bible are pleased to call God's commands. I must decline following -your reasoning; for the very existence of such crimes as the Jews -ascribe to their enemies, and which, they say, were so repugnant to -God, would of themselves prove against the goodness of that Being. His -frequent threats, and the extermination of so many miserable nations, is -a poor expedient; like that of a man, who, attempting to make a machine, -and foiled in his endeavours, gloried in breaking it in a thousand -pieces. How much more ridiculous is that sublime Artificer, who employs -the same means which impotence or malevolence give rise to in his -wretched children. I am glad you have no recourse to the silly causes of -atheism, as given by that illustrious dreamer, Plato. - -The world has too long been imposed upon by ridiculous attempts to -vilify atheists, and show their nonexistence. That name has been a cant -word, like Jacobin in France, and Whig and Tory in England, which -every person applies to his neighbour as it best suits him. In Catholic -countries, all who dare think are heretics; among Protestants, they -are atheists. Being a word of opprobrium, it has ever been used as a -powerful engine in the hands of the clergy. The question is upon the -truth of systems, not upon the character of those who profess them. If -this were the discrimination, and the palm given to that religion that -has had the greatest number of honest men, the Christian system would -certainly lose the contest. - -The Bishop seems to think, that savages have not so perfect a notion of -God as we imagine: religion, he supposes, begins as it were in express -revelation. This is but the fancy of a clergyman, unsupported by -any proofs; but at least it shows, that the Bishop involuntarily -acknowledges, that reason alone can hardly give us the idea of a ruling -Being. The savage, it is true, does not discourse in a metaphysical -jargon; he wants expressions: but I wish the Doctor would inform me in -what our Catechism definition of God is clearer than the notions of the -rudest savage, who, trembling at the approach of thunder and violent -convulsions of nature, or enjoying the genial sun and fertilizing -inundations, imagines all the world to be animated with his own -passions. The thunder is a mark of wrath, while the blessings are signs -of a propitious genius. To conciliate these imaginary beings, to avert -their wrath, is the grand object of superstition. Schoolmen conceal, -under their mystical jargon, the real materials which their gods are -made of; they conceal that the Supreme Artificer is the offspring of -fancy, the figurative and unphilosophical symbol of nature, to which -they give human dispositions: in all religious systems men are the -type of their gods. Your letter concludes with a remark sufficiently -extraordinary, that most Deists of your acquaintance disbelieve the -mysterious conversations of God, his miracles, and such other stories, -because they are too wonderful, and against the order of nature. Your -reply is curious: because we never have seen the like of them, does it -follow that they are untrue? Give me leave to tell you, my Lord, that -you have forgotten the rules of logic: you know, that in all cases, but -of demonstration, the philosopher does nothing but weigh probabilities. -Any thing that is conceivable is possible: but are we therefore to -believe in the existence of witches or necromancers? Are we to give -credit to the world having sprung from an egg? That Mahomet divided the -moon? That the sun stood still? That astrology is a science? Yet what -reason have we to disbelieve them? The respective supporters of these -opinions may say with the Doctor, that nothing can be too wonderful, and -that, because these things have not happened in our time, it does not -follow they should be untrue. I acknowledge, with the Doctor, that -many Deists admit a Being as inconceivable as any religious mystery; -therefore it may seem ridiculous in them to stop their credulity; since -we call God just, when nothing but a concatenation of causes and effects -can be perceived in the world; when we proclaim him benevolent, -while the world is full of vice, while millions perish in misery, and -continual calamities befal mankind; while, in short, most men have the -gloomy prospect of damnation before them. These are greater miracles -than an universal deluge, making a woman from a rib, or God's -countenancing the atrocious murders of Jews. He that will believe one -wonder, has no plea for doubting the rest. - - - - -LETTER II. - -MY LORD, - -Your second letter begins with some nice distinctions between -authenticity and genuineness. The whole reasoning seems to amount to -this, that a book may be authentic, although not genuine, and _vice -versa_. To this proposition we were no strangers; but piety makes -your Lordship forget some other considerations. When the proofs of -authenticity depend in a great measure upon the genuineness of a -book, then the authenticity falls to the ground the moment we prove it -spurious. Thus the Jews strenuously maintained, that the Pentateuch had -been written by an inspired man at a particular time. But if Moses is -shown not to have written these books, I trust you will not declare -them authentic, without other very solid proofs. When a whole nation -is proved to be mistaken respecting the author of a work, we ought not -hastily to credit their legends. Moreover, logic teaches us, that in -proportion as events are incredible, they require a stronger testimony -to prove that they have actually taken place. A battle may have been -fought, a city may have been destroyed, but miracles being against the -order of nature, no testimony can be strong enough to prove them, we -must again appeal to faith. It is so much easier for men to be deceived -or imposed upon, or for persons designedly to mislead their credulous -followers, that unless it were more miraculous that a man should be -mistaken, than that the miracle happened, we ought not to give credit -to such fables. If we drop this rule of logic, we shall readily believe -prodigies of all sorts, whether wrought by Moses, Jesus Christ, Mahomet, -St. Antony of Padua, or any modern wonder-workers, witches, magicians, -astrologers, or magnetisers. Mr. Paine no where asserts, that because -a book is not genuine, it must be false; but certainly he might assert -this of the Bible. You say, that if the works of Titus Livius had been -ascribed to another, they would nevertheless be true; how would you -ascertain it? If the whole Roman nation supposed them to have been -written by a particular author at a certain time, and should we be -enabled to point out many passages evidently written in a posterior -age, would you, without any other proofs, join in the assent to the -authenticity of the history, upon a tradition so vague, and already -proved false in so material a point? Although I am no Bishop, I would -only imagine, that as to probable events contained in such spurious -books, there might have been some grounds for them; but I would receive -them with great caution; and, at any rate, never would I establish a -system of history, much less of religion, upon the productions of an -ignorant people: in all cases, events related against the order of -nature are to be considered as the reveries of dark ages. To elucidate -your principles, you mention Anson's voyage, written by Robins, under -the name of Walter, to prove that a spurious work may contain a true -history; but, my Lord, do you forget, that this was written at a time -when the whole nation knew that Lord Anson had made such a voyage, and -every man in his fleet could testify the particulars of it? But if -our posterity, four or five centuries hence, should discover a book -purporting to be written by a Mr. Walters, detailing the voyage of -Admiral Anson, and if in that book they should meet a passage speaking -of the late revolution in France, or of the author's death and burial, -would not that strike at the authenticity of the whole? Would any part -be believed that was not corroborated by the evidence of respectable -contemporary authors? All that could be inferred would be from the -nature of the events related, such as the accurate description of -countries, and such other particulars as marked either the period of the -observations, or their truth: in the first case, they might suspect the -work to be interpolated; in the second, they would value it only for -the accuracy of information. It is different with scientifical and -historical works: a spurious book of science may contain truths, they -stand for themselves, they are the same at all times and places. Not so -in history: the truth here depends on the universal consent of nations, -on the testimony of authors of credibility confronted with each other, -and in all cases relating things probable. When we read in a Chinese -history, that the goddess Amida peopled the world by bearing male -children from under one arm, and females under another, or, in the -Mahometan writers, that the trees spoke to the founder of that sect, -would a man credit any circumstance, however probable, related in -such histories, without the strongest collateral proofs? And should -we further discover, that these histories detailed events posterior -to their author's death, would not this make the whole still more -improbable? Your remark upon this subject is singular: you say, that if -Joshua, Samuel, or Moses, declared themselves the authors of the works -ascribed to them, then to prove these books spurious would at once -destroy their genuineness and authenticity. I would reason thus: Moses -does not say, that he was the author of the Pentateuch; why then do -we believe that he wrote it? You would, no doubt, answer, that the -tradition of the Jews proclaims him such. I retort, that if the -genuineness of a book may be proved by tradition, we ought as much to -argue against the authenticity of a work, from having proved the general -belief of its genuineness to be founded on error, as if the author had -said, I am the author of this book. This we shall, in the sequel, prove -to be the case with the books of the Old Testament. The addition of -an express declaration of Moses would add no authenticity to the -Pentateuch, since it is as easy to forge a work where the author speaks -in the first as in the third person. - -Your next remark is concerning miracles. I have already observed, that -no testimony can give them belief. You maintain, that the degree and -kind of evidence for the prodigies recorded in the Bible exceeds that -for any other wonders. How this happens I am unable to comprehend. I -know they are contained in a book composed by the priests of the -most credulous and ignorant nation that perhaps ever existed; and the -authority of these unknown and obscure persons, is all the evidence -we have for crediting their stories. An English Bishop tells his -countrymen, that the miracle of the sun standing still is better -supported than the prodigies of Abbe Paris, Mesmer, and the late Labre -at Rome, than the numerous Indian, Chinese, and Popish miracles, of -which a great part are attested by magistrates, divines, physicians, and -the most enlightened classes of society; while the wonderful repast of -the angels with Abraham, or the marvellous tale of Jonah's three days' -residence in the belly of a fish, depends upon the authority of a book -which we shall prove to be spurious, to have been lost for several ages, -and to be compiled, if not altogether composed, by some Jewish scribes, -who were, as they themselves acknowledge, the only men versed in the -scriptures of the nation. I thought you would have known sacred history -better than at the present day to make such unsupported assertions. -Have you forgotten the wonders of the magicians of Pharaoh? Do you not -recollect the express acknowledgment of Moses himself, that there may -be miracles and prophecies performed by men who adored not the Lord -Jehovah? Does he not say, in chap. xiii. of Deuteronomy, "If there arise -among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or -a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto -thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, &c.--that prophet, or that -dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, _because he hath spoken to you -to turn away from the Lord your God_." It is not because he is a false -prophet, but because he is not a prophet of Jehovah. Does not this -at once show the grossness of the conceptions of the Jews, and the -sophistical mode of arguing of their legislator? For I would ask, How -did Moses prove himself the oracle of God? Or how did Jesus Christ -show himself the Son of God, but by their pretended miracles? Why then -believe the testimony of a miracle in one instance, and not in another? -But the Jews certainly imagined, that there were several gods, and that -they quarrelled with each other, as kings are used to do; therefore it -was natural that one set of prophets should try to exterminate another, -and be as inveterate against them as the Lord Jehovah was against Baal, -or other rival gods. If the reader imagines I speak at random when I -say, the Jews believed in other gods, I refer him to Judges, chap. -xi. ver. 23, 34, where it is said, "So now the Lord God of Israel hath -dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldst -thou not possess it? Wilt thou not possess that which _Chemosh thy god_ -giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive -out from before us, them will we possess." There cannot be a fairer -parallel. - -I can hardly imagine a Bishop ignorant of the augurs, oracles, and -sybils of the Greeks and Romans, and of the implicit belief these -nations had in them; the truth of their prophecies was fully as well -established as the prophecies of the Jews. Neither were miracles -uncommon among the heathens. You have, no doubt, read St. Ambrose and -Origen, and have found in the works of these and other fathers, that -the only difference between the miracles of the Christians and infidels, -was, that the former were operated by God, and the latter by the devil; -and could I be satisfied that Satan took up Jesus Christ to the top of -that high mountain, (now unknown to geographers) from whose pinnacle all -the world could be seen, this would surprise me as much as to see Jesus -Christ, or any other wonder-worker, bringing a dead man to life. I am -ashamed to have inveighed so long against silly prejudices; but I -could not avoid calling upon your Lordship, to point out the difference -between gospel-miracles and the ridiculous tales believed in all dark -ages, and of which we find so copious collections in the works of the -first fathers. The axiom of philosophers, that no human testimony can -establish the credibility, of miracles, you have left unanswered. You -say it has been confuted an hundred times: had you given the confutation -of it, we would have been able to ascertain the truth of your assertion. -You are writing for the multitude, and being a dignitary of the church, -ought to furnish the people with arms to oppose reason. Perhaps the -unsuccessful attempt of Dr. Campbell has deterred you from at least -recapitulating the principal answers to this proposition. Till you can -prove that the great mass of mankind are not very fallible and easily -deceived by any impostor, or that they are disposed and capable to -examine the truth of reports spread about prodigies, you will never be -able to persuade men of sense, that events impossible are to be believed -upon the testimony of those who not only are, but have constantly been, -the slaves of credulity in all countries. - -You then show, that Mr. Paine's objections to the genuineness are not -new. This is true; and I am surprised you have quoted so few supporters -of his opinions. Your attempt to prove the genuineness of the -Pentateuch, by direct evidence, is ridiculous. What! Maimonides, ten -centuries after the destruction of the Jews, a Jew himself, and writing -at a period so remote from the supposed date of the books of the -Old Testament, is, by Dr. Watson, called a direct evidence of the -genuineness of the Pentateuch. Juvenal, a poet, who in more than one -place ridicules the credulity of the Jews, says, that they believe in -Moses--so do the Europeans allow that the Indians believe in Brama.--We -question not the general traditions of the Jews, but the credit they -deserve; and I shall next proceed to show, that the books of the -Pentateuch are spurious, and undeserving of credit. The name of -Moses and the Jews were unknown to the famous Phoenician historian -Sanchoniato, of whom Eusebius has preserved us some extracts; he has -never mentioned a word about this famous legislator: had he done so, -Eusebius was too strenuous an advocate _for_ Christianity not to have -recorded it. The books of the Jews were concealed from all the world -before the famous Greek translation made at the instance of Ptolemy -Philadelphia. Josephus himself acknowledges, that no heathen knew -the Jewish books, which he endeavours to explain, by some miraculous -interference of God to keep them from the impious. It is evident, that -the insignificance and ignorance of the Jews were sufficient to screen -them for a long time from the search of philosophers. Upon the early -history of the Jewish nation, however, we have the testimony of several -of the ancient writers. Manetho, and Chaeremon, Egyptian historians, -give the most unfavourable account of this nation. Lisimachus does not -favour them any more; and, although he differs about the name of the -king who expelled them from Egypt, yet he agrees in calling them a set -of men infected with leprosy, and the meanest of the subjects of the -king of Egypt. Diodorus Siculus is as hard upon these wretched Jews. In -short, the opinion of their being the vilest and most ignorant of men, -has prevailed among all antiquity. All the writers about them agree in -stating that they never produced any work in science; indeed, that they -never improved any branch of useful knowledge. Many of these authors -mention Moses as a priest of Heliopolis, who led them out of Egypt, and -gave them a religion. Diodorus Siculus informs us, that the God of Moses -was Jau, or Jahouh, which is the true pronunciation of Jehovah; and -Plutarch (de Iside) says, that the Thebans adored this God, and had not -images in their temples, because Jau signified the general principle of -life, the soul of the world. - -Strabo, in his Geography, book 16, informs us, that Moses, who was an -Egyptian priest, taught his followers to worship the God Jahouh, without -representing it by emblems. This was the God of the Thebans, the soul of -the world. The Jews have even preserved the name of Tsour, or giver of -forms, and commonly translated by the word creator in chap. xxxii. of -Deuteronomy. Herodotus affirms, that the Jews or Syrians of Palestine -borrowed circumcision from the Egyptians. Diodorus says the same; and -even Philo and Josephus do not deny it. A great many other rites -were copied by the Jews from this nation. It is, therefore, of great -consequence to ascertain the age in which the Jewish books were written; -for if we can prove that all the fundamental points of their religion -were copied from their masters the Egyptians, or borrowed from the -Babylonians during the captivities, then the reader will judge of -the truth of the clerical opinion, that a handful of hordes were the -favourite people of God; that a set of ignorant and credulous vagabonds -taught science to the Chinese, Indians, and Egyptians, and preserved -nothing among themselves but some ridiculous accounts of their origin, -and a collection of absurd prodigies. If we succeed in pointing out -from what sources Jewish mythology is derived, there will be but -little difficulty in unravelling the principal fables contained in the -Pentateuch and other Jewish books. We are pretty well acquainted with -the allegories of the heathen mythologies. - -I am ready to grant that several of Mr. Paine's objections are not -valid, and often trifling; but I declare, once for all, that I do not -think myself bound to follow Mr. Paine in every instance. I shall direct -my remarks, rather to disprove your reasoning, than to defend every -objection of your opponent; at the same time, I shall avoid repeating -what he has advanced, and you have not disproved. The chief proofs -against the genuineness of the Pentateuch have been overlooked by Mr. -Paine. I shall state them briefly. - -First. It was believed, by all the best informed old fathers of the -church, that the Jewish books had been absolutely lost during the -captivity, and that Esdras had written them from inspiration; or, that -he collected the Pentateuch, and all other canonical books, out of -whatever records he could find, and put them together. 1 In either case, -their authority is greatly invalidated; and the more so, as the fourth -book of Esdras, adopted by the Greek church, and generally deemed -authentic, says expressly, that Esdras dictated the holy books during -forty successive days and nights, to five scribes, who were continually -writing. This tale shows sufficiently the general belief that he was -the restorer of the long lost books of the law. In our second book -of Nehemiah, or, properly speaking, Esdras, it is said, that Ezra, or -Esdras the scribe, who was above all the people, brought the book of the -law to the people, and then the people rejoiced much in being instructed -in the law of God, that when they found there the commandment of the -Lord ordering the Jews to perform the feast of the booths, there was -great gladness, "and all the congregation of them that were come again -out of the captivity made booths, and sat under booths: for, since the -days of Joshua the son of Nun, unto that day, had not the children of -Israel done so.". If the Jews had even forgotten a feast, the memory -of which every father would transmit to his son, is this not an evident -proof that they had no books in the captivity? Again, in chap. vii. of -the 1 book of Esdras, it is said, that Esdras "had very great skill, -so that he omitted nothing of the law and commandments of the Lord, but -taught all Israel the ordinances and judgments." - - 1 Porro Esdram sancti patres docent iostanratorem suisse - sacrorum librorum, quod non ita intelligendum est, quasi - scripturæ sacræ omnes perierint in eversione civitatis, et - templi Nabuchodonosor, et ab Esdra divinitas inspirato - reparatæ fuerint, ut fabulatur auctor, L, IV. Esdræ C. XIV. - Sed quod Scripturas Mosis, et prophetarum in varia volimina - descriptas, et in varia loca dispenreas, et tempore - captivitatis non diligenter conservatas, Esdras summa - diligentia collectas ordinaverit, et in unum quasi corpus - redigerit. Bellarmin de Script. Ecclesiast. page 22. - -Can any man, after this, doubt that Esdras is the compiler of all the -books which the Jews had not known for many centuries? And are we, who -laugh at the Catholic councils, to trust to the word of a Jewish scribe? -it is further stated in 2 Chronicles, chap. xxiv. ver. 15, that Hilkiah -the priest found a book of the law of God _given_ by Moses, and sent it -by Saphan to king Josias, who heard it read, which shows that it must -have been very short; and, by the context, it would appear to have -been the law strictly speaking; another proof that these records were -altogether scattered, and are all without authority, since it was so -easy to forge them among a people who seemed to preserve no more than -a traditional law. Again, although, in the older Jewish books, such as -Kings and Chronicles, we find the name of Moses often mentioned, yet no -word answering to the five books of Pentateuch is to be found. The Code -of laws of Moses seems to have been forgotten; for Solomon ornamented -the temple with calves, in express contempt of that law, and this while -he was the favourite of God, and the wisest man in the world. The very -confusion that pervades the books ascribed to Moses, shows them to -have been compilations. Jerome, who was one of the most learned of the -fathers, confesses that he dares not affirm that Moses is the author -of the Pentateuch; he even adds, that he has no objection to allow that -Esdras wrote the books in question. 1 - - 1 Sive Mosen dicere volueris auctorem Pentateuchi, sive - Esdram ejuadem iustauratorem operis, non recuso. Hieronim. - Op. Tom. IV. p. 134. Apud Edit. Paris 1706, - -Secondly. We know that no canon of books ever existed among the Jew's -till the time of the synagogue under the Maccabees. Before their reign, -there had never existed among the Jews any such council; and, if the -word occurs in the Pentateuch, it is a fault of the transcribers and -composers, who lived when there was a synagogue, and is not to be -understood in any other acceptation than a collection of priests. The -Pharisees of the second temple chose the books they thought best among -a multitude of forgeries. The Talmud relates, that this synagogue -were about to reject the Book of Proverbs, Ezekiel's prophecies, and -Ecclesiastes, because they imagined these writings contradictory to the -law of God; but a certain Rabbin having undertaken to reconcile them, -they were preserved as canonical. A prodigious number of forged Books -of Daniel, Esdras, and of the Prophets, were then in circulation; and -to distinguish the genuine from the false works became absolutely -necessary. This doubt and uncertainty conspires to render the decision -of the synagogue very doubtful; particularly, as we shall show in the -sequel, that many passages of the Prophecies are written evidently about -the time of this choice of sacred books, and inserted in them, probably -by some cunning priest, as the oracles of Sybil were forged to suit -Cæsar. - -Thirdly. The similarity of the mysteries of the Jews to those of the -Babylonians, is too glaring not to let us see the origin of Genesis in -particular. The creation in six days is a perfect copy of the Gahans, -or Gahan-bars, of Zoroaster; the particulars of each day's work are -literally the same. The serpent was famous among the Babylonians. The -mythological deluge of Ogyges and Xissuthrus, are symbols of changes -arising on earth, as they imagined, from the revolutions of the heavenly -bodies. These, a little ornamented by the historical narration of -Deucalion's inundation related by Berosus, is the pattern of Noah's -flood; the ark of Osiris and emblematical dove and raven were Egyptian -hieroglyphics. The man and the woman in Paradise is a mere copy of -Zoroaster's first pair. The original sin is Pandora's box. The Talmud of -Jerusalem says expressly that the Jews borrowed the names of the angels, -and even of their months, from the Babylonians. The Elohim, or Gods, -(not God), are said in Genesis to have created the world. It was not -Jehovah, but the genii or gods that are in the Hebrew called makers of -the world. And these are the very genii, who according to Sanchoniatho, -were by Mercury excited against Saturn. - -Fourthly. We ask, in what language was the Pentateuch written, if it -really was the work of Moses? It is known that Hebrew is a dialect of -the Phenician, and that the Jews spoke Egyptian for a very long time -before they adopted the language of the people among whom they dwelt. In -Psalm lxxxi. we learn that the Jews were surprised to hear the language -of the people beyond the Bed Sea. If, therefore, Moses, or any person of -that age, is the author of the Pentateuch, it is evident that the -Hebrew books are mere translations. What degree of credit does a nation -deserve, who have been able to take for originals books that were in the -face of them translations? Is it right to persecute men, as priests have -done while they had power, for refusing to give credit to this tissue of -contradictory and absurd fables? - -Fifthly. In the books of the Old Testament, we find abundant proofs that -they have been written in an age greatly posterior to that of Moses. In -Genesis, chap. xii. ver. 6, we find these words, "And the Canaanite was -then in land." This implies another period when the Canaanite was not -in the land, which, we learn from the Bible, did not happen till after -David, and could not therefore be written by Moses. The beginning of -Deuteronomy is certainly not written by him; for he never passed the -Jordan; he died upon Mount Nebo, to the eastward of it. The English -translation has in chap. i. v. 5, of this book, said, "on this side -of the Jordan," for "on that side," which is in the original. The -translator has taken similar liberties very often. In chap. xxxiii. we -find this expression, "There never was in Judea so great a prophet -as Moses," and such could be pointed out in many places. Here needs no -comment to show that such passages could only be written in a posterior -age, and when there had been several prophets after Moses. Thomas Paine -mentions many other passages, which I shall consider when I come to your -next letter. - -The above considerations would be sufficient to invalidate the -genuineness and authenticity of any historical book: but here we find -that the credulity of bigots requires less proof for the authority of -a work, which, according to them, is the fountain of faith, than -for Ossian's poems, or any other book of no consequence. If a common -historical work contains fables, impossible events, and anachronisms; -if its age is not ascertained; if we are certain that it was unknown for -many centuries; if we are even ignorant whether it is an original or a -translation, who would give the slightest credit to such a book? Yet are -enlightened nations led by the testimony of the Jews, a people credulous -beyond measure, extremely ignorant, almost continually in slavery, and -dispersed. This is the nation that pretends to give an account of the -creation, and, with a vanity peculiar to an insignificant people, to -assume the supremacy among nations, and arrogate to themselves the -exclusive protection of Jehovah, and dare make their Adam the common -stock of mankind. You allow, my Lord, that several passages have been -interpolated in the Pentateuch. No person in the least acquainted with -the history can deny that it has suffered great alterations; 1 and I -have already noticed the opinion of the best informed fathers of the -church upon the non-existence of the Pentateuch, several centuries prior -to Esdras. I now beg to be informed, how we are to decide, if Hilkiah, -in the reign of Josias, collected from tradition, or some old book he -found in a chest, the precepts of the law? and whether the other famous -scribe, Esdras, did not compile from hearsay, and some imperfect and -scattered manuscripts of no authority, together with a great many -Babylonish traditions, those venerable five books of Moses? We are -informed, in one of the books that bears his name, that Esdras was -the wisest of his cotemporaries, and therefore a very fit and probable -person to write books out of old legends. - - 1 Multa in Hebraicis et Græcis codicibus vitia esse - ostendimus. Malta mendacia in rebus minutis, eorum pars - uliqua non exigua nostra editione vulgata extat.---Marian - pr. edit. vulg. cap. 21. - -If the books of the Old Testament were composed at so late a period, no -wonder then that we find all the mysterious part of them so much like -the religion of the ancients, and particularly of the Babylonians, and -the historical part made up of heterogeneous matters, which in our days, -unassisted by any profane writer of that age, we can make nothing of. I -shall mention a few of the most striking points of resemblance between -the Jewish and other mysteries. Abraham, the most famous of their -patriarchs, has ever been celebrated in India. This they seem to have -brought from their native country, Arabia. We have already noticed, -that their account of the creation is exactly copied from Zoroaster, who -says, that the world was made in six periods of time, called by him the -thousands of God and of light, meaning the six summer months; in the -first, God made the heavens; in the second, the waters; in the third, -the earth; in the fourth, trees; in the fifth, animals; and in the -sixth, man. The Etrurians and the Hindoos have very similar traditions -of the highest antiquity, which, though they were emblems at first -perfectly understood, astronomers afterwards converted them into -periods, comprehending as many years as was required for different -revolutions of the planetary system. - -Thus, while the Hindoos and Persians called the days or ages of the -world, each of many thousands of years; the Jews, ignorant of astronomy, -and fond of the marvellous, comprised all within six common days. Their -firmament or heaven of crystal, and its windows, are absurdities not -peculiar to them; the feast of the Pascha, which signifies passage, is -of Egyptian origin, and was in reverence for the passage of the sun at -the vernal equinox: the sacrifices of calves or oxen, the ceremony of -the scape-goat, are Egyptian and Indian; the latter, in particular, have -a ceremony altogether the same with that of the scapegoat. It is too -long to insert here, but I refer my readers to Mr. Halhed's introduction -to the code of Gentoo laws for information on this head. The distinction -between pure and impure animals was first made by the Egyptians; the -ladder seen in Jacob's vision, is exactly a copy of that with seven -steps in the cave of Milthra, representing the seven spheres of the -planets, by means of which souls ascended and descended. It is also the -mythology of the Hindoos, whose antiquity no man at the present day -can venture to deny. The seven candlesticks, and the twelve stones are -Egyptian, and were emblems of the seven planets, and twelve signs of -the Zodiac. The serpent is the most famous Egyptian hieroglyphic; it -signifies eternity, or the sum of all things. The fasts before feasts -are also derived from this nation. The Jewish high-priest, like the -Egyptian, wore an image of sapphire, being the emblematic picture of -truth, upon, his breast: in short, the Egyptians, their masters, gave -them the first ideas of mysteries, which, in the course of time, they -mingled with the Chaldaic; and Manetho informs us, in the extract given -by Josephus in his first book against Appian, that, in authors of great -authority, he found the Jews to have been distinguished in Egypt by the -name of captive pastors, which Josephus artfully enough has attempted -to convert into captive kings. These are the men whom sacred historians -pretend to have taught the Egyptians all their arts. These wretches, -despised of all nations, were themselves the emphatical admirers of the -wisdom of the East. Their legislator was an Egyptian priest, and learned -all that he knew from them; and you would persuade us that a set of -Arabian hordes had founded the Egyptian empire, simply because they, -like the Irish, are pleased to say that they were antedeluvians. I -pardon the Jews for their credulity; but Europeans in the 18th century -ought not to think as the inhabitants of Palestine. If we give credit to -all the reports of the origin of nations, we may give up all pretensions -to common sense. - -The immortality of the soul is shown, by the learned but superstitious -Warburton, never to have been mentioned in the Pentateuch; nor the -notion of hell, or of future rewards and punishments. There is nothing -more certain, however, than that the Pharisees, long before Christ, -strenuously maintained the immortality of the soul, and in some measure -adopted the doctrine of transmigration of souls, which they had got from -the Greeks and other nations. - -The Sadducees, founding themselves upon the Bible, fervently denied -a future life. The Essenians, according to Philostratus, were -Pythagoreans, both in their morals, belief, and mode of life, except -that a few of the Jewish articles of faith, such as the necessity -of circumcision, were mingled with their creed. Josephus himself -acknowledges the similarity between the Essenians and the Plisti among -the Thracians, to whom Zamolxis, the disciple of Pythagoras, taught -his doctrines: The Therapeutes, the pattern and ori--gin of Christian -morals, were reckoned amongst the Jews to be the most holy among the -Essenians. They sacrificed their passions to God; they never swore, -but made simple affirmations; they lived, as it were, in convents; they -despised bodily pain: when they entered their state of perfection, they -abandoned their property, wives, children, and all earthly concerns; -they lived upon bread and water and salt; and spent the six days of the -week in interpreting the allegorical sense of the Bible. They revered -the Sabbath with a most scrupulous exactness; then they assembled in -places set apart for religion, the men ranged on one side, and the -women on the other, separated by a division four feet high, to prevent -temptation. Then they sung praises to God, and preached; they obeyed -all the laws of their country, but never would execute any order to -hurt another person. They, like the Pythagoreans, thought themselves -possessed of the gift of prophecy; they, like the Pythagoreans, believed -in the great year, whence arose the famous millennium of the Christians. -The three sects of Jews--Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenians, lived all -in perfect harmony; the incredulous Sadducees not being considered as -heretics, but often attaining the dignity of high-priests. This suffices -to show, that the Jews borrowed from other nations those very mysteries -which the ignorance of writers has misled mankind to consider as the -special revelations of Jesus Christ. - -I have insisted so much upon this circumstance, because there is not a -single article of Christian morals, nor one religious tenet, contained -in the New Testament, that was not known before Jesus Christ was born. -And the Christian religion, like that of the Jews, is a corruption of -the mythologies of the nations they brand with the name of infidels. - -I return to your book. It is now needless to answer your logical -inference, that if Esdras is the compiler of the books of the -Pentateuch, they may still be true. I have already said, that we are not -to sacrifice our reason to the compilations or works of a Jewish scribe, -who borrowed evidently so much, and who pretended to divine inspiration -and conversations with the angels. When I began to read your book, I -was impressed with the idea of your candour; sorry am I to see -the malevolence with which you treat Mr. Paine, and how much you -misrepresent his just aspersions on the conduct of Moses. Your language -almost persuades me that you do not differ from the gentlemen of your -profession. Could Moses affirm, as you pretend he might, that he never -persecuted any man? What! that monster, who, although married with a -Midianite, ordered thousands of his credulous followers to be murdered, -because one of them had slept with a Midianite, whom Josephus states was -his wife! What! when his brother and coadjutor makes a golden calf to -the people, this impostor, instead of punishing him, orders 3,000 men to -be murdered, and appoints Aaron his successor! Because Korah, Da-than, -and Abiram, could not suffer to see him usurping all the power, he -murders them, although Korab was the descendant of Levi. This is Moses, -who says, like Bishop Watson, that he "was a very meek man!" Were these -continual murders necessary to instruct ignorant idolaters who followed -the example of their priests? Have not the founders of our faith been -the most cruel murderers? But all this we are told was the immediate -orders of the Lord Jehovah, a merciful God. How feeble appears the power -of this great God! He is continually repenting, and always obliged to -renew his covenants with a set of wretches, who, although they enjoyed -his special protection, always forsook him, and only fulfilled his -commands strictly when they were ordered to massacre. They might have -been the favourite people of God, but I am sure they were the disgrace -of men. You talk of idolatrous nations sunk in vice. I know of none so -barbarous as the Jews, whose legislator was obliged to fly from Egypt -for murder, a perfect assassin. The laws concerning paternal power, -which you support, are horrid. Their having been adopted by many -nations, is a proof of the general prevalence of superstition, -ignorance, and despotism. I have nothing to answer to your discourses on -tythes. The Bible is preached up, because it teaches passive obedience, -donations to the church, and such other acts of _public utility_. - - - - -LETTER III. - -After what I have observed above, it will be useless to say much as to -your third letter, in which you examine minutely the passages Thomas -Paine has pointed out to prove the Pentateuch not genuine. First, As to -the objection taken from the name of Dan, I never thought it specious. -This is not the case with the very next one, which is of very great -weight. The writer, after enumerating a number of Arabian names, -concludes in these words, "These are the kings that reigned in Edom, -before there reigned any king over the children of Israel." Contrary -to my expectations, you acknowledge this to have been written after -the Jews had kings. Many of your brethren have attempted to deny it by -quibbles! but you say that this does not invalidate the authority of the -book: wonderful! if your _alma-mater_ taught you, that an evident lie -or contradiction in any book, particularly of remote antiquity, and -relating histories unsupported by impartial authors, does not create -a suspicion, which approaches to certainty, that the book is not -authentic; if you think so, I must give up arguing with you. It may be -an interpolation, you observe. How did you learn this? You will at least -leave, me the right to suppose, and you cannot deny that the presumption -is against you, an absurdity in a book is a reason for distrusting -the rest. I have probability on my side; for the Jew who forged this -passage, either from piety or ignorance, might have forged the whole -book, or so interpolated it, as to destroy its credibility. At any rate, -the detection of falsehood in a history, is not a motive to suppose it -true. It requires an excess of piety to break through all the rules of -logic and common sense. How does it happen, that the Lord Jahovah does -not provide better against such mistakes creeping into the book of -the law of his favourite people? It could seem as if he had done it -on purpose to create incredulity, and enjoy the pleasure of punishing -unbelievers, as of old, he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he might have -a pretext to inflict calamities on him and his people. - -My Lord, what credit would we give to a history of William the Conqueror -that had the following sentence, after naming different persons, _And -these were the names of the Kings of England before George the Third -came to the throne_; for what purpose could any person insert such a -passage? He must have been absolutely mad. It could only get into the -work from its being compiled during the reign of George the Third, -and arising from a forgetfulness of the writer, or ignorance of the -transcriber: in no case could it be inserted in a book, which you say -was kept in the public records, and over whose purity the whole Jewish -learned men would watch; you must either give up your argument from the -public records of this people, and no longer deem them great authority; -or, if you persist in it, I leave you to reconcile the most palpable -interpolations and forgeries with the scrupulous attention with which -you suppose the Jews preserved the word of God. But what is most curious -in this passage is, that we find it verbatim in 2 Chronicles, chap. i. -ver. 43, and you seem to glory in discovering this similarity of the -passages. "Why might not," you say at the end of your fourth letter, -"the author of the book of Chronicles have taken them, (meaning -the names of the kings of Edom, &c.), as he has taken many other -genealogies, supposing them to have been written in the book of Genesis -by Samuel?" Another acknowledgment of more interpolations in Genesis. - -But, Sir, who gave you the right, you who exclaim so much against the -unsupported assertions of Thomas Paine, to suppose that the author of -Chronicles copied an interpolation from Genesis, knowing, as he must -have done, that it was interpolated by Samuel? - -Would he not rather, to make the book consistent, expunge it? Could he -be so ignorant as not to see the contradiction? What is more strange, -how came Samuel to introduce such a passage? The tendency of it could -only be to weaken the authority of Genesis; but, allowing all your -groundless suppositions to be true, do you not see that they only prove -the ignorance of Samuel and of the Jewish history writers, and at once -destroy the superstructure you have in your following letters raised -upon the supposed accurate records of the Jews? The supposition of -Samuel being the author of the interpolation, is like an historian, -who, to the history of Charles the First, should add some accounts, -concluding with observing, that all this took place before George -the Second, or should even venture further, and instruct us in some -prominent features of the French revolution: yet this is the case with -the passage in question; for it is unquestionable that the Jews had -never a king till the time of Saul; that, under Moses and the Judges, -they held kings in detestation. The fact is very plain. In Chronicles, -the passage has an obvious and clear sense; for there an account of -the kings of Israel is given, and the sentence now under consideration -precedes it. Indeed, the whole chapter xxxvi. of Genesis is almost -literally the same with chapter first of Chronicles; and every unbiassed -man will conclude, that the former is copied from the latter. That -little concluding expression, before _there reigned any king over -Israel_, certainly marks its date; and there is nothing more probable, -than that when Esdras and the scribes compiled these books, they should -insert in Genesis the posterity of Esau, as far as the history of -Genesis went, and that this unlucky passage should by mistake be copied -too. I acknowledge, that an interpolation, when we can prove the period -of its insertion, does not destroy the validity of a book, if the rest -of the facts are consistent, and supported by collateral proofs; but the -Bible is an unconnected rhapsody, written by we know not whom, without -order, arrangement, or a shadow of method. Besides, it is the word of -God; and what, in a profane writer, would be a slight error, is here a -most material fault; if our future happiness depends, as you suppose, on -our believing this book, which certainly can never take place while such -reasons for scepticism remain. In proportion to the importance of an -event, so we must be careful in examining the grounds upon which it -stands, or else we must be like those whimsical men, who will require -the best evidence for the truth of a trifling report, but find no -repugnance in crediting the most marvellous events upon trust. - -Mr. Paine properly concludes, that Genesis is a book of stories, fables, -traditions, or invented absurdities, or downright lies; and this I not -only affirm with him, but will prove to my readers, that it is in no -respect deserving of more credit than the fabulous and early history of -all nations. Next follows your rhapsody upon the beauty of the Bible and -the truth of it. Pardon me if I think it like a madman's reveries. Even -the men of your profession have long ago given up such a ridiculous -conceit. Whoever has read eastern literature, or the late translation -from the Shanscrit, will find that the same style with that of the Bible -pervades all eastern compositions. In all of them we find the frequent -use of allegory, and a quaint and formal manner of expression. Divest -the Bible of its Oriental garb, and put it into common language, -you will find, except the episode of Joseph, and two or three other -passages, it is absolutely illegible. I have already shown the -Pentateuch to have been a very modern work, and the Jews to have -borrowed every thing from other nations. No wonder then that the _Abram_ -should resemble the _Brama_ of the Hindoos, or that a few names in the -supposed genealogies of the Jews should be like those of the Assyrians, -Medes, &c. Genesis gives a description of creation truly beautiful! We -did not spring from grasshoppers, nor the world from an egg; but the -wise Moses informs us, that we were made of clay and a little breath. -This may be sublime to you; but the philosopher is never elated by -fables so absurd. It is not true that Genesis is the oldest, nor a very -old book. Sanchoniato, the Hindoo books, those of the Egyptians and -Chinese, are of much higher antiquity than Moses. In vain has Mr. -Maurice struggled to dazzle our understandings with his incoherent -suppositions, to prove that the Hindoos borrowed their religion from the -Jews, from a set of Arabian hordes, from the slaves of the Egyptians, -from a petty nation, who, as Julian says, never produced a single work, -and whose credulity has ever been proverbial. The astronomical records -of the Chinese prove, that there were men and astronomers in that -country at the time when the wretched Jews would make us believe -the world was inundated from the windows of heaven, and no creatures -existing but Noah, his family, and the beasts in the ark. Further, -Souciet mentions an eclipse of the sun recorded in the Chinese history, -which happened 2155 years before Christ, which is but 236 years after -the Deluge; a time when, the Bible informs us, the earth was only -inhabited by the sons of Noah, while Egypt was then so peopled, that -90,000 cities could not contain the inhabitants, and China was not -less so. The Hindoo astronomical observations, as far as they have been -examined by the most learned astronomers of the age, such as Baillie, -Le Gentil, and others, carry their antiquity between four and five -thousands beyond our æra; for a proof of which, I refer you to Mr. -Playfair's excellent paper, in the second volume of the Edinburgh -Philosophical Transactions. The Hindoo religious books contain, besides, -a great many of the ideas afterwards adopted by the Jews. The long lives -of antedeluvians, in particular, are the exact copy of the Iogues of -the Indians. The Dwapaar Iogue, the latter part of which answers to the -period of Noah, was when men's lives were limited to a thousand years; -and Methuselah we know did not live so long. They have, too, their -mythological deluge, or the incarnation of Vishnu into a fish. For -an account of which I refer my readers to Volney, and to Mr. Maurice -himself. The former gentleman is a good judge of ancient literature; -he pretends that he can prove, that most of the chapters of Genesis, -supposed to contain names of persons, are mythological: the posterity of -Noah is, according to Volney, no more than a geography of the world -as known to the Jews. I have not read Mr. Volney's memoir which I -understand he has published on this subject; but, when I consider the -late period when Genesis and the other books were composed, and how -much the Jews borrowed from the Egyptians and Babylonians, how much the -deluge of Noah and his ark resemble the emblems of Osiris; in short, -when I reflect on the unintelligibility and apparent absurdity of -Genesis, on the impossibility of the Deluge, and of the not less -absurdity of the population of the world so soon after that calamity, I -confess I am much inclined to despise the whole performance. There have -been various suppositions upon the meaning of the names mentioned in -Genesis. Adam has been said to signify, in many parts of Asia, the first -day of the week; and Enoch, the seventh successor of Adam, to be the -same with Saturn, or the seventh day. Thus Assur, Elam, Lud, Madai, -Javan, and Tiras, which are said to be the founders of the Assyrians, -the Elamites, the Lydians, the Medes, the Ionians, and the Thracians, -may very probably be nothing else than the enunciation of the names of -these countries; for, between Assur and Assyria, or Lud and Lydia, -there is not a very great difference. We know that Egypt is by the Arabs -called _Masr_, which has the same consonants with the Hebrew _Misraim_, -whose plural termination implies properly the inhabitants of Egypt. -In the Bible, _Misraim_ is called the founder of that kingdom. We also -know, that Syria is called _Barr-el-sham_, or the country to the left. -The inhabitants of Thebaid are called the sons of Cush. Again, we -find several names of towns very much resembling those of the supposed -founders of these monarchies; Sur, or Tyre, is not unlike Assur. These -are conjectures; I pretend to found nothing upon them; but, at least, -they are probable. Your Genesis, on the contrary, as it is commonly -explained, contains palpable lies. It supposes a deluge, which neither -did nor could take place; it destroys the human race, when we know that -nations were then in existence. Lastly, it talks of the founders of -nations, which existed long before that period. But, even had Genesis -been written at the time of Moses, it might be worth while to -inquire into the import of his genealogies; but, being a very modern -compilation, collected by an ignorant people, partly from tradition, -partly from scattered and mutilated records, it does not deserve the -serious attention of the philosopher. - -You next attempt to justify the conduct of God towards the Canaanites, -whose great crime was to defend their own country, and to adore their -own gods instead of the God of the Jews. When a man makes an apology for -such conduct, we only can answer by an appeal to the feelings of men, -from which alone we derive notions of humanity. It was natural for the -adorers of a Phenician Jehovah to be the enemies of the Babylonish Baal: -both these gods sprang from the wild fancies of men. The jealous God of -the Jews, the all-wise, omnipotent, and benevolent, could not convert -the worshippers of another god, without exterminating whole nations, -even to the little children; but this barbarous mandate came from the -priests, who have in all countries, and all systems of Religion, adopted -this method of conversion. You state, that Moses "gave an order that -the boys and women should be put to death; but, that the young maidens -should be kept alive for themselves;" and, that you "see nothing in the -proceeding, but good policy combined with mercy. The young men might -have become dangerous avengers of what they would esteem their country's -wrongs; the mothers might have again allured the Israelites to the -love of licentious pleasures, and the practice of idolatry, and brought -another plague upon the congregation; but the young maidens, not being -polluted by the flagitious habits of their mothers, not likely to create -disturbance by rebellion, were kept alive:" and you add, that "the -women children were not reserved for the purposes of debauchery, but -of slavery; a custom (you acknowledge) abhorrent from our manners, but -every where practised in former times, and still preserved in countries -where the benignity of the Christian religion has not softened the -ferocity of human nature." Is extermination an example of the mercy of -priests and their gods, "whose justice is subservient to mercy," "whose -punishments originate in his abhorrence to sin,"--and whose commands -to massacre, to butcher, and to exterminate, "are only benevolent -warnings?"--You dare Mr. Paine to prove, that the young women were kept -for debauchery; and you triumphantly add, "that if he does, you will -allow Moses to be the horrid monster he describes him, and the Bible a -book of lies, wickedness, and blasphemy." Do you think, that consigning -to slavery thirty-two thousand maids, is consistent with the benignity -of God? I do not hesitate to consider this worse than merely making them -the partners of licentious pleasures. But, in what consisted the wonted -wisdom of a God, whom you describe as ever solicitous to lessen the -influence of sin? Let me ask you, if the young women were not as liable -to incite the passions of the Jews as their mothers, and whether their -slavery would not increase the opportunities for debauchery? Could it -be consistent with humanity, much less with the mercy of an all powerful -God, to put to death all the boys of a nation, merely because they might -in time revenge the insolent invaders of their country? Were all the -male children already polluted from their birth? It would have been easy -for them to convert them to another religion, but to your God it was -impossible. The bloody invaders of America pursued not another plan, -even after "the benignity of the Christian religion softened the -ferocity of human nature." Have these Christian invaders any where -respected the chastity of women when they made them slaves? And have -the Jews, God's chosen nation, at any period, either while under his -protection, or since he abandoned them, shown themselves more virtuously -inclined than other people; were they ever prevented by the striking -manifestations of his mercy, his power, and his justice, from going away -to adore other gods, and falling into all sorts of wickedness? In -short, if the Bishop rests his defence of Moses and the Bible upon this -passage, I am willing to appeal to the judgement of all mankind. If any -person can believe it consistent with the benevolence of omnipotence, to -sacrifice whole nations to be massacred and plundered by a few hordes of -bloody Jews; if he can think this to be part of a grand scheme for -the good of mankind, he must give up all pretensions to reason, common -sense, and humanity. But it is time the world should see, that this holy -book the Bible, "which, in weight of authority, and extent of utility, -exceeds all the libraries of the philosophers," contains pretences for -all bad actions, and stifles the laws of humanity and morality. Upon -this book have inquisitors, crusaders, and religious men, founded -pretences for the most diabolical persecutions, avowedly undertaken for -the express purpose of unrooting infidelity, and for the glory of the -Lord. Every man who reads the word of God is warranted to reason thus: -God has ordered murder and robbery; he has instigated his favourite -people to exterminate whole nations; therefore I can do no better than -to imitate the Almighty; and every crusader may pretend to have the same -authority from God as Moses; and miracles are never wanting to prove it. -Because Abraham was a pimp, and his wife a prostitute, so may any person -be, without losing the patronage of the God of Abraham. Every man, in -short, may imitate the meek Moses, the humane David, without fearing -to incur the displeasure of the Almighty. Thus Ravaillac thought he was -doing as holy a deed, when he attempted the life of Henry; as Dominic, -or Torquemada, when butchering the wretched heretics, who had the -misfortune to fall a prey to their bloody zeal. The whole Old Testament -is so filled with barbarous stories, that if they did not excite -laughter by their improbability, they would freeze the blood in, the -veins of any man endowed with humanity. What an irksome task have those -undertaken, who have attempted to reconcile the horrible crimes of the -Jews with the mercy and wisdom of the Creator? Has ferocity forsaken -Christians as you insinuate? Have the modern religious fanatics yielded -in cruelty to the Jews? Those two religions have successively inundated -the earth with the blood of innocent victims. Have not the followers of -Christ constantly preached passive obedience to the church, have they -not frequently relieved the people of their oaths, and have they not -fomented most of the civil wars that laid waste all Europe? It is well -that priests have not been able to persuade mankind of late, that the -minister was the oracle of God. The pride and foolishness of science has -put this out of their power; they cannot lead nations as they did the -Jews; we are not so easily persuaded of the immediate manifestations of -God's commands to the priest. We know science too well to believe that -the pillar of fire that went before the Israelites was God himself. We -might have shown the people, that a pan with red-hot substances would -have the appearance of a fire by night, and a cloud of smoke by day, a -custom practised, from time immemorial, by the caravans. Although, my -Lord, the wisdom of God may be foolishness to man, I acknowledge I am -neither fond of crediting absurdities, nor have I so much faith as to -take the work of priests for supernatural mandates of Providence; when -they speak in their usual senseless and unintelligible language, I -conclude that it is either to dazzle the ignorant multitude, or I look -upon their dreams as the consequence of dire superstition, the first -effect of which is to make us unacquainted with ourselves, under the -imposing aspect of familiarising us with imaginary beings. At the -conclusion of my remarks upon the Old Testament, I shall give a few -extracts from those books, wherein my readers may see the character of -the Jews and their God in glaring colours, and judge whether any honest -man would not tremble at the thoughts of having done as much injustice, -and committed such atrocities as this Jehovah. - - - - -LETTER IV. - -You enter again upon your favourite topic, genuineness and authenticity. -I shall not repeat what I have already said. I confess my great surprise -at your laying such stress upon the most trifling and false of your -arguments. You now strive to prove, that a book may contain a true -history, although it should be anonymous. Pray, my Lord, do you think, -that to prove a book spurious, when it is believed to be genuine, is a -demonstration of the truth of the contents? You thus leave us uncertain -whether Joshua be a genuine book. You have sadly confused yourself in -the maze you have created. To put it beyond a doubt that the sun stood -still, you appeal to the book of Jasher, which Joshua mentions in the -following words, "Is not this written in the book of Jasher?" And in -like manner, you refer to other books frequently quoted as authorities -in the Bible. Does your zeal blind you so far as not to let you -perceive, that this very argument may with redoubled strength be -retorted against you? for if an author, who is said to write his own -history, appeals to another book for a proof of his actions, that -book must be of much greater authority than his own: we cannot avoid -believing the writer of the work alluded to had better information. In -short, the book appealed to contains the only authentic testimony. Now, -permit me to ask you, who could be better authority than Joshua himself, -writing at a time when we must suppose many of his soldiers who had -witnessed the miracle were alive? What is this anterior book which -Joshua respects so much? Was it written by himself, then it would -be idle to quote it; and, at any rate, whoever had written it, it is -evident that the author of the book of Joshua has no proofs of his -own, but rests solely upon the book of the Holy, or of Jasher. This -circumstance proves clearly, that the writer of the Book of Joshua -composed his book out of some more ancient memoirs, which being lost, we -can say no more of their authority than for that of any old tales. You -talk of the public records of the Jews as confidently as a Member of -Parliament speaks of the papers in the Tower. Do you know at what period -the Jews began to keep written records, and do you also know, whether -those that were kept existed when the books of the Old Testament were -compiled? Had you been instructed in these particulars, and had you -been not altogether divested of candour, you might have informed your -readers, that, previous to the time of kings, we have not a shadow of -proof of the existence of any historical records among the Jews. We, no -doubt, read, that there was a book of the law of Moses, in which Joshua -wrote something too respecting the renewal of a covenant. This seems to -be the only written record among the Jews, and it contained nothing -but religious precepts, or the law, strictly speaking. In Joshua, chap. -viii. ver. 31, we read, "As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the -children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses -and ver. 32, He wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, -which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel and ver. 35, -He read all the words of the law, the blessings, and curses, according -to all that is written in the book of the law of the Lord, and there was -not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua read not before the -congregation of Israel." We know, likewise, that this law was written -in the circumference of an altar composed of twelve stones. This is the -only book either Moses or Joshua were ever said to have written; the -writers of the Pentateuch, and of the other books, certainly never meant -to inscribe them to Moses, Joshua, &c.; they bore the names of books of -Moses, of Joshua, Judges, &c. because they treated of these personages. -What then do you infer from the quotation of books by the Bible authors, -except that they all wrote in very modern times, when they wanted the -corroboration of more ancient books, whose date and authority we are -equally strangers to? This book of the law, which you so triumphantly -mention as a book written and existing a few years after Moses, turns -out to be nothing more than what is contained in Exodus, chap. xx. to -chap. xxiv. to which Joshua added some detail about the third covenant -of God. - -I beg the reader will observe, that the writer of the Book of Joshua -does not mention the second, third, or any other book of Moses, but -simply notices the book of the law of God. Now this great book -was written upon twelve stones, and in Exodus we find the precise -commandment of Moses to build the altar, and to read the commandments at -the feast of tabernacles; so that it contained not one line of history, -and could have no authority. It was a law written upon stones, which -Moses, in Exod. chap. xxiv. v. 7, is said to have read to the people: -"And he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the audience of -the people." This covenant, and particularly the repetition of it after -the disobedience of the Jews, is the only part of the Scriptures that -Moses ordered to be preserved with a religious care. Nothing of the most -important parts of Genesis or the other five books is ever mentioned in -the commandments of the law of God: the writer of the law certainly knew -not that the Pentateuch existed. Had Moses written such a work, would he -have failed to recommend to the Levites to keep the precious records of -mankind, the sublime account of the creation? Did not the whole of the -faith of the Jews depend on their being acquainted with the history of -their forefathers, who were under the immediate protection of God? The -ten commandments every person knows from the light of nature; no nation -has ever mistaken them; but the origin of mankind is a subject of great -darkness, and which the Jews ought to have preserved most carefully. -Certain, however, it is, that excepting a few rites, the Jews lost not -only their books, but even the recollection of their feasts, during -their captivity. The other books referred to in the Bible prove, that -those left are mere collections of borrowed stories, and pretended -abridgements of books of greater authority, which are unfortunately -lost, and leave a wide field for scepticism, particularly upon -improbable or contradictory accounts. As to the belief that the books of -the Old Testament are inspired, it is a tale, which, after what we have -stated, even a child would laugh at. - -You next seriously endeavour to corroborate the ridiculous miracle of -the sun and moon standing still. You are as unsuccessful in historical -as in scientifical arguments. The story in question is so stupid, that -the bare mention of it marks a man's credulity, so as to render him the -object of compassion. That an ignorant fanatic should attempt to defend -such absurdities, would be a matter of no surprise; but to witness a -Regius Professor of Divinity, a natural philosopher, bring forward facts -from profane history to prove the truth of so bare-faced a lie, denotes -at least your want of prudence. I cannot persuade myself that you -seriously believed what you wrote; I cannot think you capable of falling -at once into the most gross astronomical and historical error. I shall -state the matter briefly. There was a tradition in all antiquity, and -particularly among the Egyptians, relating to that motion of the -earth's axis which has been observed by astronomers, and whose complete -revolution round the four cardinal points takes up no less than -9,160,000 years. In the course of this revolution, it necessarily -happens, that the sun will rise where it sets, that north will be south, -and so on. The Egyptian priests pretended that this revolution had -taken place in their country without changing the climate, while the -Babylonians maintained, in the time of Alexander, that 140,000 years had -elapsed since their first astronomical observations. This, no doubt, was -the time that must have elapsed since the earth moved north and south. -The Egyptian priests, long before Herodotus, had lost their knowledge -of astronomy, which accounts for their mistake. It is evident, that the -displacement of the earth's axis must be accompanied by the heaviest -gravitating matter, and, therefore, what is now land, has been and will, -in the course of ages, become sea. Now, my Lord, what has the Egyptian -tradition to do with the sun stopped by the robber Joshua? What -connection has the stoppage of the sun, or rather the earth's motion, -with the sun rising where it sets? Were the thing possible, the sun -would nevertheless rise in the east. Besides, does Joshua say the sun -changed its course? Had this been the case, (I am ashamed even of the -supposition), how could the earth change its axis in an hour, without -shattering the whole globe, without inundating vast tracts of country, -and tearing others asunder to reestablish the equilibrium of gravity? -Study and consider; do not attempt to ridicule the little learning of -Thomas Paine, when you fall into such absurdities. Read Chinese history, -and you will find that their careful astronomers did not perceive the -long day and night. It was probably the sun of Judea only that altered -its course; they did not seem to be enlightened by the same luminary. -Those who believed that heaven was made of crystal, could find no -difficulty in crediting this silly story. I have insisted so much upon -this, because you ought to know the common principles of astronomy, and -somewhat of history. Here again you appeal to the book of Jasher: -it deserves no more consideration. To deem an appeal to a lost book -evidence of a prodigy, because the author affirms it, is a degree of -credulity which may gain the kingdom of heaven; but, in the republic of -letters, such believer will pass for a very contemptible reasoner. - -These are the miracles, and the histories, better attested than the -History of the Twelve Knights Of Charles the Great, and such other -foolish tales. Surely, none can believe that 19,000 men fought against -the Midianites, and murdered a prodigious number, without having lost a -man, and disbelieve the famous battles of the knights, in many of which -six men fought several thousands; the conversation of the devil with -Cromwell, or the miraculous appearance of God to almost all the knights -and warriors among the Catholics. The sacred phial of Rheims, and the -chapel of Loretto, were both conveyed in a manner you know well, and -which few men in the two countries dare controvert. They too appeal to -their books of Jasher. The tale of making the sun stand still has not -even the merit of novelty; this luminary had long before stopt his -career, out of respect to Bacchus. Neither is the shower of hail-stones -new, for Jupiter of old sent a shower of hail upon the rebellious sons -of Neptune. - -As to Joshua having written the book that goes under his name, we -have, besides what has been stated, the strongest evidence against the -genuineness of this performance. The death of Joshua is recorded in -chap. xxiv. and it is related exactly in the same style as what precedes -it. The writer even mentions several events posterior to the death of -the son of Nun. You have passed over the arguments of Thomas Paine drawn -from this passage, "The Jebusites dwelt with the children of Judah at -Jerusalem unto this day." It was natural for you to overlook a passage, -which demonstrates that the book of Joshua was not written until after -David, when, and not before, the conquest of the Jebusites took place. -It is beyond a doubt, that they never dwelt with the Jews in the time of -Joshua, since, in the first part of the above quoted passage, he says, -"As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of -Judah could not drive them out." How then did the Jews inhabit Jerusalem -in the days of Joshua? I refer the reader to the Age of Reason, and to -an answer to it by Mr. David Wilson, for further information, on this -head. In the latter, he will be amazed at the weak subterfuges used by -the author to evade the strength of the objection by Mr. Paine. But this -is not the only event related in Joshua, which did not take place till -some time after his death. Almost the whole of chap. xvii. contains -facts of this nature. Where the portion of Manasseh is described, it is -said, in ver. 12, "Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the -inhabitants of those cities, but the inhabitants would dwell in that -land." It is added, "And it came to pass, when the children of Israel -waxed strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not -utterly drive them out." Now this certainly did not take place during -the life of Joshua, for in the very same chapter, he promises those of -the tribe of Manasseh success against the Canaanites. In the preceding -chapter, v. 10, there is a passage of the same kind, "And they (the -Ephraimites) drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the -Canaanites dwelt among the Ephraimites unto this day, and some under -tribute." This needs no comment: let any person ask himself when this -came to pass, and they will at once find out the credit due to books -containing such shameful anachronisms and falsehoods. In chapter first -of Judges, purporting to contain the history of the Jews after Joshua, -the reader will find a faithful copy of the passages quoted, not -excepting the taking of Jerusalem. Let himc ompare ver. 8, 27, 28, 29, -and following, with the detail of distribution of lots to the tribes, -in chap. xvi. and xvii. of Joshua the same events are told in the very -words, and apply to two different periods. This is a strong instance of -the disorder that pervades the whole of these books, and how undeserving -of credit, even in the most probable events, is what you call sacred -writ. We are constantly reading over accounts of the same events, -sometimes said to be written by dead men, and never marking time; for -_it came to pass_, which is the Bible phrase, does not fix the period -when the event took place. These books bear all the marks of being the -productions of some persons at a very late period, and to have suffered -great interpolations. Joshua is, in the face of it, a continuation of -Deuteronomy, Judges of Joshua, and so on through the remainder. - -You pass on to Judges. It requires neither great knowledge nor ingenuity -to discover, that this book is an unconnected farrago put together by -some unknown person. You do not attempt to say any thing in its favour. -Sad falling off from the paths of faith! Formerly it would have been -a heresy to assert that Judges was a book of no authority: now, even a -Bishop has nothing to say in its defence. You then proceed to Ruth, -and endeavour to blot out the apparent infamy of her conduct, with what -success, I leave the reader to judge, after he has perused her -history. Next follow your subtle distinctions between the inspired and -non-inspired part of the Bible, which may be very intelligible to an -inspired Bishop, but cannot fail to appear a mere dream to a man in his -senses. Notwithstanding Austin and your other brethren, this distinction -rests upon nothing but fancy. Your request is very moderate. "Receive -the Bible," you say, "as composed by upright and well-informed, though -in some points, fallible men, (for I exclude all fallibility _when they -profess to deliver_ the word of God), and you must receive it as a book -revealed to you in many parts by the express will of God, and, in other -parts, relating to you the ordinary history of the times." Bravo! -A Catholic is as reasonable in his demands. He only asks a little -credulity to believe the inspired when _they profess to be so_. It is -truly a childish request, begging the question at every word. To believe -the Bible to be inspired is the grand point. The reasoning you employ is -in perfect consonance with the absurdity of your wishes. You disbelieve -a history if you find it inconsistent, but revere it, and swear by the -author, if he wrote by inspiration. Swedenburgh could not wish more -faith in his adherents. You say _receive it_, as the inquisitors said -_imprimatur_; but philosophers weigh the ground of their belief; they -detect the Bible writers, prophets, and inspired men, in palpable -contradictions in history; and you will obstinately insist on our -believing the most improbable of all their stories, because their -absurdity persuades the faithful that they were revealed by their God in -dreams.----You have acknowledged yourself, in a subsequent letter, that -the history and mystery of the Bible are so interwoven, that if one -falls the other cannot be maintained. Why did God mingle his important -and sublime precepts with such ridiculous trash, so as to induce mankind -to disbelieve them both? Suppose I should meet a peasant coming from a -fair, pretending he had seen the king with his guards, and if I should -find this to be untrue, would I not deserve to be laughed at, if I -credited that he had wrestled with a spirit, or that he was carried up -to heaven? This, however, is the case with the Bible. Here we are told -that the sun stood Still to protract the bloodshed of that villain -Joshua, while, in another place, we read that a city was taken 370 years -before that event. Your vaunted prophets were soothsayers, psalmists, -and orators, who were generally employed in writing the public records. -It is a word applied in the Bible to holy men. These prophets, like the -augurs of the heathen, were often detected in falsehoods, and, in the -time of Samuel, it would appear, by the Bible itself, that to raise -ghosts was a trade as common as that of tailors in our days. - -You now come to Samuel. You are candid enough to acknowledge with -Hartley, that he could not have been the author of the second book, -nor of most of the first that go under his name, yet this has been the -opinion of the church; and I know of no direct proofs that he wrote the -remainder: by what logic do you or Hartley conclude, that Samuel wrote -any part of the books ascribed to him? An author is proved not to have -written most part of a work ascribed to him, who then would, without -direct proofs, proclaim him the writer of some small passage, or any -particular part of the work? Who but a clergyman would build a system -upon a mutilated, spurious, and insignificant collection of absurdities -and wonders? It is, I allow, probable that Samuel wrote something: your -quotations prove no more; but what this was, we are, I presume, equally -unacquainted with. That the scribes also composed some records of the -lives of their kings, I will not deny. The question is, what degree of -credit does the mutilated, contradictory, and fabulous collection, said -to be made out of these records, deserve? - -In the time of Charles the Great, some persons probably recorded his -actions. Is this a reason for any man to believe the fabulous legends we -have of him, written in the dark centuries? The legends of the Egyptian -and Greek gods, and their collection of oracles, were not only credited -by whole nations, but proclaimed true by councils much wiser than the -synagogue. The records of the saints were undoubtedly made few years -after their death, in ages far more enlightened, after the invention of -the press, written by the then most learned men of society, (the monks), -who certainly were not inferior to the Jewish scribes, yet these legends -contain often nothing but collections of absurdities and miracles. Read -the _Flores Sanctorum_ of the Romish church, and you there will find -miracles in every page, and the lives of saints a tissue of prodigies. I -need not add, that very few learned men among the Papists give credit to -the absurdities contained in these books. It is even the opinion of the -best informed men, that the monks have written lives of saints who never -existed. - -You acknowledge the wickedness of the kings of Israel and Judah; but -you take care to observe, that this was not owing to their religion. -Impertinent assertion! Was not Saul dethroned because he was humane -enough not to cut Agag in pieces? Did not the Lord Jehovah love the man -after his own heart, who put the miserable inhabitants of Rabah -under saws, axes, and arrows of iron; who made them pass through the -brick-kiln? Did not this Jehovah approve the base murder of Adonias? Was -it the same Jehovah who said to Jonah, that he was not so unjust as to -sacrifice the whole city of Nineveh for their sins, because there were -thousands in it who did not know between good and evil; and who yet, the -Jews tell us, commanded the extermination of whole nations, without -even sparing the little children? Did not the plagues which he sent to -Pharaoh and David fall upon thousands of innocent individuals? At least, -do not the Jewish books affirm it? Such horrors could only be respected -by the Jews; such absurd miracles could only be credited by the most -ignorant of men. You pretend, that the partiality of God to the Jews -proceeded from their being the only nation that believed in the unity of -God, and who have preserved their belief on this head unshaken till -the present day. Are you in earnest, can you assert this before men of -common information? Do you take Englishmen for idiots to be deceived by -your assertions? Are you ignorant of the adoration of the Ethiopians? Do -you forget that the wise men among the heathens said, _Colitur forma -pro Jove?_ Did you never peruse any account, of the Chinese, or of the -Hindoos? Do they not admit one supreme agent, an all-wise, intelligent, -&c. being, and whose inferior agents they represent by symbols? The -Hindoos have even all the metaphysical refinement of our divines; and -their definition of God is fully as perspicuous as that given in our -Catechism. I have avoided to give long extracts in this pamphlet; but, -that the authority of an English Bishop may not be a presumption to many -that I am making false assertions, I shall transcribe a passage from -a commentary upon the Reig Beid, a book unquestionably of the remotest -antiquity. - -"Glory be to Goneish! that which is exempt from all desires of the -senses, the same is the mighty Lord. He is simple, and than him there -is nothing greater. Brehm, (the spirit of God), is absorbed in -self-contemplation; the same is the mighty Lord who is present in every -part of space. Brehm is one, and to him there is no second; such is -truly Brehm. His omniscience is self-inspired, and its comprehension -includes all possible species," &c. It is true, we are not here told -that God is a jealous God, that he visiteth the iniquities of the father -even unto the fourth generation. I could adduce fifty passages from the -Greeks and others to prove my position, but it is needless. The point -is still to know whether these notions make men better, whether they are -founded on truth, and, indeed, whether all gods are not the work of the -fancy of man, nature allegorised. _Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor_, -says the philosopher; can you disprove it? I suspect not, and that all -the subtle reasoning of divines destroy themselves. The world is the -ultimate of human reason. We adore the idols either of our hands or -of the brain, and mistake them for existences. The region of chimeras -exists beyond the universe; our prattling upon it is but a play of -words. Jehovah himself, when he said, I am that I am, called himself -pretty plainly Pan, or the great whole. - -But if the unity of God be the only gracious belief in the eyes of -the Creator, I do not see that Christians are entitled to his favour, -because they make him three. What was the belief of the Jews? Had -they any very refined ideas of their God? They thought him corporeal, -incessantly speaking and moving among men, jealous, revengeful, -powerful, whose angels ate with Abraham, who himself strove to kill -Moses in a public house; they imagined him repenting of his deeds; and, -in all respects, a poor contemptible being, the offspring of Jewish -fancy. He is throughout the Bible an Asiatic Sultan, who, like the -merciful God of Mahomet, puts to the sword, and smites with plagues -thousands, as a tribute to his infinite mercy. I refer the reader to -the collection of extracts from the Bible, in a subsequent letter, for -proofs of my assertions. The Jews admitted, besides other gods, such as -Chemosh, several beings subordinate to God, but superior to man, as -the serpent which tempted the mother of mankind. They had exterminating -angels and cherubims, the Elohim or Genii that made the world, &c. -But why dwell upon such topics, when it is evident that all the Jewish -mythology is of Chaldean origin, and our theology a copy of that of -Plato? - -You proceed in your attempt to reconcile the justice of God with his -goodness, and, in the height of your reverie, you imagine that the -sufferings of the Jews were parts of a grand scheme for the general -good of mankind. What, and when are we to see the good effects of their -barbarities? We may see reason counteracting the evil of superstition, -rendering men humane; but I apprehend, that, if your reasoning was -generally adopted, every highwayman would be much inclined to think -himself sent by Providence for good and wise purposes, and if chance -should bring about a happy event at the end of his career, which he -thought the consequence of his deeds, he would triumph in his crimes, -and, like Moor in the Robbers, exclaim, "If for ten I have destroyed, -you make but one man blest, my soul may yet be saved!" This has been the -language of persecutors. They destroy mankind to make them happy in the -next world--tortures, burning, and beheading, are but purifications. The -worst is, that the famous divine scheme of general good, has never been -one jot more advanced than when the Jews were enduring the greatest -calamities, and committing atrocities. I count not the effects of -reason, for faith is alone the godly faculty; reason destroys it. I -close my observations upon this subject with repeating the old question -of Epicurus, which your brethren have as yet left unanswered; either -God can prevent evil and does not choose it, or he chooses it and wants -power to avert calamities from his creatures. In the first instance, he -is a malevolent despot, a character we ought to abhor; in the second, -we see him an impotent and secondary being, which raises our contempt. -Reconcile this with his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, and show -us that he is not formed after the image of man, or else let unbelievers -hold their opinions in peace. - - - - -LETTER V. - -Your fifth letter begins with stating the importance of the concession -of Thomas Paine, that the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are genuine. You -triumph, and think it a silent acknowledgment of the reality of the -prophecies mentioned in those books. Stop, my Lord, your _alma-mater_ -surely has not taught you to draw such conclusions. In a genuine book -there may be contained incredible events, as in Tacitus, Suetonius, -and almost all existent histories. It is your duty to prove that the -prophecies there related are not among those popular stories which -are apt to gain general credit, whether they are or are not forgeries -written after the events. Before we know when Jeremiah wrote, and what -is the meaning of the writings under his name, no man is warranted to -triumph at the testimony of the Jews after the captivity; since it is -a point, in which all parties agree; that their canon and books were -compiled at that period, and nobody ever questioned the credulity of -the Jews. You proceed to state your notions of the history of the Old -Testament; it is all a matter of opinion; and, as you do not support it -by any proofs, we must still continue to regard the contradictions and -impostures contained in the Old Testament as proofs of its having -been the work of ignorant fanatics. I pass over your effusions: that -metaphysical disquisitions teach us the limits of our faculties, I -strenuously maintain; and if you mean nothing else, we are agreed. That -our notions of time and place are not the bugbears which the scholastics -would persuade us, is to me unquestionable; that both in science and -religion we affix no ideas to many words, I grant; that certainty in -philosophical disquisitions is not easily found, I also allow; but, that -a man tired with the arduous task of reasoning, of discerning between -truth and falsehood, should seek in polemics or superstition a -consolation for his ignorance, I consider as a proof of the impaired -state of his faculties; he is like the thirsty traveller, who, burnt -by the scorching sun, seeks to relieve his distress by drinking of the -first water he meets, without regarding its purity. Your acknowledgment -that it is possible even for a Bishop to err in matters of religion, -gives me real pleasure. To consider our creed as a matter that admits of -doubt, is a great step in the road of truth. You say, "May God forgive -him that is in an error." Your wish is humane; but, if God be the -Creator of mankind, he cannot be offended at the conclusions we may -draw, after having employed the faculties he has given us. I wish too -that mankind should forgive them that are in an error; but, I hope, -they will recollect the long sway of superstition, and its danger to -mankind; may they decide in favour of that system which is conformable -to reason, and has the greatest tendency to improve society! - -You next proceed to show the propriety of the angel ordering Moses to -pull off his shoes, which you say is a mark of reverence to God. Is it -then by such ridiculous customs that you reconcile your omnipotent -and all-wise God? Too long have men substituted rites for morality. O -superstition! that makes the Asiatics eat the excrements of the lama, -the Papists devour their God; that persuades all Christians that water -washeth away sin; and, that if a child happens to die before his face is -sprinkled, he must inevitably suffer everlasting torments: led by -this, men despise society, and tremble at ceremonies invented by their -priests. - -I shall not go at great length into the particular contradictions which -are found in the enumeration of the families that returned from Babylon. -There certainly are great mistakes in the sums; and where precision was -to be expected more than in any thing preserved in the record of the -people of God, we find them committing the most gross errors, even when -they attempt to be peculiarly exact. It is curious, that the individual -sums are altogether different in the different accounts, and, therefore, -that there must have been a much greater number of errors than you would -persuade your readers. - -You come to the book of Job; and confine your remarks to disprove the -objection of Mr. Paine, drawn from the name Satan, which, he says, is -there for the first and only time mentioned in the Bible. Your answer, -that it is repeatedly to be found elsewhere in the Old Testament, is -just but it certainly does not prove Job to be a Jewish book. We know -that _Sathan_, as well as the names of all the angels, are Chaldean; and -as I have already shown, that the Scriptures are compilations written -after the captivity, it is not wonderful that this name, together with -many others, should be found in the Hebrew Bible. As you say nothing in -favour of the book of Job, I shall only observe, that it is not only the -opinion of Abenezra, but even of Jerome, the author of the Vulgate, that -it is not a Hebrew book, the idiom being in many instances altogether -different from the style of that language, and very frequently bearing -marks of its Arabic and Syriac origin, as the reader may see in his -preface to Job in the Vulgate edition of the Bible. The resemblance -between Job's Satan and Momus is so striking, that we cannot help -recognising the author to have been a Gentile; and thus are the Jews -deprived of a book, which, at least, contains no murders, and shows -more knowledge than that nation ever possessed. Your remark as to -the generality of the belief of a benevolent and a malevolent being, -certainly does not prove that the Gentiles borrowed this notion from the -Jews; you ought to have known history better, and that the wars of -the Gods and angels formed part of the creed of many nations, not only -before a book of the Bible existed, but even before the birth of Moses. -Dionysius and Osiris had already fought against the evil genii: the -famous Vishnu has been from the highest antiquity the enemy of Chiven. -That the numerous mythological systems which have ever existed, sprang -from the report of the fathers of the Jewish nation, may appear probable -to a clergyman; it is but a pious whim; to me it is a proof, that all -religious systems have sprung from the fancy of men. The philosophers -among the heathens understood by the evil and bad genii nothing more -than the influence of the good or bad seasons, which, personified -by ignorant or cunning priests, have by the vulgar been deemed real -personages. Besides, where do you find in the Pentateuch any accounts of -the Devil? I only see the serpent, an emblem I have already said, copied -from the Egyptians, but by the Jews considered a real snake, which -talked and walked upright. It was but a poor imitation of the Ahrimanes -of Zoroaster. - -Concerning the utility of prayers, and the tendency of those of the -Jews, I shall say nothing. It is a certain fact, that Solomon, the -wisest of men, and who made excellent prayers, killed his brother; while -many of those heathen tribes, abhorred by the Jews, had no other crime -than to adore images; and, if superstition among them sometimes produced -the abominable practice of human sacrifices, they never carried their -piety so far as to exterminate whole nations. Besides, the Jews had -not even a pretence to despise their neighbours for offering human -sacrifices. The case of Jephtha shows plainly that this barbarity was -common among God's people. I am utterly surprised at your misplaced -exclamations upon the morality of the heathens. Far be it from me to -stand forward as the patron of heathenish superstition; it is the mother -of ours, and I abhor the common stock; but, my Lord, you ought not -to confound the rites of the Greeks with their morals. The Athenians -possessed virtues which we in vain look for among the despicable Jews. -They possessed knowledge, and their philosophers had more sense than -to believe the tales of the priests. Epicurus taught peaceably, and was -revered by all, while the vulgar of his country firmly believed their -mythology. Such an instance never happened among the Jews. Jehovah would -quickly have sent a plague among Epicurus and his followers, or ordered -his priests "to kill every one his neighbour and his friend, and hang -them up before the sun." Your holy brethren would think nothing of a -burning match on the occasion; if it were in your power, atheists would -not exist long. But you talk so confidently of the adoration of -images among the Gentiles, that we would imagine the Jews were all -philosophers. Do you forget their reverence to the holy of holies, which -none could approach; the ark of the covenant, and the calves? Or has the -story of the five golden mice, for looking at which fifty thousand and -three score and ten Israelites were smote by the Lord, escaped you? - -Your rhapsody upon the sublimity of Bible composition, and its -superiority to all profane writers, is a proof of the strength of early -imbibed prejudice. I lament to see a man of your learning think so much -like an old woman. The proverbs, to be sure, are wonderful compositions, -and prove the great gift of wisdom bestowed by God upon Solomon! What -indeed can be more sublime than the following, which I beg leave to -add to the specimens given by your Lordship! "The horse leech hath two -daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never -satisfied, yea four things say not it is enough; the grave, and the -barren womb, the earth that is not filled with water, and the fire that -saith not it is enough."--"There be three things which are too wonderful -for me, yea four which I know not; the way of an eagle in the air, the -way of a serpent upon the rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the -sea, and the way of a man with a maid."--"There be three things which -go well, a greyhound, an he-goat also, and a king."--"It is the glory -of God to conceal a thing, but the honour of kings is to search out a -matter."--"When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently -what is before thee, and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man -given to appetite."--"Buy the truth, and sell it not."--"A whore is a -deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit."--Excellent Solomon! -Hear also this wise king in Song of Songs. "How beautiful are thy feet -with shoes, O prince's daughter! The joints of thy thighs are like -jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman; thy-navel is like a -round goblet which wanteth not liquor; thy belly is like a heap of wheat -set about with lilies; thy two breasts are like two young roes that are -twins; thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fish pools -in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim; thy nose is as the tower of -Lebanon, which looketh towards Damascus." Whether this alludes to one -of Solomon's concubines, or our mother, the church of Jesus Christ, -the expressions are equally applicable, beautiful, and simple; they are -worthy of a man "wiser than Ethan the Ezrehite, and Heman, and Chalcol, -and Darda, the sons of Mehol," who, I dare say, were wise men. Upon the -whole, I agree with you, that Solomon, the illustrious offspring of the -man after God's own heart and the virtuous Bathsheba, was not "a witty -jester." As to what you call his "sins and debaucheries," these holy -books were certainly not written with a view to make us avoid them. -Solomon is set before us as a pattern of wisdom and goodness; and the -number of his wives and concubines is exultingly recorded as a proof of -his greatness, as much as his treasures, which exceed all conception, -and the number of his horses, which exceed all belief. - -Your pious belief in the inspired prophecies of Isaiah, is natural to a -superstitious and credulous mind. The philosopher who doubts before -he gazes, sees in what you call prophecies nothing else but scraps of -history or legend. He receives with diffidence all predictions. He is -aware of the great ease with which forgeries may be passed among the -vulgar for prophecies. When pretended predictions are made, they are -altogether overlooked; even the ignorant think not of them till they are -said to be accomplished; the learned despise them in both instances; -and it is not till after their authenticity has gained a sort of general -belief, that the philosopher thinks of enquiring when and how they were -made. At this period he can find no evidence of their history, but from -the credulous who have been imposed upon by them. Besides, no prophecy -is ever direct, it always has an equivocal meaning, and is explained to -suit the events which have happened. Religious enthusiasts write in such -a mystic language upon the sins of mankind, and the judgements that are -to come upon them, and in so general and ambiguous terms, that it is -easy for a subtle interpreter, or a visionary fanatic, to explain them -according to his own system. Have not the bears of the Apocalypse -been made to signify by turns, the Pope and the Devil? Has not the New -Jerusalem been sometimes taken for a real flying town, seen in the air -by the first fathers of the church, as Tertullean informs us? Do not -other divines tell us that it means the kingdom of heaven? Have not -scripture divines, even in the first ages of the church, pretended that -the verses of Virgil, _Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Sa-tumia regna, jam -nova progenies ccelo demittitur alto;--natte mets vires, mea magna -potentia solus, and talia perstabat memorans, fixusque manebat_, were -clear prophecies of the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ? It might be worth -enquiring at this time, whether the Roman Bard was inspired by the -Holy Ghost? Lastly, I may ask, does your Lordship believe in the many -prophecies that have of late appeared of the French revolution? - -But we have more reasons to declare the pretended clear prophecies of -the Bible to be fables. In many instances they are so accurate, and so -unlike these passages which we know to have been written previous to the -events to which they are applied, or those which are not yet -fulfilled, that no philosopher can pronounce them to have been written -historically. Thus, we find Jacob announce to his twelve sons, the -heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, the fate of their posterity; the -situation of the district to be occupied by the Israelites in the land -of Canaan, two hundred years before Joshua parcelled out this land in -lots to the Israelites; the kind of life the different tribes would -lead; the small number of the posterity of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, as -well as the power of Judah; all which are related as exactly as if the -patriarch had seen the throne of David and Solomon with his own eyes. -Some of the supposed predictions of Isaiah and Daniel, are even more -minutely correct. You have treated the question of the genuineness and -date of works very lightly; you think it is of no great consequence to -ascertain the genuineness of the different books of the Bible. Let us -for a moment suppose, that by some accident, the age of Virgil had been -forgotten, or the sixth book of his Æneid been ascribed to a writer of -the age of Æneas; would not the Romans be entitled to regard, as a most -wonderful prophecy, the lively representation given by Anchises of the -future heroes of the republic, the two Cæsars, and the young Marcellus? - -To resume our subject: I remind you of the passage already quoted from -Bellarminus, that it was the opinion of the fathers of the church, that -the Prophets, among other books, had been collected and arranged -by Esdras. I have also stated the selection of genuine works by the -synagogue, during the reign of the Maccabees, when the Talmud says that -the forgeries of Daniel, Esdras, &c. were prodigious. The destruction -by Antiochus Epiphanus of the already broken Jewish books, written by -Esdras, may be collected from what is said in Maccabees, chap. i. ver. -56 and 57. "And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which -they found, they burnt them with fire, and whosoever was found with -any of the books of the Testament, or if any consented to the law, the -king's commandment was, that they should put him to death." - -It is without reason that you triumph at the application which Thomas -Paine makes of the prophecy of Isaiah, in chapters xliv. and xlv. No -man that reads the passage can hesitate for a moment to declare it a -narrative of the deliverance of the Jews by Cyrus, after the seventy -years captivity. Cyrus is mentioned by name, as well as his command to -rebuild Jerusalem, and his victories over the nations, above one hundred -years before the event. Will you then, without any proofs of Isaiah -having written this book, insist upon calling it a prophecy? And have -not sceptics been justified in their disbelief of the genuineness -of such books? Mr. Paine, however, has overlooked a more remarkable -prophecy in this book, which has been tortured into an application to -Christ. This is contained in chapter lxiii. ver. 1. "Who is this that -cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious -in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that -speak in. righteousness, mighty to save." And again, in chap. ii. -(talking of the supposed Christ) Isaiah says, "And he shall judge among -the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their -swords into plough-shares."--"And the idols he shall totally abolish." -Can this possibly allude to Christ? Did he come from Edom in mighty -power, in rich garments? Was his march so terrible? Was he the man who -trampled all in his fury; who with his own arm brought salvation to -himself, and was upheld by his fury; as also mentioned in chap. lxiii.? -Do not these pretended prophecies also apply to Judas Maccabeus, who -delivered the Jews from the tyranny of Antiochus Epi-phanus? And is it -not also a proof of the mutilated state of the works of the prophets -to see details about Cyrus intermingled with others applying to Judas -Maccabeus? I say nothing of Daniel, for his _prophecy_ I shall consider -particularly afterwards, and show its true meaning; at present, it may -be sufficient to say, that the similarity between the book of Ezra and -Daniel proclaim them to be from the same hand; but both have evident -marks of having been considerably mutilated. When philosophers cannot -ascertain the age of pretended predictions, they consider their -clearness as a demonstration of their being histories. Who tells you -that the books which the synagogue, like the Nicene council, chose, were -not either altogether written, or considerably interpolated, to adopt -them to the times? The great question is always, what authority had the -synagogue to decide, and whether their decision ought to influence men -of sense, any more than the determination of the Popish councils. - -As a proof of the absurdity of the application of prophecies, I shall -here quote one, which is apparently clearer than any in the whole -Bible, and is adduced by the most famous divines as an unquestionable -prediction of Christ. It is in Micah, chap. v. ver. I. "Now gather -thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us; -they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou -Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among thousands of Judah, yet -out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel; -whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Here even -the birth-place of Christ is mentioned, the insults offered to him, his -existence from everlasting, and his coming to save Israel. And Matthew, -chap. ii. ver. 6, and John, chap. vii. ver. 43, both expressly refer to -that passage as a prophecy. Hear now what follows in ver. 5, of the same -chapter of Micah: "And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrians -shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then -shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men." -Can this apply to Jesus Christ? Were the Syrians in the land when he -came? Were not the Romans masters of Judea? Your rules of belief -are admirable: a little faith, wherever you meet contradictions, -absurdities, or wonders, is an invaluable prescription, common to the -Bramin, the Musselman, and the Christian. Do but believe that Mahomet is -a prophet, that he went up to heaven and saw the eternal Father, and -you will go through the other articles of the Mahometan faith without -difficulty. Do but admit the gospel of Barnabas where Mahomet is -predicted, and we have no reason to say that it is less authentic than -our gospel, and the work is done; but, I may say with you, "Proof, proof -is what I require, and not assertion." - -We will not relinquish our reason in obedience to the despotic mandates -of the credulous. - -You allow that the miracles of the Jews fall to the ground, if the -history of that nation is proved false. I beg you to observe, that if -it is true, it does not follow that the miracles are. If you can believe -that the history of the Jews is well authenticated, and without numerous -contradictions, and if you can exculpate the writers from bad motives, -and a desire to deceive, and if you can rely upon their wisdom, you then -will really prove yourself a Christian, a man of uncommon faith. -The history of the Jews, every where confused, containing prodigies, -deserves no more credit than their antedeluvian tale. Even Chinese -history, supported by astronomical observations, is beyond a certain -period rejected by all men, from the fables it contains. If you are -disposed to believe, I advise you to read the fabulous history of China -and of Hindostan, in the holy books of the respective nations, which -are adopted by whole nations, and are, at least, more beautiful than the -Jews. - -I have purposely omitted to speak of Ecclesiastes. I find here several -Epicurean notions, a disbelief of a future life, the propriety of -enjoying themselves in this life, and other sensible remarks; which -prove that the writer enjoyed more common sense than most of his -countrymen. - - - - -LETTER VI. - -You begin your sixth letter by attempting to disprove the arguments of -Thomas Paine upon Jeremiah. You acknowledge the disorder that prevails -in the writings of this prophet; and you modestly assure us, that you -do not know the cause; no more do I: and whatever incidents might have -occasioned it, I am certain that, as it stands, it deserves no degree of -credit. In a former part of your pamphlet you grant, that the history of -the Jews is so connected with the prophetical part, that if the former -was done away the latter could not stand; and now you inform us, "that -prophecy differs from history, in not being subject to an accurate -observance of time and order." This you think a matter of no importance, -but, in my opinion, it is very material to know if a prophecy is written -after the events it alludes to. I shall not follow far, either your -Lordship or Mr. Paine, in proving several of the prophecies of the Bible -false; but if they are not prophecies, why should we trouble ourselves -with disproving them. If they are scraps of history, we know that of -the Jews to be so contradictory, imperfect, so completely without order, -that one historical extract, of prophecy, will often contradict another; -but much more generally these prophecies are strict enough, being copied -from history, and embellished with a little of the figurative style of -prophecy. As to Jeremiah, the works that go under his name, as well -as those of Isaiah, appear on the face of them to be a collection of -extracts from different historians. - -While we know so little of the history and genuineness of these -writings, we cannot possibly draw any conclusion concerning them, except -that they are in the utmost disorder, and that when writers intermingle -history with prophecy, we are at a loss to know which is which. I cannot -forbear to mention the ludicrous story of Elisha, the children, the -bears that devoured the children of men, as you are pleased to call -them. Whether Elisha did this as a prophet, I cannot but declare my -abhorrence at your approbation of such abominable cruelty, to murder -individuals because they bestowed the appellation of Baldhead on -another. According to the laudable custom of the church, you appeal to -a miracle, and conclude, that if God wrought a miracle it must have been -just. I suppose this comparatively as when he destroys whole cities for -the sins of a few; but this is the very ground on which every crusader -supported his massacres; and every man may imitate the conduct of Ahod, -the treacherous murderer, patronised by Jehovah, without incurring the -blame of a Bishop. Whether the ridiculous tale which you take for a -sign of God, most probably of his cruelty, converted any person, is not -known; but as the event most undoubtedly never happened, you may suppose -what you please. To murder them is not the way to ingratiate ourselves -with our fellow-citizens. If any person set a few bull-dogs on some -children, and pretended to do so by authority from heaven, he would most -undoubtedly be taken up by our officers of justice. In what respect do -these brutal prophets differ from Mahomet, who decided all disputes by -the sword? Their business was to exterminate and murder by the direct -commands of God. - -The writings of Ezekiel are considerably truncated. The very beginning -of his prophecies shows it. The conjunction and texture of the whole -work refers to something that ought to have preceded it. He begins -saying, "That in the 30th year the heavens opened, and he saw visions of -God." And in ver. 5, he adds, "That the Lord had inspired him often -in Chaldea," which refers to some prophecies written in that period. -Besides, Josephus's work, book 10, chap. ix. of the Jewish antiquities, -says, "That Ezekiel had prophecied that Zedekiah should never see -Babylon." This is no where found in Ezekiel, but, on the contrary, in -chap. xi. and xii. he says, "That the king would be carried a prisoner -to Babylon." - -As to Daniel, I have already noticed the great similarity between the -first book of Esdras and his, and the probability that they came from -the same author. The seven first chapters, except the first, were -written in Chaldean, and are by the most learned thought to be taken -from Chaldean chronologists. It is also thought by men of great -learning, that the books of Esdras, Daniel, and Esther, were altered a -long time after Judas Maccabeus, because it appears evident that Esdras -could not have written the whole of them, since Nehemiah carries the -genealogy of Jesuhga, the sovereign Pontiff till Jaddua, the sixteenth -in number, who after the defeat of Darius went to meet Alexander. And -Nehemiah, ver. 22, "The Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiadah, -and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers; also the -priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian." We have no reason to -believe that Esdras or Nehemiah could survive fourteen kings of Persia, -Cyrus having been the first who gave the Jews permission to rebuild the -temple, from whom to Darius there are 230 years. - -I now come to the famous prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel, which -you exultingly mention as the most wonderful, and, at the same time, the -most incontrovertible prediction in existence, one which never can fail -to confound the most perverse unbeliever. If I prove, that so far from -being the surprising prophecy you pretend, it has altogether a different -meaning, and can nowise apply to the coming of Christ, I shall think -myself fully excused, if I do not go through every individual prediction -in the Bible. The passage alluded to is in Daniel, chap. ix. ver. 24, to -27, as follows: "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon -thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, -and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting -righteousness, and to seal up the vision, and prophecy, and to anoint -the most holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going -forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, unto the -Messiah, the prince, there shall be seven weeks; and threescore and two -weeks the streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous -times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but -not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come, shall -destroy the city, and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with -a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he -shall confirm the covenant with many, for one week; and, in the midst -of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease; and for -the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even -until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the -desolate." - -This passage is generally applied to the coming of Christ. The seventy -weeks are supposed to mean weeks of years, or seven years each. Now -it is evident, that it cannot apply to Jesus Christ; for if from going -forth of the commandment in the time of Artaxerxes Longimanus, until the -coming of the Messiah, there were to be seven weeks or forty-nine years, -how does this agree with what follows? "After threescore and two weeks -(or three hundred and seventy-four years) shall Messiah be cut off." -And again, "He shall confirm the covenant with many for a week." Did -then Jesus Christ live four hundred and twenty-three years, or are there -two Messiahs predicted? Dr. Frideaux acknowledges that some parts of -this prophecy are so injudiciously printed in the English translation of -the Bible, that they are quite unintelligible; his alteration is in the -punctuation, and according to it we read, that, _from the going forth -of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, to the Messiah, the -Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks_; and in verse -27, he puts the half of the week, instead of the midst. The explanation -of the prophecy as thus altered, he gives as follows. From the -commandment given to Ezra by Ar-taxerxes Longimanus, to the -accomplishment of it by Nebemiah forty-nine years, or the first seven -weeks; from this accomplishment to the time of Christ's messenger John -the Baptist sixty-two weeks, or four hundred and thirty-four years; from -thence to the beginning of Christ's public ministry, half a week, or -three years and a half; and from thence to the death of Christ, half -a week, or three years and a half; in which half week he preached and -confirmed the gospel with many; in all, from the going forth of the -commandment, till the death of Christ, seventy weeks, or four hundred -and ninety years. - -In the first place, we confidently assert that Dr. Prideaux followed his -fancy, not the original Hebrew, when he altered the punctuation. He is, -however, justified in the alteration of half of a week; but, granting -all, let us see how it applies. Did the Messiah come after seven weeks -from the commandment of Ar-taxerxes Longimanus? The explanation only -says, that Nehemiah finished the work which Ezra began. What has this -to do with the Messiah coming at the end of the first seven weeks? The -prophet says, that after threescore and two weeks, the street and the -wall shall be built. Again, and previously, that after the commandment -for the city to be built, the Messiah shall come in seven weeks. The -learned divine, on the contrary, makes Daniel say, that John the Baptist -began to preach the kingdom of the Messiah sixty-nine weeks after -the commandment, and in the first seven weeks he talks of nothing but -building the temple. Again, how does the oblation cease in half a week? -In fact, the same objection occurs here, as to the passage as it is -written in our Bibles. Daniel speaks quite clear, when he says, that -"from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, -unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks." If we find, -in whatever explanation of the prophecy, that Christ did not come -forty-nine years after this commandment, and that he did not live four -hundred and thirty-four years afterwards, the whole must be an -untruth. And, if the first period of seven weeks is united with that of -threescore and two, that is, if the period of rebuilding the city, and -of the coming of the Messiah be the same, then let divines inform us -whether this really came to pass, and reconcile it with what follows, in -ver. 26, that the city is to be destroyed at the same time. Did Christ -confirm any covenant with many for seven years? - -Let us attempt to unriddle this enigma. The passage evidently talks of -two Messiahs, or makes one live upwards of four hundred years; and is -altogether unintelligible as it stands. For the better understanding of -it, I shall quote some previous part of the same chapter, ver. 1. "In -the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the -Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. 2. In the -first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood by books, the number of -the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, -that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. -3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayers and -supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. 4. And I prayed -unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said." After this -follows his prayer, until the 20th verse; and, in the 21st the angel -began to unfold a prophecy to Daniel, which begins in verse 24, and he -promises to explain the mystery that had so much grieved Daniel, that -is, the prophecy of Jeremiah; then follows the passage I have quoted: -the alterations I conceive ought be made in the reading of which, I -now proceed to mention. In verse 25, the sentence stops after the seven -weeks, as it is in the English Bible, because in the original we find -here the stop Atnach. In verse 26, instead of, _shall Messiah be cut -off?_ we ought to read, _the oblation shall cease_. This is the real -meaning of the expression in the original, according to Tertullian, -Eusebius, and Theodoretus. Eusebius says, _Unctum (vel Christum) nihil -aliud esse quam successionem Pontificum, quos unctos nominare S. -Literae consueverunt._ The Hebrew properly signifies _perdetur unctio_. -Theodoretus understands by this word, the same as _sacerdotes uncti. -Excidetur unctus,_ signifies the same as the _oblation shall be -abolished_; for the verb _excido_ does not always signify to kill, but -is applied to whatever falls into disuse that was once in practice, or -any thing that perishes. It is in this sense used in many parts of Kings -and Chronicles. Samuel says, _excidi de altare_. In Jeremiah, -chapter xxxvii. ver. 18, the verb is used in the same sense, _non -de sacerdotibus Levitis excidet ur homo coram me_, which is given in -English, "neither shall the priests, the Levites, _want a man_ (or -cease to have a man) before me." In verse 27, "and he shall confirm the -covenant with many for one week," means no more than the exemption of -calamities, and is tantamount to, _he shall let many remain in peace_, -as in Genesis, chap. vi. ver. 18, it is used in this sense. - -To understand the real meaning of this pretended prophecy, the reader -will remember, that Daniel mourned for the 70 weeks of captivity -prophesied by Jeremiah; the vision of Daniel took place in the -first year of Darius, King of Chaldea, that is, in the year 162 of -Nebuchadnezzar; but, in chap. x. of Daniel we learn, that he ate no -pleasant bread, neither came flesh and wine into his mouth, till three -whole weeks were fulfilled. Now, the term weeks is used in the Bible -indiscriminately for weeks of years, or of days; here it appears clear -it signifies the former, particularly as the whole relates to the 70 -years of Jeremiah; and the angel, in chap. x. ver. 14, tells Daniel, in -the same figurative style, "Now I am come to make thee understand what -shall befall thy people in the latter days, for yet the vision is for -many days." If then Daniel wept three weeks of years, or 21 years, from -the destruction of the temple, in the year 141 to the time of the vision -in 162, (the angel, chap. x. ver. 13, says, that the prince of Persia -withstood him 21 days, or years), it is easy to see what Daniel means. -Jeremiah had prophesied a captivity of 70 years, of these, three weeks -or 21 years were past; therefore Daniel, after entreating God to tell -him "how many more years were wanting," received for an answer what -follows, "At the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came -forth, and I am come to show thee."--"Seventy weeks are determined -upon thy people to seal up the vision and prophecy," that is to complete -the prophecy of Jeremiah; and we find,-therefore, that from the issuing -the commandment to restore the Jews, and to build Jerusalem, or more -properly from the revelation of the angel, (exitu Verbi), promising that -Jerusalem should be rebuilt, ver. 23, to the coming of the Messiah, the -prince, or Cyrus, who freed the Jews from the captivity, there were to -be seven weeks, or 49 years, which, added to the three weeks already -past, made the 70 years of Jeremiah. Cyrus is by Isaiah called the -Lord's anointed: "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose -right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him for Jacob my -servant's sake." Cyrus gave, at that time, liberty to the Jews, as the -reader may see in Ezra. It is evident, that the word commandment cannot -mean any express order to build Jerusalem, for the angel says, just -before he reveals the prophecy, "at the beginning of thy supplications -the commandment came forth we know that Daniel began to address prayers -unto heaven, at a time when there was no order to build the temple, on -the contrary, the Jews were in captivity. - -This is the most difficult part of the pretended prophecy, the remainder -is plain. There shall be 62 weeks till the rebuilding of the wall. The -writer alludes here to the building of the first temple under Zerubbabel -and Jeshua, and then to the rebuilding of the wall, and restoration -of the temple by Judas Maccabeus, after its profanation by Antiochus -Epiphanes. The period of this last event is by the prophecy made to -extend to 63 1/2 weeks, or 444 years. Let us see if chronology confirms -this supposition. The temple was destroyed in the 141st year of Nabuch, -or 4107 of the Julian period; add to this 444 years, or 63 weeks and a -half, and we have the year 4551, or the second year of Judas Maccabeus, -according to Josephus; who also informs us, that having conquered his -enemies, he then built a wall about Sion, which is clearly meant in the -words, "the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous -times," 1 Maccab. chap. iv. ver. 60. At that time also "they builded up -the mount Sion with high walls," &c. Troublous the times certainly were; -the Jews were fighting against the cruelty of Antiochtis Epiphanes. It -is certain then, that after 343 years, or 69 weeks, the wall should be -built, and although it was not really completed till about ten years -after, it is presumable that the loose historian, or prophet, did -not choose to alter the beautiful idea of 70 Weeks. We know how -superstitiously the Jews respected not only the number 7, but all its -different affections. We are besides informed, in the first book of -Maccabees, that after the first depredation of Antiochus, the people -rebuilt the city of David, and made walls and forts; this happened -some years before the building of the wall by Judas, and brings the -prediction nearer to historical accuracy. - -The next part of the prophecy is, "And after threescore and two weeks -shall sacrifices cease;" this means in the course of the week that -succeeds the 62. And, no doubt, Antiochus Epiphanes abolished them in -the seventh year of his reign, as we read in I Maccab. chap. i. "And -the people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the -sanctuary." This Antiochus most certainly did, "and went up (Antiochus) -against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered -proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altars, also he -took the hidden treasures, and there was great mourning in Israel," 1 -Maccab. J. "And the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end -of the war desolations are determined." The coming of Antiochus into -Jerusalem is pompously detailed in the first book of Maccabees: the Jews -compared a great calamity, or an invading and irresistible army, to -a flood. Let us proceed with the remainder: "And he shall confirm the -covenant with many for a week," this alludes to the first seven years -of the reign of Antiochus, during which he did not interfere with the -worship of the Jews, although he gave liberty to those who chose to be -heathens to follow their respective worship: it was in the end of the -sixth, and in the beginning of his seventh year that he attacked the -Jews, destroyed the temple, plundered it of its riches, and made himself -the tyrant of Judea. - -The last part of the passage is as follows: "And in the half of a week -he shall cause the oblation and sacrifice to cease," and, I have only to -observe, that, from the taking of the city by Antiochus, to the absolute -forbidding Jewish worship, there elapsed about three years and a half, -or half a week, for he came to Jerusalem in the 143d year of the kingdom -of the Greeks, and the erecting of idols was in the year 145; after -which, he continued to persecute the Jews, and promote idolatry, until -the year 148. Now Antiothus attacked Jerusalem at the end of his sixth -year, to which, if we add two years and three months, we have pretty -exactly the period of half a week, or three years and a half. The -expression, "the spreading of abominations," evidently alludes to what -is said in Maccabees, chap. i. ver. 34. "Now the fifteenth day of the -month Casleu, in the 145th year, they (the followers of Antiochus) set -up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars -throughout the cities of Judah, on every side." Daniel says, chap. -xii. ver. 11, speaking of his vision, "and from the time that the daily -sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that: maketh -desolate set up, there shall be (that is between the first interdict of -Antiochus, and the setting up of idols) 1290 days;" which is a little -more than three years and a half. The wonderful prophecy is then -unriddled, it becomes a contemptible piece of history in an affected -style. I trust the explanation which I have given, after Marsham, will -appear satisfactory. I challenge Bishop Watson to produce a plausible -explanation of the passage according to the sense of the church. It -may not be improper to observe, that Clemens Alexandrinus, many of -the fathers, Calmet, and other persons of great knowledge, have flatly -denied the application of the weeks of Daniel to Jesus. Those who -espouse your cause lose sight of the context of Daniel, they forget -chronology, and evince to what a pitch of delusion their minds have -arrived. - -This is the famous prophecy that silenced the Jewish rabbins of Venice; -it is of a pattern with Daniel's four beasts; the fourth is also a story -of Antiochus Epiphanes and Judas who slays the beast. Judas is the son -of man coming in clouds; he is the person of whom the prophets speak, -and who has most ridiculously been distorted to Jesus Christ. This -farrago of prophecies seems to have been the production of Esdras -or some very late writer; and I am not sure, but the doctrine of the -Pythagorean millennium gave rise to some of the expressions in both -writers, about the beasts: they seem to have sprung from the same origin -with those of the Apocalypse; and with the four Indian horses, they -crept among the Jews, together with many other Chaldean mythological -ideas: the Ancient of Ancients appears in his fiery car as Osiris -triumphant, or Chreeshna conquering Chiven; the books are opened before -him, as his kingdom is everlasting, like that of Vishnu with the -Vedams. But visions so ridiculous as that of Daniel deserve not our -consideration; whatever be their source they are but reveries, and may -serve to amuse idle people in their ridiculous speculations about the -world's end. Like Swedenburgh, men may dream, and interpret their own -dreams, and like him have the mortification to be laughed at for the -non-accomplishment of their predictions. We have had of late another -Daniel in Mr. Brothers; he too saw beasts, and, what is more, he -understood their meaning; but unfortunately we are not Jews, and he is -cruelly imprisoned in a madhouse. - -I have now followed your animadversions on the objections of Thomas -Paine upon the Old Testament; and I trust I have shown that you have in -no degree been a more successful labourer in the cause of Judaism than -your predecessors; even your wonderful prophecy of Daniel is converted -into a mere historical tale, and the application Jesus Christ makes of -it to himself is accordingly proved to be ridiculous, the more so, as -it comes from the Son of God. I have a few more observations to make, -before I leave this book. I cannot pass in silence the gross blunder you -have committed, when you refer Mr. Paine to Ferguson for an astronomical -proof of the miracle of the total darkness at the crucifixion of Jesus. -An odd conceit, upon my word! You might know that the event is omitted -by all the authors of eminence who wrote at that time; that even Pliny -passes it unnoticed. Lest you should mislead the reader with your -groundless assertions, I shall state the matter as it stands in reality. -You avoid learned disquisitions to be intelligible, but you ought not -to have been so deficient of authority, where it is most needed. Besides -the gospels, the darkness is not mentioned in any author; but divines -have attempted to prove the event from a supposed passage of Phlegon, -related by Eusebius; it is in the following words: "In the fourth year -of the two hundred and second Olympiad, there was the greatest eclipse -ever seen; it was night at six, and even the stars could be seen." This -passage has long been disregarded by men of knowledge; it alludes to an -eclipse, not to a miraculous darkness. Both Mr. Ferguson and you have -blundered in chronology and astronomy. It is certain, in the year of -Christ's crucifixion, according to the common chronology, there could -have been no eclipse of the sun visible at that time at Jerusalem; -Ferguson, therefore, concludes it a miracle. But you ought to have -known, that the fourth year of the two hundred and second Olympiad, is -not the year of the crucifixion in any system of chronology; that there -was an eclipse of the sun, in the year mentioned by Phlegon, in the -month of November, which, however, was not central; and you know that -Jesus is said to have died at the time of the full moon in March, or in -the beginning of April. Besides, had even such a darkness taken place, -are you ignorant of the existence of comets, and would not one passing -between the earth and the sun eclipse that luminary? Have not such -miracles taken place if we credit historians? The death of Caesar -was preceded by wonderful prodigies, and a comet made its appearance -immediately after. The supposed miraculous influence of comets, and -their being prophetic signs, was once an article of faith throughout -all Europe, and the ancient history of every country records many events -which the authors maintain arose from comets. - -Your reflections on prophets I cannot pass unnoticed. You pretend to -make a distinction between dreamers, and impostors, and true prophets. -You acknowledge the number of soothsayers and fortunetellers among the -Jews; but you maintain that they were altogether distinct from the -true prophets, and appeal to Jeremiah, who puts the Jews on their guard -against false prophets. Does not every quack, every impostor, do the -same, and caution the world to beware of counterfeits? You might have -saved a great deal of trouble, had you condescended to produce your -proofs of the genuineness of the writings of the prophets; and then we -might enquire concerning the works of these augurs. You pretend that a -sure mark of the reality of a prophet is his predicting bad things, for -a fortune-teller always prophecies good. Pardon me if I suppose you a -follower of Mr. Brothers. For surely the destruction of London was not -a most desirable event. It is in vain you attempt to turn Mr. Paine -into ridicule for his definition of a prophet. He most justly calls them -strolling-poets, fortune-tellers; being in Judea what the gipsies, the -augurs, and the astrologers have been in other nations. The Hebrew word -_Navi_ signifies nothing but an orator, a public speaker, and is by -the Jews applied, in a forced way, to soothsayers and diviners. It is -incontrovertible that they existed among the Jews in colleges, and were -brought up to the business. Their chief employment was to write -the chronicles of the times. The name prophet is given in the Bible -indiscriminately with that of holy man. Among the Hebrews, the first -book of Kings was called the prophecy of Samuel. Abel is called -repeatedly in the New Testament a prophet, (see Matth. chap. xxiii. -ver. 31 and 35, and Luke chap. xi. ver. 50 and 51), although we have no -account of his having predicted any. Among the Jews there certainly were -fortune-tellers, necromancers, and witches, all of which you rank -among the impostors. But had not the witch of Endor a real power of -incantation? Did she not most wonderfully raise up the spirit of Samuel? -Or are we to look upon the story of the witch of Endor in the same -light as those of modern witches? That the prophets of the Jews were -repeatedly deceived, we cannot have the smallest doubt when 400 of -these gentlemen told a downright lie to Ahaz. But you have a very easy -expedient in all these cases. When a prophet tells a lie, you may, as -was done in this particular case, attribute it to a design of God to -cheat the person who consults his oracles, just as Jupiter did of old to -Agamemnon when he sent him the false dream. - -You reproach Thomas Paine for want of candour. He has not, you say, -examined the general design of the Old Testament There he would find -the benevolence of the God of the Jews, and his infinite goodness in -selecting them from among the nations, in preserving them from idolatry. -If he chose this people he has certainly exposed them to continual -sufferings, and all for no other purpose than to teach mankind that -idolatry is the greatest of crimes; that to avoid it, murder, plunder, -the crusades, the inquisition, persecution, may all be laudable means -for the preservation of the faith of nations. Thus, the cherished -people, who were most intimate with their God, committed the most -enormous crimes, under the pretence of preserving pure their adoration -of the implacable God Jehovah. Did not all the endeavours of Jehovah to -rescue nations from idolatry prove fruitless? This despicable creature -man has been able to effect what mighty Jehovah never accomplished. -Science is the only antidote against all kinds of superstition. Did -Cicero adore stocks or stones? Or did ever any learned man among the -heathens humble himself before idols? Has not the principal branch of -the church of Christ been notorious idolaters? But what avails all -this? Have you proved that the Heathens "emulated in the transcendent -flagitiousness of their lives, the impure morals of their gods?" You -assert it; but unluckily it is one of the many unsupported and assumed -propositions in your pamphlet. Did nations necessarily imitate the -conduct of their gods, I would tremble at being among the followers -of the bloody Jehovah. The heathens were certainly dreamers in their -adoration of the planets; we are taught by science, that these bodies -resemble our earth in the general laws that govern them. It was natural -for rude men to gaze at the sublimity of the stupendous fabric, the -refulgency of the sun; the blessings derived from his genial influence -could not be contemplated without admiration by the amazed and fearful -savage. Idolatry is ridiculous: but have you proved that Jehovah -deserves more to be revered than the Great Whole of nature, whether -called Pan, or otherwise disguised in emblems, than the harmony of the -planets designed by symbols, the generative powers by Venus, or the -vivifying light emanating from the bright orb of Apollo? Confess at -least, that the allegorical adoration of nature could only deceive -the multitude who were kept in ignorance by their priests. If you are -candid, you must acknowledge, that the Polytheists were tolerant, that -the Atheists or Deists lectured close, to the temple. They did not -exterminate nations, establish inquisitions, murder unbelievers as the -Jews, and the Christians; although, as you observe, they received the -gift of God through Jesus Christ, and were made alive by the covenant of -grace. - -In what consists the superiority of the Jewish or Christian notions -of God? Jehovah is a being incomprehensible; he is a jealous and a -revengeful God, he hardens men's hearts, and sacrifices whole nations to -a particular people, who, in their turn, are sacrificed for the boasted -scheme of general good, which is never the nearer being accomplished. -He must be adored and revered, and yet he does not make himself known -to man. He does not even show himself face to face to any but Moses. -You pay no great compliment to his omnipotence, when you observe, that -"probably he could not give to such a being as man a full manifestation -of the end for which he designs him, nor of the means requisite for that -end;"--and, "that it may not be possible for the Father of the universe -to explain to us, infants in apprehension, the goodness and the wisdom -of his dealings with the sons of man." Jehovah, in short, equally the -offspring of fancy with the Heathen Jupiter, is as cruel as Moloch, -and, like other productions of the brain, an invisible phantom, to which -priests give the passions of a tyrant; and, in their desire that he -should reign alone, that men should not worship other deities, his -ministers have preached up this God, and the multitude, eager to admire -what they cannot comprehend, have followed the mandates of the pretended -interpreters of his will. Still, however, the greatest number of -ignorant men are, and will ever be, idolaters; in vain their spiritual -guides preach up incomprehensible and ideal beings in an unintelligible -jargon; man will always seek to satisfy his senses. Even the immediate -presence of Jehovah, and his horrid massacres, could not prevent the -favourite nation from following other gods. Even the inspired, the wise, -the royal Solomon forsook "the God of Israel, holy, just, and good," for -"the impure rabble of heathen Baalim." - -According to your nations, according to the doctrines of the Jewish and -the Christian churches, the sole aim of God has been to be exclusively -adored, and jealousy is his prominent feature. It is not in the pursuit -of knowledge, or in the practice of morality that he delights. The -precepts of social virtue occasionally scattered through the Old, as -well as the New Testament, can make little impression when contrasted -with the vindictive cruelty of the Deity. The Jewish Jehovah requires -nothing of his followers but their compliance in executing his bloody -commands against nations whom he calls impious, because he has not -revealed himself to them. The man after his own heart, is the murderer -of thousands of innocent people. Christ orders his followers to despise -the reason he has given them, to avoid pleasure, to hate the world, -and to love pain, to pray, and to spend their lives in continual -mortification, and in gazing over unintelligible mysteries to acquire -his kingdom. If they fail to believe in him, whether from ignorance or -from conviction, he punishes them with eternal damnation, or as _Saint_ -Athanasius emphatically expresses it in his celebrated creed, "Whosoever -believeth in these things shall be saved; and whosoever believeth not -shall be damned." - - - - -LETTER VII. - -I now bring under review a few passages from _Holy Writ_, which I leave -to your Lordship to explain, and which scoffers pretend to say are -undeniable proofs of the stupidity of the Jews, and gross ideas they -had of God. I shall follow the order of the books without attempting an -arrangement. - -Genesis, chap. iii. ver. 1. "Now the serpent was more subtle than any -beast of the field which the Lord had made; and he said unto the woman, -yea hath God said," &c. - -This Mr. Serpent would make a fine figure in Æsop's fables. They say it -means the Devil, but how does that appear? - -In ver. 22. and 23. "And behold the Lord said, the man is become one of -us, (i. e. one of us Gods), to know good and evil, And now lest he put -forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for -ever; therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to -till the ground from whence he was taken." - -This shows strongly that boasted attribute of God, Jealousy. Is it -consistent with a Deity to punish this pair, and all their progeny, for -their attempt to know good from evil? We here find that the priests have -made God expressly after their own image. God's selfishness prevented -men from eating of the other tree, which would make him live for ever. -_Queritur,_ then, at what period of the world did the soul of man become -immortal? Was it not till Jesus Christ came? And was this tree a type of -him, as the bread and wine are at this day? It appears also, that it was -not one, but two trees, that were prohibited! - -Ib. chap. xxxii. ver. 24. "And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled -a man with him, until the breaking of the day; (this shows the antiquity -and high authority of sparring); and when he saw that he prevailed not -against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh (Mendoza like): and the -hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And -he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let -thee go, unless thou bless me. And he said unto him, what is thy name? -And he said, Jacob. And he said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, -but Israel; (which, in Chaldee signifies seeing God); for as a prince -hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. (Or, as the -Vulgate more correctly translates, for if thou hast been to oppose the -Lord, how much more shall thou prevail against men). And Jacob called -the name of the place Penial: for I have seen God face to face." This -passage requires no comment. - -Exodus, chap. iii. ver. 4. "And when the Lord saw that he (Moses) turned -aside to see, God called unto him out of the bush, and said, Moses, -Moses. And he said, here am I." This is a pretty play at bo-peep. - -Ib. ver. 14. "And God said unto Moses, I am that I am; and he said, thus -shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you." - -Divines hold this passage to be a great instance of sublimity!!! - -Ib. ver. 21. "And I will give this people favour in the sight of the -Egyptians, and it shall come to pass, that when ye go away, ye shall -not go empty, but every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, jewels of -silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your -sons, and your daughters, and ye shall spoil the Egyptians." - -Here the Jews made God after their own image; and the dealings of that -nation in silver, gold, and clothes, at this day, show that they have -not forgotten their God. It is not easy for divines to reconcile this -with God's other precept in the eighth commandment. - -Ib. chap. iv. ver. 24. "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, (by -the way, were there inns then in Egypt?) that the Lord met him (Moses) -and sought to kill him!!! Then Zepporah took a sharp stone, and cut off -the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet." - -This business of the circumcision is brought in rather by the head and -the shoulders, and the cause of it is not quite clear; but it is very -evident that the Lord could not kill Moses. - -Ib. chap. xxxii. ver. 27. "And he (Moses learning that the Jews had made -a golden calf), said unto them, (the sons of Levi, i.e. the priests,) -thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, -and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every -man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his -neighbour; and the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, -and there fell of the people that day about three thousand." - -Ib. chap. xxxiii. ver. 9. "And it came to pass, as Moses entered into -the tabernacle, the pillar descended, and stood at the door of the -tabernacle, and the Lord (who was in the pillar) talked with Moses." - -In this manner modern goddesses stop their carriages at shop-keepers' -doors at this day. - -Ib. ver. 90. "And he (God) said, thou canst not see my face, for there -shall no man see me and live." God must here have forgotten his dialogue -with Adam and Eve, his wrestling with Jacob, and conversations with -Moses. In Numbers, chap. xii. ver. 6 and 8, he says, "Hear now my words: -If there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known -to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream," but, "with thee -(Moses) will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark -speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall you behold." - -Ib. chap. xxi. ver..5. "And the people spoke against God, and against -Moses, wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the -wilderness, for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our -soul loatheth this light bread." No wonder the Jews tired of living upon -manna without water, but the Lord taught them not to grumble. "And the -Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and -much people of Israel died." When God was tired of making his serpents -bite the poor devils, he said unto Moses, "Make thee, a fiery serpent, -and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass, that every one that -is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live." This is below all the -tricks of necromancers. - -Ib. chap. xxv. "And the people began to commit whoredom with the -daughters of Moab. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the -anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto -Moses, take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the -Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned -away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges, slay every one of -these men who were joined unto Baal-peor. And behold one of the children -of Israel came, and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman, in -the sight of Moses, &c. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son -of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation, and -took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the -tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the -woman through her belly, so the plague was stopped from the children of -Israel, and these that died in the plague were 24,000." As a reward for -this, the Lord gave Phinehas the everlasting priesthood, "because he was -zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." - -Ib. chap. xxvi. Dathan, Korah, and Abirim strove against Moses and -Aaron, and the earth swallowed them up, and the fire devoured 250 men. - -lb. chap. xxxi. ver. 16, there was a plague among the congregation of -the Lord, on account of the tres pass against the Lord, when he ordered -thus, "Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill -every woman that hath known man by lying with him; but all the -women children that hath not known man by lying with him, keep for -yourselves." For the observation on this passage, I refer my reader to -Bishop Watson, and the former part of this work. - -The following ought to be the fate of all idolatrous people, and has -been happily practised in the discoveries made by most European -nations. Deuteronomy chap. xiii. ver. 13. "Thou shalt surely smite -the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it -utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge -of the sword." - -Joshua, chap. vi. v. 21. "And they utterly de-, stroyed all that was -in the city, (Jericho), both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and -sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. And they burnt the city with -fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the -vessels of brass, and of iron, they put it into the treasury of the -house of the Lord." - -Chap. x. Joshua being attacked by five kings, and they having taken -shelter in a cave, he caused great stones to be rolled to the mouth of -the cave, till he followed and destroyed the people, then he ordered the -five kings to be brought out from the cave, "And it came to pass, that -when they brought out those five kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called -for all the men in Israel, and said unto the men of war, come near, put -your feet upon the necks of these kings, and they came near, and put -their feet upon the necks of them. And afterwards Joshua smote them, -and slew them, Joshua took Makdekah, and smote it with the edge of the -sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the -souls that were therein; he let none remain." And so he did in all to -31 kings, as related in this and the following chapters, and all this -by the express command of God, who made the sun and the moon both stand -still to witness these unprovoked atrocities. But this was just; God -having given that country to his chosen people the Jews, as in latter -times his vicegerent the Pope gave America to the Portuguese and -Spaniards, who, Joshua-like, exterminated the kings and people, because -they were not Christians. This, as you say, serves the general scheme of -God's benevolence towards mankind. - -Judges, chap.i. ver. 4. And the Lord having delivered the Canaanites and -the Perizzites into the hands of Judah, "They slew of them in Bezek 1000 -men. But Adonibezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him, -and cut off his thumbs, and his great toes." lb. ver. 19- "And the Lord -was with Judah, and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain, but -_could not_ drive out the inhabitants of the valley!" Why? "Because they -had chariots of iron." Chap. iv. recounts the manner in which Deborah -and Barak delivered Israel from Jabin and Si-aera. Ver. 21. Then Jael, -Hebber's wife, (to whose tent Sisera had fled), "took a nail of the tent, -and a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail -into his temples, and fastened it into the ground, (_a goodly nail_), -for he was fast asleep and weary, so he died." Chap. 5, contains the -_beautiful_ song of Deborah and Barak, which I particularly request my -reader to peruse, as a finished piece of scripture praise of good words. -Chap. xxi. relates, that the Israelites having sworn not to give their -daughters to the Benjamites, and the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead not -having come up to Minzeh, "the congregation sent 19,000 men of the -valiantest, and commanded them, saying, go and smite the inhabitants -of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the -children: utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by -man;" but, having found 400 young virgins that had known no man by lying -with any male," they gave them to the sons of Benjamin, "and yet so they -sufficed them not." So as they had sworn not to give them wives of their -own daughters, "therefore, they commanded the children of Benjamin, -saying, go and lie in wait in the vineyards, and see, and behold, if the -daughters of Shiloch come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of -the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife." - -First Samuel, chap. vi. The ark of the Lord having been among the -Philistines seven months, they, unwilling to send it back empty, asked -the priests and diviners, what they should send in it as a trespass -offering? "they answered, five golden emerods, and five golden -mice,---and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel,--and make a new -cart, and take two milch kine, and take the ark of the Lord and lay it -on the cart;" and they did so, "and they of Beth-shemesh lifted up -their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it,--and the men of -Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed sacrifices the same -day unto the Lord,--and he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they -had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty -thousand and threescore and ten men." Gracious God! Blessed Jews! - -Second Samuel, chap. xxiv. ver. 1. "And the anger of the Lord was -kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, go -number Israel and Judah." (In first Chronicles, chap. xxi. ver. 1, it -stated, "and Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number -Israel.") And having thus instigated David to do what is good policy in -a king, God, of his infinite mercy, said unto David by his prophet Grad, -David's seer, (an officer of the household in those days), "I offer thee -three things: shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land, or -wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, or that there be three -days pestilence in thy land?" And David having chosen the latter, "the -Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there died of the people 70,000 -men but the Lord is ever merciful, for, "when the angel stretched out -his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord _repented_ him of the -evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, it is enough, -stay thou thine hand," _Delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi_. - -1 Kings, chap. ii. David being upon his death-bed, having made peace -with God, and purified his heart, called Solomon to him and gave him his -last charge. As to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, he said, "do according -to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in -peace,--and behold thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, which -cursed me, but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him -by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death by the sword; now, -therefore, (_proceeds the man after God's own heart_), hold him not -guiltless; for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to -do unto him, but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood." -Solomon having succeeded his father, the first act of his reign was to -put to death his brother Adonijah. - -1 Kings, chap. xi. ver. 4, "Solomon's heart was not perfect with the -Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father, for it came to pass, -that, when he was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods." But -why go through such barbarous details? All along we find imprecations -against those who despise the prophets, and praises lavished upon -murderers, traitors, and assassins. This is the people "selected by the -wisdom of God, that they might witness to the whole world in successive -ages his existence and attributes, that they might be an instrument -of subverting idolatry, of declaring the name of the God of Israel -throughout the whole earth a people, who are to us witnesses of -the existence, and of the moral government of God."--This is the Old -Testament, which you presume to say afforded matter for the laws of -Solon, and a foundation for the philosophy of Plato,--which has been -admired and venerated for its piety, its sublimity, its veracity, by all -who _are able to read and understand it!!!_ This is the God who maketh -the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, who is all perfection, -all wise, and all powerful, and whose mercy is above all his other -attributes." - -THE END. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Watson Refuted, by Samuel Francis - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WATSON REFUTED *** - -***** This file should be named 40978-8.txt or 40978-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/9/7/40978/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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