99,a ,,legacy ,,to ,,the ,,friends ,,of 
,,free ,,discussion99                   
,by                                     
99,benjamin ,offen99   ,,principal      
,,historical ,,facts ,,and ,,personages 
,,of ,,the ,,books ,,known ,,as ,,the   
,,old ,,and ,,new ,,testament2 ,,with   
,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,morality ,,of    
,,nature                                
#ahdf     ,,contents       ,,preface    
,,general ,,introduction     ,,detailed 
,,contents     ,a ,,legacy ,,to ,,the   
,,friends ,,of ,,free ,,discussion      
,,god',s ,,chosen ,,people     ,,the    
,,old ,,testament     ,,chapter ,i4     
,,from ,,the ,,creation ,,to ,,the      
,,deluge     ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,a ,,review
 ,,of ,,the ,,deluge ,,and ,,the        
,,confusion ,,of ,,tongues ,,at         
,,the ,,tower ,,of ,,babel     ,,chapter
 ,,iii4 ,,from ,,the ,,confusion ,,of   
,,tongues ,,to ,,the ,,birth ,,of       
,,moses     ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,from ,,the
 ,,birth ,,of ,,moses ,,to ,,the ,,death
 ,,of ,,joshua     ,,chapter ,v4 ,,from 

,,the ,,death ,,of ,,joshua ,,to ,,the  
,,reign ,,of ,,saul     ,,chapter ,,vi4 
,,the ,,reigns ,,of ,,saul1 ,,david1    
,,and ,,solomon     ,,chapter ,,vii4    
,,the ,,reign ,,of ,,jeroboam1 ,,and    
,,the ,,separation ,,of ,,israel        
,,from ,,judah     ,,chapter ,,viii4    
,,on ,,divine ,,inspiration     ,,the   
,,new ,,testament     ,,introductory    
,,chapter on ,,the ,,facts ,,and        
,,personages ,,of ,,the ,,new           
,,testament     ,,chapter ,i4           
,,chapter4 ,,ii4     ,,chapter ,,iii4   
,,chapter ,,iv4     ,,chapter ,v4       
,,chapter ,,vi4     ,,chapter ,,vii4    
,,chapter ,,viii4     ,,chapter ,,ix4   
,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,morality ,,of    
,,nature     ,,preface   ,,in the       
following pages the author has freely   
discussed the claims of the books called
 the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 to be   
considered ,divine revelations4 ,he had 
a right so to do2 and in presenting the 
work to the public he gives the result  
of his exercise of such right4  ,the    

right of free discussion has been       
questioned4 ,it would be well for       
humanity if this were all2 but          
unhappily1 the pages of history are     
replete with deeds of persecution and   
cruelty1 committed by men1 in the       
possession of power1 on their less      
fortunate fellow-men1 who have presumed 
to exercise the right of free           
investigation4 ,cupidity has drawn a    
line of demarcation2 it has established 
boundaries for thought2 and miserable   
has been the fate of the unhappy wretch 
who1 rejoicing in the dignity of his    
nature1 and anxious to discover the     
abode of ,truth1 has dared to pass the  
,rubicon4  ,what is ,free ,discussion8  
,we answer1 it is the exercise of the   
reasoning faculties4 ,without ,free     
,discussion man cannot exist4 ,his      
physical existence might indeed remain2 
but he could no longer be deemed a man2 
and would have to take a lower rank in  
the scale of creation4  ,without        
investigation it is impossible to arrive

 at ,truth2 hence the utility of ,free  
,discussion4 ,this is never denied when 
science is the subject2 and we have yet 
to learn why it should be restrained in 
any case2 and also how and when any set 
of men became possessed of the right to 
restrain the exercise of the reasoning  
faculties of their fellow-men4  ,when   
men have not been impelled by cupidity  
to shackle the minds of their fellow    
beings1 a spirit of uncharitableness has
 induced them to pursue the same line of
 conduct4 ,whoever has maintained an    
opinion contrary to theirs1 has been    
considered as being actuated1 not by    
mistaken1 but1 by dishonest motives2 and
 has therefore been deemed a fit subject
 for punishment4 ,as this work will     
probably be read by many professing     
,christians we will here give an extract
 from ,dr4 ,blair's sermon on ,candor1  
which will1 probably1 make a greater    
impression than any thing we could offer
 on that subject4  ,it is one of the    
misfortunes of our present situation1   

that some of the good dispositions of   
human nature are apt to betray us into  
frailties and vices4 ,thus it often     
happens1 that the laudable attachment   
which we contract to the country1 or the
 church1 to which we belong1 or to some 
political denomination under which we   
class ourselves1 both confines our      
affections within too narrow a sphere1  
and gives rise to violent prejudices    
against such as come under an opposite  
description4 ,not contented with being  
in the right ourselves1 we must find all
 others in the wrong4 ,we claim an      
exclusive possession of goodness and    
wisdom3 and from approving warmly of    
those who join us1 we proceed to        
condemn1 with much acrimony1 not only   
the principles1 but the characters1 of  
those from whom we differ4 ,hence1      
persons of well disposed minds are too  
often1 through the strength of partial  
good affection1 involved in the crime of
 uncharitable judgment ,they rashly     
extend to every individual the severe   

opinion which they have unwarrantably   
conceived of a whole body4 ,this man is 
of a party whose principles we reckon   
slavish2 and therefore his whole        
sentiments are corrupted4 ,that man     
belongs to a religious sect which we are
 accustomed to deem bigoted2 and        
therefore he is incapable of any        
generous or liberal thought ,another is 
connected with a sect which we have been
 taught to account relaxed2 and         
therefore he can have no sanctity4--,are
 these the judgments of candor and      
charity8 ,is true piety or virtue so    
very limited in its nature1 as to be    
confined to such alone as see every     
thing with our eyes1 and follow exactly 
the train of our ideas8  ,the author    
disclaims any intention of wounding the 
feelings of those who hold opinions     
different to his own4 ,for the religions
 hypocrite he has no bowels of          
compassion2 but the sincere believer in 
,divine revelation1 whose conduct is    
regulated by the universally            

acknowledged roles of morality1 is to   
him an object of sincere respect and    
esteem4  ,many things connected with    
what is called ,divine revelation1 have 
been very freely commented on by the    
author2 and sometimes in a style which  
the ,christian world will probably be   
disposed to condemn2 but it should be   
remembered that what appears sacred to  
one1 excites the ridicule of others4    
,the ,pagan venerates his manufactured  
god2 the ,christian views it with       
contempt and indignation4  ,the object  
of the author has been the promotion of 
,truth and ,benevolence4  ,should he    
fail to produce the effects he has      
contemplated1 he will yet be able to    
console himself with the reflection1    
that he has been actuated by good       
intentions4 ,the time has been when the 
assertion was frequently made that hell 
was paved with good intentions had the  
work appeared at that time1 the author  
would1 doubtless1 have been destined1 so
 far as human agency could effect it1 to

 become one of the paving stones of that
 remarkable edifice3 but a brighter day 
has dawned upon the world2 ,reason is   
asserting her right to empire2 and the  
cheering spirit of benevolence is       
animating the nations of the earth4     
,the shades of life's evening admonish  
the author that his sojourn in the world
 will very shortly be brought to a      
close4 ,he is anxious1 therefore1 before
 his departure1 to cast in his mite for 
the eradication of human suffering1 and 
the promotion of human felicity2 and    
then1 in wrapping himself in the mantle 
of universal benevolence1 to retire from
 the transitory scene1 in charity with  
all men4     ,,general ,,introduction   
,,the main object of this book is to    
show that ,jehovah1 the ,god of the     
,jews1 is not the ,sovereign ,ruler of  
the ,universe1 but a fictitious being1  
having no real existence whatever4 ,if  
the above position be correct1 it       
follows1 that the ,bible1 including the 
,old and ,new ,testaments1 is not a     

,divine ,revelation4 ,but that the      
reader may see1 more clearly1 upon what 
uncertain ground divine revelation      
rests1 the plan pursued in the following
 chapters will be a review of the facts 
and personages as recorded in the ,old  
and ,new ,testaments4 ,but the limits of
 this work will only admit of a mere    
scantling of what might be written on   
the subject4  ,in most ,christian       
countries 7,america excepted17 this work
 would be answered by either fine or    
imprisonment1 or probably both4 ,but    
fortunately for the cause of truth and  
free discussion1 theological power here 
is so happily balanced1 that persecution
 for religious opinions is              
impracticable4 ,the period therefore has
 arrived1 in this country in particular1
 when reason is free from the former    
obstacles that every where crossed its  
path4 ,now1 then1 is the time for us to 
examine the religion of our forefathers1
 and explore the regions of human       
credulity4 ,a mixture of pain and       

pleasure will be the result3--pain1 in  
considering what suffering has befallen 
the human family1 when the laudable     
indulgence of imagining and reasoning   
was considered rebellion against ,god2  
and pleasure1 to us who1 having escaped 
those dreadful evils which in former    
ages spread terror throughout the world1
 can lessen the evils that surround us1 
and augment to an almost unlimited      
degree our happiness4  ,to those who may
 have the moral courage to read the     
following pages1 ,i would say1 ,i have  
neither a desire to shock their         
feelings1 nor any wish to change their  
sentiments in order to gratify my       
vanity2 for had ,christianity been      
productive of peace on earth and good   
will towards men1 ,i should have been   
the last to have opposed it4 ,but on the
 contrary1 the page of religious history
 is blotted with human gore4 ,the       
intolerant spirit that pervades the ,old
 and ,new ,testaments1 has so inoculated
 its followers of every sect1 that while

 they profess to love each other for    
,christ's sake1 one sect 7the strongest7
 has put to death a weaker sect for     
,god's sake4 ,nothing short of          
convincing men that the ,bible is not a 
divine revelation1 can or will guarantee
 posterity against a recurrence of those
 scenes of horror1 at the very thought  
of which1 the heart sickens4  ,from the 
pulpit1 and in religious works1 nothing 
is more common than to exclaim with     
horror at the unblushing ,infidel4      
,unblushing ,infidel6 ,what cause have  
,infidels to blush8 ,the blush1 if any1 
ought to be on the face of the          
,christians of every sect4 ,they have   
never failed to persecute when in power3
 they have been guilty of cruelties1 at 
which the savage cannibal would weep1   
and this will ever be the case so long  
as the ,bible is considered as coming   
from ,god2 because1 till all consequence
 is taken away from faith1 and          
transferred to moral rectitude1         
persecution is the effect of believing  

that faith is the sure passport to      
glory1 while unbelief is the broad road 
to perdition4 ,men cease to be          
,christians when they lose this spirit  
of intolerance1 and become ,infidels4   
,sects are not alike intolerant2 but all
 are in some degree4 ,the ,calvinists   
will not permit the ,unitarians to      
preach in their churches4 ,the          
,unitarians1 or ,universalists1 will not
 permit an ,infidel lecturer to speak in
 their churches1--no1 not even on moral 
subjects4 ,christians1 then1 will always
 be more or less of a persecuting       
disposition1 and nothing but giving up  
the ,bible1 as a ,divine revelation1    
will destroy that spirit4 ,to show how a
 profession of ,christianity1 unfits men
 to do justice to those who differ from 
them in religion1 ,i will refer to the  
treatment of ,thomas ,paine1 author of  
,common ,sense4 ,his services in the    
glorious struggle that tried men's souls
 have been shamefully forgotten4 ,yes6  
the friend of the immortal ,washington1 

who shared in the toils and dangers with
 the father of this great republic1--how
 have ,americans generally treated his  
name and efforts to erect one of the    
most noble monuments of human           
wisdom--the independent republic of     
,north ,america8 ,for all his faithful  
devotedness to the independence of      
,america1 how is his name and memory    
spoken of at the present time8 ,from the
 pulpit1 every kind of falsehood and    
detraction is poured forth concerning   
him4  ,if he had been1 a member of a    
church1 the same fanatical priesthood   
would have lauded him to the skies4     
,such is the nature of religious        
bigotry1 that the friendship of the ever
 to be venerated ,washington--even that1
 cannot shield his name from pulpit     
calumny4 ,bigotry1 she has no head1 and 
cannot think2 she has no heart1 and     
cannot feel4  ,but the name and services
 of ,thomas ,paine1 are not1 and never  
will be1 forgotten4 ,thanks to the      
,liberals throughout the ,union1 his    

birthday is yearly celebrated in most of
 the cities and towns in the different  
,states4 ,a handsome and durable        
monument has been erected to his memory 
at ,new ,rochelle1 ,new ,york ,state4   
,the thanks of-the ,liberals are due to 
,mr4 ,g4 ,vale1 ,editor of the ,beacon1 
published in ,new ,york1 for his        
untiring perseverance in urging on the  
completion of a monument will1 in time1 
command the respect of posterity4 ,why  
are the name and services of ,thomas    
,paine be cautiously omitted by our     
orators and statesmen1 when speaking of 
the patriotism of a ,washington1        
,jefferson1 ,adams1 ,hancock1 and       
others8 ,it would offend the church and 
priesthood1 as well as the whole of the 
,christian community2 because--,he that 
believeth not shall be damned4 ,this is 
the brightest gem in the ,christian's   
crown of glory4 ,if he nurse this       
intolerant spirit against ,infidels1 the
 ,christian considers his calling and   
election sure4  ,sincere believers in   

,divine revelation are not aware what   
monsters the ,bible makes of them2 but  
for which they would be humane1 compared
 to what they are under its influence4  
,i am surprised that they are 7the      
majority of them7 so just1 humane1 and  
charitable1 when ,i take into           
consideration the doctrines contained   
7or believed to be7 in what is called   
the ,word of ,god4 ,in addition to their
 own evil habits and disregard for      
virtue in the common concerns of life1  
they have a ,devil to tempt them by a   
thousand ways in which they are         
ignorant4 ,again1 they have a ,saviour  
who shed his blood to save them from the
 just punishment of their deserts2 so   
that with their own evil deeds1 and     
being urged on by the ,devil1 they      
become monsters in crime4 ,they then go1
 as the phrase is1 to ,christ1 be sorry1
 or profess to be1 for what they have   
done1 and are pardoned1 and in the sight
 of ,heaven are considered superior to  
the unconverted whom they have injured4 

,can you1 my readers1 wonder at the     
crimes of ,god's people8 ,according to  
this doctrine1 a man may steal a horse  
and cart1 by the use of which1 another  
man earned support for his family2 the  
thief sells it1 and spends the amount1  
in connexion with wretches like himself4
 ,he then goes to ,jesus1 repents1 is   
forgiven2 and1 to follow the plan       
throughout--if the man who lost his     
horse and cart is an unbeliever1 he goes
 to ,hell1 while the rogue sits singing 
and laughing in ,glory6  ,this book is  
sent into society from the best of      
motives2 hoping it will induce          
,christians to practise moderation1 and 
somewhat abate that raging1 fanatical   
fever1 that has been so fatal to human  
happiness4 ,if you take from us the     
,bible1 says the ,christian1 what will  
you give in its stead8 ,we answer1 man  
requires nothing but what ,god1 or      
,nature1 has given him4 ,all men in     
common1 have reason to consult1 by which
 man will learn the duty he owes to     

himself1 and also to his fellow beings4 
,the error lies in being taught1 that   
reason1 when in full exercise1 will lead
 him into error4 ,this has been his     
misfortune2 and his punishment has      
followed as a consequence4 ,the ,bible  
contains many good moral precepts2 but  
these are1 by ,christians1 thought      
little of1 compared with its doctrines4 
,faith is all important4 ,by faith1     
barbarous ,calvin caused ,servetus to be
 burnt by a slow fire2 and through      
faith1 ,st4 ,austin1 that drunken       
debauchee1 obtained a good report4  ,the
 ,bible is at war with man's reasoning  
powers2 and1 like a land pirate1 has    
held up false lights1 which instead of  
conducting man to the haven of happiness
 and safety1 has caused him to make     
shipwreck on the rocks and shoals of    
religious dogmas4 ,man is lost in no    
other sense than that1 the loss of his  
reason4 ,to recover that1 and bring it  
into full exercise1 is all the ,saviour 
he needs4 ,his moral path is as clear as

 light4 ,god1 or ,nature1 has made it a 
law of man's existence that he must love
 happiness1 ease1 and enjoyment2 and    
also1 that he must hate pain and trouble
 in every stage and form4 ,this law is  
forced upon him independent of his      
choice4 ,it is ever present to his      
senses1 till he ceases to exist1 or to  
be rational4 ,this is man's stock of    
moral material furnished by ,god1 or    
,nature4 ,how clear1 then1 is his duty6 
,he has but to follow out this law1 by  
the aid of his reasoning1 judging1 and  
comparing powers4 ,it will never lead   
him wrong4 ,he requires no ,bible1 no   
,saviour2 he is never lost2 he has no   
incomprehensible doctrines to support or
 defend4 ,unlike the sectarian1 he feels
 no disposition to persecute others who 
differ from him in matters of faith2 he 
has no angry ,god to propel him on to   
fight for his glory2 he can balance up  
every night his moral account of the    
day2 and if he has followed out the law 
of his nature1 by augmenting his own1   

and also the happiness of his fellow    
beings1 and lightened the load of human 
ills around him1 he in truth is the good
 man1 be his faith little or much4 ,that
 the following work may forward moral   
improvement1 and encourage moderation   
and universal good will among the human 
family1 is the sincere wish of  ,,the   
,,author     ,,detailed ,,contents      
,,old ,,testament  ,,preface4--,free    
,discussion2 the right to use it in     
examining the ,scriptures2 its certainty
 in destroying error and establishing   
truth--,extract from ,dr4 ,blair's      
sermon on ,candor--,motives of the      
author in laying his work before the    
public4  ,,general                      
,,introduction4--,object of the         
book--,intolerance and persecution of   
,christian sects--,their abuse of       
,infidels and calumnious treatment of   
,thomas ,paine--,his name and services  
appreciated by ,liberals--,pernicious   
influence of the ,bible upon            
morals--,knowledge of the laws of our   

existence the only sure guide to wisdom1
 happiness1 and virtue4  ,,god',s       
,,chosen ,,people4--,character and      
situation of the ,jews--,their treatment
 by ,jehovah--,why were they chosen1 and
 did they answer the end of their       
choice8--,probable reasoning of the     
,jewish ,god--,account of his visit to  
,abram and ,sarah1 and their reception  
and treatment of him--,the consequences 
to the ,jews of considering themselves  
the chosen people--,the five books said 
to have been written by                 
,moses--,treatment of ,hagar and her    
child--,jehovah and the ,jews4          
,,chapter ,i4--,from the ,creation to   
the ,deluge4  ,,chapter ,,ii4--,a       
,review of the ,deluge and the confusion
 of ,tongues at the ,tower of ,babel4   
,,chapter ,,iii4--,from the ,confusion  
of ,tongues to the ,birth of ,moses4    
,,chapter ,,iv4--,from the ,birth of    
,moses to the ,death of ,joshua4        
,,chapter ,v4--,from the ,death of      
,joshua to the ,reign of ,saul4         

,,chapter ,,vi4--,the ,reigns of ,saul1 
,david1 and ,solomon4  ,,chapter        
,,vii4--,the ,reign of ,jeroboam1 and   
the separation of ,israel from ,judah4  
,,chapter ,,viii4--,on ,divine          
,inspiration4  ,,new ,,testament        
,,introductory ,,chapter4--,jehovah's   
dealings with the ,jews--,his failure to
 make them a pattern to the rest of the 
human family--,the coming of            
,christ--,the manner of his             
introduction--his associates2 language2 
and conduct--,miracles--,the ,jews had  
sufficient reason1 for rejecting ,jesus 
as the ,messiah4  ,,chapter ,i4--,jesus 
the pretended ,saviour of the world1 not
 sent from ,god--,moses wrote the most  
minute things ,connected with die system
 established by himself1 but ,jesus left
 no writings whatever---,vagueness and  
want of authenticity of the writings of 
the ,evangelists--,general ignorance    
among ,christians of what is the true   
,gospel--,no proof of the heavenly      
origin of ,jesus--,his baptism by       

,john--,his temptation by the           
,devil--,its absurdity--,abusive        
language of ,jesus to the ,jews--,his   
unfitness for his mission1 and failure  
to prove himself sent from ,god4        
,,chapter ,,ii4--,casting out           
,devils--,the case of ,mary             
,magdalene--,the doctrine of demoniacal 
possession1 a heathen dogma--,miracles  
of ,jesus no proof of his ,divine       
origin--,evidence from the ,new         
,testament that no miracles ever took   
place--,inconsistent conduct and abusive
 language of ,jesus--,the miracle at his
 baptism--,moses and ,elijah talking    
with ,jesus from the clouds--,folly of  
miracles and their injurious            
consequence4  ,,chapter                 
,,iii4--,peter--,disingenuous mode      
adopted by ,jesus to prove his          
,messiahship--,the introduction of his  
mission to the ,jews--,his obscure      
doctrines1 and disrespectful            
,language--,survey of his teaching1 and 
mode of life--,inutility of his         

object--,his betrayal--,judas ,iscariot4
  ,,chapter ,,iv4--,the ,almighty ,power
 that governs the universe not the      
author of the ,christian                
,religion--,destructive saying of       
,jesus--,the power given to ,peter2 its 
disastrous results--,institution of the 
,sacrament--,intolerance and persecution
 of ,sectarianism--,folly of religious  
teaching4  ,,chapter ,v4--,orthodox     
views of ,christianity--,remarks on the 
bad effects of believing in the         
existence of the ,devil1 and in         
witchcraft1 doctrines taught in the     
,bible--,trial and execution of two     
women for witchcraft in ,england1 in    
#affd--;,account of the witchcraft that 
prevailed in ,england and ,scotland1 in 
the days of ,elizabeth--,anecdote of    
,cromwell's bargain with the ,devil4    
,,chapter ,,vi4--,continuation of       
remarks upon the supposed influence of  
,satanic agency--,dreadful effects of   
human credulity--,sketch of the life and
 tragical fate of ,joan of ,arc1 the    

,maid of ,orleans--,temptation of       
,jesus4  ,,chapter ,,vii4--,god and the 
,devil--,probable origin of the belief  
in their existence--,mode of reasoning  
in ancient times by the                 
ignorant--,theology--,christian         
,religion--,account of ,witchcraft in   
,sweden1 in #afgj--,reflections4        
,,chapter ,,viii4--,comprehensive view  
of the mission of ,christ to the ,jewish
 nation--,plan of                       
redemption--,willingness of the ,jews to
 welcome the long expected              
,messiah--,the violence and abuse they  
received from ,jesus--,their condition  
not improved by his coming--,obscurity  
of his teaching--,the ,jews put him to  
death because they believed him an      
impostor--,judas1 in betraying ,jesus1  
was but the instrument to accomplish the
 plan of human redemption--,unfortunate 
condition of the ,jews--,reflections    
upon their past and present treatment by
 ,christians4  ,,chapter ,,ix4--,object 
of ,christ's coming into the world1     

uncertain and of doubtful utility--,his 
obvious omission to convince the ,jews  
that he was the ,messiah1 and his       
neglect to order his apostles to write a
 history of his life1 show the          
,christian ,religion deficient in the   
proof of its ,divine origin--,jesus1    
according to the ,gospels1 was a moral  
reformer--,ignorance of his disciples of
 his ,divine mission1 as manifested by  
,peter1 at the betrayal--,the           
,resurrection of ,jesus--,sudden        
departure afterward--,religious         
quarrels--,difficulty of defining       
,christianity-,reflections on the want  
of proof of ,christ's ,divine mission1  
and its insufficiency to reform the     
world--,the ,jesus of the ,new          
,testament an imaginary being4          
,,conclusion4--,remarks on the ,morality
 of ,nature--,pernicious effect of      
religious faith--,its failure to        
moralize the world--,its intolerance and
 persecution--,infidel morality founded 
in reason and the laws that govern human

 beings--,its superiority over faith in 
promoting good works1 inducing correct  
conduct1 and insuring human happiness   
and improvement4     ,a ,,legacy ,,to   
,,the ,,friends ,,of ,,free ,,discussion
     ,,god',s ,,chosen ,,people         
,,before reviewing the facts and        
personages1 as recorded in the ,old and 
,new ,testaments1 it will be in order to
 notice the ,jews1 as ,jehovah's chosen 
race4 ,the subject will not admit of    
demonstration2 it must be approached and
 examined in the same manner as the     
,alkoran of ,mahomet4  ,in order to get 
at the truth1 so as to arrive at        
something like certainty1 and as        
,infinite ,wisdom makes the choice1 we  
must inquire--,for what end were they   
chosen8 and did they answer the end of  
such choice8 ,if they were really chosen
 by the ,sovereign ,ruler of the        
,universe1 they must1 however strange   
they acted as a nation1 have fulfilled  
the purpose of their choice2 because1   
whatever they did1 was known to ,jehovah

 before the choice was made4 ,how1 then1
 can we reconcile expressions of regret 
and disappointment by ,jehovah after he 
had selected them as his own peculiar   
people--such as1 ,i have nourished and  
brought up children1 and they have      
rebelled against me8 ,and again--,he    
hated his own inheritance1--and also his
 stirring up and supporting heathen     
kings to subjugate them as slaves4 ,is  
this not the language of disappointment 
and regret8 ,in fact1 no learned divine 
can get over this striking truth that   
the ,bible fully holds out in the       
plainest manner1 that ,jehovah was      
disappointed in his choice of the ,jews 
as his favorite people4 ,were they1     
then1 chosen to raise up and support the
 religion given to them by ,god himself8
 ,no1 impossible6 they continually      
rebelled against ,jehovah and worshipped
 strange ,gods2 and even ,solomon       
himself built temples for idolatry1     
contrary to express command4 ,jehovah   
says of the ,jewish nation--that he did 

not choose them because they were better
 than others1 for they were always a    
stiff-necked people2 but because he     
loved their fathers4 ,poor1 miserable   
reasoning1 indeed2 to choose one of the 
most contemptible races of men1 because 
their ancestors1 some hundreds of years 
before1 had superior qualities to their 
degenerate race4  ,again1 another reason
 given why ,jehovah continued to protect
 them1 is1 that the promises before made
 to ,abram1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 bound   
him in honor so to do4 ,did not         
,infinite ,wisdom foresee that the seed 
of ,abram would not follow in the       
faithful footsteps of their great       
progenitor8 ,if this was not foreseen1  
then we can discover clearly the reason 
why ,jehovah complains of their         
rebellious conduct4 ,it will be a vain  
attempt in ministers of the gospel1 to  
reconcile those complaints1 if ,jehovah 
had foresight of what the seed of ,abram
 would do4 ,if ,god is the same         
yesterday1 to-day1 and forever1 how did 

it happen that he appeared so regardless
 of the fate of mankind1 as to allow    
some hundreds of years to pass away from
 the time of the confusion of tongues at
 the tower of ,babel1 till his visit to 
the tent of ,abram1 during which time1  
according to ,bible history1 ,jehovah   
had no worshippers on earth8 ,the whole 
of mankind were left to make the best of
 their deserted situation2 to worship   
the ,gods of their imagination2 and they
 founded mighty empires1 and became     
powerful on the earth4  ,before the     
,lord called on ,abram and ,sarah in    
their tent1 something like the following
 mode of reasoning probably took place  
in the mind of the ,jewish ,god3--  ,i  
have made a world and peopled it with   
inhabitants2 ,adam and ,eve rebelled    
against me2 their descendants followed  
in the footsteps of their progenitors2  
,i have destroyed them all 7eight only  
excepted17 from whom ,i expected better 
things4 ,but1 alas6 they have also      
sinned against me2 and to such a height 

of wickedness did they arrive1 that they
 began to build a tower to reach my holy
 habitation4 ,i have sent them off in   
confusion3 and now ,i have no church1 no
 worshippers1--not even a song of praise
 to my name4 ,i possess universal       
empire1 without even one single subject 
to obey me4 ,what is to be done8 ,a     
thought has struck me3--,i will call on 
honest old ,abram4  ,and here let me    
remind the reader1 that the ,bible      
clearly represents the ,jewish ,god as  
being as changeable in his disposition  
and mode of acting as mortals4 ,like    
man1 he is sometimes in a state of      
inaction1 towards the fate of his       
offspring3 at other times1 he arouses   
from this torpor1 and is the most       
sensitive and active4 ,sometimes he     
appears to repent of some failure in the
 calculations he has made concerning his
 creatures2 attempts to rectify the     
error1 and again blunders4 ,he at one   
time says3 fury is not in me1 then again
 he is all fury4 ,no truth is more      

striking than this1--that the ,jehovah  
of the ,bible is not1 cannot be1 the    
universal governor of the universe1 but 
merely a creature of the imagination1   
whose power is confined1 having no      
existence without the covers of the     
,bible4  ,but to return to              
,abram3--,jehovah either goes to him1 or
 sends to him delegates1 to acquaint him
 of the choice he is about to make of   
,abram and his seed forever4 ,this is   
but the beginning of a new experiment on
 the human race4 ,and here does it not  
plainly appear1 that ,jehovah's mode of 
acting1 in this case1 is unworthy of the
 governor of the world8 ,does it not    
prove his total disregard for the       
welfare of the rest of mankind8 ,good   
heavens6 the believers1 one and all1 of 
such absurdities1 have ever been1 and   
are still insane4  ,these heavenly      
visiters find ,abram and ,sarah living  
comfortably in their tent1 watching     
flocks and herds4 ,they 7the angels7 are
 treated with the hospitality common in 

pastoral life4 ,they have their feet    
washed2 they are invited to dine on the 
best2 the calf is immediately killed2   
and ,sarah1 was not slow on her part1 in
 the cooking department1 from which1 one
 might be induced to think1 that over   
the door of the tent was written3       
,dinners ,dressed at the ,shortest      
,notice4--,soon after being seated1 the 
messengers make known their errand2     
,abram was much pleased2 ,sarah laughed 
outright4 ,the promise was now ratified 
that had before been made to ,abram1    
that his seed should be as the sand of  
the sea in number1 for that ,sarah      
should have a son in her old age4 ,this1
 to say the least of it1 was good pay   
for a good dinner4  ,here1 then1 the    
reader will please to notice1 was the   
final settlement as it regards the ,jews
 being the chosen people of ,god4 ,and  
here the following ceremony took        
place3--,three men1 angels1 or          
messengers1 came from ,heaven2 they had 
their feet washed1 agreeably to eastern 

custom2 they sat down and did eat1 and  
we may suppose did also drink with      
,abram and ,sarah2 one of the three was 
called the ,lord4  ,i have here strictly
 adhered to the ,bible history of this  
surprising account2 and if it be not    
literally true1 the choice of the ,jews1
 and also the whole of the ,jewish and  
,christian theology1 falls prostrate4   
,the account winds up with the departure
 of the angels to ,sodom2 where1 after  
having dined with ,abram1 they took     
supper with ,lot4 ,the day following1   
,sodom was burnt by fire from ,heaven2  
,lot's wife 7by way of making the most  
of her7 was turned into a pillar of     
salt1 because she looked back on her old
 habitation4 ,what became of the angels1
 ,heaven only knows6  ,but to return to 
the ,jews1 as a nation4 ,for what       
purpose were they chosen8 ,it could not 
be to establish and support the only    
true religion on earth1 whereby they    
became the constant and obedient        
servants of the ,most ,high1 because    

they continued to rebel against         
,jehovah2 and in spite of all his       
commands to the contrary1 to worship    
other gods1 which conduct provoked the  
,lord to anger1 and the most dreadful   
punishment followed for their           
disobedience4 ,they were not chosen to  
convert other nations to the faith and  
worship of the ,god of ,israel1 because 
they were ordered to take the property  
and destroy the inhabitants of towns and
 cities1 with whom they had not the most
 distant quarrel4 ,once more1--,were    
they chosen for the purpose that        
,jehovah should be their ,god1 and that 
they should be his people8 ,no1 because 
they1 time after time1 rejected his     
authority as their ,god1 and worshipped 
strange gods1 unknown to their fathers2 
for which ,he sent prophets and holy men
 to remonstrate with them4 ,but they    
killed the prophets2 and1 as a nation1  
never were for any length of time       
converted to1 nor obeyed1 the ,god of   
,israel4  ,it was promised to ,abram1   

,in thee and in thy seed shall all the  
nations of the earth be blessed4 ,when  
and how have the nations ever been      
blessed8 ,as for the poor ,jews1 no     
curse ever fell so heavy on mortals as  
fell on them1 in consequence of their   
considering themselves ,god's chosen    
people1 and other nations treating them 
as such4 ,for eighteen hundred years1   
,christians have plundered and murdered 
them1 because they have faithfully      
worshipped 7since ,he cast them off7 the
 ,god of their fathers1 against whom    
7when under his protection7 they        
continued to rebel4  ,the ,jews are a   
strange people4 ,strange and hard has   
been their fate2 and it can be easily   
accounted for1 from their being         
originally cheated into the fact that   
they were ,god's chosen people to the   
exclusion of the rest of the human race4
 ,christians ask how it could have been 
possible for ,moses or any other person 
to induce them to believe that they were
 so chosen1 when miracles and wonders   

were performed in their behalf1 if no   
such things did in reality take place8  
,the answer is easy3--,christians       
suppose that the books of the ,old      
,testament were written at the time the 
generation lived1 before whose eyes     
those wonders were performed4 ,this is a
 fatal mistake4 ,those miracles and     
wonders1 no doubt1 were ante-dated1 and 
brought forward to the ,jews in after   
times1 as proofs of what ,jehovah had   
done for their forefathers2 for it      
clearly appears from the internal       
evidence of ,jewish history1 that the   
five books said to have been written by 
,moses1 were not known to the ,jews1 as 
a nation1 till after the reigns of      
,david1 ,solomon1 and many others4 ,at  
what time the five books were first made
 known to the descendants of ,abram1 is 
not ascertained2 but1 whenever it was1  
they contained the history of the       
,abrahamic family1 including all the    
miracles and wonders performed by       
,jehovah in their behalf4  ,it is easy  

to perceive1 how the ,jews might be     
brought to believe all that was written 
concerning ,god's choice of them1 as his
 peculiar people4 ,an ambitious leader  
and legislator could1 without much      
difficulty1 soon establish them firmly  
in the conviction that they were        
,jehovah's chosen people4 ,it would     
flatter their vanity2 and the credulity 
of the human mind is such1 even now1    
that we need not wonder that the ,jews1 
as a nation1 gave credence to the tales 
of former times concerning their being  
the especial favorites of ,jehovah4 ,the
 ,jews1 then1 no doubt were cheated into
 the firm conviction 7by their early    
leaders7 that they1 of all people on    
earth1 were the chosen of ,heaven4 ,this
 will account for their keeping         
themselves as a separate people--the    
heaviest curse that could befal them1   
and which remains on them till this day4
  ,according to the ,bible1 the dealings
 of ,jehovah towards mankind in general1
 and of the ,jews in particular1 will   

bear out the following remarks3--,that1 
after the confusion of tongues at       
,babel1 and the descendants of ,noah    
were dispersed abroad on the earth1 the 
,bible ,god forsook the earth for some  
hundred years4 ,he had no worshippers on
 earth4 ,he then descends and selects   
one family to be called after his name4 
,from that moment1 ,jehovah appears to  
direct his whole attention to the family
 concerns of his new choice4 ,troubles  
come on in quick succession2 ,abram's   
domestic jars claim his attention and   
superintendence4 ,sarah and her maid    
servant quarrel2 the maid is turned out 
of doors1 about a child who claimed     
,sarah's husband as its father4  ,the   
,lord interfered and matters were made  
up4 ,but soon another misunderstanding  
arose between ,sarah and ,hagar about   
the child who had ill-behaved himself   
towards ,abram's wife4 ,sarah became    
enraged1 and got the better of the      
,lord2 and ,abram and she drove ,hagar  
and her son out of the house for good   

and all4 ,the ,lord again made the best 
of the matter by sending an angel who   
took charge of ,hagar's son2 and ,abram 
and ,sarah lived happy1 and directed all
 their attention to little ,isaac4  ,to 
return to the ,jews1 as a nation4 ,did  
they answer the end for which they were 
chosen8 ,most undoubtedly they did4     
,for1 as known unto the ,lord are all   
his works from the beginning whatever   
his dealings were towards them1 in      
punishing them for their rebellion and  
disobedience1 and whatever suffering    
they endured in consequence of their    
departure from his commands1 are        
included in his choice2 and are the ends
 for which they were chosen4 ,here1     
then1 we have arrived at the ends for   
which they were selected1--he knowing   
that they would continue to transgress1 
and also that such transgression would  
call forth his anger2 and that          
punishment would follow from their      
disobedience4 ,these are the only ends  
that we can discover by their being     

chosen1 and these ends were fully       
answered4  ,and as ,jehovah is          
represented as acting the same as men   
act under similar circumstances1 the    
following remarks are in accordance with
 his dealings with the people of his    
choice1 namely3 that after ,jehovah had 
driven the inhabitants of ,babel abroad 
on the face of the earth1 and not having
 any church or worshippers in the world1
 he became weary of this state of       
inaction1 and1 sighing for something to 
do1 he chose the descendants of ,abram  
for his future operations on the earth4 
,and from that moment1 the ,jews        
required all his attention2 his anger   
was always raging3 he had no repose     
whatever4  ,in the course of his        
watching over them1 he occasionally     
stirred up the heathen against them1 and
 suffered them to become bondmen and    
slaves4 ,then1 again1 they had arms put 
into their hands1 and he marched out in 
aid of their victories2 and then the    
,lord of ,hosts was his name4 ,then1 as 

if he had forgotten the promises made to
 their forefathers1 he repents of the   
neglect shown to them2 again renews the 
combat and orders them to war against   
nations1 and to spare neither old age   
nor infancy4 ,so that1 by turns1 hating 
them and showing them no mercy2 then    
again1 repenting of his severe conduct  
towards them1 proclaiming to the world  
that the ,lord of ,hosts or battle is   
his name1--the ,bible account of        
,jehovah confirms us1 in concluding1    
that1 he chose the family of ,abram for 
no other purpose than to disturb and    
brutalize the rest of the world4  ,the  
,jews1 and their ,god1 seem to be       
objects of pity and contempt4 ,pity for 
the poor ,jews1 for their unfortunate   
fate2 and as for ,jehovah1 if the ,bible
 be true1 from the moment he adopted    
them as his favorites1 he became subject
 to rage1 furious anger1 grief1         
repenting of the choice he had made2 and
 finally casting them off4 ,these1 then1
 are some of the glorious ends for which

 they were chosen4 ,to conclude--,of all
 the impositions that ever have been    
palmed on the inhabitants of the earth1 
destructive of peace on earth and good  
will towards men that of the ,jews being
 ,god's chosen people1 is one of the    
greatest2 the ,jehovah of the ,bible1   
being nothing but an imaginary ,god1 to 
cheat the ,world into the faith of his  
being the ,sovereign ,ruler of the      
,universe4     ,,the ,,old ,,testament  
,,chapter ,i4 ,,from ,,the ,,creation   
,,to ,,the ,,deluge   ,,from what has   
before been written1 the reader is no   
doubt convinced1 that the writer of this
 work does not believe the ,bible to    
have any claim to divine authority2 but 
is entirely1 from beginning to end1 a   
collection of absurd tales1 of historic 
facts1 and of personages that have no   
foundation in truth1 which              
unfortunately1 by being considered of   
divine origin1 has generated a train of 
calamities destructive to the peace and 
welfare of the human race4 ,and to      

account for its hav-ing gained credit1  
and got such strong foothold in the     
world1 we have only to consider that    
fable is the elder sister of history2   
that nations have run a long career of  
incidents1 mostly fabulous1 before any  
appearance of authentic history made its
 way in the world4 ,what took place in  
those days may be considered like things
 taking place in the dark4  ,from such  
fabulous materials1 then1 national      
history always commences4 ,not that the 
writers or authors intend to deceive and
 impose on posterity2 they write what   
they believe2 what they have been told1 
and what is generally credited in those 
days4 ,here1 then1 we discover the      
,bible to be of use to us1 in showing to
 what lamentable extent poor mortals    
have sincerely erred in following the   
legendary tales of former times4 ,and   
now1 that the bandage is removed from   
our eyes1 let us all use our best       
exertions to spread knowledge among     
those1 who1 with us1 are seeking after  

truth1 but who have till now sought it  
where it is not to be found4  ,the      
authors of the ,bible1 no doubt1        
followed in the same track as those who 
are called profane writers4 ,they wrote 
what had been told them by their        
forefathers4 ,hence the miracles and    
wonders1 credited by them1 of the most  
extravagant nature1 that never did and  
never could take place2 and             
unfortunately1 for the peace and        
happiness of mortals1 by giving credit  
to such things1 they1 for ages1 shut up 
every avenue that would otherwise have  
led them to the temple of truth4  ,to   
believe the account of ,adam's          
transgression1 in connection with all   
the circumstances attending it1 to be a 
matter of fact1 appears hardly possible 
for any man of sane mind4 ,yet millions 
there are1 who never have had a doubt of
 its being literally true4 ,whoever     
first wrote it1 did so from tradition or
 hearsay1 as this is the origin of all  
national history4 ,it is not impossible 

but that every nation of antiquity had a
 similar commencement2 because1 as      
history did not appear till hundreds of 
years after the facts related are said  
to have taken place1 it follows that    
hearsay evidence is the best and only   
evidence that can be obtained4 ,if this 
is a correct view of the strange tales  
related in the ,bible2 then1 the more   
strange and impossible the greater glory
 is given to ,god1 by swallowing all    
down1 and asking no questions4  ,the    
,bible commences1 as to persons1        
with--first1 ,jehovah1 ,adam1 and ,eve1 
and1 according to the orthodox          
,christians1 the ,devil was near at     
hand4 ,here1 then1 we have before us1   
according to ,bible history1 ,jehovah1  
,god of all1 about to form or make a    
world1 and put on it both man and beast4
 ,this was done without consulting in   
any way whatever1 with ,adam and ,eve1  
who were to be placed at the head of all
 creation4 ,every circumstance that     
would take place to ,adam and ,eve1 and 

their posterity1 throughout all ages1   
was planned1 approved of1 and finally   
settled1 in the mind of ,jehovah1 before
 they had life or being4  ,here we have 
a ,god knowing all that will take place2
 and arranging circumstances favorable  
to its fulfilment4 ,on the other hand1  
,adam and ,eve were ignorant of the     
past1 the present1 and also of the      
future4 ,only notice the infinite       
difference between the two contracting  
parties4 ,i wish the reader to keep this
 in view1 as it respects what is termed 
the fall of our first parents4 ,in all  
ages of the ,christian superstition1 the
 fall of ,adam has been urged as a      
justification of ,god's quarrel with the
 human race4  ,let us examine this      
subject calmly4 ,it is but justice that 
this should be done2 since from one     
hundred thousand pulpits in the         
different nations of the earth1 the     
priests never fail to praise and thank  
the ,lord for his goodness to the       
descendants of ,adam4 ,i1 on the other  

hand1 will honestly1 though feebly1     
advocate the cause of poor1 libelled1   
condemned1 priest-ridden ,man4 ,if1     
before our first parents had been called
 into life1 they had been informed on   
what conditions they and their posterity
 were to receive it1 together with the  
final destiny of ninety out of every    
hundred of their unfortunate race1 they 
would no doubt have exclaimed1 ,for     
humanity's sake1 let us forever sleep in
 the womb of chaos6 ,it is the common   
practice from the pulpit1 as also from  
the writings of the orthodox            
,christians1 to libel the human race1 by
 saying1 that man has rebelled against  
,god1 and turned from him2 when the     
truth is1 that in all ages and nations1 
man1 has been seeking after the best    
,god he could find1 and ,god2 has always
 remained the great ,unknown1 while man1
 in whatever state we find him1 savage1 
saint1 or sage1 has been endeavoring to 
find out ,god4  ,this has always been   
his misfortune4 ,by trying to find out  

the absent and unknown ,god1 he has1 in 
his imagination1 invented and followed a
 thousand foolish whims1 till1 losing   
all correct ideas of moral rectitude1 he
 has died of old age without arriving at
 the knowledge of whom or what to       
worship4 ,whereas1 if he had not        
troubled himself at all about his maker1
 and1 by the aid of his reasoning       
powers1 had come to the just conclusion1
 that as he knew not how1 nor where to  
find ,god1 it would follow that it was  
the business of his maker1 and not his  
to instruct in the right way to worship 
the true ,god4 ,this mode of reasoning  
will be reprobated by ,christians as    
horrid and wicked2 but in reply1 it may 
be asked1 to what amount of knowledge   
have they arrived by all their seeking  
after him8  ,we now return to the ,bible
 account of ,adam and ,eve's creation4  
,the position that justice1 strict      
justice1 is due on the part of ,god     
towards his new creation1 must never be 
lost sight of in our investigations4 ,if

 any thing like trickery or injustice on
 his part is recorded1 we1 without      
hesitation1 denounce it as a libel on   
his character1 and totally unworthy of  
the least credit4 ,in reviewing the ,old
 and ,new ,testament1 as being          
considered a ,divine ,revelation1 this  
criterion will be always referred to2   
for1 if any writings purporting to be of
 ,divine authority1 represent their     
author to be any thing otherwise than a 
,god impartial and just1 such writings  
will1 by the author of this work1 be    
considered entirely unworthy of the     
broad seal of ,heaven1 and as fully     
deserving of being held up to human     
beings as false1 and a flagrant         
imposition on the credulity of mankind4 
,and here the reader is reminded1 that  
we have now before us1 in the creation  
of man1 a scene of the most surprising  
nature4 ,a ,god1 infinite in wisdom1    
unbounded in power1 about to bring into 
existence a race of beings2 he1 on his  
part1 possessing all knowledge of the   

past1 the present1 and also of the      
future2 and they1 on their part1        
entirely passive1 not being consulted as
 to their organization1 their wishes1 or
 the consequences that would result to  
their progeny4 ,from such a position1   
what ought we to expect1 in order that  
the being about to be made1 might have a
 fair point from which to start in his  
untried career8 ,would we not suppose   
that every advantage should have been   
given to the party who had no voice     
concerning his future destiny1 nor that 
of his race8 ,the smallest omission in  
providing for or securing his first     
movements1 would be fatal to his        
happiness1 and also that of his race4   
,that no such precaution1 on the part of
 the ,god of the ,bible1 was pursued    
towards his new made creatures1 will be 
fully proved by the examination of the  
events recorded as having taken place in
 the ,garden of ,eden6 ,whatever were   
the passions or the inclinations        
included in the physical organization of

 our first parents1 they had not any    
control over them whatever1 because of  
the impossibility of their being        
consulted in a state of non-existence4  
,whatever they were then1 and1 also1    
what was to be their future destiny1 was
 known to ,jehovah only2 to ,adam and   
,eve1 it was all unknown4 ,this1 then1  
was the state of the pretended ,creator 
and the creatures4  ,we will pass over  
the account of the six days' creation1  
together with the serpent's deceiving   
,eve by the aid of what the ,christians 
believe to be the ,devil4 ,it deserves  
no comment1 except1 that from the       
account given in the ,bible1 we may     
infer1 that happy would it have been for
 ,adam if he had remained an old        
bachelor2 for1 in that case1 ,satan     
perhaps would neither have scraped      
acquaintance with the serpent1 nor ever 
thought of lurking about the garden4    
,but the source of all human misfortune1
 according to the ,old and ,new         
,testaments1 is included in ,eve's      

eating the forbidden fruit4 ,we may ask1
 why was one tree forbidden among so    
many8 ,certainly as a trap1 set to catch
 the inexperienced1 virtuous1 and       
harmless ,eve4 ,what humbug6 to make    
such a fuss about ,adam's being alone1  
without a help-mate2 and3 at the very   
time the rib operation was going on1    
,jehovah1 stood by1 and knew whatever he
 might say1 that the woman1 on leaving  
her ribship1 would damn all that he had 
declared to be good4 ,can we1 dare we1  
charge the ,governor of the ,universe   
with such trickery8 ,it must never be   
lost sight of1 that the very prohibition
 of one tree1 would be certain1 in their
 state of ignorance1 to produce the     
consequence that followed3 viz41 to     
induce ,eve1 from curiosity1 to partake 
of it4 ,is it any thing short of        
insanity to suppose that such dreadful  
consequences would follow so trifling an
 offence8  ,this forbidden tree had     
something in it1 that1 to us1 seems very
 strange4 ,it was to impart knowledge2  

and as the fruit was inviting to the    
eye1 and a desire existing to obtain    
knowledge1 ,eve fell a victim to her    
unfortunate curiosity4 ,nor was this    
all4 ,until ,eve ate thereof1 it appears
 that the happy couple did not perceive 
their want of clothing4 ,instantly they 
set to work to repair this first mishap1
 by sewing leaves together to make      
aprons4 ,but in this stage of the       
business1 the ,lord seems to have some  
compassion left1 for he1 the ,lord1 made
 coats of skins and clothed them--poor  
,adam and ,eve being ignorant of the    
strength and durability of leaf aprons4 
,we may suppose the ,lord as thinking or
 saying to ,adam1--,why1 this will never
 do2 you must have something more       
lasting1 or else1 by every wind that    
blows1 you will be no more than a bundle
 of tattered rags4 ,soon1 therefore1 by 
the ,lord's assistance1 poor ,adam and  
,eve jumped into a new suit of clothes6 
,and1 to make sure of man's destruction1
 by taking that which was forbidden1 the

 serpent was permitted to point out the 
advantages that would follow2 so that   
the appearance of the fruit1 and the    
desire to get knowledge1 urged on by the
 serpent1 together with ,eve's ignorance
 that any thing like lying existed in   
the ,garden of ,eden1 the disobedience  
of our first parents was1 by ninety-nine
 chances out of a hundred1 secured1 and 
the damnation of their posterity made   
sure4  ,now1 to ascribe such conduct to 
,god1 such barefaced design to quarrel  
with his new creation1 is horrid in the 
extreme1 and would disgrace 7bad as it  
is said he is7 the very ,devil himself4 
,and if the account is not true1 if the 
facts1 as recorded1 did not take place1 
but are altogether to be considered as  
an allegory1 then it follows1 that human
 redemption is an allegory1 also2 and   
the whole fabric of the ,jewish and     
,christian religion falls to the ground4
  ,in dismissing this father of humbugs1
 7the fall of our first parents17 which 
ended in ,adam and ,eve's expulsion from

 ,paradise1 by way of consolation1 we   
may in justice say1 ,farewell1 ,adam and
 ,eve2 you have had but a rough         
beginning4 ,god and the ,devil have both
 conspired to make you unhappy1 ,but    
never mind1 do your best2 comfort and   
console each other2 the whole world is  
before you4 ,this garden trade has      
proved a failure altogether4 ,if you can
 but procure a spade1 a hoe1 and shovel1
 you will in time get on2 and1 as your  
present misfortune originated from that 
unforeseen quarrel in the garden1 live  
in peace1 and share equally in your     
troubles1 and also in your prosperity4  
,things are not so bad1 after all2 and  
if ,adam's wound in the side is not yet 
entirely healed1 it is your duty1 ,eve1 
as a good wife1 to pay particular       
attention to it4 ,it is for your        
interest1 also2 for if ,jehovah should1 
be again offended with you1 as in the   
garden1 and take from ,adam the opposite
 rib from which you sprang1 and of it   
make a second ,eve1 the serpent would   

pay another visit to mar your happiness1
 and your troubles would have no end4   
,what kind of religion there was1 if    
any1 in those days1 we know not2 but    
,cain and ,abel1 ,adam's sons1 appear to
 have been worshippers of ,jehovah1     
notwithstanding the expulsion of their  
parents from ,paradise4 ,we have it     
recorded that1 in the course of their   
worship1 ,cain's offering was of the    
fruits of the earth1 and ,abel's was a  
lamb with the fat thereof4 ,cain's      
offering had no respect paid to it2 but1
 on the other hand1 ,abel's offering was
 respected4 ,the reason why the one was 
rejected and the other accepted1 we have
 no means of knowing2 at any rate1      
,jehovah knew that murder would follow  
as a consequence4 ,here1 then1 we have  
an account of the first religious       
quarrel1 and the murderous spirit that  
was connected with it4 ,and history     
confirms this truth1 that the same      
murderous spirit has always1 more or    
less1 shown itself in all religious     

disputes2 but more dreadful and furious 
in the ,jewish and ,christian religions 
than in any others4 ,from ,cain1 the    
first religious murderer1 to the present
 day1 intolerance and blood appear to   
have stained the pages of ,jewish and   
,christian history4 ,and now1 that those
 days of persecution have passed away1  
let us do all in our power to prevent   
their recurrence4  ,following the       
history of the antediluvians1 in        
,genesis1 chap4 vi41 we are not a little
 surprised to find a new race of1 beings
 on earth4 ,we find1 that after men     
began to multiply an the face of the    
earthy and daughters were born unto     
them1 that the sons of ,god saw the     
daughters of men1 that they were fair1  
and they took them wives of all which   
they chose1 and they bare children unto 
them2 the same became mighty men1 which 
were of old men of renown4 ,here we may 
ask1 is it possible to believe in the   
truth of this account8 ,but for its     
being recorded in the ,bible1 no person1

 having one grain of common sense1 would
 for a moment give it the least credit4 
,but its truth rests on the same        
authority as the fall of our first      
parents1 and no doubt is equally true4  
,we are told1 by ,christ1 that in       
heaven1 they neither marry nor are given
 in marriage2 but here it seems that the
 sons of ,god were tired of their       
restraint1 and broke loose1 and came a  
wooing the pretty young girls of those  
days3 and1 from the account1 the        
courtship was short2 for they took to   
them1 wives of all that they chose4     
,good heavens6 how the young men of     
those days must have stared to see the  
young ladies ,so pliable6 ,if1 in those 
days1 bustles were not worn by the      
girls1 the sons of ,god soon put them1  
one and all1 in a bustle4 ,wonder how   
those gentlemen were dressed1 that the  
women became so soon captivated6 ,if1 in
 the course of their negociations1 some 
girl1 more thoughtful than the rest1 had
 asked her strange lover what employment

 he intended to follow1 he would have   
been stuck fast to have given an answer4
 ,after all1 if this account is to be   
considered true1 heaven is not in so    
happy a state as is represented2 for the
 sons of ,god became uneasy in their    
confinement1 and preferred a love frolic
 to ,gabriel's evening song4 ,as heaven 
is considered to have the most          
enchanting music1 perhaps the new       
visiters brought with them their        
instruments1 and began their courtship  
by a heavenly jig4 ,it does not appear  
that ,jehovah exhibited any displeasure 
on account of the sons of ,god leaving  
the blessed abodes and marrying the     
daughters of men4 ,for aught we know1 it
 was an experiment to improve the       
antediluvian race4  ,but leaving this   
point for ministers of the gospel to    
settle1 it seems as if their progeny    
were a jolly set of fellows1 and became 
men of renown4 ,taking1 then1 a review  
of the world from its creation until it 
was destroyed by the deluge1 we         

discover1 that if the facts recorded are
 true1 and did really take place1 it was
 one continued chapter of blunders4     
,first1 ,adam is made and set to work4  
,it is next discovered that he requires 
a partner2 but1 behold6 no materials are
 left with which to make one4 ,adam is  
then laid up in dock2 taken to pieces   
like an old steamboat2 one of his       
timbers removed1 and a woman appears4   
,things go on well1 but only for a short
 time4 ,eve soon longs for fruit2 she   
takes it2 then1 lo1 and wonder6 she and 
her husband discover1 and for the first 
time feel1 a sense of decency4 ,they set
 to work to make aprons2 this is but    
lost labor4 ,the ,lord1 it appears by   
the account1 was not in the garden1 but 
on returning1 found his servants partly 
clothed4 ,he informs them of their      
error2 sets to work and protects them   
from wind and weather4 ,to be sure1 they
 were not turned out naked2 the very    
ground was cursed for their bad conduct1
 and thorns and thistles would spring up

 to annoy them4 ,whether the ,garden of 
,eden was given up altogether1 or       
another gardener employed to keep it1 we
 have no account4  ,this1 at any rate1  
was paying dear for an apple1 or peach4 
,we find1 however1 that our first       
parents did not despair2 for they soon  
raised a family4 ,if this expulsion did 
actually take place1 to talk of family  
troubles is nothing1 compared to this   
unfortunate couple4 ,for one single     
fault1 to be driven as outcasts from    
their only known home1 to wander they   
did not know where1 without experience  
or capital to begin with6 ,of all the   
houseless wanderers1 their lot seems to 
be the most piteous to behold4  ,again1 
whether the sons of ,god ,were permitted
 to descend and marry the daughters of  
men by way of improving the race1 we    
know not4 ,if improvement was ,jehovah's
 object in this strange union1 another  
failure1 equal to former ones1 was the  
result4 ,the antediluvians1 one and all1
 were so wicked1 that the ,lord repented

 that he had made man on the earth2 and 
it grieved him at his heart4 ,one       
exception only1 in the family of ,noah2 
to whom ,jehovah immediately            
communicated his determination to       
destroy man and beast by a              
flood--,noah's family only excepted4    
,to conclude this chapter1 a few remarks
 will suffice4--,if the foregoing       
account of the creation is maintained to
 be truly the work of ,infinite ,wisdom 
and ,power1 what a picture presents     
itself to the mind of a sensible and    
reasonable man6 ,can it be possible for 
such an one to believe it8 ,his mind    
must reject it as the most barefaced    
falsehood that ever could be proposed to
 human credence2 as impossible to be    
true1 and equally impossible to be      
credited by any person having the least 
claim on common sense4 ,and yet1 in this
 crazy world1 to give credit to it1 is  
to be respectable2 but to deny its      
truth1 is to be infamous1 and an object 
of ,christian horror1 unworthy to live  

in this world1 and sure of damnation in 
the next4 ,no man living can get over   
this certain conclusion1 that if the    
,governor of the ,universe did act      
towards ,adam and ,eve1 together with   
the rest of the antediluvians1 as is    
recorded in the ,bible1 he made them for
 no other apparent end than to quarrel  
with them1 so as to have a pretence to  
punish and torment creatures who had no 
power to resist4 ,and can such a ,being 
be the object of love and adoration8    
,the ,devil himself is not painted in   
colors half so black4  ,but enough has  
been said on this subject4 ,we turn from
 it in disgust1 and boldly say to all   
the world1 that no such ,god ever did1  
nor does now exist2 nor did the facts   
recorded in the ,bible1 of ,adam's fall1
 ever take place4     ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,a
 ,,review ,,of ,,the ,,deluge ,,and     
,,the ,,confusion ,,of ,,tongues ,,at   
,,the ,,tower ,,of ,,babel   ,,to       
destroy all mankind by drowning1 because
 of their wickedness1 seems to us a     

strange reason2 for1 when we attentively
 consider it1 we are compelled to       
conclude that the ,jewish ,god had      
banished from his moral government the  
very appearance of justice4 ,what6 no   
compassion for the young men and women  
who had been brought up under           
circumstances so unfavorable to virtue1 
from the bad example of their fathers8  
,what6 no mercy for the thousands of    
infants8 ,what6 no feeling towards the  
youth1 from manhood through all the     
gradations down to helpless infancy8    
,none4 ,we know that it is common for   
men and women to go crazy4 ,from so     
strange a perversion of justice on the  
part of ,jehovah1 it would seem that he1
 at times1 has his crazy fits1 also4    
,destroy the innocent with the          
guilty--allowing the innocent no chance 
of escape6 ,if this were performed by an
 earthly monarch1 insanity would be the 
most charitable allowance to be made for
 so atrocious an act4 ,but when ascribed
 to the all-wise and powerful ,god1 and 

insisted on as an article of faith1 such
 doctrines are only fit for madmen to   
preach and idiots to hear4 ,christians  
little think to what extent they        
blaspheme the ,god whom they profess to 
adore4  ,let us bring this horrid scene 
nearer to our eyes3--thousands and tens 
of thousands of children from six years 
old and up to the age of maturity1 of   
both sexes1 imploring for mercy1 cut off
 in the midst of enjoyment1 for crimes  
over which they had no control1 and     
which their tender age precluded them   
from committing3 yet to them the door of
 mercy was forever closed4 ,a raging    
,almighty ,god commanding ,noah to      
proceed1 that his vengeance might be    
satisfied6 ,only look at such a picture1
 so faintly drawn2 for if the deluge did
 really take place1 this portrait bears 
but a small resemblance to a scene too  
dreadful for the contemplation of man1  
and1 ,oh6 heavens6 too unjust and cruel 
to ascribe to a ,god4 ,to drown the     
whole of the human race by a flood1 is  

one of the most dreadful visitations of 
vengeance that cruelty could execute4   
,in it1 we discover nothing to defend4  
,the mind shrinks back with horror at   
the bare recital4 ,it is one among      
hundreds of such acts recorded as being 
performed by the ,lord4  ,turn to what  
part of the history you will1 where the 
,jewish ,god is about to do something1  
or to interfere in any way in human     
affairs1 the conduct ascribed to him1   
either in punishment or granting favor1 
you will find to be always contrary to  
justice and reason4 ,if justice be the  
theme1 it will end in cruelty4 ,if to   
show favor1 it will be sure to be ill   
directed and allied to favoritism4      
,among men1 justice is the foundation of
 correct moral principles4 ,on the      
contrary1 the ,bible ,god acts as if    
influenced by fury and almighty rage2   
soon1 very soon1 angry2 very hard to    
please2 punishing and destroying his    
creatures1 as if pain were a good       
instead of an evil1 and man died without

 a groan4 ,it is not possible to        
calculate the amount of evil that has   
taken place on the earth1 in consequence
 of ,christians taking for their example
 the conduct of their ,god4 ,let us mark
 the difference between any misfortune  
that may befall the human race in the   
course of events1 and the same evil     
inflicted by the ,lord4 ,in the former  
case1 man will sympathize with his      
unfortunate fellow man2 in the latter1  
however1 it appears cruel and unjust4   
,it is just1 yes1 and also merciful1    
says the ,christian1 for ,god to destroy
 the innocent descend-1 ants of his     
enemies1 because he has a right to do   
whatever he pleases with his own4  ,this
 mode of reasoning1 the believers in the
 divinity of the ,bible resort to1 in   
order to shield ,jehovah from the       
attacks of ,infidels1 for bringing on   
the deluge2 and the same mode is        
followed throughout1 to justify the     
,lord in all his warlike movements      
against the nations doomed to die by the

 hands of his chosen people4 ,can we1   
then1 wonder that both ,jews and        
,christians1 believing in1 and          
worshipping1 a ,god whose acts are so   
revolting to every idea of justice and  
humanity1--can we1 ought we1 to be      
surprised that they have drank so deeply
 of that spirit of cruelty1 injustice1  
and intolerance1 that is recorded       
concerning the dealings of ,jehovah with
 his creatures1 in involving in one     
common ruin the innocent with the       
guilty8 ,for it is from the horrible    
character given of the ,lord1 that both 
,jews and ,christians have in all ages  
drawn in1 as by a kind of inspiration1  
the same spirit of cruelty and          
proscription1 in imitation of their     
,god4  ,it is in vain that ,christians  
assert1 that the persecution that has   
attended the progress of ,christianity1 
in all ages1 is but the abuse of it ,no2
 it has been the thing itself4 ,the     
moral precepts of the ,new ,testament   
7and many of them are excellent7 have   

never been strong enough to deter men   
from putting each other to death on     
account of their difference of faith4   
,cruel ,calvin1 with the ,new ,testament
 before his eyes1 and that saying       
staring him in the face1 ,he that hateth
 his brother is a murderer1--with this  
before his eyes1 he caused the          
unfortunate ,servetus to be burnt by a  
slow fire1 so completely had the        
doctrines of the ,bible destroyed in him
 all compassion4  ,to show what baneful 
influence the doctrines of the ,bible   
have had upon men eminent for their     
wisdom1 justice1 and humanity1 the      
following authentic account will fully  
prove3--,in the year #affd1 two old     
women were hanged upon a charge of      
witchcraft1 having been tried by a ,jury
 before three learned ,judges1 at the   
head of whom was ,sir ,matthew ,hale1   
who passed the dreadful sentence of the 
law1 as it then stood1 which was put    
into execution in about two weeks       
afterwards4 ,a more upright1 honest1    

wise1 and humane ,judge never sat in a  
court of justice2 and yet1 behold6 he   
condemned and caused two poor1 ignorant1
 and defenceless old women to be hanged 
for a crime they neither did nor could  
commit ,the remarks made to the ,jury1  
by ,sir ,matthew1 in substance were the 
following3--,gentlemen of the ,jury1 you
 have nothing to do in inquiring whether
 the crime of witchcraft can be         
committed2 the ,bible has settled that  
subject1--but1 whether the evidence you 
have heard is proof that the prisoners  
are guilty of the charges brought       
against them1--which charges were1      
killing1 their neighbors' children by   
the agency and power of the ,devil1 and 
causing them to vomit pins and nails4   
,here1 then1 it is clear that it was the
 ,word of ,god1 and not ,judge ,hale1   
that brought about the death of those   
unfortunate women4 ,had ,sir ,matthew   
been an ,infidel1 the page of history   
had never been stained by the blood of  
two poor helpless beings4  ,let not     

,christians1 then1 say that persecution 
and intolerance are the abuses of       
,christianity4 ,its very essence is     
congenial with blood and torture in all 
their horrid forms4 ,the moral precepts 
of the ,gospel never have nor ever will 
so far neutralize the doctrines of the  
,bible1 as to guarantee the human race  
in trusting power in the hands of the   
disciples of ,jesus4 ,they always will1 
according to the ,new ,testament1 prefer
 the man of orthodox faith1 to men in   
common1 however virtuous4  ,having shown
 the injustice and cruelty of drowning  
all the inhabitants of the earth1--on   
account of the wickedness of some who   
ought to have been made an example to   
society at large1--let us inquire1 what 
end was obtained by so universal a      
destruction8 ,have the human race been  
more moral1 and1 on the whole1 more     
virtuous1 since the flood than before8  
,if they have not1 7and that they have  
not1 the ,bible itself fully proves17 it
 then follows1 that no moral good       

resulted from their being destroyed2 and
 instead of the ,lord's anger being     
softened down1 it would rage in all its 
former fury4 ,if the ,lord really said  
to ,noah1 what the ,bible records1 that 
it repented him that he had made man on 
the earthy and it grieved him at his    
heart it is as much as to say1--,i can  
bear this distracted state of mind no   
longer2 ,i will try you and your family1
 ,noah1 and ease myself of the          
disappointment ,i have endured from the 
wickedness of my creation2 ,i will have 
a better race on the earth which ,i have
 made1 or man shall cease to exist4     
,but did a better race succeed8 ,no2 for
 ,noah1 in time1 became intemperate1 and
 in a fit of intoxication became an     
object of contempt to one of his sons1  
who1 so far forgot his duty to his      
intoxicated father1 that instead of     
concealing his folly and shame1 he      
exposed it4 ,when ,noah awoke from his  
slumber1 and discovered what had taken  
place1 he began most heartily to curse  

his son and his posterity for ages to   
come1 and also to prophesy evil         
concerning them1 which prophecy1        
according to the ,bible1 the ,lord      
approved of and brought to pass4 ,here1 
again1 ,jehovah is disappointed2 that   
is1 if he expected a moral world better 
than the one he had destroyed4          
,turning1 then1 with detestation from an
 account which represents the ,governor 
of the ,universe as having drowned a    
world and repented he had made it1 and  
also of being grieved at heart1 we will 
notice ,noah's preparing the ark and    
making ready for his singular voyage4   
,nothing short of repeated miracles     
could have completed the embarkation of 
,noah1 his family1 and the living cargo1
 or freight4 ,a miracle must have been  
wrought on all those beasts1 whose      
savage nature had made them a terror to 
man1 in order that they might become    
tame1 and be conveyed to the vicinity of
 the ark4 ,another miracle must have    
been in continual operation on all those

 who were engaged in procuring the      
beasts1 birds1 and reptiles1 to induce  
them to labor without any remuneration  
for their toils1 but the certainty of   
being left to perish by the flood4 ,a   
continuation of miracles must follow on1
 to induce the then population to stand 
quiet1 up to their necks in water1 and  
not to make an effort to force their way
 into the ark before it was closed up2  
and also to enable ,noah and his family 
to attend to feeding and keeping clean  
their respective cages and dens4 ,the   
water1 also1 to drown the world1 and    
cover the highest hills1 must be created
 for this express purpose1 and then     
reduced again into its native           
nothingness4 ,for1 from an accurate     
calculation1 it would require one       
hundred and eight times as much water as
 is now on the face of the earth1 to    
cover the highest mountain1 admitting   
its height to be no more than twenty    
thousand feet1 and there are mountains  
still higher4 ,it would follow1         

therefore1 that after the flood1 one    
hundred and eight oceans must be        
annihilated1 there not being room for so
 much water on the earth4  ,from what   
has been said concerning the flood1 it  
is clear that no such thing really took 
place1 but that the whole is fabulous2  
because1 the deluge is said to be in    
consequence of the ,lord's being grieved
 at the wickedness of the antediluvians4
 ,this is no reason why he should       
destroy them1 even admitting the        
possibility of the fact4 ,his grief     
could not be lessened by so doing1 as   
men since the flood have been equally   
wicked as before2 and have continued so1
 down to the present time4 ,if the ,lord
 was grieved then1 and repented at      
having made man1 he is still unhappy and
 continues to repent1 because the evil  
that caused him then to grieve and to   
repent1 is not removed4  ,the reader is 
requested not to lose sight of one thing
 that is equally glaring both in the    
,old ,testament and the ,new--that the  

,jehovah of the ,jews is always         
blundering and making mistakes2 the     
choice he often makes does not answer   
the end purposed1 but falls short4      
,another and another plan is pursued2   
still1 some striking failures take      
place4 ,the ,god of the ,bible is as    
unlike the ,supreme ,power that governs 
the material universe1 as the swarthy   
,african is unlike the fair complexion  
of the temperate zone4  ,as the main    
object of this work is to prove1 as     
clear as the nature of argument will    
admit1 that the ,jehovah of the ,jews is
 not the ,supreme ,ruler of ,nature1 let
 us examine their respective characters4
 ,the ,god of the ,jews1 in his acts1 is
 governed by no correct principle of    
justice2 he is changeable1 and subject  
to all the passions that1 in turn1      
agitate the minds of mortals4 ,how      
different is the ,ruler of the ,world1  
of whom we know nothing1 abstracted from
 the material universe6 ,in the         
government of the material world1 we    

discover that order is heaven's first   
law2 that a regular arrangement of      
causes and effects pervade every        
department of nature4 ,in it1 there is  
no doing and undoing2 no derangement in 
the wonderful1 adaptation of cause and  
effect1 of principles and consequences4 
,in the laws that rule the universe1    
nothing happens that has the appearance 
of falling short of ends intended to be 
carried out2 these laws depend not on   
the will or conduct of mortals2 but the 
more we are acquainted with them1 the   
more we are compelled to admire the     
wonderful wisdom and harmony of the     
mighty whole4  ,is the kingdom of grace1
 or1 in other words1 does the ,old and  
,new ,testaments present to us a ,god   
any way similar to the power that rules 
the world8 ,the ,god of ,nature1 an     
expression used to convey no other      
meaning than the power that mingles     
itself with the mighty whole1--does this
 power show any thing like partiality to
 nations1 or to sects and parties8 ,do  

the general laws1 by which the world is 
governed1 indicate any thing in their   
author of a vindictive or vengeful      
character4 ,any thing like              
disappointment or regret8 ,does the     
prosperity of nations1 or of            
individuals1 depend 7abstractly         
considered7 on whether they worship one1
 or many ,gods1 or none at all8 ,on the 
contrary1 the ,jehovah of the ,bible is 
depicted as being more unstable than    
mortals4 ,ye ,jews and ,christians6 in  
vain do you vindicate the character and 
conduct of your ,god towards the human  
race1 by saying that he ought to do what
 he pleases with his own4 ,the conduct  
of the most cruel and unjust tyrant that
 ever lived can with more truth and     
propriety be exonerated than your ,god2 
because a tyrant1 however wicked and    
cruel1 may have to contend with those   
who are capable of doing him an injury1 
and self-defence on his part may form   
some excuse for his actions4 ,a tyrant  
may have to come in contact with others1

 his equals in power and physical force4
 ,but the ,christian ,god is above any  
personal injury2 he has no rivals2      
possessing all power1 all knowledge1    
nothing can take place by him           
unforeseen4 ,if mortals1 by their       
conduct1 call forth his anger1 he       
chooses to be angry4 ,the human race did
 not ask for existence2 he alone was the
 projector4 ,if mortals1 in the course  
of their career through life1 7as       
foreseen by him7 deserve punishment1 he 
felt happy in punishing them4 ,ye       
ministers6 prate1 then1 no longer       
against the 99unblushing ,infidel992    
for1 as you maintain that the ,god of   
the ,bible is the author of the         
universe1 we leave you to blush at the  
horrible character you portray of him   
whom you hypocritically call a ,god of  
love6 ,oh6 heavens6 what dreadful       
consequences have resulted from the     
,jehovah of the ,jews being worshipped  
as the author of nature6 ,the           
worshippers of such a ,god have in all  

ages partaken1 more or less1 of his     
character for cruelty1 injustice1 and   
intolerance2 and under this banner whole
 armies have marched forth to glut the  
earth with blood4  ,viewing1 then1 the  
,bible account of the deluge1 in which  
the innocent were destroyed with the    
sinner1 as but a fabulous tale1 had ,i a
 voice loud enough to make all mankind  
hear1 ,i would boldly and fearlessly    
proclaim it a falsehood1 disgraceful to 
,god1 and too foolish to obtain credit  
in the present age4     ,,chapter ,,iii4
 ,,from ,,the ,,confusion ,,of ,,tongues
 ,,to ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,moses   ,,the
 object to be accomplished in this      
chapter is1 to show1 from the ,bible    
history itself1 the folly and absurdity 
of admitting the ,jehovah of the ,bible 
to be the ,supreme ,ruler of the        
,universe2 for1 after destroying every  
thing that had life1 by the flood1      
,jehovah1 somewhat like a conquering    
hero1 returns to heaven4 ,the war with  
the human race being over1 ,divine      

vengeance is satisfied4 ,no religious   
worship1 that we read of1 was then known
 on the earth4 ,but1 behold6 a new      
outbreak occurs1 that requires the      
immediate interference of the ,god of   
,israel4  ,in ,genesis1 chapter xi41 it 
is recorded1 that the then inhabitants  
of the earth began to build a tower1 the
 top of which was to reach the heavens1 
that they might make to themselves a    
great name1 and be no more scattered    
abroad on the earth4 ,what crime it     
could be considered by ,jehovah1 for men
 to unite in building a tower so lofty  
that the top would reach the heavens1 we
 know not4 ,however ignorant the then   
inhabitants of the earth were1 the ,lord
 knew that they could not annoy him by  
the erection of a tower to any height   
they might be inclined to raise it4 ,the
 writer of the account makes it appear1 
that ,jehovah became uneasy at the      
progress the workmen were making1 and at
 last could bear it no longer2 so he    
came down1 as the term is1 and          

confounded their speech in such a manner
 that they could not understand each    
other4  ,can it be possible1 for men who
 reflect at all1 to believe such glaring
 nonsense8 ,the writers of the ,bible   
have not only made a ,god unjust and    
vengeful1 but they have put into his    
head such foolish whims1 as1 that after 
having destroyed a world by a deluge1   
the innocent with the guilty1 he came   
down from heaven to scare away          
carpenters and bricklayers from their   
honest labor2 and have made him         
virtually to say--,be off6 ,clear out6  
,i will not permit you to hammer away   
here6 ,the conduct of the ,bible ,god   
towards the builders of ,babel1 and1 in 
fact1 the whole of the then human       
family1 seems to be like that of an     
unfeeling father1 who cares not for his 
children1 and who is also equally       
indifferent as to whether the human race
 worshipped him1 or fell down to worship
 stocks or stones2 for1 instead of      
ordering them to build an altar to the  

true and living ,god1 he ordered them   
off1 to wander abroad on the earth1 and 
do the best they could4 ,and here an    
opportunity was lost of insuring their  
conversion2 since1 as they were all of  
one language and speech1 how easy to    
convert the whole race at once6 ,now1   
here we may discover a man-made ,god4   
,sometimes he is all jealousy for his   
own name--all fury against idolatry2 at 
other times1 he seems to care but little
 for the happiness of his creatures1 or 
the honor of his name4 ,after having    
compelled the builders of ,babel to quit
 their undertaking1 ,jehovah returns    
back to heaven2 and from the silence of 
,bible history1 he does not appear to   
have superintended human affairs at all1
 for hundreds of years after4 ,and now1 
ye ministers of the ,gospel of grace1   
what have you to say in vindication of  
the very existence of such a ,god8 ,the 
origin of your ,god is of man's         
creation2 he never had a real existence4
  ,after an absence of many years1      

having given up1 to all appearance1 any 
interest in human affairs1 ,jehovah     
turns his attention to ,abram and his   
family1 and adopts them as his chosen   
people4 ,and from this account1 we      
clearly discover the absurdity of       
believing the ,god of ,abram to be the  
universal sovereign2 for1 from the      
moment of the adoption of ,abram and his
 seed forever1 from that very moment the
 family affairs of ,abram1 ,isaac and   
,jacob1 seem to engross the attention of
 ,jehovah2 and1 while ,i am writing1 ,i 
blush for shame at the credulity of     
mankind in professing to believe such   
contemptible trash4 ,what can be more   
weak and ridiculous than to suppose that
 the ,lord and two angels came to the   
tent of ,abram1 and went through all the
 ceremonies of a pastoral visit1--such  
as washing of feet and taking water     
until dinner was prepared1 and that     
while partaking of ,abram's hospitality1
 they inquired for his wife1 and then   
renewed what before had been promised1  

namely--that ,sarah1 ,abram's wife1     
should have a son in her old age8  ,one 
remarkable feature1 throughout the whole
 of the ,bible1 presents itself4 ,it is 
this3 that in every movement ,jehovah   
makes among his favorite people the     
,jews1 and in all the correspondence he 
holds with ,abram and his seed1 every   
thing is done by way of experiment on   
that people2 as if ,jehovah did not know
 what would happen until he had gained  
information by actual experiment6 ,in   
the case of the builders of the ,tower  
of ,babel1 it is said--,and the ,lord   
came down to see the city1 and the tower
 which the children of men builded4 ,and
 again--,go to1 let us go down1 and     
there confound their language4 ,and     
also1 in the case of ,sodom1 the ,lord  
told ,abram concerning the cry of the   
wickedness of the inhabitants of ,sodom4
 ,the ,lord said to ,abram--,i will go  
down now1 and see whether they have done
 altogether according to the cry of it1 
which is come unto me2 if not1 ,i will  

know4--,genesis xviii4 #ba4 ,abram1     
having heard of the intended destruction
 of the ,sodomites1 remonstrates with   
,jehovah on the injustice of destroying 
the innocent with the guilty4 ,then     
follows the pleading of ,abram with the 
,lord1 in favor of ,sodom2 and from the 
willingness of the ,lord to comply with 
the request of ,abram1--if the old      
patriarch had had the moral courage to  
have gone on with one more              
request1--,sodom might have been saved4 
,the personage who communed with ,abram 
is1 by the inspired writer1 called the  
,judge of all the earth4 ,the same who  
had that day dined with ,abram1 and to  
whom ,abram said1 ,behold1 now ,i have  
taken upon me to speak unto the ,lord1  
which am but dust and ashes6  ,and now1 
patient reader1 what have ,christians to
 believe in reference to this matter8   
,why1 they must believe that the great  
immortal ,god came to the earth from his
 ,unknown abode1 in the likeness of man1
 in company with two angels2 that he    

called on ,abram1 who was surrounded by 
his flocks and herds1 dwelling in a     
tent1 perhaps inferior to our ,indian   
log-houses2 that he1 the ,judge of all  
the earth1 with two of his angels1 were 
7according to eastern hospitality7      
presented with water to drink1 and also1
 water to wash their feet--a practice   
most refreshing in a warm climate4 ,an  
invitation was given them to dine1 which
 they accepted and so particular is the 
narrative1 that1 what they had for      
dinner is mentioned3 the calf was       
instantly slain1 and the baking         
commenced4  ,and here we may inquire1   
whether or not this circumstance did    
really take place1 as it is recorded8   
,if it did1 then the believers in the   
,bible1 as a ,divine ,revelation1 have  
to believe that the ,great ,god of all1 
the ,universal ,ruler of the ,universe1 
came on earth to the tent of ,abram1 in 
the form of a man1 with two of the      
angelic host2 and that they then and    
there had their feet washed1 and sat    

down to a dinner of veal and griddle    
cakes1 and did eat thereof1 and drink   
water4 ,now1 if ,moses1 or any other    
pretended inspired writer1 wrote this1  
,i ask1 is not the ,god of ,abram a     
man-made ,god8 ,he is said to have feet 
that required washing1 and an appetite  
that required food4 ,he had a mouth1    
teeth1 and also a stomach to receive    
food2 and we may infer that he had      
hands1 for it is not recorded that      
,abram cut his victuals1 or fed him or  
the angels with a spoon4  ,if the       
believers of the ,bible consider that   
the foregoing account is allegorical1   
and not to be considered as having      
really taken place1 it then follows that
 human redemption is allegorical1 also2 
for the promise made to ,abram was1 that
 ,in thee and in thy seed shall all the 
nations of the earth be blessed4 ,this  
promise included the mission of ,jesus1 
who was to save his people from their   
sins1 and also to heal the nations1 and 
to bring in everlasting righteousness4  

,christians1 then1 if they believe the  
,bible to be a ,divine ,revelation1 must
 believe that the ,judge of the whole   
earth1 while at dinner1 in promising    
,abram a son1 included also1 in that    
promise1 the mission of ,jesus1 the     
,saviour of the world4  ,and here we may
 notice the views that ,abram had of the
 ,supreme ,judge of all4 ,as he appeared
 to ,abram in the form of a man1 and as 
such was treated by him1 ,abram brought 
forth water to wash the feet of the     
,lord1 and invited him to dine1 which he
 did2 which is proof positive that      
,abram considered that the ,lord was in 
the habit of taking refreshment1 such as
 eating and drinking1 or he would never 
have thought of giving the ,lord such an
 invitation4 ,if this account be true1  
the ,new ,testament must be false1 when 
it declares that no man hath seen ,god  
at any time1 and that none can see him  
and live4 ,but of ,abram it is written1 
that he saw the ,lord1 face to face1 and
 also that they dined together2 and1 as 

if to remove all doubt of its truth1 it 
mentions what they dined on1            
namely--veal and cakes4 ,it therefore   
follows1 that the account1 as recorded  
of the ,lord's dining with ,abram1 must 
be taken in its plain and literal sense2
 because it is connected with the       
destruction of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and
 also of ,lot's wife being turned into a
 pillar of salt2 which account is       
referred to as having taken place1 by   
the writers of the ,new ,testament4     
,after the ,lord and the two angels had 
retired from dinner1 the ,lord informed 
,abram of his errand to the above       
cities2 which was1 to find out whether  
their ill-fated inhabitants were as     
wicked as they had been reported2 as he 
7the ,lord7 was determined to know4 ,it 
was then that ,abram began to plead with
 the ,lord1 and to show the injustice of
 destroying the innocent with the       
guilty1 as from the nature of the crime 
for which the people of ,sodom and      
,gomorrah were to be destroyed1 all the 

women and children were innocent4       
,abram1 therefore1 saw immediately the  
horrid cruelty and injustice of such    
destruction as was about to overtake the
 unfortunate inhabitants of ,sodom4 ,in 
the discussion1 ,abram had the best of  
the argument1 but his efforts were      
unavailing4 ,fire came down from heaven1
 and they were burnt alive1 innocent and
 guilty together4  ,from the account it 
appears1 that after the ,lord parted    
with ,abram1 he also took his leave of  
the angels2 and what became of the      
,lord1 the ,bible is silent2 but the    
angels1 after having dined with ,abram1 
took supper with ,lot4 ,this ,lot seems 
to be the only man in ,sodom that was   
worth saving2 and he certainly acted    
very strange3 for when his townsmen     
insisted on knowing who the angels were1
 and on what business they came1 ,lot   
offered to turn into the street his two 
innocent daughters1 to be dealt with    
according to the wishes of those vile   
wretches1 if they would but permit him  

to lodge and entertain the strangers4   
,certainly1 the morality of the ,bible  
is most sublime1 and the ways of the    
,jewish ,god past finding out6  ,the    
case of ,lot's wife is1 to all          
appearance1 very strange4 ,her crime of 
looking back1 would appear to us much   
less than that of her husband's in      
turning his daughters into the street4  
,the history of ,lot winds up with a    
strange account1 and not very favorable 
to strict morality1 namely--the project 
of his daughters in making him drunk1   
and the disgusting consequences that    
followed4 ,thus1 it is clear1 that      
,lot's wife 7bless the good old woman67 
was the best1 in a moral point of view1 
in the whole family2 and only for       
looking back on her beloved home1 she   
was treated like a dead sow1 by being   
put into pickle4 ,to conclude this      
tirade of nonsense and folly1 we will   
add--remember ,lot's wife4  ,it appears 
from ,bible history1 that when ,abram   
left his own country1 he was any thing  

but rich2 and as his substance consisted
 in a few heads of cattle1 a famine soon
 overtook him as he journeyed1 which    
induced him to go down into ,egypt1 the 
then granary of the earth4 ,to prevent  
any unpleasant consequences that might  
result to ,abram1 because of the beauty 
of ,sarah1 his wife1 she was instructed 
to call her husband her brother4 ,it    
turned out as was expected1 for she was 
recommended to ,pharaoh1 and taken into 
the royal palace4 ,immediately1 presents
 came unto ,abram in quick succession1  
consisting of sheep and oxen1 and he    
asses2 men-servants and maidservants2   
and she asses and camels4 ,but the      
,lord1 ever watchful over ,abram's      
affairs1 troubled ,pharaoh and his      
house2 and when ,pharaoh discovered the 
cause of this evil1 he remonstrated with
 ,abram for his duplicity1 and returned 
his wife undefiled4 ,so kind1 however1  
was the ,lord to ,abram1 that the       
presents were made before the cheat was 
discovered1 and he came out of ,egypt a 

rich man4  ,this may be said to be the  
beginning of ,abram's good luck2 and we 
may suppose that in returning home to   
their old pasturage1 ,sarah would laugh 
and exclaim--,see what it is to have a  
handsome wife6 ,another famine will make
 brother ,abram and sister ,sarah the   
richest couple in pastoral life4  ,in   
the course of events1 ,abram and ,sarah 
had recourse again to the same trick1 on
 ,abimelech1 ,king of ,gerar1 which had 
been acted with so much success in      
,egypt4 ,sarah1 on account of her       
beauty1 at ninety years of age1 was     
taken by the ,king2 but the ,lord1 ever 
the guardian of ,sarah's virtue1 came to
 ,abimelech in a dream1 and threatened  
him and all his house with death1 if    
,sarah was not given up to her lawful   
husband4 ,the ,king remonstrated with   
the ,lord1 and justified his conduct by 
declaring1 that both ,abram and ,sarah  
had deceived him2 and said--,in the     
integrity of my hearty and innocency of 
hands1 have ,i done this4 ,the ,lord    

replied--,i know that you did it        
innocently1 for ,i withheld thee from1  
sinning against me2 therefore1 suffered 
,i thee not to touch her4 ,again1 as    
before1 presents of cattle1             
men-servants1 and maid-servants1 with a 
thousand pieces of silver into the      
bargain1 were given to ,abram1 with his 
wife1 who is as chaste as morning dew4  
,i have dwelt longer on this account    
than ,i at first intended1 merely to    
show the folly in believing that the    
,almighty ,lord of all had any concern  
in such contemptible fooleries as are   
recorded in the family concerns of      
,abram4 ,one thing1 however1 is omitted2
 and that is1 the quarrel between ,sarah
 and ,hagar4 ,the tent or house became  
too hot to hold those rival women2 at   
last1 ,sarah triumphed by turning out   
,hagar and her love-begotten child1     
which demanded the ,lord's interference1
 and gave poor ,abram no small share of 
trouble4  ,from the moment that ,jehovah
 adopted the family of ,abram1 the      

,bible account warrants us in supposing 
that the family concerns of that        
patriarch particularly engaged the      
attention of ,jehovah2 since1 for every 
trifling concern that took place1 the   
,lord was applied to in order to settle 
the matter4 ,rebekah1 the mother of     
,jacob and ,esau1 when about to become a
 mother1 applied to the ,lord for       
information respecting her singular     
situation2 and the ,lord informed her   
that she would be the mother of two     
celebrated nations1 and satisfied her   
mind as to every other inquiry she made4
 ,and here we may ask1 how it was that  
the ,lord1 in those days1 was so easy of
 access8 ,how every gossipping old woman
 could lay her case before the ,lord1   
and wait his advice and answer8 ,the    
reply is at hand4 ,the whole account of 
the ,lord's saying unto ,abram1 or the  
,lord's saying unto ,moses1 and again1  
the word of the ,lord came unto ,moses1 
saying1 is all humbug3 no such word ever
 came2 no such conversation ever took   

place4  ,whoever wrote the ,book of     
,genesis1 has placed ,jehovah in an     
immoral point of view2 as keeping       
company with unprincipled knaves1 and as
 acting without any regard to the strict
 rules of justice and mercy2 as having a
 system of favoritism1 which does not   
admit of administering impartial        
justice4 ,the case of ,jacob and ,esau  
is directly opposed to truth and        
impartiality4 ,esau was1 in a moral     
point of view1 evidently the best of the
 two2 but ,jacob was ,jehovah's choice4 
,esau1 according to ,bible history1 was 
a hardy1 industrious1 and generous man4 
,jacob1 on the other hand1 was his      
mother's pet2 and the deception which he
 and his mother played on old ,isaac1   
who was blind1 is in strict accordance  
with the conduct of all the ,lord's     
favorites4 ,jacob1 according to ,bible  
history1 was1 through his whole life1   
full of deception and trickery4 ,he     
could lie and take a false oath to      
deceive his blind father2 and by deceit1

 deprive his brother ,esau of his lawful
 right of inheritance4 ,and yet the     
,lord was with him1 and connived at all 
his baseness6  ,but ,jacob1 conscious of
 his wickedness1 and justly deserving   
his brother's resentment1 fled to his   
uncle for protection4 ,on his way1 the  
,lord appeared to him in visions2 and1  
notwithstanding his lying and false     
swearing to his father1 promised him    
divine assistance4 ,jacob still acted in
 the same crafty manner1 even with the  
,lord himself2 always having his own    
self-interest in view2 for1 after the   
,lord had said1 ,genesis xxvii41 #ae1   
,and behold1 ,i am with thee1 and will  
keep thee in all places whither thou    
goest1 and will bring thee again into   
this land2 for ,i will not leave thee   
until ,i have done that which ,i have   
spoken to thee of--even after this      
promise from the ,lord1 in verse #bj it 
is said--,and ,jacob vowed a vow1       
saying1 if ,god will be with me1 and    
will keep me in this way that ,i go1 and

 will give me bread to eat1 and raiment 
to put on1 so that ,i come again to my  
father's house in peace1 99then shall   
the ,lord be my ,god994  ,well done1    
,jacob6 that is making a good ,jew      
bargain4 ,jehovah and ,jacob both kept  
their word2 for ,jacob married his two  
cousins1 the daughters of his uncle     
,laban1 and staid with him until he1 by 
the help of the ,lord1 contrived to     
jockey old ,laban out of the best of his
 cattle1 and ran away back to his own   
father's house1 taking with him1 by     
stealth1 the gods of ,laban his father4 
,thus did ,jacob not only triumph over  
the heathen gods1 by carrying them off  
captive1 but continued to adhere to     
,jehovah1 his own ,god1 who did not     
desert him in his recreant tricks4 ,it  
is not to be wondered that the sons of  
,jacob should be so base in their       
actions1 after the example of their     
father2 and considering what a mixed    
breed they were1 having so many mothers4
 ,their conduct towards their brother   

,joseph is a sample of their actions2   
and although ,bible history records the 
good fortune of ,joseph1 he1 among the  
rest of his brethren1 acted the tyrant  
as soon as power would permit him so to 
do4  ,this chapter will conclude with a 
few remarks on the life of ,joseph1 and 
his career in ,egypt4 ,the fame and good
 fortune of ,joseph1 depended on his    
gift of interpreting dreams1 which      
finally made him1 under ,pharaoh1 ,lord 
of the land2 and according to his       
predictions1 seven years of famine were 
to succeed seven years of plenty2 by    
which1 ,joseph planned the entire       
subjugation of ,egypt4 ,he1 by the      
authority of ,pharaoh1 bought up all the
 grain left of the seven years' plenty2 
and when the famine came1 the grain was 
sold to the inhabitants at the price    
that ,joseph was pleased to put upon it4
 ,but the famine continued so long that 
all the money was spent4 ,the poor1     
half-starved people told ,joseph their  
situation1 and offered their cattle in  

exchange for grain2 the cattle were     
taken by him2 at last1 all their cattle 
disappeared1 and the people continued in
 want2 then1 offer was made of their    
lands1 which ,joseph also took2 and with
 their lands1 themselves2 so the        
government took all4 ,but after the     
famine1 ,joseph proposed to furnish them
 with seed wherewith to sow their       
fields1 on condition that1 ever after1  
,pharaoh was to have one-fifth of the   
yearly produce4 ,how kind of ,joseph6   
,now1 if the ,bible be true concerning  
this matter1 ,i ask1 could anything be  
more unjust and cruel8     ,,chapter    
,,iv4 ,,from ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,moses 
,,to ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,joshua        
,,this chapter will put beyond dispute  
all connection between the ,jehovah of  
,moses and the ,sovereign ,ruler of the 
,universe4 ,whoever drew the picture of 
,jehovah1 as it is recorded in the      
,bible1 made him1 in every sense of the 
word1 a mere man2 and put him under the 
same necessity of re-sorting to means   

for obtaining information1 when the     
subject of inquiry is involved in doubt4
 ,for instance3 ,jehovah informs ,abram 
that the inhabitants of ,sodom and      
,gomorrah were reported to be wicked in 
the extreme2 and that he 7the ,lord7    
came down to get information on that    
subject4 ,again1 when the builders of   
,babel were about to commence their     
lofty tower1 the ,lord came down to see 
what they were doing2 and1 not being    
pleased with their intentions1 put a    
stop to the work1 and performed a       
miracle1 whereby they were driven abroad
 on the face of the earth4 ,besides1 the
 ,lord's coming from a certain place to 
another place for information1 implies  
that1 without such movement1 the        
information sought for could not be     
obtained4 ,these instances1 and hundreds
 of others of the same kind1 imply also 
that the ,jewish ,god had a local       
habitation4 ,again1 to say that the     
,lord came to a place1 staid there1 and 
then returned back again1--these are    

movements which are common with men1 but
 cannot be applied to the omnipresent   
,god4 ,the free access that ,moses and  
the ,old ,testament prophets had to     
their ,god will warrant the idea that he
 resided next door to them1 and that the
 ,lord was obedient to their every call4
  ,the children of ,israel1 after the   
death of ,joseph1 began to multiply so  
fast that the ,egyptians feared for     
their own safety in the event of a war  
with other nations2 and in consequence1 
ordered the mid wives to destroy all the
 male children1 but to save the females 
alive4 ,but ,moses was saved1 according 
to the ,bible1 in consequence of        
,pharaoh's daughter discovering him in  
the river2 and when he came to maturity1
 the ,lord selected him to go to ,egypt 
to demand of ,pharaoh1 the king1 to let 
the ,israelites go out from that state  
of bondage in which1 for four hundred   
years1 they had been held4  ,the        
departure of ,moses from ,egypt was not 
very honorable for a future ambassador2 

for before his departure he murdered a  
man1 and buried him4 ,to escape justice1
 he then fled to ,midian1 and became    
acquainted with a pagan priest1 who took
 him into his house1 and ultimately gave
 him one of his daughters in marriage1  
and he became his father-in-law's       
shepherd2 and the ,lord made himself    
known to ,moses4 ,it was while tending  
the flocks that he was chosen go to     
,egypt to demand the release of his     
brethren1 then in cruel bondage4 ,after 
the ,lord had given him his             
instructions1 and1 to all appearance1   
,moses had started on his mission1 a    
remarkable circumstance took place1 that
 must puzzle ,bible commentators to     
explain4 ,it is recorded in ,exodus iv41
 #bd1 ,and it came to pass1 by the way  
in the inn1 that the ,lord met him and  
sought to kill him4 ,this meeting       
appears to have been accidental1 for no 
mention is made of the business of      
either of them4 ,here1 again1 we observe
 that the writer1 whoever he was1 has   

spoken of the ,lord as a man4 ,it is not
 possible for men of sound              
understandings to conceive of the       
reality of the ,lord's meeting ,moses at
 an inn1 if by the ,lord1 ,we understand
 the ,almighty ,power that governs all  
,worlds4  ,on the account as it stands  
recorded1 and as ,christians take it as 
really having happened1 the following   
remarks may reasonably be made1 namely3 
that after ,moses had been ordered to   
proceed to ,egypt on his important      
mission1 he loitered his time away in a 
tavern2 and that the ,lord surprised him
 in that place1 and showed anger for his
 contempt of orders1 given to and       
accepted by him4 ,but the cause of a    
meeting so extraordinary1 it is         
difficult to unravel4 ,it is easily     
conceived why ,moses might visit a      
tavern2 but that the ,lord of heaven and
 earth should follow a creature into a  
pot-house1 and show signs of anger1 and 
a quarrel should be the result1 is very 
hard to believe2 for it said1 the ,lord 

sought to kill him4 ,again1 if the ,lord
 sought to kill him1 it must be in      
appearance only1 for he could have done 
it4 ,however1 ,moses started off4  ,the 
account warrants us in supposing1 that  
,moses had staid in the inn long enough 
for his wife to overtake him1 and to    
upbraid him with neglect4 ,something is 
said about his son's being              
uncircumcised2 and taking a sharp stone1
 she performed that operation with a    
very clumsy instrument2 after which1 she
 exclaimed1 in an angry tone1 ,a bloody 
husband thou art1 because of the        
circumcision2 as if she meant to        
say--,shame on you6 to leave it to me to
 do that which is so revolting to my    
feelings6 ,moses then departed for      
,egypt1 and obeyed the ,lord in his     
journey to his brethren4  ,we can       
discover neither justice nor humanity in
 the course that was taken by the ,god  
of ,israel1 in bringing the ,jews out of
 bondage4 ,on the contrary1 the greatest
 inhumanity and injustice are           

discoverable in every movement that     
,moses made under the authority of the  
,lord2 which fully proves1 that         
,infinite ,wisdom and ,goodness had     
nothing to do in the mighty fuss of     
liberating the seed of ,abram from      
bondage4 ,the plagues that were         
inflicted on the inhabitants of ,egypt1 
if true1 make the conduct of ,jehovah   
more vindictive than any thing we have  
heard of as proceeding from the ,devil  
himself for the ,lord had told ,moses   
beforehand1 that he had hardened        
,pharaoh's heart that the people might  
know the power of the ,hebrew ,god to   
afflict the nation4 ,it might have been 
sport to the man made ,god of ,moses1   
but not very pleasant and comfortable to
 the ,egyptians1 to be lousy1 to be     
stunk to death with putrid carcasses1   
having frogs for bed-mates1 when the    
,lord had hardened the ,king's heart4   
,but the worst and most infamous of all 
the judgments1 was the destruction of   
the first-born4 ,this act would have    

disgraced the very devil3 to institute  
the ,feast of the ,passover4  ,we may   
indulge in a little mirth in reference  
to the destroying angel going round the 
streets1 finding out the doors marked   
with the blood of your paschal lamb1 and
 taking care not to wring the neck of a 
little ,hebrew4 ,wonder if the          
destroying angel had a lantern8 ,but1   
perhaps1 he had cat's eyes1 and could   
see as well by night as at noon-day6 ,no
 wonder1 ye ,jews1 that the inhabitants 
of ,egypt so willingly gave you their   
gold and silver ornaments to get rid of 
a people so detestable1 and1 with them1 
a more detestable ,god4  ,in a short    
time after the ,jews had left the house 
of bondage1 they began to upbraid ,moses
 that they had changed for the worse2   
and in the course of their journeying1  
they quarrelled with him1 and the ,lord 
had continually to interfere1 and to    
feed them by miracles4 ,at ,mount       
,sinai1 ,moses halted2 and1 according to
 the command of the ,lord1 the law was  

given to the nation1 as recorded in     
,exodus1 chapter xx4 ,and this boasted  
law is said to have been given by the   
,lord1 in the hearing of all the        
,children of ,israel4 ,the first        
commandment contains a spirit of        
intolerance1 which1 whether he gave it  
or not1 has never failed to generate in 
,jews and ,christians a spirit of       
religious persecution which has deluged 
the earth with blood4  ,the ten         
commandments1 given by ,moses to the    
,children of ,israel1 contain1 in       
general1 good moral precepts1 with the  
exception of the first4 ,the first      
begins by the ,lord's speaking in a     
language which all the people could     
understand3--,i am the ,lord thy ,god1  
which have brought thee out of the land 
of ,egypt1 out of the house of bondage4 
,thou shalt have no other ,gods before  
me4 ,this command1 which by both ,jews  
and ,christians is considered so just   
and reasonable1 contains in it the germ 
of intolerance4 ,had this command been  

given immediately after the recorded    
fall of ,adam1 its influence would have 
had a very different bearing on the     
peace and happiness of society1 than it 
had at the time1 and has had ever since 
it was given4 ,it would have been both  
just and right in the ,lord of all to   
demand of his creatures to worship him1 
and him alone1 in the way and manner he 
saw fit2 since in that case1 no evil    
consequences could have followed from a 
command so just and proper1 as for the  
creature to obey his ,creator4  ,but at 
the time the ,lord gave the first       
commandment1 the whole world were in the
 practice of worshipping the gods of    
their forefathers3 the origin of which  
worship was then lost1 and the          
worshippers were no doubt as sincere in 
their devotion as the most pious ,jew or
 ,christian of the present day4 ,by the 
publication1 then1 of the first         
commandment1 at a time when every nation
 had its particular god1 and the        
worshippers lived in peace1 the spirit  

of intolerance and religious persecution
 being unknown1 the great ,i am declared
 a religious war against all the gods1  
and their worshippers on the face of the
 earth4 ,but according to ,bible        
history1 ,jehovah permitted his         
creatures to wander on earth1 and       
appeared regardless as to what gods were
 worshipped2 and then1 after some       
thousand years1 he all at once began to 
rage against all the religious systems  
then known4  ,but it was otherwise with 
what are called heathen nations4 ,each  
had its peculiar god1 and also its      
different forms of worship2 and they    
lived happily with each other on the    
score of theology4 ,and here we may     
observe1 how unfortunate it has been for
 the human race1 that the ,lord did not 
either give his law sooner1 or not at   
all2 for it is plainly to be seen1 that 
if the first commandment had been given 
by the ,lord before men had followed    
other gods1 idolatry would have been    
prevented1 and ,jehovah's watchfulness  

over the worship he had established1    
would have been productive of universal 
happiness4 ,but1 on the contrary1 the   
command being given so long after1 and  
that1 too1 when religious systems were  
flourishing1 and temples crowded with   
devout worshippers1 the worst           
consequences have followed4  ,the       
worshippers of ,jehovah1 whether ,jews  
or ,christians1 have1 by the ,bible     
itself1 become intolerant and           
persecuting2 and never have they failed1
 when power would admit1 to destroy the 
enemies of their ,god without mercy3 so 
that the first commandment1 by coming   
too late1 has proved the greatest curse 
that ever afflicted the human family4   
,and hence the folly in believing that  
,infinite ,wisdom and ,goodness would   
permit false religion to progress so    
long before the true one was made known 
to the human race4 ,after the moral law1
 or the ten commandments1 had been given
 by the ,jewish ,god1 on the mount1 amid
 thunder and lightning1 we have it      

recorded that ,moses was ordered to go  
up to the top of the mount1 and there1  
with the ,lord1 he staid forty days and 
nights2 during which time ,aaron1 his   
brother1 remained with the whole of the 
,children of ,israel in camp1 at the    
foot of ,mount ,sinai4  ,and now1 candid
 reader1 prepare your mind for an       
account of what took place on the mount1
 between ,jehovah and ,moses2 and when  
you have read it1 and maturely reflected
 on what is recorded1 then ,i say1 ask  
yourself whether there is one word of   
truth in the account of this strange    
interview between ,moses and his ,god8  
,compare it with any of the absurdities 
to be found in the ,koran of ,mahomet1  
and discover1 if you can1 whether the   
latter is less true than the former4    
,the ,bible record states1 that ,moses  
was ordered to ascend the mount1 on     
private business with the ,lord1 and to 
leave ,aaron in charge of his chosen    
people till his return4 ,the account    
clearly states1 that ,moses was then and

 there to receive instruction how to fit
 up and ornament the ,tabernacle that   
was to accompany the ,children of       
,israel in their journey to the promised
 land4 ,and here we may notice1 ,that in
 six days the ,lord made heaven and     
earth1 and all things therein2 yet it   
required forty days to plan and fit up  
this moveable church2 and before it was 
finished1 the chosen people1 with ,aaron
 at their head1 became idolators2 so    
that before the ,lord and ,moses 7both  
hard at work7 had completed the church1 
they lost the congregation4 ,this1 to   
make the best of it1 was a dreadful     
blunder4  ,after the forty days had run 
out1 during which time ,moses and his   
,god were hard at work1 and ,moses had  
often received the precaution1 ,see that
 you make all things according to the   
pattern given on the mount1--all at     
once1 the ,lord said to ,moses1 ,do you 
know what is going on below8 ,poor      
,moses1 full of thought1 and over-joyed 
at the prospect of so fine a fit-out1   

was altogether ignorant of the ,lord's  
meaning4 ,why1 ,moses1 that stubborn    
race you brought out of ,egypt1 have set
 up strange gods1 and have turned their 
backs on both you and me6 ,if this story
 was strictly true1 how ,moses must feel
 on hearing this unfortunate news6 ,we  
must suppose he would exclaim and say1  
,oh6 ,lord1 our forty days' labor is all
 knocked on the head4 ,is it possible1  
,oh6 ,lord1 that they have forgotten    
what you did for them in ,egypt8 ,what a
 pity it is1 ,oh6 ,lord1 that they ever 
got rid of the lice when they left the  
house of bondage1 for if they were now  
tormented by those nibblers1 it would   
remind them of the lousy miracle you    
performed for them in the presence of   
,pharaoh4 ,those lice1 if not destroyed1
 would have been 'a forget-me-not4' ,and
 the ,lord said unto ,moses1 ,now let me
 alone1 that my wrath may wax hot       
against this people1 for ,i know that   
they are a stiff-necked race4 ,i will   
destroy them1 and from you shall a great

 nation spring up4 ,but ,moses1 not     
having at this time lost his temper1    
said1 ,oh6 ,lord ,god1 now do not       
destroy them2 besides1 what will the    
,egyptians say8 ,and also remember what 
you promised to ,abram1 ,isaac1 and     
,jacob3 how you swore that you would    
give it to ,abram and his seed forever4 
,well1 ,moses1 you reason correctly4 ,i 
own ,i was rather too hasty2 upon a     
second thought1 ,i retract2 ,i will take
 your advice2 but go down and see what  
you can make of them4  ,moses1 not well 
pleased1 left the ,lord1 and went down  
from the mount2 and when he came to the 
camp1 he lost all patience1 and1 in a   
passion1 not knowing what he did1 threw 
down the stones on which were written   
the commandments--and written1 too1 with
 the finger of ,god--and they were      
broken asunder4 ,no wonder that ,moses  
lost his temper3 forty days' labor lost2
 having had1 during the whole time1     
nothing to eat2 and having lost his     
church members before the moveable      

church was complete6 ,no one can be     
surprised that he acted as he did4      
,moses reasoned so correctly with the   
,lord1 that he cooled ,jehovah down1 but
 was not so fortunate with himself4     
,aaron1 finding himself in a dilemma1   
excused himself by charging the people  
with the fault4 ,but ,aaron's story was 
but a lame tale2 for1 when the people   
demanded a god1 to whom they might pay  
divine honors1 ,aaron could have told   
them to have patience1 and ,moses would 
return with proper instructions from    
their ,god4 ,but poor1 silly ,aaron told
 ,moses1 that when he threw the rings   
and bracelets into the fire1 out came   
the calf4 ,at any rate1 between the     
,lord1 ,moses1 and ,aaron1 a sad blunder
 was made2 and to finish off1 ,moses    
commanded the ,levites to go sword in   
hand and kill every man his brother and 
neighbor2 and three thousand were slain1
 who1 if things had been conducted      
properly1 might have been faithful      
worshippers of ,jehovah4 ,finally1      

nothing can exceed in folly this foolish
 story of ,jehovah1 ,moses1 and ,aaron1 
except it be the folly of believing it  
to contain one word of truth4  ,after   
,moses had slain the people for their   
idolatry1 not having been reproved by   
the ,lord1 he was commanded to prepare  
two tables of stone1 in place of those  
that were broken1 and the next morning  
to go up again to the ,lord1 on the     
mount4 ,it is then said that the ,lord  
descended on the mount to meet ,moses2  
so it appears that the ,lord 7after the 
departure of ,moses to the bottom of the
 mount7 departed also1 into heaven or to
 some unknown place2 for it is recorded 
that he came down again to meet ,moses  
with the two new tables prepared by him4
 ,the whole account of the ,lord's      
interview with ,moses1 on the mount1    
implies that ,jehovah labored1 talked1  
and acted in concert with ,moses1 as one
 man acts with another2 and that they   
remained together forty days and as many
 nights4 ,whether they continued their  

work through the night1 we have no      
account2 nor whether they needed        
candles4 ,at all events1 if it be       
considered literally as a matter of     
fact1 it was a long time for ,moses to  
be without food or sleep2 but as        
,christians are compelled to believe it 
to be matter of fact1 we will remark on 
it as such4  ,we begin1 then1 by asking 
if the ,children of ,israel were indeed 
the ,lord's chosen people1 how can we   
account for the neglect in not giving   
,aaron proper instruction respecting the
 business of ,moses on the mount1 so as 
to prevent the people from seeking after
 other gods8 ,and1 also1 how came it to 
pass that the ,lord did not inform      
,moses sooner of the people's revolt1 so
 that the three thousand that ,moses    
caused to be murdered1 might have been  
saved8 ,and lastly1 is it consistent    
with the attributes of the ,governor of 
the ,universe to resolve1 in wrath1 to  
do any thing1 and then repent and not   
perform it8  ,if nothing had been       

recorded in the ,old ,testament of the  
sayings and doings of the ,jewish ,god1 
but that which is related concerning him
 in giving the law on ,mount ,sinai1 and
 of his giving instruction to ,moses how
 to fit out the ,tabernacle1 it is of   
itself sufficient to show the absurdity 
of ,jehovah's being the ,god of ,nature4
 ,to unite in one person the attributes 
of the great and all-powerful ,god1 with
 the contemptible arrangement of giving 
patterns for curtains1 and a thousand   
trifling things of no importance        
whatever1 and to take forty days to     
garnish his church1 and1 while so doing1
 to let1 from sheer neglect1 his people 
lose sight of ,moses1 and then to       
destroy three thousand persons in       
consequence of such want of foresight1  
is too much for credulity to digest4    
,when we notice the importance attached 
to rites and ceremonies the most        
unimportant1 and then again how lavish  
the ,jewish ,god is of human life1 and  
totally regardless of human suffering1  

we dare not for a moment give credence  
to the strange stories and foolish whims
 of the ,bible ,god1 and palm them upon 
the all-bountiful ,author of ,nature4   
,moses1 after coming down the last time 
from the mount1 begins to prepare for   
the priesthood1 by saying1 that the     
firstlings of cattle1 whether of the ox1
 or the sheep which are of the male     
kind1 belong to the ,lord2 but the      
firstling of the ass was to be redeemed 
by substituting a lamb6 ,but if the     
owner had no lamb to offer1 the neck of 
the ass was to be broken2 as if the     
,lord had said--if you have nothing     
better to give1 ,i will not accept of a 
young jack-ass6  ,whoever wrote the     
,book of ,exodus1 has made the ,god of  
,israel appear like unto an old         
clothes-man1 giving orders for a        
thousand ornaments for his worship1     
which would disgrace a heathen temple2  
such as giving orders for all kinds of  
brass work2 likewise1 gold and silver   
ornaments2 all kinds of oils and spices2

 particular patterns of cabinet work2   
what kind of leather skins1 and1 also1  
of what particular color1 to grace his  
house withal3 and even down to the cut  
and color of the garments3 not          
forgetting to give instruction          
concerning the making of breeches for   
,aaron and his sons6 ,in the present    
day1 it is no uncommon thing for ladies 
to wear the breeches2 but in those days1
 when breeches were cut by inspiration1 
it would have been no small crime for a 
woman to have stepped into ,aaron's     
inexpressibles1 or those of his sons4   
,how is the dignity of the ,governor of 
the ,world disgraced1 by ascribing to   
him an employment fitting only for a    
pedler in old clothes6  ,let' us compare
 the majestic grandeur of ,jupiter1 the 
supreme god of the ,greeks1 to the      
peddling1 gossipping concerns that the  
writers of the ,old ,testament have     
palmed on ,jehovah1 the ,god of the     
,jews6 ,hear what the poet says of      
,jupiter1 when challenging all the gods 

to oppose his power3--3      ,let down  
our golden1 everlasting chain1          
,whose strong embrace holds heaven and  
earth and main2     ,strive all1 of     
mortal or immortal birth1     ,by this  
to drag the thunderer down to earth2    
,ye strive in vain2 if ,i but lift this 
hand1     ,i heave the heaven1 the      
ocean1 and the land2     ',t is thus ,i 
reign1 supremely and above2     ,such   
are men and gods compar'd to ,jove6     
,the contradictions1 as recorded in the 
,bible1 concerning ,jehovah1 are so     
barefaced1 that it is impossible to     
reconcile them4 ,it is said in many     
parts of the ,old1 and also in the ,new 
,testament1 that no man can see ,god and
 live2 but we are told that ,moses      
conversed with ,jehovah1 face to face1  
as one conversing with his friend4 ,it  
is in many places recorded that ,god    
never repents--,for he 7,god7 cannot lie
 nor repent4 ,in many other places it is
 recorded that ,jehovah has repented and
 taken a contrary course in his dealings

 with the sons of men4 ,i again repeat1 
that if no other account had been       
recorded of the conduct of the ,jewish  
,god1 but what we have mentioned1 it is 
impossible to believe ,jehovah to be any
 thing but a man-made ,god4  ,after the 
death of ,moses1 ,joshua was appointed  
as his successor4 ,his business was to  
complete what ,moses had left undone1 in
 subjugating or destroying the nations  
on the other side of ,jordan4 ,the first
 exploit of ,joshua was to send spies to
 ,jericho to examine the strength of the
 city4 ,these spies entered the house of
 ,rahab1 the harlot1 where they were    
treated with kindness2 it being such a  
house as would in modern times be termed
 a house of bad fame4 ,that it was a    
house of ill-fame1 the proof is         
positive2 because the harlot's father1  
mother1 and all the family1 were saved  
when ,joshua took the city1 because     
,rahab had concealed the spies3 so no   
doubt remains as to the character of the
 house1 and that it was entirely under  

her control and that the whole family   
were supported from the wages of        
prostitution4  ,viewing this account as 
having actually taken place1 as         
,christians must do1 as believers in the
 ,bible1 it was a very proper house at  
which the spies would resort2 for it was
 a house at which all were welcome2     
where all sorts of news could be        
collected4 ,after the spies had become  
somewhat familiar with ,mrs4 ,rahab1    
they informed her who they were1 and the
 nature of their errand4 ,all on a      
sudden1 they were about to be arrested  
by the city authorities2 and when forced
 to depart1 ,rahab extorted a promise   
from the spies that her whole family    
should be saved when ,jericho should    
fall4 ,such a promise1 the spies could  
not well deny1 after having been so     
kindly treated4 ,rahab1 consequently1   
let them out by a private way2 and1 on  
returning to ,joshua1 they praised the  
,lord for having directed them to so    
hospitable and honorable a mansion as   

the house of the virtuous ,rahab4 ,this 
was the ,lord's doings1 as also the     
exploit of the seven rams'-horn trumpets
 that threw down the walls of ,jericho2 
and it is marvellous in our             
eyes--praised be his name6  ,here1      
serious reader1 pause and wonder how    
,infinite ,wisdom can bring good out of 
apparent evil1 by taking into his       
employment murderers1 thieves1 and      
harlots6 and also1 how such characters  
have immortalized their names1 when     
their actions have been connected with  
faith in the ,jehovah of ,israel6 ,for  
this noble act of betraying the city of 
,jericho1 and giving the spies          
comfortable lodging1 and no doubt1 also1
 very agreeable bedmates1 ,rahab secured
 the favor of ,jehovah1 and her name is 
recorded in connection with many others 
of equal virtue2 for ,paul says1 in     
,hebrews xi41 #ca1--;,by faith1 the     
harlot ,rahab perished not with them    
that believed not1 when she had received
 the spies in peace4 ,nothing is        

acceptable to the ,lord1 without        
faith1--that faith which keeps the souls
 of sinners as sweet as salt does meat4 
,after the taking of ,jericho and       
destroying every thing that had life1   
7the family of ,rahab excepted17 ,joshua
 followed in the same destructive course
 as had been commanded by ,moses1 which 
command ,jehovah gave on the other side 
of ,jordan4 ,if the warfare pursued by  
,moses and ,joshua did really take      
place1 and ,jehovah gave the orders1 it 
is idle prate to talk of a ,god of      
justice4 ,and when the ,lord is made to 
say that he 7the ,lord7 hardened the    
hearts of those ,kings on either side of
 ,jordan1 that a plausible appearance of
 justice in their destruction might be  
made out1--for ,christians to sing of a 
,god of mercy1 is horrible indeed4      
,whether a ,god ever commanded or       
encouraged the ,jews in their wars of   
extermination1 under ,moses1 ,joshua1 or
 any other of their generals1 or not1   
,christian nations1 as well as          

individuals1 have drank deep of the     
spirit of religious warfare4 ,a ,lord of
 hosts1 a fighting ,god1 has given a    
sort of license to mortals to torment   
each other for his glory4  ,every       
,infidel ought to oppose this spirit1   
and vindicate the ,author of ,nature    
from the imputation of cruelty and      
carnage--an imputation that1 is opposed 
to every idea of justice1 and contrary  
to every thing we can conceive of the   
,supreme ,ruler of all worlds4 ,and     
hence1 nothing can be more honorable to 
a man or woman of good sense and        
kindness of heart1 than to assert that  
the ,god of the ,bible is unworthy to be
 worshipped as the ,governor of the     
,universe2 which in fact is to say1 that
 to all pretended divine revelations1   
they are no less than avowed            
,infidels--a name that will eventually  
be as honorable as is now the name of   
,christian4  ,according to ,bible       
history1 the nations on the other side  
of ,jordan were so alarmed at the       

frightful news they received of the     
,jewish army1 and the ravages they      
committed1 that five ,kings1 with their 
armies1 came out to stop their progress2
 and in this account1 we have the climax
 of divine interference on the part of  
,jehovah4 ,after a desperate effort was 
made by the five ,kings to stop the     
progress of ,joshua1 and after fighting 
the whole day1 until towards the going  
down of the sun1 they retreated4 ,at    
that moment ,jehovah is said to have    
given support to his chosen people1 by  
causing a hail-storm to descend1 and    
more were slain by the hail than fell by
 the sword4 ,but when the hail was      
exhausted1 something more was requisite 
to be done2 ,divine aid was still       
wanting4 ,then ,joshua1 in sight of his 
army1 said1 ,sun stand thou still upon  
,gibeon1 and thou1 moon1 in the valley  
of ,ajalon1 and they obeyed his command4
 ,so that1 according to this miracle1   
the hostile armies were completely      
destroyed1 and the sun and moon 7we     

suppose7 were ordered to pursue their   
courses4  ,and now1 reader1 to believe  
this improbable1 or rather impossible   
tale1 and hundreds of others of the same
 sort1 even in our day1 will make a man 
respectable1 and fit to fill any office 
where intelligence and honesty are      
required4 ,but to doubt it1 and publicly
 express the doubt1 will cause him to be
 considered infamous1 and unfit for     
public trust or private care4 ,and this 
will be the case until men shall be bold
 enough to express their honest         
convictions that it is a libel to charge
 the ,sovereign ,ruler of the ,universe 
with being the direct1 or the indirect1 
author of the ,bible1 or having ever    
chosen the ,jews to be his peculiar     
people4  ,but to return to ,joshua1 who 
appears to be more highly favored with  
miracles than ,moses1 as the miracle of 
the sun and moon standing still1 to give
 time to ,joshua to complete his victory
 over the ,kings that came against him1 
exceeds every thing of the kind on      

record4 ,the writer1 whoever he was1    
that mentions the sun and moon standing 
still in the heavens1 evidently knew    
nothing of astronomy2 for admitting the 
truth of the story1 and that the sun and
 moon appeared to stand fixed in the    
heavens1 it was in reality the earth    
that instantly obeyed the command of    
,joshua4 ,and another miracle must have 
followed immediately1 to prevent the    
dreadful consequences of the earth's    
ceasing from turning round on its axis3 
for we have but to consider the effects 
of the earth's instantly ceasing to turn
 round2 the shock would have been so    
great that trees and houses and the     
armies would have been thrown high in   
the air1 and the battle would have      
immediately ended1 the combatants being 
destroyed4 ,but the tale is too foolish 
to be credited2 and it furnishes another
 proof that the ,jehovah of the ,jews is
 not the ,author of ,nature4 ,in this   
battle1 ,balaam1 the soothsayer1 was    
slain2 and before finishing this        

chapter1 we will give the account as    
recorded1 with some remarks on that     
celebrated fortune-teller4  ,when the   
,children of ,israel had left ,egypt1   
and were marching to the land of        
promise1 they had to go through         
different kingdoms and provinces2 and   
their numbers1 connected with the       
depredations they committed in the name 
of ,jehovah1 caused the inhabitants of  
those regions to be greatly alarmed2 and
 understanding that their ,god fought   
for them and that they were about to    
pass through the land of ,moab1 ,balak1 
,king of ,moab1 having learned what had 
been done by them to the ,amorites1 sent
 to ,balaam to consult with him1        
intending1 if possible1 to stop their   
progress1 or at least1 to find out what 
the ,jewish ,god had destined his people
 to perform4  ,in the ,book of ,numbers1
 chapter xxii41 the account commences4  
,balaam1 it appears1 was then what now  
would be called a celebrated conjuror1  
or1 as country people say1 a cunning    

man1 by which he made a living1 and a   
good one1 too3 for1 from the ,bible     
story1 he appears to be a man well known
 by princes1 and was attended by two    
servants as out-riders4 ,like our       
present lawyers1 he never gave his      
services until he had received a        
handsome fee2 for the ,king sent off the
 elders to ,balaam1 with the rewards of 
divination in their hand4 ,balaam       
received them1 and invited them to stay 
with him till the next day1 for1 7as he 
told them17 he would first inquire of   
the ,lord4  ,it is then recorded1 that  
,god came unto ,balaam1 and said1 what  
men are those with thee8 ,this inquiry  
of the ,jewish ,god appears strange1    
when he must have known all about it    
without asking2 but here1 as in hundreds
 of other passages1 the man-made ,god   
appears4 ,but1 for the information of   
the ,lord1 ,balaam gives a suitable     
answer4 ,the ,lord then informs the     
fortune-teller that he must not go to   
,balak1 nor curse them1 for they are    

blessed4 ,the elders then returned to   
the ,king1 to inform him that ,balaam   
could not come1 because the ,god of     
,israel had forbid him so to do4 ,again1
 ,balak sent others1 more honorable than
 the first1 with promises of riches and 
honor4 ,the ,lord came again to ,balaam1
 and told him to go with the men to     
,balak1 ,king of the ,moabites1 but to  
mind what the ,lord had said to him4    
,balaam went off with the princes of    
,moab2 but the ,devil1 or something     
else1 got into the jack-ass on which the
 old fortune-teller rode1 and he became 
skittish2 and although then dumb1 he    
seemed to say to his master1 ,i shall go
 no further4 ,balaam became enraged1 and
 laid some heavy stripes on poor jack2  
but still the animal refused to go on1  
until neither the ,lord nor jack could  
bear it any longer4 ,the beast then     
broke silence1 and reasoned with the old
 prophet on his brutality4 ,all of a    
sudden1 ,balaam saw an angel with a     
drawn sword in his hand1 who told him if

 it had not been for jack's superior    
eye-sight1 he would have been a dead    
man4 ,the angel then told ,balaam to go 
on1 but to mind what he did against     
,israel4 ,what contemptible humbug is   
all this6 two miracles performed to do  
nothing6 ,the first1 to send an angel   
down from nobody knows where2 and the   
second1 to make a dumb ass reprove his  
owner4 ,and what was ,balaam's fault8   
,he was going on as the ,lord commanded2
 and to complete this solemn farce1 an  
apostle quotes it as a real fact that   
actually took place1 by saying--,and the
 dumb ass spake with man's voice1 and   
forbade the madness of the prophet4     
,after returning to ,balak1 ,balaam     
ordered seven altars to be built1 on    
which were to be offered seven bullocks 
and seven rams3 and again1 the ,lord    
came to see the process1 and in private 
conversation with the fortune-teller1   
told him that it would not answer2      
,israel must not be cursed4 ,this was   
repeated by ,balaam three times2 so that

 twenty-one bullocks1 and as many rams1 
were offered up to no purpose3 and at   
each offering1 the ,lord came down and  
conversed in private with ,balaam4 ,is  
it possible that men possessed of reason
 can believe that in this account there 
is one word of truth1 as it respects the
 ,governor of the ,universe having any  
thing to do with it8 ,if this account1  
or any one like it1 was recorded in any 
other book than the ,bible1 no man of a 
sound mind would give the least credit  
to it4 ,but yet the ,christian dares not
 doubt it2 for even the apostles of     
,jesus speak of it as a real fact that  
took place with the miracles attending  
it4  ,to conclude this chapter of       
absurdities1 we beg the reader to bear  
in mind--first1 that ,balaam was not a  
prophet of ,jehovah1 but a conjuror2 and
 if he professed any religion1 it was   
that of heathenism4 ,but he 7,balaam7   
had heard of the manner of sacrificing  
to the ,jewish ,god1 and accordingly    
began by slaying seven bullocks and an  

equal number of rams2 and while the     
altars were smoking1 7if the ,bible be  
true17 the ,lord of the whole earth left
 his throne1 and came down to see what  
was going on4 ,the old fortune-teller   
was hard at work1 and the princes of    
,moab standing by to hear the result2   
when lo1 and behold6 the ,lord descends1
 and we may suppose him to say--,balaam6
 why1 you are cooking for a large party6
 ,come1 ,balaam1 before you go any      
further1 a word with you1 if you please4
 ,come this way4 ,what does all this    
mean8 ,we must have some private talk   
about this affair4 ,why1 my ,lord1 you  
know my business4 ,i must do all ,i can 
for my employers2 ,i thought that if    
sacrifice is made1 agreeably to your    
order of worship1 you might be induced  
to alter your mind towards your people3 
for we have heard that at times1 when   
the fit comes on1 you give them a severe
 thrashing4 ,yes1 ,balaam1 there is some
 truth in the report2 but ,i tell you1  
once for all1 that if you offer all the 

bullocks in the world1 and all the rams 
beside1 you cannot1 must not1 curse     
,israel4  ,no lawyer ever stuck closer  
to a rich client than did ,balaam to the
 ,king of ,moab2 for again and again did
 he sacrifice to the ,lord of ,hosts4   
,another trial1 on a mountain1 was made1
 and again ,jehovah descends and tells  
,balaam the same as before4 ,the third  
and last effort being made1 which would 
incline us to think that the patience of
 ,heaven must have been tired out1 was  
enough to make the doorkeeper exclaim1  
,here is ,monsieur ,tonson come again6  
,the last descent is made by the ,lord1 
and the prophet gives in1 reluctantly4  
,i challenge any minister of the gospel 
to produce a more absurd story1 in any  
system of theology1 than the account of 
,balaam1 his ass1 and the ,lord of      
,hosts4  ,i will not insult the reader  
by saying1 do not believe it2 but rather
 say1 believe it who can6     ,,chapter 
,v4 ,,from ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,joshua  
,,to ,,the ,,reign ,,of ,,saul   ,,we   

now come to the time when the           
,israelites were settled in the land of 
,canaan1 ,moses and ,joshua being dead4 
,this period of ,bible history1 from the
 death of ,joshua to the time of ,saul1 
their first ,king1 is about four hundred
 years4 ,and1 seeing the miracles and   
wonders performed in behalf of ,god's   
chosen people1 in the times of ,moses   
and ,joshua1 we might reasonably expect 
that the same care would be continued   
towards them in succeeding generations4 
,but1 on the contrary1 during the time  
the different ,judges presided over     
them1 nothing but disasters and         
confusion prevailed2 and if their       
history is to be credited1 it must      
appear as if ,jehovah had nearly given  
them up as a prey to his and their      
enemies4  ,notwithstanding all that has 
been said and written about ,moses being
 the author of the first five ,books1   
including the ,jewish worship1 with the 
laws1 ceremonial and moral1 it does not 
appear that the contents of those ,books

 were known and obeyed by the           
generations that followed after his     
death2 for it is recorded in the ,book  
of ,judges1 ii41 #aj1 that after the    
death of ,joshua1 there arose another   
generation after them2 which knew not   
the ,lord1 nor yet the works which he   
had done for ,israel4 ,if the mighty    
works had been done in behalf of ,god's 
chosen people1 which are recorded1 it is
 impossible to believe that they should 
have been forgotten or disregarded4 ,can
 we suppose1 that1 in a few years1 the  
,declaration of our ,independence on the
 #dth of ,july1 #aggf1 together with the
 name of 99,washington991 and the       
heroism of his brave companions in arms1
 can be forgotten8 ,no2 it is           
impossible4 ,it is then clear1 that the 
,books said to have been written by     
,moses were not known2 or if known1 they
 were not believed in by the people4    
,after the land of promise had been     
divided among the tribes of ,israel1    
instead of ,jehovah's setting up some   

permanent form of government1 and       
causing his name to be adored1 so as to 
make his chosen people happy and        
prosperous1 they were1 to all           
appearance1 left in the most confused   
and unsettled state3 and hence it is    
often said1 ,in those days there was no 
,king in ,israel1 and every man did that
 which was right in his own eyes4 ,it is
 not too much to infer1 that for        
hundreds of years after the death of    
,moses and ,joshua1 the ,jewish ,god1 as
 if he had forgotten his engagements    
with ,abram1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1        
concerning their posterity1 became      
indifferent to their happiness          
altogether4  ,we will now refer to their
 situation4 ,as it respects government1 
they had none2 it was accidental2 and1  
although it is recorded that their ,god 
fought for them1 and caused both sun and
 moon 7as the phrase is7 to stand still1
 to give them time to destroy their     
enemies1 ,jehovah's conduct was so      
altered that he seemed to enjoy the     

troubles of his once chosen people4     
,with all these facts1 ,christian       
ministers prate of an unchangeable ,god6
 ,we read of ,jehovah's stirring up     
heathen ,kings against his people2 and  
to such a deplorable state were they    
reduced1 that an old woman was their    
,chief-,justice1 and also ,general of   
their army4 ,at that time1 to say the   
least of it1 no nation under heaven was 
in so degraded a state4 ,at times1      
upstart ,judges arose2 the ,lord was    
with them2 and1 for a while1 all things 
appeared prosperous4 ,at their death1   
however1 the troubles were renewed4     
,such was their situation at one time1  
that they had no weapons of war1 nor    
smiths to repair their ploughs or       
harrows4 ,then they cried unto the      
,lord1 and he sanctioned them in every  
dishonorable way to out-wit or murder   
their oppressors4  ,in such a state of  
subjugation were the tribes to their    
foes when ,saul was made ,king1 that    
only two swords could be found in       

,israel2 and the ,israelites went down  
to the ,philistines to sharpen every man
 his share and his coulter1 and his axe 
and his mattock4 ,what folly1 then1 to  
suppose1 that after all that had been   
done for ,god's favorite people1 they   
should have been so neglected1 and there
 should be nothing but slaughter and    
blood throughout the land of promise6   
,what madness1 to believe that the      
,author of the ,universe should permit  
such carnage1 and his whole attention   
seem to be directed to the foolish      
quarrels of an unfortunate race1 who1 by
 some imposture1 had been taught to     
consider their nation as his peculiar   
choice6  ,and as to their religion1 by  
what is recorded1 it seems that their   
proneness to worship the gods of their  
neighbors1 is what brought on the       
chastisements of ,heaven4 ,this is but a
 poor excuse1 and dishonorable to the   
,god of the ,universe1 to urge on       
nations to make war on his people1      
because he was displeased with them for 

worshipping strange gods4 ,it appears   
strange1 passing strange1 that ,jehovah 
could not convert his own people4 ,but  
only substitute the term ,priest1       
instead of the ,lord1 and reject        
altogether the idea of ,god's having any
 thing to do with their theology1 and   
the matter is plain and clear4          
,admitting1 however1 that the ,lord of  
,hosts had so rebellious a race1 and was
 a spectator of all their departures    
from his laws1 he must be as great a    
sufferer as the ,jews1 because he was   
forever punishing2 for1 if anger is to a
 ,god a punishment equal to what human  
beings feel under its influence1 then it
 follows that the ,god of the ,jews is  
the greatest sufferer4 ,oh6 ye ministers
 of grace you have preached up an angry 
,god until you have brutalized the human
 race2 and your intolerant spirit has   
ever been1 and will ever continue to be1
 a burning coal taken from the altar of 
an angry1 vengeful ,god1 to be rekindled
 when power is united to your           

impositions4  ,that the reader may form 
correct ideas of the ,lord's fighting   
for ,israel1 and delivering their       
enemies into their hands1 and also of   
the ,lord's giving the land or towns to 
his favorite people that they had taken 
in war1 it should be observed1 that it  
was the manner of expressing the results
 of a victory among the ,jews1 and also 
with other nations4 ,they all claimed   
for themselves the interference of their
 respective gods1 and to them they gave 
sacrifice and thanks4 ,as a key1 to     
understand how ,god fought for his      
favorite people1 it is recorded in      
,judges i41 #ai1 ,and the ,lord was with
 ,judah1 and he drove out the           
inhabitants of the mountain1 but could  
not drive out the inhabitants of the    
valley because they had chariots of     
iron1 ,the same idea is to be carried   
out in explaining such passages as the  
following3--,and the angel of the ,lord 
appeared to such an one in a            
dream---,thus saith the ,lord1 c4  ,now1

 all that can be made of this is1 that  
the person mentioned1 dreamed that he   
saw an angel1 and that he said this or  
that4 ,again1 it is often repeated1 that
 the word of the ,lord came unto ,moses1
 saying4 ,common sense will inquire1 how
 came the word8 who brought it8 ,words  
do not pass through the air like birds4 
,suppose it should be reported1 that the
 word of the ,president of the ,united  
,states came to some person in ,new     
,york1 saying1 do this or that1 or      
something uncommon and unheard of1 and  
the inquiry be made1 who brought this   
word1 and an answer should be required8 
,no reasonable one could be given4 ,it  
must fill the ,christian reader with    
astonishment to find1 that during the   
time the ,judges presided over ,israel1 
7some hundreds of years17 that neither  
the name of ,moses nor his laws are ever
 mentioned4 ,on the contrary1 his laws1 
both moral and ceremonial1 were either  
suspended or departed from4 ,neither the
 ,sabbath nor the ,passover was         

observed1 and the moral law said to have
 been given by ,jehovah1 from ,mount    
,sinai1 was broken by the worship of    
graven images4  ,if we turn to ,judges1 
chapter xvii41 we there find1 that after
 the death of ,samson1 who judged       
,israel twenty years1 a young man 7a    
,jew7 stole from his mother eleven      
hundred shekels of silver1 which she had
 put by to make a god for herself and   
her son's household1--a worship contrary
 to the express command of ,jehovah1 as 
given in the second commandment2 and    
when her son heard his mother curse most
 bitterly1 he returned it to her4 ,she  
then loaded him with blessings1 and with
 a part of the silver1 and gave the rest
 to the founder1 or artist1 and a graven
 image was made and erected as their    
god1 and a priest hired to perform      
worship4 ,in the #acth verse of the same
 chapter1 her son exults1 and says1 ,now
 know ,i that the ,lord will do me good1
 seeing ,i have a ,levite to my priest4 
,to conclude this account of worship1   

the ,levite asked counsel of ,god1 7the 
image17 and received a gracious answer4 
,this image-worship was the religion of 
the ,danites until they were carried    
away captive4 ,this1 then1 is proof     
positive1 that the five ,books said to  
have been given by ,moses1 were then    
unknown2 and without this admission1 it 
is not possible to account for the      
silence regarding ,moses and his        
writings for so many hundred years4 ,not
 only were the five ,books of which     
,moses is the reputed author1 written   
many hundreds of years after his death1 
but also the ,book of ,judges could not 
have been written till after ,kings bad 
reigned in ,israel2 because1 it is often
 repeated in that ,book1 ,and there was 
no ,king in ,israel1 and every man did  
that which was right in his own eyes2   
for until the end of the ,judges1 no    
,king was ever mentioned1 or thought of1
 among the tribes4 ,it was in           
consequence of the injustice of the sons
 of ,samuel1 that the seed of ,abram    

demanded a ,king1 in order to get just  
judgment2 and in his person to secure a 
leader in time of war4  ,the foolish    
story of ,samson1 which commences in    
,judges1 chapter xiii41 deserves no     
notice1 but for its being ascribed to   
,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel4 ,the     
whole silly account1 when it is fathered
 on the ,god of the ,universe1 will not 
fail to convince every man of a sane    
mind1 how human beings have been imposed
 upon1 in ascribing to the ,sovereign   
,ruler of all worlds such contemptible  
trash4 ,after the ,israelites had for   
forty years been subjected to the       
,philistines1 ,jehovah determined to    
deliver his chosen people from bondage1 
by raising up a man 7then unborn7 to war
 against their enemies4 ,samson was the 
person chosen for this business4 ,the   
story is as follows3--  ,the mother of  
,samson had for years lived with her    
husband1 ,manoah1 but remained          
childless4 ,her sorrow1 on that account1
 so prevailed with the ,lord1 that an   

angel came down from ,jehovah1 whom     
,christians believe to be the allwise   
,governor of the ,universe1 and informed
 her that she should have a son that    
would war against the oppressors of     
,israel1 and that particular care on her
 part must be taken during her          
pregnancy4 ,she was to drink no wine1   
nor strong drink1 nor eat any thing     
unclean2 and no hair must on any account
 be taken from his head4 ,the woman told
 her husband the good tidings1 and he   
was over-joyed1 and prayed to the ,lord 
that the angel would again descend4     
,this request was granted1 and the angel
 repeated to the husband what had been  
told to his wife4 ,when these           
instructions1 given by the angel1 were  
ended1 out of gratitude to the heavenly 
messenger1 this joyful pair proposed to 
dress a kid1 and invited the angel to   
partake of it ,this request was not     
complied with1 but ,manoah and his wife 
were told to sacrifice to the ,lord2    
which they did1 and as the flame        

ascended1 the angel went up with it1    
after refusing to make known his name4  
,in a few months1 ,sampson was born2 and
 his parents were particular in         
observing all things commanded1 as it   
respected the child1 until his arrival  
to manhood2 when1 behold6 this ,samson1 
the gift of the ,lord1 who was to       
deliver his countrymen out of bondage1  
from the galling yoke of the            
,philistines--this ,samson commenced his
 life by going down to the ,philistines1
 and taking up with different women4    
,some he took as wives1 and with others 
he carried on any thing but a           
respectable intercourse2 and in all his 
actions he sought a quarrel with the    
enemies of ,israel4 ,all unknown to his 
parents1 it is recorded that he         
possessed strength superior to human    
beings1 and that this strength resided  
in the hair of his head4 ,his enemies   
discovered this strength1 and bribed his
 wives and concubines to discover how he
 could be bound1 so that they could     

destroy him4 ,after lying1 and          
submitting to be bound1 he betrayed the 
secret to one of his favorite women4    
,his head was shaved1 his eyes put out  
and he was cast into prison4  ,in the   
course of his revels among his ladies1  
he was waring continually with his      
wives' countrymen2 and such was his     
dexterity1 that he caught three hundred 
foxes and tied them tail to tail1 and   
turned them into the standing corn and  
burnt up their harvest4 ,at another     
time1 when pursued by his enemies1 it is
 recorded that he slew a thousand men   
with1 the jaw-bone of an ass2 and so    
mighty was his strength1 that the gates 
of a city were by him carried away with 
ease1 and placed on the top of a        
mountain2 and so terrific was his       
strength1 that his favorite woman1 by   
bribery1 at last found out that his     
almost almighty power was in his hair1  
which had been from his birth untouched 
and unshorn2 but as soon as his hair was
 taken off1 ,jehovah withdrew his       

strength1 and his foes bound him with   
care1 put out his eyes1 and cast him    
into prison4 ,at length1 his hair grew  
again on his head1 and his mighty       
strength returned4 ,he then prayed to   
,jehovah to enable him to lift up the   
mighty building in which the ,lords of  
the ,philistines were2 and having       
succeeded1 down it came with a dreadful 
crash1 and ,samson1 with all that were  
within1 perished in the ruins4  ,now1   
this is the man who is recorded to have 
been raised up to restore to the seed of
 ,abram their lost power2 whose whole   
life was a scene of folly and madness4  
,can any man1 in the full exercise of   
his reason1 believe that the ,ruler of  
all worlds would employ such a          
contemptible creature to bring about his
 plan of redeeming his favorite people  
from bondage8 ,let us take a bird's-eye 
view of ,samson's life2 and first1 we   
will inquire1 what end was to be        
answered by raising up this mighty man8 
,secondly1 did ,samson perform the      

intention of ,jehovah towards his chosen
 race8  ,we proceed to the first        
inquiry1 ,what end was to be answered by
 raising up ,samson8 ,his whole life was
 one continued scene of folly and       
licentiousness2 shedding of blood was   
his practice2 and the mighty strength   
given him by ,jehovah1 was employed in  
doing the most wanton mischief1 such as 
none but a madman would perform4 ,the   
object of so much murder and bloodshed1 
we are informed1 was to deliver the     
,israelites from ,philistine            
subjugation2 in doing which1 he fell a  
victim to his own folly1 in destroying  
the enemies of the ,lord4 ,can it be    
possible that the ,ruler of all worlds  
raised up such a madman to carry out his
 plans8 ,if a story of this kind should 
be recorded in any other book than the  
,bible1 no credit would be given to it4 
,but when it is recorded as making a    
part of ,god's dealings with his chosen 
people1 it is shocking to all our ideas 
of ,infinite ,wisdom1 ,power1 and       

,goodness4  ,in the second place1 ,what 
resulted to ,israel by the efforts of   
,samson8 ,we answer1 nothing at all2 for
 in consequence of the wickedness of the
 ,benjamites1 a war soon after commenced
 between the tribes1 in which thousands 
and tens of thousands were slain4 ,the  
history of ,samson1 then1 is one of     
those fables with which the ,scriptures 
abound1 and which1 if recorded by       
heathen authors1 no one could be found  
who would believe them to be any thing  
but fables4 ,but being a part of the    
,bible1 ,christians attach consequence  
to them1 and father them on the         
all-wise1 all-powerful ,god1 the ,ruler 
of the ,universe4  ,finally1 to show the
 folly in believing that ,samson was    
raised up to redeem the ,israelites from
 serving the ,philistines3--by the      
battle fought immediately after the     
death of ,samson1 the ,philistines      
gained a complete victory over ,israel1 
routed the whole army1 and took the ark 
of the ,lord prisoner4  ,it may be of   

service to the reader to give some      
account of the ark of the ,lord2 and in 
this1 we must be instructed by the      
,bible account alone4 ,the ark1 it      
appears1 was a chest3 or box1 in which  
the following things were said to be    
kept3 the book of the law1 the pot with 
manna1 and ,aaron's rod1 by which the   
wonders were performed in ,egypt ,on the
 lid or cover were placed two cherabims 
with their wings somewhat extended1 and 
their necks turned downwards to the     
cover of the ark1 called the mercy-seat4
 ,this holy ark was kept in the holy of 
holies2 and when the priests entered in 
to perform sacrifice on the mercy-seat1 
the cloud of smoke between the cherabims
 became luminous4 ,this light was       
considered by the priest as an          
acceptance of the offering made by him  
for the sins of the people4 ,hence the  
phrase of adoration applied to the      
,jewish ,god1 ,oh6 thou ,god that       
dwelleth between the cherubims6  ,when  
the ,jews were in the battle with the   

,philistines1 and about to be routed1   
they brought the ark of the ,lord into  
the camp as a protection against a      
defeat1 and also to encourage the       
,israelites to fight most manfully3 the 
,lord of ,hosts being then in the midst 
of them1 they shouted for joy1 as being 
certain of a victory over their enemies4
 ,on the other side1 the ,philistines1  
understanding that the ,god of the      
,hebrews had arrived in their camp1 were
 afraid1 and cried out1 ,woe unto us6   
who shall deliver us ont of the hand of 
these mighty ,gods8 ,the commanders of  
the ,philistines then encouraged their  
soldiers to battle1 urging them on1 so  
that the ,jews might be vanquished2 and 
they slew the ,israelites with a        
destructive slaughter1 and took the ark 
of the ,jewish ,god prisoner1 and killed
 the two sons of ,eli1 the ,high-,priest
 ,this dreadful news so overcame the old
 man1 who was ninety-eight years of age1
 that he fell out of his chair and broke
 his neck4  ,we may now ask1 what will  

,christians say to ,god's raising up    
,samson8 ,did he deliver the ,jews out  
of their their bondage8 ,but ,i have    
wasted too much time on such a          
contemptible madman and fool2 yet ,i    
excuse myself in this respect by the    
desire of showing1 that1 to call ,samson
 a servant of the ,ruler of the         
,universe1 is too contemptible even for 
ridicule4 ,a few remarks on the fate of 
the ark of the ,lord1 will conclude this
 chapter4 ,the foregoing account is     
recorded in #a ,samuel1 chapter iv4     
,after the dreadful daughter of the     
,israelites1 and the capture of the ark1
 the ,philistines were afflicted with a 
complaint that threatened them with     
destruction2 and after consulting among 
themselves as to the cause of their     
sickness1 they concluded that the       
capture and detention of the ark was to 
them more than a counterbalance for the 
victory gained over the ,jews4 ,they    
therefore agreed1 one and all1 to send  
it back to its owners4 ,before sending  

it back1 we may suppose something like  
the following conversation took         
place3--,we have defeated the ,jews1 and
 slain thousands of them2 and although  
their ,god was in the camp of ,israel1  
he could not save them from the edge of 
the sword4 ,but1 after all1 we are      
afflicted with a dreadful disorder1     
which1 if it continues1 will exterminate
 our nation4 ,our complaint is of that  
nature1 that we shall drop to pieces in 
the streets and upon the highways4 ,our 
wives1 instead of baking bread1 must be 
continually making poultices1 to prevent
 our being considered as walking        
pestilences3 the ark must be returned4  
,instead of a ,god for a prisoner1 why1 
we have the ,devil in the box4 ,we must 
get rid of it2 it must be sent back to  
the ,jews4 ,home it was carried2 and    
when it had arrived at ,beth-shemesh1 in
 the time of harvest1 the reapers1      
overjoyed to witness the safe return of 
the ark1 laid down their sickles and ran
 to look into it4 ,the ,jehovah of      

,israel destroyed the honest-hearted    
reapers1 to the number of fifty thousand
 threescore and ten1 for their          
impudence4  ,can a man on earth be found
 who can believe the foregoing account  
to be any thing but fabulous8 ,if this  
account is matter of fact1 what         
degrading ideas are connected with the  
existence of ,infinite ,wisdom and      
,goodness6 ,if there is any thing       
,divine about this foolish tale1 it then
 follows1 that the ,almighty ,power that
 presides over all worlds1--that        
astonishing ,wisdom which strikes us    
dumb in contemplating the harmony and   
surprising adaptation displayed in the  
universe1--associated with such madmen  
and fools as ,samson1 and hundreds of   
others whose freaks are recorded in the 
,bible4 ,this is opposed to every idea  
that we can possibly have of his        
greatness4 ,let those who are but little
 acquainted with ,astronomy1 contemplate
 the grandeur of the universe1 and ask  
if it be possible that a ,being who     

arranges all1 and who governs all with  
that exactness which overwhelms not only
 the ignorant and untaught man1 but also
 the most profound and learned of the   
human race1 should thus act8 ,mark well 
the infinite wisdom which is apparent in
 the vast universe of which man forms   
but so small a part6 ,for one moment    
reflect on boundless space1 filled with 
millions of millions of suns1 around    
which revolve innumerable worlds2 all of
 them arranged and upheld by that ,power
 which ,christians believe to be the    
author of the ,bible1 either directly or
 indirectly4 ,that this being should mix
 up with the most abandoned characters  
on earth1 and be forever doing and      
undoing2 forever planning and failing in
 his plans2 choosing his favorites1 and 
then repenting of such choice2          
inheriting all the infirmities of       
fallible man2 sometimes1 tired out with 
the follies and wickedness of his chosen
 people1 sinking1 as it were1 down into 
a state of inaction2 again1 rising in   

vengeance1 destroying even his chosen   
people without mercy2 at times1         
appearing to be long-suffering and      
merciful2 at other times1 revenging     
injuries by destruction and death on a  
present generation1 for the errors of   
another generation long since dead and  
gone1 is inconsistent with common sense4
  ,in fact1 the ,jehovah of the ,bible1 
from the accounts recorded1 appears     
never to be at ease4 ,anger1 rage1 fury1
 alternately disturb him4 ,the smallest 
deviation of his chosen people in the   
performance of some trifling ceremony1  
would at times call down the most horrid
 chastisements on both the innocent and 
the guilty4 ,if the ,bible truly records
 the movements of ,jehovah1 he must be  
the most unhappy ,being in the universe2
 for it is said that he is angry every  
day4 ,the previous description of the   
,god of the ,bible is but a scantling of
 what is written concerning his         
dealings1 even with the seed of ,abram4 
,ye ministers of the gospel6 look at the

 heavens above1 and the earth beneath6  
,mark well the unchangeable order which 
pervades the whole6 ,how admirably every
 thing is arranged6 how skilfully the   
means are adapted to the end intended6  
,no arranging1 and then re-arranging3 no
 missing the mark--no going beyond or   
wide of the mark4 ,before you talk of   
the unblushing ,infidel1 and deal out   
the vengeance of your ,bible ,god1 look 
at the order1 the grandeur the          
undisturbed harmony that governs the    
whole2 and then pause1 and ask          
yourselves1 if it be possible for the   
,sovereign ,ruler of all worlds1 to have
 dictated the ,bible1 which you so      
positively assert is the ,word of the   
only true and living ,god8     ,,chapter
 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,reigns ,,of ,,saul1      
,,david1 ,,and ,,solomon   ,,samuel1 the
 last of the ,judges of ,israel1 when   
very old1 appointed his sons to judge   
the people--,but they took bribes and   
perverted judgment4 ,the ,israelites    
complained to ,samuel of their          

injustice1 and demanded a ,king1 like   
other nations4 ,now1 considering the    
unsettled state of the ,jews for        
hundreds of years1 when there was no    
,king in ,israel1 and every man did that
 which was right in his own eyes the    
request was reasonable2 for they were   
tired of the unsettled state of their   
national affairs4 ,samuel inquired of   
the ,lord what was to be done8 ,the     
reply from the ,lord was1 that ,samuel  
was to let them have a ,king1 agreeably 
to their wishes2 at the same time1 it   
displeased ,jehovah1 who chose ,saul    
without consulting the people4 ,his     
choice is recorded to have been pleasing
 to the ,lord1 who gave ,saul a good    
character4 ,this kingly government      
seemed fair in the beginning1 and we    
ought to expect it would have proved a  
change for the better1 as it was by     
,jehovah's own appointment ,at the      
commencement of ,saul's reign1 he was   
ordered to go and fight against the     
,amalekites4 ,the order was thus        

given3--,thus saith the ,lord of ,hosts1
 ,i remember that which ,amalek did to  
,israel2 how he laid wait for him in the
 way when he came up from ,egypt ,this  
offence was given some hundred years    
before1 when the ,israelites were       
passing to the land of promise2 when the
 ,amalekites opposed them1 and refused  
to let them go through their land4 ,to  
us1 this vengeance appears cruel and    
unjust4 ,this was visiting the sins of  
the fathers on the children with a      
vengeance4 ,at the present day1 no      
tyrant could be found that would imitate
 such base conduct as is fathered on the
 all-wise1 all-powerful ,ruler of the   
,world4  ,the following statement will  
serve to make the situation of ,saul    
clearly understood by the readers of    
this work1 and will show the nature of  
,saul's offence for which he and his    
family were so severely punished3--,some
 four or five hundred years before ,saul
 was born1 the ,israelites were opposed 
by the ,amalekites passing through their

 land2 and when ,saul was chosen ,king1 
by ,jehovah1 his first campaign was to  
go and destroy the then inhabitants of  
,amalek1 for an offence committed by    
their forefathers long since dead and   
gone4 ,saul was ordered by ,jehovah not 
to save old or young1 but to kill       
7murder7 all1 from the suckling to hoary
 old age4 ,he fulfilled his orders as he
 thought1 excepting that of taking their
 ,king prisoner1 and the best of the    
cattle to sacrifice to ,jehovah's honor2
 and for this one act of mercy1 ,saul   
was deposed1 and ,david chosen in his   
stead4 ,now1 if ,jehovah knew that ,saul
 would not obey the orders given1 why   
was he chosen to be their ,king at all8 
,and if ,jehovah was disappointed1 where
 was his foreknowledge8 ,does that      
,power and ,wisdom that rules the       
,universe1 blunder in this way8 ,what   
say you1 ,christian ministers8          
,according to what is written1 the      
,jewish ,god repented that he made this 
choice6 ,did he repent8 ,we are told    

that when ,saul was put down1 and ,david
 made ,king in his stead1 that ,jehovah 
could not1 like man1 repent in putting  
down ,david1 though he had done so as it
 respected ,saul4 ,to father such       
inconsistency on the ,author of ,nature1
 is an outrage on justice and common    
sense4 ,again1 to punish with fire and  
sword a whole nation1 for what their    
forefathers had done five hundred years 
before2 and to make the ,god of the     
,universe the author of such a          
command1--if blasphemy exists against   
,god1 this is it to perfection4  ,from  
the short reign of ,saul1 we cannot form
 a decided opinion as to his kingly     
character2 but one thing is clear1 from 
the ,scriptures1 that his act of mercy  
towards the ,king of ,amalek1 offended  
,jehovah1 and both himself and family   
suffered grievously for it2 for ,samuel 
told ,saul1 that' in consequence of his 
sparing ,agag1 the ,king1 his royal     
authority was taken from him1 and given 
to a man better than he4 ,well might a  

poet1 who wrote on this subject about   
forty years ago1 call ,samuel an        
impostor1 and exclaim--3      ,from     
haunts of men be that impostor driven1  
,who thinks humanity incenses heaven4   
,in concluding this account of ,saul1 we
 may venture to affirm1 that he was one 
of the best ,kings on record2 his only  
failing appears to have been his        
humanity4  ,we now come to the reign of 
,david1 he man after ,god's own heart4  
,it appears that his slaying ,goliah1   
first brought him into notice2 for which
 act ,david was to be rewarded by having
 ,saul's daughter in marriage4 ,before  
this took place1 however1 it is         
recorded1 in #a ,samuel xviii41 #aj1    
,and it came to pass on the morrow1 that
 the evil spirit from ,god came upon    
,saul2 but ,david could play so well on 
some kind of a musical instrument1 that 
his performance drove the ,devil out of 
the old ,king4 ,from this account it    
seems1 if the evil spirit means a       
,devil1 that ,jehovah kept ,devils ready

 to start off from heaven to do any     
dirty work2 a very worthy practice to   
ascribe to the ,god of all6 ,it appears 
that ,saul's troubles1 and the evil     
spirit sent to him from the ,lord1 had  
nearly made him crazy--and well it      
might3 but ,i have no pity for him1     
because there is not one word of truth  
in the whole silly tale4  ,david now    
demands his wife1 according to promise2 
but ,saul puts a heavy tax on his       
intended son-in-law1 before his daughter
 could be given up4 ,the demand made by 
,saul on ,david1 before he was permitted
 to marry his daughter1 is written in #a
 ,samuel xviii41 #be1 an account showing
 how well cultivated ,kings and ,princes
 were in those days1 but too filthy for 
me to detail4 ,notwithstanding ,saul was
 deposed1 and ,david anointed ,king1    
still ,saul kept possession of the      
kingdom1 and ,david was an object of    
jealousy4 ,at this time1 the ,israelites
 were in an unsettled state2 and ,david1
 although a ,king1 had no resources4 ,a 

part of the people were with ,david1 but
 the bulk of the nation adhered to      
,saul4  ,those two ,kings1 then1 both of
 whom had been chosen by ,jehovah1 were 
still opposing each other4 ,now1 what   
folly to suppose that either of them    
were appointed by the ,governor of all  
the ,earth6 ,even admitting the         
historical part to be true1 who can     
believe that ,infinite ,wisdom had any  
part in so unsettled a form of          
government8 it being like unto what     
,england was at one time of her history1
 when two parties were contending for   
power4 ,what a changeable1 unsettled    
,being do the ,scriptures make the      
,jewish ,god6 and what folly to believe 
him to be the ,sovereign ,ruler of all6 
,the regularity and order which is every
 where and at all times manifest in     
nature1 proclaim to all nations that the
 ,jehovah of the ,bible is not ,nature's
 ,god4  ,although ,david had been       
anointed ,king1 to the exclusion of     
,saul and his house1 still the old ,king

 retained his authority1 and ,david was 
compelled to be cautious how he         
proceeded1 as ,saul was jealous of him  
as a rival4 ,now ,david had recourse to 
the following expedient3--,and he       
collected every one that was in         
distress1 and every one that was in     
debt1 and every one that was            
discontented1 and he became a captain   
over them1 and there were with him about
 four hundred men4 ,david1 in one of his
 flights from ,saul1 and being in want  
of bread1 applied to ,abimelech1 the    
priest1 for five loaves2 and the priest 
answered ,david1 and said1 ,there is no 
common bread under mine hand1 but there 
is hallowed bread1 if the young men have
 at least kept themselves from women4   
,and ,david answered the priest1 and    
said unto him1 ,of a truth1 women have  
been kept from us about three days1     
since ,i came out4 ,the reader will now 
see how ,david began his reign1 as the  
following incident1 will also fully     
confirm4 ,the above account may be found

 in #a ,samuel1 chapter xxi4  ,the      
following account of the progress of    
,david and his small army1 is in #a     
,samuel1 chapter xxv43--,david fled into
 the wilderness1 and while there1 he    
heard of a rich man by the name of      
,nabal1 who had1 on a shearing1 made a  
feast for his shearers and friends4     
,david embraced this opportunity1 to    
levy a tax on ,nabal1 and sent ten young
 men to ask for a part of the good      
things prepared for the sheep shearing3 
,and ,nabal answered ,david's servants1 
and said1 who is ,david8 and who is the 
son of ,jesse8 there be many servants   
now-a-days that break away every man    
from his master4 ,shall ,i then take my 
bread1 and my water1 and my flesh that  
,i have killed for my shearers1 and give
 it unto men whom ,i know not whence    
they be8 ,this answer so enraged ,david1
 that he exclaimed1 ,the time my army   
lay in the wilderness1 near to the flock
 of ,nabal1 we took nothing from them1  
and also prevented others from stealing 

of the flock1 and now ,i cannot get a   
dinner for me and my six hundred men4   
,and ,david said unto his men1 ,gird ye 
on every man his sword4 ,and they girded
 on every man his sword3 and ,david also
 girded on his sword3 and there went up 
after ,david about four hundred men1 and
 two hundred abode by the stuff4 ,now1  
to use ,david's own words1 he intended  
to slay every man living2 ,nabal1 sheep 
shearers1 and all belonging to him4     
,don't forget this was the man after    
,jehovah's own heart6  ,but it happened 
that ,abigail1 ,nabal's wife1 heard of  
her husband's refusal to ,david's       
demands1 and she loaded several asses   
with all kinds of the best provisions1  
and met ,david as he was advancing to   
take vengeance on ,nabal4 ,and when     
,david saw her1 he said1 ,blessed be the
 ,lord ,god of ,israel1 which sent thee 
this day to meet me4 ,for in very deed1 
as the ,lord ,god of ,israel liveth     
which hath kept me back from hurting    
thee1 except thou hadst hasted1 and come

 to meet me1 surely there had not been  
left unto ,nabal by the morning light1  
any that pisseth against the wall4 ,it  
is recorded after this1 that in about   
ten days1 the ,lord smote ,nabal that he
 died4 ,christians1 perhaps1 will say1  
it served him right2 because he would   
not give away his dinner to the ,lord's 
anointed4 ,but to complete this account 
of ,david1 it is written that he married
 ,nabal's widow1 and then he had sheep1 
goats1 and all1 although he had many    
wives before2 but1 being a man after    
,gods own heart we ,infidels must be    
silent4  ,after the death of ,saul1     
,david being in favor with the people1  
and strictly adhering to the worship of 
,jehovah1 his reign bid fair to be happy
 to himself1 and to the nation at large3
 but he had too many wives1 and         
consequently his family troubles came on
 thick and fast4 ,one son rebelled      
against him1 and flew to arms2 and      
,solomon usurped the throne after the   
death of his father1 and put to death   

his elder brother by a former wife1     
under a pretence the most frivolous1 to 
secure himself a safe possession of his 
usurped power4 ,another son ravished his
 half-sister by another mother2 and in  
return1 the ravisher was murdered by the
 brother of the violated virgin4 ,in    
truth1 if it is true as recorded1       
,david's whole life was one continued   
scene of blood and slaughter2 and on his
 death-bed he recommended ,solomon to   
murder others--as his oath prevented him
 from doing it in his lifetime4         
,however strictly ,david obeyed         
,jehovah1 and turned not aside to       
worship other gods1 in a moral point of 
view he was a wicked man4 ,his conduct  
for licentiousness was notorious4 ,in   
addition to the number of wives he had  
before the death of ,saul1 his royal    
master1 ,nathan the prophet says that   
,jehovah gave him ,saul's wives1        
besides2 but1 not satisfied with all    
this1 so contemptible was his conduct1  
he sneaked about to obtain a sight of an

 officer's wife while in the bath4 ,such
 low1 cowardly curiosity would disgrace 
the driver of a dung-cart4 ,a lady's    
bath not to be held sacred by this      
filthy1 dirty animal1 and yet to be     
called the man after ,god's own heart6  
,his actions would disgrace the ,devil1 
for ,satan offered no insult to ,eve3   
his worst crime was no more than        
saying--,madam1 the fruit is good1 do   
taste1 it will do you no harm1 and you  
will be the wiser2 after all4  ,never   
let us forget the artifice the ,lord's  
anointed made use of1 in order to       
conceal his crime4 ,when ,uriah1 his    
officer1 came from the army with news of
 importance to ,david1 after the        
seduction of ,bathsheba1 the cunning    
debauchee said1 come1 ,uriah1 do not    
hurry back to the camp2 go home to      
,bathsheba1 your wife2 she will be happy
 to see you3 go home1 my faithful       
servant1 and stay with your wife4  ,but 
,uriah refused1 by saying1 the officers 
and the army are in the open fields1 and

 ,i will not go home to take comfort in 
my own house4 ,so ,uriah slept in the   
gate with the servants4 ,and when ,david
 found that he had not been home1 he    
made him tarry another day1 and that    
night got him drunk4 ,in the meantime   
the ,king wrote a letter to ,joab1 the  
,captain of the host1 and sent it by    
,uriah1 to place him in the front of the
 battle1 where he would be killed4 ,the 
unsuspecting ,uriah then returned2 to   
his duty1 with his death warrant in his 
hand2 and1 according to the orders given
 to ,joab1 the commander of the host of 
,israel1 ,uriah was placed in that part 
of the engagement where he fell1 covered
 with wounds and glory4  ,it will be    
seen by the orders sent to the ,captain1
 concerning ,uriah1 by the ,king1 what  
cowardly artifice was used to murder his
 noble officer1 whose wife1 unknown to  
him1 had been seduced4 ,david's words   
are1 ,set ye ,uriah in the forefront of 
the hottest battle1 and retire ye from  
him that he may be smitten and die4     

,such an act would disgrace the worst   
despot on earth1 but it was done by the 
man after ,god's own heart6 ,when       
,nathan was sent by ,jehovah to ,david1 
to remind him of his wickedness1 it was 
done1 in the way of a parable4 ,david   
did not at first discover its           
application3 and it is recorded1 that   
,david's anger was greatly kindled      
against the man1 and he said unto       
,nathan as the ,lord liveth1 the man    
that hath done this thing shall surely  
die4 ,thou art the man6 said ,nathan2   
and ,david exclaimed1 ,oh6 ,lord1 ,i    
have sinned4 ,in fact1 he was found out1
 but for which he would not have made   
this acknowledgment4  ,after the death  
of ,uriah1 ,david took her 7,bathsheba7 
to wife1 and ,jehovah made up the matter
 with him2 first1 by destroying the     
child1 the innocent victim who had no   
part in the murder2 and1 secondly1 by   
saving and pardoning ,david for crimes  
of the deepest dye3 and1 also1 the ,lord
 told him1 that because of his          

wickedness he should have discord in his
 family3--,thus saith the ,lord1        
,behold1 ,i will raise up evil against  
thee1 out of thine house1 and ,i will   
take thy wives before thine eyes1 and   
give them unto thy neighbor1 and he     
shall lie with thy wives in the sight of
 this sun4 ,to destroy the innocent     
child1 who had no participation in the  
crime of the father1 is too shocking to 
be admitted1 when it is recorded as the 
sentence of the just and impartial ,god4
 ,i know ,christians will reply1 that   
the ways of ,god are not as our ways1   
and that it is wicked in mortals to find
 fault with what is done by a ,being of 
infinite power1 wisdom1 and ,goodness4  
,in reply1 it is contended that the     
conduct pursued on this occasion by     
,jehovah1 is shocking when ascribed to a
 ,god impartial and just1 and that it is
 more becoming mortals1 like ourselves1 
to reject the whole story as a vile     
falsehood1 than to father it on that    
,being1 or that ,cause1 who3      ,warms

 in the sun1 refreshes in the breeze1   
,glows in the stars1 and blossoms in the
 trees4  ,to conclude these remarks on  
,david's life and conduct1 we ask1 which
 is the more reasonable supposition1    
that the whole account1 so far as it    
implicates a ,god of ,justice1 is1 from 
beginning to end untrue8 or1 that a     
,being of unbounded power1 wisdom and   
goodness1 should in any way associate   
with so abandoned a character as ,king  
,david8 ,for myself1 ,i prefer the      
latter4 ,i have omitted another account 
in the life of ,david1 that requires to 
be noticed4 ,it is recorded in #b       
,samuel1 chapter xxiv41 that ,david     
ordered the people to be numbered4 ,one 
account says that ,satan1 and another   
account says that the ,lord1 moved      
,david to number the people3 no doubt it
 was done to get the number of the      
fighting men of ,israel2 for doing      
which1 the ,lord was angry with ,david2 
and three modes of punishment were      
submitted for the choice of the         

,king3--,seven years' famine1 or to flee
 three months before his enemies1 or to 
have three days' pestilence in the land4
 ,the last was chosen1 and it is        
recorded that seventy thousand men died 
of the pestilence1 as a punishment for  
the offence of ,david4 ,it is a libel on
 the ,supreme ,being to charge him with 
the authorship of such injustice and    
cruelty4 ,that thousands of persons may 
have been cut off by plague1 or         
pestilence1 at times1 and in different  
nations1 is highly probable--but not by 
a judgment for other men's sins4  ,in   
,homer's ,iliad1 we have a similar      
account1 written1 according to          
historians1 about nine hundred years    
before the ,christian era4 ,in the      
account of the ,trojan ,war1 the        
commander of the ,grecian army1 in the  
sacking of different towns1 took many   
female captives1 among whom was one who 
was the daughter of the ,priest of      
,apollo1 one of the ,grecian gods4 ,the 
venerable ,priest came to the ,general1 

clothed in his robes1 bearing the       
sublime and awe-inspiring ensigns of his
 god1 and demanded the liberation of his
 captive daughter4 ,the ,general        
insulted the ,priest by a positive      
refusal to give up his daughter1 and he 
7the ,priest7 departed1 and offered the 
following prayer3      ,if e'er with    
wreaths ,i hung the sacred fane1     ,or
 fed the flame with fat of oxen slain1  
,god of the silver bow1 thy shafts      
employ1     ,avenge my quarrel1 and the 
,greeks destroy4  ,the second ,general  
in command inquired of the ,grecian     
,priest the cause of such mortality     
among the soldiers2 and the ,priest     
returned the following answer3--3       
,the ,king of men1 the reverend ,priest 
defied1     ,and1 for the ,king's       
offence1 the people died4  ,the         
similarity between the ,jehovah of the  
,jews1 and the ,apollo of the ,greeks1  
is very striking4 ,jehovah slew the     
,jewish army because ,david numbered the
 people2 and the ,grecian god slew the  

soldiers because the ,priest had been   
insulted4 ,the number is exactly the    
same1 each being seventy thousand men4  
,the ,god of the ,jews is said to have  
been the author of the destruction of   
the army of the ,israelites1 and a      
heathen god the destroyer of the        
,greeks4 ,the first is believed to be a 
part of ,divine ,revelation2 the last is
 acknowledged to be but fiction4  ,from 
all the accounts recorded respecting    
,david1 to me he appears to have been a 
wicked man2 much worse than ,saul1 whose
 worst action seems to have been his    
humanity in sparing ,agag1 whom he took 
prisoner4 ,i cannot1 therefore1 believe1
 that the ,universal ,ruler of all      
,nature sanctioned his actions1 directly
 or indirectly1 any more than he does   
now1 or ever has done1 those of any     
other legal murderer4  ,a few remarks   
more will conclude the life and conduct 
of ,david4 ,in #a ,kings1 chapter i41 it
 is recorded1 that ,david being old and 
infirm1 could get no warmth in bed1 and 

a fair young damsel was sought for      
throughout the land of ,israel1 to wait 
on him by day1 and sleep with him during
 the night1 to keep the old ,king warm4 
,with her he was much pleased1 but the  
account states1 that ,david the ,king   
knew her not4 ,this is a strange tale1  
for if the sole object was1 to get a    
young woman to sleep with him1 then not 
the fairest1 but the fattest1 plumpest  
girl to be found throughout the land1   
would have been the most proper person  
for such service2 for at that time1     
,david must have had half a score of    
wives living4 ,it is therefore clear1   
that warmth was only a pretence for     
selecting a handsome young maiden to    
comfort the ,lord's anointed2 and we may
 safely infer that ,david was not cured 
of his former tricks4  ,the life and    
conduct of ,solomon must now pass in    
review4 ,when his father was on his     
death-bed1 he gave his son ,solomon     
instructions to put to death several    
persons who had been the subjects of    

,david1 but to whom he 7,david7 had     
sworn while living1 that he would spare 
their lives4 ,and accordingly1 ,solomon1
 after the death of his father1 put into
 execution the orders he had received1  
and slew the persons mentioned by       
,david2 so that his reign commenced in  
blood4  ,and here it is proper to       
notice1 that ,bathsheba1 the wife of    
,uriah1 and the mother of ,solomon1 in  
order to disinherit the eldest son of   
,david by his former wife1 prevailed on 
,david to have ,solomon anointed ,king1 
in the lifetime of his father4 ,so that 
,adonijah1 the real heir1 was set aside2
 and the better to secure the throne1   
,solomon had his half-brother put to    
death4 ,the cause of this execution1 as 
is recorded1 was because ,adonijah asked
 leave of ,solomon1 the ,king1 to marry 
the damsel who kept ,david warm in his  
old age6 ,jehovah had chosen a strange  
family1 after turning out ,saul from    
the-kingdom1 and ,solomon was too pure  
to let a brother live1 after being so   

wicked as to ask permission to marry the
 young virgin who had kept the back of  
his old father warm in a cold night6    
,after ,solomon had slain those men     
according to the orders before given by 
his father1 he added another to the     
list1 viz41 ,adonijah1 his half-brother4
 ,the ,lord appeared to him in a dream1 
and said1 ,ask what ,i shall give thee4 
,solomon then dreamed that he gave the  
following reply to the gracious         
permission3--,give1 therefore1 thy      
servant an understanding heart to judge 
thy people1 that ,i may discern between 
good and bad4 ,this request is said to  
have pleased the ,lord1 who added to it 
both riches and honor2 and-,solomon     
awoke1 and behold it was a dream4 ,this 
account is written in #a ,kings1 chapter
 iii42 and all that can be made of it   
is1 that ,solomon dreamed the ,lord told
 him so1 and we have nothing but his    
word for it4  ,the ,bible record of     
,solomon's riches1 and1 in fact1 the    
whole of his life1 is not entitled to   

any credit whatever4 ,we may say1       
however1 that some allowance ought to be
 made for ,solomon on account of the bad
 example under which he was brought tip 
in the family of his father2 for if the 
,scripture history of the facts         
concerning ,solomon is to be considered 
true1 then the whole of his reign is the
 most extraordinary which ever happened 
in the world4 ,beginning with his       
riches1 it exceeds every thing in       
ancient or modern times4 ,the feast at  
the opening of the ,temple was no small 
matter4  ,scripture informs us1 that at 
the dedication of the ,temple1          
,scripture informs us1 that at the      
dedication of the ,temple1 the sacrifice
 offered up1 was twenty-two thousand    
oxen1 and one hundred and twenty-two    
thousand sheep4 ,this1 when we consider 
the smallness of ,david's domains1 and  
the general poverty of his family1 is   
incredible2 but as every thing is so    
wonderful1 and the whole of the reign of
 ,solomon is so extravagant1 no         

dependence whatever is to be placed on  
any of its accounts4  ,as it regards    
,solomon's household1 the provisions    
named for each day are the              
following3--,thirty measures of fine    
flour1 threescore measures of meal1 ten 
fat oxen1 and twenty oxen out of the    
pastures1 and an hundred sheep1 besides 
harts and roebucks1 and fallow-deer1 and
 faited fowls4 ,and ,solomon had forty  
thousand stalls of horses for his       
chariots1 and twelve thousand horsemen4 
,now1 in so small1 and in many parts    
barren land1 where could they be raised8
 ,but ,solomon had need of a plentiful  
table1 for it is recorded that he had   
seven hundred wives1 and three hundred  
concubines6 ,if he had wisdom enough to 
regulate his house so as to live happy1 
it must be owned that the ,lord had     
given him more than a common share2 but 
as none but fools or madmen will believe
 this account1 we may let it pass       
without comment4  ,the most astonishing 
inconsistency in the reign of ,solo-man1

 is his continual departure from the    
worship of ,jehovah1 who had been his   
benefactor1 and who had also repeatedly 
warned him of the consequences of a     
departure from the ,god of his father4  
,if what is recorded of his riches be   
true1 they were greater than those of   
any monarch on earth4 ,the gold he is   
said to have possessed when he built the
 ,temple1 exceeds all calculation1 and  
is in strict accordance1 in point of    
magnitude1 with his feast at the        
dedication of the ,temple1 and with his 
daily allowance of food for his         
household1 and also with his seven      
hundred wives1 and three hundred        
concubines4 ,but when we consider the   
poverty of the ,israelites up to the    
time of his father's reign1 and also    
,david's poverty until the death of     
,saul1 when at times1 ,david had neither
 food for himself nor army1 neither had 
he gold nor silver wherewith to purchase
 it--it may be asked1 how ,solomon came 
into the possession of such an immense  

quantity of gold8 and also from what    
vast extent of country did he procure   
his horses1 when but a few years before1
 ,david1 his father2 could scarcely     
afford to keep a jackass8 ,again1 where 
did he procure such numerous herds of   
cattle and flocks of sheep8  ,but as ,i 
have before said1 the greatest          
inconsistency of all is1 that ,solomon  
should worship other gods1 contrary to  
the express command of ,jehovah1 who had
 given him wisdom1 riches1 and honors4  
,leaving ,christians1 then1 to settle   
with ,solomon1 how he1 with all his     
wisdom1 could so play the fool and      
madman in the face of his ,god1 some    
attention will be directed to the ,god  
of ,abram1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,it will 
be recollected that ,saul1 the          
predecessor of ,david1 had offended     
,jehovah by sparing the life of ,agag1 a
 captive ,king4 ,in consequence1 it is  
recorded that the ,god of ,israel       
repented that he put ,saul on the       
throne4 ,he then chose ,david1 and his  

family1 to succeed the house of ,saul2  
and having made this second choice1 he  
declared he should not repent again4    
,if this last declaration had been made 
by man1 in his choice1 after having     
before been mistaken1 the following mode
 of reasoning would aptly apply2 and    
,jehovah would also thus reason3--,i    
made choice of ,saul to be ,king over   
,israel4 ,i sent him to smite ,amalek1  
and not to spare any soul alive1 old age
 and infancy not excepted2 but ,saul did
 not obey my orders1 but spared the     
,king and brought him a captive1 which  
,i did not expect ,as ,i took him from  
driving mules1 and made him a ,king1 he 
ought therefore to have obeyed my       
commands4 ,i dethroned him and his      
family forever4 ,i then appointed       
,david1 a man after my own heart4 ,in   
this choice ,i was happy4 ,he departed  
not from my worship or my law1 but with 
a few exceptions4 ,it is true1 ,david   
committed adultery and murder1 in the   
case of ,bathsheba and ,uriah2 but he   

repented1 and ,i caused the brat to die 
out of the way1 which made room for     
,solomon4 ,now1 who could ever have     
thought that ,solomon would have turned 
out so bad8 ,why1 the fellow1 in        
addition to wisdom1 riches1 and honor1  
has now seven hundred wives1 and three  
hundred concubines6 and not content with
 this number1 he marries the daughters  
of heathens1 prostrates himself before  
their idols1 and builds new temples to  
their gods2 but ,i promised not to      
repent again1 yet ,solomon must be      
punished4 ,i will not1 therefore1 depose
 him1 but in his son's reign ,i will    
divide the kingdom1 and give the greater
 part of it to one of mean birth4 ,i    
will not wholly take it away from the   
seed of ,david1 because ,i promised him 
that he should not want a man to sit on 
his throne2 but ,i will1 for the        
wickedness of ,solomon1 cause discord   
among the tribes1 that will induce them 
to fight against each other4 ,it is not 
for the thousand women that ,solomon    

had1 which would not fail to create     
discord and all manner of misery2       
neither for putting to death his        
brother3 all that ,i could have         
tolerated--but he changed his religion1 
and worshipped strange gods2 ,i will    
rend the nation asunder1 never more to  
be united4 ,it would have been more to  
my honor to have suffered ,saul to      
continue on the throne1 for he only     
disobeyed my ,orders once1 but the son  
of ,david built temples for idolatry1   
and worshipped false gods1 setting my   
authority at defiance4 ,in his son's    
reign1 therefore1 ,i will bring on      
trouble in his house1 that all ,israel  
may know how great is the sin of        
worshipping false gods1 and thus        
rebelling against the ,lord of ,hosts1  
the ,god of ,israel4  ,i will now ask   
the ,christian preachers1 whether ,i    
dishonor the all-wise ,sovereign of the 
,universe1 in not believing him to be   
capable of such tomfoolery as this3 in  
choosing1 and again rejecting his former

 choice3 in blundering1 to rectify a    
former blunder1 and falling into one    
much greater1 to remedy the first3 to be
 doing1 and undoing3 to have an end to  
accomplish1 and to make use of means    
that fail in its accomplishment4 ,ye    
priests6 if ye are not blind1 look at   
the heavens above1 and also on the earth
 beneath1 and then ask yourselves1      
whether the ,god of all is the same     
personage as ,jehovah1 the ,god of      
,israel8  ,to conclude these remarks    
respecting the house of ,david and      
,solomon3--,even admitting that such    
personages had a real existence1 ,i     
cannot so dishonor the ,supreme         
,governor of ,nature as for a moment to 
admit1 that he dealt with either ,david 
or ,solomon any otherwise than he deals 
with every human being1 and ,i should   
stand before my fellow men a            
self-convicted hypocrite1 were ,i to    
affect to believe4     ,,chapter ,,vii4 
,,the ,,reign ,,of ,,jeroboam1 ,,and    
,,the ,,separation ,,of ,,israel ,,from 

,,judah   ,,reviewing the character of  
the three former ,kings1 two of whom    
gave ,jehovah much trouble1 and ,david1 
the best of them1 committed adultery and
 murder1 we must say1 it was an         
unfortunate beginning of royal          
government4 ,after the death of         
,solomon1 his son1 ,rehoboam1 began to  
reign4 ,the people requested the new    
made ,king to ease them somewhat of the 
taxes and burdens laid on them by his   
father1 ,solomon4 ,rehoboam consulted   
with his father's old servants on that  
subject1 and they advised him to attend 
to the wishes of his people2 but he1 on 
consulting with his own particular      
party1 returned the following           
answer3--,my little finger shall be     
thicker than my father's loins3 my      
father hath chastised you with whips1   
but ,i will chastise you with scorpions4
 ,this gives us a sample of ,solomon's  
reign1 and also of the course intended  
to be pursued by his son4  ,rehoboam's  
answer produced a revolt1 and the       

kingdom became divided4 ,ten tribes     
broke off from ,rehoboam1 and proclaimed
 ,jeroboam ,king of ,israel1 while      
,rehoboam retained two tribes3 so that  
the ,israelites were divided4 ,the ten  
tribes were called the kingdom of       
,israel1 and the other two1 the kingdom 
of ,judah4 ,this is the punishment that 
the ,lord said he would bring on the    
nations in consequence of the sins of   
,solomon4 ,so it was then1 with the     
,lord's people1 as it has ever been in  
,christian countries where the          
aristocracy is every thing1 and1 the    
people are considered as nothing4       
,according to ,jewish history1 ,jehovah 
and the ,kings of his own choosing      
quarrelled1 and then the people had to  
suffer in consequence of disputes in    
which they had but little or no         
interest2 and one of the strongest      
proofs that the ,god of the ,bible is   
not that ,being whom we believe to be   
the only true ,god1 is1 that when the   
,jehovah of ,moses and the ,kings       

quarrel1 the ,kings are spared alive1   
but the innocent people are in some way 
or other murdered2 thus clearly showing1
 that ,kings are by ,jehovah worth more 
than those who by honest toil cultivate 
the earth1 and labor for the benefit of 
society1--a doctrine directly opposite  
to all our ideas of impartial justice4  
,we now proceed to examine the course   
pursued by ,jeroboam1 the fourth ,king  
who was chosen to reign over ,israel4   
,we ought to find him fitted for so     
important a station2 but1 on the        
contrary1 we have again to record       
another chapter of blunders1 far worse  
than those before mentioned4 ,saul1     
their first ,king1 disobeyed the command
 in sparing ,agag1 the ,king1 after     
having destroyed every soul that drew   
breath4 ,david followed the ,lord with  
his whole heart2 that is1 he never      
entered into the temple of idols except 
to destroy them and their worshippers2  
but he was guilty of two crimes1 for    
either of which1 had he been any thing  

but a ,king1 or ,priest1 he would have  
been1 by the laws of his own country1   
put to death4 ,solomon's character was  
marked by every thing extravagant2 but  
he did not wholly turn from the worship 
of ,jehovah1 only at times1 as when he  
espoused a heathen lady4 ,then1 to prove
 his love for his new spouse1 he        
worshipped in the temple of strange     
gods1 and also built new churches to    
their honor4 ,this is a general outline 
of the three ,kings1 all of whom were   
chosen by ,jehovah himself4  ,jeroboam  
was appointed1 according to what is     
recorded1 in consequence of ,solomon's  
idolatry4 ,i then ask1 whether it is not
 reasonable to expect1 that1 in the     
reign of ,jeroboam1 the worship of the  
,god of ,israel would alone be the      
religion of the ten tribes who were     
taken from ,solomon because of his      
departure at times from the ,god of     
,abram1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob8 ,jeroboam   
being then1 by ,jehovah1 made ,king1 in 
preference to all others1 and being     

raised in the family1 of ,rehoboam1     
,solomon's son1 and only as a servant   
connected with the family1 we cannot    
suspect that ever a new choice should   
have been made for the worse4 ,could    
this have been the case if ,infinite    
,wisdom had chosen him8 ,no2 it is      
impossible6 ,no sooner1 however1 did    
,jeroboam obtain the rule over the ten  
tribes1 by the direct order of ,jehovah 
himself1 than he set up a religion      
directly opposite to the ,god who had   
elevated him to such honor and power4   
,it is impossible for this account to be
 true1 for two reasons that will be     
given4 ,the first is1 that ,jeroboam    
must have known the cause why ,solomon's
 family were excluded from reigning over
 the whole of the ,jewish nation1       
namely1 because he 7,solomon7 did at    
times worship what were called false    
gods4 ,now1 ,jeroboam well knew this1   
and also1 that the only way for him to  
secure his power was1 never to depart at
 any time1 or under any circumstances1  

from the worship of ,jehovah4 ,but1     
contrary to this1 he commenced his reign
 by falling back into ,egyptian         
idolatry4 ,under pretence of keeping his
 subjects faithful to his government1 by
 not permitting them to go up to the    
,temple1 at ,jerusalem1 ,jeroboam set up
 two golden calves1 one at ,dan1 and the
 other at ,bethel1 and proclaimed1      
,these are thy ,gods1 ,o ,israel who    
brought you up out of the land of       
,egypt4 ,besides1 he knew that ,jehovah 
would pardon an adulterer1 or murder1 as
 he had done in the case of ,david2 but 
on no account did he ever forgive the   
sin of idolatry4  ,there is nothing     
improbable in admitting that the tribes 
should split into two kingdoms1 and have
 different rulers4 ,this has often been 
the case2 but the only way to account   
for the conduct of ,jeroboam is1 by     
concluding that he knew1 the whole to be
 a trick1 and that neither ,jehovah1 nor
 any other ,god1 had a hand in the      
putting up or dethroning of ,kings4     

,this being admitted1 we can see clearly
 through the whole matter4 ,jeroboam    
then would1 from policy1 set up a new   
religion1 or revive an old one1 so as to
 keep his subjects from mixing with     
their old acquaintances of the kingdom  
of ,judah4 ,it is utterly impossible for
 ,jeroboam to have acted as is recorded1
 if he in truth believed that the only  
true and living ,god was his benefactor1
 and had raised him to regal authority4 
,the second reason why ,infinite ,wisdom
 had nothing to do in the elevation of  
,jeroboam1 is1 because he must have     
foreseen that ,jeroboam would have made 
the matter worse1 so far as idolatry was
 concerned2 and this will appear the    
more striking by the first act of his   
reign4 ,as soon as ,jeroboam came to the
 throne1 he 7contrary to the law of     
,moses7 set up images1 and made priests 
of the lower orders of the people1 and  
began himself to worship in the         
character and office of a priest2 for   
which1 a prophet from ,judah is sent 7by

 the ,god who1 it is said1 gave ,solomon
 the kingdom of ,israel7 to curse the   
altar at the time ,jeroboam was in the  
act of sacrificing4 ,now the conduct of 
the prophet so sent1 will enable us to  
see through the whole farce4 ,this is   
recorded in #a ,kings1 chapter xiii4    
,the following is in substance the      
prophet's mission3--,this man of ,god   
was sent by ,jehovah to cry against and 
curse the altar at the time ,jeroboam   
was performing sacrifice2 and being at  
the altar1 he ordered his officers to   
lay hold of the prophet1 at the same    
time pointing to him2 and instantly the 
,king's arm became useless1 and could   
not be drawn into its proper place4     
,jeroboam then cried to the man of ,god 
to pray that his arm might be restored4 
,the man of ,god besought the ,lord1 and
 a recovery took place4 ,here1 then1 was
 a miracle performed2 and ,jeroboam1    
being grateful1 invited the prophet home
 to reward him by an entertainment of   
bread and water2 but the man of ,god    

refused1 by saying1 that he was ordered 
by the ,lord not to eat bread nor to    
drink water--in fact1 to make no        
friendship whatever1 but to return4     
,off1 therefore1 he went1 after he had  
performed two miracles2 one of which    
was1 to cause ,jeroboam to lose the use 
of his arm2 the other1 to restore it    
,the prophet1 on his way back1 was met  
by a man who made the same request1     
namely1 to go home with him1 and eat and
 drink2 but the man of ,god still       
refused4 ,the man who thus enticed him1 
further said1 ,i am also a prophet1 and 
an angel spake unto me by the word of   
the ,lord1 saying1 bring him back into  
thine house1 that he may eat bread and  
drink water4 ,but he lied unto him4     
,the lying prophet was in the service of
 ,jeroboam1 ,king of ,israel2 but the   
man of ,god1 who came to cry against the
 altar1 belonged to the kingdom of      
,judah4 ,the man of ,god1 who understood
 that his first orders were             
countermanded1 went home with the lying 

prophet1 and did eat and drink4 ,the    
reader will now notice the following    
three verses in #a ,kings xiii41 #bj1   
#ba1 #bb3--;,and it came to pass1 as    
they sat at the table1 that the word of 
the ,lord came unto the prophet that    
brought him back3 ,and he cried unto the
 man of ,god that came from ,judah1     
saying1 ,thus saith the ,lord1          
,forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the   
mouth of the ,lord1 and host not kept   
the commandment which the ,lord thy ,god
 commanded thee1 but earnest back1 and  
hast eaten bread and drank water in the 
place of which the ,lord did say to     
thee1 ,eat no bread1 and drink no water2
 thy carcass shall not come unto the    
sepulchre of thy fathers4 ,if men would 
but exercise their reason1 is it        
possible for them to believe that the   
,sovereign ,ruler of all had any concern
 in so paltry a transaction as this8    
,the sum of the whole account may be    
expressed in a few words4 ,the first    
prophet came to ,jeroboam1 by order of  

the ,lord1 to curse the altar4 ,he then 
and there performed two miracles1 as    
proof that his commission was ,divine4  
,he then departed4 ,all was so far      
right2 but1 on meeting another prophet1 
he was told1 in so many words1 that     
things were changed1 and that he might  
do now that which he was ordered not to 
do when he first set out4 ,but the old  
prophet of ,jeroboam1 we are told1 was a
 liar2 and when they sat at meat1 the   
word of the ,lord came to the lying     
prophet and gave him orders to condemn  
the first4 ,so that the ,lord first     
employed an honest servant1 who         
performed his errand faithfully1 and    
then took into his service a false      
prophet and a liar6 ,believe this who   
can6  ,it is possible that ,jeroboam may
 have been ,king over ,israel3 this is  
not the point in dispute2 but that      
,infinite ,wisdom appointed him1 cannot 
possibly be true1 because he was made   
,king in consequence of ,solomon's      
idolatry4 ,solomon did not1 by sinning  

himself1 corrupt the whole nation2 but  
,jeroboam set up false gods1 and the    
people followed his example1 so that the
 worship of ,jehovah1 by the ten tribes1
 was entirely abandoned4 ,such          
blundering cannot be admitted1 if the   
true and living ,god is to be considered
 as the projector4 ,besides1 ,jeroboam  
was not cured of his error by           
reformation1 although he had been an    
eye-witness of the miracles performed on
 his own person4 ,enough1 then1 has been
 said to prove1 that the whole account  
of ,god's making ,jeroboam ,king over   
,israel1 is without any solid           
foundation4  ,we will now turn to the   
man of ,god who came to curse the altar1
 and we shall be able to discover what  
we are to understand by the word of the 
,lord coming unto this or that man1     
saying4 ,and here ,i call on the reader 
to keep in mind1 that in many places in 
the ,bible1 when any thing unfortunate  
occurred to ,jehovah's chosen people1   
such as the ,lord raised up such and    

such enemies1 and also that such        
misfortunes were from the ,lord3 also1  
again1 an evil spirit from the ,lord    
came on ,saul2--all such passages1 and  
many others1 mean no more than that the 
,lord permitted such events to take     
place4 ,in this sense1 we may say that  
it was from the ,lord that ,andrew      
,jackson destroyed a great part of the  
,english army2 but no man is foolish    
enough to suppose that the ,lord had    
directly any thing to do in the defence 
of ,new ,orleans4 ,again1 it is repeated
 in hundreds of places in the ,bible1   
that the word of the ,lord came to this 
or that person1 saying4 ,now1 apply this
 interpretation to the word of the ,lord
 came unto ,moses1 and all that can be  
made of it is1 that ,moses ascribed     
every order he gave of his to the       
people1 as coming from the ,lord4 ,it is
 in several places recorded that the    
word of the ,lord came to one prophet of
 ,judah1 and then this said word was    
taken away from the first person1 and   

turned over to another prophet who      
belonged to ,israel2 and in #a ,kings   
xxii41 #bd1 it is recorded1 that one    
prophet smote another on the face1 and  
said1 ,which way went the ,spirit of the
 ,lord from me to speak unto thee8      
,nothing can be more clear1 than that   
the whole of the ,lord's interference is
 out of the question4  ,after ,israel   
and ,judah were divided1 they continued 
as two separate governments1 with each a
 ,king for a leader4 ,sometimes they    
fought against each other1 calling in   
other ,kings to assist them2 at other   
times1 they were united and fought      
together to oppose the common enemy1    
their heathen neighbors4 ,in a war with 
the ,syrians1 when ,jehoshaphat1 ,king  
of ,judah1 and ,ahab1 ,king of ,israel1 
united their armies against the         
,syrians1 and being on the eve of       
battle1 an inquiry was made of the      
,lord's prophets1 as to what success    
they would have8 ,ahab1 the ,king of    
,israel1 called his prophets1 four      

hundred in number1 and1 on being        
consulted as to the result of a battle1 
they one and all said1 go fight1 for the
 ,lord will deliver your enemies into   
your hands4 ,jehoshaphat1 being more    
cautious1 said1 is there not another    
prophet of whom we may inquire of the   
,lord8 ,and the ,king of ,israel 7,ahab7
 said1 there is2 but ,i do not like him1
 because he always foretells something  
to my disadvantage4 ,then ,micaiah1 a   
prophet of the kingdom of ,judah1 was   
called1 and he foretold that the event  
of a battle would be favorable to these 
kings2 but that ,ahab would be slain4   
,one of ,ahab's prophets then became    
enraged1 and smote ,micaiah on the face1
 and sneeringly asked him1 ,which way   
went the ,spirit of the ,lord from me to
 speak to thee8  ,we have here a sample 
of the prophets on each side ,they one  
and all appear to be ready to lie1 and  
deceive each other1 in the name of the  
,lord1 and also1 to fight for their     
employers4 ,in this account1 it is also 

recorded that the ,god of truth accepted
 of the services of a lying spirit1 to  
deceive four hundred prophets1 in order 
to get rid of a wicked king1 the whole  
account of which is to be found in #a   
,kings1 chapter xxii4  ,after the tribes
 were separated1 it was common for the  
prophets to oppose each other4 ,the     
kings1 also1 of each nation aided in the
 destruction of the prophets1 and were  
worshippers of strange gods4 ,and yet it
 is recorded1 that ,jehovah chose       
,jeroboam to be king over ,israel1--the 
very man who introduced the worship of  
idols1 to the entire exclusion of the   
worship of the ,god of ,abram6 ,this    
choice of ,jehovah laid the foundation  
of scenes of bloodshed too horrid to be 
ascribed to the all-wise ,author of     
,nature4 ,it could not have been worse1 
had the ,devil been the chooser4  ,for  
years after the ,israelites became two  
distinct nations1 we read of little else
 than quarrels and bloodshed2 and the   
prophets of ,judah 7called the prophets 

of ,jehovah7 were much worse than those 
called false prophets4 ,this can be     
easily accounted for1 as the ,jewish    
religion was then the most intolerant of
 any on earth4 ,the ,kings of ,judah    
gave orders1 in the name of the ,lord1  
to destroy all the heathen1 as the      
enemies of ,jehovah4 ,the prophets      
followed up the same practice2 at the   
same time1 the prophets of the heathen  
gods were less cruel1 and1 morally      
speaking1 much better men4 ,according to
 what is recorded1 whenever power was in
 the hands of the ,kings of ,judah1 or  
their prophets1 no mercy was shown to   
the opposite party2 and as to prophets1 
they seemed to spring up like mushrooms1
 for it was often inquired by kings1 is 
there not a man of ,god here8  ,a few   
remarks on the prophets of those times  
may be here made4 ,elijah seems to have 
had delegated to him almost unlimited   
power2 for lo6 he1 under pretence of    
having orders from ,jehovah1 anointed   
kings agreeably to his pretended orders4

 ,he then foretold what the ,lord       
intended should be done to certain kings
 and their families4 ,those kings1 then1
 thus anointed by the authority of      
,elijah1 received orders to destroy such
 and such families2 so that after       
,jehovah had separated the ,israelites  
into two kingdoms by setting up         
,jeroboam1 nothing but cruelty and      
murder followed1 in consequence of the  
,lord's making so bad a choice4  ,it    
would1 judging from what transpired1    
have been better not to have changed the
 dynasty1 but to let ,solomon's heirs   
continued to have reigned over the whole
 of the ,israetish nation2 for in this  
state of ,jewish history1 idolatry1     
murder1 carnage1 and every bad passion  
was let loose2 and the kings of each    
nation of the ,jews1 by the direction of
 these upstart prophets1 showed no mercy
 to those of their brethren who had1 by 
the fortune of war1 fallen into their   
power4 ,all this horrid state of things 
originated from ,jeroboam being made    

king1 and setting up idolatry throughout
 the land4 ,can we then admit1 for a    
moment1 that the ,sovereign ,ruler of   
all brought on such a wretched state of 
things1 or ascribe to him so foolish a  
choice as the appointment of ,jeroboam  
to be ,king of ,israel8 ,no6 it is      
utterly impossible4  ,but to return to  
the prophets4 ,elijah and ,elisha were1 
at this time1 the ,lord's servants4     
,elijah was foremost1 and ,elisha acted 
as his servant4 ,the following          
circumstance brought ,elijah into direct
 conflict with the kingdom of ,israel1  
and the then called false               
prophets3--,ahaziah1 then ,king of      
,israel and ,samaria1 met with an       
accident1 and was sick2 and he sent     
messengers to inquire of ,baal-zebub    
whether he would recover or not ,now1   
,elijah was sent1 or1 he said he was    
sent1 to say to the messenger1 ,is it   
because there is not a ,god in ,israel1 
that thou sendest to inquire of         
,baal-zebub1 the god of ,ekron8 ,the    

,king of ,israel then inquired what sort
 of a man it was who thus remonstrated  
with the messenger8 ,and from the       
account given1 he found it to be        
,elijah1 the prophet of ,judah2         
consequently a prophet of the ,lord4    
,elijah was sitting on a hill1 and the  
king sent a captain and fifty men to    
bring him before him2 and this was the  
order3--,thou man of ,god1 the king hath
 said1 ,come down4 ,and ,elijah         
answered1 and said to the captain of    
fifty1 ,if ,i be a man of ,god1 then let
 fire come down from heaven and consume 
thee and thy fifty4 ,and there came down
 fire from heaven and consumed him and  
his fifty4 ,and again1 another captain  
and fifty went1 and shared the same     
fate4 ,then the third captain and fifty 
were sent2 but the captain of the last  
fifty fell on his knees before-the      
prophet1 and begged for his life1 and   
for the lives of his-men4 ,the ,lord    
then ordered ,elijah to go down with the
 captain to the king4  ,now ,i ask the  

reader1 if his mind is prepared to1     
believe that these two slaughters1      
consisting of one hundred men1 with     
their two captains1 were brought on them
 by fire from heaven1 as a judgment8    
,what was their crime8 ,they acted as   
they were ordered by the king4 ,here we 
may discover the falsity of the         
statement2 for if any punishment was to 
follow in sending for the prophet1 ought
 not ,ahaziah to have been the victim8  
,this wanton shedding of blood1 by the  
mere calling down from heaven judgments1
 by an old fellow wrapped up in a       
bear's-skin1 and called a man of ,god1  
is too barefaced a lie for the present  
state of society4 ,there is not one word
 of truth in the whole marvellous story4
 ,jehovah's murdering the people for the
 vices of their rulers1 is              
anti-republican2 and if men would       
consult their reason1 and employ common 
sense1 the ,christian priesthood would  
be ashamed to preach of a ,god of mercy1
 and1 at the same time1 ascribe to him  

injustice and cruelty4  ,elijah and his 
man ,friday1 ,elisha1 appear to be two  
of the most cruel of all the band of    
pretended men of ,god4 ,they1 according 
to what is recorded1 seem to have had a 
sort of general license to kill and     
destroy every thing that came in their  
way4 ,all the prophets and worshippers  
of the god ,baal-zebub1 the then worship
 of the kingdom of ,israel and ,samaria1
 were put to death by the stratagem and 
order of ,elijah2 and after him1 ,elisha
 received an affront by being called old
 bald head and for this great offence1  
the ,lord sent two she bears out of the 
woods1 and devoured forty and two little
 children6 ,the nonsense of the ,koran  
cannot come up to this account4 ,during 
the lives of ,elijah and ,elisha1       
,jehovah could attend to little else    
than their concerns1 for they were      
forever praying for something to        
incommode or destroy human beings4      
,what man is there1 at the present day1 
who can believe that the ,author of     

,nature gave to a mortal1 power to      
withhold the rain or the dews of heaven 
from descending on the earth1 as is     
recorded was given to ,elijah1 who told 
,ahab1 ,king of ,israel1 7#a ,kings     
xvii41 #a17 ,as the ,lord ,god of       
,israel liveth1 before whom ,i stand1   
there shall not be dew nor rain these   
years1 but according to my words8 ,this 
miracle is referred to by a ,new        
,testament writer1 but it is not the    
more true on that account4 ,i have1     
however1 said enough of ,elijah1 and1 as
 he is about to go up into heaven1 ,i   
have no wish to follow him4  ,i will    
only mention his ascension4 ,it appears 
that all the towns and villages round   
about had heard1 by what means ,i know  
not1 that ,elijah was soon to be taken  
up into heaven2 for wherever he and     
,elisha went1 the people said unto      
,elisha1 know you wot that ,elijah is   
about to be taken from you8 and ,elisha 
nodded an assent1 and said1 hold your   
peace4 ,it appears as if ,elijah        

endeavored to evade ,elisha's presence  
when he would be taken up2 but ,elisha  
stuck to him until up he went in a      
chariot of fire1 with horses of the     
same2 and ,elisha saw it1 and cried out1
 ,my father1 my father1 the chariot of  
,israel1 and the horsemen thereof6 ,in  
going up1 his mantle fell off1 ,elisha  
taking it1 and with it1 the prophetic   
spirit of his master4 ,elisha then      
followed on in the footsteps of his     
predecessor2 and his first act was1 to  
call on his ,god to destroy some little 
children1 for the enormous crime of     
calling so odd a looking fellow1 old    
bald head ,in truth1 we discover in most
 of the prophets such a spirit of       
intolerance and rage towards those who  
were so unfortunate as to differ from or
 oppose them1 that they ought to be     
considered prophets of the ,devil1 and  
not servants of him whose wisdom1 power 
and goodness are stamped on all the     
works of this mighty universe4  ,the    
prophet ,jonah seems to have been a man 

every way unfit for the prophetic       
service2 for when ordered to go to      
,nineveh1 to cry against the wickedness 
of its inhabitants1 he ran away2 and1   
according to the record1 his1           
disobedience produced a violent storm1  
and when the sailors found that he was  
out of his road to ,nineveh1 they cast  
lots to find out the person who had     
caused the storm1 and the lot fell on   
,jonah1 who confessed himself to be the 
guilty person4 ,he then told them to    
cast him into the sea1 as the only way  
to save themselves and the ship4 ,it is 
written what followed4 ,another blunder 
again in the choice of ,jonah2 and      
miracles must be performed to cause this
 run-away prophet to reach his          
destination4 ,he then again made an     
attempt to preach repentance to the     
,ninevites2 and they1 hearing of the    
destruction against them1 repented1 and 
this made the prophet stark mad2 for his
 consequence as a prophet being hurt1 he
 exclaimed1 that he was tired of life4  

,poor1 paltry trash for the employment  
of a ,god1 to reason with and coax a    
hotheaded creature like ,jonah6 but1    
like all the rest of such tales1 there  
is not one word of truth in the whole   
concern4  ,before taking leave of the   
prophets of the ,old ,testament1 a few  
remarks may suffice to point out their  
real character4 ,from the time that     
,jehovah adopted the seed of ,abram for 
his chosen people1 nothing but trouble  
and vexation on his part occurred2 and  
on the part of the descendants of       
,abram1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 one disaster
 after another followed in quick        
succession4 ,under whatever form of     
government they lived1 they strayed from
 his commands1 and in spite of his      
watchfulness1 his chosen people would   
worship strange gods1 for which offence 
they were punished4 ,heathen kings were 
stirred up against them1 and their      
subjugation was the consequence4 ,they  
then cried unto the ,lord1 and matters  
were made up for a while4 ,the same     

scenes again took place1 and punishments
 followed4 ,from the beginning of the   
,jewish dispensation until it ended1    
there was continual quarrelling between 
,jehovah and his favorites1 and some of 
those quarrels were so contemptible that
 they would disgrace a foolish old man  
and a peevish wife disputing how the    
firebrands should be put together1 by an
 evening fire-side4 ,the prophets1 also1
 partook of the same spirit2 they abused
 each other1 and sometimes came to      
blows3 they would lie and deceive in the
 name of the ,lord4  ,but the worst part
 of the ,jewish dispensation commenced  
with the reign of their kings4 ,saul was
 first chosen by ,jehovah himself2 and1 
admitting the account to be true1 the   
only crime that is laid to his charge   
is1 the sparing of ,agag1 the ,king of  
the ,amalekites1 although he had        
destroyed every other being1 both old   
and young4 ,for this one act of         
humanity1 ,saul and his family were     
rejected by ,jahovah4 ,david1 his       

successor1 obeyed the ,lord in all      
things respecting religious worship2 but
 he committed adultery and murder1      
thereby forfeiting his life by the law  
of ,moses4 ,but he was forgiven1 and the
 child1 the fruit of his adulterous     
intercourse1 was1 by the ,lord of       
,hosts1 destroyed4 ,solomon1 his son1   
and the son also of his companion in    
guilt1 was made king4 ,solomon          
worshipped idols at times1 throughout   
his reign1 and ,jehovah was angry1 and  
resolved to try another line of kings4  
,jeroboam was then anointed king over   
ten tribes1 and the family of ,abram1   
,isaac1 and ,jacob were split in twain4 
,now1 mark6 ,this separation was in     
consequence of ,solomon's idolatry4 ,we 
might expect1 judging from ,jehovah's   
former disappointment1 that ,jeroboam   
would entirely devote himself and his   
people to the worship of the ,god of    
,israel4 ,but behold6 ,jeroboam began   
with setting up two golden calves1 in   
direct opposition1 to the law of ,moses1

 and also to the command of ,jehovah1   
who had raised him from a state of      
servitude to sit on a throne1 savage and
 only at times departed from the ,lord1 
but ,jeroboam excluded every vestige of 
the worship of ,jehovah from his        
kingdom4 ,this1 then1 is a just         
statement of the conduct of those kings 
selected by the ,lord of ,hosts1 as     
recorded in the ,old ,testament ,and can
 it be possible that ,infinite ,wisdom  
should have been thus disappointed by   
those whom he had chosen8 ,the just     
conclusion1 then1 is1 that the ,ruler of
 all worlds had no concern in putting up
 or pulling down any of the ,kings of   
,israel or ,judah4 ,the history is1 from
 first to last1 a cheat on the human    
race1 and blasphemy against the only    
true ,god4  ,from the time that         
,jeroboam was made king until the tribes
 were carried away into captivity1      
idolatry was the sin complained of by   
all the prophets2 it was the constant   
burden of all their prophecies2 and the 

prophets1 one and all1 intermixed with  
their complaints the prediction that the
 ,lord had not entirely cast them off1  
but that the time would come when he    
would raise up unto them a prophet like 
unto ,moses4 ,such predictions1 often   
repeated by all the prophets together   
with continued references to their      
future renovation and restoration1 is   
what caused a general expectation of    
some mighty deliverer that would1 in the
 fullness of time1 appear among them4   
,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,on ,,divine         
,,inspiration   ,i ,,intended to        
conclude the review of the ,old         
,testament by examining the passages    
supposed to be prophetical of ,jesus    
,christ1 and1 as such1 quoted by the    
writers of the ,new ,testament2 but as  
that has already been done1 in a        
masterly manner1 by ,mr4 ----------     
7,name crossed out by a former reader4  
,,ed7 and as his opinion respecting them
 coincides entirely with my own1 ,i beg 
leave to refer my readers to the work of

 that able writer on the subject4       
,professing ,christians believe that    
what are called the five ,books of      
,moses were given by divine inspiration4
 ,i shall1 therefore1 in this chapter1  
consider what is to be understood by    
divine inspiration1 abstractly          
considered1 and also with reference to  
prophecy and miracles4 ,it is contended 
that ,moses wrote the account of the    
,creation1 and that it is true4 ,if so1 
then all the particulars of that remote 
age must have been given to the writer  
by nothing short of ,supreme            
,intelligence4 ,i ask1 how was this     
information communicated8 ,the          
,christian answers--by inspiration4     
,this does not solve the difficulty4 ,i 
therefore ask1 what is inspiration8     
,divine inspiration1 according to the   
,christian's idea of it1 must have been 
the source of prophecy and miracles1 and
 implies infinite knowledge and power4  
,now1 as ,adam could not have given an  
account of his own origin1 whoever wrote

 the history of the creation of the     
world1 and of our first parents1 must1  
if divinely inspired1 have had all the  
particulars of the past clearly made    
known to him4 ,we are told1 by the ,new 
,testament writers1 that all ,scripture 
is given by inspiration2 and again1 that
 ,holy men of old spake as they were    
moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,still1      
divine inspiration remains an           
inscrutable mystery as to what it is    
abstractly considered2 and1 also1 with  
respect to the manner in which it is    
communicated4 ,it seems strange1 to say 
the least1 that divine revelation should
 be given to the human race by the means
 of inspiration1 and yet the mode of    
communication be enveloped in profound  
mystery4 ,as divine inspiration and     
divine revelation are closely connected1
 the first being the avenue of          
conveyance1 and the latter being the    
subject communicated1 ,i shall define1  
as clearly as ,i can1 what constitutes  
divine revelation2 but in order1 if     

possible1 to prevent mistake1 ,i shall  
first point out what it is not4  ,the   
developments and improvements which man 
effects by the exercise of his          
perceptive and reflective faculties1 are
 results which are not obtained through 
the medium of divine revelation4 ,from  
being a savage1 and wandering in a state
 of destitution in the forests1 he has1 
by the use of his varied faculties1 made
 advances in civilization and the arts1 
which at first sight appear superhuman1 
but which were1 nevertheless1 unaided by
 divine revelation4 ,contrasting the    
present state of the wonderful and      
awe-inspiring science of astronomy with 
that when the best informed of the human
 race were but ignorant star-gazers1 we 
can but feel proud that we are a part of
 the human family4 ,again1 when we look 
back at the period when the frail little
 bark could not venture out of sight of 
land1 and then contemplate the          
improvements in naval architecture of   
our present times1 which have presented 

us with that splendid floating palace1  
the ,great ,britain steamships we can   
but see that all this has been effected 
without any assistance from divine      
revelation4 ,if1 at some future time1 by
 means of improvements in the telescope1
 inhabitants should be discovered in the
 moon1 we should not be indebted for the
 discovery to divine revelation4 ,but1  
the discovery not having been made1     
should an angel be sent from heaven to  
make known the fact1 such information   
would undoubtedly constitute a divine   
revelation4 ,so1 then1 it is dear that  
whatever improvement man may make1 by   
the unaided exercise of his faculties1  
cannot be considered as the result of   
divine revelation4 ,divine revelation is
 that which man cannot know1            
consequently never has known1 and never 
will know by the aid of his reasoning   
powers ,the ,old and ,new ,testaments   
collectively are called a divine        
revelation2 and that the information    
these books contain1 respecting man's   

duty to his ,maker1 came from the       
,almighty2 ,ruler of the universe1 is   
the ,christian's view of the matter4    
,we will now examine the various inlets1
 or avenues1 by which divine revelation 
is said to have been communicated to    
man4 ,according to the scriptures1 the  
first in order is that ,god himself     
conversed with men2--secondly1 by the   
medium of angels2--thirdly1 by inspired 
prophets2--fourthly1 by                 
dreams2--fifthly1 by visions2--and      
lastly1 by his son4 ,these are the      
principal inlets4 ,we will examine these
 different modes1 and make such remarks 
as are applicable to each4 ,first1 then1
 as to the assumption that ,god himself1
 conversed with men4 ,it is recorded    
that he appeared to and conversed with1 
our first parents2 also with ,noah1     
,abram1 ,moses1 and even ,balaam4 ,the  
,deity's conversing with ,adam and ,eve 
may be considered as the commencement of
 divine revelation4 ,with respect to the
 truth of these conversations1 and the  

remarkable appearances connected with   
them1 no positive testimony can be      
adduced either for or against2 we must  
therefore take reason for our guide in  
the examination4 ,we begin1 then1 by    
observing1 that if such events did      
actually occur1 it is clear that ,god   
was accessible to man in those days1 and
 that in a manner very different to what
 he is in our own times2 and1 also1 that
 the unknown and invisible being could  
be approached on the most trifling      
occasions4  ,no good having ever        
resulted to man from such visits from   
the ,great ,author of all things1 is    
proof presumptive that they never took  
place4 ,so far from any moral good      
having resulted to ,adam and ,eve from  
their daily intercourse with ,jehovah1  
we find in the case1 of ,eve1 that1     
being seduced1 either1 by the serpent1  
or her own vicious inclination1 she ate 
the forbidden fruit ,the ejectment of   
our first parents from the garden of    
,eden1 would seem to warrant us in      

believing that the ,lord watched over   
them for evil1 and not for good4 ,a pair
 of human beings brought into existence 
without experience of the past1 or      
knowledge of the future1 must stand much
 in need of instruction from their      
,creator2 and yet the result of all the 
recorded intercourse was1 they became   
disobedient2 and were driven out of the 
garden provided for them by no less a   
being than the ,author of the universe4 
,had the ,bible-makers arranged the     
story so as to have made the            
conversations and intercourse result in 
the continuance of our first parents in 
the garden1 the account would have borne
 some resemblance to truth3 but to      
represent it as having ended in their   
expulsion1 is by far too large a draft  
upon human credulity1 unless they can   
believe that ,god is what ,christians   
declare the ,devil to be4  ,if the      
advocates for the authenticity of the   
,bible contend that the recorded        
intercourse between the ,lord and our   

first parents is literally true1 that   
view of the subject is attended with so 
many difficulties that it is almost     
impossible to give credit to it ,but if 
they contend that it is an allegory1    
then the probability is that the account
 of the creation is altogether a        
fabulous tradition1 consequently not a  
divine inspiration4 ,when the ,lord is  
represented as having appeared to       
,abram1 or any of the renowned men of   
old1 such appearances are not spoken of 
as being of uncommon occurrence1 nor is 
any surprise manifested4 ,the ,lord is  
always represented as having appeared in
 a human form4 ,before the sceptic can  
believe in the reality of these         
visitations1 he must know for what end  
they took place2 and1 also1 why the     
,lord should in the olden times be      
always ready to appear to1 and converse 
with1 his favorites1 and in modern times
 altogether discontinue his visits1 as  
if there were now nothing on earth      
worthy of his particular notice4  ,the  

,bible informs us that three angels in  
the form of men appeared to ,abram1 and 
that one of them was called the ,lord1  
the ,judge of all the earth4 ,they must 
have been in the likeness of men3 for1  
they had their feet washed2 they dined  
with ,abram1 and the particular kind of 
food is mentioned1 which in our day     
would be denominated veal and           
griddle-cake4 ,and at this dinner the   
promise was confirmed that ,abram and   
,sarah should be blessed with a son in  
their old age1 and that from his        
descendants one should arise who should 
be for the healing of the nations4      
,after dinner the ,lord informed ,abram 
that he had heard that ,abram's         
neighbors were extremely wicked1 and    
that he and his companions had come to  
ascertain if the report were correct1   
and that the vengeance of ,heaven was   
about to fall on ,sodom and ,gomorrah   
for their crimes4 ,the good old man     
plead hard for the inhabitants1 saying1 
,far be it from the ,lord to slay the   

righteous with the wicked1 and thereby  
in a slight degree averted the dreadful 
doom4 ,the reader can peruse the account
 7,genesis1 chapter xviii417 and make   
his own comments4 ,the writer could as  
soon believe that the moon is a large   
cheese1 suspended in the firmament1 as  
give credit to this contemptible story4 
,if it should be asked1 how ,moses      
obtained his information as to what     
,abram had for dinner1 the answer is1 by
 inspiration4  ,we will here notice two 
remarkable appearances of the ,lord3 one
 of them to ,balaam1 the other to       
,moses1 ,a few remarks on each will     
suffice4 ,balaam was a conjuror1 and a  
person of no small consequence in his   
day4 ,he was applied to by the princes  
of ,moab to prophesy evil against the   
,israelites1 ,that whole nation1 under  
the guidance of ,moses1 being in the act
 of marching through the land of ,moab  
on their route to the land of promise1  
and having the character of making too  
free with other people's property1 the  

princes of ,moab hired ,balaam to curse 
them4 ,we are told that the heathen     
prophet judged it best to procure the   
permission of ,jehovah1 the ,god of the 
,jews1 before he cursed his people4 ,he1
 therefore1 erected an altar on the top 
of a hill1 and on it sacrificed seven   
bullocks and seven sheep4 ,during the   
sacrifice1 the ,lord of heaven and earth
 came down1 and called the prophet aside
 from the presence of the princes of    
,moab1 and forbade him to curse his     
people4 ,the sacrifice was repeated     
thrice4 ,on each occasion the ,lord     
appeared to ,balaam1 giving him leave to
 go with the princes1 but forbidding him
 on any account to curse the            
,israelites4 ,the remainder of the tale 
is to be found in the history of        
,balaam4  ,now1 can it be possible1 that
 this account contains a particle of    
truth8 ,can we suppose1 that the unknown
 power1 whom man calls ,god1 presented  
himself at the altar of a heathen       
necromancer1 and1 whispering in his ear1

 forbade him to perform his monkey      
tricks to the detriment of his chosen   
people8 ,and that three times he should 
descend from heaven to overawe the old  
trickster1 as if he thought him capable 
of doing harm to the ,israelites8 ,this 
account is rendered more contemptible by
 being referred to by ,new ,testament   
writers1 although the scripture declares
 in many places that no man can see ,god
 and live4 ,christians little think how 
largely their credulity is taxed when   
they are taught to believe that such    
accounts were given by divine           
inspiration4  ,it is written in the book
 of ,exodus1 7chapter xxiv417 that      
,after the giving of the moral law on   
,mount ,sinai1 the ,lord called ,moses  
to the top of that remarkable place to  
give him instructions respecting the    
tabernacle and its paraphernalia4 ,moses
 remained there forty days1 attending to
 the commands of ,jehovah4 ,the ,lord1  
on a sudden1 informed ,moses that the   
,israelites had forsaken him1 had set up

 a golden calf1 and were in the act of  
worshipping before it and dancing for   
joy4 ,moses was ordered to go down4     
,before he left the mount1 however1 the 
,lord's anger waxed hot1 and he told    
,moses not to plead for the wicked      
people4 ,jehovah1 being about to destroy
 them1 ,moses besought him not to cut   
them off1 and reminded him that1 by so  
doing1 the ,egyptians would triumph and 
say that their ,god led them into the   
wilderness to destroy them4  ,moses also
 reminded ,jehovah of the promises made 
to ,abram1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1          
respecting their posterity2 and by the  
arguments he made use of in favor of    
showing mercy to the ,jewish people1 at 
length prevailed on the ,lord to        
suppress his anger4 ,having descended   
from the mount1 ,moses found the people 
half-naked1 and dancing in a state of   
joyful excitement before the ,golden    
,calf4 ,the man who had but just before 
plead the cause of his brethren1 and    
thereby prevented ,jehovah's destroying 

the whole of the seed of ,abram1 found  
it less difficult to quiet the fury of  
an angry ,god1 than to keep his own     
temper2 for1 when he saw their          
idolatrous dancing and revelry1 he lost 
all patience1 and1 throwing down the    
tables of stone on which the laws were  
written1 made the inquiry1 ,who is on   
the ,lord's side8 ,the ,levites         
instantly came forward and declared for 
the ,lord4 ,moses ordered every man to  
take his sword and slay his neighbor and
 friends who had rebelled against       
,jehovah1--a shocking slaughter ensued1 
for three thousand were slain on that   
day6  ,if this account could be         
credited1 it would be truly harrowing to
 the reflecting mind4 ,to believers in  
,christianity1 we would say1 can you    
expect persons who depend on the        
exercise of their reason for the        
discovery of truth and the detection of 
error1 to believe the account of the    
transactions of ,jehovah and ,moses on  
the mountain8 ,surely1 you cannot4 ,we  

give the following reasons why it is out
 of our power to believe it3--,the      
narrative represents the ,almighty      
,ruler of the ,universe as possessing   
the same frailties as his creature1 man4
 ,the ,creator is forty days contriving 
7assisted by ,moses7 ornaments and      
decorations for his own worship4 ,before
 these were completed1 the people1 who  
were to be the worshippers1 deserted    
their ,god1 and either commenced a new  
religion or revived an old one4 ,for a  
considerable time1 ,jehovah allows      
,moses to remain in ignorance of what is
 going on at the foot of the mountain2  
then1 all of a sudden1 informs him of   
it2 in a burst of passion tells him to  
stand out of his way1 so as to be no    
hindrance to him in pouring out his     
wrath2 and seems determined to          
exterminate the whole race4 ,moses1 less
 passionate than the ,deity1 argued     
strenuously in favor of his brethren1   
and pointed out to ,jehovah two reasons 
why he ought to spare them3--first1 that

 their extermination would break the    
promise made to ,abram2 and secondly1   
that the ,egyptians would exult in the  
destruction of their former slaves1     
,jehovah losing all the honor of having 
brought them out of bondage with a      
mighty hand and an outstretched arm4    
,having thus cooled down ,divine        
vengeance1 ,moses himself became the    
,jack ,ketch1 or executioner of his     
brethren4  ,if this account had been    
found in any book but the ,bible1 not   
one person in a thousand would have     
believed it4 ,it destroys the attributes
 of the ,god of all worlds1 gives the   
lie to his foreknowledge and            
immutability1 and then invests him with 
all the weakness1 folly1 and mutability 
of poor1 frail1 erring man4  ,with      
respect to the dreams and visions1 of   
which we find so many accounts in the   
,old and ,new ,testaments1 they are     
spoken of by the prophets as being the  
medium of divine inspiration4 ,one of   
them thus expresses himself3--,it shall 

come to pass in the last days1 saith the
 ,lord1 that ,i will pour out my spirit 
on all flesh1 and your sons and your    
daughters shall prophesy1 your old mm   
shall dream dreams1 your young men shall
 see visions4 7,joel1 chapter ii47 ,now 
we know that dreams are not the result  
of divine inspiration4 ,when we read    
that an angel appeared to a man of ,god1
 no more can be made of it than         
this3--the priest1 or pretended prophet1
 dreamed that an angel appeared to him1 
and conversed with him4  ,i have many   
times dreamed of seeing my first wife1  
who died upwards of forty years ago4 ,if
 ,i were to insist that the dream was a 
reality1 it would be considered by my   
friends that my mind was disordered2 in 
short1 that ,i was insane4 ,from dreams1
 we can obtain no correct ideas of      
realities4 ,if persons1 who are much    
subject to dreams1 were to imagine that 
their dreams pointed to realities1 they 
would be all their lifetime in pursuit  
of shadows4 ,dreams and visions would be

 very uncertain channels for the        
conveyance of divine revelations1 for   
the supposed angel might be the servant 
of the ,devil instead of a messenger    
from heaven4  ,the writings in the ,old 
,testament which are called prophecies1 
generally relate to the ,jewish nation4 
,how are we to know that they are       
prophecies8 ,in order that there may be 
no uncertainty with respect to a        
prophet's pretensions1 he should        
foretell something to come to pass in   
the lifetime of the persons to whom he  
declares the prophecy1 stating the      
precise time and place1 so that when    
fulfilled1 it should be a million to one
 against its being the result of        
guess-work4 ,it would then carry with it
 a convincing proof of being the result 
of divine inspiration4  ,to show the    
dependence that can be placed on        
prophecies1 we may refer to the         
,millerite delusion4 ,the pretensions   
and extravagances of that sect were     
based on the prophecies of ,daniel4 ,i  

have heard many preachers1 of           
acknowledged learning and talent1       
attempt to explain ,daniel's prophecies 
with regard to the time of the second   
advent2 but they generally differed in  
their views4 ,about the year #ahjc1 a   
preacher in ,london1 7,england17 of     
first rate abilities1 told his          
congregation1 a very large one1 to keep1
 in mind the year #ahcc1 for that he    
had1 after the most laborious           
calculations1 arrived at the conclusion 
that about that period1 signs and       
wonders would indicate the near approach
 of him who is to come again in power   
and great glory4  ,there is no doubt but
 hundreds of learned men have1 since the
 time that ,jesus is said to have left  
this world1 consumed the midnight oil in
 their researches to discover the time  
of the second advent1 but to no purpose4
 ,to no purpose1 did ,i say8 ,i mistook4
 ,in the case of ,miller1 it was to a   
most unfortunate purpose4 ,thousands of 
his followers have been in a state of   

partial insanity2 many have been        
absolutely deranged2 some have committed
 suicide2 others sold their lands1      
abandoned their occupations1 neglected  
their wives and children1 and will never
 regain their former happy homes4 ,can  
we suppose that the all-wise ,ruler of  
the ,universe would promulgate          
prophecies so uncertain with respect to 
their fulfilment1 and so disastrous in  
the effects arising from their          
uncertainty8 ,i repeat1 that prophecy1  
to answer any good purpose1 should be   
fulfilled in the lifetime of the persons
 to whom it is addressed2 otherwise1 the
 uncertainty attending it renders it    
worse than useless4  ,if ,daniel had    
been divinely inspired to foretell any  
thing relating to ,christ1 common sense 
suggests that it would have reference to
 his first appearance on earth4 ,instead
 of this being the burden of his        
prophecy1 he makes no allusion to his   
first coming1 but1 according to         
,christian expositors1 his dreams and   

visions refer to the second coming of   
,christ1 and the final judgment4 ,father
 ,miller's bubble having burst1 his     
sincere but deluded followers are in a  
state of extreme wretchedness2 all of   
them injured either in mind or          
circumstances1 and most of them in both4
 ,many of them will doubtless reject    
religion altogether4 ,so much1 then1 for
 depending on divine inspiration4  ,the 
power to perform miracles is included in
 the idea of divine inspiration1 and    
implies the possession of a power       
superior to all human power4 ,the       
exhibition of a power by an individual1 
superior to what the united exertions of
 a whole nation could perform1 ought to 
be credited to the exhibiter as a power 
received from on high1--a conclusion    
drawn by ,christian commentators1 and   
also by ,jesus himself1 with respect to 
his recorded miracles2 for1 he says--,if
 ,i had not done among them the works   
which no other man did1 they would not  
have had sin2 but now they having seen  

his miracles1 and yet rejected him their
 sin remaineth4  ,miracles are uncertain
 evidences of divine inspiration4 ,what 
an ignorant man might deem to be a      
miracle1 a man of intelligence and      
education might know to be the result of
 combined natural causes4 ,what in one  
age has been currently believed to have 
been the effect of supernatural agency1 
a succeeding and more enlightened age   
has known as the result of certain      
operations of nature4 ,nothing can      
justly be regarded as a miracle unless  
it be1 past all dispute1 beyond human   
power to perform4 ,to suppose that the  
,deity makes use of means to promote the
 improvement of his creatures1 which are
 calculated to mislead them1 is to      
impeach his wisdom and goodness4        
,miracles could not have been evidences 
of divine interposition to the ,jewish  
people1 at the time of ,christ's        
appearance among them1 owing to the     
prevailing belief that supernatural     
beings1 called devils1 could perform    

wonderful things1 far above man's power 
or comprehension2 and that some of them1
 more powerful than the rest1 could     
invest mortals with the power of        
performing-miracles of the same nature  
as those ascribed to ,jesus ,christ4    
,most of the religious sects at the     
present day affect to be influenced by  
something almost amounting to divine    
inspiration--their religion consisting  
of feelings1 not of action4 ,in the     
,scriptures we read1 ,if any man have   
not the spirit of ,christ1 he is none of
 his4 ,i have often noticed the variety 
of modes in which the spirit operates on
 different sects4 ,the ,methodists1     
while seeking the ,lord1 as they term   
it1 will sigh1 moan1 and howl1 and      
immediately after be in ecstasies       
bordering on insanity1 and bawl so loud 
that a passer-by might reasonably       
conclude that some dreadful accident had
 befallen them4 ,passing to the other   
extreme1 the ,friends1 or ,quakers1 are 
as dumb as mutes1 and will not allow    

their speakers to open their lips until 
impelled to do so by the spirit4 ,but   
the ,jumpers1 in ,wales1 7,great        
,britain17 go ahead of all1 for they    
often perform the journey from their    
homes to their churches1 by the same    
kind of evolution as frogs make when on 
their peregrinations in search of water4
 ,all these monkey tricks are of much   
easier performance than feeding the     
hungry1 or clothing the destitute4 ,can1
 or1 presuming that they can1 will the  
preachers please inform us1 which of    
these three modes of spiritual          
manifestation will be practised in      
heaven8  ,in concluding this chapter1 ,i
 shall make some remarks on the         
,mormons1 that being one of the last    
sects1 of any importance1 which have    
arisen1 professing the ,christian faith4
 ,they also profess1 or their leaders1  
at least1 to be specially moved by the  
,holy ,spirit2 in other words1 that they
 are the recipients of divine           
inspiration4 ,whatever other            

denominations of ,christians may think  
of their claims to supernatural gifts1  
they are founded on quite as reasonable 
grounds as were the pretensions of the  
prophets of old1 not even excepting     
,moses1 the ,jewish legislator2 as a    
brief history of their rise and progress
 will prove4 ,the following account1 the
 writer had from some of the principal  
preachers of the ,mormon faith3--,about 
the year #ahbg1 or '#bh1 ,joseph ,smith1
 a young man of obscure parentage1      
presented to the world a production     
which he called the ,book of ,mormon1 or
 the ,golden ,bible2 and of which1      
according to his own account1 he became 
possessed in the following              
manner3--,when about fifteen years of   
age1 being under religious impressions1 
he used to retire to the fields and     
thickets in the neighborhood of his     
home1 to exercise himself in prayer4    
,one day1 while thus engaged1 an angel  
appeared to him1 and informed him that  
the ,lord had a great and important work

 for him to perform1 but that the time  
had not yet arrived for its             
consummation4 ,then1 after telling him  
that he would be again visited1 and     
urging him to pursue a godly life1      
disappeared4 ,a few years after this1   
the angel re-visited ,joseph1 repeating 
his declaration respecting the          
contemplated work1 and disappeared as   
before4 ,at length1 on a third          
appearance1 the angel directed ,joseph  
to go to a certain spot and dig in the  
earth1 telling him that he would there  
find something of vast importance4      
,joseph did as the angel commanded1 and 
found a number of golden plates1 on     
which were impressed characters in a    
language to him altogether unknown4     
,having copied a portion of the         
characters1 he sent the copy1 by a      
friend1 to a teacher of the dead        
languages1 in ,new ,york1 in order to   
ascertain the meaning2 but his friend   
returned without having obtained the    
desired information4 ,the ,holy ,spirit 

then enabled ,joseph to translate the   
inscriptions1 and the translation is1   
denominated the ',book of ,mormon1'     
being named after the person who1       
fourteen hundred years before1 had1 by  
,divine command1 deposited it in the    
earth4 ,this book can be obtained of the
 ,mormon preachers4  ,the progress of   
the ,mormons1 or ,latter-,day ,saints1  
as they designate themselves1 has been  
astonishingly rapid1 their number being 
computed at no less than two hundred    
thousand1 of whom about ten thousand are
 congregated in the city of ,nauvoo1 7or
 ,joseph17 in the ,state of ,illinois4  
,this portion of the ,mormons had       
previously located themselves in the    
,state of ,missouri1 but after suffering
 great persecution1 were driven out of  
that ,state by the inhabitants4 ,they   
then settled in the western part of     
,illinois1 and built the city of        
,nauvoo1 and have nearly completed a    
splendid temple of unique architecture4 
,they1 like the ,jews1 believe that they

 are ,god's chosen people1 and that1 as 
the earth is the ,lord's1 they shall    
have the honor of calling together the  
,jews1 the former chosen people of ,god1
 and that all who have not then embraced
 the ,mormon faith will be speedily cut 
off4 ,as the ,mormons make the ,bible   
the ground-work of their religious      
belief1 and are sparing in their        
allusions to the ,book of ,mormon1 they 
are likely to become permanently        
established1 as a portion of the        
,christian world1 and will probably     
become not only a very numerous1 but    
also a powerful sect4  ,but the demon of
 religious persecution--let me pause for
 a moment4 ,i would not knowingly libel 
any thing1 not even religion4 ,am ,i not
 mistaken8 ,not in the personage1 most  
certainly1 but ,i may be in error with  
respect to his official character4      
,perhaps ,i owe an apology to the       
religious world4 ,it may be the demon of
 fraud4 ,at all events1 a demon of some 
description is hovering over this       

remarkable people1 and threatening them 
with vengeance4 ,their smoking and      
desolate homesteads will furnish matter 
for the future historian1 who1 with     
indignation1 will record1 that in the   
nineteenth century1 in the favored land 
of ,illinois1 the ennobling principles  
of liberty could boast of no better     
recognition than an empty name4 ,give   
ear1 ye advocates of liberty in the     
down-trodden nations of ,europe6 ,a     
voice would address you from the land of
 promise4 ,ten thousand men1 women1 and 
children in the ,state of ,illinois1 can
 receive no protection from the ,genius 
of ,liberty1 but in the coming spring   
are to be driven from their peaceful    
happy homes1 to wend their way through a
 dreary wilderness1 and seek a resting  
place on the shores of the ,pacific     
,ocean4 ,oh6 shame6 where is thy blush6 
,cannot even tottering age1 and helpless
 infancy1 arrest the fell purpose8  ,the
 present position of the ,mormons1 with 
respect to the rest of the world1 so    

nearly resembles that of the ,jews when 
they were leaving ,egypt1 that it is not
 unlikely for them to assimilate their  
movements in a measure to those of the  
,israelites1 and1 believing1 as they do1
 that they are influenced by the ,holy  
,ghost1 their historians some centuries 
hence will probably record miracles as  
having been performed by the ,mormons1  
similar to what are said to have taken  
place among the ,jews1 when travelling  
under the guidance of ,moses1 to the    
promised land4 ,feebleness of body      
reminds me that ,death is shaking his   
arrow over me1 but surely my mind       
remains unclouded4 ,am ,i really living 
in the enlightened nineteenth century8  
,and if so1 am ,i on the free soil of   
,america1 or in barbarous ,russia1 and a
 subject of the ,emperor ,nicholas8     
,the ,mormons are to be driven out of   
the ,united ,states4 ,why8 ,because they
 believe themselves to be ,god's chosen 
people1 and that all other nations must 
become subject to them4 ,indeed6 and do 

not the ,jews entertain the same belief 
with respect to their nation8 ,are they 
to be driven out along with the         
,mormons8 ,the ,mormons are to be driven
 out4 ,why8 ,because they speak in an   
unknown tongue4 ,but a few years ago1   
the disciples of ,irving1 a celebrated  
preacher in ,london1 spoke in an unknown
 tongue2 but so far from their being    
driven out of the country in            
consequence1 the ministrations of       
,irving were attended by the principal  
nobility and statesmen of ,great        
,britain4 ,the ,mormons are to be driven
 out4 ,why8 ,not on account of their    
religious faith1 but because they are a 
community of thieves4 ,in the ,english  
navy the seamen have a very contemptuous
 idea of the marines1 and when a very   
improbable story is told by any one1    
they say1 ,tell that to the marines1    
intimating that they are weak enough to 
believe any thing4  ,we are told that a 
religious community which numbers ten   
thousand persons is composed of         

incorrigible rogues4 ,and yet it is well
 known that they are very industrious1  
have well cultivated farms1 have built a
 city1 and nearly completed a splendid  
temple4 ,what says the experience of the
 world with respect to thieves--that    
they have been usually found among the  
industrious1 or the idle8 ,what are we  
called upon to believe8 ,that a highly  
industrious religious sect1 numbering   
ten thousand souls1 manifests such a    
total disregard of all moral principle  
that its existence cannot be allowed in 
civilized society8 ,tell it not in      
,gath6 ,oh6 no2 better tell it to the   
marines4  ,i do believe that ,i am in   
,america1 and not in ,russia1 after all4
 ,the film is departing from my mental  
vision4 ,an idea strikes me4 ,it is     
this4 ,in this country1 under certain   
circumstances1 well understood by the   
public1 bills of exceptions are         
frequently filed4 ,aye1 now ,i have it  
,this is a ,republic2 and a ,republic is
 a government intended for the benefit  

of all1 with the exception of the       
,mormons to-day1 and of some other      
religious sect to-morrow2 and so on1 as 
avarice1 or bigotry1 or the tyranny of a
 moneyed aristocracy may dictate1 to the
 end of the chapter4  ,the republicans  
of the ,state of ,illinois have         
determined that the ,mormons shall not  
remain among them4 ,oh6 consistency1    
thou art indeed a jewel ,for the benefit
 of persons visiting ,illinois1 ,i shall
 close with a quotation from the ,old   
,testament1 not remarkable1 perhaps1 for
 elegance of diction1 but having a claim
 to attention for its truthfulness4 ,it 
is this3---,it is useless to search for 
a jewel in a swine's snout4  ,,end ,,of 
,,the ,,old ,,testament4     ,,the ,,new
 ,,testament     ,,introductory         
,,chapter on ,,the ,,facts ,,and        
,,personages ,,of ,,the ,,new           
,,testament   ,,to these persons who can
 take1 without fear1 a correct view of  
,jehovah's dealings with his chosen     
people1 as recorded in the ,old         

,testament1 it must appear1 that the    
,jews1 as a nation1 did not1 in any way1
 do honor to his choice2 for1 as it     
regards religion1 they neither were at  
any length of time faithful to ,jehovah1
 nor did they obey his laws4 ,the       
dreadful punishments inflicted on them1 
together with the teaching of the       
,prophets1 did not cure them1 so as to  
prevent them from worshipping other     
gods4  ,to men of common sense1 it is   
clear that the ,jewish ,god undertook to
 make of the seed of ,abram that which  
never took place4 ,the attempts to keep 
them as true worshippers of ,jehovah1   
continually failed2 and he1 in the      
language of regret and complaint1       
says3--,i have nourished and brought up 
children1 and they have rebelled against
 me4 ,and here we may inquire1 how were 
they brought up8 ,the answer is at hand4
 ,they were taught to consider          
themselves1 as a nation1 more valuable  
than any people on earth2 and this pride
 caused them to act with hostility in   

their intercourse with1 the ,gentiles1  
and to rob and murder all nations less  
powerful than themselves2 for doing     
which1 they had from the ,lord a direct 
order4 ,to show mercy was forbidden1 and
 they were punished for so doing4 ,the  
command was--,thou shall do no murder4  
,this command had to do with ,jews only4
 ,to others it was said1 ,spare not a   
soul alive4 ,again1 ,thou shall not     
steal1--that is1 from ,jews3 from all   
heathens1 steal all you can4 ,thou shalt
 not covet thy neighbor's wife1 c4      
,remember6--the wife of a ,jew2 but when
 the ,lord commands1 you must murder    
other men's wives1 and take their       
daughters for the most wicked purposes4 
,this is the manner the seed of ,abram  
were brought up2 and1 in these          
particulars1 they seldom disobeyed the  
,lord4  ,in this manner the ,jews were  
educated by the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,can we
 then wonder that they1 in a moral point
 of view1 should have been the most     
cruel and wicked of any nation on earth8

 ,it follows1 that they were a disgrace 
to that ,god who selected them as his   
own2 and the ,jewish dispensation ended 
in a complete failure3 so that it is    
recorded1 that the ,lord hateth his own 
inheritance4 ,jehovah failed to rear up 
and protect a nation who should serve as
 a pattern to the rest of the human     
family4 ,they axe acknowledged1 by both 
,god and man1 to have been the worst    
people on earth4  ,we are now about to  
consider another attempt1 on the part of
 the ,god of ,israel1 to recover and    
convert his disobedient people to the   
new covenant1 or dispensation1 by       
sending the long-expected ,saviour of   
the seed of ,abram1 according to the    
flesh4 ,here we ought to expect that a  
double degree of caution will be        
manifest on the part of the ,jewish     
,god1 so that no mistake may happen to  
the ,jewish nation in their reception   
of1 and obedience to1 his ,son1 as an   
ambassador of peace and reconciliation2 
because1 if the mission of ,jesus was   

not clearly understood by the ,jews1    
another scene of trouble1 more dreadful 
than their former disobedience1 would   
follow as a consequence4 ,we ought to   
expect that ,christ would be instructed 
so to present himself to his brethren1  
that his person and his plans for their 
recovery would be self-evident4 ,no     
guess-work can be allowed1 as it        
respects the vast importance of his     
mission1 or the identity of his person4 
,it needs no argument to show1 that1    
when an end or object is to be fully    
obtained1 the means must be adapted to  
answer the end intended1 or a failure is
 the consequence4  ,here we may ask1 for
 what purpose did ,christ come to the   
,jews8 ,was it to fulfil the promises   
made to them by ,jehovah1 that he would 
make a new covenant with them1 and write
 his laws on their hearts2 not according
 to the covenant he made with their     
fathers1 when he brought them out of    
,egypt1 but that he would write his laws
 on their hearts1 and their sins and    

iniquities remember no more1 and that   
they should be to him a people1 and that
 he would be to them a ,god8 ,in fact1  
we cannot admit of the possibility of   
any mistake or failure to happen in     
,jehovah's plan of salvation1 when we   
consider that the seed of ,abram longed 
for and expected the ,great ,deliverer  
of ,israel4 ,no trickery or deception   
ought to be resorted to in a case       
involving such dreadful consequences4   
,it is highly dishonorable to the ,god  
of the ,universe1 to admit of any       
double-dealing on his part1 when his    
people were prepared to receive the     
,messiah4  ,the situation of the ,jews1 
as a nation1 at the time it is said that
 ,christ made his appearance among them1
 ought to be kept in view1 in reading   
this introduction4 ,they expected a     
king1 or a deliverer1 to arrive1        
agreeably to what they had learned from 
the ,old ,testament4 ,hence1 their      
inquiry was1 ,art thou he that should   
come1 or do we1 or are we1 to look for  

another8 ,as much as to say1 we long for
 his appearance1 but we have had false  
,christs2 and the repeated impositions  
practised on our nation makes us        
cautious as to giving credence to any   
pretender1 without full proof of his    
being the true1 the very anointed of    
,god4 ,no inquiry could be more         
reasonable2 for it is clear that the    
,jewish nation were open to conviction1 
and ready to receive with joy the sent  
of ,jehovah2 but repeated deception and 
disappointment had made them slow to    
believe in the pretensions of any that  
came to them in the name of the ,lord4  
,we need not be surprised that the seed 
of ,abram should have been so scrupulous
 in believing1 until they had           
incontrovertible proof that the hope of 
,israel had arrived4 ,they considered   
that event as the end of all their      
troubles2 and relying on the promises   
made1 to ,god's chosen people by the    
prophets1--that the sun of1             
righteousness should arise with healing 

in his wings that his identity would be 
as clearly known1 and all obscurity     
entirely removed as to his being the    
true ,christ1 the hope and expectation  
of ,israel4 ,the ,jews1 as a nation1    
were not prepared for any thing short of
 a full manifestation of ,jehovah's     
promises in the person of the ,messiah1 
that he would be their ,prophet1        
,priest1 and ,king ,it is not possible  
to conceive that a single ,jew could be 
found who would stretch forth his hand  
against the ,lord's anointed4 ,this1    
then1 was the feeling and expectation of
 the ,jews1 at the time it is recorded  
that ,christ came as the deliverer of   
,israel4 ,it follows1 then1 that the    
only thing the ,jews required1 in order 
to receive and obey ,christ1 was1       
unerring proof that ,jesus was the      
promised ,messiah2 for they were        
earnestly waiting for that glorious     
event4  ,we will now inquire1 whether or
 not his introduction to the ,jewish    
nation was the most probable way to     

convince them that the long-desired1 the
 long-expected ,redeemer of ,israel was 
come8 ,it must ever be kept in mind1    
that the coming of ,christ was to the   
,israelites of vast importance1 when we 
consider their former troubles1 how they
 had been forsaken by their ,god1 sold1 
as it were1 into severe bondage1 and    
scattered over the face of the earth1 in
 consequence of their departure from the
 ,god of their fathers4 ,to all which1  
it may be added1 that they had been     
deceived by false ,christs3 so that1 as 
a nation1 they ought to1 and doubtless  
did1 fully expect that the true         
,messiah1 on his arrival1 would convince
 every real ,jew that he was the sent of
 ,god1 and that the evidence would be   
different1 in all respects1 from what   
had before attended impostors and       
cheats4 ,of all the embassies ever sent 
by one nation to another1 none ever     
equalled in importance the one where the
 ,son1 the only ,son of ,god1 was the   
ambassador4  ,in the intercourse between

 nations1 and when a minister is sent   
out from one nation to another1 one     
thing is always provided for1 and on no 
account is it ever omitted1             
namely3--proper credentials are always  
prepared and sent by one nation to      
another1 so that the identity of the    
ambassador is indisputable4 ,this       
indispensable qualification appears to  
have been omitted in sending ,christ to 
the ,jewish nation1 and it proved most  
unfortunate to those ill-fated people2  
for it is evident1 from ,scripture1 that
 they mistook ,jesus for an impostor1   
since one of the apostles admits1 that  
if they 7the ,jews7 had known him1 they 
would not have killed the ,lord of life 
and glory4  ,here1 then1 was the fatal  
mistake1 the unfortunate error2 and now 
we may ask1 for what was ,jesus sent8   
,jehovah knew that they would not       
receive him1 and that a failure would be
 the consequence4 ,but if ,jehovah did  
not know of his rejection1 what then are
 we to say of the attributes of the ,god

 of ,israel8 ,taking either side1       
involves the greatest absurdity1 and is 
shocking to every idea we can have of   
infinite wisdom1 power1 and goodness4   
,if ,jesus1 on his arrival to the ,jews 
as a nation1 intended to prove his      
divine mission by the performance of    
miracles1 he appears to have taken the  
wrong course to carry conviction to the 
minds of his fellow countrymen4 ,instead
 of performing signs and wonders before 
the most learned of his nation1 he      
associated with the most ignorant       
classes of society4 ,these were chiefly 
fishermen1 who could be easily imposed  
on by any sleight of hand1 performed by 
a dexterous juggler4 ,it was to the most
 learned and competent men of that day  
to whom his appeals ought to have been  
made2 but on the contrary1 he employed  
such vulgar abuse as--,o1 generation of 
vipers6 how can ye escape the damnation 
of hell8 ,it may safely be inferred1    
that such abusive language as this would
 be considered by the priests and rulers

 sufficient to stamp its author as a man
 of low character and violent temper4   
,again1 instead of opening his mission  
with the declaration of ,jehovah's      
former promises to the ,jewish nation1  
that the ,god of their fathers had sent 
him to recover the lost sheep of the    
home of ,israel1 he tells them that the 
holy temple was then a den of thieves2  
and at another time1 commences with a   
cord1 or rattan1 7like a drunken man17  
to drive men from the temple4 ,is it    
possible to conceive that such could be 
the conduct of him who was proclaimed to
 be ,peace on earth and good will       
towards men8  ,again1 miracles1 as      
proofs of ,christ's divine mission1     
ought to have been performed before the 
most learned and talented men among the 
,jews4 ,on the contrary1 it was the     
ignorant and unlettered part of society 
who were the witnesses of his mighty    
deeds2 for it is impossible for men who 
are unacquainted with the laws and      
phenomena of nature1 to form any thing  

like a correct judgment of those laws1  
so as to know what were their natural   
operations1 to the exclusion of divine  
power4 ,so that a performance of any    
thing1 however wonderful to ignorant and
 untaught men1 would1 to others1 who    
were better acquainted with the laws of 
the universe1 be no miracle at all4  ,in
 conclusion1 then1 so far as miracles   
are concerned1 a miracle must be        
something performed by another1 that is 
impossible to take place without        
superhuman aid2 and before persons who  
are so fully acquainted with the laws of
 the universe1 that imposition would be 
impossible4 ,now the ,jews1 at the time 
of the coming of ,christ1 if he did come
 at all1 had no such knowledge4 ,in that
 age1 many strange things were believed1
 that never had any real existence4 ,for
 instance1 it was fully believed by the 
,jews1 and nearly throughout the world1 
that evil spirits or demons took        
possession of the bodies of men1 and    
ceased1 not to torment them in a        

thousand ways2 and the casting out of   
these was considered a miracle4 ,jesus  
is said to have performed many miracles 
of this kind4 ,mary ,magdalene had seven
 of them ejected by the ,saviour4 ,so it
 is recorded4  ,but now1 no man of      
science gives the least credit to such  
tales2 so that the fact is1 no devils   
ever were cast out1 because none ever   
entered the human body4 ,if ,jesus1     
then1 pretended to cast out devils1 when
 he knew there were none possessed of   
them1 how can we exempt him from the    
charge of being a deceiver8 ,if1 on the 
other hand1 he believed that ,mary      
,magdalene had seven1 and that they left
 her by his orders1 in that case1 what  
shall we say as to his knowledge8  ,at  
the present day1 should a person apply  
for medical aid to cast out a devil1    
such person would be considered a       
lunatic4 ,this is proof positive that   
,jesus partook of the superstition of   
the age in which he lived2 and that his 
pretensions to cast out devils by the   

power of ,god1 were incompatible with   
his mission as the ,son of ,god1 the    
,redeemer of ,israel4  ,the history of  
,jesus1 as recorded in the four         
,gospels1 fully represents him as acting
 like most reformers in all ages and    
nations1 namely1 by abusing men of      
wealth and power4 ,but1 unlike most     
others1 ,jesus represented himself as   
the only ,son of ,god1 by whose         
authority he 7,jesus7 called the priests
 and the rulers of ,israel by names the 
most offensive1 thereby exciting their  
opposition to his mode of teaching and  
acting4 ,at the same time1 the lower    
grades of society did then1 as they do  
at the present day4 ,they considered him
 as a reformer1 the friend of the       
people1 in proportion as he was lavish  
in his abuse of the most violent nature4
  ,in concluding this chapter1 we may   
safely infer1 that if ,jesus was sent   
into the world to be put to death as a  
sacrifice for sin1 his manner of        
preaching to his countrymen1 and his    

violent abuse and denunciations against 
the then rulers of ,israel1 were        
calculated to bring about his tragical  
end4 ,but1 on the contrary1 if ,jesus   
came from ,god1 ,to restore the lost    
sheep of the home of ,israel1 as the    
,jews1 one and all1 expected the        
,messiah would do1 it then follows1 that
 the ,jews1 as a nation1 were deceived1 
and in putting him to death1 they       
thought him a blasphemer1 having no     
claim to be considered as the true      
deliverer of his nation4 ,if ,jesus came
 from ,god to the ,jews1 as their       
long-expected ,saviour and ,deliverer1  
and every blessing1 as it respected     
them1 depended on their giving him an   
obedience agreeable to his mission as an
 ambassador of peace1 to mistake him for
 an impostor1 was a misfortune more     
deplorable than all the misfortunes1 as 
a nation1 the ,jews had ever experienced
 from the call of ,abram until the time 
that ,christ is said to have arrived in 
the land of ,judea4 ,if1 in reality and 

truth1 he came from the ,jehovah of that
 people1 as they had for ages expected1 
then1 instead of his collecting together
 a few fishermen1 common sense would    
instruct us to suppose1 that the ,lord's
 anointed would go direct to the priests
 and ,jewish1 rulers1 and accost them in
 the following way3--,the long-expected1
 the long-desired1 is now in the midst  
of you4 ,i am the true1 the very        
,christ1 the anointed of ,jehovah1 of   
the seed of ,abram4 ,my beloved mother  
will lift her hand1 and swear on the    
altar of her ,god and my ,god1 the      
,father of us all1 that ,i am the       
offspring of ,god1 and that in the      
absence of all earthly intercourse1 she 
brought me forth1 and that angels       
announced her miraculous conception1    
before ,i saw the light2 and that ,i am 
endowed with power from on high1 to do  
before your longing eyes miracles and   
wonders1 such as all former pretenders  
could not perform4 ,but1 as you have    
before been deceived by impostors who   

have forged my name1 and assumed my     
character1 believe me not for my word1  
but for my works' sake4 ,mark well my   
deportment ,give credit to my mighty    
deeds only when they are openly         
addressed to your senses1 that no doubts
 may remain as to the identity of my    
person1 and the high commission of which
 ,i am the bearer2 and being fully      
convinced of my ,messiahship1 obey me as
 the earthly representative of your     
heavenly ,father1 while ,i unfold the   
blessings that await you1 in the        
fulfilment of the promises made to      
,abram and his seed forever4 ,instead1  
however1 of thus openly and frankly     
making known the object of his message  
to his nation1 ,jesus begins by making  
use of expressions the most insulting1  
charging the priests and rulers with    
crimes of the basest description1 in the
 worst language possible2 the direct    
tendency of which was1 to arouse their  
worst feelings1 leaving them in doubt   
what to think of one who arrogated to   

himself authority over the ,mosaic law1 
and whose teaching was so obscure as not
 to be understood even by his own       
disciples4 ,in speaking of himself and  
the kingdom he was about to set up1 he  
said that his death formed a part of the
 divine arrangement included in his     
mission2 as much as to say1 ,i must be  
put to death before my plane can be     
developed4 ,at times1 in the course of  
his preaching1 ,jesus referred to his   
future exaltation1 as the ,judge of     
quick and dead4 ,at other times he      
represented himself as the only true    
light that enlightens every man that    
cometh into the world2 and yet1 he      
courted obscurity in most of his        
preaching1 so much so1 that one of his  
most intimate friends 7,judas7 was      
bribed to inform the rulers who this    
extraordinary man was1 and where he     
could be found4  ,what would be thought 
of an ambassador1 sent from ,america to 
,england on business of the first       
importance1 if1 instead of proceeding to

 the ,court of ,st4 ,james1 at ,london1 
he should be found lecturing to         
fishermen and people in the lower walks 
of society1 and at the same time1 in    
language of the most violent kind1      
abusing the ,british ,government8 ,in   
fine1 such was the preaching and acting 
of ,jesus during his stay in the land of
 ,israel1 that to me it appears         
impossible to discover the object or the
 utility of his coming4 ,no wonder1     
therefore1 that the ,jews rejected him  
altogether4     ,,chapter ,i4           
,,whatever may have been the moral      
character of the ,jews1 as a nation1 at 
the time the reputed ,messiah came among
 them1 the priests and the people not   
only expected his advent1 but they also 
considered that event as an end to their
 then subjugation1 and more than a      
renewal of their former greatness and   
glory4 ,and here the reader will        
perceive that they 7the ,jews7 had no   
prejudice against the appearance of such
 a personage2 the only thing they       

required was1 his certain identity1 that
 they might know the true ,messiah was  
among them4 ,nothing could have been    
more favorable to his reception than    
such a universal expectation4 ,this     
general belief throughout the nation was
 on their part equivalent to their      
saying to the ,god of ,jacob1 ,we have  
long waited1 and most ardently desired1 
the fulfilment of the promise made to   
,abram and his seed forever4 ,this short
 statement is faithful1 and true as to  
the feelings and expectations of the    
whole ,jewish nation4  ,in this stage of
 our remarks1 every thing appears to    
warrant the conclusion1 that1 on the    
part of the descendants of ,abram1 no   
difficulty stood in the way of their    
submitting to their expected ,lord and  
,master4 ,to make him fully known to    
them1 so that no mistake could possibly 
happen as to his person and authority1  
belonged to ,jehovah alone2 for if the  
,messiah promised1 seemed in nowise to  
be represented in the person of ,jesus1 

then the ,jews would have been sure to  
have rejected him as another impostor of
 the same sort as had previously imposed
 on their nation4 ,in reviewing1 then1  
the ,new ,testament1 the object of the  
writer will be to show1 that ,jesus1 the
 pretended ,saviour of the world1 was   
not sent from ,god1 and consequently1   
the ,new ,testament is not of ,divine   
authority4  ,in the following inquiry1  
,i shall not dispute the existence of   
,jesus1 as a man1 living about the time 
recorded of him1 but take for granted   
the history of his life1 with the       
exception of his divine mission1 as this
 method will be better understood by the
 reader1 as excluding irrelevant matter4
 ,in the ,gospel history1 then1 it      
clearly appears1 that ,jesus wrote      
nothing of his own sayings or doings2 it
 was all done by others4 ,this omission 
to give a clear code of morals1 adapted 
to the ,gospel dispensation1 and also   
rules and regulations for this new sect1
 will appear strange1 when we refer to  

the formation and regulation of the     
,jewish ,church4 ,moses1 or whoever was 
its founder1 took great pains to record 
the most minute things connected with   
the ,jewish worship2 while1 on the      
contrary1 the ,christian ,church is left
 in such a state of uncertainty1 that   
its author wrote not a word himself1    
nor1 for aught we know1 did he give     
orders to his followers to commit to    
writing any thing he did or said1 not   
even of the miracles he so often        
performed4 ,it must appear passing      
strange1 that a religion of such vast   
importance to the whole human race      
should be1 as it were1 left to chance1  
as to the manner in which it was to     
descend to posterity1 when compared with
 the minuteness of the ,mosaic code4 ,of
 the four evangelists1 no one in        
particular had orders to write the life 
and doings of ,christ1 so that the      
inference is this3 that all the history 
of the life of ,jesus1 including his    
death and resurrection1 is but the      

testimony of others2 consequently1 we   
have no certainty that ,christ ever said
 or did those things recorded of him4   
,so that it amounts to this--somebody   
has said that ,jesus performed miracles2
 and the same may be said of the rest of
 his sayings and doings2 and we may add1
 that somebody has written that he was  
put to death1 and that on the third day 
he arose from the dead4  ,it is from    
such vague and unauthenticated writings1
 written by nobody knows who1 nor when  
they made their first appearance1 that  
the foundation is drawn on which rests  
the ,gospel ,dispensation2 and as the   
different writers have given different  
accounts of the things said to have     
taken place1 no reliance can be given to
 any of the facts recorded as having    
actually occurred4 ,the different       
writers have also given rise to         
doctrines so opposite to each other1    
that every sect can find ,scripture     
evidence for the support of its         
respective dogmas4 ,eighteen hundred    

years have then passed away1 and we are 
still ignorant of what is1 and what is  
not1 ,gospel4  ,is it possible that any 
thing can be more directly in           
opposition1 than the ,universalists and 
the different sects that believe in     
endless punishment in a future life8    
,again1 can any two things be more      
opposite than the doctrines concerning  
the person of ,christ1 as held by the   
,unitarians and the ,trinitarians2 and  
yet1 both of these doctrines are taken  
from the ,new ,testament1 which contains
 all that is written of him4 ,and what  
is still more wonderful1 each of these  
sects are positive with respect to their
 own opinions1 and are surprised at each
 other's ignorance of ,god's ,word2 and 
even at the present day1 they only want 
full power1 and they would soon come to 
blows4 ,not only these opinions1 but    
many more1 equally opposed to each      
other1 can be supported by referring to 
,god's unerring ,word4 ,it is a common  
saying1 the glorious uncertainty of the 

law2 ,i will add1 it is the glorious    
uncertainty of the ,gospel which has    
made so many priests1 and also1 it is   
its uncertainty which has been in every 
age of the church the cause of thousands
 of honest persons meeting a violent and
 cruel death1 for the glory of ,god4    
,the reader will in the following pages 
discover1 that my main object is to show
 that ,jesus was no more sent from      
heaven to save mankind by the sacrifice 
of himself for the sins of the world1   
than others are sent to build houses or 
dig canals2 and that the plan1 as it is 
called1 of human redemption1 has        
brutalized the human race1 and stood in 
the way of moral rectitude1 and the     
development of kind and humane feelings4
 ,although ,matthew and ,luke have      
recorded the miraculous conception of   
,jesus1 yet1 as it is omitted by ,mark  
and ,john1 ,i shall begin my remarks    
with the baptism of ,john4 ,as it       
respects the heavenly origin of ,jesus1 
he never mentions it in the course of   

his ministry1 neither does his mother4  
,jesus1 in speaking of himself1 said he 
was the son of man4 ,now1 if ,joseph1 or
 some other man1 was not his father1 he 
7,jesus7 then went by a false name2 for1
 in that case1 he was but the son of a  
woman4 ,we will leave this point of     
disputation with the ,christians1 and   
begin with the baptism of ,john4  ,after
 ,jesus had been baptized by ,john1 it  
is recorded1 that there came a voice    
from heaven1 saying1 ,thou art my       
beloved ,son in whom ,i am well pleased4
 7,mark i41 #aa47 ,and immediately the  
,spirit driveth him into the wilderness1
 and he was there in the wilderness     
forty days1 tempted of ,satan4 ,what    
possible end was to be obtained by this 
journey into the wilderness1 and what   
kind of spirit it was that drove him    
there1 we have no information4 ,at any  
rate1 in a forlorn state1 and very      
hungry1 ,satan made his first visit to  
the ,messenger of ,peace4 ,jesus seemed 
no way surprised at this ,satanic       

intrusion4 ,they conversed together as  
old friends4 ,we may suppose ,satan to  
open the conversation somewhat in the   
following manner3--  ,why1 ,jesus6 you  
seem to be any thing but in comfortable 
quarters4 ,this is carrying temperance  
rather too far2 nothing to eat or drink1
 and surrounded by wild beasts as hungry
 as yourself6 ,i have heard that you    
represent to your nation that you are   
sent to them from ,jehovah1 your father4
 ,now1 if you have any thing to         
communicate to them of importance1 this 
secluded spot is very unfavorable to    
make known your mission4 ,come1 give    
over fasting1 for if you are the ,son of
 ,god1 command these stones that they be
 made bread8 ,this observation1 or1 as  
it is called1 this temptation of the    
,devil1 caused ,jesus to make this      
reply3--,it is written1 that man shall  
not live by bread alone1 but by every   
word that proceedeth ont of the mouth of
 ,god4 ,then the ,devil taketh him up   
into the holy city1 or coaxed him to    

leave the wilderness1 and setteth him on
 a pinnacle of the ,temple1 and saith   
unto him1 ,if thou be the ,son of ,god1 
cast thyself down1 for it is written11  
he shall give his angels charge         
concerning thee1 and in their hands they
 shall bear thee up1 lest at any time   
thou dash thy foot against a stone4     
,jesus said unto him1 ,it is written    
again1 ,thou shalt not tempt the ,lord  
thy ,god4 ,again1 the ,devil taketh him 
up into art exceeding high mountain1 and
 showeth him all the kingdoms of the    
worlds and the glory of them2 and saith 
unto him1 all these things will ,i give 
thee1 if thou wilt fall dawn and worship
 me4 ,then saith ,jesus unto him1 ,get  
thee hence1 ,satan2 for it is written1  
,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god1 
and him only shalt thou serve4 ,then the
 ,devil leaveth him1 and behold angels  
came and ministered unto him4 7,matthew1
 chapter iv47  ,to those ,who are not   
afraid to examine this strange account1 
it must appear unworthy of the least    

credit4 ,in the first place1 as it      
stands recorded1 the ,devil and ,jesus  
act as if they had been old and intimate
 acquaintances4 ,this is the first      
announcement we have that any such      
personage as the ,devil ever visited    
this earth1 except he is the same       
identical being who1 upwards of four    
thousand years before1 came to the      
garden of ,eden and tempted ,eve1 and   
was the cause of herself and her        
husband's being expelled from that abode
 of innocence4 ,if it were the intention
 of the writers of the life of ,jesus1  
that it should be understood that the   
,devil had been resting quietly1 and    
enjoying himself1 and then appeared1    
ripe for new schemes of mischief1 and   
,satan reasoning within himself was     
resolved again to try his hand1--is it  
possible1 when this account is duly     
considered1 that one person in a        
thousand can give credit to such        
nonsense8  ,a few remarks on ,christ's  
temptation by the ,devil will suffice to

 show its absurdity4 ,in the first      
place1 then1 can we believe that a being
 of ,infinite ,power1 ,wisdom1 and      
,goodness1 ever has1 or does now1 keep  
in existence a ,devil whose whole aim   
and happiness consist in tempting ,god's
 creatures to rebel against their maker 
and benefactor2 and that ,god has given 
him power and capacity to induce men and
 women to commit every sort of crime    
that disgraces humanity8 ,besides1 so   
artful is this ,devil that man has but a
 poor chance to escape his cunning      
attacks and devices4 ,we are told that  
the ,lord is angry with the wicked every
 day2 and yet for all that1 he has made 
a being of immense power who possesses  
unbounded malice against both ,god and  
man4 ,would any man1 who was in his     
right mind1 keep in his employ a person 
who would daily destroy his property1   
and breed discord among his steady      
workmen8 ,none but a madman could so    
act2 and shall we suppose that the      
all-wise ruler of the universe would    

follow in the path of a man out of his  
senses8  ,again1 according to the       
account in ,matthew1 the ,devil seems   
full of life and impudence2 while the   
reputed ,saviour appears sheepish and   
stupid1 and seems willing to follow the 
,devil about at his bidding6 ,we have no
 account as to the form in which the    
,devil appeared1 whether as a rich man  
or a loafer2 whether fat or lean1 and   
how old he appeared to be2 neither are  
we informed in what kind of dress he    
walked through the street of ,jerusalem1
 whether it was in the costume of the   
age1 or in the livery of hell4 ,at any  
rate1 ,jesus seemed rather scared at the
 old serpent4 ,jesus commenced his      
mission more like a hermit than as a    
messenger of peace2 to ,god's chosen    
people4 ,in fact1 there is1 in ,jesus1  
through his whole life1 something so    
unearthly that his existence as a man is
 very doubtful4 ,in the whole account of
 the temptation of the ,devil1 the      
evidence of its being a mixture of fable

 and falsehood is1 apparent4  ,besides1 
it is altogether unaccountable how      
,jesus and the ,devil became so well    
acquainted with each other2 for ,jesus  
was a ,jew by nation1 and strictly      
obeyed the law of ,moses2 but ,moses is 
completely silent as to the existence of
 any such personage as the ,devil4 ,at  
the time when it is said ,jesus came to 
the ,jewish nation1 they had1 during    
their captivity1 embraced the theology  
of their conquerors2 and on their return
 to the land of their nativity1 brought 
with them the-belief in the existence of
 good and bad angels1 and also the      
doctrine of a future state of rewards   
and punishments1--dogmas unknown to1 and
 never taught by1 ,moses4 ,it is clear1 
then1 that the very existence of a      
,devil never was a doctrine of the ,old 
,testament1 but on the contrary1 it was 
borrowed from eastern mythology2 and    
,jesus1 finding that the ,jews professed
 to believe it1 fell in with it1 as also
 a heaven and a hell1 and a judgment to 

come1 which doctrines were all of       
heathen origin4 ,the ,old ,testament is 
silent as to what constitutes orthodox  
,christianity4 ,ye ,christian ministers6
 your heaven and hell1 by the teaching  
of which you gain wealth and live like  
princes1 is nothing but an echo of      
by-gone ages1 which had its origin in   
the imagination of the priesthood of an 
antiquity anterior to the existence of  
,moses or of the ,jewish nation6  ,but  
to return to the temptation of ,jesus by
 the ,devil4 ,and here it may be asked1 
how it can now1 or ever could1 be       
considered a temptation at all8 ,if     
,jesus was what they say he professed to
 be1 the sent of ,god1 he knew well that
 the ,devil had nothing to give him by  
way of inducement to distrust his       
,father's superintendence and care4     
,jesus might have said to ,satan1 ,you  
lying old ,devil1 you know that you have
 no kingdom to bestow2 you likewise well
 know that you have not land enough     
whereon to build a hovel1 in which to   

shelter your favorite associates1 the   
swine6 ,but1 on the contrary1 ,jesus    
seems to act with great respect towards 
the ,devil4 ,he made no objections to   
follow ,satan wherever he chose to lead 
him4 ,we are ignorant of the object     
,jesus had in view by retiring into the 
wilderness2 and how the ,devil came to  
be acquainted with his destitute        
situation1 we are also at a loss to     
conjecture4 ,likewise1 we have yet to   
learn whether ,satan resided among the  
,jews1 or dwelt in the regions of the   
air1 as he is called the ,prince and    
power of the air1 the spirit which works
 in the hearts of the children of       
disobedience4  ,the number of forty     
years1 or days1 is repeatedly chosen by 
the writers of the ,old ,testament1 in  
which to perform something wonderful1   
and of great importance4 ,thus1 the     
,jews were forty years going from ,egypt
 to the land of promise1 during which   
time nearly all that came out of bondage
 were destroyed for their disobedience  

against the ,god of ,abram1 ,isaac1 and 
,jacob4 ,jehovah and ,moses were forty  
days on ,mount ,sinai1 preparing        
ornaments for the ,jewish worship1      
during which time ,aaron and the rest of
 the ,israelties returned back to       
worship the gods of their former        
oppressors2 so that it appears1 before  
the church of ,jehovah in the wilderness
 was ready to sing his praise1 and thank
 him for bringing them out of bondage1  
both ,aaron and the people were singing 
and dancing before the golden calves of 
,egypt6 ,the number forty has been most 
unfortunate for ,jehovah's plans2 for1  
in addition to repeated failures        
connected with the number forty1 it is  
recorded that ,jehovah was grieved forty
 years for the transgressions of his    
chosen people2 and ,jesus1 after forty  
days' fasting1 surrounded by devouring  
beasts and hungry vultures1 behold6 the 
,devil came skulking along with         
brazen-faced impudence1 and ,jesus1 the 
better to get rid of him1 broke up his  

solitary abode4 ,thus1 again1 the number
 forty concluded without any apparent   
object being effected4  ,whoever wrote  
this account of ,christ's temptation1 as
 if it was not foolish enough1 has      
added1 that after the ,devil had        
withdrawn from making ,jesus such       
tempting offers to enlist into his      
service1 angels came and ministered unto
 him4 ,what the nature of the service   
was1 which they performed1 we know not2 
but one would suppose their first       
inquiry ought to have been1 whether he  
did not wish to have his dinner as soon 
as possible8 ,the whole of this account 
is so contemptible1 that ,i shall not   
give it any further attention4  ,if we  
contrast the submissive conduct and     
humble deportment of ,jesus1 when in    
conversation with the ,devil1 with his  
manner and intercourse with the rulers  
and priests of his own nation1 he       
appears1 in reference to the latter1    
whom we should expect he would have     
treated with that respectable language  

due to their standing in society1 and   
consistent with his dignity as the      
,messenger of ,peace1 to great          
disadvantage as a divine teacher3 for it
 must be ever borne in mind1 that ,jesus
 must be considered1 according to his   
own account1 superior to all that ever  
came before him1 and to the             
imperfections found in men in common1   
and even in the prophets of old1 so that
 he must so conduct himself that his    
sayings and doings must be capable of   
standing the most rigid moral scrutiny4 
,but1 instead of his appealing to the   
,jewish rulers in the most courteous    
manner--instead of his plainly stating  
who he was1 and the vast importance of  
his coming on earth1 he begins by       
upbraiding them in a way calculated to  
disgust them1 and thereby frustrate the 
object of his mission4 ,he calls them a 
generation of vipers and asks them how  
they can think to escape the damnation  
of hell8  ,although the chief priest and
 rulers were over-anxious in their      

inquiries as to whom he was1 and by what
 authority he so openly condemned       
others1 he treated them as unworthy of a
 civil reply2 for1 let the moral conduct
 of the ,jewish priests and rulers be   
what it might1 admitting it was very    
bad1 nothing could justify him in the   
use of insult and the most violent      
vituperations4 ,what kind of reception  
would an ambassador meet with in        
,england1 should he1 before his' mission
 was fully understood by that ,court1   
abuse the rulers of that kingdom1 and at
 the same time associate with a few     
obscure individuals as witnesses of such
 abuse8 ,would he be considered a fit   
person to represent the authorities who 
sent him8 for1 never let us forget1 that
 of all the missions sent by one nation 
to another nation for the settlement of 
any difficulties that might exist       
between them1 none ever was of such     
importance as the one which ,jesus was  
to present to the lost sheep of the     
house of ,israel4 ,let us also bear in  

mind1 that the rulers among the ,jews   
made every inquiry as to whom he was1   
and the purport of his coming4 ,yes1    
every effort on the part of the ,jews   
was made to draw out of him from whence 
he derived his authority3 but his       
answers were any thing but to the point1
 for1 he said on one occasion1 ,an evil 
and adulterous generation seeketh after 
a sign2 and there shall no sign be given
 to it1 but the sign of the prophet     
,jonas1 and that was no answer at all4  
,i am well aware what ,christians will  
say in this case3 that his miracles were
 sufficient evidence2 but all the proof 
we have that he did perform miracles1   
is1 somebody has written that he did so4
 ,but here ,i shall dispute the         
performance of some of his miracles1    
from the ,new ,testament account of     
them2 and1 in my next chapter1 ,i shall 
show that modern discoveries have       
proved1 beyond dispute1 that some of the
 miracles said to have been performed by
 ,jesus could not have taken place1 for 

if any person in the present age1 were  
to pretend that he could perform similar
 miracles1 he would not only be         
considered an impostor1 but would also  
be deemed an ignoramus4     ,,chapter4  
,,ii4   ,,of all the miracles said to   
have been wrought by ,jesus1 as recorded
 in the ,gospels1 the casting out of    
devils are among the foremost4 ,the case
 of ,mary ,magdalene is often referred  
to by ,jesus himself2 it is related that
 no less than seven had taken possession
 of her person4 ,it is truly wonderful1 
that at the time of ,christ's preaching1
 the old ,devil of all1 and a host of   
subordinate ones1 appeared to be more   
active than at any other time of which  
we have any account ,the ,old ,devil    
came forward after an absence of more   
than four thousand years2 for1 we have  
no account that he1 either in person or 
by proxy1 had visited ,god's chosen     
people1 admitting that it was he1 who1  
by the agency of a serpent1 or by any   
other means1 deceived ,adam and ,eve1 by

 which deception1 pain1 and even death1 
followed as a consequence4 ,satan might 
well think that he could afford to rest 
awhile1 till ,jehovah should make some  
new movement to benefit the human race4 
,how the ,devil came to know that ,jesus
 was about to commence preaching        
repentance for the remission of sin1 we 
have no means of finding out2 but1 when 
,jesus had retired into the wilderness1 
behold the ,devil was close at his      
heels1 and they seemed to be as well    
acquainted as two old playmates4 ,the   
,devil was well fitted for discussion1  
for he appeared well versed with the    
,old ,testament4 ,however1 if he were   
the same ,devil who outwitted ,jehovah  
in ,paradise1 he failed to obtain a     
victory over the ,son in the wilderness4
 ,what became of him after his defeat on
 the ,temple1 and when he came down from
 the mountain1 we have no account ,no   
mention is made of his being concerned  
in riding the hogs into the sea4 ,we    
must1 therefore1 leave him1 and attend  

to the triumph of ,jesus in ejecting    
them from their strong holds4  ,the     
first in order which we shall review1 as
 being possessed of devils1 will be     
,mary ,magdalene1 out of whom1 it is    
recorded1 ,jesus cast seven devils4     
,this woman must be considered most     
grievously afflicted4 ,how they operated
 on her--whether it was by inflicting   
bodily pain1 or a mental disease1 we    
know not2 at any rate1 she seemed       
incapable of getting rid of them4 ,the  
number being seven1 and having          
dispositions opposed to each other1 they
 no doubt often quarrelled among        
themselves1 and disturbed her in her    
sleeping hours2 at all events1 her      
gratitude and attachment to ,jesus is   
proof positive that she preferred their 
room to their company4  ,christians1 in 
speaking of ,mary ,magdalene1 convey the
 idea1 that1 previous to the casting out
 of the devils1 she did not bear a good 
character4 ,but this is a mistake2 for1 
if the ,new ,testament account of devils

 taking possession of persons1 be true1 
and that no human power can eject them1 
it then follows1 that ,mary ,magdalene  
was truly unfortunate1 since no less    
than seven of these intruders were      
constantly about her4 ,we are left to   
conjecture how the number seven could   
have been discovered4 ,if ,mary had been
 compelled to have had seven teeth      
extracted1 the number could have been   
fully known to those who stood by2 but  
how1 or in what way1 it could have been 
known that seven devils were cast out1  
unless they appeared visible to the     
by-standers1 does not appear4 ,but we   
will not dwell too long on such sheer   
nonsense1 as not one word of truth is in
 the whole story of casting out devils2 
for the best of all possible reasons1   
because there were none at all to cast  
out4 ,it is recorded that the ,jews were
 troubled with devils of different      
kinds1 such as unclean devils1 deaf and 
dumb devils1 and1 in one case1 a kind of
 devil which could not be cast out only 

by prayer and fasting4 ,if1 at the      
present day1 a person was to apply for  
medical aid1 and hint to the doctor that
 his wife was really possessed with 7not
 seven7 but one devil1 the doctor would 
consider such a man a fit subject for a 
lunatic asylum4  ,as it respects        
demoniacal possession1 it is1 or rather 
was of heathen origin4 ,the ,jews1 as a 
nation1 believed in its truth1 as did   
also the surrounding nations2           
consequently1 if a person had a         
complaint attended with fits1 or any    
thing rather out of the common way1 by  
which human beings were afflicted1 such 
a disease was considered a possession of
 one or more evil spirits4 ,but now1    
that the laws of nature are better      
understood1 and medical science more    
fully developed1 demonology1 as well as 
witchcraft and sorcery1 are given up    
altogether4 ,no doubt now remains1 but  
that the whole was the effect of        
ignorance and fraud2 and consequently   
the casting out of devils by ,jesus and 

his apostles1 had no reality in it      
whatever4 ,it is not possible for us to 
conceive why demons or devils should    
have taken possession of human beings1  
admitting that they have a real         
existence4 ,we are ignorant as to the   
state of mind of these beings4 ,whether 
in those days they took possession of   
men and women out of rebellion against  
,god1 or1 having no real home1 were only
 wanderers1 and felt more comfortable   
when dwelling in the bodies of animals  
or of human beings1 we cannot determine4
 ,the latter1 however1 appears to have  
been the case2 for1 an one occasion1    
when ,jesus was about to expel a legion1
 the devils besought him to permit them 
to enter into the swine2 but it is      
recorded1 that the hogs started off down
 into the sea1 and were drowned4 ,what  
became of the devils1 we know not4 ,if  
this miracle took place1 one thing is   
clear1 namely1 that the devils1 with all
 their cunning1 made a bad calculation  
as to the security they would have m the

 swine4  ,at the time ,jesus is said to 
have lived among the ,jews1 the casting 
out of devils was a common occurrence2  
for ,jesus1 in reply to the charge that 
he cast out devils by ,beelzebub1 the   
prince or chief of devils1 says1 ,if ,i 
by ,beelzebub cast out devils1 by whom  
do your sons cast them out8 therefore   
they shall be the judges1 ,so that1     
after all1 it follows1 that what so many
 could do without the authority of      
,jesus1 was no miracle at all4 ,it was  
nothing short of imposition1 and failed 
of being any proof of his divine        
mission4 ,the truth is1 that casting out
 devils was a heathen practice1 among   
many other things1 of heathenish origin2
 and ,jesus1 according to the ,new      
,testament1 fell in with it1 as he did  
with many doctrines which the ,jews     
brought into the land of ,israel when   
they returned from their long captivity4
 ,the ,jews brought back with them the  
belief of a future state of rewards and 
punishments1 the existence of the soul1 

a heaven for the virtuous and good1 and 
a hell for the wicked2 also good and bad
 angels1 and a future judgment1 over    
which ,jesus said to the ,jews he was   
appointed to be the judge4              
,notwithstanding the silence of the ,old
 ,testament as to the tenets above      
noticed1 yet ,jesus fell in with them1  
and he also threatened the ,jews that   
they were in danger of that very hell   
and damnation which they gathered from  
their heathen conquerors4 ,ye ,christian
 priests6 your heaven and hell1 and also
 your devil1 belong to and originated in
 a heathen mythology1 the beginning of  
which is lost in a remote antiquity4    
,yes1 ,christian doctors6 your heaven   
and hell1 which1 from the hope of the   
first1 and the fear of the last1 you    
teach as divine truths1 and1 by so      
doing1 live in splendor1--these very    
doctrines have nothing divine about     
them1 and you ought to know it4         
,leaving1 then1 the miracles of casting 
out devils1 which were no proof of the  

divine mission of ,jesus1 because       
others1 it is said1 could1 without his  
aid1 do the same1 we must refer to the  
other miracles said to have been        
performed and intended to establish his 
claim as being the true ,messiah1 the   
sent of ,god4 ,if the miracles that     
,jesus performed1 had been intended to  
remove all doubts that the ,jewish      
nation had as to his being an impostor1 
such miracles ought to have been        
sufficiently convincing for that        
purpose2 for1 on such test1 his         
reception or rejection entirely         
depended4 ,now1 from the accounts of his
 appealing to his countrymen1 and       
reproaching them for their unbelief1 he 
does not1 to all appearance1 wish nor   
try to convince them2 for1 it is said of
 his1 miracles1 that he did not many    
mighty works because of their unbelief4 
,their incredulity as to his being the  
true ,christ1 is a reason why he should 
have followed up miracle after miracle1 
until unbelief would have been          

impossible on the part of the ,jews2    
for1 the reader must keep in mind that  
the dispute with ,jesus and the ,jews   
was not of a moral character3 it was as 
to his authority in assuming to be      
greater than ,abram1 or all the prophets
 of the ,old ,testament4  ,again1 ,jesus
 says1 ,woe unto you of such a town or  
village1 for if the mighty works which  
have been done in you1 had been done in 
,sodom and ,gomorrah1 they would have   
repented in sackcloth and ashes4        
,therefore it will be more tolerable for
 ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 in the day of    
judgment1 than for you4 ,now here we can
 see1 that the miracles were not of the 
sort to convince4 ,then1 why not produce
 others more strong8 ,besides1 it showed
 ,jesus to be ignorant of the human     
mind1 his condemning men for not        
believing when the evidence was not     
strong enough to convince them4 ,it is  
true1 according to the accounts of      
,christ's preaching to the ,jews1 that  
instead of argument he resorted to abuse

 of the coarsest kind1 and the same     
conduct is pursued by ,christians       
towards unbelievers at the present day4 
,in some instances1 ,jesus charged the  
persons on whom a miracle had been      
performed1 that they should tell none of
 it4  ,again1 the evidence arising from 
the working of miracles must always     
depend on the information possessed by  
those before whom such signs and wonders
 were wrought4 ,if ,jesus intended to   
rest his ,messiahship on the wonders he 
intended to perform1 in such a case the 
most learned and best informed of the   
,jewish nation were the proper persons  
to be the judges for1 in our day1 in the
 nineteenth century1 we have daily proof
 that so universal is ignorance1 and so 
credulous is the mass of society1 that  
such trash and inconsistent doctrines as
 those taught by ,joseph ,smith and his 
famous ,golden ,bible have gained       
thousands ,of believers1 and the        
greatest part of them are sincere1 and  
would suffer death sooner than renounce 

what they believe to be a divine        
revelation to ,smith1 and others of the 
same stamp4 ,the most learned and       
intelligent of the ,jews knew this      
truth1 as many of their ignorant people 
had been led away by false ,christs1 and
 lost their all1 and their lives also4  
,no wonder1 then1 that they should watch
 closely every movement made by ,jesus1 
the then reputed ,messiah4 ,there are1  
in the present age1 many things         
discovered and known to the most        
unlearned1 that1 in former times1 much  
less remote than the time in which      
,jesus is said to have lived1 ,would    
have been thought miraculous1 and the   
persons performing them as possessing   
power more than human4 ,so that we may  
safely conclude1 that ,infinite ,wisdom 
would not have made use of so uncertain 
a species of evidence as miracles1 to   
convince the ,jews that the sent of ,god
 was come4 ,other and more certain means
 would have been resorted to1 so that   
the ,jews could not have mistaken the   

real ,christ1 and put him to death for  
an impostor4  ,if we attentively examine
 the life of ,jesus1 as written by the  
four evangelists1 we shall be surprised 
at many parts of his proceedings4 ,his  
uncourteous language to the great men of
 his nation must strike the reader very 
forcibly4 ,he preaches humility and     
meekness1 and soon we perceive him      
arrogating divine honors1 and calling   
those1 who came before him1 robbers and 
thieves4 ,he commands his followers to  
judge not1 and the next moment he judges
 others1 and condemns them without      
ceremony2 and although it is said of    
him1 that a bruised reed he would not   
break1 and smoking flax he would not    
quench1 and that his voice could not be 
heard in the street1 yet we find him    
using something very little short of    
outrage and violence4 ,in the affair of 
the ,temple1 for instance1 it is        
recorded that ,jesus took a cord1 and   
began to attack those sitting about that
 sacred place1 overthrowing the tables  

of the money-changers1 and the seats of 
them that sold doves1 calling them a den
 of thieves4 ,such conduct the ,jews    
could not expect from their long-wished 
and earnestly-desired ,messiah4  ,even  
at twelve years of age1 his conduct     
seems to have had something strange     
about it2 namely1 his absenting himself 
from his home4 ,when his parents found  
him1 and told him that they had sought  
him sorrowing1 he said1 in reply1 ,wist 
ye not that ,i must be about my         
,father's business8 ,this answer appears
 not to have been understood by his     
relations2 but if ,joseph was not his   
father1 his mother could not wonder at  
his straying from home2 she would have  
said to ,joseph1 ,as you are not his    
father1 he has reference to the ,holy   
,ghost4 ,his conduct also partook of the
 same strangeness at the marriage-feast4
 ,when the wine was all out1 his mother 
told her son of it2 his reply was not   
very dutiful--,woman1 says he1 what have
 ,i to do with thee8 ,at such a place1  

on the night of a marriage ceremony1    
there seems something so unearthly about
 him1 that he never appeared at ease in 
any company2 such an absence of mirthful
 enjoyment was calculated to spread a   
gloom throughout the whole party4  ,but 
that which appears very strange in      
,jesus1 is his using language that even 
his disciples did not understand1 such  
as1 ,the kingdom of heaven is at hand2  
that he came down from heaven2 for1 says
 ,jesus1 ,no man hath ascended up into  
heaven1 but he who came down from       
heaven1 even the son of man1 who is in  
heaven4 ,and again1 ,repent ye1 for the 
kingdom of heaven is at hand2 and to the
 rich man1 who asked him what he was to 
do to secure the kingdom of heaven1     
,jesus said1 that in addition to loving 
and fearing ,god1 and doing his duty to 
his neighbor1 he must sell all he had1  
and give it to the poor4  ,the reader   
must ever keep in mind the true merits  
of the case between ,jesus and the      
,jews4 ,it was not1 whether they were   

more immoral than their heathen         
neighbors1 nor as to their being more or
 less learned than surrounding nations2 
for1 we do not find that ,jesus ever    
made any inquiries as to their mechanic 
arts1 or the state of agriculture       
practised among them4 ,neither do we    
find that ,jesus interested himself as  
to their progress in the science of     
astronomy4 ,the last of these we can    
conceive would have been very useful2   
and it might be supposed that he could  
impart some knowledge in regard to it1  
since1 in his passage from heaven to    
earth1 he must have crossed3 some of the
 planetary orbits1 and no doubt observed
 their satellites then undiscovered2 but
 to communicate such important          
information was not included in his     
mission4 ,his only object was1 to       
convince the ,jews that he1 and he      
alone1 was the true and undoubted       
,messiah promised by the prophets to    
redeem and restore the ,jews1 as a      
nation1 to their former greatness and   

glory4 ,every either subject was        
useless1 and only stood as an hindrance 
in the way of the great purpose of his  
coming4  ,i have before stated1 that    
miracles must ever be considered        
doubtful evidence to prove that the     
performer is any thing2 more than what  
men in all ages have pretended to be2   
and to pretend to do what is far beyond 
human agency1 presupposes that the      
persons who are to be the judges1 know  
where human power ends1 and divine power
 begins4 ,but for this knowledge1 no    
just and certain rule can be laid down2 
consequently1 it is folly to conceive   
that ,infinite ,wisdom would make use of
 means so ill-adapted to the end m view4
 ,it would be but an attempt to prove a 
doubtful truth1 by means equally if not 
more doubtful4  ,but1 before closing    
this chapter1 we will inquire into the  
probability of any miracles having been 
performed1 as mentioned by the ,new     
,testament writers4 ,and here our       
attention must be turned to the internal

 evidence afforded by the ,new          
,testament itself4 ,we shall there find 
internal or indirect proof1 that those  
miracles never took place1 and that the 
whole of them were ante-dated2 that is1 
after the persons were dead who are said
 to have been the performers4 ,if this  
can be made out1 miracles will then     
receive a shock from which they never   
can recover4 ,to do this1 will be the   
work of what remains to be done in this 
chapter4  ,john the ,baptist is the     
first personage we shall select4 ,the   
miracle said to have taken place at the 
baptism of ,jesus1 is recorded by ,john1
 as follows3--,and after ,jesus came up 
out of the water1 the heavens were      
opened unto him1 and he saw the ,spirit 
of ,god descending like a dove1 and     
lighting upon him2 and1 lo6 a voice from
 heaven saying1 99,this is my beloved   
,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4       
7,matthew iii4 #af1 #ag47 ,again1 in    
,john's ,gospel1 i41 #cf1 when ,john the
 ,baptist saw ,jesus1 he said of him1   

,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 ,john also   
said of ,jesus1 that 99he knew him not  
till it was told him1 that on whomsoever
 he 7,john7 should see the ,spirit of   
,god descend1 the same is he--meaning   
the true ,christ4 ,now here are repeated
 miracles to convince not only ,john the
 ,baptist1 but also all that were       
present at the baptism of ,jesus4 ,such 
evidence ought to have stopped any      
future inquiries as to the real         
,messiahship of ,jesus2 but there are   
strong doubts as to the truth that any  
such wonders were exhibited at the time 
they are recorded to have taken place4  
,i shall proceed to present those doubts
 to the reader1 as truth is my object1  
and ,i am not afraid to follow after    
it3--in ,matthew ii41 #a1 #b1 it reads1 
,now when ,john had heard in the prison 
the works of ,christ1 he sent two of his
 disciples1 and said unto him1 ,art thou
 he that should come1 or do we look for 
another8 ,this question1 sent by ,john  
to ,christ1 shows clearly that ,john did

 not hear of the wonders wrought by     
,christ until he 7,john7 was in prison  
for his reproof of ,herod4 ,this account
 makes it almost certain that the whole 
story of ,john's baptizing ,jesus1 and  
also of the voice from heaven1 saying1  
,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom #a am 
well pleased1 is a fabrication          
altogether1 and that ,john had never    
heard of ,jesus until his confinement   
,for this conclusion1 we have twofold   
proof3 since if ,john had baptized      
,jesus1 and the wonders were performed  
as recorded1 ,john could not have       
required any further evidence us to his 
being no pretender1 but the true        
,messiah1 the hope and expectation of   
,israel4 ,on the part of ,jesus1 his    
reply would have been1 ,why1 ,john1 what
 do you mean by sending a question as to
 whom ,i am8 ,you heard the voice from  
heaven when ,i was baptized2 you also   
saw the dove descend on my head2 and now
 you send two of your disciples to      
inquire of me1 by saying1 ',art thou he 

that should come1 or do we look for     
another8'  ,if we consider ,john's      
question to ,jesus1 and also ,jesus's   
reply1 it will be plain that ,john had  
not even seen nor heard much of ,jesus1 
till after he was in prison4 ,what1     
then1 aha9999 we say of those wonders at
 the baptism of ,jesus8 ,the answer is  
at hand1 which is1 that there is no     
truth in the story4 ,the probability is1
 that it was recorded from hearsay      
evidence1 by some person unknown1 and   
ante-dated so as to correspond to the   
time of ,john the ,baptist2 but that    
such evidence was given to ,john1 of the
 identity of ,jesus1 as to prevent any  
future inquiry1 there can be no doubt1  
admitting it ever took place2 but       
,john's sending his disciples to ,jesus 
to ascertain the truth of his being the 
true ,messiah1 fully destroys the truth 
of any voice being heard by ,john1 or   
the ,holy ,spirit descending like a dove
 on the head of ,jesus4  ,the ignorance 
of all the disciples of ,jesus1 as it   

regards who he really was1 is           
remarkable1 if it be admitted that he   
performed what is said of him4 ,we will 
notice the ,apostle ,peter1 as he may be
 fairly considered the representative of
 the twelve4 ,it is written1 that when  
,jesus and ,peter were together1 behold6
 old ,moses and ,elias 7,elijah7 came so
 near to the earth that they held       
conversation with ,jesus1 and that      
,peter1 somehow or other1 knew them2 but
 he1 so far from being alarmed at seeing
 those two old prophets1 was unwilling  
that they should return1 and even       
proposed to ,jesus to prepare for their 
stay4 ,surely1 that was an age of       
miracles and wonders6 ,we have an       
account of the old ,devil's crawling out
 from some hole or cave1 and following  
,jesus into the wilderness2 and1 again1 
we have two old prophets returned1      
hovering in the air1 and conversing with
 ,jesus2 one of whom is said to have    
died a thousand years previous to the   
time of his holding this supposed       

conversation with ,jesus from the       
clouds2 and the other1 at nearly the    
same time1 was taken up into heaven in a
 chariot of fire6 ,those two strange    
personages must have had business of    
great importance with ,jesus4 ,are we to
 consider this strange visit to have    
taken place1 when the truth of it rests 
on the same authority as all the other  
miracles and wonders which are recorded 
concerning the mission of ,jesus8 ,if   
,moses and ,elijah did not in truth and 
reality talk to ,jesus from the clouds1 
in the hearing of ,peter1 in their real 
persons1 or by their apparitions1 it    
then follows1 that there is no truth in 
any of the miracles or wonders said to  
have been performed1 to prove that      
,jesus was sent from ,god2 for all the  
miracles and wonders which 7it is said7 
took place1 stand or fall together4     
,if1 for instance1 the ,devil did not   
find ,jesus in the wilderness1 and go   
with him into the city1 and tempt him to
 throw himself from the ,temple--if this

 is not strictly true1 why1 then1 it is 
false as to ,moses and ,elijah's talking
 with him from the clouds4 ,this        
incredible story1 if related in any book
 but what is called the ,word of ,god1  
would not be credited by one in ten     
thousand2 but being found in the life of
 the ,redeemer1 the man who rejects it  
and proclaims it unworthy of credit1 is 
considered an enemy of ,god1 and will   
have the sentence of ,go1 ye cursed1 c4 
,as so much importance is attached to   
what is called the ,word of ,god1 we    
will discuss a little further the       
business which brought ,moses and       
,elijah so near to this earth4 ,as to   
where ,moses or ,elijah reside1 we have 
no knowledge1 and what is the nature of 
their employment1 we know not2 but if   
they still live1 they must have some    
location1 and also1 we suppose1 must be 
employed about something--but these     
things we must leave to those who are   
better acquainted with other worlds1    
while our attention will be directed to 

the business of the heavenly visitors4  
,if ,moses had any interest in the      
mission of ,jesus to the ,jews1 he could
 have been serviceable to him1 as he had
 been their former leader1 and therefore
 could give him useful hints concerning 
them4 ,we may suppose he would introduce
 the subject of ,jesus's mission in the 
following manner3--,i am ,moses1 the    
former leader of the seed of ,abram1 and
 hearing that ,jehovah had sent his son 
,jesus to convert them to the true      
worship of ,god1 and the practice of    
justice and truth1 ,i come to offer my  
services1 as ,i am well acquainted with 
that disobedient race2 and1 in truth1 ,i
 had a terrible time of it with them3   
only think of forty years in the        
wilderness1 always murmuring1 and       
worshipping strange gods1 for which1 at 
times1 they were cruelly punished2      
,jehovah destroyed thousands of them for
 resisting my authority2 but they were  
incurable4 ,he would have1 at one time1 
so great was his wrath1 destroyed them  

all2 but ,i told him what the ,egyptians
 and the heathen in general would say1  
and he altered his mind1 and killed off 
the worst of them3 for1 getting a little
 out of temper with them at one time1 in
 consequence of their murmurings1       
,jehovah became angry with me1 and ,i   
was prevented from enjoying full        
possession of the promised land4 ,it    
always surprised me how it came about   
that ,jehovah should select them from   
the rest of the human race1 for in my   
lifetime nothing was ever made of them2 
they even disgraced the ,god who had    
made them his choice4 ,i left them in   
thy hands of ,joshua1 as the most proper
 person to rule over them2 but how he   
got along with them1 ,i have not heard4 
,your offer1 ,moses1 is duly            
appreciated2 but the ,jews1 as a nation1
 are now a different people from what   
they were when you had to manage them4  
,my course will be different altogether 
from what you pursued4 ,farewell6 ,moses
 and ,elijah4 ,we may suppose that      

,jesus would say to ,peter1 ,as for your
 purposing to erect three tabernacles in
 this place1 one for myself1 one for    
,moses1 and another for ,elijah1 it is  
proof that you are entirely ignorant of 
my future dealings with my own nation2  
for1 in a few months1 such things will  
transpire1 that even you1 ,peter1 all   
zealous as you are1 will swear off and  
deny any knowledge of me4  ,now1 reader1
 nothing can be more extravagant than to
 suppose that such conversation took    
place between ,jesus1 ,moses1 and       
,elijah4 ,but if those two old prophets 
did really descend1 and converse with   
,jesus1 then what ,i have supposed is no
 more extravagant than that two         
prophets1 who had not been on earth for 
a thousand years1 should pay a visit to 
,jesus1 and hold converse with him4     
,these miracles never occurred1 and the 
world has been imposed upon and         
plundered by men1 who1 by telling such  
tales1 have lived in idleness2 and their
 quarrels about what ,jesus said or     

somebody said1 or did1 have in every age
 been the cause of evils of every kind1 
and of rendering human beings ignorant  
and wretched4  ,christians1 in speaking 
of the divine mission of ,jesus1 urge is
 miracles as proofs that he came from   
,god with full authority to give laws   
to1 and finally to judge both quick and 
dead2 but the proof is wanting that he  
ever performed one miracle4 ,all the    
evidence we derive from the miracles    
said to have been performed is not1 that
 we know they were wrought by ,jesus1   
but that it is by somebody recorded that
 he did the mighty works attributed to  
him1 and which to us is no evidence at  
all4 ,to believe1 then1 what is written1
 without knowing by whom1 or at what    
time and place it was written1 is to    
believe without evidence1 which would be
 a voluntary degradation of the noble   
faculties which have been conferred upon
 man4     ,,chapter ,,iii4   ,,peter1 of
 all the twelve apostles1 seems to have 
been more in the confidence of ,jesus   

than the rest2 since when he and ,peter 
were alone1 his inquiry of ,peter was as
 to what the people thought of him4 ,for
 he said to ,peter1 ,whom do the people 
say that ,i1 the son of man1 am-8 ,peter
 answered him1 that different opinions  
were abroad concerning him4 ,some said  
one thing1 and some another2 but the    
general opinion was1 that one of the old
 prophets had returned4 ,jesus then     
turned to ,peter and asked him as to his
 own conviction1 and received for       
answer1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son 
of the living ,god4 ,and ,jesus answered
 and said unto him1 ,blessed art thou1  
,simon ,barjona1 for flesh and blood    
hath not revealed it unto thee1 but my  
,father which is in heaven4 ,in         
consequence of this declaration of      
,peter1 ,jesus then grants him          
superhuman power4 ,to ,peter1 he        
says--,upon this rock will ,i build my  
church4 ,and ,i will give unto thee the 
keys of the kingdom of heaven3 and      
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth1    

shall be bound in heaven2 and whatsoever
 thou shalt loose on earth1 shall be    
loosed in heaven4 ,then charged he his  
disciples1 that they should tell no man 
that he was ,jesus the ,christ4         
7,matthew xvi41 #ah1 #ai44 #bj47  ,from 
the subsequent conduct of ,peter1 it is 
not possible for him to have witnessed  
the astonishing miracles said to have   
been performed in his presence4 ,peter  
was present when ,moses and ,elijah     
conversed with ,jesus2 and while ,peter 
was speaking to his ,divine ,master1    
,behold1 a bright cloud overshadowed    
them1 and1 behold1 a voice out of the   
cloud1 which said1 ,this is my beloved  
,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased2 hear  
ye him4 ,now1 if there were such a      
demonstration as this1 7and many such   
proofs ,peter had been favored with17   
how is it possible for us to account for
 ,peter's denying that he even knew     
,jesus at all8 ,this ought to be        
sufficient for us to conclude that the  
accounts of those wonders performed in  

the lifetime of ,jesus1 are false       
statements1 written after the reputed   
resurrection of ,jesus1 and the death of
 ,peter1 and that neither of them saw   
nor believed any thing of the kind      
whatever4  ,in the present chapter1 ,i  
shall notice the mode adopted by ,jesus 
to prove his ,messiahship4 ,in this     
investigation1 we shall discover a want 
of openness and plain-dealing as it     
relates to the communication of his     
objects as the expected hope and        
deliverer of ,israel4 ,the reader must  
ever keep in mind1 that the object of   
,christ's coming1 so far as the ,jews   
were interested1 was1 first1 to prove1  
beyond the shadow of a doubt1 that the  
true and only ,messiah had arrived among
 them4 ,until this was settled1 nothing 
which ,jesus said or taught would be of 
any avail1 because1 unless this point   
was established1 none would admit his   
authority to enforce any thing that     
appeared in opposition to ,jewish       
theology1 or to the ceremonies of the   

laws of ,moses1 the observance of which1
 the ,jews could not be prevailed upon  
to neglect2 for it clearly appears that 
the ,jewish priests and rulers never    
showed any disposition to resist1 or in 
any way to treat with disrespect1 the   
holy one of ,israel4 ,the ,jews1 then1  
were in a favorable state of mind to    
receive him whom they had so long and so
 earnestly expected and desired4 ,but1  
as that nation had before been deceived1
 a double degree of caution became      
necessary to detect deception and expose
 imposture2 for1 until ,jesus had       
proved1 beyond the possibility of a     
doubt1 that he had the sanction of      
,heaven for all which he taught1 the    
,jews could place no reliance on his    
pretensions4  ,it will now be proper to 
notice the introduction of the mission  
of ,jesus to the ,jews4 ,if he came by  
the divine command of the ,governor of  
the ,universe1 we ought to expect that  
his mission would be clearly made known 
to all those who were interested4       

,nothing of such vast importance must be
 guess-work2 and the first and most     
important of all inquiries would be1 who
 are you1 and by whom are you sent8 for1
 until these inquiries were 'finally    
settled1 his sayings could not have     
their full effect2 since1 as it has     
before been remarked1 the moral state of
 the ,jews was not the point at issue1  
until his mission was made known1 and   
each party came to a right              
understanding4 ,when1 therefore1 the    
,jews understood who ,jesus was1 and the
 high authority under which he taught1  
to correct their moral defects would    
make a part of his teaching1 and their  
minds would have been free from the     
obstacles that stood in the way of      
attending to his precepts4  ,the erratic
 method resorted to by ,jesus1 in his   
converse with his nation1 as recorded in
 the history of his life1 seems very    
singular4 ,so high a personage as the   
only ,son of ,god to be sent on a       
mission of peace and reconciliation to  

his chosen people1 it certainly must be 
expected that his steps would have been 
directed to the most learned men of his 
nation1 and that all offensive language 
would have been withheld1 even admitting
 that the ,jews were immoral to a very  
great degree4 ,but the acquaintances of 
,jesus were the most ignorant and       
unlearned of the ,jews1 and were1 from  
the nature of their employment1         
incapable of judging correctly of those 
signs and wonders which ,jesus produced 
as proofs of his divine authority4 ,the 
learned priests and scribes were the    
proper persons to have resorted to1 as  
being alone competent to examine and    
explain all those predictions which     
related to ,christ's coming1 as foretold
 by the prophets of the ,old ,testament4
 ,what would be thought of a ,minister  
,extraordinary1 who1 being sent from    
,washington to ,london on business of   
the first importance1 should he1 instead
 of repairing to ,london1 make known his
 mission1 by hints and indirect sayings1

 to some untaught fishermen1 and1 at the
 same time1 abuse1 and also make use of 
the most threatening expressions towards
 the heads of the government to whom he 
was sent8 ,could it be expected that    
such conduct would be productive of any 
thing but failure8 ,this is exactly     
similar to the conduct pursued by ,jesus
 in his intercourse with the ,jewish    
rulers4 ,can we1 for a moment1 admit    
that ,infinite ,wisdom could have sent  
such an ambassador on the all-important 
subject of the salvation of the human   
race8 ,jesus repeatedly reproaches the  
,jews in general1 and his disciples in  
particular1 for their want of faith in  
his divine authority3 at the same time1 
he makes use of sayings that it was     
impossible for them to understand4      
,jesus often referred to his treatment  
and death4 ,how was it possible for them
 to understand this prediction8 ,it     
never could have entered the minds of   
the descendants of ,abram1 ,isaac1 and  
,jacob1 that the true ,messiah must     

suffer death before he could begin to   
restore the ,jews to their former       
greatness4 ,instead of calling together 
the most talented and the most          
influential of the ,jewish nation1 and  
openly making known to them the object  
of his delegation1 he associated with   
that portion of society whose knowledge 
of ,jewish history was very limited2    
and1 as if he dreaded publicity1 often  
charged them to tell no man that he was 
the ,christ--the very opposite course to
 what appears to be consistent with the 
important object of his coming4 ,taking 
the history of ,christ's life1 and also1
 more particularly1 that of his         
teaching1 he seems to have no settled   
plan whatever4 ,at times1 he seems to be
 in the strictest sense a ,jew1 not only
 as it regards his nation1 but1 also1   
most strictly following the law of      
,moses1 submitting even to all its      
ceremonies4 ,at other times1 he opposes 
his sayings to those of the law of      
,moses1 and openly forgives sins1       

without having any recourse to the      
offering of sacrifice according to the  
,mosaic law4 ,sometimes1 he speaks of   
being not only ,lord of all1 but that   
they would see him coming down in the   
clouds1 in power and glory1 to judge    
both quick and dead2 and then1 again1   
speaking of his poverty1 as not having  
where to lay his head4 ,his living a    
life of wandering and mendicity1 at     
times making a great excitement in one  
place1 and suddenly departing to        
another1--these strange movements       
7admitting they occurred7 entirely took 
off the attention of the heads of the   
,jewish people1 and caused him to be    
considered as any thing but the promised
 restorer of ,israel4 ,in addition to   
his unsettled state1 his repeated       
attacks on the rulers1 holding them up  
to the scorn and contempt of the people1
 had generated such feelings in the     
minds of the priests and scribes1 that  
they considered him as a pretender to   
the ,messiahship4 ,besides the hostility

 he showed to rich men1 in speaking of  
the almost impossibility of their       
entering that kingdom which was included
 in all his teachings1 namely1 ,the     
kingdom of heaven is at hand1 when a    
rich man asked him what he was to do to 
inherit eternal life8 the answer of     
,jesus to him was1 in addition to what  
the rich man had done1 ,go and sell all1
 and give to the poor1 and follow me4   
,we are told that the rich man refused  
to do that1 and ,jesus then said of the 
rich1 how difficult it was for a rich   
man to enter the kingdom of heaven4     
,this is the wild and levelling doctrine
 taught by modern prophets4 ,nothing can
 be more unreasonable and unjust4 ,if   
such doctrines as these had1 in in the  
time of ,jesus1 been practised1 he would
 have drawn a host of idlers after him4 
,besides1 to teach such an unqualified  
practice as the one proposed to the rich
 man1 must1 at that time1 have convinced
 every well-informed man how very unfit 
,jesus was to regulate society4 ,i well 

know that ,christians will consider this
 mode of examination of the sayings and 
doings of ,jesus1 as wicked and         
horrible2 as opposing the weak judgment 
of man to the infinite wisdom of ,god4  
,in reply to this1 ,i would say1 it is  
by investigating the teachings of ,jesus
 as recorded in the ,new ,testament1    
that we can perceive its defects1 and   
thereby fully discover that the wise    
,ruler and ,governor of all never       
sanctioned doctrines such as those said 
to have proceeded from ,jesus4  ,in     
taking a candid survey of the teaching1 
manner1 and life of ,jesus as it is     
written in the evangelists1 we find that
 both he and his apostles lived a       
wandering life4 ,how they raised funds1 
we know not1 but it seems that ,judas   
,iscariot was treasurer2 and that he    
loved money better than he did his      
master1 his betraying him to the rulers 
for thirty pieces of silver1 fully      
proved4 ,his having no fixed home1 and  
following no regular and permanent      

employment1 will throw some light on the
 system of morals which ,jesus          
inculcated4 ,although some of his moral 
precepts were undoubtedly good1 and     
calculated to make those happy who      
reduced them to practice1 still others  
there were1 which1 if practised1 would  
create disorder---such as that which    
repudiates the taking any thought for   
the morrow4 ,there is a vast difference 
in taking prudential thought for the    
morrow1 and always looking at the gloomy
 side of what may possibly happen4      
,jesus makes no distinction2 but in his 
explanation he leaves the subject more  
obscure than if he had not left any     
comment at all4 ,jesus says1 ,consider  
the lilies of the field2 they toil not1 
neither do they spin1 yet ,solomon in   
all his glory was not arrayed like one  
of these4 ,and again1 ,take no thought  
for the morrow1 what ye shall eat or    
what ye shall drink1 nor wherewithal ye 
shall be clothed1 for your heavenly     
father knoweth ye have need of all      

these4 ,but seek ye first the kingdom of
 heaven1 and its righteousness1 and all 
these things shall be added unto you4   
,again1 ,if a man sue you at law and    
take your coat1 let him have your cloak 
also3 and many more precepts of the same
 nature1 which are impracticable1 and   
which must be left to prudence and      
common sense to carry into practice4    
,but this very imperfect code of morals 
could be practised better by ,jesus and 
his followers1 considering their mode of
 life1 than by others who had fixed     
homes4 ,how ,jesus and his apostles     
lived1 as to their means to buy food or 
clothing1 is unknown1--unless they lived
 the lives of mendicants1 or1 to speak  
more plainly1 by what they could pick   
up1 which is implied in the saying of   
,christ3 for1 says he1 foxes have holes1
 and the birds of the air have nests1   
but the son of man has not where to lay 
his head1 ,to persons so situated1 the  
taking thought for the morrow would be  
but of little use2 but by those persons 

who had homes1 and who1 by labor1 had to
 provide for a family1 such morality    
could not be practised4 ,we will give   
but one instance4  ,suppose a person had
 business from home for some weeks1 and 
had given his wife orders to provide his
 linen1 with other things1 for his      
journey2 and when the time arrived for  
him to leave home1 his wife had1        
agreeable to the precepts of ,jesus1    
taken no thought for the morrow1--would 
such an excuse satisfy the husband8 ,no4
 ,prudent forethought is connected with 
every thing moral2 and without it1      
society would be entirely broken up4    
,but to persons living a wandering life1
 and not knowing from one day to another
 how they should fare2 and rising in the
 morning ignorant how it might turn out 
as to where they could lie down at      
night--to such1 the sayings of ,jesus   
would better apply4 ,but to those who   
were settled and had fixed homes1 the   
taking no thought for the morrow would  
break up every family who should attempt

 it4 ,had we been of the ,jewish nation1
 and lived in the time of ,jesus1 in all
 probability we should have considered  
the conduct of ,christ very strange4    
,sometimes1 he upbraided the ,jews for  
their unbelief2 and at others1 charged  
his own apostles to keep as a secret    
that he was the ,christ4  ,the only way 
to understand this strange history of   
the ,messiah is1 to reject the account  
of his preaching altogether2 and to     
consider the whole of his ministry as   
being written by unknown persons from   
hearsay only4 ,and it is nearly proof   
positive that no such person as ,jesus  
existed1 who said and did those things  
ascribed to him2 for it is utterly      
impossible by his history1 admitting it 
to be correct1 to gather1 from the      
evangelists' account of it1 for what he 
came1 and also what end was answered to 
the ,jews4 ,they we're left in a worse  
state than if ,jesus had not been among 
them3 for1 as the ,jews mistook the     
object of his mission in consequence of 

the obscurity of his preaching1 so the  
different sects1 to this day1 have not  
decided what is ,christianity4  ,the    
history of the life and preaching of    
,jesus1 is such a confusion of opposite 
doctrines1 that1 after eighteen hundred 
years' investigation1 by men the most   
learned2 and after thousands and tens of
 thousands of volumes have been written1
 and commentators have endeavored to    
settle the different and conflicting    
accounts of what he taught1 it still    
remains unsettled whether ,christ is    
part ,god and part man1 or whether he   
had a natural father1 and is to be      
considered as nothing but a man1 but of 
superior holiness of life4 ,it is not   
settled whether ,christ died for all1 or
 only a part of the human race4 ,again1 
it is not yet agreed on by ,christian   
sects whether baptism should be extended
 to infants1 or be administered         
exclusively to adults4 ,these1 and many 
more subjects1 are by different parties 
viewed differently2 at the same time all

 and each appeal to the ,new ,testament 
in support of their respective creeds4  
,i will now appeal to the reader whether
 a ,god of infinite wisdom and power    
would be the author of a religion which 
could give rise to so many contradictory
 doctrines8 which in the life-time of   
the propagator was not understood8 and  
for eighteen hundred years has been a   
fruitful field of discord1 war1 and     
murder1 instead of producing peace on   
earth and good-will towards men8 ,it has
 never failed to be a source of war1    
hatred1 malice1 and ill-will towards    
men2 and nothing but the extension of   
,infidel ,principles can secure the     
human race against a recurrence of those
 dreadful scenes1 which1 for ages1      
converted this otherwise happy world    
into a slaughter house of human victims4
 ,to my brother ,infidels1 then1 ,i say1
 ,ye are the salt of the earth4 ,if you 
cease from your noble exertions1 the    
human race may again exhibit one mass of
 theological putrefaction4 ,if ,infinite

 wisdom and power had ever undertaken to
 give a revelation to man1 we should not
 have witnessed any blunders or         
mistakes4 ,a revelation coming from such
 a being1 would have been directed to   
some beneficial end1 and1 like the      
eternal laws of the universe1 the means 
made use of would not have failed to    
bring about the glorious end intended4  
,but the ,bible1 including the ,old and 
,new ,testaments1 is not only unworthy  
of its pretended high authority2 but it 
portrays the all-wise ,governor and     
,director of all worlds as a being      
changeable1 cruel1 and unjust4  ,in     
addition to the obscure manner resorted 
to by ,jesus in his speeches1 he seldom 
conversed with any of his countrymen of 
any distinction4 ,it was always the     
lower ranks of society to whom he       
directed his sayings2 so that1 to the   
most learned and opulent of the ,jews1  
he was little known2 for when the higher
 powers were about to take him into     
custody1 to them he was unknown4 ,it    

then became expedient to offer a reward 
to some one to point him out to the     
officers appointed to arrest him4 ,judas
 ,iscariot was the man who seemed       
willing as well as competent1 to conduct
 this ungrateful business4 ,jesus had   
often said that one of his apostles     
would betray him4 ,there is something   
very strange in the saying of ,jesus1   
that he had chosen twelve apostles and  
one would betray him4 ,if ,jesus came to
 the ,jews as the promised and expected 
,messiah1 the very idea of betraying him
 implies that he did not intend that the
 ,jews should ever know him as the sent 
of ,god4 ,at all events1 ,jesus1 at the 
time ,judas made him personally known to
 the chief priest and rulers1 complained
 of the deceitfulness of ,judas1 which  
is full proof that he did not wish at   
that time to be put on his trial4  ,but 
in what did this betraying consist8 ,the
 ,jewish rulers wished to have the man  
pointed out to them who had made so much
 noise and stir among the lower order of

 the people4 ,judas took the reward1 and
 if ,jesus were really sent by the ,lord
 of all to his nation1 this betraying   
was only giving him an opportunity of   
openly avowing his ,messiahship4 ,here  
then was the time for him to show such  
signs and wonders as to prevent any     
doubts as to who he was1 and of the     
important object of his coming2 for if  
he came into the world to die for the   
sins of mankind1 ,judas then was of vast
 importance in bringing about that which
 was before ordained by the determinate 
counsel and foreknowledge of ,god4 ,but 
if he 7,jesus7 did not intend to suffer 
death1 then1 and only then1 had he cause
 to complain of ,judas as a traitor4    
,jesus1 in speaking of ,judas1 says1 it 
had been good for that man if he had    
never been born3 but if the salvation of
 mankind depended on the death of       
,christ1 a more important person than   
,judas was never born of woman4 ,whether
 such a man as ,jesus ever lived or not1
 it is impossible to determine2 but     

admitting that such a man as he is said 
to have been1 did exist1 it does appear 
that his life was a scene of            
incongruities bordering on insanity4    
,and the whole of his public ministry   
was so erratic1 that it seems as if he  
had no specific object in view4         
,,chapter ,,iv4   ,,nothing can be more 
unreasonable than to admit1 for a       
moment1 that the ,almighty ,power which 
governs the vast unbounded universe1    
should be the author1 either directly or
 indirectly1 of a system which has      
produced so much cruelty1 carnage1 and  
bloodshed1 as the ,christian            
,religion--a very large portion of which
 has been brought about by the          
discordant doctrines attributed to the  
preaching of ,christ4 ,if ,god is its   
author1 7which is more than doubtful17  
if1 in addition to the evils with which 
human nature is afflicted1 he had       
intended to make man's misery complete1 
the ,christian religion seems well      
adapted to secure that end1 for it is   

the key-stone of human wretchedness4 ,a 
great amount of evil has resulted from  
the different sects that have arisen    
from the ,new ,testament4  ,a few       
particulars will suffice to show that   
the various doctrines1 all gathered from
 and founded on the sayings of ,christ1 
have created discord and persecution    
among the followers of ,jesus1 the      
pretended pacificator of the human race4
  ,one of the most destructive sayings  
of ,jesus--one which has entailed on the
 human race a system of continual evil1 
and which bids fair to last for ages to 
come1 is the delegated power given to   
the ,apostle ,peter1 and which is1 to   
the present day1 claimed by his         
successors4 ,peter1 being asked by      
,christ as to what the ,jews thought of 
him1 answered that some thought that one
 of the old prophets had returned from  
the dead1 while others thought          
differently4 ,but1 says ,jesus to       
,peter1 ,whom do you say that ,i am8    
,give me your opinion4 ,peter replied1  

,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4
 ,this answer was responded to by       
,jesus1 and to ,peter he said1 ,blessed 
art thou1 ,simon ,barjona1 for flesh and
 blood has not revealed it unto thee1   
but my ,father who is in heaven2 and    
,jesus added1 ,thou art ,peter1 and on  
this rock will ,i build my church1 and  
the gates of hell shall not prevail     
against it4 ,and ,i will give unto thee 
the keys of the kingdom of heaven1 and  
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth     
shall be bound in heaven2 and whatsoever
 thou shalt loose on earth shall be     
loosed in heaven4 7,matthew xvi41 #ai47 
,after appearing to give ,peter         
unlimited power1 he tells him that the  
chief priest and scribes will put him to
 death1 and that he should be raised the
 third day4 ,peter1 not understanding   
this sad reverse1 and out of regard for 
his master1 rebuked him1 but very       
mildly1 by saying1 ,be it far from thee1
 ,lord1 this shall not be unto thee4 ,at
 this1 ,jesus seemed to lose his temper1

 and said1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan1 
thou art an offence to me4 ,jesus then  
tells ,peter that ,the son of man should
 come in the glory of his ,father1 with 
his angels1 to reward every man         
according to his works1 ,jesus then     
adds1 ,verily1 ,i say unto you1 there be
 some standing here which shall not     
taste of death till they see the son of 
man coming in his kingdom4  ,now it was 
not possible for ,peter1 or any one     
else1 to understand ,christ's meaning4  
,he tells them things concerning his    
second coming1 before they understood   
his object as it related to his         
,messiahship4 ,besides1 what he told    
them would surely come to pass in their 
time1 is not yet fulfilled4 ,this       
obscure mode of teaching runs through   
all his speeches2 and he continually    
reproaches them for their want of faith 
in his doctrines4 ,a method so          
incoherent appears to approach to       
insanity4  ,but to return more          
immediately to the power given to       

,peter4 ,a power so undefined as was    
given to ,peter1 at a time when he did  
not even comprehend the final destiny of
 ,jesus1 cannot be admitted to have been
 given4 ,but as this part of ,christ's  
history was written long after his      
leaving this earth1 the writer1 whoever 
he was1 wrote from hearsay2 and there   
being no one to question its truth1 it  
became1 like many other sayings1 reputed
 as coming from ,jesus4 ,inconsistent as
 it was1 it became one of the doctrines 
of the church2 and the successors of    
,peter retain it in the ,catholic       
,church at the present day4 ,this       
original power given unto ,peter is     
still invested in the person of the     
,pope of ,rome1 and through him down to 
the rest of the clergy4 ,this power1    
said to have been given by ,jesus to the
 church1 has been productive of discord4
 ,the ,popes have held and acted upon it
 as a divine prerogative bequeathed by  
,christ to his church1 which has been   
denied by other sects1 so that quarrels 

have been the consequence4 ,and hence   
both rich and poor1 learned and         
unlearned1 have1 and do still1 confess  
to the priest their sins1 and receive   
pardon4  ,all the evils that have       
resulted from such foolery1 sprang from 
the authority said to have been by      
,jesus given to ,peter4 ,what a rich    
harvest have the priests reaped from    
this delegated power6 ,can men1         
possessing one grain of common sense1   
believe that such power was ever given  
to mortal man8 ,but the different sects 
will say1 that ,jesus never intended    
that it should be thus understood4 ,this
 does not mend the matter at all2 for   
,god must have foreseen what use would  
be made of it4 ,the consequences1       
therefore1 rest with ,him4 ,but are we  
prepared to admit that ,infinite ,wisdom
 would have left unguarded1 doctrines of
 such vast importance to the peace and  
harmony of his church8  ,again1 the     
shocking consequences which have        
followed the institution of the         

,sacrament1 or ,lord's ,supper4 ,jesus1 
according as ,christians believe1       
instituted the breaking of bread and    
drinking of wine1 as an emblem of his   
body being broken1 and his blood being  
poured out as a sacrifice for sin4 ,but 
this doctrine or ordinance1 being       
undefined1 the different sects of       
,christians have practised it under the 
impression of its sacredness1 taking its
 literal meaning instead of regarding it
 as a token of remembrance4 ,the        
,catholic believes1 or professes so to  
do1 that after the descendants of ,peter
 have prayed over1 and consecrated1 the 
bread and wine1 its nature is changed   
into the real body and blood of the     
,saviour4 ,one horrible consequence     
which has resulted from such tomfoolery1
 has been1 the burning of hundreds of   
human beings at the stake1 for not      
admitting so important a truth4 ,this   
evil1 and many others1 has arisen from  
the obscure doctrines taught by ,jesus1 
whom the scriptures describe as being   

the light of the world4 ,jesus1 before  
being taken into heaven1 told his       
disciples that it was for their good    
that he should leave them2 for1 to make 
up for his absence1 he would send the   
,holy ,ghost1 who would be a comforter1 
and would lead them into all truth4 ,how
 far this promise has been fulfilled1 we
 have the evidence of eighteen hundred  
years2 for1 immediately after ,jesus had
 left his church1 they became divided1  
and ever since they have butchered each 
other without mercy4 ,this is the       
comfort1 then1 that ,christians have    
received by the coming of the ,holy     
,ghost4  ,another fruitful field of     
slaughter and blood has been thrown open
 in consequence of ,jesus withholding   
from the ,christian church the real     
nature of his being4 ,so confused was he
 on this subject1 that1 even now1       
,christians do not agree4 ,some contend 
for his manhood alone1 and that1 like   
all other men1 he had an earthly        
father1--the ,unitarians1 for instance1 

and other sects4 ,but the real ,orthodox
 contend that ,jesus was born of a pure 
virgin1 who1 though a mother was yet a  
virgin4 ,these contradictory views are  
supported by the life and history of    
,jesus4 ,does it require any thing more 
than common sense to repudiate the      
divinity of a ,book containing such     
opposite statements of the same         
accounts1 or facts8 ,it is the          
uncertainty of what ,christianity really
 is1 which has caused so much evil in   
the world2 and this has arisen from the 
dark and obscure mode of teaching       
attributed to the ,son of ,god4 ,those  
,christians who have embraced views so  
opposite to each other1 but who have    
taken them from the same ,word of ,god1 
have1 in every age1 been the most       
implacable enemies1 and have seldom     
failed1 when power has been in their    
hands1 to inflict the most cruel        
torments on those who differed from     
them4 ,indeed1 the history of the       
,christian ,church is one continued     

record of persecution and cruelty4  ,i  
was1 for some few months1 called on by  
an ,orthodox deacon1 who earnestly      
requested me to reflect on the dangerous
 situation ,i was in as an unbeliever1  
being totally unprepared for a future   
state4 ,i asked1 if ,i were in a worse  
state than an ,unitarian8 ,you admit1   
said ,i1 that they1 many of them1 are   
good men1 and will not be excluded from 
heaven4 ,he replied1 that1 morally      
speaking1 they might be good2 but1 he   
added1 that my claim to heaven stood on 
equal1 if not superior ground to theirs1
 as they did not believe in the         
vicarious sacrifice of ,jesus for sin2  
consequently1 they had neither part nor 
lot in the matter4  ,all the intolerance
 and persecution which have deluged the 
earth with blood1 have arisen from      
,christianity not having ever been      
defined4 ,hundreds of different creeds  
have been founded on the sayings and    
doings of ,jesus and his apostles1 as   
found in the ,new ,testament2 and there 

are yet materials for many more4 ,each  
sect regards all other sects as being   
wickedly obstinate1 and resisting the   
truth4 ,all this misery and destruction1
 arising from the different construction
 of the doctrines said to have been     
delivered by ,jesus1 would never have   
taken place1 if the all-wise ,ruler of  
the ,universe had dictated them2 but the
 evils they have brought on the world   
can never be reconciled as coming from a
 ,being of infinite wisdom1 power1 and  
goodness4 ,if such a ,being had ever    
given a revelation to the human race1   
there is no doubt but that it would have
 been adapted to man's reasoning powers2
 that mistakes would not have opposed   
its progress2 thousands of books would  
not have been required to explain what  
,infinite ,wisdom had proclaimed2 no    
fires of martyrdom would have been      
lighted1 to compel men to believe what  
none could understand4  ,if ,god had    
been the author of the ,christian       
religion1 it would1 like all his works1 

have been so arranged1 and the means so 
wisely adapted1 that the intention or   
end would be fully answered4 ,but the   
religion of the ,bible1 both the ,old   
and ,new ,testament1 is a continual     
trial of experiments on man4 ,and what  
has religion made of him8 ,is he        
generally fit to be trusted1 in word or 
action8 ,is he generally humane and     
tender-hearted8 ,no6 very far from it4  
,society is1 in its best state1 very    
defective in humanity4 ,the accumulation
 of riches is the ,christian's object4  
,gold is the god he adores4  ,it is     
impossible for ,christians to deny that 
the persecutions and burnings1 the cruel
 torture1 and every infliction of       
cruelty practised by one sect towards   
others1 who honestly differed from the  
most powerful1 were all in consequence  
of the different sects embracing and    
maintaining opposite doctrines2 all of  
which were founded on the teaching of   
,jesus4 ,can we1 then1 believe that the 
,almighty ,ruler of all worlds would    

have sent his ,son to teach mankind     
something that should involve the human 
race in a never-ending quarrel1 by      
teaching so obscurely that two persons1 
equally honest and intelligent1 should  
form opposite opinions2 knowing1 as the 
,almighty must1 that such teaching would
 engender hatred and malice1 and be the 
cause of producing unheard of cruelty   
and torture8  ,how dreadful it is to    
reflect on the mad fury of religious    
zeal1 when the persecutor and the       
persecuted are equally sincere6 ,the    
first1 believing he ought to put to     
death those who differ from him1 for the
 glory of ,god2 and the latter1         
considering that his crown of glory can 
be obtained only by sufferings death the
 most horrid to bear6 ,poor1 unfortunate
 creatures6 ,both parties are objects of
 pity4 ,the evils resulting from the    
different doctrines collected from the  
teaching of ,jesus1 have1 for eighteen  
hundred years1 converted the otherwise  
happy world into a pious mad-house4 ,the

 doctrine of human depravity1 although  
it may not have been so productive of   
evil as some others1 is a libel on human
 nature4 ,it is taught by ,jesus2 the   
preachers repeat it weekly from the     
pulpit2 and the necessity of a new birth
 results from it4 ,a thousand pulpits   
thunder forth vengeance against man     
because of the hardness of his heart4   
,we are told that he has rebelled       
against his ,god2 that he is at enmity  
with him1 and that he has turned his    
back to his ,maker4  ,all this is done  
to humble man1 and to bring about his   
conversion4 ,the ,scriptures also       
represent the ,almighty as angry with   
poor1 feeble man1 and that he will      
eventually pour out his wrath in        
never-ending torments6 ,these doctrines1
 so earnestly taught1 and so fully      
credited1 constitute a principal part of
 what comes from ten thousand preachers2
 and if we examine the truth of them1   
none can we find4 ,as it respects man's 
rebelling1 and turning his back on his  

,creator1 man's error and misfortune has
 ever been in trying to find out        
something about his ,maker4  ,this      
curiosity1 no doubt1 originated in a    
state of ignorance4 ,and even in the    
present day1 man has yet to learn the   
inutility of every attempt to discover  
any thing as to the being and nature of 
a ,supreme ,power that is supposed to   
govern the universe4 ,we are lost in    
wonder and admiration when we           
contemplate the mighty universe6 but of 
the ,grand ,regulator of all1 we are1   
and no doubt shall ever remain1 in total
 ignorance4 ,it is a libel on man1 then1
 to teach that human beings are at      
enmity against ,god4 ,i ask my readers1 
both male and female1 whether they ever 
had those feelings of hatred against the
 unknown ,governor of the grand and     
sublime universe8 ,but ,christian       
priests proclaim it2 and to those who   
believe it1 it is a source of           
lamentation2 and being under the belief 
that man is the natural enemy of ,god1  

the minds of such persons become        
prostrated1 and then this otherwise     
happy world is despised and neglected   
for a future state of supposed bliss4   
,let any one attend a ,protracted       
,meeting1 where there may be some       
hundreds of persons1 and among the      
number1 many youths of both sexes2 both 
young and old are appealed to by the    
speakers1 who describe them as enemies  
of ,god1 and as having turned their     
backs on the ,god of goodness4 ,they    
become alarmed1 not having before       
conceived that they could have been so  
wicked4 ,i have seen upwards of fifty1  
at one time1 sobbing and crying and     
imploring mercy1 who1 poor1 weak        
mortals1 until this foolishness of being
 at enmity with ,god was preached to    
them1 had no conception of their        
dreadful enormities and danger4 ,by     
exciting the feelings with falsehood1   
this process is called conversion and   
the work of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,at the   
same time that the most virtuous females

 are denounced as deserving damnation   
for their wickedness1 and told that1    
without repentance1 their future state  
will be wretched to all eternity1 should
 one word derogatory to the character of
 these females1 thus represented by the 
priests1 be spoken by any body else1 an 
action for slander would be instituted4 
,but as long as people will give up     
their reason1 and be hoodwinked with the
 nonsense that ,god is angry1 and that  
they are every moment in danger of      
falling into hell1 so long will the     
,christian priesthood riot in profusion 
and plenty1 by dealing out damnation to 
those whose only crime is enmity against
 ,god4 ,so completely hoodwinked is man1
 that he attends weekly1 and pays well  
into the bargain1 to hear the priest    
deal out endless damnation to           
nine-tenths of the human race2 and it is
 ten chances to one that he also is     
included among the subjects of the      
,devil6 ,should an ,orthodox preacher1  
for a few ,sundays1 preach on moral     

subjects1 and consider that morality was
 the one thing needful in the ,christian
 ,church1 the congregation would        
complain that their souls required more 
substantial nourishment4 ,the preacher  
must return to the old mode of teaching1
 and again shake them over the lake of  
fire6 ,and hence it follows1 that1 as   
the people1 are not satisfied without   
having the wrath of ,god the constant   
theme1 the preacher gives it as they    
wish to have it4 ,an angry ,god2 a      
cunning1 crafty and tempting ,devil2 and
 the enmity of man's wicked heart3 this 
is the set of tools by which the        
,christian teacher carries on his       
theological trade4 ,the discordancy of  
religious opinions1 and all of them     
taken from the doctrines as taught by   
,jesus and the apostles1 each preacher  
referring to the favorite passages which
 support his views1 is and will be1 a   
never-ending theme of disputation2 and  
at some future period1 may renew the    
practice of burning each other alive for

 ,god's glory4  ,nothing but the spread 
of ,infidelity can completely stop this 
dreadful evil4 ,we have only to suppose1
 that1 at some future time1 the savages 
who have been what is called converted  
by preachers of opposite sects1 such as 
the ,calvinist and the ,universalist1 or
 the ,trinitarians and ,unitarians1     
should1 by some cause not now foreseen1 
be left by the missionaries to support  
the ,christian church2 then the savage  
converts of different sects would be    
very likely to fall on each other1 and  
the fires of ,smithfield1 which         
,infidelity1 the companion of humanity1 
has extinguished1 may again blaze on the
 ,islands of the ,pacific ,ocean4 ,this 
is a very probable case2 for1 in the    
present day1 the same ,bible is the text
 book of all denominations1 and all of  
them would persecute if they had but the
 power4 ,christianity is now what it    
ever has been1 and what it ever will be1
 a persecuting religion2 and1 although  
the fires of martyrdom cease to torment 

the human race1 the embers are still    
emitting smoke1 and may again be        
rekindled4 ,nothing short of unbelief in
 all divine revelation1 openly and      
fearlessly avowed1 can guarantee the    
human family against a renewal of the   
religious butchery of past ages4        
,,chapter ,v4   ,,taking the ,orthodox  
views of ,christianity1 there are four  
personages connected with divine        
revelation1 and each has a different    
department to act out4 ,the first three 
are the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4
 ,leaving1 for the present1 the first   
three1 our attention will1 in this      
chapter1 be directed to the fourth and  
last1 namely1 the ,devil4 ,and so much  
consequence do ,christian sects attach  
to the existence of the ,devil1 that1 to
 deny it1 or even to doubt it1 would be 
enough to separate a member from the    
church4 ,religious people must have a   
,devil2 for1 as the ,devil1 by his      
incessant cunning and temptation1 is the
 indirect author of men's sins1 so1 on  

the other hand1 the ,saviour stands     
ready to ransom the guilty4 ,it then    
follows1 that the sinner1 after all1    
stands on pretty good ground2 for1 if   
the ,devil tempts him to commit one-half
 of his crimes1 and the ,saviour pardons
 the other half1 man is not in much     
danger of being condemned4  ,in this    
chapter1 it will be seen1 what an amount
 of evil has arisen to the peace and    
happiness of the human race1 not from   
what the ,devil really has done1 but    
from what mortals have believed he has  
done1 by supposing him to have almost   
unlimited power4 ,and here we can       
perceive1 what evil has transpired from 
what never has1 nor ever could have     
taken place1 but from what has been     
believed to have really happened4 ,this 
has been in consequence of the credulity
 of the human mind when reason is       
departed from1 and man becomes the      
creature of imagination4 ,it is then    
that man can give credit to the most    
glaring absurdities1 and honestly reject

 the plain dictates of common sense4 ,it
 is then that he leaves the solid earth 
on which he treads1 and launches into   
the region of airy nothings2 and1 by the
 ductility of his mind1 creates beings  
of so terrific a nature1 that1 at the   
thought of them1 the stoutest hearts    
have been made to quail4 ,this is       
strictly true as to the existence and   
influence of the ,devil4  ,that the ,new
 ,testament sanctions the existence of  
the ,devil1 there remains not a doubt4  
,the temptation of ,christ is proof     
positive4 ,but that alone should not    
suffice4 ,the case of ,mary ,magdalene1 
and also the expulsion of devils by     
,jesus and his disciples1 put all doubt 
out of the question4 ,when we consider  
the terrible consequences of this belief
 on the peace and happiness of the human
 race1 we can but pity the deluded      
creatures1 who1 in different ages of    
,christianity1 have been sufferers for  
the supposed commission of a crime that 
never was1 nor ever will be committed4  

,all nations1 in all ages1 have         
credited1 to a lesser or a greater      
extent1 the existence of a being1 or    
beings1 of a malignant nature1          
possessing power beyond man's           
conception2 who1 from some cause        
unknown1 delighted in doing mischief to 
the human family4 ,and ever since the   
introduction of the ,christian religion1
 it has been credited that such wicked  
spirits could delegate power to human   
beings equally wicked as themselves2 by 
which power1 they1 for a time1 could    
vent their malice1 and do wonders by    
selling themselves1 or by some infernal 
contract could do harm to1 or among     
those of1 their neighbors who were so   
unfortunate as to fall under their      
displeasure4  ,this sin1 which never    
was1 and never can be committed1 has    
ever been thought the worst of crimes2  
and less mercy shown to the supposed    
guilty person than if guilty of murder  
itself4 ,and so extensively has it been 
credited1 and so great has been its     

influence1 that laws have1 in most      
nations1 been passed for its punishment2
 and thousands1 and tens of thousands   
have been put to death under            
circumstances of torture at which the   
human heart sickens4 ,surely1 if our    
minds are not entirely darkened by the  
ignorance of past ages1 we must be able 
to see that the ,bible has been the most
 destructive book that was ever written2
 and is unworthy to claim infinite      
power1 wisdom1 and goodness for its     
author4 ,if the belief in witchcraft and
 sorcery had been confined to the       
ignorant and unlearned of all nations1  
its evil would have been so limited that
 not much misery would have followed1   
because men of good sense and talent    
would have stood in the way of its      
progress4 ,but1 unfortunately1 this has 
not so happened4 ,its evil influence has
 ascended to the highest classes in     
society4 ,the king on his throne1 and   
the learned judge seated in the chair of
 impartial justice1 have partaken of its

 deadly contagion4 ,the reader will now 
be presented with facts of the most     
undoubted authority1 showing what       
wretchedness has occurred from believing
 in the existence and malignity of the  
,devil--a doctrine supported by divine  
revelation4  ,the first fact that is    
brought forward1 took place at ,bury1   
,st4 ,edmonds1 in the ,county of        
,suffolk1 7,england17 in the year #affd4
 ,amy ,duny and ,rose ,callender1 two   
poor women1 who were ignorant1 and of   
the coarsest materials1 had1 for eight  
years previous1 the reputation of being 
witches4 ,so horrid were they           
considered1 that the fishermen would not
 sell them fish1 and the boys in the    
streets were taught to fly from them    
with horror4 ,the principal charges     
against them were1 that the children of 
two families had been many times seized 
with fits in which they exclaimed that  
they saw ,amy ,duny and ,rose ,callender
 coming to torment them4 ,they vomited1 
and in their vomit were often found     

pins1 and once or twice a two-penny     
nail4  ,one or two of the children died4
 ,to support these allegations1 a       
wagoner appeared1 whose wagon had been  
twice overturned in one morning in      
consequence of the curses of one of     
these witches4 ,sir ,matthew ,hale      
presided at the trial1 assisted by ,sir 
,thomas ,brown1 two of the most able and
 learned ,judges then in ,england4      
,those two poor women were by the jury  
found guilty1 and hanged on the         
seventeenth day of ,march1 #affd1 one   
week after their trial4  ,sir ,matthew  
,hale refused to sum up the evidence1   
but left it to the jury1 to whom he     
said1 ,that the ,scriptures left no     
doubt that there was such a thing as    
witchcraft2 and instructed them that all
 they had to do1 was1 first1 to consider
 whether the children were really       
bewitched2 and1 secondly1 whether the   
witchcraft was sufficiently brought home
 to the prisoners at the bar4 ,the ,jury
 found them guilty1 and they were hanged

 as before stated4  ,here we have a     
shocking account of the credulity of the
 human mind4 ,the whole ,english nation 
were laboring under a mental delusion4  
,here it was not to be said1 ,o1 ye of  
little faith6 but1 ,o1 ye religious     
madmen6 your faith has changed your     
nature from kindness and pity1 to       
perform acts of cruelty which the savage
 cannibal would shudder to put into     
practice4 ,i would here remind the      
reader1 that ,judge ,hale was considered
 a just and humane ,judge4 ,what a      
dreadful state a nation must be in1 when
 such laws as have been referred to1    
were in full force1 and the             
jurisprudence of ,england was1 as it    
were1 under the influence of a ,being   
the supposed enemy of man6 ,and it may  
in truth be said1 that an unknown and   
invisible world governed one that was   
known and visible4  ,now1 in the case of
 those two poor women1 who were really  
murdered1 the question arises1 who were 
their murderers8 ,was it ,judge ,hale1  

or the ,jury8 ,it was neither4 ,it was  
the ,bible---a book which records the   
existence of a ,devil1 the sworn enemy  
of ,god and men4 ,reader6 can you       
withhold pity from two poor creatures in
 such circumstances1 and can you still  
praise to the skies a ,book that has    
made the best and wisest of men cruel   
brutes1--who1 at the same time1 were    
happy to have a chance to make war      
against the ,devil1 by destroying two   
helpless beings whose only crime1 in all
 probability1 was poverty and ignorance8
 ,every humane unbeliever must exclaim1 
,o ,god6 ,o ,nature6 what havoc have    
ignorance and superstition made among   
your works6  ,nothing could be better   
calculated to give importance to the    
credibility of the activity and         
influence of the ,devil's employing and 
entering into a league with wicked and  
ill-disposed persons1 after             
,christianity became established1 than  
the ,scripture account of the ,devil's  
tempting ,jesus1 and endeavoring to make

 a contract with him to obey and submit 
to his proposals4 ,but as the ,devil was
 non-suited by the ,saviour of mankind1 
it might be expected that after ,jesus  
had left this world1 the ,devil would   
endeavor to enlist into his service many
 of those who had embraced the religion 
of that ,saviour whom he had tried to   
seduce4  ,in the course of time1 in the 
middle or dark ages1 when' men's        
imaginations were active1 and reason was
 nearly banished from among ,christians1
 it became a matter of faith and        
certainty1 that persons in different    
towns and villages had really entered   
into a contract1 for a certain number of
 years1 with the ,devil himself2 and to 
carry out and complete this supposed    
covenant with the enemy of ,god and man1
 a motion was started of the ,devil's   
,sabbath1 on which1 a place being       
appointed1 wicked men and women could   
meet and contract with ,old ,lucifer    
himself2 and books were printed to show 
the nature of the contract ,after this  

strange opinion became fully credited1  
and witchcraft was made a crime         
punishable by law1 those persons who    
were accused of witchcraft were         
tortured1 in order to compel them to own
 that they had attended the ,sabbath of 
the ,devil4  ,another fact will now be  
stated1 to show what ideas of the       
,devil's influence prevailed in ,england
 and ,scotland1 in the days of          
,elizabeth4 ,james the ,first1 of       
,england1 who1 succeeding ,elizabeth1   
was born in #aeff1 was the only direct  
heir to the ,crown of ,scotland1 and had
 a prospect of succeeding ,elizabeth in 
,england1 which he did on the death of  
the ,queen4 ,james had witnessed a great
 number of prosecutions for witchcraft1 
in ,scotland1 in the reign of ,mary2 and
 he1 as might be expected1 most firmly  
believed that the ,devil was very active
 in the country of his birth2 so that1  
when he came to the ,crown of ,england1 
his mind was di-rected to put a stop to 
the prevailing crime of witchcraft and  

to break up the ,devil's ,sabbath1 he   
believing that numbers of his ,english  
subjects were visitors to those unholy  
meetings4 ,a circumstance will now be   
mentioned which will fully prove what   
views the people of ,england and        
,scotland had of the activity of the    
,devil in drawing persons into his      
service and kingdom2 for it is          
impossible to evade the truth1 that the 
existence and opposition of the ,devil  
against the progress of the ,gospel1 was
 strengthened by what had been recorded 
of the ,devil in the ,new ,testament4   
,james the ,first1 of ,england1 is here 
cited to show what was then the         
prevailing opinion of the existence of  
witchcraft in that kingdom4 ,and        
although it is painful to reflect on the
 sufferings of thousands1 it may1 by its
 recital1 assist those who are still    
somewhat in darkness1 to discover how   
the human race have been deluded4 ,james
 the ,first had fixed his mind on a     
daughter of the ,king of ,denmark4 ,a   

splendid embassy was sent from ,england 
to conclude the treaty of marriage1 and 
to bring home ,james's royal consort2   
but the ships met with violent storms1  
and instead of arriving at the capital  
of ,scotland1 the news came that the    
ship in which the ,princess had taken   
passage1 was driven back on the coast of
 ,norway2 nothing uncommon m these seas 
at that1 season of the year4 ,the ,king1
 being disappointed1 sailed to the place
 where the shattered ships lay1 and the 
marriage was consummated2 and the ,king 
and ,queen remained at ,copenhagen1 and 
did not arrive at ,edinburgh until the  
first of ,may1 #aeij4 ,the storm was1   
after their return1 considered to be the
 result of some supernatural            
interference4  ,the ,king1 after his    
return1 suspecting that witchcraft had  
something to do in raising the storm    
which drove his intended wife on the    
coast of ,norway1 set to work to make   
discoveries2 and two of his female      
servants were suspected of causing the  

storm before alluded to4 ,their names   
were ,geillis ,duncan and ,agnes        
,sampson4 ,both of them were put to the 
torture to extort confession4 ,these    
poor young women1 broken down and       
exhausted by so dreadful an operation1  
became willing to answer such questions 
as this royal blockhead had prepared to 
put to them4 ,agnes ,sampson told the   
,king1 that she1 in company with two    
hundred other witches1 had sailed in    
sieves from ,leith to ,north ,berwick   
,church2 how they had there encountered 
the ,devil in person2 how they had      
feasted with him1 and what obscenities  
had been2 practised4 ,she related1 that 
in this voyage they had drowned a cat1  
having first baptized it2 and that      
immediately a dreadful storm arose1 and 
in this very storm the ,king's ship had 
been separated from the rest of the     
fleet4 ,inconsequence of this           
confession1 ,agnes ,sampson was         
condemned to the flames4 ,the system of 
torture resorted to under               

cir-circumstances of suspicion1         
compelled poor suffering creatures to   
answer any questions put to them to     
satisfy their cruel tormentors and in   
many cases1 after all1 they were put to 
death4 ,king ,james the ,first published
 his ,dialogues on ,demonology in three 
books4 ,but many years after he         
renounced his belief in the real        
existence of ,witchcraft altogether2 and
 in the latter part of his reign1       
declared that all he had done was the   
effect of delusion4  ,these were        
dreadful times for humanity4 ,thousands 
and tens of thousands of victims        
suffered every kind of torture that     
savage1 ingenuity could devise2 and what
 made it the more to be deplored1 the   
ignorant creatures who inflicted the    
torments were honest in their abhorrence
 of those unfortunate persons1 who      
suffered for what was1 in those dark    
ages1 considered the worst of crimes4   
,in what horror1 then1 were persons held
 who could be so wicked as to have      

dealings with the devil8 ,the case of   
,james is here recorded1 to show the    
reader that the belief in witchcraft was
 not confined to the ignorant3 and      
unlettered portion of society2 but that 
,england1 and ,scotland1 and1 it may be 
said1 every ,christian nation with its  
government1 and the army also1 were all 
laboring under this delusion4 ,and the  
truth of its existence was then1 and is 
now1 supported by the ,new ,testament1  
and fully confirmed by the ,devil's     
temptation of ,jesus1 the ,christian's  
,son of ,god2 for the desire manifested 
by the ,devil to entice ,jesus to enter 
into his service1 did1 in those dark    
ages1 strengthen persons in the         
conclusion that the ,devil1 although he 
failed to seduce the ,redeemer1 would   
continue to enlist1 if possible1 great  
numbers into his service4 ,the firm     
belief of his attempts on the ,son of   
,god would dispose persons to credit the
 fact that people of abandoned          
characters would hire themselves to the 

,devil4 ,in the days of ,oliver         
,cromwell1 a story is recorded by       
,echard1 the historian1 as shockingly   
illustrative of the credulity of the age
 in which he lived4 ,it takes its date  
from the morning of the third of        
,september1 #afea1 when ,cromwell gained
 the battle of ,worcester against       
,charles the ,second4 ,it is on the     
authority of ,colonel ,lindsey1 who was 
senior captain in ,cromwell's own       
regiment4 ,the story recorded is1 ,that 
on the morning of the battle1 ,cromwell 
took with him ,colonel ,lindsey to the  
side of a wood1 not far from the army1  
and bade him alight and follow him into 
the wood1 and to take particular notice 
of what he saw and heard4 ,and having   
secured their horses1 and walked some   
little way into the wood1 ,lindsey began
 to turn pale1 and to be seized with    
horror from some unknown cause4         
,cromwell asked him how he felt himself8
 ,he answered1 that he was in such a    
trembling that he never felt the like in

 all the conflicts and battles he had   
ever been engaged in4 ',how1 now1' said 
,cromwell1 'what6 troubled with the     
vapors8 ,come forward1 man4' ,they had  
not gone far1 before ,lindsey stood     
still1 and said it was impossible for   
him to go one step further4 ,upon which1
 ,cromwell called him a faint hearted   
fool1 and bade him stand there and      
observe1 or witness4 ,and then the      
,general1 advancing to some distance    
from him1 met a grave elderly man with a
 roll of parchment in his hand1 who     
delivered it to ,cromwell1 and he       
eagerly perused it ,lindsey1 a little   
recovered from his fear1 heard several  
loud words between them1 particularly   
,cromwell said1 'this is but for seven  
years1 ,i was to have it for one and    
twenty4' ,the grave elderly man told him
 positively1 it could not be for more   
than seven4 ,cromwell cried with great  
fierceness1 ',it shall1 however1 be for 
fourteen years4' ,cromwell then took his
 parchment1 and returning to ,lindsey1  

',now1 ,lindsey1' said he1 'the battle  
is our own1 ,i long to be engaged4' ,it 
did then commence4 ,after the first     
charge1 ,lindsey deserted his post and  
rode away with all speed to a friend's  
in the county of ,suffolk1 and never    
returned4 ,cromwell offered a great     
reward for him1 dead or alive4 ,cromwell
 died on that day seven years1          
,september #c1 #afeh4  ,it is of no     
consequence whether this story is true  
or not ,it fully proves that at that    
time it was believed1 that men sold     
themselves to the ,devil4     ,,chapter 
,,vi4   ,,two more remarkable cases     
will1 in this chapter1 be made known to 
the reader1 to show that for hundreds of
 years the ,devil1 or rather the belief 
in his existence1 was a source of terror
 to all ,christians1 and must have      
operated on almost every transaction in 
which society were engaged4 ,in almost  
every town and village1 to be surrounded
 with wicked beings who had entered into
 a contract with ,satan to be empower-ed

 to perform deeds of darkness which no  
prudence could guard against1 must have 
had an influence on the peace and safety
 of almost every family4 ,but now1 that 
the delusion has nearly passed away1 and
 mankind are no longer subject to such  
terror1 we may be happy to think that   
our lives are exempted from the evils   
which afflicted our forefathers4 ,and   
nothing but an open avowal of our       
unbelief in all systems which in any way
 sanction the existence of a ,being who 
has made a large portion of the human   
family crazy1 can prevent a recurrence  
of past ignorance with all its baneful  
consequences4  ,joan of ,arc1 called the
 ,maid of ,orleans1 an unfortunate      
creature1 demands our pity4 ,her        
tragical history ought to impel every   
humane person to do all in his power to 
prevent mortals from again witnessing   
scenes of so dreadful a nature4  ,henry 
the ,fifth1 of ,england1 won the        
decisive battle of ,agincourt in the    
year #adae1 and some time after         

concluded a treaty with the reigning    
,king of ,france1 by which he was       
recognized1 in case of that ,king's     
death1 as heir to the throne4 ,henry the
 ,fifth died in the year #adbb1 and     
,charles the ,sixth1 of ,france1 in less
 than two months after4 ,henry the      
,sixth was only nine months old1 at the 
time of his father's death2 but such was
 the deplorable state of ,france1 that  
he was the same year proclaimed ,king in
 ,paris1 and for some years seemed to   
have every prospect of a fortunate      
reign4 ,john1 ,duke of ,bedford1 the    
,king's uncle1 was declared ,regent of  
,france4 ,the son of ,charles the ,sixth
 was reduced to the last extremity4     
,orleans was the last strong town in the
 heart of the kingdom which held out in 
his favor2 and that place seemed on the 
point of surrendering to the conqueror4 
,in this fearful crisis1 appeared ,joan 
of ,arc1 and1 in the most incredible    
manner1 turned the whole tide of        
affairs4 ,she was a servant in a poor   

inn at ,demremi1 and was accustomed to  
perform the coarsest offices1 and1 in   
particular1 to ride the horses to a     
neighboring stream of water4 ,of course1
 the situation of ,france and her       
hereditary ,king formed the universal   
subject of conversation1 and ,joan      
became deeply impressed with the        
lamentable state of her country1 and the
 misfortunes of her ,king4 ,by dint of  
perpetual meditation1 and feeling in her
 breast the promptings of energy and    
enter-prize1 she conceived the idea that
 she was destined by ,heaven to be the  
deliverer of ,france4 ,agreeably to the 
state of intellectual knowledge at that 
period1 she persuaded herself that she  
saw visions and held communications with
 the saints4 ,she then had conversations
 with ,st4 ,margaret and ,st4 ,catherine
 of ,fierbois4 ,they told her that she  
was commissioned by ,god to raise the   
siege of ,orleans4 ,she then presented  
herself to ,baudricourt1 ,governor of   
the neighboring town of ,vaucouleurs1   

telling him her commission1 and         
requiring him to send her to the ,king  
at ,chinon4 ,baudricourt1 at first1 made
 light of her application2 but her      
importunity1 and the ardor she          
expressed1 at length excited him4 ,he   
put on her man's attire1 gave her arms1 
and sent her1 under an escort of two    
gentlemen and their attendants1 to      
,chinon4 ,here she immediately addressed
 the ,king in person1 who had purposely 
hid himself behind his courtiers1 that  
she might not know him4 ,she then       
delivered her message1 and offered1 in  
the name of the ,most ,high1 to raise   
the siege of ,orleans1 and conduct ,king
 ,charles to ,rheims to be anointed4    
,desperate as was then the state of     
affairs1 ,charles and his ministers     
immediately resolved to seize the       
occasion that offered1 and put forward  
,joan as an instrument to revive the    
prostrate courage of his subjects4 ,he  
had no sooner determined on this1 than  
he pretended to submit the truth of her 

mission to the most rigorous trial4 ,he 
called together an assembly of          
theologians and doctors1 who rigorously 
examined ,joan1 and pronounced in her   
favor4 ,he referred the question to the 
,parliament of ,poictiers1 and they who1
 previously to meeting1 were persuaded  
that she was an impostor1 became        
convinced of her inspiration4 ,she was  
mounted on a highbred steed1 furnished  
with a consecrated banner1 and marched1 
escorted by a body of five thousand men1
 to the relief of ,orleans4 ,the        
,french1 strongly convinced by so plain 
an interposition of ,heaven1 resumed the
 courage to which they had long been    
strangers4  ,such a phenomenon was      
exactly suited to the superstition and  
credulity of the age4 ,the ,english were
 staggered with the rumors that every   
where went before her1 and struck with a
 degree of apprehension and terror that 
they could not shake off4 ,the garrison1
 informed of her approach1 made a sally 
on the other side of the town1 and ,joan

 and her convoy entered without         
opposition4 ,she displayed her standard 
in the market place1 and was received as
 a celestial deliverer4 ,she appears to 
have been endowed with a prudence not   
inferior to her courage and spirit of   
enterprise4 ,with great docility1 she   
caught the hints of the commanders by   
whom she was surrounded1 and1 convinced 
of her own want of experience and skill1
 delivered them to the forces as the    
dictates of ,heaven4 ,thus the knowledge
 and discernment of the ,generals were  
brought into play at the same time that 
their suggestions acquired new weight   
when falling from the lips of the       
,heaven-instructed heroine4 ,a second   
convoy arrived1 the wagons and troops   
passed between the redoubts of the      
,english1 while a dead1 silence and     
astonishment reigned ,among the forces  
so lately enterprising and irresistible4
 ,joan now called on the garrison no    
longer to stand upon the defensive1 but 
boldly to attack the army of the        

besiegers4 ,she took one redoubt1 and   
then another4 ,the ,english1 overwhelmed
 with amazement1 scarcely dared to lift 
a hand against her4 ,their veteran      
,generals became1 spell-bound and       
powerless1 and their soldiers were      
driven before the prophetess like a     
flock of sheep4 ,the siege was raised4  
,joan followed the ,english to a        
fortified town which they fixed on as   
the place of their retreat1 and all the 
,english were made prisoners4 ,the late 
victorious force now concentrated       
themselves at ,patay1 in ,orleanois4    
,joan advanced to meet them4 ,the battle
 lasted not a moment2 it was rather a   
flight than a combat4 ,fastolfe1 one of 
the bravest of the ,english ,generals1  
threw down his arms1 and ran for his    
life4 ,talbot and ,scales1 the other    
,generals1 were made prisoners4  ,the   
siege of ,orleans was raised on the     
eighth of ,may1 #adbi2 the battle of    
,patay was fought on the tenth of the   
following month4 ,joan was1 at that     

time1 twenty-two years of age4 ,this    
extraordinary turn having been given to 
the affairs of the kingdom1 ,joan next  
insisted that the ,king should march to 
,rheims1 in order to be crowned4 ,rheims
 lay in a direction expressly through   
the enemy's garrisons4 ,but every thing 
yielded to the marvellous fortune that  
attended upon the heroine4 ,troyes      
opened its gates4 ,chalons followed the 
example4 ,rheims sent a deputation1 with
 the keys of the city1 which met        
,charles on his march4 ,the proposed    
solemnity took place amid the ecstasies 
and enthusiastic shouts of his people4  
,it was no sooner over1 than ,joan      
stepped forward4 ,she said1 she had now 
performed the whole of what ,god had    
commissioned her to do4 ,she was        
satisfied4 ,she entreated the ,king to  
dismiss her to the obscurity from which 
she had sprung4  ,the ,ministers and    
,generals of ,france1 however1 found    
,joan too useful an instrument to be    
willing to part with her thus early1 and

 she yielded to their earnest           
expostulations4  ,under her guidance1   
they assailed ,laon1 ,soissons1         
,chauteau1 ,thirry1 ,provins1 and many  
other places1 and took them one after   
another4 ,she threw herself into        
,compiegne1 which was besieged by the   
,duke of ,burgundy in conjunction with  
certain ,english commanders4 ,the day   
after her arrival1 she headed a sally   
against the enemy2 twice she repelled   
them1 but finding their numbers increase
 every moment with fresh reinforcements1
 she directed a retreat4 ,twice she     
returned to her pursuers1 and made them 
recoil2 the third time she was less     
fortunate4 ,she found herself alone1    
surrounded by the enemy1 and having     
performed prodigies of valor1 she was   
compelled to surrender herself a        
prisoner4 ,this happened on the         
twenty-fifth of ,may1 #adcj4 ,it        
remained to be determined what should be
 the fate of this admirable woman4 ,both
 friends and enemies agreed that her    

career had been attended with a         
supernatural power4 ,the ,french1 who   
were so infinitely indebted to her      
achievements1 and who owed the sudden   
and glorious reverse of their affairs to
 her alone1 were convinced that she was 
immediately commissioned by ,god1 and   
vied with each other in reciting the    
miraculous phenomena which marked every 
step in her progress4 ,the ,english1 who
 saw all the victorious acquisitions of 
,henry the ,fifth crumbling from their  
grasp1 were equally impressed with the  
manifest miracle1 but imputed all her   
good fortune to a league with the       
,prince of ,darkness4 ,they said1 that  
her boasted visions were so many        
delusions of the ,devil4 ,they          
determined to bring her to trial for the
 tremendous crimes of sorcery and       
witchcraft4  ,they believed that if she 
were once convicted and led out to      
execution1 the prowess and valor which  
had hitherto marked their progress1     
would return to them1 and that they     

should obtain the same superiority over 
their disheartened foes4 ,the ,devil1   
who had hitherto been her constant ally1
 terrified at the spectacle of the      
flames that consumed her1 would         
instantly return to the infernal        
regions1 and leave the field open to    
,english enterprise and energy1 and to  
the interposition of ,god and his       
saints4 ,an accusation was prepared     
against her1 and all the solemnities of 
a public trial were observed4 ,but the  
proofs2 were so weak and unsatisfactory1
 and ,joan1 though oppressed and treated
 with the utmost severity1 displayed so 
much acuteness and presence of mind1    
that the court1 not venturing to proceed
 to the last extremity1 contented       
themselves1 with sentencing her to      
perpetual imprisonment1 and to be       
allowed no other nourishment than bread 
and water for life4 ,before they yielded
 to this mitigation of punishment1 they 
caused her to sign with her mark a      
recantation of her offences4 ,she       

acknowledged that the enthusiasm which  
had guided her was an illusion1 and     
promised never more to listen to its    
suggestions4  ,the hatred of her        
enemies1 however1 was not yet appeased4 
,they determined in some1 way to entrap 
her2 ,they had clothed her in a female  
garb2 they insidiously laid in her way  
the habiliments of a man4 ,the fire1    
smothered in the bosom of the maid1     
revived at the sight2 she was alone1 she
 caught up the garments1 and2 one by one
 adjusted them to her person4 ,spies    
were set to watch for this even2 they   
burst into her apartment4 ,what she had 
done was construed into no less offence 
than that of a relapsed heretic4 ,there 
was no more pardon for such confirmed   
delinquency4 ,she was brought out to be 
burned alive2 in the market place of    
,rouen1 and she died embracing a        
crucifix1 and in her last moments       
calling upon the name of ,jesus4 ,a few 
days more than twelve months had elapsed
 between the period of her first        

captivity and her execution4  ,the      
preceding history of ,joan of ,arc1 is  
taken from ,godwin's ,lives of the      
,necromancers4 ,reader6 we see in this  
tragical account1 the dreadful effects  
of human credulity4 ,the unfortunate2   
,maid of ,orleans1 who so well deserved 
a monument for her patriotism1 was thus 
cruelly put to death4 ,her hard fate    
fully shows how superstition fortifies  
the mind against compassion and the     
dictates of common sense4 ,in that the  
of religious intolerance1 whole nations1
 had caught this theological fever4     
,kings and ,parliaments1 ,judges and    
,generals1 from the highest to the      
lowest1 were alike the subjects of that 
awful contagion4 ,justice was banished  
from the earth1 and humanity had no     
existence4 ,from whence proceeded this  
state of savage barbarism8 ,the answer  
is presented to us in bold relief4 ,it  
was the effects of human credulity4 ,it 
was brought on by believing without     
examination2 and1 in the ,new           

,testament1 faith is urged as the thing 
most pleasing to ,god1 and unbelief as  
the greatest sin4 ,the existence of the 
,devil1 and his enmity1 to ,god and man1
 being supported by the ,new ,testament1
 to be guilty of forming a contract with
 the ,prince of ,darkness was considered
 a horrid crime4 ,the origin of sorcery1
 7which consisted in holding a communion
 with beings from the fabulous world of 
spirits17 is lost in the night and      
darkness of antiquity1 but all          
ancient-nations and people were         
believers in its reality4  ,it was of   
heathen origin1 yet the ,jews practised 
it1 and individuals followed it for a   
livelihood1 as1 for instance1 the witch 
of ,endor4 ,christians have also been   
believers in it in connection with all  
the different branches of magic4  ,but  
that which has established its truth    
among ,christians1 is the part performed
 by ,jesus during his ministry4 ,by his 
own temptation by the ,devil1 the       
,existence of the ,devil is put beyond  

all doubt ,and when ,jesus was about to 
cast out a devil1 the devil is reported 
to have cried out to the ,saviour1 ,we  
know who thou art1 and art thou come to 
torment us before the tinte8 ,this mode 
of expression to ,jesus by the ,devil   
who was about to be cast out1 implies   
that when the ,devil was ejected1 he had
 to return to hell1 his native place of 
torment4 ,it would lead us to infer that
 devils were permitted to leave their   
dread abodes1 and take possession of men
 or animals1 as a cessation of torture2 
but when cast out1 they had to return   
home1 their vacation being run out      
,admitting this to be warranted by the  
,new ,testament1 we can account for     
those devils whose names were ,legion1  
petitioning to be permitted to enter the
 herd of swine4 ,so1 then1 it appears   
that the devils had other motives in    
taking possession of human beings than  
to rebel against ,god1 or to torment    
men4 ,it was a fine holiday to blow off 
the soot and ashes1 and to get fresh    

air4 ,at any rate1 ,jesus1 by pretending
 to cast out devils1 fully admitted     
their existence4 ,and by the temptation 
of ,christ1 is proved a desire on the   
part of the ,devil to enlist persons    
into his service4     ,,chapter ,,vii4  
,,the reader will not fail to notice1   
that the personage known by the name of 
the ,devil1 ,satan1 c41 is treated of   
more fully than any other recorded in   
the ,old or ,new ,testament4 ,the reason
 is1 because his influence exceeds that 
of all the prophets1 and even of the    
,saviour himself4 ,so destructive has   
been his supposed reign1 throughout the 
earth1 that hundreds of volumes could be
 written1 and still the half would      
remain untold4 ,in the conclusion of    
this chapter1 an account will be given  
of witchcraft in ,sweden1 which far     
exceeds any thing on record4 ,the bare  
recital fills the mind with horror1     
pity1 and indignation4  ,before giving  
the dreadful tale1 it will not be amiss 
to indulge in a few thoughts on the     

probable origin of the existence of a   
,being who has been a terror to all     
nations1 both learned and ignorant4 ,as 
the writer is convinced that every thing
 pertaining to theology is of man's     
creation1 it may be useful to express   
his opinions how it has happened that   
all religions have been based on two    
beings who have ever been opposed to    
each other1 namely1 a ,god and a ,devil4
 ,their opposition to each other is the 
ground-work of every system1 whether it 
be of saint or savage4  ,to attempt to  
go back to the origin of theology1 as to
 when or where it first assumed the form
 of religious worship1 is to begin at   
the beginning of the human race4        
,religion may be compared to a chain1   
the first link of which is hidden in the
 darkness of past ages4 ,the curtain is 
continually dropping2 and the most that 
we can do is1 to peep behind one of its 
comers4 ,we find ourselves connected    
with that link which we call            
,christianity4 ,how many preceding links

 there may have been1 we know not1 nor  
have we any means of knowing4 ,all1     
therefore1 is but conjecture4 ,but      
carrying our ideas back to a time we    
know not when1 to the beginning of that 
theology1 the basis of which is a ,god  
and ,devil opposing each other1 the     
following memories are                  
presented3--,before human beings were   
acquainted with the laws of nature1 the 
universe must have presented to them    
appearances which surprised and alarmed 
them4 ,receiving no ideas but through   
the medium of the senses1 the first idea
 which must strike them would be1 the   
great contrast between a mighty power   
and their own weakness4 ,they would     
discover from what they saw around them1
 a mighty power which no prudence could 
guard against1 and which no strength1   
which they had1 could oppose4 ,they     
would see1 that1 if by accident1 they   
fell into water1 it would destroy life2 
if1 by any means1 their dwellings took  
fire1 it would consume them2 that       

thunder was calculated to alarm them1   
and that death1 often followed the      
storm2 and also1 that the slightest     
accident often caused severe pain1 and  
sickness followed1 without their being  
acquainted with the original cause of   
all these evils4 ,the first men1 then1  
must have been astonished with the      
mighty power which every where          
surrounded them1 when compared with     
their own weakness4 ,sometimes tasting  
the sweets of life1 and at others1 its  
evils1 the first gave them pleasing     
sensations1 the last1 pain and distress4
 ,having1 then1 nothing to guide them in
 drawing conclusions but the objects by 
which they were surrounded1 they        
inferred that the mighty power which was
 every moment visible to their senses1  
and from which they received every thing
 that contributed to their happiness1   
resided in a being like themselves1 but 
possessing wisdom and goodness4  ,to    
these children of nature1 who saw ,god  
in the clouds1 and heard him in the     

wind1 by a simple process of the mind1  
such conclusions were very natural4 ,the
 first theologians1 then1 who1 by way of
 reasoning1 we place at the fountain    
head of all religious systems which have
 come down to us1 were convinced of the 
existence of a ,supreme ,power who      
governed the destinies of the human     
race4 ,power1 then1 was the first idea  
which man had1 in the infancy of his    
rea-son1 as to the existence of a ,god2 
and it is all that the great-est and    
wisest of the human race have ever      
discovered of the ,being called by that 
name4 ,and in this view of the subject1 
there is no man living who is an        
,atheist4 ,the power that presented     
itself to untaught man1 required no     
laborious investigation to discover4 ,it
 struck his senses with as equal a force
 as it does the profoundest philosopher4
 ,on the contrary1 the wisdom and       
goodness ascribed to ,god1 resulted from
 a knowledge of the order and wonderful 
adaptation which pervades the universe1 

the investigation of which has employed 
master minds in all subsequent ages4    
,but untutored man must be overwhelmed  
with thinking of that power to whose    
bounds he could set no limits4 ,the     
wisdom and munificence that run through 
all nature1 were to him unknown4 ,to    
those1 therefore1 from whom theology    
took its rise1 it was a world of        
confusion4 ,ignorant of cause and effect
 in the order of nature1 and their      
imaginations being active1 while their  
reasoning powers were undeveloped1 every
 thing they saw or felt was to them a   
mixture of pleasurable or painful       
sensations4 ,the pleasure1 ease1 or     
comfort which they enjoyed1 would be    
considered as the gift of a good power  
which conferred such blessings4 ,on the 
other hand1 it would appear inconsistent
 to them to ascribe the evils attending 
them to the author of good1 they being  
incapable of judging that good          
7pleasure7 and evil 7pain7 could proceed
 from the same power4  ,in reasoning    

from what they saw1 they concluded that 
power was connected with1 and resided   
in1 living beings1 who had life and     
motion like themselves4 ,hence they     
inferred1 that the power from whom they 
received good1 existed somewhere to them
 unknown4 ,proceeding in the same track 
in which they1 in imagination1 first set
 out1 they conceived this power to be a 
,being whose residence was in the starry
 heavens4 ,untaught man1 having imagined
 a ,being from whom he received all the 
good1 in following on in the same course
 soon came to the certain conclusion    
that the ,god who was the author of all 
his happiness1 must have a location1 a  
dwelling above1 in some of the stars--at
 any rate1 beyond the ken of mortals4   
,as men's thinking powers became move   
expanded1 but still under the influence 
of imagination1 they would conclude that
 this ,being who dwelt in the skies1    
would1 of course1 have his attendants   
who fulfilled his orders1 and added     
splendor to his habitation4  ,it        

appears1 that by such a train of        
thinking1 under the influence of the    
imagination1 that the religious system  
which has come down to us1 and which1   
from time to time1 has had additions and
 modifications1 namely1 the existence of
 a ,god and of a place called ,heaven1  
inhabited by angels1 had its origin4    
,ignorant of the laws of nature1 the    
power of imagination has produced1 owing
 to the organization of the human mind1 
a world of fiction1 consisting of a     
,god1 angels1 and a habitation in the   
skies4 ,by the same process of          
reasoning1 7though feeble17 yet         
propelled by an active imagination1     
which had fixed the habitation of a good
 ,being in the skies1 in a splendid     
city1 with attendants singing his       
praises1 and eager to execute his       
orders1 untaught man now turned hi      
attention to the author of his          
misfortunes and misery4 ,being totally  
ignorant that a portion of pain was     
indispensable to the full enjoyment of  

happiness in his precarious life1 he    
could not think that pleasure and pain  
proceeded from the same being2 which    
must have induced him to conclude that  
an evil and malignant being existed1    
nearly equal in power to the one that   
was good2 and to such an one1 he        
ascribed all pain and misfortune4       
,here1 then1 are all the materials for a
 system of theology which has been      
propagated and believed in by every     
nation under heaven1 in which have been 
included saint1 savage1 and sage4 ,in   
all the hundreds of systems of religious
 worship1 the before-mentioned materials
 have been the ground-work1 with the    
exception of the ,jewish2 for1 during   
their dispensation1 the ,devil made no  
part of it4 ,but when ,jesus came to    
gather up the lost sheep of the house of
 ,israel1 along came ,mr4 ,devil to     
oppose him4 ,as the imagination had     
created a ,devil1 the ,father of all    
evil1 something was still wanting to    
complete the whole2 and that was1 an    

abode of darkness and horror4 ,hell1    
then1 is his dread mansion1 over which  
he reigns triumphant4  ,it has been     
reserved for the ,christian ,religion to
 depict hell in all its awful terrors4  
,the ,new ,testament represents hell as 
a place of torment by fire never-ending1
 where the unfortunate occupants are    
forever burning1 but kept alive1 and    
never consumed4 ,the hell of the ,greeks
 and other nations is less horrible1    
being represented as the abode of       
darkness1 humiliation1 and sorrow4 ,but 
,christianity has a ,god in heaven1 and 
a ,devil in hell1 forever contending    
with each other1 like gladiators of old 
for the prize2 and that prize is the    
human race4 ,but the same ,new          
,testament represents that the ,devil   
will have by far the greatest number of 
prisoners1 so that1 in the final winding
 up of this holy war1 ,old ,nick will   
win the field4  ,the same process of    
reasoning1 which led man1 in the infancy
 of his reason1 to personify the power  

who presided over the human race1       
induced him to infer that his pain and  
misfortune emanated from a malignant    
being1 who delighted to do him harm4 ,he
 then1 by the simple process of his     
imagination1 concluded that there must  
be two opposing powers which governed   
the affairs of mortals4 ,the good1      
proceeded from a being who showered down
 blessings on mortals2 and all evil and 
pain1 from a being who took pleasure in 
the unhappiness of the human race2 and  
his residence1 to correspond with his   
evil disposition1 was by them fixed in  
the gloomy regions of darkness and      
horror4 ,this1 then1 ,christians1       
appears to have been the origin of your 
,god and ,heaven2 and also your ,devil  
and ,hell4 ,that both heaven and hell   
are of heathen origin1 there can be no  
doubt2 and it is also equally clear1    
that the ,jews1 when they returned from 
captivity1 brought these doctrines back 
with them into ,judea4 ,they then made  
part of the ,jewish faith1 and ,jesus   

embraced them2 for he pretended to cast 
out devils1 and the ,devil enticed him  
in the wilderness to rebel against ,god 
and enlist into the service of his      
,satanic ,majesty4 ,and this heaven1    
which originated in heathenism1 ,jesus  
promised as the reward of his faithful  
followers2 and with this very hell he   
threatened the disobedient4  ,what can  
,christians say 7after this7 of the     
divinity or the antiquity of the ,new   
,testament8 ,its doctrines originated in
 an age unknown1 among a people more    
ancient than ,moses1 or than ,adam1 who 
is said to have been the first man4     
,yes6 ye ministers of grace1 your heaven
 and hell1 by the proclaiming of which  
you alarm the good man1 but make the    
wicked man worse1 have no more existence
 in reality than the heaven and hell of 
,mahomet4 ,but if there be a heaven1    
such as you preach up1 and the road to  
it be as difficult as ,jesus declared it
 to be1 many of you will have to put up 
at the half-way house2 you will never   

reach the end of your journey4  ,the    
following account of witchcraft in      
,sweden1 is extracted from ,godwin's    
,lives of the ,necromancers3--,the story
 of witchcraft1 as it is reported to    
have passed in ,sweden1 in the year     
#afgj1 and has many times been reprinted
 in this country1 7,england17 is1 on    
several accounts1 one of the most       
interesting and deplorable that has ever
 been recorded4 ,the scene lies in      
,dalecarlia1 a country forever memorable
 as having witnessed some of the        
earliest adventures of ,gustavus ,vasa1 
his deepest humiliation1 and the first  
commencement of his prosperous fortune4 
,the ,dalecarlians are represented to us
 as the simplest1 the most faithful1 and
 the bravest of the sons of men2--men1  
undebauched and unsuspicious1 but who   
devoted themselves in the most          
disinterested manner for a cause that   
appeared to them worthy of support1 the 
cause of liberty and independence       
against the cruellest of tyrants4 ,at   

least1 such they were in #aebj1 one     
hundred and fifty years before the date 
of the story we are going to recount4   
,the site of these events was at ,mohra 
and ,elfdale1 in the province that has  
just been mentioned4 ,the ,dalecarlians1
 simple and ignorant1 but of exemplary  
integrity and honesty1 who dwelt amid   
impracticably mountains and spacious    
mines of copper and iron1 were          
distinguished for superstition among the
 countries of the north1 where all were 
superstitious4 ,they were probably      
subject1 at intervals1 to the periodical
 visitation of alarms of witches1 when  
whole races of men became wild with the 
infection1 without any one's being able 
to account for it4  ,in the year #afgj1 
and one or two preceding years1 there   
was a great alarm of witches in the town
 of ,mohra4 ,there were always two or   
three witches existing in some of the   
obscure quarters of this place2 but now 
they increased in number1 and showed    
their faces with the utmost audacity4   

,their mode1 on the present occasion1   
was1 to make a journey through the air  
to ,blockula1 an imaginary scene of     
retirement1 which none but the witches  
and their dupes had ever seen4 ,here    
they met with feasts and various        
entertainments1 which it seems had      
particular charms for the persons who   
partook of them4 ,the witches used to go
 into a field1 in the environs of       
,mohra1 and cry aloud to the ,devil in a
 peculiar sort of recitation1           
,antecessor6 come and carry us to       
,blockula4 ,then appeared a multitude of
 strange beasts3 men1 spits1 posts1 and 
goats with spits run through their      
entrails1 and projecting behind1 that   
all might have room4 ,the witches       
mounted these beasts of burden1 as      
vehicles1 and were conveyed through the 
air over high walls and mountains1 and  
through churches and chimneys1 without  
perceptible impediment1 till they       
arrived at the place of their           
destination4  ,here the ,devil feasted  

them with various compounds and         
confections2 and1 having feasted to     
their heart's content1 they danced and  
then fought4 ,the ,devil made them ride 
on spits1 from which they were thrown2  
and the ,devil beat them with the spits 
and laughed at them4 ,he then caused    
them to build a house to protect them   
against the day of judgment1 and        
presently overturned the walls of the   
house1 and derided them again4 ,all     
sorts of obscenities were reported to   
follow upon these scenes4 ,the ,devil   
begot on the witches sons and daughters2
 this new generation intermarried again1
 and the issue of this further          
conjunction appears to have been toads  
and serpents4 ,how all this pedigree    
proceeded1 in the two or three years in 
which ,blockula had never been heard of1
 ,i know not that the witches were ever 
called on to explain4 ,but what was most
 of all to be deplored1 the ,devil was  
not content with seducing the witches to
 go and celebrate this infernal         

,sabbath2 he further insisted that they 
should bring the children of ,mohra     
along with them4  ,at first1 he was     
satisfied1 if each witch brought one3   
but now1 he demanded that each witch    
should bring six or seven for her quota4
 ,how the witches managed with the minds
 of the children1 we are at a loss to   
guess4 ,these poor1 harmless innocents1 
steeped to the very lips in ignorance   
and superstition1 were1 by some means1  
kept in continual alarm by the wicked1  
or1 to speak more truly1 the insane old 
women1 and said as their prompters said4
 ,it does not appear that the children  
ever left their beds1 at the time they  
reported they had been to ,blockula4    
,their parents watched them with fearful
 anxiety4 ,at a certain time of the     
night1 the children were seized with a  
strange shuddering2 their limbs were    
agitated1 and their skins covered with a
 profuse perspiration4 ,when they came  
to themselves1 they related that they   
had been to ,blockula1 and the strange  

things they had seen1 similar to what   
had already been described by the women4
 ,three hundred children1 of various    
ages1 are said to have been seized with 
this epidemic4  ,the whole town of      
,mohra became subject to the infection1 
and were overcome with the deepest      
affliction4 ,they consulted together1   
and drew up a petition to the royal     
counsel at ,stockholm1 entreating that  
they would discover some remedy1 and    
that the government would interpose its 
authority to put an end to a calamity to
 which otherwise they could find no     
limit4 ,the ,king of ,sweden1 at that   
time1 was ,charles the ,eleventh1 father
 of ,charles the ,twelfth1 and was only 
fourteen years of age4 ,his council1 in 
their wisdom1 deputed two commissioners 
to ,morah1 and furnished them with      
powers to examine witnesses1 and take   
whatever proceedings they might judge   
necessary to put an end to so           
unspeakable a calamity4 ,they entered on
 the business of their commission1 on   

the thirteenth of ,august1 the ceremony 
having been begun with two sermons in   
the great church of ,mohra1 in which we 
may be sure the damnable sin of         
witchcraft was fully dilated on1 and    
concluded with prayers to ,almighty     
,god1 that1 in his mercy1 he would      
speedily bring to an end the tremendous 
misfortune with which1 for their sins1  
he had seen fit to afflict the poor     
people of ,mohra4 ,the next day they    
opened their commission4 ,seventy       
witches were brought before them4 ,they 
were all1 at first1 steadfast in their  
denial1 alleging that the charges were  
wantonly brought against them1 solely   
from malice and ill-will4 ,but the      
judges were earnest in pressing them1   
till1 at length1 first one1 and then    
another1 burst into tears1 and confessed
 all4 ,twenty-three were prevailed on   
thus to disburden their consciences2 but
 nearly the whole1 those who owned the  
justice of their sentence1 as well as   
those who protested their innocence to  

the last1 were executed4 ,fifteen       
children confessed their guilt1 and were
 also executed4 ,thirty-six other       
children1 7who1 we may infer1 did       
confess17 between the ages of nine and  
sixteen1 were condemned to run the      
gauntlet1 and to be whipped on their    
hands at the church door every ,sunday  
for a year together4 ,twenty others were
 whipped on their hands for three       
,sundays4  ,this is certainly a very    
deplorable scene2 and is made the more  
so1 by the previous character which     
history has imposed on us1 of the       
simplicity1 integrity1 and generous love
 of liberty of the ,dalecarlians4 ,for  
the children and their parents1 we can  
feel nothing but unmingled pity4 ,the   
case of the witches is different4 ,that 
three hundred children should have been 
made the victims of this imaginary      
witchcraft1 is doubtless a grievous     
calamity4 ,and that a number of women   
should be found1 so depraved and so     
barbarous1 as by their incessant        

suggestions to have practised on the    
minds of these children1 so as to have  
robbed them of their sober sense1 to    
have frightened them into fits and      
disease1 and made them believe the most 
odious impossibilities1 argued a most   
degenerate character1 and well merited  
severe reprobation1 but not death4 ,add 
to which1 many of those women may be    
believed innocent2 otherwise1 a great   
majority of those who were executed     
would not have died protesting their    
entire freedom from what was imputed to 
them4 ,some of the parents1 no doubt    
from folly and ill-judgment1 aided the  
alienation of mind in their children1   
which they afterward so deeply deplored1
 and gratified their senseless aversion 
to the old women1 when they were        
themselves in many cases more the real  
authors of the evil than those who      
suffered4  ,the honest and serious      
reader is now recommended to pause1 and1
 for a moment1 reflect on the foregoing 
recital2 for if ten thousand real devils

 had been let loose and turned out on   
the earth in a visible and bodily form1 
and had been permitted to do their worst
 against the human race1 if such a thing
 had actually taken place1 the evils    
inflicted by them would have been little
 compared to what has really taken place
 by men's believing in the existence of 
an invisible ,devil1 who never had a    
being but in the imagination of mortals4
 ,the destructive influence which has   
spread over the whole earth has brought 
to a premature grave thousands and tens 
of thousands of harmless beings1 who    
have been charged with holding converse 
with this supposed enemy of ,god and    
man4 ,of all the crimes which have been 
committed on earth1 to sin against      
,orthodox faith has been considered the 
worst2 when1 in fact1 it is no sin at   
all4 ,there is nothing immoral in it4   
,to differ from any man1 or from all    
men1 about religion1 cannot be a crime4 
,it is the inherent right of every human
 being2 and to rob him of that right is 

the worst of felony4 ,but to punish a   
man with death in addition1 is to unite 
robbery and murder4 ,and what makes it  
worse is1 that religious offenders are  
put to death without pity or mercy4     
,few1 very few tears of compassion ever 
have fallen for them1 where             
,christianity has been the prosecutor4  
,the baneful influence which has spread 
over the world1 by believing in the     
existence of the ,devil1 is shocking to 
humanity4 ,it has been computed that as 
many as one million persons have        
suffered1 in various ways1 since the    
commencement of the ,christian era4     
,some have been banished2 some have been
 branded and imprisoned2 others put to  
death1 after having been tortured in the
 most cruel manner2 and thousands have  
been out-lawed and driven from their    
peaceful homes without pity4 ,all this  
has taken place because the ,scriptures 
teach and support the existence of a    
,devil1 the inveterate enemy of ,god and
 men4 ,there is no doctrine more fully  

carried out in the ,new ,testament than 
the existence and hostile activity of   
the ,devil4 ,jesus1 it is said1 cast    
them out4 ,he also was tempted to rebel 
against ,god1 and to worship the ,devil4
 ,in the ,book of ,job1 the ,devil is   
represented as being permitted to       
afflict ,job4 ,and ,jesus threatens the 
ungodly with a punishment in connection 
with the ,devil and his angels4 ,if a   
devil has no being whatever1 why should 
,jesus pretend to cast out devils8 ,and 
if there be1 in truth1 such a personage 
as the ,devil1 possessing such power1   
and1 also1 forever opposing ,almighty   
power1 can it be possible that a ,god of
 goodness would permit him to live and  
annoy ,god and men8  ,we see that it is 
the height of folly to suppose that such
 a personage ever did live1 or does now2
 but the belief of it has been one of   
the greatest curses which ever befel    
mankind4 ,here1 then1 let us bring up   
the idea1 and reflect upon it1 that all 
the evil which has taken place1 and all 

the sufferings endured by the           
unfortunate beings in the dark ages1 may
 possibly again occur4 ,the ,bible is   
the same1 and mam is the same4 ,the     
difference is in the actions of men in  
different ages4 ,when reason and the    
morality of things are man's guide1 then
 he is peaceable and humane2 but when   
acting under the imagination1 he is     
capable of becoming as bad as is the    
,devil4  ,in concluding this chapter1   
let us look back to those times of      
ignorance and superstition4 ,let us     
place ourselves by the misortunate      
victims who were put to torture and     
death for a crime they could not commit4
 ,could they1 in their extreme pain1 but
 have had a hope that a day would arrive
 when a band of master spirits would    
arise on the shores of the ,atlantic1   
who1 by reason and the moral fitness of 
things1 would upset and prostrate the   
systems under which they so severely    
suffered---could the poor1 suffering    
victim1 with his broken heart and       

fractured limbs1 have had assurance1    
when his tortured mind was about to quit
 its lacerated boundary1 that a time    
would soon surely come when the truth of
 the ,bible and the existence of a      
,devil would cease to be made the       
instruments of unspeakable misery and   
torment1 it would have been a cheerful  
ray of comfort amid the devouring flame4
 ,the time has at length arrived1 and we
 ought to improve it4 ,let us1 then1    
with untiring perseverance and moral    
courage1 give the death-blow to the     
,divinity of the ,old and ,new          
,testaments1 and thereby forever        
obliterate1 not only the incentives to1 
but also the remembrance of all         
religious persecutions4     ,,chapter   
,,viii4   ,,as this work is about to be 
concluded1 it will be of importance to  
the reader that a comprehensive view be 
taken of the mission of ,christ to the  
,jewish nation4 ,in doing which1 an     
opportunity will be given to such of my 
readers as may hitherto have been afraid

 to doubt the truth of the ,divine      
authority of the ,bible1 to see1 at one 
glance1 its absurdity4  ,in the four    
,gospels1 which contain the sayings and 
doings of ,jesus during his ministry    
among the ,jews1 and also in the        
,epistles of the ,apostles1 it is       
uniformly declared and enforced1 that   
the main purpose of ,christ's 7the      
anointed of ,god7 coming into the world 
was1 to die4 ,and this death was        
required by the ,father as an atonement 
for the sins of mankind1 that whosoever 
believed in and obeyed him1 their pardon
 should be sure1 not for any thing which
 they had done as it related to justice1
 chastity1 or humanity1 but for the     
ransom paid for their sins by the       
sacrifice of ,christ on the cross4 ,an  
apostle1 in speaking on this subject1   
says--,he 7,christ7 being delivered by  
the determined counsel and foreknowledge
 of ,god1 ye have1 by wicked hands1     
crucified and slain4 ,this decree1 then1
 was absolute1 and every movement then  

made by ,jesus1 and also his preaching  
and conversation with the ,jews1 was so 
arranged1 that die he must1 to save a   
lost and ruined world4  ,this1 according
 to the ,scriptures1 was the divine     
arrangement between the ,father and the 
,son4 ,this doctrine is taught in the   
,new ,testament4 ,and in such a lost    
condition were the human race1 that     
,jesus freely gave himself as a ransom  
to be completed in due time4 ,if the    
,new ,testament does not teach this1 it 
is not possible to know what it does    
teach4 ,to die1 then1 as a sacrifice for
 sin1 included the sum and substance of 
the ,gospel1 or good news4  ,having laid
 down the ground-work of human          
redemption1 we proceed to carry through 
the plan said to be the work of mercy   
and goodness flowing from the mighty    
,god1 the author of all things4 ,in the 
examination of such an arrangement1 it  
appears impossible to conclude that the 
,author of the ,universe can be         
considered as the ,god of the ,jews and 

,christians4 ,the ,jews had always been 
taught to believe that they were ,god's 
favorite people1 and they retain the    
same faith to the present day4 ,for ages
 before the ,christian era1 they not    
only expected the coming of the         
,messiah1 but also1 that no nation but  
their own would be interested in that   
glorious event4 ,it never entered their 
minds that he would come in any         
disguise1 for many impostors had        
appeared1 who1 being discovered1 their  
,messiahship procured them certain      
destruction4 ,the ,jews1 therefore1     
inferred1 that when the proper time     
should arrive for the long-expected and 
ardently-looked for ,messiah to appear  
among them1 their nation would be raised
 to more than its former greatness1 and 
,god's chosen people would be held up to
 the nations of the earth as confirming 
the truth of what their ancient prophets
 had foretold of their future           
prosperity4  ,it could never1 therefore1
 have entered the minds of the ,jews1 as

 a nation1 that the ,messiah would come 
in any disguise4 ,and it must have been 
far from their thoughts to expect that  
he1 when he should arrive1 would load   
them with violent abuse1 and reproach   
them as being too low to be considered  
as any thing else than a nation of      
hypocrites4 ,if ,jesus came into this   
world to die1 then every thing which he 
taught1 and also all the intercourse    
which he had with his own people1 was   
preparatory to that event4 ,that the    
,messiah would come to the ,jewish      
nation to dwell among them1 to be their 
leader1 to exalt them above all other   
nations1 was what they had been taught  
to expect4 ,instead of which1 he calls  
them a generation of vipers6 and        
pronounces terrible things against the  
heads of the nation1 commencing his     
denunciations with ,woe unto you1       
scribes and pharisees1 hypocrites6 ,such
 violence and abuse surprised them1     
coming from one who said he came to seek
 and to save that which was lost4       

,again1 ,jesus said that he came not to 
call the righteous1 but sinners to      
repentance4 ,but ,jesus gave them no    
quarter1 but sent them head and heels to
 the ,devil4 ,the ,jewish rulers must   
have been more than human to have       
quietly taken such vulgar abuse4        
,sometimes1 ,jesus seemed to soften down
 in his conduct1 as when he says1 ,o    
,jerusalem6 ,jerusalem6 how often would 
,i have gathered thy children together1 
as a hen gathereth her chickens under   
her wings1 but ye would not4 ,so erratic
 is ,jesus depicted1 in the account we  
have transmitted down to us1 that we are
 at a loss as to forming an opinion     
concerning his manner of treating his   
own people4 ,but as it was by the       
determined counsel and foreknowledge of 
,god that he was to be a sacrifice for  
the sins of mankind1 his mode of        
addressing the rulers of ,israel was    
calculated to bring about the will of   
his ,father4  ,admitting1 for the sake  
of argument1 that ,jesus was the true   

,messiah1 the ,jews were in a worse     
state than if he had not appeared among 
them4 ,the statement made by ,jesus of  
the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and of   
his second coming1 confounded all their 
ideas of the ,messiah's kingdom4 ,in the
 twenty-third and twenty-fourth chapters
 of ,matthew1 after having pronounced a 
number of dreadful predictions against  
them1 he winds up in chapter            
twenty-third as follows1 99,,ye         
,,serpents6 ,,ye ,,generation ,,of      
,,vipers6 ,,how ,,can ,,ye ,,escape     
,,the ,,damnation ,,of ,,hell899 ,in the
 twenty-fourth chapter of ,matthew1     
,jesus gives a long account of his      
second coming4 ,how was it possible for 
the ,jews to understand what he there   
describes8 ,their desire was1 to know if
 he was the ,messiah promised by the    
prophets2 and1 if so1 what steps he     
would take for the exaltation of their  
nation1 so that they might enjoy all    
they had been induced to expect when the
 sun of righteousness should arise with 

healing in his hands4  ,for ,jesus to   
tell his disciples and the ,jewish      
nation what would be the signs of his   
second coming1 before they under-stood  
what his object was in coming the first 
time1 must appear very strange4 ,from   
the particular account which ,jesus gave
 of his second coming1 the ,jews must   
have understood him to mean1 that       
although he professed to be the true    
,messiah1 yet his stay was but short    
with them4 ,as yet1 his time for        
operation was not come4 ,the discourses 
of ,jesus to his countrymen1 were all   
calculated to mislead and confound them4
 ,in his sermon on the ,mount1 he claims
 an authority of his own superior to the
 law of ,moses4 ,matthew1 chapter v41   
verse #cc--;,again1 ye have heard that  
it hath been said by them of old time1  
thou shalt not forswear thyself but     
shall perform unto the ,lord thine      
oaths4 ,but ,i say unto you1 swear not  
at all ,verse #ch--,ye have heard that  
it hath been said1 an eye for an eye1   

and a tooth for a tooth4 ,but ,i say    
unto you1 that ye resist not evil2 but  
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right 
cheeky turn to him the other also4 ,what
 could the ,jewish rulers think of a    
man1 who1 without any ceremony1 set up  
laws in direct opposition to the laws of
 ,moses1 when1 at other times1 he       
declared himself a follower of ,moses1  
and that he came not to destroy the law1
 but to fulfil it8 ,such inconsistent   
teaching as this1 will not admit of     
,infinite ,wisdom's being the author4   
,in ,matthew1 chapter xiii41 #aj1 it    
reads--,and the disciples came and said 
unto him1 ,why speaketh thou unto them  
in parables8 ,he answered and said unto 
them1 ,because it is given unto you to  
know the mysteries of the kingdom of    
heaven1 but to them it is not given4    
,verse #ac--,therefore speak ,i to them 
in parables1 because they seeing1 see   
not2 and hearing1 they hear not1 neither
 do they understand4 ,verse #ad--;,and  
in them is fulfilled the prophecy of    

,esaias1 which saith1 ,by hearing ye    
shall hear and shall not understand1 and
 seeing ye shall see and shall not      
perceive4 ,verse #ae--;,for this        
people's heart is waxed gross1 and their
 ears are dull of hearing1 and their    
eyes they have closed1 lest at any time 
they should see with their eyes and hear
 with their ears1 and should understand 
with their heart1 and should be         
converted and ,i should heal them  ,now 
this mode of treating the ,jewish nation
 is perfectly in character with the     
plan1 in accordance with which1 ,jesus  
came to lay down his life for sinners2  
for had he convinced the ,jews that he  
was the expected restorer of ,israel1 no
 ,jewish arm would have been raised     
against him2 nor would it have been     
possible to have prevailed on the       
national rulers to have attempted his   
life2 since although the priests and    
,pharisees might1 in a moral point of   
view1 have been wicked in the extreme1  
still their veneration for1 and their   

earnest expectation of the coming of1   
the ,messiah1 would have prevented any  
hostile feelings against the anointed of
 the ,lord1 the ,holy one of ,israel4   
,but if the preaching of ,christ1 and   
his arrangements1 were of such a nature 
that the ,jews supposed the whole to be 
an imposture1 then the case took a      
different turn altogether4 ,instead of  
the ,jews refusing to receive ,jesus as 
the sent of ,god1 they put him to death 
from the hatred which they had towards  
any one who they supposed had fabricated
 his authority and office4 ,if the main 
object of ,christ's coming to the ,jews 
was to die for the sins of mankind1 both
 ,jew and ,gentile1 and thus become a   
willing sacrifice for sin1--if this was 
the plan of human redemption1 it then   
follows that the ,jews did that part    
which1 in the divine arrangement1 was   
allotted for them to do4 ,then the      
conduct of ,jesus was consistent in     
keeping them ignorant1 so that their    
part might by them be carried out4 ,if  

he had convinced them1 that he was1 in  
truth1 the sent of ,god1 but that they  
must hang him on a tree1 the plan of    
human redemption would have failed1 for 
they1 immoral as they might be1 never   
would have put him to death4  ,there    
could be no other way of bringing about 
the death of ,christ1 but by keeping the
 ,jewish nation ignorant that he was the
 ,messiah4 ,the course that was pursued 
by ,jesus1 would imply that his orders  
were to so act among them1 that their   
condemnation would be just for rejecting
 him2 but on no account to perform      
miracles sufficient to convince them1   
for in that case the ,jews would not    
have condemned and put him to death as a
 blasphemer and an impostor4 ,again1 if 
,jesus came on earth to die1 and without
 shedding his blood there could be no   
remission of sin what mockery for him to
 exclaim ,o ,jerusalem6 ,jerusalem ,i   
how oft would ,i have gathered thy      
children together1 as a hen gathereth   
her chickens under her wings1 and ye    

would not6 ,for if the ,jews had        
sheltered themselves under the wings of 
,jesus1 how was he to die as a sacrifice
 for sin8 ,but he was not put to death1 
they knowing him to be the ,christ1 but 
on the contrary1 they condemned him for 
pretending to be the very anointed of   
the ,lord4 ,and although the story was  
propagated that ,jesus arose1 after his 
descent from the cross1 the ,jews as a  
nation did not give credit to it1 nor   
have they till this day4 ,if1 therefore1
 there is no other name under heaven    
whereby men can be saved1 but by        
believing in ,christ and in his dying   
for the sins of mankind1 then the ,jews1
 ever since the death of ,christ1 and   
also the present race1 are lost and     
forever shut out from that pardon which 
was procured by the death of ,jesus1    
which was brought about by the          
instrumentality of the ,jews by the     
condemnation of the ,messiah4  ,the     
account of ,judas1 in what is called    
betraying his ,master1 is strange       

indeed4 ,in speaking of that            
circumstance1 ,jesus says1 ,it would    
have been better for that man if he had 
never been born4 ,now if ,jesus came to 
die1 ,judas1 by informing the           
authorities where he was to be found1   
did no more than bring to pass what was 
before ordained should take place4      
,judas1 then1 was but the instrument to 
accomplish the plan of human redemption1
 by informing the ,jewish authorities   
when and where they could secure the    
object which they sought after4 ,the    
very idea of betraying ,jesus1 proves   
two things3--first1 that ,jesus was but 
little known to the ,jews1 except from  
report2 and1 secondly1 that although he 
held often said he came to lay down his 
life for sinful man1 yet he intended to 
evade death as long as possible4 ,it was
 owing to this obscure method of        
teaching1 that his disciples1 although  
always with him1 could not understand   
fully what his objects were2 and though 
he had so often told them of the kingdom

 of heaven being at hand1 they          
understood him not4  ,to bring the      
position of the ,jews nearer1 at the    
time of ,christ's appearance in ,judea1 
let us suppose ourselves to have been   
,jews1 then living1 and expecting and   
desiring his coming4 ,at length1 it is  
said1 he is arrived4 ,the first inquiry 
would very naturally be1 is he the true 
,messiah1 or is he an impostor8 ,if1    
then1 to our inquiries made to him on   
that point1 we had received in return   
nothing positive1 but the vilest abuse1 
and threatenings of damnation in a      
future world1 could we be expected to   
view him as the promised deliverer8     
,when the ,jews heard him denouncing    
them as hypocrites1 and1 at the same    
time1 assuming an authority over ,moses1
 and the laws of ,jehovah given by      
,moses1 and calling the ,temple 7for    
which they had so high a veneration7 a  
den of thieves1 it must have had a      
tendency to shut up their minds against 
his divine mission4 ,if ,jesus wished   

the ,jews to be convinced of his being  
the personage whom they had long        
expected1 he should1 in the first place1
 have attended to their inquiry1 ,art   
thou he which should come1 or are we to 
look for another8  ,this question being 
settled1 by indisputable evidence1      
,jesus would have had a foundation for  
correcting what was wrong1 and exposing 
their base conduct4 ,but he began at the
 wrong-end1 by upbraiding them for their
 evil doings before he had 'convinced   
them of his being appointed to abrogate1
 or1 in any way1 to alter1 the law of   
,moses4 ,we may then safely conclude1 if
 ,jesus was divinely commissioned to the
 ,jews1 that it was not intended they   
should believe in him4 ,but who1 for a  
moment1 can think1 that1 if the         
,almighty ,ruler of the ,universe had   
sent him1 his mission would have been   
marked with trickery and deception1 and 
have failed1 and the ,jews have been    
left in a state far worse than if he had
 never been among them8 ,can we         

reasonably conclude1 that a ,being of   
infinite wisdom and goodness would have 
sent his ,son to the ,jewish nation1    
without giving them any evidence of his 
being the ,messiah1 and then have taken 
advantage of their unbelief to deal out 
judgments against them8  ,if ,jesus was 
sent into the world to die1 and by      
dying1 became a sacrifice for the sins  
of mankind1 then the ,jews1 by putting  
him to death1 brought to maturity what  
,god had ordained should come to pass4  
,in that case1 then1 it is clear1 that  
,jesus was so to act1 that the ,jews    
must not be convinced that he was the   
true and real ,messiah1 for had they    
believed in him as the restorer of their
 race1 whom they had long expected1 they
 would not have slain the ,lord of life 
and glory4 ,then1 how would he have paid
 the ransom for lost sinners8 ,but1 on  
the other hand1 if ,jesus was sent by   
,god to the ,jewish nation1 and gifted  
to perform signs and miracles to convert
 them1 how did it happen that they      

remained in sin and unbelief2--their    
whole race1 the seed of ,abram1         
remaining in that state until the       
present time8 ,the ,jews have surely    
been an unfortunate people4 ,to the     
,jews1 then1 #a must say1 ,i know not   
which demands the most pity--you1 or    
your ,god2 for1 after all the attempts  
to subject you to his will1 you are a   
race of outcasts1 and have been         
plundered by all the ,christian nations 
on earth4 ,after all the pains taken by 
the ,lord of ,hosts to convert you1     
every one has failed2 but the last      
failure is the most to be deplored4     
,from the time ,jehovah is said to have 
called ,abram1 your progenitor1 and     
selected him from the rest of the human 
race1 and promised him and his seed     
forever1 blessings from which the rest  
of the world were excluded1 ,jehovah and
 your generations have ever been on bad 
terms4 ,you are spoken of in ,scripture 
as a stiff-necked1 rebellious people4   
,on the part of ,god1 he has always     

appeared as if he was angry with your   
conduct4 ,forty years together1 he says1
 he has been grieved with your          
disobedience4 ,to such a height has been
 his displeasure1 that thousands and    
tens of thousands of your nation have   
been cut off by the terrible judgments  
of the ,lord4 ,you have been led into   
captivity and sold as slaves1 time after
 time1 and ,jehovah has even threatened 
to destroy your whole race4  ,jehovah1  
in his anger1 has raised heathen kings  
against you1 and the slaughter has been 
dreadful4 ,but when you have turned to  
the ,lord1 and humbled yourselves1 he   
has attended to your cry1 and delivered 
you out of their hands4 ,jehovah has1 at
 times1 inspired prophets who have      
foretold that you should one day have a 
personage appear among you1 restore you 
to your former greatness1 be to you a   
,god1 and you should be to him a people4
 ,this personage is said to have been   
among you1 but you knew him not4 ,you1  
then1 from obedience to ,jehovah1       

rejected ,jesus as an impostor1 and     
considered him as arrogating to himself 
,divine honor1 and finally put him to   
death4 ,and1 for eighteen hundred years1
 you have suffered the most cruel       
treatment from every nation among whom  
you have dwelt4 ,you have been the most 
unfortunate people on earth2 but you    
still cling to your prophets1 and are   
looking for the coming of the ,messiah4 
,and what appears more unfortunate than 
all your past evils1 is1 you have put to
 death1 through mistake1 your last      
refuge1 the true ,messiah4 ,there are1  
at the present time1 upwards of one     
hundred millions of ,christians who     
maintain and believe that the same      
,jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a     
tree1 is in truth both ,lord and        
,christ1 the same whom your nation so   
long and so earnestly looked for4 ,if1  
then1 faith in that ,christ whom you    
rejected1 has opened the kingdom of     
heaven to the ,christian world1 while   
your whole race is shut ont1 the        

,christians owe you a debt of           
everlasting gratitude1 for by this      
sacrifice they are to enter into the    
,supper of the ,lamb1 and your          
unfortunate race have the door closed   
against them4 ,but do not despair1 for  
the ,infidels of the present day are    
your friends4 ,they will make all right 
,they will1 if you attend to them1      
convince you that your forefathers were 
imposed on1 when in a state of          
ignorance1 by some artful impostor1 who 
persuaded them that the seed of ,abram  
was chosen by ,god to the exclusion of  
all other people and nations4  ,in the  
infancy of your nation1 ,moses1 or some 
other artful leader1 took advantage of  
your inexperience1 and by antedating    
miracles said to have been performed in 
behalf of your ancestors by ,jehovah1   
but which never were performed1 and     
which at the time was incapable of      
refutation1 your nation imbibed the     
reality that the seed of ,abram was the 
chosen of the ,lord4 ,this conviction   

for thousands of years has been         
received1 and has been handed down from 
father to ,son till the present time4   
,yes1 ye seed of ,abram1 7by this name  
,i address you17 by considering         
yourselves the chosen people of ,god1   
this conviction has been your perpetual 
curse4 ,your faith in the ancient       
accounts of those miracles and wonders1 
wrought in your behalf by ,moses1 has   
been your fatal delusion4 ,you consider 
it not possible for your fore-1 fathers 
to have been deceived2 for1 say you1 the
 miracles and wonders were performed    
before your whole nation4  ,in this     
consists your error4 ,there is no       
certainty as to who wrote the history of
 the wonders1 said to have been wrought 
in your behalf1 nor at what time they   
were first recorded4 ,but the internal  
evidence of the books ascribed to       
,moses1 fully prove him not to have been
 the author4 ,the same evidence also    
proves that the first five books were   
not written till after the reign of the 

first kings of ,israel4 ,so that1 by    
antedating the wonders recorded to have 
taken place in the infancy of your      
nation1 and then by a cunning impostor  
to have been subsequently presented for 
the first time to the ,jews1 giving them
 an account of those wonders of old1 an 
ignorant nation would be likely to      
believe them2 and in that case a whole  
people would be converted at once1      
giving credit to an absurdity producing 
an influence in the world which has far 
exceeded any imposture that ever has    
been ,saddled on the human race4 ,the   
dreadful error into which your          
forefathers fell1 and by handing down to
 their posterity the foolish story of   
your being a chosen people1 the greatest
 curse which could befal you1 you have1 
without doubt1 been the most unfortunate
 people on earth2 for by considering    
yourselves ,god's chosen people1 you    
have despised the rest of the human     
race1 and you have in return been       
persecuted and plundered4 ,you have been

 treated by all nations as outcasts4    
,on the ground-work of your having been 
chosen by the supposed ,god of the      
universe1 the world has assumed an      
appearance very unlike to what it would 
have had1 if no such imposition had been
 practised on your progenitors4 ,wars   
innumerable have taken place1 and rivers
 of blood have flowed through the earth1
 occasioned by theological strife4      
,religious quarrels1 ending in the      
application of the rack and torture1 and
 persecutions in quick succession1 have 
been the result1 and thousand of horrid 
cruelties have taken place in every age1
 all in consequence of that curse of all
 curses1 the belief that ,god has a     
chosen people4 ,although it had         
doubtless been thought by your nation   
the highest possible honor to be chosen 
by the ,lord1 this has proved your      
greatest misfortune2 for from this      
source1 ,christianity has been produced4
 ,you may exult in the idea1 that you   
have in your sacred books1 the doctrine 

of but one ,god1 notwithstanding your   
religion and its ,christian offspring   
has been more cruel and intolerant than 
any on earth4 ,according to your own    
books1 your nation and the ,god who     
chose them1 were forever at war2 your   
people continually rebelling and        
receiving chastisement1 till1 at last1  
you are to appearance forsaken4 ,but as 
has been before mentioned1 the ,infidels
 are your friends2 for1 by means of free
 discussion1 and the diffusion of useful
 knowledge1 they will ultimately destroy
 that intolerant spirit which has been  
the earth's greatest curse1 and you will
 eventually1 with the rest of the human 
family1 open your eyes1 and discover the
 folly and absurdity of believing in a  
,god partial1 vengeful1 and unjust4 ,and
 then you will be no longer ,jews1 but  
will become men4     ,,chapter ,,ix4    
,,in the preceding chapter we have      
endeavored to ascertain the object of   
,christ's coming into the world1 but    
without being able to arrive at any     

positive conclusion4 ,as it respected   
the ,jews1 they did1 and they had a     
right to expect1 that his1 coming would 
be to them a blessing2 and not1 by any  
means1 that it would prove disastrous in
 its consequences4 ,it is1 by           
,christians1 contended that the primary 
object of the ,messiah's advent was1 to 
die for sinners2 by which death he would
 make an atonement for the sins of the  
world4 ,in this view of the case1 7and  
the ,scriptures seem to bear it out17   
the ,jews were altogether deceived1 and 
are therefore objects of pity4 ,the     
kingdom of heaven being opened to the   
world at large1 to both ,jew and        
,gentile1 the ,jews were unsuspectingly 
shut out4 ,that ,christ did not intend  
to convince the ,jews that he was the   
,messiah1 seems to be warranted from the
 manner of his preaching to them2 his   
violence1 and the abusive language he   
used1 being calculated to prejudice them
 against him4 ,and again1 if ,christ was
 to become a sacrifice for sin by       

expiring ,on the cross1 somebody must   
put him to death1 and the ,jews are said
 to have been his executioners4 ,the    
,jews1 therefore1 did that which the    
divine mind intended they should do4    
,but such double-dealing and deception1 
in order to entrap the ,jews1 could     
never have originated with the ,great   
,eternal1 the unchangeable ruler of all 
things4  ,in reading the history of     
,jesus1 7written nobody knows by whom1  
or whether by his authority or not17 we 
must judge of him by the account as it  
stands4 ,it certainly appears strange   
that we have no intimation that ,jesus  
gave any orders to his ,apostles to     
write1 or in any way to transmit to     
posterity an account of his life or     
doctrines4 ,and it appears more         
singular1 when we consider in how       
particular a manner the laws of ,moses  
were written1 which1 without doubt1 is  
what kept the ,jews from being divided  
into a number of sects4 ,but so         
neglected were the sayings and doings of

 ,jesus1 that1 soon after his death1    
forty or fifty ,gospels were abroad2 an 
equal number of sects sprang up1 and the
 various religious dogmas were          
introduced1 which1 till the present day1
 have divided the ,christian world1 and1
 at times1 have produced wars1          
persecutions1 and blood4 ,on so         
important a subject as the salvation of 
the human race1 it might reasonably be  
expected that the founder of            
,christianity would have left some      
documents to guard against so           
destructive an evil4 ,this entire       
neglect1 if not positive proof against  
the divine mission of ,jesus1 must      
create doubts leading to the conclusion 
that the ,christian religion is         
deficient as to the evidence of its     
divine origin4 ,it appears from the     
,gospels that ,jesus was a moral        
reformer2 that the priests and rulers   
were proud1 haughty1 and of wicked      
dispositions2 that the founder of the   
,christian religion exposed their       

hypocritical pretensions1 and that1 by  
thus exciting their malice1 he fell a   
victim4 ,this has been the fate of      
hundreds of moral reformers1 in         
different ages and nations4             
,christians1 of all sects1 could they be
 brought to reason impartially on the   
mission of ,jesus1 would have their     
faith shaken1 from the following        
considerations3--,admitting1 as all     
,christians do1 that the ,jewish        
religion is of divine authority1 and had
 for ages been by the ,jews considered  
as such1 to set that aside and introduce
 another1 required authority from       
heaven1 but such authority was never    
given4 ,the bare word of ,jesus1 that he
 was the sum and substance of the law of
 ,moses both moral and ceremonial1 seems
 to be insufficient4 ,the ,jews1 however
 base or immoral they were1 as a nation 
never showed a want of faithfulness when
 their religion was assailed4 ,so that  
it appears1 that to do away with the    
form of worship1 and introduce a new    

order of things1 required something more
 than the obscure sayings of ,jesus1 who
 was but little known at the time of his
 death4 ,if1 by the coming of ,christ1 a
 new dispensation was to supersede the  
old1 then the highest and the most      
incontrovertible authority should be    
produced4 ,but this was not the case1   
for ,jesus often charged those whom he  
had cured of some disease1 to tell no   
man how they were made whole3 as much as
 to say1 ,keep secret with respect to   
the person who restored you to your     
former state4 ,we need not wonder that  
the ,jews rejected ,jesus1 seeing that  
he assumed an authority higher than that
 of ,moses2 for1 at the giving of the   
law on the mountain1 it was ,jehovah    
himself who spake to them4 ,the ,jews1  
then1 considered that the same ,god who 
gave the law1 and he alone1 must change 
it1 or introduce another1 and not a     
person whose object in coming they could
 not comprehend1 and who taught         
doctrines1 a very great portion of      

which1 were of a threatening and        
menacing character4  ,and1 finally1 so  
little did ,christ's disciples          
understand of his divine mission1 that1 
when he was betrayed1 ,peter1 the       
boldest of them all1 became alarmed1 and
 denied any knowledge of him4 ,this was 
very strange in ,peter1 if it was a fact
 that he heard ,moses and ,elias1 at a  
former time1 conversing with his ,divine
 ,master4 ,but be that as it may1 ,jesus
 is reported to have suffered death on  
the cross1 one of his disciples         
informing against him to the rulers1 for
 the paltry sum of thirty pieces of     
silver1 and another swearing he never   
knew him4 ,this has often happened1 when
 a bold reformer has been taken into    
custody2 his followers would disown and 
forsake him2 but it is not likely that  
,peter would thus have acted1 had he    
witnessed the mighty deeds said to have 
been done by ,jesus4 ,i remember hearing
 an ,unitarian minister remark1 that ,if
 ,moses could return from the dead1 how 

he would be surprised to read what was  
written of him after his death2 and that
 he would say that the wonderful things 
reported of him1 he knew nothing about4 
,this1 no doubt1 would be the case with 
,jesus1 as all his mighty works are     
recorded of him1 but none were recorded 
by him4  ,as his resurrection was the   
key-stone of the ,christian arch1 some  
observations on that all-important event
 will be made4 ,whatever ,jesus         
communicated to his disciples respecting
 his rising from the dead1 during his   
life1 is not recorded2 but it appears   
that his death entirely frustrated their
 expectations4 ,the resurrection of     
,jesus presented the most favorable     
opportunity to dispel all doubts of the 
,messiahship of him whom the ,jews had  
put to death as an impostor4 ,it will be
 in order1 then1 to observe what steps  
were taken by ,jesus1 after his         
resurrection1 to convince the ,jews1 and
 the world at large1 that his mission   
was from heaven4 ,this1 of all times1   

was the fittest to convince the ,jews of
 their unfortunate mistake4 ,the short  
account given in the ,gospels1 does not 
afford much light on that subject4 ,but 
if the ,jews1 as a nation1 had still    
retained their unbelief1 such           
incredulity must soon have given way by 
his continuing among them4  ,if the     
,jews1 from mistaken convictions1 did   
put ,jesus to death1 it seems but just  
that they should have had a chance to   
rectify their unfortunate error4 ,but   
owing to the short stay of ,jesus on    
earth1 after his resurrection1 and he   
being the most of that time in company  
with his disciples1 the ,jews had not an
 opportunity of fully investigating the 
reality of his death and re-appearance1 
and his deportment after it was said he 
was returned to life4 ,the greatest     
difficulty experienced by ,christians in
 defending the divine authority of the  
,new ,testament ,dispensation1 is1 to   
account for the sudden departure of     
,jesus1 who1 according to the ,scripture

 record1 was taken up into heaven in a  
few weeks after his resurrection4 ,to an
 inquiring mind1 there are many         
objections which deserve notice4 ,the   
writer does not pretend to say that the 
thing is impossible1 because to deny the
 possibility of it would be to set      
limits to the power that governs the    
universe4  ,we will examine the account 
of ,jesus's leaving this world so soon1 
to discover if possible1 what end was to
 be obtained by his sudden departure    
from the scene of his suffering and     
degradation4 ,it seems reasonable to    
suppose that it was of the highest      
importance for ,jesus to stay on earth  
to establish ,christianity on a sure    
foundation4 ,it is written that he told 
his disciples that it was for their good
 that things were so arranged that he   
should leave them1 for if he went away1 
he would send the comforter to them1 who
 was to be their guide1 and to bring to 
their remembrance the things he had told
 them2 and also that the ,holy ,ghost1  

the comforter1 would1 to make up for his
 absence1 lead them into the way of     
truth4 ,this is1 in substance1 what they
 were to expect4 ,but unfortunately it  
did not take place1 but the reverse2    
for1 from the accounts which have come  
down to us1 a great number of sects     
sprang up in a few years after ,jesus   
left the world1 and numerous gospels    
were extant1 which1 for a number of     
years were quoted by the early ,fathers 
of the ,church1 and were considered     
authentic2 but were afterwards rejected1
 and are now bound up together and      
called ,the ,rejected ,gospels4  ,in the
 beginning of the fourth century1 the   
,christian sects were not only numerous1
 but began to assume a spirit of        
intolerance and persecution1 and when   
that monster1 ,constantine1 became a    
convert to ,christianity1 religious     
quarrels were of the most violent       
character4 ,not to dwell on the         
particulars of these religious          
differences1 we may ask1 what did they  

quarrel about8 ,the answer is at hand4  
,they quarrelled about something that   
,jesus was reported to have said or     
taught4 ,their disputes were not of a   
moral1 but of a theological description4
 ,in these disputed subjects no standard
 of reference could be set up4 ,jesus   
was at the right hand of his ,father1   
and their differences could not be      
settled by him4 ,quarrel after quarrel  
followed in quick succession2 the strong
 persecuted the weak2 and the earth was 
deluged with blood4 ,constantine1 the   
,roman ,emperor1 hoisted the banner of  
the cross2 and after having murdered    
nearly the whole of his own family1 he  
sought consolation from that religion   
which says1 that the blood of ,jesus    
cleanses from all sin4  ,the history of 
,jesus1 including his doctrines1 and    
also what the apostles taught concerning
 him1 and the belief in his second      
coming2 the different opinions that have
 arisen concerning the person of        
,christ2 and also1 the various dogmas   

collected from the writers of the       
gospels1 all taken from what is called  
divine revelation1 have never ceased to 
generate quarrels among the different   
churches professing to be ,christian4   
,ever since the commencement of         
,christianity1 there has been little    
else but religious animosity among the  
different sects--each of them professing
 to have the truth1 to the exclusion of 
all the rest2 all of them appealing to  
the same word of ,god to support their  
various dogmas4 ,we may then ask1 has   
that proclamation ever been fulfilled1  
that was made by multitude of the       
heavenly host namely1--,peace on earth  
and good-will towards men8 ,but no doubt
 its fulfilment is1 in point of truth1  
equal to its ever having been given2 for
 angels are airy nothings1 and have no  
existence but in the imagination4  ,from
 what has been stated1 it will be seen  
that the religious quarrels which have  
taken place from the commencement of the
 ,christian era1 arose from the         

uncertain standard appealed to by the   
various sects4 ,they all referred to    
some particular passage or passages     
recorded1 either by ,christ or his      
apostles4 ,every sect had a portion of  
truth supported by ,scripture authority2
 and it has at times happened1 that     
whole congregations1 as well as         
individuals1 have changed their opinions
 concerning what the ,scriptures taught4
 ,for instance3 a ,church1 believing    
that the ,scriptures taught the doctrine
 of the ,trinity1 have given up that    
doctrine1 and embraced ,unitarianism4   
,the ,scriptures remained the same2 it  
was their opinions that underwent the   
change4 ,in fact1 every sect has        
,scripture for its support2 so that it  
is plain to be seen1 that the ,new      
,testament is not1 nor ever can be1 a   
true and certain rule to which a        
reference can be made1 whereby disputes 
can be ended4 ,the ,old ,testament was  
superior in this respect to the ,new4   
,and now1 after eighteen hundred years' 

fighting2 in which time1 tens of        
thousands have been victims1 and the    
earth has been drenched by human blood1 
nothing is certain as to what           
,christianity really is4 ,can it then be
 possible1 that the ,god of the         
,universe would have left that religion 
7to establish which1 his ,son expired on
 the cross17 in such a wretched state of
 uncertainty1 by calling him so early to
 his holy habitation8 ,impossible4  ,if 
,christ was taken from this earth1 he   
has now a local habitation1 and1 also1  
he must be actively employed4 ,can      
,christians conceive where he is1 and   
what he is doing8 ,is it possible he    
would have remained so long absent1     
knowing1 as he must1 that the cause for 
which he suffered would be so wretchedly
 carried on8 ,the absence of ,christ1 if
 not the entire cause1 is one cause of  
all the religious wars and bloodshed    
among nations1 and1 also1 of the hostile
 feelings of one sect against another4  
,had he remained on earth1 there would  

have been but one ,lord1 and his name   
one4 ,if ,jesus died for the salvation  
of the world1 common sense would        
dictate1 that1 after his resurrection1  
he would dwell in that world for whose  
salvation he came1 and not have been    
taken into heaven before his plan of    
redemption was arranged2 so that1       
instead of union and harmony prevailing 
in his absence1 by disunion1            
persecution1 and religious warfare1 the 
different churches exhibited a complete 
confusion of tongues4  ,if ,jesus had   
remained on earth1 all religious        
persecution would have been prevented2  
for if his laws and regulations had been
 written1 and to each church a copy had 
been sent1 it would not have been       
possible for any difference of opinion  
to have brought on disorder so as       
materially to have disturbed the peace  
of his church4 ,and if any dispute had  
taken place1 ,jesus1 dwelling on any    
particular spot on earth1 his authority 
could1 in such a case1 have been        

appealed to1 and the matter would have  
been peaceably settled4 ,but1 after his 
death and resurrection1 there was       
nothing to which a reference could eb   
made1 but certain ,gospels written by   
unknown persons4  ,in summing up this   
matter1 the following remarks may safely
 and truly be made3--,in a short time   
after ,jesus arose from the dead1 it was
 declared by his apostles1 that he had  
ascended into heaven1 and had left      
orders for the ,gospel1 or good news1 to
 be proclaimed throughout the world2 and
 that after remaining with his disciples
 a few weeks1 when on a journey with    
some of them1 a cloud intervened1 and   
they lost sight of him4 ,before his     
death1 ,jesus had told them to watch for
 his second coming1 for that it would be
 sudden and unexpected2 and he also     
added1 that there were those standing   
among them that would live to see it1   
and that he should then appear in glory1
 attended by angels1 judge the world1   
and reward every man acccording to his  

deeds4 ,the apostles taught this1       
doctrine1 and the early ,christians     
looked for that event with eager        
expectation4 ,but a long and dreary     
night of religious intolerance has      
nearly passed away1 and ,jesus has not  
yet arrived2 during which night1 the    
world has witnessed scenes of horror    
unknown to the most savage ages of      
antiquity4  ,all this confusion and     
wretchedness must have been known by    
,jesus1 and also by his ,father1 at     
whose right hand it is recorded that he 
is sitting4 ,now can ,christians        
conceive where ,christ has been1 or what
 he has been doing8 ,strange1 indeed1   
does it apppear1 that1 during the       
disorder and violence in which the      
,christian ,church was involved for     
ages1 when thousands of honest1 pious1  
and sincere ,christians were put to     
death1 their ,redeemer could sit quietly
 in heaven and not interfere in their   
behalf6 ,perhaps it ought to be more    
strange1 that it was the will of ,god   

that ,jesus should ever have left that  
world which was the scene of his        
suffering4  ,looking at the plan of     
human redemption1 from the time of the  
birth of ,jesus1 and the incomplete     
finish made of it by his being taken up 
into heaven1 leaving his followers      
ignorant of what he meant during his    
preaching on earth2--knowing1 too1 that 
the various sects have kept the world in
 an uproar1 destroying each other by    
thousands1 and that all these evils have
 taken place in consequence of ,jesus   
being quietly seated by the right hand  
of ,god1--these considerations1 and many
 others not noticed in this work1       
convince me1 that the mission of ,christ
 was not of ,divine authority4  ,the    
following remarks will contain1 in      
substance1 the strongest objection      
against the divinity of ,christ's       
mission2 and are given by the author as 
presenting his final conclusions on that
 subject ,and here he would ask--,if the
 ,god of the ,bible is1 as ,christians  

believe1 the ,author of the universe1   
what are we to understand by the        
assertion1 ,that ,jesus is seated at his
 right hand8 ,god is a spirit pervading 
all space1 of whom one of the ,scripture
 writers says1 ,in him we live1 and     
move1 and have our being4 ,the same idea
 was expressed by the ,greeks in        
reference to their supreme ,god1--,all  
things are full of ,jupiter4 ,how1 then1
 can it be believed that the unknown    
power who is the ,god of all creation   
has a local dwelling place8  ,jesus1    
after his resurrection1 declared that he
 had flesh and bone4 ,how1 then1 he can 
be located with an universal spirit1 is 
beyond human conception ,as ,jesus is a 
being possessed of a tangible form1 he  
must have a place of residence2 and it  
is impossible that he can dwell with his
 ,god and ,father in any other than a   
local habitation4 ,the supposition1     
then1 that the ,almighty ,ruler of all  
worlds has a palace on some fixed star1 
or planet1 where ,jesus has for eighteen

 hundred years resided in company with  
the ,infinite ,creator1 surrounded by   
angels conversing and singing2 the      
,devil1 during the same time1 going     
about like a roaring lion seeking whom  
he might devour while ,christians were  
cutting each other's throats in         
consequence of their disputes about the 
meaning of what ,christ said1 or the    
object of his performances on earth1 is 
very unlikely1 to say the least of it4  
,it seems astonishing that men1         
possessed of the noble faculty of       
reason1 can believe that ,jesus is now  
alive in some unknown world1 and in     
company with the ,sovereign ,ruler of   
nature4 ,in conclusion1 the author of   
this work 7over whose head seventy-three
 summers' suns have passed17 would say  
that he does not1 cannot believe that   
the ,jesus of the ,christians has any   
existence but in the imagination of his 
followers4     ,,remarks ,,on ,,the     
,,morality ,,of ,,nature   ,,having     
concluded my remarks on the ,old and    

,new ,testaments1 ,i have thought it    
proper to give a chapter on ,morality4  
,i do this to prevent the reader from   
concluding that1 because ,i am not a    
believer in the ,divine authority of the
 ,old and ,new ,testaments1 ,i disregard
 all moral obligation1 and do not hold  
myself accountable to ,god1 ,nature1 or 
my fellow beings4 ,nothing can be       
further from truth than such a          
conclusion4 ,if no such being as ,god   
exists1 who will judge every man at the 
final day of accounts2 and if no such   
judgment will ever take place1 admitting
 all this1 even then should ,i stand in 
the same relation to my fellow beings in
 a moral point of view4  ,christian     
preachers1 generally1 teach their       
hearers the entire worthlessness of good
 works1 without they are connected with 
faith in the ,gospel4 ,this mode of     
treating unbelievers has a bad effect on
 the minds of church members1 who1      
giving full credit to the pastor of the 
flock1 are taught to consider that the  

person1 or persons 7however just1 humane
 and virtuous they may be in all their  
actions17 who do not come up to the     
standard of their faith1 are wicked1 and
 will1 at the day of judgment1 be       
condemned1 and their sentence will be1  
,go1 ye cursed1 into everlasting fire4  
c4 ,we need not wonder1 therefore1 at   
the intolerant spirit which is so active
 among all professing the ,christian    
name4 ,notwithstanding the moral        
precepts taught by ,jesus1 his          
followers1 at the present day1 pay but  
little regard to them4 ,to believe in   
the ,saviour1 and consider him as the   
endorser of their sins1 and presenting  
their claims at the throne of the       
,eternal1 form an easy way for expiating
 a life of wickedness and cant4 ,if we  
compare the moral character of          
professing ,christians with the precepts
 taught by ,jesus1 we shall be surprised
 at the vast discordance between their  
profession and their practice4 ,we find 
that1 in practice1 ,christianity is     

hostile to justice and humanity4  ,this 
is easy to be accounted for4 ,it is     
because the ,scriptures represent our   
most virtuous actions as worthless in   
the sight of ,god1 and without faith we 
are told it is impossible to please him2
 and this is not all3 much depends on   
what kind of faith it is4 ,the followers
 of ,john ,calvin think the faith of the
 disciples of ,john ,wesley but little  
better than the faith of devils1 who    
believe and tremble4 ,it has been       
because men have judged by their faith1 
and not by moral rectitude1 that one    
,christian sect has persecuted even to  
death1 others who have borne the        
,christian name4 ,it was this spirit of 
intolerance that propelled ,john ,calvin
 to cause ,servetus to be burnt by a    
slow fire1 not because he was a wicked  
man1 nor was it for want of faith in the
 ,christian religion1 but because the   
faith of ,servetus did not agree with   
the faith of ,john ,calvin4 ,had moral  
excellence been the standard of their   

friendship1 and virtue the bond of their
 union1 ,servetus would have died in    
peace1 and ,calvin would not have been  
handed down to posterity as a           
cold-hearted murderer4  ,it is the      
common practice of ,christians1 when in 
conversation with ,infidels1 to boast of
 the purity of ,christ's moral precepts2
 but in all their sayings and doings    
with ,infidels1 the want of faith is the
 unpardonable crime which induces them  
to fix the badge of infamy on the head  
of the unbeliever4 ,no doubt cruel      
,calvin would very good-naturedly shake 
hands with a brother of his own church  
and creed1 and love him for ,christ's   
sake2 but at the same time torment poor 
,servetus to death1 as the enemy of     
,god1 for ,god's sake4 ,oh6 ye          
persecuting ,christians6 your prayers   
ought ever to be opposed to a day of    
judgment1 and your constant hope should 
be1 that it will never take place1 for  
how can you escape the damnation of     
hell8  ,it is the high estimation of    

faith1 enforced by ,christ1 and also    
insisted on 7as the sure passport to    
glory7 by his followers1 that compels   
them to consider virtue as worthless1   
when it is not in connection with what  
is called saving faith1 which makes it  
clear to be seen that ,christianity in  
its practice is not favorable to        
morality2 for as the ,scriptures truly  
say that no man can serve two masters1  
so faith will be always uppermost1 and  
justice and humanity be placed in the   
background4 ,on this principle1         
hard-hearted ,calvin acted towards      
,servetus4 ,christians are commanded to 
do good for evil4 ,if your enemy hunger1
 feed him2 if he thirst1 give him drink4
 ,this is pure morality4 ,thus we see   
that morality has no chance of justice  
when faith is the prosecutor4 ,the moral
 precepts of the ,new ,testament have   
never been strong enough to neutralize  
the violent and intolerant spirit that  
runs throughout the ,scriptures1 and    
which is the very life of the ,christian

 faith4 ,had ,servetus been a criminal  
of the worst kind1 condemned to die by  
the laws of ,geneva1 ,calvin1 no doubt1 
would have had feelings of pity for him2
 but his crime came under the dominion  
of faith1 which will not1 which cannot  
admit of one grain of mercy4  ,on the   
contrary1 ,infidel morality has no      
alloy4 ,it is unadulterated4 ,like pure 
gold1 it is current at all times1 and in
 all places4 ,like the bright orb of    
day1 it shines by its own native        
brightness4 ,its principal attribute is 
humanity1 which1 in its exercise1 is not
 confined to creeds1 or professions2 but
 like the bountiful hand of nature1 it  
dispenses its blessings even to the     
unthankful and unworthy4 ,if justice    
demands its aid1 the balance is held    
even without regard to color or clime4  
,i have often been reminded1 that if we 
did not take the ,scriptures for our    
guide1 we should then have no rule to   
regulate our actions4 ,this remark would
 be more conclusive1 if ,christians     

generally acted up to what they profess2
 but this is not the case2 nor will it  
ever be1 so long as faith is the only   
sure passport to the ,christian heaven1 
for it is a fact that many preachers of 
the ,gospel are the worst characters in 
society4 ,at the same time that they are
 preaching up holiness of life1 it is   
discovered that they for years have been
 living in the indulgence of the most   
filthy of vices2 and thus while they are
 thundering against the ,devil as the   
enemy of souls1 they are only abusing   
their betters4  ,this being the truth1  
it is time that morality should be      
dissevered from all religious creeds1   
and stand on its own intrinsic merits4  
,religion has taught man that he is poor
 and helpless2 that he has no power to  
act2 that he has no desire to perform   
virtuous actions1 and that he himself   
and his fellow beings are1 by some 7to  
him unaccountable7 destiny1 thrown at so
 vast a distance from his ,creator1 that
 he can approach him only by the means  

of kneeling and prostration1 and that he
 is so far indebted to his ,maker1 who  
will have full payment to the last cent4
 ,being ignorant of his real situation  
in the universe1 and also of the        
resources of his mind1 he overlooks or  
undervalues the strength he possesses1  
and neglects the means which ,god or    
nature puts within his reach to be both 
virtuous and happy4  ,in this state of  
mind1 he seeks for happiness in a       
religion the author of which is depicted
 as a being like himself4 ,it is1 then1 
the vast importance which has been      
attached to faith in the ,redeemer1     
which has made the path to heaven so    
smooth1 and easy for the ,christian     
traveller1 that moral rectitude has been
 thought of but little consideration in 
his road to glory4 ,let me1 says the    
,christian1 make sure of my interest in 
,christ1 and my salvation is sure4      
,hence1 we often find1 that even ,gospel
 ministers are men of the basest        
description2 at the same time their     

hearers are consoled1 with believing    
that their immoral pastor is sound in   
the faith1 resting firmly on the rock of
 ages4  ,the importance of faith is not 
the abuse of ,christianity2 it is the   
thing itself4 ,jesus taught it to his   
disciples1 and blames them for having so
 little4 ,but when ,peter1 his trusty   
servant1 in a passion1 cut off a man's  
ear1 his divine ,master only gave him a 
gentle rebuke1 telling him to be careful
 how he used the sword1 for he might    
have to go in mourning for his own ears4
  ,the consistent ,infidel1 who         
renounces all religious creeds1 and who 
views the whole human family as beings  
possessing the same faculties1 subject  
to the same wants1 and liable to the    
same misfortunes as himself1 can1 by the
 use of his reason1 without the aid of  
revelation1 discover the duties which he
 owes to himself1 and also the true     
relation in which he stands to his      
fellow mortals4 ,he1 by what he observes
 around him1 and by what he feels within

 himself1 can see clearly the correct   
line of duty1 and can1 at any time1 draw
 a just conclusion as to his moral      
standing in society4 ,but it is far     
otherwise with the ,christian1 whose    
whole dependence is on what his ,saviour
 has done for him4 ,he is alternately   
disturbed with doubts and fears as to   
the ground on which he stands2 and being
 taught1 that his best efforts to attain
 a moral elevation by a steady course of
 virtuous actions1 is considered by his 
,maker worse than nothing1 he loses     
sight of the high responsibility he     
stands in1 in relation to his fellow    
man4  ,in proportion1 then1 as faith is 
considered superior to moral virtue1 the
 first is sought after1 and highly      
valued1 and the latter is neglected as  
of little consideration in securing     
happiness in this life or in that which 
is to come4 ,we need not1 therefore1 be 
surprised that ,christians1 as a class1 
fall far below ,infidels in point of    
moral rectitude4 ,christianity1 at best1

 is a cold-hearted system2 its followers
 are generally unsocial4 ,they are      
taught to love not the world nor the    
things of the world4 ,jesus himself says
 to his disciples1 ,ye are not of the   
world1 even as ,i am not of the world2  
but because ,i have chosen you out of   
the world1 therefore the world hateth   
you4 ,pride and intolerance are leading 
features in the conduct of ,christians  
generally4 ,these defects among         
professors of religion1 arise from the  
belief that faith in ,christ1 as their  
,redeemer1 secures them heaven2 and as  
it respects the duties of life1 they    
hold them very lightly1 regarding them  
as1 matters of little or no weight in   
the article of salvation4  ,professors  
of the ,christian religion1 at the same 
time that they consider that faith in   
the divine mission of ,jesus secures    
them an acceptance with ,god1 and that  
moral rectitude without faith in the    
,redeemer1 is worthless in the sight of 
,god1 are compelled to admit1 that where

 good works and virtuous conduct are    
wanting1 the faith of the individual not
 being supported by ,justice1 ,humanity1
 and ,chastity1 with all the virtues    
which adorn human nature1 the damnation 
of such an one is doubly sure4 ,so that1
 after all1 this thing called faith     
borrows all its brightness and real     
value from moral rectitude4 ,faith1 like
 a planet1 is in itself a dark body1 and
 has no light but what it receives from 
the bright sun of moral excellency4     
,the very nature and spirit of the      
,christian religion1 is intolerant4 ,it 
says1 ,whosoever believes1 shall be     
saved2 and he that believeth not1 shall 
be damned4 ,this is the firm ground on  
which the ,christian stands1 and where  
he must continue to stand4 ,if he quits 
this strong hold1 he ceases to be a     
,christian1 and1 of necessity1 becomes  
an ,infidel4 ,it follows1 then1 that    
believers in the ,divine authority of   
the ,bible must continue to be1 what    
they always have been1 intolerant and   

persecuting4 ,how differently do those  
feel who have given up all ideas of     
,divine ,revelation6 ,they attach no    
consequence to faith1 whatever4 ,they   
have no disposition even to blame1 much 
less to injure persons who believe in   
the most absurd inconsistencies4 ,they1 
on the contrary1 feel the most lively   
interest in their happiness1 knowing    
that no one can control the honest      
convictions of the mind4  ,the ,infidel1
 then1 has the advantage1 in a moral    
point of view1 over the ,christian1 for 
the following reasons3--,the ,infidel   
has not to defend the character nor the 
actions of any ,god or ,gods1           
particularly of a ,god partial1         
vengeful1 and unjust4 ,he imbibes no    
angry feelings1 by believing in a ,god  
of cruelty and carnage4 ,the ,infidel   
has divested his mind of the nonsense   
and inconsistency of considering        
unbelief as a crime2 and1 also1 of the  
fallacy that men can credit absurdities 
on insufficient evidence4 ,he perceives 

that every man's religion is1 to a very 
large extent1 a consequence of the      
circumstances of his situation in early 
life1 and the influences which          
surrounded him at his birth4 ,the       
,infidel1 therefore1 has no inducement  
whatever to injure those who differ from
 him in opinion2 for1 by detaching all  
importance from faith1 and referring    
entirely to good and virtuous actions1  
he escapes all those angry theological  
quarrels in which ,christians are more  
or less involved4 ,so that the mind of  
an unbeliever is in a sound and calm    
state1 not harrowed up by the terrors of
 an avenging ,god1 and the thoughts of  
endless damnation4  ,these evils1 and   
many more1 the ,infidel is not exposed  
to2 consequently his mind is at rest2   
his sense of degradation is not because 
he is taught to believe that he is a    
poor lost sinner2 he feels degraded only
 in proportion as he neglects the duties
 which he owes to his fellow men4 ,the  
unbeliever1 then1 being free from the   

terror of doubting that which he feels  
it is impossible for him to credit1     
commences to walk in the path of moral  
rectitude1 considering his own nature1  
and the connection he occupies in       
relation to society1 composed of beings 
like himself4 ,he listens to the voice  
of reason1 and clearly understands that 
which ,god or nature has done for him1  
and also that which remains for him to  
do for himself4 ,leaving forever all    
religious dogmas1 calculated to bewilder
 his mind1 his moral path is as clear as
 light4 ,no longer standing on the      
fearful precipice of faith1 trembling at
 every step1 or chain-bound in a state  
of inaction1 the ,infidel cheerfully    
travels on in the practice of justice   
and humanity with a calmness of mind to 
which the ,christian is a stranger4 ,he 
has no angry ,god to dread1 nor any     
tempting ,devil1 against whom the       
,christian must forever be on the watch4
  ,all human beings on arriving at      
maturity1 find themselves placed by an  

unknown power in a world1 in which they 
will have to enjoy pleasure or          
happiness1 and also to endure pain4     
,this is the destiny of all1 without    
exception4 ,the same power which        
propelled us into existence1 has made it
 a law of our nature to dread or shrink 
from pain1 and also to desire and love  
ease and pleasure4 ,and here we can at  
once discover what ,god or nature has   
done for us1 and likewise what is left  
for us to perform for ourselves4 ,this1 
then1 is the stock of moral material    
with which mortals commence a life of   
pleasure and pain4 ,the same unknown    
power has also given man and woman      
reason1 by the exercise of which they   
can augment their pleasure1 and reduce  
their pain4 ,by the use of man's        
rational powers1 he can plainly discover
 his duty towards beings like himself4  
,he loves happiness1 ease1 and every    
thing which makes life worth having2 so 
also1 do his fellow beings4 ,he hates   
and retreats from positive pain2 so does

 every being which has life1 animals not
 excepted4 ,what revelation1 then1 but  
this1 does man want to teach him that   
which he owes to himself1 and likewise  
those things he ought to practise to    
every being that has life and feeling8  
,and the voice of ,god1 or nature1 calls
 to every rational being in language    
which1 but for false religion1 all would
 understand4 ,mortals6 attend to what is
 done for your permanent happiness4     
,ignorance and neglect are the causes of
 most of the evils which1 torment you4  
,you are made to love happiness2 you are
 also made to shrink from and hate pain4
 ,every human being is subject to the   
same laws2 only attend to the moral this
 contains4 ,you have no excuse for      
inflicting pain on any living creature1 
because you know that every being       
possessing life is governed by the same 
feelings as yourself4 ,god1 or nature1  
has so arranged things as to induce     
mortals to practise virtue1 and to be   
kind to every thing that possesses life 

and feeling2 because1 by acting         
agreeably to the laws of your own       
organization1 you become happy in       
yourself1 and have the additional       
pleasure of making others happy also4   
,what excuse1 then1 can men have for    
neglecting the duties they owe to every 
thing that has life and feeling8 ,do    
they need a revelation to inform them   
that they ought to be just and humane8  
,do they require information from heaven
 to inform them that cruelty to man or  
animals is wicked8 ,let them but consult
 their own feelings2 full information is
 at hand calling on them to practise    
kindness and compassion4  ,do men and   
women need the ,bible to learn the duty 
incumbent on them toward their          
offspring8 ,must we read the pretended  
word of ,god in order to discover that  
the husband ought to be kind and in     
every way faithful to his wife1 7making 
allowance for her weakness1 either of   
body or mind17 and perform every duty   
connected with her permanent happiness8 

,man requires no ,divine aid1 beyond the
 exercise of his reason1 to inform him  
that1 in order to be happy in this life1
 he must be just1 peaceable1 sober1 and 
temperate in all things2 chaste1 a lover
 of truth1 kind1 and humane to all      
beings who possess life4 ,let every     
human being1 then1 turn to the laws of  
his own organization1 namely1 to his    
love of happiness1 and aversion to pain4
 ,these laws will give him unerring     
instruction as to the duties which he   
has to perform1 and also as to what     
evils he is to avoid4  ,this is indeed a
 ,divine revelation1 which will never   
deceive or lead astray4 ,man carries it 
within himself4 ,it differs from all    
pretended ,divine revelation4 ,it is    
suitable at all times1 and in all       
places4 ,it requires no priest to       
explain it4 ,it changes not with times  
and circumstances4 ,these laws of our   
nature 7the love of happiness and       
aversion to pain7 are a never-failing   
revelation1 to which we can always refer

 with entire confidence1 as a true      
revelation of ,god or nature4 ,away1    
then1 with the childish question1 ,if   
you take away the ,bible1 what will you 
give us in its stead8 ,the short and    
final answer to which is1 study the laws
 of your organization1 and direct your  
reason to their interpretation1 and let 
the priest read his ,bible1 and exclaim 
against unbelief4 ,the reader will now  
understand the views the ,infidels have 
of moral rectitude2 and if the          
principles are faithfully carried out in
 our journey through life1 the end of   
all will be peace4 ,these moral         
principles were enforced 7for upwards of
 eight years7 in ,tammany ,hall4 ,they  
are now spreading far and wide1 and     
instead of producing evil in society1   
they are calculated to ensure peace on  
earth and good-will towards men4  ,it is
 because the ,christian world have been 
taught to depend on a ,saviour for the  
pardon of the worst of crimes1 believing
 that the price was paid by ,christ as a

 ransom from the captivity of the       
,devil1 that it is destructive of pure  
morality4 ,the apostles maintained this 
doctrine2 and from them1 till now1 the  
true and ,orthodox faith is1 that moral 
rectitude has nothing to do1 abstractly 
considered1 with the salvation of the   
soul1 but faith in what ,christ has done
 and suffered4 ,this doctrine is not    
only unfavorable to virtue1 but it      
places the basest of mankind in a       
superior point of view to those whose   
whole lives have been distinguished by  
the practice of correct moral actions4  
,that divines view and act on the       
vicarious sacrifice of ,christ as being 
alone sufficient in the last hour to    
save sinners1 we need but to refer to   
the attention paid by them to criminals 
up to the last moments of their lives4  
,it is faith in the ,redeemer1 which    
gives a passport to glory to a wretch1  
who but a few days before had murdered  
perhaps a good father and mother4 ,no   
matter what his crimes1 or how large the

 number1 only let him believe in the    
,saviour1 and1 although the guilty      
criminal is considered unworthy to live 
one hour longer on earth1 yet according 
to the ,gospel plan of salvation1 he is 
promised1 and induced to believe that he
 will in the evening of the same day    
join in the song of angels and chant the
 praises of the ,great ,eternal4  ,if   
the doctrine of saving faith be true1   
the thief or murderer1 if the law lays  
hold of him1 and the fear of the gallows
 induces him to rely on ,jesus1 goes    
directly to heaven2 whereas1 if he had  
been honest and virtuous1 but had not   
faith in ,christ1 he might have died in 
his sins and gone to hell6 ,oh6 how     
consistent is ,orthodox salvation with  
justice and truth6 ,in one case1 the    
,orthodox ,christian is in truth        
consistent4 ,it is this3 that in this   
life1 even in ,new ,york1 a man will not
 be admitted as a church member1 however
 virtuous4 ,he must be a sinner1 or he  
cannot be admitted4 ,so1 also1 in       

heaven1 a good man must not enter4 ,it  
would be no injustice to say that every 
religious society should have it written
 in large capitals over the door-way of 
its building--,no honest men admitted as
 members here--sinners are always       
welcome4 ,the same should be posted at  
the gate of heaven4 ,although this      
statement may to some appear wicked and 
untrue1 it is correct in the ,christian 
spirit1 and also true to the letter4    
,honest men have no business in         
,christian churches1 as they will also  
be rejected in heaven4 ,the worst of    
characters make the best ,christians1 if
 they can bring one grain of            
mustard-seed faith to the altar of      
,jehovah4  ,the ,christian who depends  
for salvation and acceptance1 in a      
future life1 is never at rest in this4  
,he has no correct standard whereby to  
judge whether he has saving faith4 ,his 
hopes and his fears are regulated by his
 feelings1 not by his conduct4 ,if1 for 
instance1 his animal spirits are        

depressed1 he desponds1 and considers   
that the ,lord has withdrawn from him   
the light of his countenance4 ,he       
trembles1 and in the agony of his mind1 
cries out1 ,i believe1 ,o ,lord1 help   
thou mine unbelief4 ,let him become     
cheerful1 and his mind become buoyant1  
he then considers himself sure that he  
has1 what is called1 an interest in     
,christ4  ,moral rectitude is out of the
 question4 ,all the moral virtues       
combined1 and brought into action1 are  
as nothing1 in the sight of the         
,christian's ,god4 ,the sinner's debt is
 paid1 by the sufferings of ,jesus on   
the cross4 ,so that1 according to the   
plan of human redemption1 if ,jesus had 
been acquitted on his trial1 the whole  
human race would die 7as the ,scripture 
phrase is7 in their sins4 ,it then      
follows1 that1 as man's acceptance with 
,god1 and the salvation of his soul1 is 
in consequence of the sacrifice made by 
,christ on the cross1 his moral         
rectitude is of little consequence4 ,the

 all-important state of the believer is1
 not the soundness of his morals1 but   
the relying by faith on ,jesus for what 
he has done by his suffering on the     
accursed tree4 ,this doctrine is the    
consolation of the murderer at the      
gallows2 and the same reliance on what  
,jesus has suffered for the human race1 
was what consoled and supported ,andrew 
,jackson in his last moments1 as        
reported by the newspapers4  ,the       
,christian religion1 by teaching        
believers to trust in a ,saviour for the
 pardon of crimes of the worst          
description1 has been an obstacle in the
 way of attaining to that moral         
excellence which is calculated to       
dignify human nature44 ,faith1 the pearl
 of great price1 has1 ever since the    
introduction of ,christian theology1    
obscured the path of virtue1 and        
invested its haughty possessor with an  
intolerant disposition1 accountable only
 to the tribunal of faith2 and1 having  
broken loose from the restraints of     

moral obligation1 has1 as it were1      
laughed to scorn the principles of      
justice1 of chastity and humanity4 ,and 
yet1 one and all1 who profess           
,christianity1 charge those who consider
 moral worth superior to faith1 with    
demoralizing youth1 and corrupting the  
manners of the age in which they live4  
,before concluding this chapter1 it will
 be useful to inquire1 in what way the  
world has been benefitted by propagating
 the heaven-born doctrine of faith in   
the ,redeemer's kingdom8 ,the page of   
history bears witness1 that1 for        
eighteen hundred years1 with but short  
intervals of rest1 a large portion of   
the earth has been the theatre of crime 
and war1 cruelty and murder2 and this   
state of things has been brought about  
by the uncertainty of what ,christianity
 is4 ,when the reputed ,founder of the  
,christian faith was about to leave this
 world1 to sit at the right hand of his 
,father1 he told them that his absence  
would be to his followers a real        

blessing2 for it is recorded1 that he   
said to them that the ,comforter would  
abundantly supply his place--that is1 or
 was to be1 the ,holy ,ghost1 who would 
lead them into alt truth1 and bring to  
their remembrance all things which he   
had told them4 ,but this promise1 if    
ever made1 proved a total failure2 for  
soon after ,christ1 their ,divine       
,master1 left this earth1 upwards of    
forty different sects arose1 and began  
to dispute and quarrel about what       
,jesus1 while on earth1 taught1         
concerning the kingdom of heaven4 ,sect 
opposed sect1 party opposed party1 and  
,christianity became involved in        
mystery4 ,conventions were formed1 and  
the worst passions soon gave proof that 
the multitude of angels1 who1 at the    
birth of ,christ proclaimed1 that peace 
on earth1 and good-will towards men     
would be realized1 were sadly mistaken4 
,nothing but one continual scene of war1
 destruction1 and slaughter1 between    
,christian nations1 and in society1 and 

and even in families1 ensued2 peace and 
harmony were unknown4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1
 that was to be the comforter1 soon made
 them any thing but comfortable6  ,this 
good news1 or ,gospel1 proved to be most
 unfortunate news to the inhabitants of 
this world4 ,thousands and tens of      
thousands of human beings came to a     
premature or violent death by rack and  
torture2 the fires of martyrdom were    
lighted up1 and millions of madmen gave 
glory to ,god4 ,this is but a mere      
outline of the horrors arising from     
faith in the glorious plan of human     
redemption2 and thus mortals when they  
became believers in the ,redeemer's     
kingdom1 ceased to act as men1 and      
became downright devils4 ,if1 instead of
 teaching him the doctrines of the      
,christian religion1 the laws which ,god
 or nature had stamped on every human   
being 7which are always present1 and    
which1 at every moment of his existence1
 call on him to attend to the lessons   
which they teach7 had been pointed out  

to him1 man would have learned how to   
live in peace and happiness1 in a       
society of beings organized like        
himself1 and governed by the same laws1 
always loving happiness and dreading    
pain4  ,to the reader1 then1 ,i         
recommend attention to the hints here   
given2 and in order to form a correct   
judgment how he should perform the      
duties which he owes to himself1 and    
also to his fellow mortals1 to study and
 always appeal to the laws of his       
organization4 ,let him bring every      
action to that never-failing index of   
his nature1 the love of happiness and   
the aversion to pain4 ,let him sum up   
every day his moral accounts by this    
unerring rule1 and this mode will never 
fail to make his moral path as clear as 
light2 for as he knows that1 according  
to the laws of his nature1 he is        
compelled to love happiness1 and to     
shrink from pain1 so also1 is every one 
that has life1 governed by the laws of  
pleasure and pain4 ,the laws of our     

organization1 and the voice of reason   
united1 proclaim to every human being1  
that the whole of man's duty towards his
 fellow man consists at all times1 and  
in all places1 in increasing his        
happiness1 and reducing his pain4  ,to  
know this1 so easy to be known1 and     
strictly to practise it1 is all the     
revelation which man requires4 ,but     
pretended revelation has either obscured
 moral light1 or held out lights that   
are false and delusive4 ,the false light
 presented to man1 called revealed      
religion1 instead of conducting him     
safely into the haven of happiness1 has 
continually tossed him1 without rudder  
or compass1 on the roaring billows of   
theology1 on which troubled ocean he has
 met with little else than robbers and  
pirates4  ,never1 then1 let us forget1  
that the best men or women are they1    
whose whole lives are directed to the   
promotion of the permanent happiness of 
every thing having life and feeling1 and
 to the reduction of misery wherever it 

may be found2 and that whoever shall    
thus act1 will be not only the best1 but
 also the happiest1 of the human race4  
,,the ,,end4                            
----