,,the ,,doubts ,,of ,,infidels1 ,,or1   
,,queries ,,relative ,,to ,,scriptural  
,,inconsistencies  ,,contradictions4    
,,submitted ,,for ,,elucidation ,,to    
,,the ,,bench ,,of ,,bishops ,,by ,a    
,,weak ,,but ,,sincere ,,christian4  ,by
 ,anonymous     4444444,metus omnes et  
inexoraibile fatum      ,subjecit       
pedibus1 strepitumque ,acherontis avari6
      ,illum non populi fasces1 non     
purpura regum      ,flexit et infidos   
agitans discordia fratres4 ,virg4       
,woe unto you1 ,scribes and ,pharisees6 
,hypocrites6 ye blind      guides1 which
 strain at a gnat1 and swallow a camel4 
,matt1      xxiii4 #bc1 #bd4       ,the 
world is divided into two classes of    
men444the one have      understanding   
but no religion2 the other have religion
 but      no understanding4  ,,london3  
,,printed  ,,published ,,by ,r4         
,,carlile1 #ee1 ,,fleet ,,street4       
#ahai4  ,,the ,,epistle ,,dedicatory4   
,,to ,,the ,,right ,,reverend ,,and     
,,reverend ,,the ,,bishops1 ,,clergy1   

,,and ,,all ,,other ,,supporters ,,of   
,,the ,,church ,,militant ,,here ,,on   
,,earth4  ,,reverend ,,sirs1  ,your late
 zealous exertion against the infidels1 
in procuring the ,sunday ,bill to be    
passed1 and prosecutions and pillory    
against infidel writers and publishers1 
must have convinced them that you are in
 earnest in your attempts to propagate  
and establish our holy faith4 ,an act of
 parliament is an excellent engine for  
producing that kind of uniformity of    
opinions1 which consists in holding the 
tongue2 and1 however unfair it may be in
 common transactions to suppress the    
arguments on one side of any question1  
yet1 in religious matters1 even the most
 cool and charitable must allow1 that it
 is otherwise4 ,when the salvation of   
men is concerned1 every means is        
justifiable4 ,what right has a man to   
complain1 though by virtue of an act of 
parliament1 by pains and penalties1     
fines1 imprisonment1 and the pillory1 he
 may be sent to heaven whether he will  

or no8 ,it is carrying the notion of    
liberty too far1 to suppose1 because we 
are free-born ,englishmen1 that we may  
choose our own faith and go to heaven   
our own way6 ,what would become of the  
right reverend and reverend guides and  
turnpike-men1 if people were permitted  
to avoid the strait gate and go to their
 journey's end without paying8          
,foreigners are so sensible of this1 and
 the priests of other countries are so  
tenacious of their rights of directing  
the intellects of the people1 that they 
have invented and deposited in the inner
 chambers of the holy inquisition1 a    
number of most ingenious machines1      
which1 by means of whips1 cords1        
pullies1 screws1 wheels1 iron crows1 red
 hot pincers1 and the like1 are found to
 be extremely serviceable in twisting   
and warping opinions to any settled     
models government may require4          
,notwithstanding your ,lordships'       
readiness99 to oppose error of every    
kind by argument and persuasion1 it     

happens unfortunately for us1 that these
 mechanical and persuasive arguments are
 unknown in ,britain4 ,instead of that  
most strong and logical argument1 called
 the torture1 we are obliged to adopt   
plain reason1 or1 at most1 when that    
fails us1 the prison1 fine1 and pillory4
 ,but1 it is to be hoped1 that the happy
 time is not far off1 when the priests  
of ,britain may be able to argue with as
 much force as the spiritual directors  
of other countries2 when the ,clergy may
 approach the throne1 and avow their    
readiness to stop the mouths of men1    
without being under the shameful        
necessity of contradicting themselves1  
by disavowing all violence in the cause 
of religion499       99 ,vide ,address  
of the ,convocation presented to his    
,majesty      the #agth of ,november1   
#aghj4  ,in those better days1 the ,lord
 ,bishop of ,chester may overthrow the  
arguments of an infidel peer1 by        
declaring them unworthy of a ,reply2 and
 the ,bishop of ,st4 ,david may confirm 

the defeat1 by affirming1 that the      
arguments of unbelievers deserve no     
answer2 for every one will then say1    
they would not answer them1 not that    
they could not1 as they impiously affirm
 at present4 ,but as those glorious     
times are not yet arrived1 we must be   
contented1 in the mean while1 to proceed
 in the old method of reasoning upon    
even ground with our adversaries4 ,the  
weak1 though zealous ,christian1 who has
 the honour1 to address your ,lordships 
on the present occasion1 has presumed to
 lay before you a few of the ,doubts of 
the ,infidels1 and he hopes you will    
answer them to his entire               
satisfaction499 ,he is happy in         
reflecting that the late act of         
parliament forbids them to speak2 but   
his satisfaction is infinitely greater  
when he assures himself1 that your      
,lordships' answer will convince them   
and make them ashamed even to write1    
speak1 or think4       99 ,vide the same
 address4  ,thus fervently prays your   

,lordships' unworthy co-operator1  ,the 
,author4        99 ,the following are   
the chapters1 with many others1 which   
contain the most objectionable parts3-- 
,genesis1 chap4 #af1 #ah1 #ai1 #cj1 #cd1
 #ce1 #ch1 #cj4      ,numbers1 #be4     
,judges1 #aj1 #ai4      #a ,samuel1 #be4
      #b ,samuel1 #aa1 #ac1 #af4        
,ezekiel1 #d1 #aj1 #bb1 #bc4            
,hosea1 #a1 #b1 #c4       ,the following
 are those chapters which contain       
instances of      cruel and torturous   
executions1 and unrelenting             
vindictiveness4       ,genesis1 chap4   
#cd4      ,numbers1 #ca4      ,joshua1  
#h1aj4      ,judges1 #d1 #e1 #ba4       
#a ,samuel1 #ae4      #b ,samuel1 #ab1  
#ba4      #a ,kings1 #b4      #b ,kings1
 #aj4     ,,doubts ,,of ,,infidels1  #a4
 ,how can the attributes of ,god be     
vindicated1 in having performed so great
 a number of miracles1 for a long       
succession of very distant ages1 and so 
few in latter times8 ,if they were      
performed for the instruction of those  

times only1 are they not equally        
necessary at present for us8 or1 if     
those ancient miracles were intended    
likewise for our instruction1 are they  
adequate to the purpose8 ,can ,god1 who 
gave us reason1 act inconsistently with 
its dictates2 and is it rational or fair
 to demand our belief of things1 which  
are in their own nature far removed from
 common belief1 or common sense1 and    
require something more than the usual   
testimony of history for their support8 
,when ,livy affirms199 that the ,gauls  
conspired against ,hannibal1 we admit   
and believe the fact2 but when in the   
same chapter he speaks of shields       
sweating blood1 of its raining hot      
stones at ,arpi1 and the like1 we justly
 reject and disbelieve these improbable 
assertions2 neither is any credit given 
to the account of the wonderful method  
of curing diseases by the touch1 said to
 be possessed by ,mr4 ,greatrix199      
though we find it in the ,philosophical 
,transactions4 ,the miracles of the ,old

 ,testament were all performed in those 
ages of which we have no credible       
history2 what reply then can be made to 
those who affirm1 that miracles have    
always been confined to the early and   
fabulous times2 that all nations have   
had them1 but that they disappeared in  
proportion as men became enlightened1   
and capable of discovering imposture and
 priestcraft4       99 ,t4 ,livii1 lib4 
xxii1 cap4 #a4   #b4 ,suppose a book to 
be published1 containing assertions of  
historical facts long past1 which had no
 collateral testimony of other authors2 
suppose those facts in general to be    
improbable and incredible2 suppose the  
book to be anonymous1 or1 which is      
worse1 ushered into the world under the 
name of a person who1 from the internal 
evidence of the thing1 could not have   
written it2 can it be imagined1 that    
such a book would find credit among     
people1 who have the least pretensions  
to reason or common sense8 ,which1 then1
 is the readiest way of confuting the   

enemies of our holy and only true       
religion1 who do not scruple to affirm1 
that many books of canonical ,scripture 
are in this predicament8 ,they observe  
that the books of the ,pentateuch bear  
many strong marks of an author long     
posterior to ,moses2 that the book of   
,numbers9999 quotes the book of the     
,wars of the ,lord1 which1 as first     
written1 was most probably the book     
which ,moses wrote2 that ,moses could   
not possibly have written the account of
 his own death and burial in            
,deuteronomy199999999 which nevertheless
 has no mark to distinguish it from the 
rest of the book4       99 ,lowther's   
,abridgement1 ,vol4 ,,iii4 p4 ,,ii4     
,greatrix published      a pamphlet1 to 
which the attestations of ,boyle1       
,wilkins1      ,cud-worth1 and many     
other great men were affixed4 ,vide     
,life      of ,st4 ,evremont1 printed   
with his works in ,english1 #c vols4    
#hvo4       9999 ,numb4 xxi4 #ad4       
999999 ,deut4 xxxiv4  ,and supposing    

these and other objections of the like  
nature to be removed1 what must we say  
in reply to their remark1 that the      
,scripture1 which we believe to be      
dictated by the inspiration of the      
unerring ,god1 is frequently9999        
contradictory with regard to facts1 and 
very often represents the all-wise      
,creator999999 as angry1 repenting1     
unjust1 arbitrary1 c4 and that          
consequently we must either give up that
 dependence1 which we naturally place on
 his goodness and rectitude1 or reject  
those writings which represent him as a 
demon4 ,do not your ,lordships          
apprehend1 that1 for want of better     
arguments1 we shall be under the        
necessity of recurring to the argumentum
 pillorii1 or of adopting some of those 
gentle methods which were lawfully used 
for the conversion of heretics in the   
mild and pious reign of ,mary1 ,queen of
 ,england8       9999 ,vide infra4      
999999 ,genesis vi4 #f1g4 also ,exod4   
vii4 #c4 xi4 #i1aj4 and #a ,sam4        

xv4 #ce4   #c4 ,is the account of the   
creation and fall of man1 in the book of
 ,genesis1 physical or allegorical8 ,did
 ,god create light before the sun8 ,how 
could he divide the light from darkness1
 since darkness is nothing but the mere 
privation of light8 ,how could time be  
divided into days1 before the creation  
of the sun1 since a day is the time     
between sun-rise and sun-rise8 ,how     
could the firmament be created1 since   
there is no firmament1 and the false    
notion of its existence is no more than 
an imagination of the ancient ,grecians8
   #d4 ,the ,scriptures were certainly  
written for the purpose of being        
understood1 or for no purpose at all4 ,a
 mystery1 that is to say1 an assertion  
or theorem1 which the human             
understanding is incapable of           
comprehending1 must likewise be         
inexpressible in human speech2 we       
cannot1 therefore1 avail ourselves of   
the short and elegant method of clearing
 and elucidating difficult parts of     

,scripture1 by the use of the word      
mystery1 but how shall we1 without this 
happy resource1 explain the business of 
the tree of knowledge of good and evil1 
of a speaking serpent1 and of a tree of 
life1 which ,god was obliged to guard by
 cherubim and a flaming sword1 lest man 
should eat of the fruit and become      
immortal8   #e4 ,the serpent was        
afflicted with the curse of going upon  
his belly4 ,the scoffers seem to think  
it no curse at all2 for as they take it 
for granted that he went upon his back  
before this unfortunate transaction1    
they apprehended it was doing him a     
singular piece of service to reverse    
him1 the latter position being evidently
 the most convenient4 ,they also take   
notice1 that no animal can subsist upon 
dust1 and that whatever the individual  
serpent in question might have done1 the
 serpents of modern times are so        
profane1 that they universally reject so
 dry a food1 and1 by a second act of    
impiety1 emancipate themselves from the 

consequences of the first4       99     
,gen4 vi4--#gh4  #f4 ,the account of the
 flood is very embarrassing4 ,it is     
described as the effects of natural     
agents in the hands of ,god4 ,it rained2
 no mention is made of waters created   
for the purpose4 ,the deluge was        
universal2 all the high hills1 that were
 under the whole heaven1 were covered2  
and it ceased1 not by the annihilation  
of the waters1 but they were evaporated 
by a wind4 ,now from whence came the    
water8 ,the weight of the whole         
atmosphere1 with all its vapours1 is    
equal to no more than a hollow sphere of
 three or four and thirty feet          
thickness1 environing the whole globe1  
and consequently the whole of its       
contents1 if condensed into water1 could
 not deluge the earth to the height of  
an ordinary house4 ,it is to no purpose 
to break open the fountains of the      
abyss1 or great deep1 if any such       
fountains there are2 for gravity would  
prevent the waters from issuing out2    

neither can we easily persuade infidels1
 that the windows of ,heaven were       
opened1 while they know it has no       
windows2 so that we have but three or   
four and thirty feet of water to deluge 
the highest mountains1 some of which are
 more than fifteen thousand feet high499
       99 ,the ,indian ,alps are #bj1hfb
 feet above the level of the      ocean4
 ,editor4  ,see ,col4 ,kirkpatrick's    
,history of ,nepaul1      and ,asiatic  
,researches1 ,vol4 ,,viii4   #g4 ,the   
weak in faith find themselves equally at
 a loss respecting the ark4 ,it seems   
strange to them1 that so vast an        
assemblage of animals could be inclosed 
in an ark or chest1 which had but one   
window1 7which window was kept shut for 
more than five months17 without being   
stifled for want of air3 it appears     
equally remarkable that ,noah and his   
three sons could unstow and serve out   
the daily allowance of provisions and   
water to the passengers2 and if their   
wives were supposed to help them1 the   

work to be done is still prodigious4    
,the lions and other carnivorous animals
 must have lived on salt provisions2    
which1 no doubt1 they were glad of1 as  
seafaring people are not very nice1     
especially in long voyages4  #h4 ,if    
,god set his bow in the clouds1 as a    
token of his covenant with mankind after
 the flood1 ought we not to conclude1   
that he1 at that time1 established the  
law of the various refrangibility and   
reflexibility of the rays of light1 and 
consequently1 that before the flood many
 optical experiments1 which are common  
with us1 would not then have succeeded8 
,for example1 a man could not have made 
a rainbow by spouting water out of his  
mouth2 ,mr4 ,dollond's achromatic       
telescopes would have then been no      
better than common ones2 natural bodies 
must have appeared all of one colour1 c4
 c4  #i4 ,what answer must we give to   
those who are inclined to deny1 that an 
all-powerful and just ,god could make   
use of the most unjustifiable means to  

attain his great purpose of aggrandizing
 the posterity of ,abraham8 ,could this 
benevolent and just ,being approve of   
the ungenerous advantage which ,jacob   
took over his faint and hungry brother8 
,could this omnipotent and upright      
,spirit adopt no method of              
distinguishing his favourite ,jacob1 but
 that of fraud and lies1 by which he    
deprived the same unsuspecting brother  
of his father's blessing8 ,or1 in short1
 how shall we justify ,god for the      
continual distinction and favour he is  
said to have bestowed on a people1 who  
from their own annals appear to have    
been unparalleled for cruelty199        
ingratitude1 inurbanity1 c48       99   
,see the acts of ,joshua2 also #a ,sam4 
xv4 c4   #aj4 ,when the unbelievers     
affirm that a just ,god could not punish
 ,pharaoh for an hardness of heart of   
which he himself 7,god7 was evidently   
the cause1 we usually answer1 that the  
potter has power over the day to fashion
 it as he lists2 but when in reply1 they

 take notice1 that if the clay in the   
hands of the potter were capable of     
happiness or misery1 according to the   
fashion impressed on it1 the potter must
 be malevolent and cruel who can give   
the preference to inflicting pain       
instead of happiness1 then we are       
obliged to be silent1 in hopes that your
 ,lordships will condescend to supply us
 with better arguments than any we are  
acquainted with at present4   #aa4      
,miracles must have been very common in 
,egypt1 since there was a body of people
 whose trade it was to work them4 ,when 
,aaron's rod was turned into a          
serpent199 ,pharaoh1 instead of being   
surprised at it1 as an unusual          
phnomenon1 sends for his magicians1 who 
immediately perform the like with their 
rods4 ,your ,lordships owe us some      
little explanation concerning this      
business3 we know it is our duty to     
believe1 that ,aaron's miracle was      
performed by the power of ,god1 but are 
at a loss to discover by what power the 

magicians performed theirs4   #ai4      
,when9999 ,aaron turned the waters of   
,egypt into blood1 their streams1 their 
rivers1 their ponds1 and all their      
pools1 together with all the water      
throughout the land of ,egypt1 whether  
in ,vessels of wood1 or vessels of      
stone1 the magicians of ,egypt did so   
likewise with their enchantments4 ,here 
again our adversaries1 who unfortunately
 have more curiosity than faith1 take   
the liberty to enquire1 whether the     
magicians formed water to practise their
 art upon1 since ,aaron had already     
turned it into blood8       99 ,exod    
vii4 #c1 #d4 and ix4 #i1 #aj4       9999
 ,exod4 vii4 #aj4       999999 ,exod4   
vii4 #aj1 c4   #ac4 ,pharaoh still      
continuing inflexible1 though           
successively exposed to the plagues of  
frogs1 lice1 and flies299 his cattle1   
namely1 the horses1 the asses1 the      
camels1 the oxen1 and the sheep1 were   
afflicted with a very grievous murrain1 
and all the cattle of ,egypt died1      

except those of the children of         
,israel49999 ,this producing no good    
effect with ,pharaoh1 the whole nation  
of ,egyptians were plagued with boils   
and blains2999999 notwithstanding which 
,pharaoh's heart continued as hard as   
ever499999999 ,moses was therefore sent 
early in the morning1 to advise ,pharaoh
 to send for his cattle1 and all that he
 had in the field1 and shelter them     
against a terrible hail storm1 the      
approach of which he predicted4 ,they   
among ,pharaoh's servants who feared the
 word of the ,lord1 saved their cattle  
and servants1 by removing them into     
houses2 for the next day came on a storm
 of thunder1 lightning1 and hail1 which 
broke the trees1 destroyed the herbage1 
and killed every living creature that   
was in the field1 excepting only that in
 the land of ,goshen1 where the children
 of ,israel were1 there was no hail4    
,divine truths are so different from    
those which carnal minds are used to    
contemplate1 that it must be very       

difficult by the force of mere human    
reason to persuade mankind in general1  
that ,pharaoh's cattle were in any great
 danger from the hail storm1 since they 
were all previously dead by the murrain2
 and some people are so stupid1 that    
they think killing them a second time   
was no punishment at all4 ,there are not
 wonting some amongst the present       
perverse generation2 who are at a loss  
to conceive how those of ,pharaoh's     
servants1 who feared the word of the    
,lord1 could make their ,cattle flee    
into houses1 since they pretend to      
maintain1 that cattle already dead1     
whether by the murrain or otherwise1 are
 incapable of fleeing4 ,notwithstanding 
those people are so obviously in the    
wrong1 yet we depend upon your          
,lordships1 that you will expose their  
errors in more glaring colours than any 
in which they have yet appeared4        
99 ,exod4 viii4       9999 ,exod4 ix4   
#c1 #f4       999999 ,exod4 ix4         
99999999 ,exod4 ix4 #ac1 c4   #ad4 ,some

 weak believers are in doubts whether so
 mean1 so ungenerous1 and so dishonest  
an act1 as borrowing the jewels of the  
,egyptians99 without any intention of   
returning them1 did not rather originate
 in that disposition which characterizes
 the ,jews to this day1 than in the     
command of the just ,god1 who certainly 
could need no such tricks to accomplish 
his intentions4   #ae4 ,the plague of   
hail being succeeded by locusts1 thick  
darkness1 and the death of all the      
first-born of ,egypt1 cattle included1  
,pharaoh at length permitted the        
,israelites to depart2 but afterwards   
repenting1 he went in pursuit of        
them9999 with six hundred chariots and  
all the horses and chariots of ,pharaoh1
 and his horsemen and his army1 and     
overtook them by the sea1 near ,baal    
,zephon4 ,the ,red ,sea was parted in   
two to afford a passage for the         
,israelites1 the ,egyptians followed    
them1 and were punished for their       
rashness by the return of the waters1   

which swallowed them up4 ,here again our
 petulant and unsatisfied opposers      
demand how ,pharaoh could pursue with   
chariots and horsemen1 since his horses 
were all slain twice over1 once by the  
murrain and once by the hail2 not to    
mention that the first born of cattle   
were slain even a third time4 ,they     
likewise add1 that ,egypt1 which1 to    
facilitate the dispersion of the waters 
of the overflowing ,nile1 is intersected
 by numberless canals1 must have always 
been a very improper country either for 
cavalry or chariots4       99 ,exod4 xi4
       9999 ,exod4 xiv4   #af4 ,god came
 to ,balaam at night and said unto him1 
,if the men come to call thee1 rise up  
and go with them499 ,balaam accordingly 
rose up1 saddled his ass1 and went with 
the princes of ,moab4 ,but ,god's anger 
was kindled because he went1 insomuch   
that he sent an angel to oppose him1 who
 would certainly have slain him1 if the 
ass he rode on had not exhibited a      
specimen of penetration and prudence1 of

 which the asses of modern times seem to
 be divested4 ,the infidels here insist1
 that it is better to reject the whole  
story1 than to believe that the ,supreme
 ,being could be angry with ,balaam1    
merely because he obeyed his command2   
but the true believers1 the sons of the 
church1 who think there would be no     
exercise for our faith1 if we were      
required to admit nothing but what can  
be supported by argument1 are not at all
 concerned in this difficulty2 the more 
improbable the doctrine1 the greater    
must be the merit in believing4       99
 ,numb4 xxii4 #bj1 c4   #ag4 ,the ,lord 
was with ,judah19999 and he drove out   
the inhabitants of the mountains1 but   
could not drive out the inhabitants of  
the valley1 because they had chariots of
 iron4 ,it is difficult to conceive1 how
 the ,lord of heaven and earth1 who had 
so often changed the order1 and         
suspended the established laws of nature
 in favour of his people the ,jews1     
could not succeed against the           

inhabitants of a valley1 because they   
had chariots of iron6 ,or ought we not  
rather to infer that the book in which  
this passage is found1 has nothing of   
divine inspiration in it1 but was       
written by one of the ,jews who         
considered the ,god of ,israel their    
protector as a local divinity2 who was  
in some instances more1 and in others   
less powerful1 than the gods of their   
enemies4 ,thus ,david in many places    
compares the ,lord with other gods ,the 
,lord is a great ,god1 and a great king 
above all gods1 c4 and ,jephtha says to 
the king of the children of ,ammon1     
,wilt thou not possess that which       
,chemosh thy ,god giveth thee1 to       
possess8 ,so whomsoever the ,lord our   
,god shall drive out from before us1    
them will we possess4       9999 ,judges
 i4 #ai4   #ah4 ,how unjustly are the   
,spaniards stigmatised for the zeal they
 exhibited in converting the natives of 
,peru and ,mexico to the ,christian     
religion6999999 ,it is true1 they ripped

 up women with child1 dashed infants to 
pieces against the rocks1 and broiled   
men to death with slow fires2 but as    
their pious intention was purely that of
 delivering these uninstructed and      
ignorant people from the more horrible  
pains of futurity1 the truly            
compassionate can not but approve their 
conduct4 ,how can we enough admire the  
mild and humane transaction of hanging  
up thirteen ,indians in honour of       
,christ and the twelve apostles6        
999999 ,see ,marmoutel's ,preface to the
 ,incas1 and the authors      there     
cited4   ,while the rest of the world   
admired the ,greeks and ,romans1 they   
wisely assumed the heroes of sacred     
story as models for their imitation6    
,poor ,las ,casas6 ,his weak and        
effeminate heart bled at the scene of   
misery6 ,he wanted zeal to join in the  
pious work1 and even wished to leave the
 ,indians in possession of certain      
imaginary blessings which he pretended  
to call the rights of humanity6 ,but the

 holy ardour of his associates          
frustrated his impious attempts2 he     
could do no more than write1 yet his    
writings1 so far from producing the     
effect he intended1 only served to      
increase our admiration of those great  
characters he meant to stigmatize4 ,if  
the comparison might be allowed1 we may 
affirm that the ,spaniards were inferior
 to the ,jews in this only circumstance1
 that they had a ,las ,casas among them4
 ,the ,jews were obdurate to a man1 and 
hardened with holy cruelty4 ,we hear of 
no tergiversation when ,jericho was to  
be destroyed2 ,man and woman1 young and 
old1 ox1 sheep1 and ass1 were put to the
 edge of the sword499 ,what a           
philosophical command over the tender   
passions must ,joshua have acquired1 to 
have enabled him to smite with the      
sword19999 and utterly destroy the      
inhabitants of ,ai1 ,libnah1 ,lachish1  
,hebron1 ,debir1 c4 c4 c4               
especially999999 as the hardness of     
their heart was no fault of theirs1 but 

proceeded from the ,lord6 ,how truly    
great1 how far above the common weakness
 of humanity1 appears the man after     
,god's own heart1 at the taking of the  
city of ,rabbah699999999 ,he brought    
forth the people that were therein1 and 
put them under saws1 and under harrows  
of iron1 and under axes of iron1 and    
made them pass through the brick-kiln6  
,o ye greatly inexorable heroes6 ye     
,jews6 ye ,spaniards6 ye firm and       
zealous of antient and modern times1 if 
any such exist6 pity the wretch who     
admires your virtues1 but whose pen     
trembles1 and whose eye overflows at the
 recital of your deeds6 ,and thou1 ,o   
mighty and benevolent ,power1 forgive   
the heart that1 shocked at the tortures 
inflicted on thy creatures1 is unwilling
 to acknowledge thee as the author of   
them6       99 ,johua vi4 #ba4          
9999 ,joshua x4 #aj4       999999       
,joshua xi4 #bj4       99999999 #b ,sam4
 xii4 #bi1 #ca4   #ai4 ,the most        
rational men reject the science of magic

 or witchcraft1 as a silly imposition on
 the credulity of mankind2 but we       
believers1 who have nothing to do with  
reason1 but are guided by the           
indefinable faculty called faith1 are   
perfectly ready to admit it1 and deplore
 the infidelity of that parliament1     
which repealed the acts by which so many
 of that profession lost their lives4   
,the witch of ,endor19999 and the       
,jewish law1 both prove by divine       
argument1 the existence of such         
professors1 though1 like miracles1 they 
have now ceased to appear4 ,but         
notwithstanding this1 we should be glad 
of an argument or two from you1 our     
spiritual directors1 which might        
establish this important point of       
doctrine1 as well in the minds of       
reasonable men1 as in the minds of men1 
who1 by means of the additional faculty 
faith1 are above reason4      9999 ,sam4
 xxviii4   #bj4 ,in the last battle of  
,saul with the ,philistines99 near      
,gilboa1 ,saul being sorely wounded1    

requested his armour-bearer to draw his 
sword1 and run him through1 but his     
armour-bearer would not2 therefore ,saul
 took a sword and fell upon it2 and when
 his armour-bearer saw that ,saul was   
dead1 he fell likewise upon his sword1  
and died with him49999 ,david was at    
this time returned from the pursuit of  
the ,amalekites1 when1 on the third day 
after ,saul's death1 a young man came   
out of the camp from ,saul1 with his    
clothes rent1 and earth upon his head4  
,he brought the news of ,saul's death1  
the circumstances of which1 upon        
,david's enquiry1 he reported to be1    
that coming by chance upon ,mount       
,gilboa1 he beheld that ,saul leaned on 
his spear1 and that the chariots and    
horsemen followed hard after him4 ,saul 
looking behind him1 called the young    
man1 and requested him to slay him3 so  
,i stood upon him1 said the young man1  
and slew him1 because ,i was sure he    
could not live after he was fallen2 and 
,i took the crown that was on his head1 

and the bracelet that was on his arm1   
and have brought them hither unto my    
lord4 ,david rewarded the mistaken      
compassion of this young man1 by        
commanding him to be put to death4      
99 #a ,sam4 xxxi4       9999 #b ,sam4 i4
   ,how do our adversaries1 the         
infidels1 exclaim against the barbarity 
of ,david1 when they read this          
melancholy history6 ,what6 say they1 is 
this the mild1 the merciful ,david8 ,is 
this the man after ,god's own heart8 ,is
 he not rather the tyrant--the inhuman  
despot8 ,what effort of holy zeal could 
stimulate him to murder the young man1  
who had performed the last offices of   
humanity to ,saul2 who1 in the agonies  
of death1 had himself besought him to   
put an end to his lingering miseries8   
,why should this idol of the            
,christians1 this man after ,god's own  
heart1 embrue his hands in the blood of 
the youth1 who supposed he had done a   
charitable office to the deserted and   
expiring monarch1 whom this ,david      

pretended to lament1 and who1 at the    
same time1 gave such endearing proofs of
 loyalty to him himself1 by presenting  
him with the regal ornaments8 ,but we1  
the faithful1 who can easily explain all
 scripture mysteries1 say1 that though  
,david was really one of the greatest of
 sinners1 yet he truly repented him     
before he died4 ,our enemies1 the       
unbelievers1 say no2 that it is false1  
and they quote the very ,book of        
,books99 against us for their authority4
       99 #a ,kings ii4 #e1 #f1 #g1 #h1 
#i4   ,they say if ,david ever repented1
 or was ever truly pious1 we shall      
certainly perceive it1 in his behaviour 
during his last moments1 on his death   
bed4 ,there1 say they1 it is to be      
hoped1 we shall find him forgiving his  
enemies1 and dying in charity with all  
mankind4 ,this is what all mankind in   
general make a point of doing1 from the 
saint to the malefactor4 ,david1        
therefore1 must certainly give us an    
extraordinary instance of his attention 

to this important evidence of           
contrition4  ,but what shall we think1  
say these enemies of our holy religion1 
when we see this ,nero of the ,hebrews1 
this man after ,god's own heart1 this   
idol of the ,christians1 die in a manner
 uniform and consistent with the whole  
course of his life8 ,what will be our   
reflections1 when we find him1 with his 
last accents1 delivering two cruel and  
inhuman murders in charge to his son    
,solomon8 ,murders still farther        
aggravated by the included crimes of    
ingratitude and perjury6 ,one of them to
 be executed on his old and faithful    
general1 ,joab1 who powerfully assisted 
him on all occasions1 and who adhered to
 him in all his extremities2 till at the
 last1 when he had justifiable cause of 
chagrin1 but who1 notwithstanding1 had  
not appeared in actual hostility against
 him1 but only drank a glass of wine    
with the malcontents4 ,his other charge 
was against ,shimea1 who reviled ,david 
at his retreat from ,jerusalem1 during  

his son ,absalom's rebellion2 but who   
made his submission to him when he      
returned victorious1 and whose pardon   
,david had sealed with a solemn oath4   
,all these commands1 say the infidels1  
were executed in a manner truly worthy  
the son of such a father6 ,these1       
,christians1 say our enemies1 are the   
outlines of the life of a ,jew1 whom1   
according to the ,book of ,books1 or1   
more properly speaking1 priestcraft1 you
 are not ashamed' to continue extolling 
as a man after ,god's own heart6 ,what  
an impiety1 say the infidels1 to the    
,majesty of ,heaven6  ,wherefore we1 the
 true believers1 pray that your         
,lordships will satisfactorily answer   
and explain all those doubts and        
objections brought forward against us by
 infidel philosophers and writers2 and  
if unanswerable1 that your ,lordships   
will1 with true ,christian zeal1 procure
 an act of parliament to be passed1 in  
order to prevent any more doubts        
whatever being entertained by the       

enemies of our holy faith and religion1 
as by law established4  ,none but       
infidels1 it is true1 would utter       
impieties like the above2 but1 alas1    
'the infidels of our days have become   
formidable to the true believers1 by an 
attention to morality1 and the mild and 
gentle offices of pity1 and by warning  
their fellow-citizens to avoid and      
detest the cruelties of religious       
persecution3 how egregiously they       
mistake6 ,your ,lordships will rectify  
their notions1 it is to be hoped1 in    
these as well as in other respects4     
,they have an argument still more       
formidable against the truth of the     
foregoing accounts1 concerning the death
 of ,saul1 which is1 that they are so   
very different1 that one of them must be
 false4 ,to this we can only answer1 as 
it becomes the faithful in all such     
cases of seeming contradiction2 namely1 
that they were both written by the pen  
of inspiration1 consequently must both  
be true1 however contradictory or absurd

 they may seem to mere human reason4    
#ba4 ,david commanded that the children 
of ,judah should be taught the use of   
the bow3 behold1 it is written in the   
,book of ,jasher499 ,many difficulties  
arise here about the ,book of ,jasher4  
,it was extant previous to the writing  
the ,book of ,joshua19999 the author of 
that book quoting it1 and by the        
foregoing text it appears1 it was not   
finished till after the accession of    
,david to the throne of ,israel4 ,now1  
if ,joshua wrote the account of his own 
transactions1 as is generally believed1 
the author of ,jasher must have lived   
upwards of four hundred years2 and if   
the ,book of ,joshua was not written    
till after the time of ,david1 and by an
 unknown author1 the infidels will      
affirm1 that it comes under the         
description which is at the beginning of
 the second of these questions4 ,and the
 misfortune is1 we do not know how to   
confute them1 but we hope your          
,lordships will easily remove this1     

among many ,other very great            
difficulties1 now your long dormant seal
 is at length awakened4 ,our enemies    
have reproached us with the examples of 
the primitive church2 they observe1 that
 the priests were poor and              
indefatigable1 but are now pampered and 
lazy4 ,fat benefices and lordly         
bishoprics1 they say1 cause a total     
eclipse of the light of religion1 by    
obtruding1 their opake substances       
between the eye of the priest and the   
kingdom of ,heaven4 ,but1 alas1 how     
palpably they mistake6       99 #b      
,sara4 i4 #ah4       9999 ,josh4 x4 #ac4
   ,the ancient priests were ignorant of
 their business2 they despised riches1  
because they knew no better1 or1        
perhaps1 because they could not get     
them4 ,but how are the understandings of
 men enlightened6 how great the wisdom  
of the modern times6 how are the        
sciences improved6 ,has it not been for 
many centuries discovered1 that pain and
 mortification are fit companions for   

the devil1 and therefore totally        
improper for saints8 ,can a poor wretch1
 inured to penury and the scourge1 be   
suddenly reconciled to happiness and    
,heaven8 ,instead of enjoying the manna 
of the promised land1 would he not be   
prescribing himself a fast2 and when it 
became him to sleep recumbent on his    
couch of blessedness1 would he not envy 
the damned their whips and scorpions8   
,so difficult it is to eradicate long   
confirmed habits4 ,but wherefore dwell  
on so unprofitable a subject8 ,the      
wisdom of our divines has taught them to
 avoid such absurdities1 to detest such 
errors4 ,they will not lose their relish
 for pleasure1 for want of practice4    
#bi4 ,david1 by the instigation of the  
,lord1 numbered the people-of ,israel   
and ,judah299 but afterwards1 being     
probably ignorant by whose instigation  
he had acted1 he repented of the deed4  
,this repentance did not excuse him in  
the sight of the ,lord1 who offered him 
to chuse either1 seven years famine1    

three months defeat before his enemies1 
or three days pestilence4  ,david chose 
the latter1 and seventy thousand men    
died4 ,this memorable event has not     
escaped the inspired penman of the ,book
 of ,chronicles19999 who affirms1 that  
,satan stood up against ,israel1 and    
provoked ,david to number them2 but ,god
 was displeased with this thing1 and    
therefore smote ,israel4 ,david         
repenting1 was offered from ,god his    
choice1 either three years famine1 three
 months destruction before his enemies1 
or three days pestilence the latter of  
which he chose1 and there died of       
,israel seventy thousand men4  ,our too 
curious and inquisitive opposers1 who   
are unwilling to believe cunningly      
devised fables1999999 enquire how it    
could be a crime in ,david to number the
 people1 especially as it was by the    
instigation of the ,lord4 ,they beg to  
be informed1 whether the ,lord1 and     
,satan1 be one and the same person2 and 
if not1 which of the two was the        

instigator of this unhappy1 business1   
and likewise which of the two infallible
 and inspired writers tells the lie8    
,lastly1 they cannot conceive how the   
seven years famine in the ,book of      
,samuel is dwindled into three in the   
,chronicles4 ,to all these questions we 
answer1 that it was sufficient to make  
this action of ,david's criminal1 that  
the ,lord disliked it after it was done2
 and as to its being done by his        
instigation1 we must observe1 that it is
 no uncommon thing for the ,lord to be  
angry with his servants for obeying his 
commands4       99 #b ,sam4 xxiv4       
9999#a ,chron4 xxi4       999999  #b    
,pet4 i4 #aj4   #bc4 ,the instance of   
,balaam is a case in point499 ,hence we 
infer1 that1 in the commands of the     
,lord1 there is always a clause implied 
or understood1 which leaves it to the   
discretion of the faithful to act as    
they think proper4 ,it is true1 that    
this position leads immediately to the  
doctrines of the ,jesuits1 which have   

been so universally abhorred3 but why   
need we regard the abhorrence of the    
world1 while we are convinced that our  
tenets are scriptural8 ,with regard to  
the affairs of ,satan and the ,lord1 we 
leave it to your ,lordships' management2
 but cannot help observing with         
derision1 the futility of the objections
 respecting the three and seven years'  
famine4 ,they have little skill in      
divine arithmetic1 if this affords them 
any embarrassment4 ,they know nothing of
 the sublime logic by which divines     
prove three to be one1 and one to be    
three4 ,for example1 if it were affirmed
 that ,eldon is a ,lord1 ,castlereagh is
 a ,lord1 and ,sidmouth is a ,lord1 and 
yet they are not three ,lords1 but one  
,lord1 this would be termed absolute and
 ridiculous nonsense1 notwithstanding   
their close ,ministerial union4 ,but in 
holy matters it is quite otherwise19999 
as might easily be elucidated by        
instances too sacred to be commented    
upon by any unconsecrated individual4   

99 ,qu4 #af4       9999 ,see an         
excellent specimen of this in the ,creed
 commonly      ascribed to ,st4         
,athanasius4   #id4 ,another instance of
 the imperfection of the art of         
arithmetic1 as it is erroneously taught 
in our schools1 appears in its affording
 no rule by which the two genealogies of
 ,jesus ,christ may be reconciled to    
each other4 ,matthew reckons            
twenty-seven generations from ,david to 
,christ4 ,luke reckons forty-two2 and   
the names totally disagree4 ,matthew    
traces the descent from ,solomon1 and   
,luke from ,nathan1 both sons of ,david4
 ,according to our feeble notions1      
twenty-seven cannot be equal to         
forty-two1 neither can ,nathan1 c4 be   
imagined to be ,solomon1 c4 ,the        
infidels suppose1 that the two          
evangelists1 rather than the church     
should be without the genealogy of its  
founder1 chose to invent them2 but we   
good ,christians1 who know that both    
writers were infallible and inspired1   

are ready to reject the clearest axioms 
of mere human science1 and allow that1  
in sacred matters1 the greater number   
may be equal to the less4 ,these        
cavillers and infidels also demand how  
these genealogies of ,joseph prove1 that
 ,jesus was the son of ,david1 when it  
is avowed that ,joseph was not his      
father8 ,but they do not consider1 that 
a married man is obliged to father all  
the children his wife may produce2 and  
if this answer does not satisfy them1   
they must at all events confess1 that   
,joseph was father-in-law to ,jesus1 by 
being married to his mother2            
consequently ,jesus was son 7in-law7 to 
,joseph1 ,q4 ,e4 ,d4 ,as there is no    
answering for the perverseness of men1  
there may perhaps be some1 whom even    
this demonstration will not satisfy4 ,to
 these we offer an argument discovered  
by the truly profound ,mr4 ,pascal499   
,he justly observes1 that when two      
witnesses disagree in the circumstances 
of a fact1 we ought to believe them so  

much the more readily on that account1  
as it shews that they did not contrive  
the story in concert4 ,this remark1 it  
is to be hoped1 will likewise put an end
 to the absurd custom which prevails in 
our courts of justice1 of discrediting  
evidences1 which1 contradict each other1
 such contradictions being in reality a 
mark of truth1 a ceux qui prennent bien 
les choses4       99 ,les faiblesses les
 plus apparentes sont des forces        
ceux qui prennent bien les choses1 ,par 
example les deux      geneo logies de   
,st4 ,matthieu1 et de ,st4 ,luc1 il est 
visible1      que cela n'a paset fait de
 concept4 ,voyes remarques sur les      
,pensees de ,pastal ,ed4 ,geneve1 #aggc4
   #be4 ,it is mouch to be wished1 that 
some of our spiritual directors1 who    
have leisure time and large incomes1    
would be at the pains to rectify and    
adjust to the standard of holy writ1 the
 many errors and omissions of profane   
historians4  ,when ,christ was baptized 
by ,john1 the heavens were1 opened1 and 

a voice was heard1 declaring his divine 
origin4 ,such a prodigy must have       
awakened the attention of all ,judea2   
yet we find the historians totally      
silent on the matter4 ,it is strange1   
that the horrid massacre of the children
 by the command of ,herod should be     
totally unnoticed by ,josephus1 and even
 by the evangelists1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and  
,john499 ,matthew alone mentions it2 but
 his authority is fully sufficient to   
justify an interpolation 7like many     
others7 into the text of the other three
 evangelists1 who are defective in that 
particular4       99 ,if such an act of 
cruelty had been committed1 it could not
      by any contrivance have been      
concealed1 and ,josephus1 the           
inveterate enemy of ,herod1 and many of 
the most impartial      historians of   
the ,romans1 living at that period1     
would have      taken care to record    
such a public act of barbarity on the   
part of ,herod4       ,editor4   ,it is 
well known with what success the        

primitive ,christians began the holy    
work of interpolating1 suppressing1     
forging1 and altering profane histories2
 but as we believe their piety always   
prevented their meddling with the sacred
 text1 notwithstanding the arguments of 
infidels1 who attempt to prove the      
contrary1 these holy frauds have been   
found of infinite service in            
establishing the cause of ,christianity4
 ,why do we forbear to pursue their     
great and laudable example8 ,the modesty
 or the mistaken candour of these       
antients99 have allowed them to         
interpolate no more than one paragraph  
concerning ,jesus into the text of      
,josephus4 ,would it not shew our       
superior zeal1 and be of infinite       
service to posterity1 if some divine of 
the present age would incorporate the   
whole narrative of ,matthew into the    
same text8 ,but1 alas1 the sneers of our
 adversaries1 the unbelievers1 have     
prevailed too much1 and good works1 like
 these1 are now no more6  #bf4 ,about   

eighteen centuries ago1 7according to   
the prophecy of ,christ and his apostle 
,paul19999 the sun was darkened1 the    
moon ceased to give light1 and the stars
 fell from heaven2 the sign of the ,son 
of ,man was seen1 the ,lord himself     
descended from heaven with a shout1 the 
trumpets of the archangels were heard1  
the dead in ,christ arose1 ,st4 ,paul   
and others of the elect1 who were then  
living1 were caught up in the clouds1   
went to meet the ,lord in the air1 and  
have been with him ever since4 ,it is   
truly astonishing1 that a phenomenon so 
awful as the destruction of the system  
of nature should have made no           
interruption in the state of nations and
 affairs at that time1 that all the     
historians should omit to record so     
dreadful an event1 nay1 that they should
 survive it2 and that the primitive     
fathers should forbear to mention a     
circumstance which was so well          
calculated to establish the ,christian  
religion1 and confute all the arguments 

of the ,jews1 heathens1 and unbelievers4
 ,when your ,lordships set about the    
great work of rectifying antient        
histories1 you will doubtless be careful
 to insert an account of this tremendous
 occurrence2 for ,christians can have no
 doubt but that it really happened1     
since it was so directly foretold both  
in time and circumstances1 by ,christ   
and his apostle ,paul4       99         
,josephus1 de ,antiq4 ,jud4 lib4 xviii4 
cap4 #d4       9999 ,matt4 xvi4 #bg1    
#bh4--,matt4 xxiv4 #bi1 #cd4--,mark     
xiii4 #bd1      #ca4--,lukexxi4 #be1    
#cc4--a ,thess4 iv4 #af1 #ag4   #bg4    
,the oracles of ,delphos were obscure   
and capable of various interpretations1 
but the prophecies of sacred writ are   
all so clear and obvious1 they shine so 
bright by their own native lustre1 that 
no one has ever pretended to doubt their
 divine origin1 except those infidels   
who are unfortunately blinded by the too
 great suffusion of light1 which the    
,scriptures so continually emit4 ,if the

 gift of curing the blind be not        
entirely lost among the apostles of the 
present day1 it must be ,christian      
charity to describe the symptoms of     
their disorder1 that your ,lordships may
 attempt the cure4 ,these unfortunate   
people observe1 that ,god said to ,adam 
concerning the tree of knowledge of good
 and evil199 ,in the day that thou      
eatest thereof1 thou shalt surely die2  
he transgressed1 and1 nevertheless1     
lived at least eight hundred years      
afterwards4 ,they observe1 that the     
great evangelical prophet ,isaiah199    
could foresee the downfall of ,babylon  
by ,cyrus1 but could not tell the name  
of the ,messiah1 though his coming was  
an event of infinitely greater          
consequence2 nay1 they even charge him  
with a blunder1 if we admit the opinion1
 that ,christ was intended by the names1
 ,mahershalal-hash-baz and              
,immanuel19999 since he was never called
 by them4 ,but they impiously solve     
this1 difficulty1 by affirming1 that    

,isaiah might take the advantage of     
writing his prophecy concerning ,cyrus  
after the events took place1 but could  
not avail himself of the same pious     
cunning in the affair of the ,messiah4  
,and1 in fact1 we1 the true believers1  
are in great want of evidence to        
overthrow their supposition4 ,they      
demand1 if the prophecies be so evident 
and clear1 so different from those of   
the ,heathens1 how happened it that the 
whole ,jewish nation1 then living1      
together with the angel ,gabriel1 should
 mistake1 and suppose the kingdom of the
 ,messiah to be temporal2 and that it   
should not be discovered that his       
kingdom was not of this world1 until his
 enemies1 the unbelievers1 had prevailed
 and sent him out of it8 ,they ask1     
whether those inspired writers who      
prophesied concerning things of no      
consequence1 as the thirty pieces of    
silver1 and the casting lots for his    
garments1 could not1 with equal         
certainty1 have predicted the more      

important circumstances of his death and
 resurrection8 ,in short1 they beg to be
 shewn a single prophecy concerning     
which divines are agreed1 and desire to 
know why1 in the days of gospel light1  
the great prophecy of ,john the ,divine 
should be more obscure and enigmatical  
than any which was written during the   
typical and shadowy dispensation of     
,moses8 ,all which absurd questions your
 ,lordships will1 no doubt1 answer1     
overthrow1 and expose in the most       
palpable manner1 to the great joy of us 
weak ,christians4       99 ,isaiah xiv4 
and xlv4       9999  ,iaiah       999999
 ,luke i4 #cb4   #bh4 ,how came it to   
pass1 say our enemies1 the cavillers and
 unbelievers1 that ,jesus1 the ,son of  
,god1 should curse a fig-tree99 for     
being without fruit in ,march2 was he1  
by whom the world was made19999 ignorant
 that it was not the season for figs8   
,they likewise demand1 whether it was by
 design or mistake that he              
affirmed999999 that wheat does not      

produce fruit unless it first die8 ,if  
,scripture was not meant to instruct    
philosophers1 yet why should it mislead 
them8 ,but though these infidels may    
please to assert1 that wheat in our days
 is governed by laws directly contrary  
to these1 as all naturalists indeed     
acknowledge1 yet who can affirm that it 
was so eighteen hundred years ago8 ,on  
the contrary1 since these things are    
recorded in the sacred writings1 we     
ought to submit and believe that the    
system of ,nature is changed from what  
it was in ancient times4 ,this event    
probably came to pass when the sun was  
darkened1 and the stars fell from       
,heaven1 as mentioned in a former       
question4       99 ,matt4 xxi4 #ah4     
,mark xi4 #ac1 #bj4       9999 ,john i4 
#c4       999999 ,john xii4 #bd4        
99999999 ,quest4 #bf4   #bi4 ,your      
,lordships1 no doubt1 will readily      
explain and settle the mysterious       
disagreement between ,john the ,baptist 
and ,jesus ,christ499 ,john being asked 

if he was ,elias1 answered1 ,i am not2  
but ,jesus9999 affirms1 the contrary4   
,as few even of the ,christians have    
faith enough to believe that ,john was  
and was not ,elias at the same time1 a  
word or two of explanation would afford 
them infinite satisfaction4             
,commentators in divinity can do        
miracles in the way of explaining2 but1 
unfortunately for us1 all other miracles
 have long ceased1 though at no time so 
much wanted as at present4   #cj4 ,out  
of forty ,gospels we receive four as    
canonical2 the rest are the fruitful    
produce of that spirit of forgery which 
the ,christian world has always been    
celebrated for4 ,their piety was        
indefatigable in burning the books of   
the heretics and unbelievers1 and the   
same piety was not sparing in furnishing
 apocryphal books4 ,it is for the       
salvation of mankind that ,christianity 
should prevail2 and how can its         
propagation be advanced1 and its        
dominion confirmed1 more than by        

preventing the arguments against it from
 being exposed to view8 ,some may indeed
 pretend1 that this mode of proceeding  
is tyrannical1 and destructive of the   
rights of mankind2 but we1 the faithful1
 insist that it is zealous and politic4 
,how can a man be said to be injured1   
even if we allow that he is cheated1    
since he is cheated into salvation1     
though perhaps against his will8 ,yet it
 will be doing a singular service to us 
weaker ,christians1 if your ,lordships  
will point out by what particular       
emanation of the ,holy ,spirit the      
,church was enabled to select the divine
 out of such a number of apocryphal     
writings4       99 ,john i4 #ba4        
9999 ,matt4 xi4 #ad4   ,our enemies1 the
 infidels1 say1 that time has           
obliterated the primitive disputes on   
this subject1 and that the sanction of  
custom has confirmed the authority of   
the four ,gospels1 which1 so far from   
external and historical1 have not even  
the internal evidence of truth4 ,they   

observe1 that the gospel of ,mark1      
though evidently an abridgement of that 
of ,matthew1 yet differs from it in many
 very material particulars2 that the    
grand circumstance of the conspiracy by 
which ,christ lost his life1 is told    
differently and discordantly by all the 
four4 ,they express the highest         
astonishment that the sending of ,jesus 
to ,herod by ,pilate should be related  
by ,luke1 and that the other three      
,evangelists should not only omit that  
occurrence1 but relate the proceedings  
in this affair so as entirely to exclude
 the possibility of its insertion4 ,they
 think it also impossible that an       
earthquake should rend rocks1 and that  
many saints should arise from the dead1 
and go into the holy city1 as ,matthew  
relates2 and yet that these great events
 should not only have escaped           
contemporary historians1 but even the   
other three ,evangelists4 ,and to this  
they add1 that it is particularly       
strange and amazing that ,john1 who was 

present at the crucifixion199 should not
 only forbear to mention any one of the 
terrible appearances recorded in        
,matthew on that occasion1 but that even
 the darkness of three hours' duration1 
which must have made the most lasting   
impression on every individual in       
,judea1 should also be by him totally   
unnoticed4       99 ,such as we behold  
even in the present enlightened day by  
that great prophetess1 ,joanna          
,southcott1 and her followers6      who 
are now deceiving the people of this    
kingdom with her      prophecies4 ,edit4
   #ca4 ,the malevolence and incredulity
 of our adversaries1 the unbelievers1   
are visible in nothing so much as the   
criticisms they make on the             
resurrection4 ,they complain1 and with  
some degree of reason1 that this most   
miraculous and important event1 instead 
of possessing that extraordinary and    
uncommonly clear evidence1 which its    
incredible nature requires1 bears1 on   
the contrary1 every mark of a forgery4  

,instead of ,christ's re-appearing to   
all the world1 that the world might     
believe1 he is said to have appeared to 
his disciples1 who were the only men on 
earth whose evidence could be           
exceptionable in the case2 men who      
already engaged in the attempt of       
forming a sect or party199 could by no  
means be disinterested in their report2 
the only men on earth who could be      
suspected of forgery in the present     
instance4 ,these are the men1 say our   
enemies1 who were to preach ,jesus      
,christ to the world1 and to find       
arguments to support the fact1 which    
,christ might have uncontrovertibly     
established by appearing again in       
public4 ,but the generation was unworthy
 of that condescension1 we reply1 which 
they wickedly paraphrase thus3 ,god1 who
 desireth3 not the death of a sinner1   
left them in their sins1 that they might
 die--,god1 who spared not his beloved  
,son1 but gave him to the bitterness of 
death1 that sinners might be saved1     

chose1 nevertheless1 to deprive all     
mankind of the proper evidence of the   
resurrection1 because the ,jews of that 
age were sinners6 ,mercy is the         
character of the first act1 but how     
shall we characterize the latter8 ,is   
the ,god of the ,christians inconsistent
 with himself8 ,did the great and       
merciful ,being act thus8 ,did he       
inspire four men to write accounts of   
the resurrection199 which disagree with 
each other in almost every circumstance8
 ,does his divine truth bear the        
resemblance of forgery and invention1   
that we may shew our faith and reliance 
on him1 by making a sacrifice of our    
reason2 and believing by an act1 not of 
the understanding but of the will8 ,but 
why1 ,o thou ,supreme ,governor6 why    
hast thou given us reason1 if reason be 
the accursed thing which we ought to    
cast from us8 ,or rather1 is not reason 
the first and only revelation from thee2
 and are not those enthusiasts accursed1
 who1 promulgating vile systems unworthy

 of thee1 find their base purposes are  
not to be accomplished1 till they have  
first deprived us of thy best gift8     
99 ,see the concluding chapters of the  
four ,evangelists4   ,these1 my ,lords1 
are the reflections of infidels and     
unbelievers2 reflections which our truly
 ,christian zeal and detestation would  
have prevented us from repeating1 if we 
had not been supported by a pleasing    
anticipation of the glorious and        
satisfactory manner in which they will  
be answered1 explained1 and overthrown  
by your ,lordships1 to the entire       
satisfaction and conviction of us weak  
,christians4 ,not by persecution1 pains1
 penalties1 fines and imprisonment1     
otherwise the unbelievers will then     
sneeringly say1 that your ,lordships are
 incapable of answering them1 or1 what  
is more unfortunate1 that they are      
really unanswerable4   ,,finis4