Of this dishoneft dealing, to give it its true name, you have continual examples in the writings of Monf. de Voltaire, where he touches on the subject; but his unworthy artifice, and difingenuoufnefs in this refpect are detailed at length in * Letters faid to be of feveral Portuguese, German, and Polish jews to M. de Voltaire, in 3 vols. 8vo.; but really written by a learned priest and doctor of the Sorbonne. Mr. Findlay alfo in 1770, now Dr. Findlay, the learned President of Glafgow-college, has well expofed these practices, by which this eminent writer has stained his great abilities, and leffened his character.

As the best things have ever been liable to be perverted, we must frankly acknowlege, for no one acquainted with history can deny, that great corruptions have arisen from the gofpel, and abuses to the worst purposes have been made of it, and caused many to think ill of and condemn it. A fair inquirer however will confefs that it has always been of confiderable benefit to mankind, and that it

Lettres de quelques Juifs Portugais, Allemands et Polonois, à M. de Voltaire. A Paris. 1776.

is in itself most friendly to the peace and happiness of society, as was teftified by a candid heathen hiftorian of the fourth century, upon feeing the difturbances, to which it innocently gave occafion, and the murders, and cruelties towards each other, which the chriftians were guilty of at that early period. *And notwithstanding the present indifference, and desertion of many, and the affaults made upon the gospel by its various adverfaries all along from the first, (none more fierce and fubtle than thofe of the prefent day,) we may not be afraid boldly to maintain, that it ftands upon a rock, that cannot be shaken; viz. upon the truth of this fingle fact, of Jefus, its author, being a divinely authorized teacher, a prophet of God; which was evinced and confirmed by the miracles wrought by him, to which he appealed; and, principally, by his being raised from the dead in three days, in conformity to his own predictions.

The divine authority likewife of Mofes, the Jewish lawgiver, his predeceffor, was built on

* Ammianus Marcellinus. Lib. xxii. c. 11.

Quæ nihil nifi juftum fuadet et lene.

the

the like immoveable foundation of a divine interference, fignified by mighty miracles, publicly wrought, and recognized by their effects at the time, in the reception of fuch a religion, at first, so burdenfome and irkfome, by the Ifraelites, not otherwise to be accounted for, but on the footing of real miracles; effects, which, if we may fo fpeak, have continued to the prefent hour, in the rigorous adherence of that people and their defcendants to their religion, under the temptations they have continually been to defert it; fcattered, moreover, as they have been, and are, over the face of the whole earth, and most unworthily and unceasingly vilified and illtreated as Jews, wherever they go; its truth alfo corroborated ftill farther by the actual fulfilment of ancient * prophecies relating to the difperfion and other circumftances of this extraordinary people; not to mention the atteftation given to their religion from the

* See, to name no others, Mofes's prophecy concerning the captivity of the Ifraelites, of a State not yet erected; and the exact fulfilment of Christ's prophecy, not to fay of that of Moses, in fo many exact particulars, and the long captivity that was to follow. Deut. xxviii. Luke xix. xxi.

gofpel

gofpel being a continuation of one and the fame extraordinary plan of divine providence for the virtuous improvement and happiness of the whole human race.

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To these revelations from heaven by Mofes and by Jefus Chrift, for the most beneficent purposes, to make mankind virtuous and happy; it is objected, that their foundations fail on being examined, because the proofs of the interpofition of the divine Being in their favour are not to be depended upon, refting folely on the teftimony of weak and fallible mortals, who have in all ages delighted in inventing, liftening to, and propagating ftories of wonderful things, of apparitions and communications with their falfe gods, to countenance their various fuperftitions and idolatrous practices, and fuch practices have been too much imitated and encouraged by Chriftians themselves.

The imputation must be allowed to have fome foundation; and this credulous turn and weakness ought ever to put us on our guard, that we fuffer not ourselves to be deceived by falfe pretences to a divine extraordinary power:

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power: but it does not invalidate the testimony of mankind to those instances of it, which are accompanied with fufficient evidence, and not loaded with any unnatural contradictory circumstances.

It should be remembered, however, that it is a mifreprefentation of thefe divine interpofitions in behalf of the gospel, when it is alleged, that they are brought to prove the truth of its doctrines, of which, unqueftionably, they are not proper proofs: thofe primary truths, for inftance, of Chrift's religion, and of all true religion; namely, that God is to be loved and obeyed before all things; that virtue, or the love of our fellowcreatures, fo as to feek their happiness as our own, is to be cultivated by us: thefe and the like doctrines have their proper evidence, founded in the nature of man and the relation between him and his Maker, independent of miracles, which can add nothing to them in that refpect.

The proper province and defign of miracles is, to confirm the authority of a prophet or divine meffenger in what he delivers con

cerning