AT LOS ANGELES
 
 AN 
 
 ANSWER 
 
 TO 
 
 Mr. PAINE's AGE OF REASON, 
 
 CONTINUATION OF LETTERS 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PHILOSOPHERS AND POLITICIANS OF FRANCE, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 SUBJECT OF RELIGION; 
 
 ANn OP THE 
 
 LETTERS TO A PHILOSOPHICAL UNBELIEVER. 
 
 By JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL.D. F.R. S. 
 
 WITH A PREFACE BY THEOPHILUS LINDSEY, A.M. 
 
 NORTHUMBERLAND TOWN, AMERICA, 
 PRINTED IN 1794. 
 
 n o , -i a 
 
 i) i > O J- O 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 HEPRINTID FOR J. JOHNSON, IN ST. fAUL'S CHURCH- YARD. 
 M.BCC.XCV.
 
 o 
 
 4^ 
 
 o 
 
 EFAC 
 
 "'HIS pamphlet confifts of two tra&s, 
 
 or rather it is the continuation of 
 
 two different works, which, becaufe they 
 
 both relate to the fame general fubjeft, 
 
 g I publifh together. When the works 
 
 to which they belong fhall be reprinted, 
 
 Cvl 
 
 e> they will, of courfe, be feparated. 
 
 The turn that infidelity has lately 
 taken in France is not a little remark- 
 able ; but it promifes well for the caufe 
 of religion* Whether the belief pro- 
 c,, feffed by thq National AiTernbly in the 
 Q being and attributes of God, and in a 
 c future ftate, be lincere, or not, it fliews 
 
 A 2 the
 
 iv PREFACE. 
 
 the fenfe they entertain of the importance 
 of this faith, to the good conduct and 
 happinefs of men, as members of fo- 
 ciety. And as a comparifon of the evi- 
 dences of natural and revealed religion, 
 will foon convince all reafonable perfons, 
 that the latter is much more free from 
 difficulty than the former, I am per- 
 fuaded that when the prejudice which is 
 now conceived againft chriltianity, on 
 account of the fhocking corruptions and 
 abufes of it, mall begin to wear off, it 
 will be embraced firft by philofophers, 
 then perhaps by the French nation in 
 general, and laftly by the world at large ; 
 when I have no doubt, it will be found 
 to be infinitely better calculated to anfwer 
 the purpofe not of moralijh alone, but 
 even of politicians^ than the principles 
 of mere natural religion. 
 
 We mu ft not, however, be furprifed 
 if infidelity iliould continue to prevail to 
 a much greater extent than it has done 
 yet. The fame general caufes, which, 
 
 in
 
 PREFACE. v 
 
 in a late publication, I have endeavoured 
 to point out, and which have produced 
 what we now fee, muft continue to 
 operate fome time longer, and the pro- 
 phecies of fcripture, lead us to expecSl 
 the fame. Confequently, the faith of 
 intelligent chriftians, will be fo far from 
 being lhaken, that it will be confirmed, 
 by the prefent appearance of things, 
 though all that is gained by the moft 
 rational and effectual defences of chrif- 
 tianity, be little more than an increafed 
 attachment of the few who are truly 
 ferious and coniiderate. 
 
 How exceedingly fuperficial and fri- 
 volous are the hacknied objections to 
 chriftianity, and how entirely they arife 
 from the grofleft ignorance of the 
 fubjecl:, will appear from my animad- 
 verfions on Mr. Paine's Jboafted work. 
 He would have written more to the 
 purpofe, ifjie had been acquainted with 
 the writings of Voltaire, and other 
 better informed -unbelievers. But he 
 A 3 feems
 
 \i P RE FACE. 
 
 I feems entirely unread on the fubjedt, and 
 thereby to be unacquainted with the 
 ground, on which either the friends or 
 the enemies of chriftianity muft ftand. 
 Had he been better acquainted with the 
 
 fcriptures, which are a conftant fubjec~l 
 \ 
 
 of his ridicule, he might have made a 
 much more plaufible attack upon them. 
 
 This, it muft be owned, leaves but 
 little merit to the bell: anfwerer of Mr. 
 Paine. But it is proper that when, from 
 whatever circumftances, any work is 
 likely to make an unfavourable impref- 
 lion on the minds of men, endeavours 
 fhould be ufed to counteract the effecls 
 of it. I may alfo be allowed to make 
 the fame__apology for my_ frequent de- 
 fen ceso^reyej\ied_r^igion, thatJVoltairo 
 did for his infinitely varied attacks 
 upon it, viz. that different works fall 
 into different hands, and provided the 
 great end be anfwered, repetitions are 
 not ufelef:-. For my own part, ib 
 fenfible am I of the unfpeakable va- 
 lue of revealed religion, and of the 
 i iufliciency
 
 P & E F A d E. vii 
 
 fufficiency of its proofs, that I think no 
 man can employ his time better, than in 
 giving juft exhibitions of them, and in 
 diversifying thofe exhibition s$ as particu- 
 lar occafions call for theni. 
 
 But the more I attend to this fubjecl:^ 
 the more fenfible I am, that no defence 
 of ch'riftianity can be of any 5 a^ail till it 
 be 'freed from the many corruption s_and 
 abufes which have hitherto incumbered 
 itj and this mufl particularly ftrike every 
 reader of Mr. Paine' s Age of Reafoh. The 
 expofing of thefbjprfuptions, I therefore 
 think t5 be the nlpft eflential preliminary 
 to the defence of chriftianity* and confe- 
 quently I fhall omit no fair opportunity 
 of reprobating in the ftrongeft terms* 
 fuch dodtrines as thofe of tranfubftanti- 
 ation, the trinity^ atonement, &c. See. &c. 
 to whatever odium I *may expofe myfelf 
 with fuch chriftiacs as^ from the bed 
 motives, but from ignorance, con fid er 
 them as effential to the fcheme* That 
 thefe doctrines, and others which are flill 
 generally r?ceived even by proteftants^ 
 
 A 4 ar*
 
 viii PREFACE. 
 
 kre corruptions of chriftianity, and were 
 introduced into it from the principles of 
 heathen philofophy and the maxims and 
 cuftoms of heathea religions, I have de- 
 mon ftrated in various of my writings, 
 efpecially in my Hiflory of the corruptions 
 of chriftianity a third edition of which 
 will foon be publifhed in this country. 
 Here we happily enjoy the greateft free- 
 dom of difcuffion, as well as the freeft 
 exercife of religion, without the interfe- 
 rence of the Hate. Here, therefore, we 
 may expect the natural happy effect of 
 true freedom, in the gradual prevalence 
 of truth, and the manifold defirable con- 
 fequences of it. 
 
 I am well aware that I mall be blamed 
 by many fincere friends of chriftianity, 
 who may approve of my zeal, and even 
 the ground of my defence of our com- 
 mon principles in other refpects, that [ 
 fo frequently introduce what is offenlive 
 to them, with refpect to my ideas of 
 chriftianity. But it is in the nature of 
 things impoffible to feparate the defence 
 
 3 v
 
 PREFACE. ix 
 
 of chriftianity from a view of what I 
 deem to be its true principles, and which 
 alone I can undertake to defend. The 
 perfons who object to me on this ac- 
 count, are equally at liberty to defend 
 chriflianity on their peculiar principles, 
 though they introduce things offenfive to 
 me. Free difcuffion will in time enable 
 us to demonftrate the truth of chrifli- 
 anity, if it be true, and alfo to afcertain 
 the genuine principles of it, whatever 
 they be. May the God of truth lead us 
 into all truth ! 
 
 * *' 
 
 Northumberland Town, Pennfylvania, 
 Oftober 27, 1794. 
 
 N. B. Some Obfervations on the Canfes of Infidelity, 
 printed in America, is the Publication referred 
 to above, p. v. 1. j.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 THE well known author of this tracl will ever- 
 rank high, as one, of the very few, in dif- 
 ferent ages,- diftinguifhed of heaven, who, by fupe- 
 rior powers of mind, and the virtuous and indefa- 
 tigable exertion of them, has extended the* limits 
 
 of 
 
 * Some being ignorant of, and others having affufted to depreciate 
 Dr. Prieftley's merits, I fharll infert his character in this refpefi, as 
 given me in the year 1787, by a common friend, Mr. Kirwan,- 
 certainly a moft competent judge. See " An Addfefs to the 
 Students of Oxford and Cambridge, p. 68." 
 
 " To enumerate Dr. Prieftley's difcoveries would be, in fhcl, io 
 enter into a detail of moft of thofe that have been made within the 
 kft fifteen years. How many invifible fluids, whole exigence 
 evaded the fagacity of former ages, has he made known to us ? The 
 very air we breathe, he has taught us to analyze, to examine, tri 
 improve : a fubftance fo little known, that even the precife effect of 
 refpiration was an enigma till he explained it, He firil made known 
 to us the proper food of vegetables, a.Vt in what the difference 
 between thefe and animal fubftances confided. To him pharmacy- 
 is indebted for the method of making artificial mineral waters, a; 
 well as for the fhcrter method of preparing other medicines ; metal- 
 lurgy, for more powerful and cheaper folvents ; and chemiihy, for 
 fuch a variety of difcoveries as it would be tedious to recite : difco- 
 veries, which have new modelled that fcience, and drawn to it, and 
 to this country, the attention of all Europe. It is certain, that 
 fince the year 1775, tile eye and regards of all the learned bodies 
 in Europe, have been directed to this country by his means. In 
 
 ever/
 
 Xii PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 of human knowlege, and advanced the ufeful arts 
 and comforts of life ; and who, at the fame time, 
 by his various refearches and writings, has contri- 
 buted to the virtue and happinefs of mankind, 
 efpecially by helping to difpel the mifts of igno- 
 rance and fuperflition, which had ftifled and well- 
 nigh extinguifhed the revelation which the bene- 
 volent Creator had made of his will to them, and 
 of the way to his favour for ever. 
 
 Still acluated by the fame defires, and en- 
 gaged in the fame purfuits, to ferve others, driven 
 now from his native land, by a revival of thofc 
 High-church pcrfecuting principles, which peo- 
 pled the defarts of America, in the days of the 
 Stuarts, he has found an afylum, and been wel- 
 comed with honour into that country, which had 
 lately to cdhtend for its own liberty and inde- 
 pendance ; and which is glad, and able to receive 
 into its capacious bofom, all the fufferers from 
 religious or civil tyranny throughout the world. 
 
 As every event whatfoever, every circumflance 
 of the life of every man, is ordained and over-ruled, 
 by the infinitely wife and good Creator, for the 
 virtuous improvement, and prefent and final hap- 
 pinefs of the univerfc, and of each individual in it, 
 we may be fully perfuaded, that where man intends 
 evil, God intends and brings forth good, and that 
 the beft purpofes of the divine government will be 
 promoted by the means of thofe unworthy paftions, 
 
 every philofophical treatife, his name is to be found, and in alraoft 
 every page. They all own that moft of their difcoveries are due, 
 either to the repetition of his difcoveries, or to the hints fcattered 
 through his works." 
 
 which
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.' 
 
 which compelled this eminent perfon to take refuge 
 in America. Nay, already they have begun to 
 fhew themfelves, in the reception which has been 
 given to Dr. Prieftley, and in the general eftima- 
 tion in which he is held, notwithstanding the bafe 
 arts which have been ufed, (of which more here- 
 after) to poifon that people's minds, and turn 
 them againft him. 
 
 I find alfo from the accounts of others, befides 
 his own letters, that a very general curiofity is 
 excited about him and his writings. Many of 
 thefe have already found their way to that conti- 
 nent ; and cannot but conduce, in a variety of 
 ways, to the improvement of its inhabitants ; and 
 muft, in one inftance particularly, be of moft eflen- 
 tial fervice, in a country, where, from various 
 caufes, from the inhabitants mixing fo much with 
 the fubjefts of Great Britain, and their intimate 
 connexion with the French officers who affifted 
 them in combating for their liberties, a very gene- 
 ral fcepticifm has taken place, efpecially in the 
 Southern States. Dr. Prieftley's invaluable works, 
 the Inftitut.es of Natural and Revealed Religion, 
 his Hiftory of the Corruptions of Chriftianity, 
 together with the Letters to Unbelievers, by which 
 fome of ourbeft writers have fmce profited, cannot 
 but be of infinite ufe. 
 
 It was natural for Mr. Paine to fend over, and 
 for the Americans to be inquifitive after his famous 
 work, " The Age of Reafon," which had reached 
 the country before Dr. Prieftley's arrival in it, and 
 
 was
 
 XIV PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 \vas much extolled and circulated. He foon found 
 that it was deiired and expected, that he fhould 
 make jfome reply to it, and undertake a caufe. 
 which he was held fo well able to defend. 
 
 Mr. Paine is very far from being a contemptible 
 adverfary, as he pcirelTes the talent, perhaps above 
 all other writers, of arrefting the attention of his 
 readers, and making them pler/ed and defirous of 
 going on with him, which, with many, is one 
 itep towards convincing them. 
 
 Without difparagement to the learned and inge- 
 nious replies, which others have made, to this 
 popular work again ft revelation, he has here met 
 with an opponent, who has moft thoroughly con- 
 futed, if he has not done fomething even toward 
 converting him. Here are no expreffions of afto- 
 nifhment at any of his aflertions, however ftrange 
 and ilngular ; no accufations of his writing with, 
 bad views, or tha.t he is to be blamed for writing 
 againft the Bible, if he difapproves or thinks it a 
 bad book. But with that candour and mutual 
 refpecl, which becomes men canvaifing important 
 points, and feeking after truth, Dr. Prieftley 
 frankly acknowledges thofe grofs errors among 
 chriftians, which Mr. Paine juftly reprobates, 
 whilft he detects and plainly mews him his mif- 
 takes in every thing of importance, which he has 
 advanced againft real chriftianity, and that it ftands 
 firm and fccure againft his objections, as againft all 
 others. 
 
 The continuation of the Doctor's letters to the 
 French politicians and philofophers, which confti- 
 tutes the firlt part of the prcfent publication, is 
 
 ad mir-
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XV 
 
 admirably contrived, like thofe which have gone 
 before, to recover them to the belief of chriftianity, 
 \vhichthey havedifcarded. And his efforts, \vith thofq 
 of others, whom Providence ihall hereafter raife up, 
 will, I hope, be effectual, to plant again the gofpel, 
 which had been really loft, in that country. For 
 the chriftian religion, as they had metamorphofed 
 and corrupted it, and in the Hate in which it 
 remains in Italy, Naples, &c. and in Spain and 
 Portugal, the dire abodes of the Inquifition, had 
 actually generated and tends to generate, that infi- 
 delity and atheifm into which a great part of the 
 French nation had fallen, and which was becoming 
 univerfal. And as many of our own countrymen, 
 from various, lo^ig-fubfifting caufes, that might be 
 pointed out, and not a few among the younger 
 part of the learned profeffions, from the reading 
 of this work of Mr. Paine's, and from the profelyt- 
 j.ng zeal of fome * minute philojbphers lately rifen, 
 
 among 
 
 * Perfons of no mean abilities, and of acknowleged worth aod 
 probity, the fruits, not of their philofophy, but of the chriftian 
 religion in which they were educated, and the early habits they had 
 derived from it; yet furely, very minute pbilofophers , and blind, who 
 can argue as if there was no God ; who can maintain that the eye. 
 was not made for feeing ; who, in the face of day and of the fun, can 
 behold this fair fabric of the world, with marks of wifdom in. every 
 part, and not perceive it to be the work of an intelligent creator. 
 
 Hear however the verdift of true philofophy. <( I had rather 
 believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, 
 than that this univerfal frame is without a mind. And therefore 
 God never wrought miracles to convince Atheifm, becaufe his ordi- 
 nary works convince it. It is true, a little philofophy inclineth 
 man's mind to Atheifm, but depth in philofophy bringeth mens 
 minds about to Religion. For while the mind of man looketh upon 
 
 fecon4
 
 XVI PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 among us, are faid to be hastening into the fame 
 dreary gulph, it is not too much to expert, that a 
 due attention to this work of Dr. Pricftley's, and 
 to his other writings, may fave them from it. 
 
 What now could raife up fuch a ftorm againfl 
 fo refpectable a character, as to conftrain him to 
 retire a voluntary exile from his country, to which 
 he was fo fingular an ornament, to whofe benefit 
 his whole life and fhidies had been dedicated, and 
 where he was fo juftly loved and cfteemed by the 
 good and the liberal, and by fome of the moll 
 excited characters ? 
 
 In the number of thefe, to confine myfelf to this 
 metropolis only, and to fuch of them who have 
 finifhed their part, and left this ftage of human 
 life, I (hall begin with one of the firft characters 
 of our times, one of the molt amiable and benevo- 
 
 fecond caufes (battered, it may fometimes reft in them, and go no 
 further : but when it beholdeth the chain of them confederate and 
 linked together, it muft flye to Providence and Deity +." 
 
 I would add, that not to worfhip this beneficent parent of the 
 univerfe, would Hop the current of thofe affections which belong to 
 him, and which are as natural as thofe to our fellow-creatures, and 
 make no fmall part of our happinefs ; and would, by degrees, extin- 
 guifh all thought of him, and lead to doubt, if not to deny, his very 
 exiftence, with all its immoral confequences ; efpecially, if the 
 faftiionable fyftem be taken up when young, before any better habits 
 are formed. A fubjeft, this, not fufficiently confidered by the 
 ingenious author of the " Memoirs of Planttes" who in the compafs 
 of a few lines, (p. 113.) wipes away all application to God by 
 prayer, not reflecting, how poor a fupport he leaves for the pradice 
 ofjufliee and benevolence to cur fellow- creatures, which he rightly 
 makes the road to bafpinefs, but furely not the c/v/y road. 
 
 f- Bacon's Efiays. 
 
 lent
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 lent ofhuman beings, Dr. Price, whofe life was fpent 
 in learned labours for the good of his country and of 
 mankind, and who, by his writings ftill continues to 
 inftrucT: and ferve them : with him Dr. Priefllcy 
 lived in long and uninterrupted friendfhip, ce- 
 mented by the fimilarity of their ftudies. and pur- 
 fuits, though differing to the laft in fome points, 
 which are held to be coniiderable and important. 
 
 That generous, public fpirited perfon, Sir George 
 Savile, his country's guardian and delight, ever 
 held him in high honour and efre.em for his uncom- 
 mon abilities and virtues, and for his (kill in the 
 arts and philofophy, which he loved ; and was 
 always happy when he could fee him, and particu- 
 larly to be his hearer at the chapel in EfTex-ftreet, 
 where he himfelf attended. 
 
 With Mr. Lee, the late Attorney General, a 
 man of fine talents, quick difcernment, unbounded 
 candor and goodnefs of heart, being near him in 
 age and place of birth, he had an intimate friend- 
 fhip, till the death of the former diffolved it. As 
 no man was a better judge, no one in general more 
 admired and prized Dr. PriefUey's moral, theolo- 
 gical, and political writings; and among the latter, 
 his Letters to Mr. Burke, occafioned by his " Re- 
 flections on the Revolution in France, &c." Thefe 
 Letters were considered by him as a mafterpiece in 
 their way, interfperfed with fine ftrokes of wit 
 and humor, and the trueft eloquence, and a full 
 confutation of the falfe reafoning, and danger- 
 ous arbitrary principles, advanced in that cele- 
 brated work. Only he was appreheniive, that 
 he might hurt his ufefulnefs, and increafe the 
 prejudice of many agiinft him, by his well-meant, 
 
 a but
 
 PREFACE BY THE XDIT6*. 
 
 but injudicious predictions of the fatal confc- 
 quences that would enfuc from the neglect of a 
 timely reformation. 
 
 At Mr. Lee's houfe in Lincoln's-inn-fields, for 
 near twenty years, we were wont to fpend the 
 Sunday evenings together, whenever they were in 
 town ; happy nights of chearful pleafantry, and free 
 difculTion of all fubjects, (for two men, more 
 formed and furnimed for focial converfe are rarely 
 found) the recollection of which will be always 
 profitable and pleafmg, never, alas, now to return ! 
 But all does not end here : for there - is an allured 
 hope of living again, and converfing with virtuous 
 friends, in a more durable and ftill happier (late. 
 
 I muft not omit two prelates, truly to be revered, 
 as being fingularly free from the narrow prejudices 
 attached to their order, who were not afbamed of 
 profefling themfelves the friends of Dr. Pneftley ; 
 the accomplifhed Bifhop Shipley^ the friend alfo of 
 Dr. Franklin and of America, with whom he was 
 long acquainted ; and the venerable Bifhop of Car- 
 lifle, Dr. Law, who was in perfect accord with 
 him in his fentiments on moft fubjecls. 
 
 This fhort lift will, for brevity's fake, finifh with 
 one more name, ever to be honoured. To fhew on 
 what terms of mutual affedtion and high efteem, 
 Dr. Prieftley converfed with that true patriot, 
 chriftian, fcholar, and philofopher of the firlt rank, 
 Dr. John Jebb, there needeth only to mention the 
 Dedication to him, of his Treatife on the Doctrine 
 of Philofophical Neceflity. In that beautiful, and 
 luminous competition, proceeding from the fulnefs 
 of the heart, and conviction of the truth of that 
 glorious principle in which they both agreed, you 
 
 read
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 read the true character of the men, what excellent 
 creatures they were, and what all may become, 
 who are under the like influences. 
 
 Dr. Prieftley however had one quality, an ardent, 
 active zeal for the reformation of things confefledly 
 wrong and hurtful, which was not calculated to 
 procure a general love and efleem, but often the 
 contrary, in the prefent ftate of things, and im- 
 perfect condition of mankind. 
 
 Penetrated with the moft abfolute conviction of 
 the reality of the Divine Unity, and of the con- 
 nection which the belief of it had with the virtue, 
 the peace, and happinefs of mankind, he beheld 
 with deep regret, the whole chriftian world, the 
 proteftant part of it by no means excepted, funk 
 in idolatry, and fo far gone from the idea of the 
 Divine Being, taught by the jewifh lawgiver, and 
 reinforced by Jefus Chrift, as to make the fame 
 Jefus, his melfenger, the fupreme God himfelf, and 
 to worfhip him equally with the Father of himfelf 
 and of the univerfe. He therefore hefitated not, 
 in his immortal writings, from the prefs, in the 
 fmalleft fize, and to the level of the loweft capa- 
 cities ; as alfo in larger and more learned volumes ; 
 from the pulpit alfo on public and proper occa- 
 fions, (for otherwife his difcourfcs were on things 
 that related to a virtuous life and practice) to main- 
 tain and defend, that there was no God but the 
 Father ; and that the worlhip of Jefus, by proteft- 
 ants, was equally idolatrous with the worfhip of 
 his mother Mary, by the papifts. 
 
 He was alfo much grieved with the nicety and 
 referve, which fome profefTed Unitarians fhewed, 
 in not publicly owning their principles, in ftill 
 
 a 2 fre-
 
 XX PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 frequenting the public eftablifhcd worfhip, which 
 to them was idolatrous ; and in fcruplir.g to call it 
 
 But perhaps in nothing did Dr. Prieftley give 
 more offence, or more excite the ill-will of many 
 againft him, than by thofe freedoms which he took 
 in cenfuring, what he held above all other things 
 the moft baneful to true religion and the gofpel, 
 the interference of the civil power in the things of 
 religion, all ufiirpation upon conscience, wherever 
 lodged, or by whomfoever exercifed. This queftion 
 he was called forth to difcufs on many occailons, 
 in defence of himfelf, and of all Difienters from 
 the State-religion ; but particularly in a work, at 
 firft publifbed feparately, in the form of Letters to 
 the Inhabitants of Birmingham, now printed to- 
 gether in one volume. 
 
 An ordinary perfon would have funk under the 
 means that were ufed to afperfe and depreciate his cha- 
 racter. But confcious of his own upright views and 
 abilities, and of the falfnood of the charges brought 
 againft him, and of the goodnefs of the caufehe had 
 undertaken, he, with perfect eafe and compofurc, 
 repelled the attacks of his adverfaries : for he was 
 by no means the aggrefibr. With a continual vein 
 of pleafantry, he plays with the arguments urged 
 againft him, in refuting them ; and if his remarks 
 are fometimes fevere and cutting as a razor, the 
 reader will judge, whether there was not a caufe. 
 Swift's Draper's leaers certainly had not more 
 true humour, nor were more plain, and adapted to 
 every underftanding. Some may be pleafed with 
 
 the
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.* XXl 
 
 the fample of. his ftile and manner, which I have 
 put in the margin *, and perhaps be diverted 
 with it. 
 
 Bifhop Hurd, in the life of his friend and patron, 
 Bifhop Warburton, lately publimed, has thought 
 fit to declare, in very ftrong terms, his condemna- 
 tion of Socinians in general, and of Dr. Prieftley in. 
 particular. Evidently alluding to and in contraft 
 
 * " A good lady, who wrote me an anonymous and fcolding letter, 
 on the idea, as (he faid, that, being unworthy of the caftigation of 
 any man, the pen of a woman was more properly employed, began 
 her curious letter with faying, that 1 " feized on Mr. Madan as 
 a cat feizes on a moufe." But if fhe had recollected that both 
 Mr. Madan and Mr. Burn were the aggrejjbrs, in this controverfy, 
 flie would have feen that they confidered themfelves as the cats, and 
 me as the defenCelefs moufe. However if they have found them- 
 felves miftaken, and fee-reafon to think, with my anonymous corre- 
 fpondent, that I am the cat and they the mice, I hope they will be 
 fatisfied that, though I have played with them a little, I have done 
 them no material injury, (fuch as they would have done to me) 
 but have taught them for the future not wantonly to provoke other 
 animals of prey, more favagely difpofed than myfelf. . 
 
 " It is true, I am an avowed enemy to the church eftablijkment of this 
 country, but by no means to any who belong to it. I write againft 
 Calvinifm, but have the greateft refpecl for many Calvinifts, and 
 vyifh to make them exchange their darknefs for my light. I am alfo 
 an enemy to Atheifm and Deifm, but not to Atheifts or Deifts. I 
 have a particular friendship for many of them in this country and 
 other countries, and I write in order to inform and reclaim them. 
 There is nothing perfonal in all this. They think as unfavorably 
 ofmyjfyftem, as I do of theirs. Let all points of difference be fairly 
 difcuffed. Truth will be a gainer by it. But let us refpecl one 
 another as we refpedt truth itfelf ; love all, and wifh the good of 
 all without diftinclion. This is true candour, and confiftent with 
 the greateft zeal for our particular opinions," Familiar Letters ta the 
 Inhabitants of Birmingham, p. 186. 
 
 a 3 -with
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 with him, he mentions the diflenting miniflerSj 
 with whom Bilhop Warburton was acquainted, as 
 men " who did not then glory in Socinian impie- 
 ties, or indulge themfelves in rancorous invectives 
 againft the Eftablifhed Church." p. 112. 
 
 Again, p. 119. fpeaking of Bp. Warburton, he 
 fays : " Next to Infidels profefled, there were no 
 fet of writers he treated with lefs ceremony, than 
 the Socinian ; in whom he faw an immoderate pre- 
 fumption, and fufpedted not a little ill faith. For, 
 profefling to believe the divine authority of the 
 fcriptures, they take a licence in explaining them, 
 which could hardly, he thought, confift with that 
 belief. In fhort, he regarded Socinianifm (the 
 idol of our felf-admiring age) as a fort of infidelity 
 in difguife, and as fuch he gave it no quarter." 
 One cannot help lamenting that Bp. Hurd in his 
 very advanced years, in writing the life of his 
 friend Bp. Warburton, fhould feel it either necef- 
 fary or right, to try to enhance his character, by 
 traducing a whole body of chriftians, neither defti- 
 tute of learning, nor fmall in number, and of well 
 known probity r , (having nothing to gain but perfe- 
 cution) though he call it in queftion : and this for 
 holding fentiments, which they certainly think 
 they derive from the teachings of their divine 
 fnaftcr Chrift, and for which they give their reafons, 
 which are before the public, and which fureljr 
 Bp. Hurd ought rarhcr to have endeavoured to 
 confute, and fet them right, inftead of merely rail- 
 ing againft and giving them bad names. 
 
 If we may judge of Bilhop Hurd from his 
 theological writings, he appears to have given 
 
 more
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 more of his application to philology and the belles 
 letters, than to the ftiidy of the fcriptures, which 
 may have prevented his attending to the impor- 
 tance of exhibiting them to the Englifh nation as 
 genuine and correct as poflible. For otherwife he 
 could not have fpoken fo degradingly * of the la- 
 bors of a learned prelate, Dr. Lowth, much his 
 fuperior in his own, and in every way ; nor have 
 endeavoured to throw cold water on the noble de- 
 lign of a new tranflation of the Bible, which Bimop 
 Lowth had fo much at heart, and ftrove to pro- 
 mote. 
 
 Happy would it have been, if Bifhop Hurd had 
 been difpofed, at the time, to give attention to the 
 weighty " Considerations" addrefTed to him by Dr. 
 Prieftley, in the conclulion of the fecond volume of 
 his " Hiftory of the Corruptions of Chriftianity." 
 He might thereby have been happily influenced to 
 what would have turned out to the honor and fur- 
 therance of the Gofpel, as well as for the benefit 
 of the State. But he had taken his ply, and the 
 clofe of the fcene is too near to look for a change, 
 on this fide the grave. 
 
 There was however always a large number 
 among the clergy, and members of the church of 
 England as well as the DifTenters, throughout the 
 kingdom, though few in companfon of the large 
 mais, who were not backward in teftifying, nor 
 fome of them in publicly declaring, their value 
 for Dr. Prieftley's exalted character and extra- 
 ordinary merits, and their obligations tp him 
 
 * Life of Bifliop Warburton, p. 94. 
 
 a 4
 
 XXIV PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 for the benefits they received from his writings. 
 At the time, when a panic was fpread through the 
 nation, and too generally credited, of fecret plots 
 and confpiracies to deftroy the king and the con- 
 ftitution, and to level all ranks and property, and 
 multitudes thronged to court to teftify their loyalty, 
 and no obloquy and abufe were thought too grofs 
 to be vented againft the Diflenters, and Dr. Prieftley 
 by name, who were held forth to the public as 
 accomplices in the nefarious defign : indignation 
 at the fight; of fuch rmpoiition and eafy credulity 
 on the one fide and on the other, and the mean 
 adulation of many, but not fpringing from any 
 difrefpect to the prince on the throne, drew from 
 a genius of fuperior order, the following itrains 
 addrefled to Dr. Prieftley, which Milton himfelf 
 might have been proud to own : 
 
 Stirs not thy fpirit, Priefcley, as the tram 
 With low obeifance and with fervile phrafe, 
 File behind file, advance, with fupple knee, 
 And lay thei* necks beneath the foot of power ? 
 Burns not thy check indignant, when thy name, 
 On which delighted fcience lov'd to dwell, 
 Becomes the bandied theme of hooting crowds ? 
 With tirr.id caution, or with cool refcrve, 
 When e'en each reverend Brother keeps aloof, 
 Eyes the ftruck deer, and leaves thy naked fide 
 A mark for power to (hoot at ? Let it he. 
 " On evil days though fallen and evil tongues," 
 To rfiee, the ilander of a palling age 
 Imports not. Scenes like thcfe hold little fpacc 
 Jn his large mind, \vhofe ample tlretch of thought 
 Grafps future periods.- Well caii'it thou afford 
 
 T0
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXV 
 
 To give large credit for that debt of fame 
 
 Thy country owes thee. Calm thou-can'ft confign it 
 
 To the flow payment of that diftant day, 
 
 If diftant, when thy name, to freedom's join'd, 
 
 Shall meet the thanks of a regenerate land. > <! 
 
 Dec. 29, 1792. 
 
 The Times, and other minifterial prints, kept 
 no bounds in throwing their malignant afperiions 
 upon Dr. Prieftley, after the burning of his houfe, 
 library, &c. ; with a view to reprefent -him, as 
 having brought down this vengeance juftly upon 
 himfelf, for his pretended republicanifm and hof- 
 tility to government; on the principle! no doubt, 
 of the Italian afTaflmSj the injurer never forgives. 
 
 It was afferted in this paper of the i9th of July, 
 1791, that at. the dinner, on the preceding i4th of 
 July, to celebrate the French Revolution, one -of 
 the rirft toafts that was drank, was, Dejlruftion to 
 fbf prefent government, and, 'The King's Head upon 
 a charger. And it was immediately fpread through 
 the kingdom, that it was Dr. Prieftley, who gave 
 this toaft, although he \vas not Drefent on the occa- 
 fion. This rumour was at the time publicly con- 
 tradicled, and proved to be falfe, yet the ftory (till 
 continues to have credit with many perfons, who 
 probably never faw the fact truly Mated. - This 
 Paper, with fome others, feem to have had a ftand- 
 ing order to calumniate Dr. Prieftley at all feafons, 
 under the notion that fome of their dirt muft ftick. 
 
 One other inftance only of their fcandalous be- 
 haviour to Dr. Prieftley, firir. openly expofed a few 
 weeks ago, I fhall tranfcribe, from one o& the 
 public prints, that it may not die away, but re- 
 main a monument of their inventive faculty. 
 
 A pa-
 
 XXVi PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 A paragraph inferted in the True Briton, and 
 the Sun, of the nth of December, 1794, 
 
 " There is a gentleman living in Leadenhall- 
 flreet, who went over to New York in the fame 
 veflel with Dr. Prieftley. He fays nothing could 
 furpafs the chagrin and difappointment of the 
 Doctor on his arrival there, at the dearnefs of pro- 
 vifions, the cool manner in which he was received, 
 and the difficulty there is for a European to fettle 
 himfelf to his mind. Two young men from Bir- 
 mingham, whom he had brought up Unitarians ; 
 whom he had cloathed, educated and fed ; whofe 
 paflage he had paid, to that Land of Promife, on 
 condition of their ferving him there, quitted their 
 matter the third day after their arrival, faying, that 
 they were free to do as they liked, and that they 
 would ferve him no longer. The Doctor found no 
 invitation to preach in any of the churches in that 
 Country, which likewife was mortifying; for it 
 appears they do not like a political gofpel from the 
 pulpit there. A Mr. Lyon, a rich farmer, who 
 went over at the fame time, and bought an eftate, 
 fold it foon after on account of the manners of the 
 people ; his workmen, in fmock frocks, would 
 dine with him, and bring their companions with 
 them : In fhort, the traits of ruftic democracy are 
 extremely laughable, at the fame time that it is 
 clear, they mufl render America intolerable to any 
 man accuftomed to live as we do in England. 
 America is only good for the flout- working-man, 
 who labours himfelf, but not at all for the rich 
 Farmer or Manufacturer. The idea of emigrating 
 6 there
 
 PREFACE BY THE, EDITOR. XXVll 
 
 there will foon ceafe ; and there are now at New 
 York numbers of Englirti who would return, but 
 their money is all gone, and they have not the 
 means." 
 
 A REPLY TO THE ABOVE. 
 
 c A paragraph having appeared in the papers 
 (the True Briton, and the Sun) of the nth of 
 December, 1794, dating the difappointment of 
 Dr. Prieftley, and Mr. Lyon, on their arrival in 
 America ; the latter, being now returned to this 
 Country for a fhort time, declares the whole to be 
 falfe ; and though the Doctor's character (lands 
 too high, both there and here, in the eftimation of 
 every well wifher to the human race, to need Mr. 
 Lyon's defence, he thinks it but juftice, in the 
 Doctor's abfence, to blunt the point of an AlfafTin's 
 dagger. If AddrefTes from all the different fo- 
 cieties, (the Tories excepted) and deputations 
 Waiting upon him in all the principal Towns 
 through which he patted, congratulating him upon, 
 and welcoming his arrival in their country, and 
 the offer of the Profc.-jflbrfhip of Chemiftry in Phi- 
 ladelphia, are marks of the cool reception he met 
 with, it muft be allowed the aiTcrtions are true. 
 As to the two young men, mentioned as coming 
 from Birmingham, who (lie wed fo much ingra- 
 titude to the Doctor, the faft is, there was no per- 
 fon whatever on board the Ihip from that place, 
 nor any other perfon, to whom the alFertion is ap- 
 plicable. That the Do<5tor received no invitations 
 to preach, is equally without foundation. A ge- 
 neral
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 neral diftike to political doctrine from the Pulpit, 
 fhcws the good fenfe of Americans, and this coun- 
 try, by holding it in proper contempt, would do 
 veil to copy after them. As to Mr. Lyon, he 
 never purchafed any eftate, of courfe could not fell 
 it with lofs, neither had he any fervants there ; if 
 he had, he can have no heiitation in faying, he 
 fhould have been as well ferved by them, as he 
 was in England, and with as much proper atten- 
 tion and refpedt. The Country is not a good one 
 for idle and debauched characters to emigrate to, 
 becaufe they will find nobody coming under that 
 denomination will get employment ; but Mr. Lyon 
 defies the proof of a fingle inftance of any perfon, 
 not anfwcring the above defciiption, wifhing to 
 teturn to England, except like himfelf to prepare 
 for a final removal and fcttlement there. Servants, 
 and labourer's wages are. mere than double what 
 they are here, notwithftanding the Farmers and 
 Graziers profits are great in proportion. Mafons, 
 both ftone and brick, Carpenters, Cabinet-makers, 
 Mill-wrights, Wheel-wrights, Blackfmiths, Shoe- 
 makers, and Taylors wages arc two thirds higher 
 than in this Country.' 
 
 Th fame bad fpirit which perfecuted Dr. 
 Prieftley at home, produced an infamous and formal 
 attack upon him from the Prefs, after his retreat 
 to America ; the title of which was, fc Obfcrva- 
 tions on the Emigration of Dr. Jofeph Priertley, 
 and on the feveral AddrefTes delivered to him, on 
 
 his
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXIX 
 
 his arrival at New York. Philadelphia, printecT : 
 London, reprinted. 1794- 
 
 In this piece, the writer reprefents Dr. Prieftlcy 
 as a firebrand, an open and avowed enemy to the 
 conftitution of his country ; whofe property had 
 indeed been deftroyed by a mob for thofe very 
 principles, but that he had received ample repa- 
 ration for his lofies, notwithstanding his whining 
 lamentations every where to the contrary, &c. &c. 
 
 I lhall not enter into the queftion, whether the 
 pamphlet was firft conceived and originated in 
 America, or in England, though not a few incline 
 to think it, in a great meafure, of Englifh growth. 
 From whatever quarter it iflued, it is the work of 
 a man who (heweth himfelf void of truth, and of 
 every moral principle, if he were an englishman ; 
 if an American, a grofs and ignorant calumniator. 
 
 I am happy, however, to be able to fpeak from 
 knowledge, that in America, this libellous publi- 
 cation, which was defigned to calumniate, and 
 inftigate the country againft Dr. Prieftley, on his 
 firft arrival, had quite the contrary effect, and in- 
 Head of anfwering the vile purpofe, did really re- 
 commend him more than a laboured panegyric on 
 his character could have done. For the Ameri- 
 cans were not wholly ignorant (what civilized 
 country in the world is ignorant) of his writings, 
 of his being one of the firft philofophers of the 
 age, and an eminent defender of true religion. 
 
 But what ftill moft of all helped to give credit 
 to, and to fpread this atrocious attack on the moft 
 virtuous of men, was the Review of. it, made by 
 the Britiih Critic, for the month of November,
 
 XXX PREFACE JSY THE EDITOR. 
 
 1794, and the giving it the feal of their appro- 
 bation. 
 
 fje the original author of the pamphlet who he 
 will, and whatever the degree of his guilt, their's 
 is of much deeper die, who could coolly and de- 
 liberately adopt and recommend it, as they could 
 not but know it to be a tiffue of abominable ca- 
 lumnies. 
 
 The Reviewer fets out with great folrmnity ; 
 and with rhetorical art and ftudied malice, ftrives 
 to lift up his little pamphlet to the rank and dig- 
 nity of larger volumes, on account of the impor- 
 tance of the teftimony it gives concerning Dr. 
 Prieftley ; and for that end labours to prove it of 
 American origin. Let the reader judge of the 
 complexion of the piece by the pompous ftile of 
 the very firft fentence in it. 
 
 t We fometimes elevate a pamphlet, on account 
 of its importance, to a rank among our primary ar- 
 ticles, and this honour is peculiarly due to a (Iranger, 
 who comes forward to give his dec if? on as an umpire, 
 en points wherein the pafjions of EngliJLmen may 
 be fuppofed fufficienth inter eft ed to bias their judg- 
 ment." 
 
 The reft of the review is taken up, with a crafty 
 {election of the moft atrocious accufations at full 
 length, with Ihort innuendos, that they forbear * 
 to quote fome pafTages out of concern for the 
 Doctor, but really to excite the greater attention 
 to them ; giving, in their comments throughout, 
 
 * We (hall not infert the conjeftures that follow, becaufe we 
 hope they are too fevere." 
 
 a force
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXXI 
 
 a force and fling to the vileft infinuations, which 
 they would not othenvife have had. 
 
 Did thefe Reviewers never hear, that Dr. Prieftley 
 has been an eminent Tutor of youth, a teacher of 
 the gofpel, beloved and efleemed by all to whom 
 he has borne thefe relations; a philofopherof fome 
 note ? How can they then paint him merely as a 
 monfter that delights in blood and confufion ; for 
 nothing elfe can their readers gather from their 
 exhibition of him and his character. 
 
 If you had looked, Gentlemen, into his nume- 
 rous writings, would you not have perceived, for 
 he is plainnefs and fimplicity itfelf, that he had 
 been from early youth devoted to God, and to 
 virtuous purfuits ; that he has never been influ- 
 enced by views of interefl and mean ambition, but 
 earneftly fought the truth, and openly profefled 
 what he difcovered, for which he has been a fuf- 
 ferer from very early life to this hour that he is 
 perfecuted by you. 
 
 If you would take his character from his ene- 
 mies and oppofers, who have openly owned them- 
 felves as fuch, and not from fuch afTaffins in the 
 dark, whom you chufe to truft ; do you find that 
 they ever allege againft him any thing mercenary, 
 or cruel or deceitful, or charge him with any 
 crime, but a too vehement zeal and ardor for a re- 
 formation in church and ftate, which he believeg 
 would fave both, but they fay, would throw all 
 things into confufion and defolation ? And is he 
 for this to be frowned upon by men in power and 
 the governors of his country ; to have his houfe, 
 noble library, philofophical apparatus, and valu- 
 able
 
 XXX11 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 able manufcripts, burnt and deftroycd, and his life 
 endangered, and to be jeered and in {lilted when he 
 complains of the heavy lofs? Js he for this to be 
 hunted down, like a wild bealt, from his native 
 land, to which he has been the greateft benefactor, 
 to be purfued aero is the great oeean, and not be 
 fuffered, as far as yc could prevent it, to have a 
 friend to compafiionate him, or a place where he 
 could lay his head in peace and fafety ? 
 
 I fpare to fay, to whom vulgar report afcribes 
 the direction of your periodical publication, efpe- 
 cially on theological fubjects, and what relates to 
 men's civil and religious rights. But this is 
 an ill fpeeimen of the difcharge of the office ye have 
 undertaken, a very honourable one in itielf, to 
 form the public mind and tafte, to enable your 
 readers to make a right judgment of the truth and 
 falmood of the things and characters that come 
 before them. 
 
 O moral degradation ! O fhame to fcience ! when 
 its votaries can k'nd their rare abilities, heaven's 
 gift for better purpofes, to pleafe the great, and 
 gain their favour, who are far from being the mod 
 virtuous; and to lower and deprefs eminent virtue, 
 and hinder others from reaping advantage from 
 that example and thofe writings, by which they 
 might be formed to goodnefs, and excellence, and 
 happinefs for ever ! 
 
 A COPY of the prefent work was very lately put 
 into my hands, by a gentleman who had brought it 
 from America, when I refolvcd to make it public 
 
 and
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXXUl 
 
 and print it immediately, having been much in- 
 quired after, the fubject alfo being very feafonable 
 and important. It foon occurred, that it would be 
 defireable, and proper for me, if I could acquit my- 
 felf in it in any tolerable manner, to take the op- 
 portunity that offered, of faying fomething in 
 behalf of an honoured and beloved friend, that 
 might remove or foften the violent prejudices en- 
 tertained againft him, in this country, and in this 
 country only ; for in all others, his fame is great, 
 and his character revered. 
 
 It is a fa<5t too well known, and of every day's 
 experience, that thefe prejudices here run fo ftrong, 
 that, in general, in promifcuous public compa- 
 nies, among the clergy, nobility, men of fortune, 
 thofe that are already raifed high, or that look for 
 preferment in the different learned profeffions, all 
 who are connected with minifters of ftate, it is an 
 affront to mention the name of Prieftley, and to 
 commend his writings would be followed with a 
 dead filence, if not a rebuke. I have therefore en- 
 deavoured, in the foregoing meets, to vindicate 
 his fair fame, and to indicate the caufes of this an- 
 tipathy, and mean, unmanly conduct, which can 
 only injure the perfons themfelves, by keeping up 
 an averfion to this eminent perfon, and his writ- 
 ings, by which they might be benefited and im- 
 proved ; but cannot hurt him now, who is out 
 of the reach of all perfonal infult. 
 
 Unqueftionably, the fevere truths Dr. Prieftley 
 delivered, irritated the minds of fome againft him, 
 who are againft all reformation in chuich and 
 
 b ftate 5
 
 XXXIV PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 ftate ; but he has chiefly fuffcred by the fpirit and 
 temper of the times being changed, fince the pe- 
 riod that the venerable Hoadly went off the ftage, 
 who would have embraced our author with af- 
 fection and efteem, and protected him. This fpirit, 
 much increafed within a few years, has not only 
 vented itfelf againft him, but has caufed continual 
 migrations of mod valuable perfons among the 
 different clafies of DifTenters, to feek for that 
 peace and liberty in a foreign land, which they 
 could not enjoy at home. 
 
 Dr. Prieft ley's enemies, however, by their igno- 
 rant, malevolent detraction, cannot make him un- 
 happy, but only hurt themfelves. Changing his 
 country, he changes not thofe habits, which 
 form the virtuous, the holy, the benevolent, the 
 upright character. Thcfe conftitute happinefs, 
 threfc accompany a man wherever he goes, of which 
 no malice or violence can deprive him. In his 
 pafTage to America, which was unufually long, 
 upwards of eight weeks, he was happy, as all fuch 
 ever will be, in contemplating the new fcenes of 
 nature, which prefented themfelves to view, \vhich 
 he defcribes in his letters, and fpeaks of obferva- 
 tions made by him, that fuggeftcd various experi- 
 ments, which he ihould profecute, when he could 
 get his apparatus at liberty. Ever intent alfo upon 
 ibuinjr the good feed of truth and virtue, at all 
 fe:i:ons, and in all places, in truft that fomething 
 of goo. i might ipring up afterwards, as no virtuous 
 effort js ever loft, he found opportunity for this 
 moft pleafmg employment, which would be the more 
 
 9 likely
 
 PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXXV 
 
 Jikely to fucceed, as he is always chearful, and the 
 fartheft poflible from all religious gloom, nor dif- 
 pofed ever unfeafonably to obtrude advice or in- 
 flruction. Mentioning in his firft letter, the va- 
 riety of characters that were in the fhip, fome 
 that did not trouble themfelves much about reli- 
 gion, but " a number of ferious perfons, univer- 
 fally Calvinifts, though the majority were mode- 
 rate, as you will fuppofe," fays he, <c on their ap- 
 plying to me to perform divine fervicc to them. 
 This I did with much fatisfaction, when the wea- 
 ther and other circumftances would permit, feveral 
 others of the paflengers joining us.'* Thefe things 
 are not mentioned as being peculiar or extraordi- 
 nary, but to ihew his bent and drfpofition. 
 
 Never was any one's bias and turn more miftaken, 
 than in his being reckoned a political character; 
 although, like Locke and Newton before him (at 
 the time of the Revolution) he would have been 
 ready to ftand forth, at any hazard, when properly 
 called out, and his country's liberties in danger. 
 What he fays of himfelf, in a letter foon after his 
 arrival in America, fpeaks the truth concerning 
 him, in this refpect. " As I am much attended 
 to, and my writings, which were in a manner 
 unknown, begin to be inquired after, I propofe 
 to get my fmall pamphlets immediately printed. 
 I lhall carefully avoid all the party politics of the 
 country : for I have no other objects befides reli- 
 gion and philofophy. 
 
 I cannot conclude better than with an extract 
 from his laft letter, which mews his views and 
 
 b 2 defigns
 
 XXXVI PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 dcfigns to be the fame which they have been from 
 early life. 
 
 It is dated the latter end of February, from 
 Northumberland town, upon a branch of the 
 Sufquehanna, the place of his relidence. 
 
 ff You are concerned, as I apprehended you 
 \vould be, at my fixing in this place, fo much out 
 of the world as you actually take it to be. But 
 had you been here, you would not, I think, have 
 advifed me to do any other than I have done, 
 diflant as it is from my original views." 
 
 Then follows a large fatisfadlory detail of his 
 reafons for declining the invitation to the Chemi- 
 cal ProfefTormip at Philadelphia, which was made 
 to him in the handfomeft manner, and was not 
 for fome time after, if it be now filled up, with 
 a hope that he might change his determination. 
 He then goes on : 
 
 <f As to my ufefulnefs in other refpects, I really 
 think it will eventually be greater in confequence 
 of not immediately forcing myfelf into a more 
 public fituation. My writings which are now 
 much inquired after, and were not known or 
 thought of before, will prepare the way for my 
 preaching in Philadelphia, which I am determined 
 upon, about two months the next winter. In the 
 mean time I fhall have a fmall congregation here, 
 all the more intelligent people in the place having 
 agreed to join in building ine a place of worfhip. 
 We fhall firfl build a fmallcr place, which may 
 afterwards ferve for a dwelling houfe, or a library- 
 room, which we talk of eftablifhing, and after- 
 wards to erect a place of fome elegance ; the 
 
 ground
 
 .-., PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXXVU 
 
 ground for which I have already fecured. This 
 town not only will be, but even is, a place of 
 greater refort than you may imagine. And if we 
 eftablifh a College here, I do not think that I 
 could any where be fixed to more advantage; 
 efpecially if it be confidered, that I have here the 
 leifure for my purfuits that I could not have in a 
 populous town, and the climate, &c. much fupe- 
 rior to any thing near the coaft in feyeral impor- 
 tant refpects."
 
 The CONTENTS. 
 
 T ETTERS addrefled to the Philofopher* and Politi- 
 ^ ciansof France. 
 
 LETTER vi. 
 
 Of the beft Method of communicating moral Inftru&ion 
 to man - - I 
 
 LETTER vii. 
 Of Hiftorical Evidence . - g 
 
 LETTER viii, 
 Of the Evidence of a future State - 16 
 
 Letters to a Pbilofopbical Unbeliever. 
 PART III. 
 
 LETTER i. 
 
 Of the Sufficiency of the Light of Nature for the Pur- 
 pofe of moral Inftruftion - - - 27 
 
 LETTER ii. 
 Of the Nature of Revelation, and its proper Evidence 38 
 
 LETTER iii. 
 
 Of the Objed of Chriftianity, and of the Hiftory of 
 Jefus - 46 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Of the proper Origin of the Scheme of Chriftianity, 
 and Antiquity of the Books of the New Tefta- 
 ment - - - - 63 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Of Mr. Paine's Ideas of the D^&rines y\& "Principles of 
 
 Chriftianity - - 77 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Of Prophecy - - _ - 89 
 
 LETTER vii. 
 
 The Conclusion - - - 96
 
 ' E T T E R S 
 
 ADDRESSED TO THB 
 
 PHILOSOPHERS and POLITICIANS 
 
 O F 
 
 FRANCE. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Of the beft Method of communicating moral 
 Inftruftion to Man. 
 
 MY FELLOW CITIZENS, 
 
 T HAVE read with pleafure, and even with 
 enthufiafm, the admirable Report of Robef- 
 pier re on the fubjedl of morals and religion, and 
 rejoice to find by it, that fo great and happy 
 a change has taken place in the fentiments of 
 the leading men of France, fince the year 1774, 
 when I was in your country. Then, excepting 
 Mr. Necker, who was a Proteflant, every 
 perfon of eminence to whom I had accefs, 
 and, as I faw reafon to think, every man of 
 letters almofl without exception, was a pro- 
 felTed atheift, and an unbeliever in a future 
 jftate on any principle whatever. At prefent 
 your whole National AfTembly have profeffed 
 
 B their
 
 2 Letters to the 
 
 their belief in the being of a God, and alfo irt 
 a future flatc, on the principle of the immor- 
 tality of the foul, as highly ufeful, if not ne- 
 ceilary, to the obfervance of thofe moral duties, 
 which are effential to the well being of fociety. 
 Taking it for granted, that thefe are now 
 your fentiments, as well as thofe of the Nati- 
 onal AfTembly, many of whofe members rank 
 with philofophers, as well as politicians, give 
 me leave freely to expoflulate with you on 
 your rejection of chriftianity, which has no 
 other than the fame object, and the principles 
 of which appear to me to be much better calcu- 
 lated to anfwer your great purpofe. The laws 
 of morality, whether they refpect the Supreme 
 Being, our fellow creatures, or ourfelves, 
 fuch as the obligation of oaths, the duties of 
 juftice and humanity, thofe of men in the re- 
 lations of magiftrates and common citizens, of 
 hufbands and wives, of parents and children, 
 of mailers and fervants, and the rules of fo- 
 briety a.nd moderation in the government of 
 all our paflions, are taught with infinitely 
 greater clearnefs and authority in the fcriptures, 
 as the voice of God, the common parent of the 
 human race, than they are by the mere light 
 of nature. 
 \ The lufncicncy of the light of nature is the 
 
 frequent boalt of unbelievers in revelation ; 
 
 t the deduction cf moral and religious truths, 
 
 foeculative
 
 French Philofopbers, &c. 3 
 
 fpeculative or practical, from mere appear" 
 ances in nature, is, in many cafes, far too 
 difficult for the bulk of mankind.^ That by the 
 mere light of jiature mnjdiid_in_general would 
 ever have attained to the idea of a God, an 
 intelligent author of nature, is by no means 
 
 probable. Appearances wKich are conftant and 
 
 * i ^ 
 
 invariable, as I have^ obferved before, feldorn 
 draw the attention of the bulk of mankind. 
 They fee that ftones, and other heavy bodies, 
 always fall to the ground; they fee the fun, 
 moon and ftars, rife and fet every dayj they 
 fee fummer and winter fucceed one another 
 every year; they perceive in themfelves vari* 
 ous powers of a&iojilmfi jmjoyment -, but, with- 
 out attending_Jo__the caufes, or reafpns, of 
 thefe things, or, contenting themfelves with 
 the mod abfurd and inefficient reafons. It is 
 enough for them that the appearances are uni- 
 form, fo that they can always depend upon 
 them, and _a6t accordingly. 
 < The moft fublime and fundamental doctrines 
 of religion, are thofe of the unity of God, of 
 the immenfity of creation being the work of 
 one great agent, governed by one fuperintend- 
 ing providence, and tending to one great end, 
 viz. the happinefs of the percipient, and efpeci- 
 ally the rational, part of the univerfei But thefe 
 are fo far from, being: deductions eafily drawn 
 by j;he bulk of mankind, that, after being in 
 
 B ~a~~ poffef-
 
 4 Letters to the 
 
 pofTeflion of them, they have appearedto be 
 tocTgreat to be^retained by them, and 'have jil- 
 ways eluded their grafp. The doctrine of a 
 multiplicity of gods, gods of different pro- 
 vinces, powers, and characters, fome aiming 
 to do good, and others evil, has always forced 
 itfelf on mankind, and has never failed to 
 be followed by the moft abfurd and mifchiev- 
 ous fuperflitious practices,, calculated, as was 
 imagined, to obtain the favour of thefe vari- 
 ous deities. This has ever been the cafe, with 
 Heathens, Jews, and Chriftians, and it has 
 only been by repeated revelations, that men 
 h avc been brought back fo the belief of the 
 unity of God, and the important practical con- 
 
 fequences of that belief. 
 
 L * 
 
 The precepts of universal benevolence, and 
 impartial juftice, are allowed to be the moft 
 important : in the whole fyftem of morals ; but 
 nature, without a fuperior interpreter, does 
 not teach them, with iutticient clearnefs and 
 uniformity ; becaufe we fee many evils, and 
 many of them fuch, as the moft innocent per- 
 fons are involved in, take place in the ufual 
 courfe of nature, and therefore, no doubt, 
 according to the \vill of the author of nature. 
 That all natural evils are ultimately fubfer- 
 vient to good, I have no doubt, but it is far 
 from being apparently fo; and kings and 
 conquerors, who fpread undiftinguifhing ha- 
 vock wherever they come, might plead that 
 
 they
 
 French Philofophcrs, &c. 5 
 
 tliey imitate the Almighty, in his ftorms and 
 tempefts, in his plagues, peftilences, and fa- 
 mines. 
 
 It is poffible, however, that by much reflec- 
 tion, and frequent obfervations on the general 
 order of nature and providence, intelligent per- 
 fons might arrive at the belief that all evil will 
 ultimately produce good. But this will not 
 give them the full fatisfaction which all chrif- 
 tians have from believing, that men infpired by 
 God have, in fo many words, allured them, that 
 all things will work together for good to them that 
 'love him, that they may fafely rejoice in all tri- 
 dilation, and even chearfully die in a good caufe, 
 depending upon a happy refurreclion, and an 
 abundant recompence being made to them in 
 the life to come. It is impoffible that the mere 
 .contemplation of nature fhould give men this 
 full confidence, which is the parent of habitual 
 devotion, and of the moft heroic action. 
 
 That men are the offspring of God, and 
 therefore, that he is our parent, are ideas fuf- 
 ficiently natural, pleafing, and ufeful ; but they 
 are only realized, and felt, when God actually 
 calls us his children, and encourages us to ad- 
 drefs him as our Father who is in Heaven. 
 
 What nature teaches us with refpect to the 
 .manner in which we fhould conduct ourfelves 
 in life, is not in words , intelligible to all men, 
 
 - ^*J^-_- *' '"^fc 
 
 but muil be deduced by way of inference from 
 B 3 appear-
 
 6 Letters -to the 
 
 <Jvi*<S - A'.ft .<nf..y,-. *>,{ f, v iV^r'^t tK\r^M 
 
 appearances, which one man will interpret in 
 one way, and another in. a different one ; and 
 every man being necefTarily biafled by his own 
 prevailing inclination, he will generally con- 
 ceive that his own favorite purfuit is not for- 
 bidden by it ; fo that moft men will live much 
 as they pleafe, and yet all imagine that they live 
 agreeably to nature.^ But^ in revelation, God, the 
 au th or of nature, fpeaks in a language, that, 
 with refpect to every thing of importance, can 
 never be mifunderftood, and which muft ever 
 command refpe<3t. It is equally the language 
 of a parent, and of a fovereign, anxious for the 
 happinefs of all his children. 
 
 All that you can make of nature is a figura- 
 tive perfonage, whom you may addrefs as you 
 would the heavens or the earth, which are 
 parts of it ; and of God, confidered merely as 
 the author of nature, (but who has" never dif- 
 covered himfelf except in vifible objects, fuch 
 as the fun, moon, and flars, the earth, or the 
 plants and animals with which it is flocked,) 
 you cannot form fuch an idea as you do of a 
 perfon, approaching more nearly to a human 
 being, of whofe feelings you have a perfect 
 knowledge, and to whom, by the principle of 
 aflbciation, fentiments of veneration and love, 
 which leadto obedience, are intimately united. 
 The idea_o_the mere author of nature, whom 
 you can fee only in his works, will not make 
 
 fuch
 
 / 
 
 French Phttofophers, &c. *j 
 
 fuch an impreffion on the mind of man, as is 
 made by that of a real perfon, who, befije s 
 b e ing conceived to be Intimately prefent to you, 
 can, if he pleafes, fpeak to you^ and permit you 
 to fpeak to him, and to whom you can always 
 addrefs yourfelves with a certainty of being 
 heard, and being attended to by him. The 
 promifes and threatenings of fuch a being as 
 this will be refpected as thofe of a magistrate or 
 a parent. 
 
 The God of the Scriptures is apprehended 
 in this light, as the experience of all Jews and 
 Chriftians witnefles. The God who appeared 
 to Abraham,- who delivered the law from 
 Mount Sinai, who fpoke by the prophets,' and 
 who difplayed his power, and Signified his will, 
 by Chrifl and the apoftles, will be considered, 
 and behaved . to, as a real perfon, the object of 
 the hi^heft reverence, and the moil: lincere 
 
 o * 
 
 attachment; one to whom men will naturally 
 pray, and in whom they will put confidence. 
 And the commands of fuch a Being, delivered 
 by his authorized merTengers, will be obeyed^as 
 thoTe of a real lovereign, whole favojir 
 
 d e i 1 red, and whofe difpleafure will be dreaded ; 
 and .confequently, as thefe commands had no 
 other object than the duties of morality, this 
 iyflem of revelation, which you difclaim, is far 
 better adapted to promote your great object, 
 than the iyflem of mere natural religion. 
 
 "TT~ So
 
 8 Letters to the 
 
 So much more are men imprefled by any 
 thing approaching to humanity y that there was 
 the greateil wifdom and propriety in the Divine 
 Being, condefcending not only to make ufe of 
 articulate founds, fuch as constitute human 
 fpeech ; but to exhibit appearances of the human 
 form in his firfl communications with man, as 
 was probably the cafe with Adam, and perhaps 
 with Abraham ; though afterwards, as men 
 attained more juft and fublime ideas of the 
 Supreme Being, thofe appearances were with- 
 drawn. That there is nothing in reality re- 
 volting to the human mind in the idea of the 
 
 O "-"' ' I I.. . . l*. !.! ..!,! ! I! ! . . f 
 
 Divine Being condefcending to manifeft himfelf 
 to men in this familiar manner, however it may 
 now be objected to, is evident from univerfal 
 hiftory, which (hews that all men, in early ages, 
 expected, and readily believed in, fuch appear- 
 ances. Nor .was this the cafe with the vulgar 
 only :.for Socrates himfelf, fenfible of the dark- 
 nefs in which he, and the reft of mankind, were 
 involved, with refpect to truths of the greateil: 
 importance, expreffed his earnefl wim for fome 
 divine inftructor. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LET-
 
 French Pbilofopbers, &c. 9 
 
 i . . i 
 
 - 
 
 LETTER VIL 
 
 Of Hlftorlcal Evidence. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, " 
 
 HISTORICAL evidence, on which the 
 belief and authority of revelation .muff ne- 
 ceflarily reft, has been greatly undervalued by 
 the advocates for the furHciency of the light 
 of nature. But the experience of all mankind 
 is again ft them ; fince there are no truths which. 
 more readily gain the aflent ot mankind, or are 
 more firmly retained by them, than thofe of 
 an hiftorical nature, depending upon the tefti.- 
 monv of others. It is a kind of evidence to 
 which all men are rnoft accuftomed, fo that it 
 is quite familiar to them ; and it is peculiarly 
 adapted to the great bulk of mankind, who arc 
 unujfed to abftract fpeculation. The authority 
 of a parent or of a tutor r we fee to have the 
 greateft weight with young perfons and others 
 who have not been ufed to think for them- 
 felves. They naturally take it for granted, that 
 what they have been taught by them may be 
 depended upon ; and from their own natural 
 love of truth, they acquire a general confidence, 
 
 that
 
 io Letters to the 
 
 that when men who are even {Irangers to them, 
 fcave no intereft in their deception,' they will 
 Hsot deceive them. 
 
 Hence it is that we have, in faclj no firmer 
 pcrfuafion concerning any thing, than we have 
 the exiftence of many things which we have 
 sever feen ourfelves, nor ever expect to fee, 
 and of the truth of faffs, which we know only 
 from the information of others, as that there 
 are fuch places as Con flan tinople and Pekin, 
 and that Charles I. of England, and Lewis 
 XVI. of France, were beheaded ; and no 
 diflance of time fenfibly diminimes the force 
 ef this perfualion, when the facls have been 
 fully afcertained. Who, that is at all acquainted 
 with ancient hiflory, entertains the leaft doubt 
 ef Julias Csefar having been killed in the 
 Roman fenatc houfe, of Xerxes having been 
 defeated in his attempts to conquer Greece, or 
 Babylon having been taken by Cyrus ? 
 
 Such a faith as this we fee, in facl, to be as 
 fu ffi cient a foundation for action, as faith of 
 any other ki_nd whatever. Confequently, Jthat 
 God may chufe to fignify his will to men, that 
 thefe men may prove their divine million by 
 or fuch works as God^ the author of 
 
 nature, could alone oerform, and that_the _pej- 
 formanee__of fuch miracles may be attejftcd by 
 proper evidence, fo as to be entitled to our 
 failed credit, are things ealy of belief to man- 
 kind in c-cncral. Indeed ail men, in all a^cs, 
 
 ^^____ *^ ------- ^ -- r 
 
 haVc
 
 French Pkilofophers, &c. 1 1 
 
 have been difpofed to believe thefe things, and 
 only a few fceptical perfons have entertained 
 doubts rejecting the credibility of miracles, 
 or the propriety of the Divine Being having re- 
 courfe to them, in order to communicate his 
 will to men. It is not frpm fuppofitions, but 
 from actual faffs* that we are to learn what 
 mode of inftruction, or what kind of evidence, ' 
 is berft calculated to imprefs the minds of men. 
 The Great Being who made man, and who b&ft 
 k nows him, wi 11, no do'Abt, employ the beifc 
 method for this purpofe - y and it feems to be 
 agreeable to the general plan of his providence, 
 to make ufe of men for the inflrucflors of men. 
 RoufTeau, who received the morality, and 
 even the divine miffion of Jefus, though, in- 
 confiftently enough, without admitting the 
 miracles recorded in the books of fcripture, ap- 
 pears not to have given fufficient attention to 
 the nature and force of hiflorical evidence, when 
 he afks the following queftionsj (Emile, !iv. v.) 
 -" God, you fay, has fpoken. But to whom 
 " has he fpoken ? To men. But why, then, 
 " have I heard nothing of it ? It would have 
 " been no more trouble to him, and I fhould 
 " then have been fecure from deception. How 
 " has the miffion of the melTengers from God 
 " been proved ? by miracles ? But where are 
 " thofe miracles ? In books. Who have writ- 
 " ten thofe books ? Men. And who have feen 
 
 " thofe
 
 \ 
 
 1 2 Letters to the 
 
 " thofe miracles ? The men who atteft them. 
 " What, always human testimony ? Alwayg 
 " men who tell men, what other men have re- 
 " lated ? How many men between God and 
 " me !" *' 
 
 He might have afked juft the fame queftions 
 with refpecl: to all facts in ancient hiftory, or 
 any thing elfe that he himfelf had not feen ; 
 and yet, like other men, he certainly enter- 
 tained no more doubt with refpsct to many 
 things of this kind, than if he had feen them 
 himfelf. 
 
 As to the evidence of miracles, it is precisely 
 of the lame nature with that of other facts. It 
 is only reguifite that it be ftronger, on account 
 of their want of analogy to other facts. But 
 iF the evidence of any facts, miraculous or na- 
 tural, be fufficient to fatisfy thofe who faw 
 them^ it .may be made equally fatisfactory to 
 thofe who did not fee .them. If the perfons, who 
 themfelves few the miracles, were in fufiicient 
 numbers, and fufficiently unbiafTed, we can have 
 no doubt but that (fmce thofe perfons were 
 conftituted in the fame manner as we are) had 
 we been in their place, ive mould have been as 
 well fatisfied as they were. Nay, in many cafes, 
 men are even better fatisfied with the evidence 
 of other perfons than they are with their own, 
 from a diilruil of their own fenfes and judg- 
 ment. 
 
 I would
 
 French Pbikfophers, &c. 1 3 
 
 I would alfo obferve, that if other hiftories, 
 though written in ancient and unknown lan- 
 guages, can yet be made credible to the un- 
 learned, fo may the hiftory of the Bible ; and 
 it cannot be denied, that mere French and En- 
 glim readers have as firm faith in the hiftories 
 of Greece and Rome, as thofe who are acquainted 
 with the Greek and Roman languages. 
 
 Chriftianity, more than any other religion, 
 is calculated for the ufe of plain and unlearned 
 perfbns j and tho' the learned only can read 
 the fcriptures in the original tongues, the moft 
 unlearned have fufficfent means of fatisfying 
 themfelves, by comparing different tranfla- 
 tions, &c. with refpedl to the fidelity with 
 which the general fenfe has been conveyed to 
 them; and this is all that they are interefted in. 
 This or the other particular book of the Old or 
 New Teftament, or particular parts of books 
 may be fpurious ; but if the general hiftory 
 of the Jews, as contained in the books of 
 Mofes, and the^ moft general account of the life 
 of Jefus, of his principal miracles, his death, 
 and his refurrection, as related by any of the 
 Evangelifts, be true, we have fufficient reafon 
 to regulate our lives by the precepts of chrif- 
 tianity, from the firmeft faith in that refurrec- 
 tion to an immortal life, of which it gives us 
 the fulled ailurance. 
 
 In
 
 H Letters to the 
 
 In order to form a judgment concerning the 
 reality of prophecies and miracles, which are 
 the proper proofs of a divine miffion, RoufTeau 
 (ib.} fays, " We muft know the laws of chance, 
 ' and probabilities, to judge whether a predic- 
 " tion can be accompliflied without a miracle : 
 " we muft know the genius of ancient lan- 
 " guages, in order to afcertain what is a pre- 
 " diftion in thofe languages, and what is only 
 " a figure of fpeech; what facts ard within the 
 " order of nature, and what are not; and laft- 
 " ly to fay, why God has chofen, as an at- 
 " teftation of his having fpoken, methods which 
 " have themfelves fo much need of alteration; 
 " as if he fported with the credulity of men, 
 " and as if he purpofely avoided the true means 
 *' of perfuading them." 
 
 But if this writer would avoid what he him- 
 fclf (ib.) confiders as an intolerable inconveni- 
 ence, viz. that " there fhould be as many 
 " miracles as natural events," it is abfolutely 
 neceflary, that they fhould not be exhibited to 
 all men, but only to fome men, and on parti- 
 cular occafions, and that the perfons who were 
 witneffes of them, hould tranfmit their know- 
 ledge of them to others, in the ufual, but 
 what are found by experience to be fufficient, 
 methods. 
 
 In fome cafes, no doubt, it may be difficult 
 to diftinguifh a prediction from a fortunate
 
 French Philofopbcn, &c, 15 
 
 guefs> and alfo a miracle from an event within 
 the compafs of nature. But in many cafes, 
 and efpecially fuch as occur in the fcriptare 
 hiftory, there is no difficulty at all. With re- 
 fpedt to thefe, the mofl fceptical of men can- 
 not pretend that there could be any doubt of 
 the reality o the prediction, or of the mira- 
 culous nature of the fad:, if the appearances 
 were fuch as the hiftorians defcribe. Was it 
 . poffible, for example, to have been by means 
 of any natural difeafe, that the firfl born, and 
 the firfl born only, of all the ^Egyptians, and 
 the firil born of their cattle, as well as of tljeir 
 men, mould all die in one night, and that thofe 
 of the Ifraelites mould entirely efcape, and after 
 an exprefs and unequivocal prediction, that it 
 would be fo ? Could any power in nature, that 
 we are now acquainted with, divide the Rjed 
 Sea, and the river Jordan in fuch a manner, as 
 that fome millions of people mould walk through 
 them as on dry land ? 
 
 With refpecl to prophecy, could it have been 
 by any naturaffagacity, that Mofes predicted 
 the fate of the Ifraelitifh nation to the end of 
 the world ; or, leaving out what is yet to come, 
 could he have defcribed their fituation fo ex- 
 aclly as all hiftory fhews it to have been, till 
 this very time, and as we ourfelves now fee 
 it to be ? Or could our Saviour have foretold 
 the deilruclion of Jerufalem, and the total de- 
 moat ion
 
 1 6 Letters to the 
 
 molition of the temple, as events that mould 
 take place in that very generation, when it is 
 evident, that no other Jew of that age had the 
 leafl apprehenfion of any fuch thing ? It re- 
 quires no more knowledge of philofophy, or of 
 human nature, than all men are poflefled of, in 
 order to avoid deception in fuch clear cafes as 
 thefe. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Of the Evidence of a future State. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 THE principles on which you maintain 
 
 the doftrine of a future /late of retribution, are 
 
 * 
 
 much more liable to be called in queflion than 
 thofe of revelation. Philofophers will never 
 approve of them, and their opinions will have 
 weight with thofe who are not philofophers -, 
 and no authority of laws can prevent this. It 
 is not your national afiembly decreeing that the 
 belief of the being of a God, and of the immor- 
 6 tality
 
 French Pbilofopbers, &c. 17 
 
 tality of the human foul, are the principles of 
 religion with Frenchmen, that will make them 
 be believed by the people of France, or of any 
 other nation. The proper authority, on which 
 any fpeculative principles, which are the foun- 
 dation of all practice, are founded, muft be the 
 reafons alleged in their favour j and it will be 
 faid, that admitting there is a God, or an intel- 
 ligent author of nature, where is the evidence of 
 man furviving the grave ? 
 
 Men are not, in reality, actuated by any 
 other principles than thofe of other animals. 
 Our faculties differ from theirs only in degree % 
 and by no means in kind j and thofe of fome 
 brutes approach very near to thofe of fome 
 men ; and as men live, fo they die, in the fame 
 manner as brute creatures. Confequently, if 
 it be any thing in the natural conftitution of 
 man, on which you found your expectation of 
 the immortality of the thinking principle within 
 him, you muft have the fame expectation with 
 refpect to every brute creature, and even every 
 infecl:. 
 
 When men ceafe to breathe, they ceafe to 
 think, and alfo to (hew any figns of percep- 
 tion, juft as brutes do; and you commit both 
 in the fame manner to the earth, when every 
 principle of which they confifted, is either dif- 
 folved, and difperfed by the procefs of putre- 
 faction, or affords nuri(hment to other ani- 
 
 C
 
 1 8 Letters to the 
 
 mals, fo as to fuftain life in fome other form. 
 What appearance, then, or what natural evi- 
 dence of any kind, is there, that any part of 
 the dead man, or the dead animal, efcapes ? 
 Or, if any thing inviiible to us mould efcape 
 at death, what evidence is there of that part of 
 man retaining all the powers of perception and 
 thought ? 
 
 If while a man lives, his faculty of think- 
 ing is deranged by a blow on the head, or a dif- 
 eafe of the brain ; or if when he is thrown into 
 a ftate of found deep, his faculty of thinking be 
 fufpended, how can he perceive, or think, when 
 his brain is infinitely more difordered, or when 
 he has no brain at all ? Certainly there is no 
 analogy in nature that can lead us to form 
 fuch a conclufion. Had we had no knowledge 
 of men but in a ftate of death, it would have 
 been no more rational to fuppofe that they 
 were pofTefled of the power of thinking, than 
 that fo many logs of wood had the fame power. 
 
 If you fay that it is importable to conceive 
 how the properties of perception and thought 
 fhould refult from any organization of mere 
 matter, P fay it is equally importable to conceive 
 how the properties of gravitation, of magnet- 
 ffm, or of electricity, mould refult from the 
 fubftances which we find to be endued with 
 them. The connection between the fubilance 
 and the properties is equally unknown in all 
 
 the
 
 French Phiiofopkers> &V, 10 
 
 the cafes. Befides, what do we know vi imma- 
 terial jubjiances more than we do of thofe that 
 we call material? We have, in fa<5l, no pro- 
 per idea of any fubftance, but only of the pro- 
 perties by which they affect our fenfes, and 
 which we fay inhere in, or belong to them j 
 fo that to the mere terms material or immaterial* 
 as expreflive of things or fubftances, and ex- 
 clufive of their properties, which we fay belong 
 to them, we equally annex no ideas at all. Con- 
 fequently our difficulty with refpect to the 
 caufe of perception and thought, is not at all 
 removed by fuppofmg that they belong to an 
 immaterial fubftance> which is invifible to us> 
 and which efcapes when a man dies. 
 
 If you fay that there mufl be fomething in man 
 which is immortal, in order to his receiving 
 a juft recompence for his actions in this life, it 
 will be afketl, what reafon have you to expect 
 that men will receive from the author of na- 
 ture, any other recompence than they do in 
 this life ? You can only judge of the defigns, 
 as well as of the power of God, from what you 
 fee of his works and his providence ; and if 
 you fee that men actually do die in their crimes, 
 without receiving any proper punifhment, the 
 fair inference is, that the author of nature, 
 who is the author of life and of death, did not 
 intend that they fhould receive any. If you 
 form any other idea of God, he is a Being of 
 
 C 2 your
 
 20 Letters to the 
 
 your own imagination, and therefore nothing 
 that you can fuppofe fuch a being as he 
 ought to do, or to provide for, can be the 
 ground of any real expectation whatever. 
 
 I cannot help obferving that Monf. Robef- 
 pierre, in his excellent Report on the fubjecl:, 
 gives no reafons whatever for his belief in the 
 immortality of the foul, befides the import- 
 ance and ufe of the doctrine ; and Mr. Paine, 
 who in his Age of Reafon profefles the fame be- 
 lief, contents himfelf with faying, page 10, 
 that " The power which gave him exift- 
 " ence is able to continue ft, and that it ap- 
 " pears to him 'more probable that he tell 
 " continue to exift hereafter, than that he 
 " fhould have had exiftence, as he now has, 
 " before that exiftence began." But he gives 
 no reafon whatever why this appears to him to 
 be probable. Before he had any exiftence at 
 all there were numberlefs millions to one, 
 that he never would have exiftcd. For 
 exadly fuch a perfon as Mr. Paine was but one of 
 an infinite variety of beings, that might have 
 been produced, and therefore, confiftently 
 enough with what he has advanced, there may 
 be many millions to one again ft his exiftence 
 after death. That the power which gave him 
 exiftence is able to continue it, is no proof at 
 all that he will continue it ; fince there is, no 
 doubt, an infinite number of things within the 
 
 power
 
 French Philofopbers, &c. 21 
 
 power of the Almighty, that never actually 
 take place. 
 
 The more attention you give to this im- 
 portant fubject, the more fatisfied, I am con- 
 fident, you will be, that no principles befides 
 thofe of chriftianity can enfure the firm belief 
 of a future ftate, as neceflary to that doctrine 
 offufure retribution* which you wifh to efta- 
 blifh. In the principles of chriftianity, there 
 is nothing metaphyfical or dubious. That man 
 will furvive the grave, chriftianity allures us, 
 not on the principle of the immateriality, or 
 immortality, of any thing invifible belonging 
 to a man, which death cannot affect, but on the 
 actual refurrection of the whole man in a fu- 
 ture period; and this upon the pofitive word 
 of him that made man, and who, no doubt, 
 has power, though in a manner which we can- 
 not comprehend, to reftore the life which he 
 firft gave. 
 
 That the Divine Being has given men this 
 aflurance, is confirmed by fuch evidence as no 
 perfon can reafonably object to. For in the na- 
 ture of things, ftronger evidence could not 
 have been given, or even imagined ; as I pre- 
 fume I have fufficiently proved in my Dif- 
 courfe on the refurreftion of Jefus, to which I 
 take the liberty to refer you. What could the 
 moft incredulous of men have required more, 
 than that a man, commiflioned by God, and 
 C 3 evidencing
 
 22 Letters to the 
 
 evidencing his million, by unquestionable mi- 
 racles (fome of which were raifmg of dead 
 perfons to life) fhould not only affert the 
 doctrine, on the authority of thofe miracles, 
 but, as an ultimate proof of it, mould exhibit 
 himfelf as an example of it, by announcing 
 his own death and refurre<ftion within a limited 
 time, being put to death by his enemies, in 
 the moft public manner poflible. The cer- 
 tainty of his refurrection was alfo evident from 
 the conduct and miracles of the apoftles, acting 
 in his name afterwards. 
 
 Evidence of this kind is far better adapted 
 to the nature of man than any arguments that 
 can be alleged in favour of the immortality' 
 of the human foul, which, it is well known, 
 never, in fact, produce any confiderable ef- 
 fect, fo as to induce men to live and to afl t 
 and flill lefs to die, in the full perfuafion of its 
 truth ; and it cannot be denied, that this ha$ 
 been unqueftionably the cafe of thoufands and 
 tens of thoufands, with refpect to the chriftian 
 doctrine of a refurrection. What real influ- 
 ence had the doctrine of the immortality of 
 the foul upon any of the ancients ? And it is 
 well known, that the little appearance there 
 was of the belief of it, had vanifhed before the 
 time of Chrift. It is fufficiently evident that 
 even Cicero, who with great ingenuity collec- 
 ted, and ftated, all the arguments he could find 
 
 in
 
 French Phihfophers, &c. 23 
 
 in favour of this doclrine, did not himfelf lay 
 any ftrefs upon them. 
 
 The deifts of the laft century in England 
 began indeed, with profeffing, as you do, their 
 belief in the immortality of the foul, as well 
 as in that of the being of a God, and of a pro- 
 vidence : but it was not retained by their dif- 
 ciples. Few perfons have had an opportunity 
 of being better acquainted with the unbeliev- 
 ers of my own age and country than myfelf 5 
 and I can affure you, that I have hardly ever 
 known one of them, who had the lead expec- 
 tation of a future life, and fome of them have 
 publicly maintained, that the belief of it, as 
 well as that of the being of a God, has done 
 much harm in the world. If, therefore, you 
 wifh to eftablifh the belief of a future ftate, 
 as a fecurity for good morals, you muft not dif- 
 countenance the chriftian dodtrine of a refurrec- 
 tion, and rely on a principle which has never 
 yielded it any folid fupport. 
 
 Simple Unitarian chriftianity invites your par- 
 ticular and ferious attention. What you have 
 hitherto feen of chriftianity, has been little 
 more than the mocking abufes and corruptions 
 of it, which have made it fubfervient to the 
 mifchievous policy of kings and priefls. Be 
 perfuaded to examine for yourfelves, and you 
 will find, that none of thofe things which 
 have given you fo much juft offence, are at 
 
 C 4 all
 
 24 Letters to the 
 
 all authorized by the pure gofpel of Chrift, 
 On the contrary, his doctrines are moft fa- 
 vourable to the liberty and equality of man, 
 and to every thing elfe that contributes to his 
 dignity and happinefs. In the gofpel, men of 
 all ranks and defcriptions, Jew or Gentile, Bar- 
 barian, Scythian, bond, or free, as the apoftle 
 Paul exprefles himfelf, are confidered as bre- 
 thren, being equally children of God, and heirs 
 of immortality, They are reprefented as hav- 
 ing different parts to act on the great theatre 
 of the world, but as entitled to an equal re- 
 ward, if they act them well. So far is there 
 from any preference being given to the rich 
 and great, that their chance for future blifs, 
 is always reprefented as lefs than that of the 
 poor, who, on that account, are pronounced 
 moft happy, 
 
 In the original institutions of Mofes, there 
 was no provifion for a king, tho' all the neigh- 
 bouring nations were governed by kings, and 
 in the moft arbitrary manner ; and when the 
 Hebrews wifhed to imitate their neighbours in 
 this refpect, as they did in every other, the 
 prophet Samuel, fpeaking by authority from 
 God, defcribed to them the fatal confequence 
 of adopting that form of government, in as 
 earneft and as emphatical a manner as you your- 
 felves could now do it, viz. as leading to op- 
 preffion and every fpecies of abtife. 
 
 So
 
 French Philofophers, &c. 25 
 
 So far is the gofpel from being a fyftem of 
 ccclefiaftical tyranny, which is the ufe ' that has 
 been unhappily made of it, that nothing is fo 
 ftrongly inculcated by Jefus as the virtue of hu 
 mility, and that all pre-eminence is founded on 
 ufefulnefs. Having called his apoftles together, 
 on two of them difcovering fome fymptoms of 
 ambition, he faid, Matth, xx, 25, &c. " Ye 
 " know that the princes of the Gentiles exer* 
 *' cife dominion over them, and they that are 
 " great exercife authority upon them j but it 
 " mall not be fo among you. But whofoever 
 " will be great among you, let him be your 
 " minifter, and whofoever will be chief among 
 *' you, let him be your fervant $ even as the 
 ft fon of man came not to be miniflered unto, 
 " but to minifter, and to give his life a ranfom 
 " for many," The very ftile made ufe of by 
 the pope, who gradually ufurped all power in 
 heaven and in earth, clearly points out this ori- 
 ginal maxim of the gofpel, for he calls himfelf 
 the fervant of the fervants of God. 
 
 Originally all chriftian churches were no- 
 thing more than voluntary afTociations of chrif- 
 tians who appointed officers for the ufe of the 
 fociety, and difplaced them whenever they 
 pleafed ; and it was their firft cuftom, to ap- 
 point a number of the fame rank, to manage 
 all their concerns, not one of whom, as the 
 fajhop in after times, had any more power 
 
 than
 
 26 Letters to the, &c. 
 
 than another. In fhort, nothing could be more 
 favourable to the principles of equal liberty than 
 the genuine maxims of the gofpel, and the 
 uniform practice of the primitive ages of chrif- 
 tianity. 
 
 Still more evident is it, that minifters, in 
 chriftian churches, had originally nothing at 
 all to do in civil matters. In what manner 
 they acquired the power of which we find them 
 poflefled afterwards, and what ufe they made of 
 it, ecclefiaftical hiftory abundantly (hews. But 
 in no other cafe will you plead for the total dif- 
 ufe of any thing, on account of the abufes to 
 which it has been fubjeft. 
 
 Hoping that in the prefent very critical and 
 interefting fituation of your country, and of 
 all Europe, you will take thefe things into 
 your ferious confederation, I am, with my fin- 
 cere wimes for the perfect eftablimment of 
 your liberty, and the difappointment of all 
 your enemies, your highly honoured fellow 
 citizen, 
 
 J. PRIESTLEY. 
 
 Northumberland in America, 
 Vindemiairt 7. De la Republic Franfoife, 
 Ann, 3. 
 
 LET-
 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO A 
 
 PHILOSOPHICAL UNBELIEVER. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Of the Sufficiency of the Light of Nature for the 
 Purfofe of moral Inftruftion. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 CONSIDERING how diftinguifhed and 
 important a part Mr. Paine has a6led on the 
 theatre of the political world, and the eager- 
 nefs with which his writings have been read, 
 not only in America and England, but, by means 
 of tranflations, in all parts of Europe, I do not 
 wonder that you are apprehenfive that his viru- 
 lent attack upon revelation, in his late work 
 entitled ffle Age ofReafon, ihould make an un- 
 favorable
 
 28 Letters to a 
 
 favorable impreffion upon many perfons. And 
 as I have been Jiar^py enough, in the_former 
 part of our correfpondence, to have given you 
 fomejatisfaclion with refpect tojjfte writings of 
 MrTGibbon, and other modern unbelievers, you. 
 rcqueft my perufal of this work, and my opinion 
 of the ftrength or weaknefs of the arguments 
 contained in it, 
 
 I agree with you in thinking, that this work 
 fhews the fame vigor of mind and ftrength of 
 exprefiion, that diftinguiih the other writings 
 of Mr. Paine. But I hope to fatisfy youj and 
 others \vho are fufficiently candid, that he had 
 not the fame previous knowledge of the fubjecl: 
 of which he treats ; and without this knowledge 
 of his fubjecl;, the greateft mental ability a.n.d 
 command of words only enable a man to impofe 
 upon the ignorant and unwary ; who will na- 
 turally prefume that when a man writes with 
 great confidence in his own opinion, and con- 
 tempt of that of others (which are undifguifed 
 in this work of our author) he has taken pains 
 to make himfelf matter of his fubject, and that 
 he feels the ground on which he ftands. There 
 can be no doubt but that Mr. Paine thought fo. 
 But let us examine the foundation of his confi- 
 dence, beginning with what he fays of the fuf- 
 ficiency of the li^ht of nature for moral inftruc- 
 tion. 
 
 What
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 
 
 . / " What more/* fays he, page 70, 
 " man want to know, than that the hand, or 
 " power that made thefe things, is divine, is 
 '* omnipotent ? Let him believe this, with the 
 " force it is impoffible to repel, if he permits 
 *' his reafon to aft, and his rule of moral life 
 " will follow -of courfe." Speaking of the 
 creation, he fays, p. 66, " It preaches to all 
 f< nations, and to all worlds, and this word of 
 " God reveals to man all that is neceflary for 
 (< man to know of God." 
 
 Now, much more is neceflary to be known 
 by man, than that the hand, which made' him, 
 and all things, is omnipotent. For all the rules 
 of moral conduct by no means follow from this 
 fcanty knowledge. A being may be omnipo- 
 tent, and yet malevolent. For though the idea 
 of a devil has, I believe, no archetype in nature, 
 it is poffible in itfelf, and univerfally thought 
 to be fo. Nay, whole nations have believed in 
 an originally evil principle, as well as an origin- 
 ally good one. 
 
 Indeed, forgetting what he had faid about 
 the idea of the mere omnipotence of the author 
 of nature, being fufficient to lead men to the 
 knowledge of all moral duties, Mr. Paine calls 
 to .,,hjs_aid the marks of benevolence, which are 
 imprefled on the face of nature, fuppofing the 
 author of it to fay to man, p. S6, " Learn Iro'm 
 ft my munificence to all, to be kind to each 
 ~T~ """other."
 
 30 Letters to a 
 
 "other." There are, no doubt, marks of be^ 
 ncvoknce, as well as of power, in the conftitu- 
 tion of nature, and the conduct qf providence. 
 fufficient to enable a reflecting mind to conclude 
 that the author of nature is fupremely benevo- 
 lent, and that the great end of all his works is 
 the happinefs of his creatures. But this is not 
 fo apparent, but that many have drawn a con- 
 trary conclufion ; and there are appearances in 
 nature which would feem to juftify the gene- 
 rality of mankind, who are unable to take 
 enlarged and extenfive views of things, in draw- 
 ing it. At leaft, we fee in thefe appearances 
 the natural caufes of their miftake. For it 
 cannot t>e denied, that there is much evil as 
 well as good in the world, much pain as weU 
 as jdeafare ; and that the introduction of the 
 evil was with a view to the production of more 
 good, and not the pleafure which the intro- 
 ducer of it took in the thing itfelf, is not always 
 evident. 
 
 Men naturally judge of the thoughts and de- 
 figns of other intelligent beings by what they 
 experience in themfelves, and obferve in thofe 
 about them. Now, whatever be the caufe, 
 there certainly are perfons who really delight 
 in mifchief, and take a pleafure in the fuffer- 
 ings they occafion to others. It is no wonder, 
 therefore, that men have fuppofed that there 
 are beings above them, and at whofe mercy they 
 
 are,
 
 PLikfopbical Unbeliever. 3 1 
 
 are, who take pleafure in tormenting them j 
 and though they mould form an idea, that one 
 Being was the author of the various and feem- 
 ingly contradictory appearances in nature 
 (which, however, is more than mankind have 
 ever in fact attained to themfelves) they might 
 fuppofe that this great Being was of a variable 
 difpofition, fometimes rejoicing in good, and 
 fometimes in eviL To learn of him, therefore, 
 and to imitate his conduct, they might think 
 was occafionally to indulge themfelves in a little 
 mifchief; as, they might fay, the author of 
 nature did, by ftorms and earthquakes, or when 
 he fent war, and peftilence, and famine among 
 men. Men, therefore, left to the mere light _gf 
 nature, might fay, that, fince, in thefc cafes, 
 there is an evident violation of all the rules of 
 juflice, as well as of mercy and goodnefs, there 
 was no rcafon why men ihould be bound by 
 laws by which the Supreme Being did not bind 
 himfelf. 
 
 Agreeable to this, it is well known, that in 
 the very worfhip which the heathens paid to 
 
 J A - ^a m. ..-- -- ~ *' 
 
 their gods, they indulged both their lufl and 
 their revenge without the lead rcftraint. They 
 even inflidted the greateft tortures upon them- 
 i^.lves as well as upon others, as the fureft way 
 to gratify_the i n _ c .li n ^^ oris > an ^ fecure the fa- 
 vour of the objects of their worfhip ; and abfurd 
 as we now juftly think thofe practices to have 
 
 been,
 
 32 Letters to a 
 
 been, it was not the wifdom of man, but the 
 preaching of that gofpel which Mr. Paine treats 
 with fo much contempt, that brought men off 
 from them. This defpifed inftrument did more 
 for mankind in this important refpeft in a few 
 years, than all the learning of the Egyptians, 
 and the philofophy of the Greeks were able to 
 do in many centuries. In fadt, this learning 
 and philofophy, and all the light of nature, 
 fhining on the moft improved of human minds, 
 effected no real change at all ; not one of the 
 moft abfurd of the popular fuperftitions, having 
 been corrected by them-. 
 
 That nature teaches the duty of prayer to 
 God, Mr. Paine is fo far from aflerting, that 
 he ridicules die idea of it. " What," fays he, 
 p. 63, " is the amount of all his prayers, but 
 ** an attempt to make the Almighty change his 
 " mind, and aft otherwife than he does ?" 
 And yet men when left Jo nature, have univer- 
 fally had recourfe to prayer. How, then, does 
 Mr. Painc's theory and the practice of man- 
 kind jigree ? It is, however, evident to me, 
 that mankind in general have, in this reipecT:, 
 judged and acted more naturally., than IV^r. 
 Paine. The generality of mankind, judging of 
 other intelligent beings, and confequently of the 
 Supreme Being, from what they experienced in 
 themfelves, and obferved in thofe with whom 
 they had intercourfe, would naturally fuppofe 
 
 that
 
 Pbilofophical Unbeliever. 33 
 
 that his feelings bore a refemblance to their own, 
 and that his conduct would be directed by the 
 fame principles. As, therefore, they had been 
 accuiiomed to apply for what they wanted, to 
 their earthly fuperibrs, they would naturally ap- 
 ply to the Supreme Being for fuch things as 
 they imagined be alone could give. Their be- 
 lieving that he knew all their wants, and was 
 well difpofed towards them, would not prevent 
 their applying to him > fince, judging from 
 their own conduct towards their children and 
 dependants, they might think that he would 
 defer his bounty till they applied for it ; as that 
 would be an expreffion of the fenfe they had of 
 their dependance upon him, and their obliga- 
 tion to him. 
 
 In an advanced ftate of human nature, I can 
 conceive ti\& petition may be an unnecefTary 
 part in prayer. We may perhaps even fee an 
 impropriety of any mode of direc~b addrefs to 
 the Deity ; and rejoicing in the full perfuafion 
 that we have of the benevolence and wifdom 
 of the Supreme Being, indulge no fentiments 
 but thofe of gratitude and joy. But that petition, 
 as well as thankfirumg, is adapted to the prefent 
 ftate of human nature, and human life, and that 
 it becomes even the moil intelligent of men to 
 join with the vulgar in that practice which Mr. 
 Paine fo much ridicules, I have the fulleft per- 
 fuafion. 
 
 D Prayer
 
 3.4 Letters to a 
 
 Prayer is a neceflary ilep in the intellectual 
 and moral improvement of man. That habitual 
 regard to God, which does not imply any direct 
 addrefs to him, but (as Dr. Hartley has ad- 
 mirably and philofophically explained the pro- 
 eefs) eminently contributes to exalt and purify 
 the mind, cannot be attained without it. As 
 good and -as pious a man as Mr. Paine may be 
 (and on this, no doubt, he founds the hope he 
 exprefTes to have p. 8, of happinefs beyond this 
 life) I am confident he would have beeiHnore 
 pious, and con^uj;ntly more v i rtuous > if h g 
 k a ^ made conference of daily prayer, tho' it may 
 be too late for him to make the experiment of 
 having recourfe to it now. 
 
 If we form our judgment of the light of na- 
 ture, not from the practice of the bulk of man- 
 kind, even in all ages, and all nations, but 
 from the avowed principles, and conduct of 
 thofe who, in oppoiition to the friends of re- 
 velation, make the greateft boaft of it, we mall 
 fee reafon to form no high idea of the fuf- 
 ficiency of it ; fmce the mod celebrated of 
 modern unbelievers have defended practices 
 which are evidently unjuflifiable. 
 
 If there be any thing of a moral nature that 
 is indifputably right, as a branch of perfect in- 
 tegrity, it is, that a man's profeffions Aiould 
 correfpond to his real fentiments, and Jus. con* 
 duel to his profefilonSj fo that both .by hi? 
 
 words
 
 Pbilofephical Unbeliever. 35 
 
 words and his actions, he fliould lead others 
 foto.no miftake concerning his principles. In 
 this Mr. Paine perfectly agrees with me. " It 
 " is impoffible," he fays, p. 10, " to calcu- 
 " late the moral mifchief, if I may fo exprefs 
 << it, that mental lying has produced in fociety. 
 " When a man has fo far corrupted and prof- 
 " tituted the chaftity of his mind, as to fub- 
 " fcribe his profeffional belief to things he does 
 " not believe, he has prepared himfelf for the 
 " commiffion of every other crime. He takes 
 *' up the trade of a prieft for the fake of gain, 
 *' and in order to qualify himfelf for that trade, 
 " k. e begins with perjury. Can we conceive 
 *' any thing more deftructive to morality than 
 " this?" 
 
 This inftance of immorality, Mr. Paine fees 
 in its juft light, ' when chriftians are guilty of 
 it. But unbelievers, who have profefled the 
 grcateit attachment to the light of nature, have 
 not only been habitually guilty of the fame 
 enormity, but have defended their conduct with 
 refpcct to it. Roufleau, who firft folemnly ab- 
 jured the proteftant religion, in which he was 
 educated, and afterwards as folemnly renounced 
 the catholic religion without pretending to have 
 changed his opinion, fays (Etnile, liv. iv.) " In 
 *' the uncertainty in which we are, it is inex- 
 " cufable to profefs any other religion than 
 " that in which we are born, and falfehood, 
 D 2 " not
 
 36 Letters to a 
 
 " not fincerely to pra&ife what we profefs." 
 Voltaire always profefled himfelf a catholic 
 chriftian, and on his death bed he made a con- 
 feffion of his faith, in which he declared, that 
 he died in the catholic religion, in which he 
 was born. * Mr. Hume, Mr. Gibbon, and, the 
 generality of unbelievers in England, always 
 wrote under the mafk of chriftianity, and at- 
 tacked it not directly, but only in an artful, in- 
 fidious manner. Not fo, the apoftles, the 
 primitive chriflians, and the proteflant mar- 
 tyrs. It is only among the believers in revela- 
 tion that we mall find the noble heroifm of 
 dying, rather than profefs what is believed to 
 be a falfehood. Many unbelievers have not 
 fcrupled to throw away their lives in duels, or 
 to deftroy themfelves through difappointment, 
 or ennui. But how much more noble is it to die 
 for important truth ? 
 
 Another virtue of the greatefl importance 
 to the good order of fociety is chaflity, or an 
 . adherence to the rules which have been laid 
 down by all the civilized part of mankincj to 
 reftrain the commerce of the fexes. But un- 
 believers, who profefs to live according to_ na- 
 ture, have in .general, made little account pf 
 this virtue. Rouffeau profefled to think hirji- 
 felf the very belt of his fpecies, tHough lie made 
 no fcruple of his criminal connedionjwith a 
 
 great 
 
 * St'e bis life written by Cgndorcet. 
 1
 
 Philofophkal Unbeliever. 
 
 great variety of women. He was not married, till 
 late in life, to the Woman by whom he had fe- 
 veral children, all of whom he fent to the found- 
 ling hofpital, without taking any care of their 
 education. He alfo fpeaks in the higheft terms 
 of the fublime virtue of a woman, with whom 
 himfelf, and, according to his account, many 
 others in their turns had the fame connexion. 
 Surely, then, the politive command of God was 
 highly expedient, if not abfolutely neceffary to 
 reftrain thofe irregularities eventually fo hurtful 
 to fociety, and deftru&ive of its peace. The 
 authority of the great and wife parent of man- 
 kind was required to guide the conduct of his 
 children, before their own reafon would have 
 difcovered the true rule of life, and the way to 
 happinefs. 
 
 J am, 
 
 301238
 
 Letters to a 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Of the Nature of Revelation, and its proper 1 
 Evidence. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 IT muft be allowed by all perfons, that the 
 only proper evidence of revelation, is a miracle ; 
 or fomethinjB^out of the ufual courfe of natiye. 
 For no other th-an the author of the laws of 
 nature can controul them, and depart from 
 them. " But, fays Mr. Paine, p. 136," " Un- 
 " lefs we know the whole extent of the laws, 
 *' and of what are commonly called the powers 
 " of nature, we are not able to judge whether 
 " any thing that may appear to us wonderful 
 <f or miraculous, be within, or be beyond, or 
 " be c^nlrMyJc^hej^n^u^^ower of ading." 
 
 To this it is eafy to reply, that though no 
 man knows the whole extent of the powers, 
 or laws of nature, we are fufficiently well ac- 
 quainted with fome of them. Not to mention, 
 the cafe of the death of the firft born, and of 
 the rkfl born only, both of men, and of cattle, 
 throughout the whole land of Egypt, in one hour 
 
 of
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 39 
 
 of one particular night, and that diftintly -an- 
 nounced beforehand ; or the dividing the Red 
 Sea or the river Torim, fo that a whole na- 
 tion could march through them at their lei- 
 fure, which are facts' in the Old Teftament 
 hiftory : will Mr. Paine himfelf fay, that the 
 inftantaneous cure of all kinds of difeafes, not 
 excepting thofe that require the longeft medi- 
 cal treatment, fuch as dropfies, palfies, and in- 
 fancy, by a word fpeaking, was within the 
 ufual courfe of nature j or that a man could 
 walk on the fea, and ftill a tempeft, by com- 
 mand, without a miracle. Still lefs will he fay 
 that a man who had been crucified on Friday, 
 and left alone in a fepulchre, could walk about 
 and converfe on the Sunday following, as if 
 nothing had been done to him, without a 
 miracle. Admitting the facts to be, as they are 
 reprefented in the gofpel hiftory, he would 
 furely fay, that little as we know of the whole 
 compafs of nature, fuch things as thefe are 
 clearly beyond it, and unqueftionably fuper- 
 natural. 
 
 It is mere burlefque writing, and unworthy 
 
 of this ferious fubject, to fay (on the fuppo(U 
 
 tion of miracles being employed to prove a di- 
 
 vine miffion) as Mr. Paine does p. 139, " It 
 
 " is degrading the Almighty into the character 
 
 " of a fhowman, playing tricks to amufe and 
 
 " make the people (tare and wonder ;" when, 
 
 "D 4 in
 
 40 Leftfrs to a 
 
 in the nature of things, miracles were neceilary 
 to engage the attention of mankind, and to con- 
 vince them of the power and prefence of God. 
 He fays, (#.) " That whenever recourfe is 
 " had to mow for the purpofe of procuring; 
 " belief (for a miracle undefany idea of the 
 " word is a fhow) it implies lownefs, or weak- 
 " nefs, in the doctrine that is preached." But 
 might not Mr. Paine with juftas much .reafon. 
 fay, that the exhibition of the works of nature 
 is only another kind of mow ; and therefore 
 that no dodlrine can be taught by it? But 
 there are doctrines which, to man at lea.ft, ab- 
 
 folutely require the aid of miracles to 
 I proof $ -as that of a refurre&ion from the dead 
 at. a future period, which it is impoffible for us 
 to - learn from any appearances in nature ; but 
 which we may firmly believe on the expreis 
 word of our Maker, afcertained in the only way 
 in which it poflibly can be afcertained, viz. by 
 & miracle. 
 
 But Mr. Paine thinks that, admitting the 
 poffibility of miracles, the reality of them can 
 never be made credible, " Is it more proba- 
 " ble," fays he, p, 141, " that nature mould go 
 " out of her courfe, or that a man fhould tell 
 " a lie ? We have never feen in our time na- 
 " ture go out of her courfe 3 but we have good 
 *' reafon to believe that millions of lies have 
 " been told in the fame time. It is, therefore, 
 
 " at
 
 Phlkfophical Unbeliever. 41 
 
 " at leaft millions to one that the reporter of a 
 " miracle tells a lie." 
 
 This is by no means the true ftate of the 
 cafe, as it refpects the miracles recorded in the 
 fcriptures. Should, indeed, any iingle perfon. 
 cfpecjally a ftranger, come and tell me that he 
 faw a man, who was unqueftionably dead, fud- 
 denly rife up, walk about, and converfe as in 
 perfect health, I mould, no doubt, conclude 
 either that he was deceived himfelf, or that he 
 defigned to impofe upon me ; this being more 
 -probable than the truth of the fact. But when 
 i I find thatjthoufands, and tens of thoufands of 
 perfons, who had the beft opportunity of in- 
 forming tfa^mfelves concerning a fact of this 
 miraculous nature, and who had every motive 
 that men could have to fcrutinize the evidence 
 with the greaieft rigour, mew their full perfua- 
 fion of the truth of it, by relinquishing every 
 thing dear to them in life, and even life.itfelf, 
 rather than give up their belief of it ; the quef- 
 tion to be confidered is, whether it be more 
 probable that fuch a number of perfons, cir- 
 cumftanced as thefe were, could be impofed 
 upon, or the thing itfelf be true ; and efpecj^lly 
 if a great and good end was vilibly anfwered by 
 the truth of the fact, which is the cafe with 
 refpect to thofe miracles which eftablifhed the 
 belief of chriftianity. And what a chriftian 
 fays, is, that to fuppofe all thefe perfons, who 
 
 had
 
 4*2 "Letters to a 
 
 had the perfect ufc of all their fenfes, and who 
 were as capable of judging as he himfelf could 
 be, and as much interefted in afcertaining the 
 truth, to be deceived, would, in reality, be more 
 extraordinary, and therefore, properly fpeaking, 
 more miraculous, than the facl: in queftion. 
 
 It is, no doubt, true, that millions of lies 
 have Been told by men but if only ten or a 
 dozen men of Mr. Painc's own acquaintance, 
 fhould, independently of one another^ tell him 
 t ^ ie fa mc thing, as equally ^fcen_ b^themfejves, 
 andhe mould not be able to difcover any motive 
 that they could have to wlfll to deceive him, I 
 am perfuaded that, like any other man , in the 
 fame circumflances, his incredulity would be 
 daggered. 
 
 It is upon the idea of the utter incredibility 
 of miracles, that Mr. Paine, fpeaking of them, 
 makes the following extraordinary aflertion. 
 " It is," fays he, p. 139, " the moft equivocal 
 " fort of evidence that can be fet up. For the 
 " belief is not to depend on the thing called a 
 " miracle, but upon the credit of the reporter, 
 " who fays that he faw it, and therefore the 
 " thing, were it true, would have no better 
 " chance of being believed than if it were a 
 (<i lie." The credit of the reporter, is, no 
 doubt, neceffary to my faith in the miracle 
 which he reports. But this being eftablimed, 
 the miracle is a juil foundation of my beliefjn a 
 
 divine
 
 Philofophtcal Unbeliever. 43 
 
 divine interpofition, becaufe none can work a 
 
 
 
 miracle but God only. 
 
 It is upon the fame fuppofition of the abfolutc 
 incredibility of miracles, that he fays, p. 138, 
 " Since appearances are fo capable of deceiving, 
 " and things not real have a ftrpng refemblance 
 " to things that are, nothing can be more in- 
 " confident than to fuppofe that the Almighty 
 " would make ufe of means, fuch as are called 
 " miracles, that would fubjecl: the perfon. who 
 " performed them, to the fufpicion of being an 
 " impjoftqr, and the perfons who related them 
 <e to _k|SL fufpeftcd of lying, and the dodrine 
 " intended to be fupported thereby, to be fuf- 
 " pefted as a fabulous invention." But the 
 fufpicion of impofture, does not neceflarily arife 
 from the relation of a miracle, but upon various 
 circumftances attending the narrative; and in 
 thefe cafes, one perfon might entertain a fufpi- 
 cion, when another had none at all. Hiflory 
 unqueftionably proves that Mr. Paine's reafon- 
 ing on the abfolute incredibility of miracles is 
 not well founded. Since he cannot deny that 
 credit has been given to miracles by men of all 
 nations, in all ages ; it is evident that they are 
 adapted to gain credit with men, and that by 
 having recourfe to them, the Supreme Being 
 has not made ufe of an improper inflrument for 
 gaining -his Jguofc 
 
 The
 
 44 Letters to a 
 
 The following is another truly curious, and 
 I believe a quite original argument of Mr. 
 Paine's on this M>jec~t. " It is," fays he, p. 13, 
 " a contradiction in terms and ideas, to call 
 " any thing a revelation, that comes to us at 
 " fecond hand, ^either verbally, or in writing. 
 " Revelation is necefTarily limited to the firft 
 " communication. After this it is only an 
 " account of fomething which that perfon fays 
 " was a revelation made to him, and though he 
 " may find himfelf obliged to believe it, it 
 " cannot be incumbent on me to believe it in 
 " the fame manner, for it was not a revelation 
 " made to me, and I have only his word for it, 
 " that it was made to him." 
 
 On this principle, it is not incumbent on Mr. 
 Paine to believe what any perfon may tell him, 
 and he may give credit to nothing but what 
 he fees himfelf. in which cafe his faith will be 
 reduced to a very fmall compafs indeed. His 
 pretence to a contradiction in terms is a mere 
 quibble. We do not fay, that the revelation 
 made immediately to Mofcs, or to Chrift, is 
 flrictly fpeaking a revelation to us. But if wo 
 fee fufficient rcafon to believe that the revela- 
 tion was made to them, we are properly fpeak- 
 ing believers in revelation ; and if the revelation, 
 whatever it be, relate to the whole human race, 
 as well as to the perfon to whom it was imme- 
 diately made, all mankind, Mr. Paine himfelf 
 
 included,
 
 Philofopkical Unbeliever. 45 
 
 included, will find themfelves under an equal 
 ^obligation to refpecl it. 
 
 Mr. Paine's obfervation on the infufficiency 
 of human language, to tranfmit the knowledge 
 of revelation, is trite, but as little to the pur- 
 pofe. " Human language," he fays, p. 85, " is 
 " local and changeable, and is therefore inca- 
 " pable of being ufed as the means of un- 
 " changeable and univerfal information. As 
 " to tranflations," he fays, p. 64, " every man 
 
 who knows any thing of languages, knows 
 " that it is impoffible to tranflate from one 
 " language into another, not only without 
 " lofing a great part of the original, but fre- 
 " quently mistaking the fenfe." But the truth 
 of revelation does not depend upon niceties of 
 ideas, which it is dimcult to exprefs, or upon 
 the"nic'eties of any particular language, which it 
 is difficult to transfufe into another language. 
 What miflake has ever arifen, or can poffibly 
 arife, from the tranflation of the ten command- 
 ments, or the Lord's prayer , into all the lan- 
 guages in the world ? Mr. Paine might as well 
 fay, that the great facts in the Roman Hiftory, 
 fuch as the conqueft of Carthage or the death 
 of 'Julius Caefar, could never be credible, be- 
 caufe they are recorded in human language, 
 which is local and changeable, and the tranila- 
 tion of it uncertain, as that the Mofaic or chrif- 
 tian hiftory is incredible on that account. If 
 
 there
 
 46 Letters to a 
 
 there be fuch a thing as cavilling, unworthy of 
 a ferious writer, it is fuch reafoning as this. 
 Indeed, I do not think, I have any where met 
 with more confident afTertions, or a loofer mode 
 of arguing, than in this trac~l of Mr. Paine's. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Of tie Objetf of Chriftianity, and of the Hiftory 
 ofjefus. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 YOU will not much wonder that a perfon 
 fo occupied as Mr. Paine has been, and fo 
 ufefully occupied, in matters of civil policy, 
 fhould not underftand every thing j though his 
 extraordinary fuccefs in writing on fome fub- 
 jecls, might lead him to think himfelf equal to 
 any other. But you are now, I am perfuaded, 
 convinced, Jthat diilinguimed as his^abilities are, 
 he has not given fufficient_a_ttention to the fub- 
 ject of revelation, that he has totally mifcon- 
 ceived the obje6t of it. and efpecially the nature 
 
 *r' ' -~ - 4 w 
 
 of 
 6
 
 Pbilofopbical Unbeliever. 47 
 
 of its evidence. His ignorance of this fubject, 
 (arifing, I fuppofe chiefly, from his contempt 
 for it,) is more apparent in what he fays con- 
 cerning- chriftianity in particular; the origin of 
 which, as lying within the compafs of well 
 Known hiftory, it was much eafier for him to 
 make himfelf acquainted with. 
 
 What is more remarkable {till, Mr. Paine 
 admits things that are manifeftly inconfiftent 
 with one another. For, according to him, no- 
 thing can be more truly amiable and excellent 
 than the character of Jefus, the founder of 
 chriftianity, or more upright and difinterefted 
 than his views in founding it, and yet nothing 
 more deteftable than the real fpirit and ten- 
 dency of it. Indeed he himfelf fays, p. 57, 
 fpeaking of the New Teftament, " Out of the 
 " matters contained in thofe books, together 
 " with the affiftance of fome old ftories, the 
 " church has fet up a fyftem of religion very 
 4f contradictory to the character of the perfon 
 " whofe name it bears." 
 
 " He was, he fays, p. 18, a virtuous and 
 " amiable man. The morality that he preach - 
 " ed and practifed was of the moft benevolent 
 ** kind, and tho' limilar fyftems of morality 
 *' had been preached by Confucius, and by 
 " fome of the Greek philofophers, many years 
 " before, by the Quakers fince, and by many 
 :;. . " good
 
 48 Letters to a 
 
 " good men in all ages, it has not been ex- 
 " ceeded by any." 
 
 " The chilrehi' ke fays, p. 57, has fet up 
 
 " a religion of pomp and of revenue, in the 
 " pretended imitation of a perfon, whofe life 
 '* was humility and poverty. Jefus, he fays, 
 " p. 22, preached the moft excellent mora- 
 " lity, and the equality of man ; but he preach- 
 " ed alfo againft the corruptions and avarice of 
 " the Jewifh priefts, and this brought upon 
 " him the hatred and vengeance of the whole 
 " order of priefthood." " All national inftitu- 
 " tions of churches, whether Jewiih, Chrif- 
 " tian or Turkim, he fays, p. 9, appear to me 
 " to be no other than human invention, fet up 
 " to terrify and enflave mankind, and monopo- 
 
 lize power and profit." 
 
 Here, then, is an extraordinary circumftance, 
 
 ( 
 
 which requires a little inveitigation. 
 founder of the chriftian fyftem was confefTedly 
 the moft unambitious of men, and yet his religion 
 (for he does not fay, the corruptions or abufes 
 of it) was, " an invention fet up to enflave 
 " mankind, and to monopolize power and 
 " profit." If the apoftles and not Jefus, were 
 the founders of this religion, as Mr. Paine feems 
 to intimate ; they were peculiarly unfortunate 
 in their choice of a patron, and very unfuccefs- 
 ful with refpeft to their object. For none of 
 
 them
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 4 9 
 
 them acquired any mare of power or profit ; 
 and in general, after living wretched lives, fub- 
 ject to every mode of perfecution, died violent 
 deaths. If this fcheme of " enlkving man- 
 " kind, and monopolizing power and profit,'* 
 had any later origin, it cannot be afcribed to 
 chriftianity itfelf, but to fomething that arofe 
 out of it, and for which it is not anfwerable ; 
 and all hiftory, though Mr. Paine may be un- 
 acquainted with it, proves that this was the 
 very fa<5t. ' 
 
 But before I confider Mr. Paine's account of 
 the origin of the fyilem to which he fo much 
 objects, I mall attend to what he farther fays 
 concerning Jefus himfelf; and this, like his 
 account of the object of his religion, is a ftrange 
 mixture of truth and falfehood. That fuch a 
 pcrfon as Jefus Chrift exifled (a thing not ad- 
 mitted by Mr. Volney, Lequinio, and other 
 philofophers in France,) Mr. Paine, p. 22, 
 does not deny. He farther fays, " that he was 
 " crucified, which was the mode of execution 
 " at that day, is an hiflorical relation ftrictly 
 " within the limits of probability. Mofl pro- 
 " bably, he fays, p. 78, he worked at his 
 " father's trade, which was that of a carpen- 
 " ter, and he does not appear to have had 
 " any fchool education, for his parents were 
 " extremely poor." This the evangelical hif- 
 tory confirms; but when he adds, that <c The 
 
 E pro-
 
 50 Jitters to a 
 
 " probability is that he could not write," he 
 certainly had no foundation for it at all. If the 
 general account of the hiftory of Jefus, which 
 Mr. Paine does not call in queftion, may b 
 depended upon, he read in a Jewifh fynagogue, 
 and the probability is, that a man who can 
 read fluently, as reading in public requires, 
 could alfo write. In one incident recorded of 
 him, John viii. 6, he wrote, or made fome kind 
 of chambers, on the ground. Mr. Paine fays, 
 p. IQ, " Jefus wrote no account of himfelf, of 
 " his birth, parentage or any thing elfe. Not 
 " a line of what is called the New Teftament 
 " is of his writing. The hiftory of him is alto- 
 " gether the work of other people." But fuch 
 was the cafe with Socrates, and yet it was ne- 
 ver inferred from that circumftance, that he 
 could not write. 
 
 That Mr. Paine was very little acquainted 
 with the real character, and even the common 
 hiftory of Jefus, is evident from his faying, 
 p. 23, "It is not improbable that the Roman 
 " government might have forne fecret appre- 
 " henfion of the effects of his doctrine, as well 
 " as the Jewifti priefts. Neither is it impro- 
 " bable, that Jefus ChriR had in contemplation 
 " the delivery of the Jewifh nation from the 
 *' bondage of the Romans. Between the two, 
 " however, this virtuous reformer And revo- 
 " lutionift loft his life." 
 
 Certainly
 
 Philofop&ical Unbeliever* 51 
 
 Certainly there is no appearance of any thing 
 like this in the evangelical hiftory. On the 
 contrary, Jefus not only carefully avoided giv- 
 ing any umbrage to the Roman government, 
 but he declined giving his opinion on any poli- 
 tical fubject whatever. When he was applied 
 to about the divifion of an eftate, he faid, Luke 
 xii. 14. Who made me a judge, or a divider over 
 you ? When he was appealed to about the law- 
 fulnefs of paying tribute to the Romans, he 
 cautioufly anfwered, Give unto Gtefar the things 
 that are Ctzfars, and unto God the things that 
 are God's. 
 
 When Pilate, who certainly would not have 
 been fo much difpofed to favour him, as he 
 evidently was, if he had fufpecled him of any 
 defigns againft the government, afked him if 
 he was a king, he acknowledged it, indeed, but 
 added, that his. kingdom was not of this world, 
 and that he was fent to bear witnefs concerning 
 truth. 
 
 When the common people would more than 
 once have placed him at their head, and have 
 actually made him a king, he always rejected 
 the propofal with indignation, fo that at length 
 they ceafed to importune him on the fubject. 
 ]f he had had any fcherne of this kind, but did 
 not chufe to truft the common people, 'he would 
 naturally have confulted with the great men 
 of his nation; and this might have recommend- 
 
 E 2 ed
 
 1 Letters to a 
 
 ed him to them. Whereas fo differently did 
 they conceive of his views, as moft hoftile to 
 theirs (vvhofe wifli, as their whole hiilory mews, 
 was to emancipate themfelves from the yoke 
 of the Romans) that they thought there was 
 no fafety for themfelves but in putting him to 
 death, which accordingly they contrived and 
 executed. 
 
 This, however, certainly (hews, that Jefus 
 was a very confpicuous character. Elfe, why 
 all this alarm ? He had no advantage of birth, 
 or Connexions, that could make him formidable. 
 He does not appear to have been a man of very 
 extraordinary natural talents > and according 
 to Mr. Paine, could not even write his name. 
 Why then were the rulers of the Jewiih nation 
 fo much afraid him ? Why take away the life of 
 a poor illiterate carpenter, and, not content with 
 their own forms of judicature, contrive to get 
 him condemned by the Roman governor him- 
 felf, and crucified by his order ? 
 
 But Mr. Paine fays, " The manner in which 
 " he was apprehended, fhews he was not 
 " much known at that time, and it mews alfo 
 " that the meetings he then held with his fol- 
 " lowers were in fecrct, and that he had given 
 " over, or fufpended preaching publickly. Judas 
 " could no otherwise betray him, than by giv- 
 " ing information where he was, and point- 
 " ing him out to the olliccrs, who went to ar- 
 
 " reft
 
 Philofophkal Unbeliever. 53 
 
 " reft him j and the reafon for employing and 
 " paying Judas for this, could arife only 
 " from the caufes already mentioned, that of 
 "' his not being much known, and living con- 
 " cealed." 
 
 This difficulty, however, is eafily removed. 
 The apprehenfion gf Jefus was to be in the 
 night, and by the common officers of juftice; 
 and it is very poffible that, let a man be ever 
 fo well known in the day time, fuch perfons as 
 thefe might neither be able to find him in the 
 night, nor diftinguim his perfon at that time 
 without fome afliftance, Befides, why did 
 - the Jewim rulers think it neceflary to ufe the 
 precaution of apprehending Jefus in the night, 
 but becaufe he was fo popular at that time 
 with the common people, that the apprehend- 
 ing of him in the day time was thought to be 
 too hazardous ? That the preaching of Jefus 
 was then, and at all times, moft public, his 
 whole hiftory clearly fhews ; and when he was 
 feized in the night, he himfelf faid, Mark 
 xiv. 48. Are ye come out as againjl a thief, 'with 
 'f words and with Jtaves to take me ? I was daily 
 with you in (be temple , teaching, and ye took me 
 not." 
 
 Mr. Paine fays, p. i . <f The idea of the 
 
 *' concealment of Jefus, not only agrees very 
 
 " ill with his reputed divinity, but aflbciates. 
 
 '* with it fomething of pufillanimity j and his, 
 
 3 " being
 
 54 Letters to a 
 
 " being betrayed, or in other words, his being 
 " apprehended, on the information of one of his 
 (l followers, {hews that he did not intend to 
 " be apprehended, and confequently that he 
 " did not intend to be crucified." 
 
 It would be of material confequence to the 
 caufe of infidelity, that what Mr. Paine here 
 afferts mould be true, viz. that Jefus had no 
 apprehenfion of the violent death to which he 
 was expofed. But the whole of his hiflory 
 fhews, that he knew from the beginning that 
 he was to die in confequence of his undertak- 
 ing, and by a public crucifixion ; and though 
 for fome time he chofe to withdraw himfclf 
 from the perfecution of his enemies, it was 
 only till the proper time was come for his 
 throwing himfelf into their hands. 
 
 Some time before his laft journey to Jeru- 
 falem, it is laid, Matth. xvi. 21. from that time 
 forth b?gan Jcfus to jhcw unto his difcipks how 
 that he mujl go up unto Jenifalem, and fitjfer 
 many things cf the elders, and chief priefts^ and 
 fcribes, ami be killed, and be raifcd again the 
 third day. At the fame time, and on other 
 occaiions, he plainly forewarned his follow- 
 ers, that they mufl be ready to fufFer as he did ; 
 language which was ill calculated to favor any 
 conceivable purpofe of an impoftor. When 
 Peter on this occafion rebuked him, faying, EC 
 it far from tbee, Lord! T^hisjball not be unto thee. 
 
 lie
 
 Philosophical Unbeliever. 55 
 
 He turned andfaid unto him, Get thee behind me, 
 Satan. Thou art an offence unto me \ for thou 
 
 **/ ' *.' 
 
 favoureft not the things that are of God, but thofe 
 that be of men. He then faid to his difciples, If 
 any man is 'willing to come after me, let him deny 
 himfelf, and take up his crofs, and follow me ^ 
 for whofoever foall fave his life Jhall lofe it, and 
 whofoever will lofe his life for my fake fliall find 
 It. If they were to die in his caufe, what prof- 
 pecl: could they have of gaining any thing by 
 their attachment to him ? 
 
 In one of the public difcourfes of Jefus, in 
 which he compared himfelf to a fhepherd, he 
 /aid, John x 15. I lay down my life for the 
 fneep, and therefore does my father love me, 
 becaufe I lay down my life, that I might take it 
 again. 
 
 On his lafl journey to Jerusalem, he faid 
 Mat. xvii. 22. The fon of man Jhall be betrayed 
 into the hands of men, and they fall kill him, 
 and the third day he Jhall be raifed again ; when 
 we find the difciples, to whom this language 
 was addrefled, as was natural, exceedingly 
 forry. 
 
 That Jefus went to Jerufalem at this tims 
 with a fixed purpofe to die there, is evident 
 from what hejaid when he was told that He- 
 rod fought to kill him, Luke xiii. 33. I mi$ 
 walk to day and to morrow, and the day fol- 
 lowing j for it cannot be that a prophet perifh 
 
 E 4 out
 
 5 6 Letters to a 
 
 out of Jerufalem. As they were gravelling, 
 Mat. xx. 17. he toak the twelve difciples apart 
 in the way, and faid unto them, Behold we go up 
 to Jerufaleni, and the f on of man fn all be betrayed 
 unto the chief priejts, and unto the fcribes ; and 
 they Jhall condemn him to death, and foatl deliver 
 him to the gentiles, to mock and to fcourge him ; 
 and the third day he Jhall rife again. 
 
 When Jefus was arrived at Bethany, and 
 was at Tapper there, he faid, by way of apology 
 for Mary who had anointed him with fome 
 valuable ointment, John xii. 7. Let her alone, 
 againft the day of my embalming has foe kept 
 this. When he was difcourfing in the temple, 
 a few days before his death, he laid, alluding 
 to it, v. 24. Except a grain of wheat fall into 
 the ground, and die, it abideth alone ; but if 
 it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that 
 loveth his life Jhall lofc it, and he that hatcth his 
 life in this world J!:all keep it unto life eternal. 
 That he not only apprehended his death at 
 
 this time, but that he was mod fenfiblv affeded 
 
 j 
 
 with the idea of it, appears from what he 
 added on this occafion ; Now is my foul troubled, 
 and what ft all I fay? Father, fave me from this 
 hour ! But for this caufe came I unto this hour. 
 
 But nothing fhews the fteady purpofe of Jefus 
 to give up his life in his undertaking, whatever 
 it was, more clearly, than his folemn institution 
 of the-euchariil the very night in which he 
 was betrayed, cxprefsly, as a memorial of his 
 
 death,
 
 Pbllofopbical Unbeliever. C/ 
 
 death, the bread reprefenting his body, which 
 was to be broken, and the wine his blood, 
 which was to be fhed. All his difcourfes to 
 his difciples recorded in John xiv. xv. and xvi. 
 and his t iblemn prayer, ch. xvii. as they 
 went to the garden of Gethfemane, were cal- 
 culated to comfort them with refpect to his ap- 
 pronching death, and his temporary feparation 
 from them, John xvi. 16. A little while, and 
 ye flail not fee me, and again a little while and 
 ye flail fee me, becanfe I go to the Father, 
 Verily^ verily, I fay unto you, that ye flail 
 weep and lament, but the world flail rejoice, 
 and ye flail be forrowful, but your forrow flail 
 be turned into joy. Ye now have forrow ; but 
 1 will fee you again, and your heart flail rejoice, 
 and your joy no man takcth from you. In his 
 laft prayer, he lays, John xvii. 1 1 . Now 
 J am no more in the world, but thefe are in the 
 world, and I come to thce. What did he mean 
 by this, but that he was going to die ? In the 
 garden he appears to have felt what I believe 
 any man of equal feniibility, would have felt 
 in the fame circumflances. But though he 
 wifhed, if it had been partible, to have avoided 
 his painful and ignominious death, and therefore 
 prayed, faying, Math. xxvi. 39. my father, 
 if it be pojjible, let this cup pafs from me -, he 
 added, neverthelefs, not as I will, but as thou wilt. 
 As Jefus knew from the beginning the pur- 
 pofe of Judas, why, if he did not mean to be 
 
 appre-
 
 5$ Letters to a 
 
 apprehended, did he go to the place where 
 he expelled to meet him, and why did he not 
 endeavour to make his efcape, which, when 
 they who came to apprehend him (probably 
 overawed by his prefence and manner of fpeak- 
 ing)fe/I to the ground, John xviii. 6, he had 
 an opportunity of doing ? When he was in 
 the prefence of his jewifh judges and of Pilate, 
 did he behave like a man who wifhed to avoid 
 the fate that he could not but fee was impend- 
 ing over him ? Had he recourfe to any mean 
 fubmiffion, or apologies, to fave his life ? Nay, 
 did he not mew as great marks of prefence of 
 mind, and calm intrepidity, as any man ever 
 ihewed in the face of certain death ? 
 
 If all the circumftances of the apprehenfion, 
 the trial, the crucifixion of Jefus, be duly at- 
 tended to, we mail no where find an example 
 of truer fortitude, accompanied with the moft 
 perfect benevolence, and the moft entire refig- 
 nation to the will of God ; efpecially if we 
 confider his extreme fenfibility, difcovered in 
 his agony in the garden. To die with a fpirit 
 of revenge, and to bear torture with rage 
 againft a man's enemies, is a common and low 
 attainment, compared to dying with that fpirit 
 of perfect meeknefs and forgivenefs which was 
 difcovered by Jefus, when he prayed for his 
 executioners. This argues a mind of a fuperior 
 and extraordinary cafU 
 
 Mr,
 
 Philofopbical "Unbeliever. 59 
 
 Mr. Paine, not confidering that the great 
 ufe of the death of Chrift was to prepare the 
 way for the moft fatisfadtory evidence of the 
 refurrecTion, fays, p. 52. " The chriftiaa 
 " mythologifts tell us that Chrift died for the 
 " fins of the world, and that he came on pur- 
 " pofe to die. Would it not then have been the 
 " fame if he had died of the fever, or fmall 
 * e pox, of old age, or of any thing elfe?" But 
 it is obvious to obferve, that had Chrift died 
 of any difeafe, and of courfe in private, among 
 his friends, it would always have been faid by un- 
 believers, that he never had been actually dead; 
 whereas this could not be faid of a man, who 
 was condemned to death by his enemies, and 
 publicly crucified. 
 
 Mr. Paine's account of the refurre&ion of 
 Jefus, (hews that he was but little acquainted 
 with the circumftances of that part of the hif- 
 tory. " A fmall number of perfons," he fays, 
 p. 21, " not more than eight or nine, are 
 " introduced as proxies for the whole world, 
 " to fay they faw it ; and all the reft of the 
 " world are called upon to believe it. But 
 " it appears that Thomas did not believe the 
 ** refurreclion ; and, as they fay, would not be- 
 " lieve without having ocular and manual 
 " demonflration himfelf, fo neither will I; 
 *' and the reafon is equally as good for 
 " ii>e, and for every other perfon, as for Tho- 
 
 " mas.
 
 60 Letters to a 
 
 <f mas. It is in vain to attempt to palliate 
 " or difguife this matter. The ftory, fo far 
 " as relates to the fupernatural parts, has 
 " every mark of fraud and impofition ftamped 
 " upon the face of it. Who are the authors 
 ** of it, it is as impoffible for us to know, 
 " as it is for us to be allured that the books 
 " in which the account is related, were written 
 " by the perfons whofe names they bear. 
 " The befl furviving evidence we now have, 
 " refpecting this affair, is the Jews. They are 
 " regularly defcended from the people, who 
 " lived in the time that this refurreclion and 
 " afcenfion is laid to have happened, and they 
 " fay it is not true." 
 
 Inftead of eight or nine, the eleven apoftles, 
 and feveral other perfons, faw Jefus repeatedly 
 after his refurreclion, and he met the great 
 body of his difciples in Galilee by particular 
 appointment. Paul fays, i Cor. xv. 6. that 
 " he was feen by more than five hundred at 
 " once, the greater part of them being then 
 " alive ;" and it is eafy to obierve, that if the 
 evidence of five hundred perfons, none of 
 whom had any intereft in deceiving, or being 
 deceived, was not deemed fufficient to eftablim 
 the truth of any fad, which requires nothing 
 more than the evidence of the fenfes, that of 
 five thoufand, or any other number, might be 
 objected to as infufHcient. And fo far is this 
 
 dory
 
 Philofophlcal Unbeliever. 6 1 
 
 ftory from bearing any mark of fraud, or im- 
 pofition, that I challenge Mr. Paine, or any- 
 other perfon, to propofe any other circumftan- 
 ces that would have made it more credible 
 than it now is at this diftance of time. This 
 I think I have fufficiently fhewn in my Difcourfe 
 on this fubject, though I do not expedl that 
 Mr. Paine will think it worth his while to look 
 into it. 
 
 If by the Jews who fay that the ftory of the 
 re furred: ion is not true, Mr. Paine means the 
 Jews of this age, or the Jewiih Rulers, and the 
 majority of the Jewifh nation, at the time, it 
 is acknowledged. But their unbelief is much 
 more eafily accounted for, on the fuppofition 
 of the ftory being true, than the belief of the 
 many thoufands of Jews who entertained no 
 doubt of it at the time, on the fuppofition of 
 its not being true. For thefe muft have had as 
 ftrong a prejudice againft the belief of it as any 
 other Jews; and no prejudice of which we 
 have any account in hiflory could be ftronger 
 than this. 
 
 Had the Jewifh nation in general, in con- 
 fequence of their believing this facl, become 
 chriftians, Mr. Paine would have had much 
 more to object to the ftory than he now has ; 
 as he would, no doubt, have faid that the Jewifli 
 priefts and rulers were in the fecret, and muft 
 have had it in their power to contrive and exe- 
 cute
 
 62 Letters to a 
 
 cute the fcheme of a refurrection, or any thing 
 clfe which they had thought proper for their 
 purpofe; that there does not appear to have 
 been any motive for a rigorous inquiry into the 
 truth at the time, and that it is too late now. 
 
 Mr, Paine may require the fame evidence 
 for the refur region of Jefus that Thomas 
 did, and he may require the fame evi- 
 dence of any other faft, and believe nothing 
 but what he himfelf fees. But it fatisfies me, 
 that perfons as incredulous as Thomas evident- 
 ly was, and as much fo as Mr. Paine himfelf 
 could have been, perfons as capable of judg- 
 ing in the cafe, and as much difpofed rigoroufly 
 to examine into the truth, were convinced 
 of it. The evidence that fatisfied fuch perfons 
 as thefe, and a furHcient number of them, 
 would, no doubt, have fatisfied me, -if I had 
 been in their place. It is not expected that 
 facts in the chriftian hiftory, or thofe in any 
 other hiftory, will be believed by the violently 
 prejudiced. It is enough that they gain the 
 affent of perfons of competent judgment and 
 candour, and whofe minds are in a proper 
 flate to be impreiled by reafonable evidence. 
 
 I am, Sec. 
 
 LET-
 
 Pbihfopbical Unbeliever. 63 
 
 "LETTER IV. 
 
 Of the proper Origin of the Scheme of ChrijH- 
 anity, and Antiquity of the Books of the New- 
 Tejlament. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 MR. PAINE's account of the origin of wliat 
 
 O 
 
 he calls chiiftianity, is the moft curious ro- 
 mance I have ever met with. He does not 
 
 \ 
 
 deal in dates, any more than in q'mtaiiojjs, 
 writing wholly irom his memory, and as he 
 acknowledges, without having even a Bible at 
 fcand. .?UL he mould have told us about wnat 
 time he fuppofed the chriftian fyftem, which 
 gives him fo much offence, was formed. He 
 owns it is unjuftly afcribed to Chrift himfelf. 
 We may, therefore, fuppofe that the sera to 
 which he refers it, was either the time when 
 the books of the New Teftament were written, 
 or when they were collected and arranged as 
 they now are. But as they were collected and 
 kept together, almoit as foon as they were writ- 
 ten, thofe two dates cannot be far diftant from 
 one another ; and indeed, he hirnfelf makes no 
 great diftinction between them j but having no 
 knowledge of hiftory, he refers the writing of 
 thefe books to a period even fome centuries later 
 
 than
 
 64 Letters to the 
 
 than the true one, as acknowledged by all other 
 enemies of chriflianity. 
 
 " The writings afcribed to the men called 
 " Appflles. he fa^s^-j^j^L. are chiefly con- 
 " Jroyerfial, and the gloominefs of the_fobject 
 
 f a man din in 
 
 (C agony on the crofs, is Fetter fuited txTthe 
 cf gloomy fenfes of a monk in a cell, by whom 
 " it is not impoflible they were written, 
 " than to any man breathing the open air of 
 " the creation." 
 
 Now it is well known that nothing of the 
 
 o 
 
 iyftem of monkery exifted, or was thought of, 
 in the time of the apoftles; and the great maxims 
 of their writings condemn every thing that 
 Jeads to it. Let Mr. Paine point out any paf*- 
 fage in the _NgwJTcjj:aimenOHaF > inthe mofl 
 diflant ma nner ? _ intimates that ._God is pleafed 
 by jtbe., mortifications and torments that men 
 inliii on - themfelves, or that it is- them, duty, or 
 at all acceptable tn Ond T that they mould 
 jfhut themfelves up from the world, and de- 
 cline the active duties of life. On ihe__cpn- 
 trary, if he will condefcend to Jook into~Tiis 
 BTLTe once more_(but from the contempt with 
 which He fpeaks of it, it is not probable he 
 ever will, or that he could read it without 
 prejudice if he did) he will__find that_the 
 greatduties which he hHp^f_J^vojjld _ fay 
 are moil incumbent upon men as members of 
 
 fociety,
 
 Philfophical "Unbeliever. 65 
 
 fociety, are thofe which are chiefly infifted 
 Uonthere f and that nothing is more itrongTy 
 inculcated in the fcriptures, than diat men 
 are to-Aew ..their loKfi^to God, theL common 
 parent, by kind offices to his children, and 
 their brethren. 
 
 Mr. Paine is of opinion, p. 58. " that the paf- 
 " fages in the* New Teftament on which the 
 " whole theory or doctrine of what is called the 
 " redemption is built, have been manufactured 
 " and fabricated, on purpofe to bring forward 
 '* the fecondary and pecuniary redemptions of 
 " the church of Rome. Why," fays he, " are 
 " we to give this church credit, when jfhe 
 "- tells us that thofe books are genuine in every 
 " part, any more than we give her credit 
 ** for any thing elfe (he has told us, or for 
 ** the miracles me fays ihe has performed ? 
 " That flie could fabricate writings is certain, 
 " becaufe me could write, and the compofi- 
 " tion of the writing in queflion is of that 
 " kind, that any body might do it 3 and that 
 " me did fabricate them is not more inconfifl- 
 " ent with probability than that fhe mould 
 " tell us, as me has done, that me could, and 
 " did, work miracles." 
 
 Here Mr. Paine is guilty of the groffeft ana- 
 ehronifm, fmce it is well known, that the 
 fyftern of pecuniary redemptions, was not efta- 
 blifhed till many centuries after the writing of 
 
 F the
 
 66 Letten to the 
 
 the books of the New Teftament, which it 
 is evident, contain nothing that could lead to 
 it. To fay that the church could, or that it 
 was willing to invent books, with any par- 
 ticular view, is nothing to the purpofe, when 
 all hiflory {hews, that the books actually ex- 
 ifted long before the church had any fuch 
 views. Befides, if fome perfons were interefled 
 in forging books, were not others as much 
 interefted in detecting the forgery ? Or will 
 Mr. Paine fay, that the apoftles, and other 
 primitive chriftians, had any advantage in 
 point of literature, or fuperior underftand- 
 ing, which could enable them to impofe upon 
 the whole world, and fo much to their in- 
 jury, as Mr. Paine pretends ? This church 
 muft have been a moft extraordinary perfo- 
 nage, to have done all that Mr. Paine afcribes 
 to her. She muft have been a very great knave, 
 and the world a very great fool. But all knave- 
 ry has not been confined to churchmen, nor 
 all folly to the reft of the world. Hiflory 
 fhews that both thefe articles have been pretty 
 equally divided between them both. 
 
 Writing, as Mr. Paine evidently does, with- 
 out the leaft knowledge of the fcriptures, or 
 indeed of hiftory, his work may make an im- 
 preflion on thofe who are as ignorant as him- 
 felf. But what fcholar will not fmile at his ac- 
 count of the influence which he alTerts the pro- 
 
 grefs
 
 Pbllofopoical Unbeliever. 67 
 
 grefs of chriftianity had on the progrefs of know- 
 ledge. " However unwilling," he fays, p. 96, 
 " the partizans of the -chriftian fyftem may be 
 <f to believe, or acknowledge it, it is neverthe- 
 <c lefs true ; that the age of ignorance com- 
 " menced with the chriftian fyftem. There 
 " was more knowledge in the world before that 
 " period, than for many centuries afterwards. 
 " Had the progreffion of knowledge," p. 98, 
 " gone on proportionably with the ftock that 
 " before exifted, that chafm," (meaning what 
 are generally called the dark ages] " would 
 " have been filled up with characters rifing 
 " fuperior in knowledge to each other; and 
 " thofe ancients, we now fo much admire, 
 " would have appeared refpectably in the 
 " back ground of the fcene. But the chrif- 
 " tian fyftem laid all wafte." 
 
 He farther fays, p. 92, " The fetters up 
 " and the advocates of the chriftian fyftem of 
 " faith could not but forefee, that the conti- 
 " nually progreffive knowledge that man 
 * 4 would gain by the aid of fcience, of the 
 " power and wifdom of God manifefted in 
 " the ftruclure of the univerle, and in all the 
 " works of the creation, would militate 
 " againft and call into queftion, the truth of 
 " their fyftem of faith ; and therefore, it be- 
 " came neceflary to their purpofe to cut learn- 
 4S ing down to a lize lefs dangerous to their 
 F 2 " project;
 
 68 Letters to a 
 
 *' project ? and this they effected by reftriding 
 " the idea of learning to the ftudy of dead 
 " languages." 
 
 In all this Mr. Paine rmift have written from 
 documents exifting in his own brain only, the 
 real flate of things is fo much the reverfe of 
 what he defcribes. No real progrefs had, in 
 fact, been made in any thing that Mr. Paine 
 himfelf would call ufeful fcience, for feveral cen- 
 turies before the chriftian a?ra. The only pur- 
 fuits to which men of leifure and letters devoted 
 themfelves, related to the arts of fpeaking and 
 writing. In the knowledge of moral duties it 
 is certain, that no real progrefs was made ; nor 
 do I think that Mr. Paine will fay that in 
 all this period any confiderable improvement 
 Was made in the fcience of government ; and 
 for about three centuries after the chriftian sra 
 every thing of this kind went on juft as it had 
 done before, without any obftruclion, but with- 
 out any real progrefs. How then doesit appear 
 that in this refpect, " the chriflian fyftem laid 
 " all wafle ?" 
 
 Chriftianity was promulgated in a ftate of 
 the world, the moft enlightened, the moil fa- 
 vourable to the progrefs of knowledge, and con- 
 fequently the moft unfavourable to any fcheme 
 of impofture, of any from the beginning of the 
 world to that time. All the civilized part of 
 the world was then at peace, and the ruling 
 nation had been for fome time enamoured with 
 
 fuch
 
 Philofopbical Unbeliever. 69 
 
 fuch fcience as then prevailed. Chriftianity, 
 though at firft embraced chiefly by the un- 
 learned, foon made converts of the learned j and 
 in confequence of this, the heathen writers be- 
 came fewer, and the chriftian writers more nu- 
 merous ; and there was certainly no appearance 
 of the learned among the chriftians difcou rag- 
 ing literature. This was fo far from being the 
 cafe, that in a very fhort timte the chriftians 
 published more books than the heathens had 
 ever done, till at length we hardly find any 
 heathen writers at all, but chriftian writers 
 without number. ^Vnd this continued to be the 
 cafe till the invafion of the Roman Empire by 
 the northern barbarians j and this cjrcumftance, 
 not chriftianity, was the thing that laid all 
 ivajle. 
 
 As to the deep fcheme that Mr. Paine af- 
 cribes to the " fetters up of the chriftian faith," 
 in confequence of the umbrage they took at the 
 progrefs of knowledge, viz. their contriving 
 that all learning fliould confift in the ftudy of 
 dead languages, I will venture to fay it never ex- 
 ifted but in his own {ingle imagination, no other 
 writer, at leaft, having ever entertained fuch a 
 notion. The apoftles and other early chriftians, 
 whom Mr. Paine may call the fitters up of 
 chriftianity, were in general unacquainted with 
 any language but their own, except that fome 
 of them underftood Greek. This, however, 
 
 F 3 was
 
 jo Letters to a 
 
 was fo much the language to which all perfons 
 who could read were moft accuftomed, that it 
 was neceiTary that all the books of the New 
 Teftament mould be in that language ; and in 
 all the eaftern parts of the world, nothing was 
 written in any other language by chriftians or 
 heathens. . 
 
 At Rome, and in the weftern parts of the 
 empire, the chriftians as well as the heathens 
 wrote only in Latin, and few of them appear 
 to have known any thing of Greek. There 
 were then no dead languages to ftudy, except 
 Hebrew, with which, only a few of the more 
 learned Chriftians were acquainted. But thofe 
 who were, and thofe who in any other reipccft 
 diftinguifhed themfelves by their application to 
 literature, as Origen, Jerom, Pamphilus of 
 Cxfarea, and Eufebius, were held in the higheft 
 efteem on that account. How then did chrif- 
 tianity lay all things wafte ? 
 
 On the irruption of the northern barbarians, 
 (which is well known to have been the com- 
 mencement of that age ofdarknefs which Mr. 
 Paine afcribes to chriftianity) all the books, 
 and the literature which then exifted were pre- 
 ferved not by the heathens, but by chriftians ; 
 and had Mr. Paine been living at that time, 
 he muft have looked for every thing of this 
 kind in cathedral churches, but more efpecially 
 in monafteries, where it was the occupation of 
 
 many
 
 Phllofophical Unbeliever. 71 
 
 many of the fraternity to tranfcribe ancient 
 books ; and without this it is probable we 
 mould not now have had any of the writings 
 of thofe ancients, of whom our author (without 
 knowing perhaps fo much of them as he does 
 of the fcriptures) fpeaks with fo much refpedt. 
 What was done for the remains of Roman 
 literature by the chriftian monks in the weft, 
 was done for the Greek literature by thofe in 
 the eaft. 
 
 In thofe times, and at the revival of letters, 
 all books being in Greek or Latin, the know- 
 ledge of thofe languages became abfolutely ne- 
 ceflary, ,and without any concurrence of the 
 priefls, and much lefs of the fetters up of the 
 chriftian faith, who had all been dead many 
 centuries, it was the only fource of knowledge, 
 and almoft the whole of literature was, in their 
 circumftances, reduced to the ftudy of them. 
 Such is the deep fcheme laid by the fetters up 
 of chriftianity, to confine all learning to the 
 ftudy of languages. How a plain tale, as 
 Shakefpeare fays, will fometimes put a man, 
 down ? 
 
 Mr. Paine's account of the compiling of the 
 canon of the New Teftament, is fufficiently of 
 a piece with his account of the origin of chrif- 
 tianity. " How much," he fays, p. 35, " or 
 " what parts of the books now called the New 
 " Teftament were written by the perfons. 
 F 4 " whofe
 
 72 Letters to a 
 
 " whofe names they bear, is what we know 
 '* nothing of; neither are we certain in what 
 " language they were originally written." 
 Now there is, I may venture to fay, a hun- 
 dred times the evidence of the books of the 
 New Teftament having been written by the 
 perfons whofe names they bear, than there is 
 of Virgil or Ovid having been the authors of 
 the poems afcribed to them, or Julius Casfar 
 of his Commentaries ; and there never was the 
 leaft doubt as to the language in which any of 
 the books of the New Teftament was written, 
 except with refpect to the gofpel of Matthew, 
 which fom faid was written in Greek and 
 others in Hebrew, and which was probably 
 written in both. 
 
 In proportion as any fubject is more interefl- 
 ing, the more pains men will naturally take 
 to afcertain the truth ; and the Chrifthns who 
 made fo much ufe of the books of the New 
 Teftament, and who valued them fo highly, 
 were from the beginning exceedingly careful 
 in diftinguifhing thofe that were genuine from 
 thofe that were fpurious. Eufebius divides 
 thofe that were not fpurious into two claiTes, 
 thofe that were univerfally received, and thofe 
 of doubtful authority ; and the former contains 
 all the hiftorical books or thofe which record 
 fadls, and likewife the epiftles which bear the 
 name of Raul. Indeed, as thefe epiftles were 
 
 moftly
 
 Pbilofopbical Unbeliever. 73 
 
 moftly written to whole churches, it was abfo- 
 Jutely impoffible that an impofition with refpeft 
 to them mould not have been detected. 
 
 The only books of the genuinenefs of which 
 the chriftians in the early ages had any doubt 
 are very few, and thofe of the leaft confequence. 
 There never was any more doubt of the epiftles 
 of Paul being really written by him (though 
 Mr. Paine, without giving any reafon for it, 
 fuppofes p. 56, that even thefe may be fpurious) 
 than that the epiftles of Cicero were written by 
 that Roman orator. The internal evidence is 
 alfo as ftrong in the one cafe as in the other. 
 Let any perfon read Mr. Paley's Hores Pau- 
 lince, and be of a different opinion if he can. 
 I will add, that for thefe epiftles (to fay nothing 
 of the other books of the New Teftament) to 
 be written fo early, and to be received as they 
 were, and the facts referred to in them not to 
 be true, is abfolutcly impoffible, if human na- 
 ture was the fame thing then that it is now. 
 
 Mr. Paine farther fays, p. 33, " When the 
 <f chriftian mythologifts eftablifhed their fyf- 
 " tern, they collected all the writings they 
 " could rind, and managed them as they pleafed. 
 " It is a matter altogether of uncertainty to us, 
 *' whether fuch of the writings as now appear 
 " under the name of the Old or the New Tef- 
 *' lament, are in the fame ftate in which thofe 
 " collectors fay they found them, or whether 
 
 " they
 
 74 Letters to the 
 
 '* they added, altered, abridged, or drefTed them 
 " up. Be this as it may, they decided by vote, 
 " which of the books out of the collection they 
 " made fhould be the word of God, and which 
 " mould not. They rejected feveral, they voted 
 " others to be doubtful, fuch as the books 
 " called the Apocrypha, and thofe books which 
 " had a majority of votes were voted to be the 
 " word of God. The book of Luke was car- 
 44 ried by a majority of one only. Had they 
 " voted otherwife, all the people fince, calling 
 " themfelves chriflians, had believed otherwife. 
 " For the belief of the one comes from the vote 
 " of the other. Who the people were that did 
 *' all this we know nothing of, they called 
 " themfelves by the general name of the church, 
 " and this is all we know of the matter." 
 
 This may be all that Mr. Paine knows of the 
 matter. But any perfon who will take the 
 trouble may eafily know a great deal more, and 
 that the fa<5t was the reverfe of what Mr. Paine 
 defcribes. The greater part of the books of the 
 New Teitament (and I have no occafion to 
 look any farther) were unqueflionably written, 
 while the fadls recorded, or alluded to in them, 
 were recent, and they were received with full 
 credit by thofe who were deeply interefted in 
 their contents. They were written not in con- 
 cert, or at one time, but feparately, and by 
 different perions, as particular occafions called 
 
 for
 
 French Pbilofophers, &c. 75 
 
 for them. Having relation to the fame great 
 fubjecT:, they were, as might naturally be ex- 
 pected, collected and kept together, as the Jews 
 did the different books of their fcriptures. But 
 all perfons ufing their befl judgment and op- 
 portunities, fome collected more, and others 
 fewer of them. 
 
 In this ftate things continued near four hun- 
 dred years ; when as thefe books, written by 
 apoftles or apoftolical men, were appealed to in 
 the decifion of controverfies, it was thought 
 proper to have a ftandard collection ; and the 
 bifhops met in council at Laodicea, Anno Do- 
 mini, 373, did this as well as they could, but 
 by no means to the fatisfaction of all. For, with 
 refpect to fome of the books, there are different 
 opinions even to this day. What books mould 
 be taken into this collection, and be deemed 
 canonical, was of courfe decided by vote ; but 
 if, as Mr. Paine fays, thofe bimops had ma- 
 naged the bufmefs as they pleafed, and not to 
 the fatisfaction of the chriftian world in general, 
 (then, and from the beginning, divided into 
 many parties, fome of whom were fure to ob- 
 ject to what had been done by others) their 
 decifion would have iignificd very little. 
 
 As to the gofpel of Luke being carried by 
 a majority of one only, it is a legend, if not of 
 Mr. Paine's own invention, of no better au- 
 thority whatever. For my own part, I muft 
 
 fay,
 
 fay, that I never heard of it before ; and on the 
 fame authority, I doubt not, he might have 
 added, if he had fo pleafed, that the gofpel of 
 Matthew was carried by two votes, that of 
 Mark, by three, and that of John, by four. 
 The gofpel of Luke, and the Atts of the apojiles 
 written alfo by him, are unqueftionably among 
 the oldeft books of the New Teftament. They 
 were evidently written before the deftruclion 
 of Jerufalem, and their authenticity was never 
 called in queflion by any perfon, Chriftian, Jew, 
 or Heathen ; fo that it never was in the power 
 of any council, by any voting, to {hake their 
 erb,bli{hed credit. He might juft as well fay 
 that it is in the power of any alTembly of li- 
 terati to vote Raplns hlftory of England, or 
 Ramfafs of the American Revolution, to be au- 
 thentic, or not. 
 
 Mr. Paine fays the chriftian mythologies efta- 
 blimed their fyftem at the time that the canon 
 of the books of the New Teftament was form- 
 ed, though this was near the clofe of the fourth 
 century, long after the Roman Empire became 
 chriftian. Will Mr. Paine fay, that there was 
 no chriftianity in the world before that time ? 
 Others will fay that its beft days were then 
 over, and that a corrupted kind of chriftianity 
 had then begun to take its place. And it was 
 not till long after that time, that, from caufes 
 eafily traced, it came to be that fyftem of 
 
 prieft-
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 77 
 
 prieftcraft and oppreffion, which Mr. Paine fb 
 ignorantly confounds with chriftianity itfelf, 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Of Mr. Paine s Ideas of the Doftrines and 
 Principles of Chriftianity '. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 YOU have feen, and I dare fay have been 
 furprizedat the ignorance of Mr. Paine, on the 
 fubjecl of revelation in general, and of the evi- 
 dence, as well as of thejpirif of chriftianity, in. 
 particular. But his ignorance, real or affe&ed, 
 (for I own, I fufpect the latter) of the doffrines 
 and principles of it, is not lefs. He loads the 
 fyftem with all the abfurdities, which he might 
 eafily have known, have long been difcarded by 
 intelligent chriftians. But fuch a view of its 
 doctrines as he has given befl anfwered his pur- 
 pofe, which was to difcredit revelation, by 
 
 turning*
 
 78 "Letters to a 
 
 turning it into ridicule. Indeed, the greateft 
 part of his book coniifts of little elfe than this 
 kind of fcurrility, of which I {hall only give 
 the following fpecimen. 
 
 " Putting afide," he fays, p. 89, " the out- 
 *' rage offered to the moral juftice of God, by 
 " fuppofing him to make the innocent fuffer 
 " for the guilty, and alfo the loofe morality, and 
 " low contrivance of fuppoiing him to change 
 " himfelf into the fhape of a man, in order to 
 " make an excufe to himfelf for not executing 
 " his fuppofed fentence upon Adam; it is cer- 
 " tain, that what is called the chriftian fyftem 
 " of faith, including in it the whimfical account 
 " of the creation, the ftrange ftory of Eve, 
 " the fnake and the apple, the amphibious 
 " idea of a man God, the corporeal idea of 
 " the death of a God, the mythological idea 
 " of a family of Gods, and the chriftian fyf- 
 t( tem of arithmetic, that three are one and 
 " one three y are all irreconcileable, not only to 
 *' the divine gift of reafon God has given to 
 " man, but to the knowledge that man gains 
 " of the power and wifdom of God by the aid 
 " of the fciences, and by ftudying the flruclure 
 " of the univerfe that God has made." 
 
 As Mr. Paine is far from being deficient in 
 understanding, he might, with a little pains, 
 have fatisfied himfelf, that the do&rines of 
 
 atone-
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 79 
 
 at eminent j incarnation and the trinity*, to which 
 he here alludes, have no more foundation in 
 the fcriptures, than the doctrines of tranfub- 
 ftantiation or tranfmigration. He might have 
 added all the peculiar doctrines of the church 
 of Rome, and the difcordant doctrines of all 
 
 
 
 other churches nominally chriftian. 
 
 Mr. Paine, either from art, or for want 
 of better information, uniformly takes it for 
 granted, that every thing which has been afcrib- 
 ed to revelation, even by the moft abfurd of 
 the Catholics, really belongs to it ; and it is 
 fome times amufing to follow him, in his obfer- 
 vations on fubjects, concerning which he is 
 wholly ignorant. On that of myjtery, as well 
 as on that of miracles and prophecy, which I 
 mall prefently confider, he enlarges much to 
 his own fatisfaction, and, as, no doubt, life 
 thought, to the inftrudtion of his readers. 
 
 " Having fhewn," he fays, p. 129, " the 
 " irreconcileable inconfiftencies between the 
 " real word of God, exiting in the univerfe, 
 " and that which is called the word of God, 
 ** thewn to us in a printed book that any 
 
 * * r Chriftian mythology," he fays, p. 107, " has five 
 " deities. There is God the Father, God the Son, God 
 *' the Holy Ghoft, the God providence, and the goJdcfs 
 " nature." On what authority Mr. Paine afierts this, is 
 beft known to himfelf. He might jufl as well have laid, 
 that chriftians had fifty, or five hundred, utiues. 
 
 man
 
 So Letters to a 
 
 " man might make, I proceed to fpeak of 
 " three principal means, that have been em- 
 " ployed in all ages, and perhaps in all coun- 
 " tries, to impofe upon mankind.^ Thofc 
 * c three means are myftery, miracle and pro- 
 "pbecy. The two firft arc incompatible with 
 " true religion, and the third ought always 
 " to be fufpecled." Then, after fome jufl 
 " but obvious remarks upon the fubjecl, he fays, 
 p. 231, " though every created thing is in one 
 " fenfe a myflery, the word myflery cannot be 
 " applied to moral truth, any more than obfcurity 
 " can be applied to light. The God in whom 
 " we believe is a God of moral truth, and not 
 " a God of myflery or obfcurity. Myflery is 
 " the antagonist of truth, &c. Religion, there- 
 " fore," p. 132, " being the belief of a God, 
 ** and the practice of moral truth, _annot have 
 " any connection with myflery." 
 
 Mr. Paine, I fuppofe, did not know thatjn 
 m any oT"Eis obfervations on this fubjecl, h e 
 was writing like a rational chriftian. He had 
 never, I believe, heard, that Dr. Foiler, one the 
 roofl intelligent and mofl zealous of chrifliatis, 
 and who wrote in defence of revelation, dif- 
 tinguiflied himfelf by faying, that where myftery 
 begins, religion ends. 
 
 If we look into the fcriptnres we malHlnd 
 that the word myjlery is never ufed in the fenfe 
 that Mr. Paine affixes to it, viz, of fomething 
 
 which
 
 Pbilofopbical Unbeliever. 8 1 
 
 which it is impoffible to underftand, or com- 
 prehend, but only fomething that was unknown 
 till it was revealed, or explained. It was in 
 
 ' :--"*-., ^_ : -)- . ' ~ -5' ' 
 
 this fenle that the word was ufed by all chrif- 
 tians for feveral centuries before the doctrines 
 of the trinity and tranfubftantiation were known; 
 and this was alfo the common ufe of the word 
 in the Englim language. Thus the myfteries of 
 any trade did not mean any thing incomprehen- 
 fible in that trade, but only the fecrets of it, 
 which every mafler was obliged to make known 
 to his apprentice. The great myjlery that the 
 apoftle Paul fpeaks of, was the preaching of 
 the gpfpel to the Gentiles, as well as to the 
 -Jews, which, though unknown and unfufpected 
 by the zealots among the latter, there was no 
 difficulty in underftanding. 
 
 As to any other kind of myflery in religion, 
 fuch as the doctrine of incarnation, that of the 
 trinity, or tranfubftantiation^ we difclaim them 
 as much as Mr. Paine can do. We alfo agree 
 with Mr.Pame in acknowledging that there 
 are fome things which we cannot help believ:.- 
 ing, though we cannot comprehend them. H 
 acknowledges the belief of a God to be in this 
 fenfe myfterious or incomprehenfible. For 
 certainly we can have no conception how the 
 univerfe mould require a cau'fe, and yet that the 
 caufe of the univerfe mould require none. But 
 we find ourfelves compelled to belie ve^ it, be- 
 
 Cj caufe
 
 82 Letters to a 
 
 caufe we mould otherwife involve ourfelves in 
 a ftill greater difficulty, viz.. that the univerfe 
 muft have begun to exifl without any caufe at 
 all. Confequently, fomething muft have been 
 uncaufed. The chriilian doctrine of a refur- 
 rection is not more myfterious in this fenfe than 
 Mr. Paine's belief of an immaterial and immor- 
 tal foul, which evidently does not think with- 
 out the body, and the brain, and which it is 
 therefore philofophical to fuppofe incapable of 
 thinking without them, and yet is taken for 
 granted to continue to think when the body 
 _and brain are totally deflroyed. 
 
 Mr. Paine ftrangely enough fuppofes, that 
 we are to look for the origin of chriilianity in 
 that fyftem of beatbenifm, to which it is mofl 
 hoftile, and which in the end, it completely 
 overthrew. " It is not difficult," he fays, 
 p. 1 6, " to account for the credit that was 
 " given to the ilory of Jefus Chrift being the 
 " Ion of God. He was born at a time when 
 "'the heathen mythology had ftill fome famion 
 " and repute in the world, and that mythology 
 " had prepared the people for the belief of *flich 
 *' a. ilory. It is curious," he farther fays, 
 p. 17, " to obiervc how the theory of what 
 ** is called the chriilian church, fprung out of 
 " the tail of heathen mythology. A direct 
 (< incorporation took place in the firfl inftance, 
 " by making the reputed founder to be ce- 
 
 " leftially
 
 Pbilofopbical Unbeliever. 83 
 
 " leftially begotten. The trinity of gods 
 " that then followed, was no other than a re- 
 " duction of the former plurality, which was 
 kf a~bout twenty or thirty thoufand. The ftatue 
 " of Mary fucceeded the ftatue of Diana of 
 " Ephefus. The deification of heroes changed 
 " into the canonization of faints. The 
 *' mythologifts had gods for every thing, 
 " the chriftian mythologifts had faints for 
 " every thing. The church became as crouded 
 " with the one, as the pantheon had been 
 " with the other, and Rome was the place 
 " of both. The chriftian theory is little elfe 
 " than the idolatry of the ancient mytholo- 
 " gifts accommodated to the purpofes of 
 " power and revenue, and it yet remains to 
 " reafon and philofophy to abolifh the am- 
 " phibious fraud." 
 
 In all this, Mr. Paine, for want of better 
 information, or affecting to want it, has moil 
 evidently confounded, as indeed he does per- 
 petually, the corruptions of chriftianity, and 
 even thofe of a very late date, with chrifti- 
 anity itfelf. The former, it is acknowledged, 
 arofe from the principles of the heathen philo- 
 fophy, and the heathen religion, as myfelf and 
 many others have clearly proved. Mr. Paine 
 fhould have mewn, that thefe doctrines of the 
 incarnation, of a trinity of gcds, and a multi- 
 plicity of objects of worfhip, were authorifed 
 
 G 2, by
 
 84 Letters to a 
 
 by the fcriptures - y becaufe otherwife it makes 
 nothing for his argument. But it was more con- 
 venient for his purpofe not to make this ob- 
 vious distinction. He muft have known that 
 there are many chriflians, who believe nothing 
 more of the things that he here objects to 
 than himfelf. 
 
 Mr. Paine is perpetually introducing the 
 
 Mofaic account of the creation, as a neceilary 
 
 j 
 
 part, nay the very foundation of the fyftem of 
 revelation, and yet he himfelf fays, p. 37, 
 " that Mofes does not take it on himfelf, by in- 
 " troducing it with the formality that he ufes 
 " on other occafions, fuch as that of faying, 
 " The Lord fpake unto Mofes, faying." After 
 giving an account of the ancient mytholo- 
 gifts, and the war of the giants againfl Jupiter, 
 he fays, p. 24. " The chriftian mythologifts 
 " tell that their fatan made war againfl the 
 " Almighty, who defeated him, and con- 
 " fined him afterwards, not under a mountain, 
 " but in a pit. It is here eafy to fee that the 
 ** rft fable fuggefted the idea of the fecond. 
 '* For the fable of Jupiter and the giants was 
 " told many hundred years before that of 
 " fatan. Thus far the ancient and the chrif- 
 " tian mythologies differ very little from each 
 " other. But the latter have contrived to 
 " carry the matter much farther. They have 
 " contrived to connect the fabulous part of 
 
 " the
 
 tt 
 
 & 
 
 Philofopbical Unbeliever. 85 
 
 the (lory of Jefus Chrift with the fable ori- 
 ginating from Mount ^Etna, and in order 
 " to make all the parts of the ftory tie toge- 
 " ther, they have taken to their aid the tradi- 
 " tion of the Jews. For the chriitian mytho- 
 " logy is made up partly from the ancient 
 " mythology, and partly from the Jewish tra- 
 " dition." 
 
 From what we have already feen of Mr. Paine, 
 we have no reafon to expert from him much ac- 
 curacy with refpect to hiftory and chronology. 
 If he fuppofes, as he evidently does, that the 
 fable of fa tan was fubfequent to that of Ju- 
 piter and the giants, and borrowed from it, 
 he ought to produce his authorities for fo novel 
 an opinion. For I believe it is univerfally 
 allowed that the books afcribed to Mofes are 
 at leaft a thoufand years older than any others 
 that are extant. But the hiftory of fatan, though 
 found at full length in Milton, where Mr. Paine 
 probably learned it, is not found in the xwrit- 
 ings of Mofes, who does not fo much as men- 
 tion fatan, or the devil, in any part of his 
 writings. Both the idea and terms were pro- 
 bably introduced from the oriental philo- 
 ibphy, in which there was a principle of evi/ 
 oppofed to a principle of good. But by Satan or 
 the devil, it is moft probable that the lacred 
 writers meant only an allegorical, not a real 
 perfon. Our Saviour calls Judas a devil, 
 
 G 3 and
 
 86 Letters to a 
 
 and Peter Satan, bscaufe their thoughts were 
 improper, arifing from fomething that was evil, 
 or amifs, within them. 
 
 " The moft extraordinary," Mr. Paine 
 fays, p. 142, " of all the things called miracles, 
 " related in the New Teftament, is that of 
 " the devil flying away with Jefus Chrift, and 
 " carrying him to the top of a high mountain, 
 " and to the top of the higheft pinnacle of 
 " the temple." But the probability is, either 
 that all this fcenery was a vifion,' or a ngura- 
 tive account of what pafTed in the mind of 
 Jeius > reprefenting all the trials to which he 
 would be expofed in the courfe of his public 
 rniniftry, trials arifing from ambitious or in- 
 terefted views. 
 
 The flory of the miraculous conception of 
 Jefus could not efcape a perfon, whofe object it 
 was to turn chriftianity into ridicule. So much 
 does Mr. Paine confider this miracle as effen- 
 tial to the chriftian fcheme, that he fays, p. 19, 
 " the account given of his rcfurreclion and 
 <c afcenfion was the neceflary counter-part 
 <f to the flory of his birth." Now Mr. Paine 
 might have known, that there have been in all 
 ages, chriftians, who never profelled to believe 
 the miraculous conception. The Jewiih chrif- 
 tians in general, who may be prefumed to be 
 the beft judges in the cafe, never received it. 
 Their Gofpel, which was that of Matthew, had 
 
 not
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 87 
 
 not the two firft chapters ; and though there 
 is not the fame external evidence of the fpuri- 
 oufnefs of the two firft chapters of the Gof- 
 pel of Luke, there is great internal evidence 
 of it, and foine of an external nature, as may 
 be feen in my Hijlory of early Opinions concern- 
 ing Jefus Chrifi. However the truth of chrifti- 
 anity does not reft upon any miracles per- 
 formed in fecret, fuch as that of the miracu- 
 lous conception, or the temptation of Jefus, 
 if the literal account of it be true, but upon 
 facts of the moft public nature, which were 
 open to the examination of great numbers of 
 perfons, fuch as his miracles wrought in the 
 face of the whole country, in the prefence of 
 his enemies, his death, and his refurrection. 
 If thefe fa<?ts were true, there can be no doubt 
 of the divine origin of chriftianity, whatever 
 we may think of particular circumftances 
 relating to it. 
 
 The moft extraordinary account of the na- 
 ture and tendency of chriftianity, that I be- 
 lieve was ever given by any man, and the far- 
 theft from every appearance of truth is, Mr. 
 Paine's reprefenting it as nearly allied to athe* 
 ifm. " As to the chriftian fyftem of faith," 
 lie fays, p. 74, " it appears to me as a fpecies 
 " of atheifm, a fort of religious denial of 
 " God. It profeiles to believe in a man rather 
 " than a God. It is a compound made chiefly 
 
 G 4 " up
 
 88 . Letters to a 
 
 " up of mamfni, with but little deifm; and is 
 " as near to atheifm as twilight is to darknefs. 
 " It introduces between man and his maker 
 " an opaque body, which it calls a redeemer, 
 " as the moon introduces her opaque felf 
 " between the earth and the fun; and it pro- 
 " duces by this means a religious, or an irre- 
 et ligious eclipfe of light. It has put the 
 " whole orb of reafon into made. The effect 
 " of this obfcurity has been that of turning 
 *' every thing upfide down, and reprefenting 
 " it in the reverfe, and among the revolutions 
 " it has thus magically introduced, it has made 
 <f a revolution in theology." 
 
 This is fuch random wild aflertion as re- 
 quires no particular refutation. With much 
 more reafon did Mr. Paine arTert, that chrifti- 
 anity is nearly allied to pagan ifm ; for what 
 he conceives chriftianity to be, abounds with 
 objects of worfhip, fuperior and inferior, juft 
 as the Pagan religion did. In imitation of Mr. 
 Paine, I mail not attempt to reafon on this 
 fubject. Let any man read the New Tefla- 
 ment, and fay whether Jefus and the apoftles 
 were atheifls, or whether they taught what had 
 any tendency to make them fo. It looks as if 
 Mr. Paine was pre-determined to load chrifti- 
 anity with every term of reproach that occurred 
 to him, however inconfiftent with one ano- 
 ther. To complete the inconfiftency, this 
 
 fame
 
 Pbilofopbical Unbeliever. 89 
 
 fame chriftianity, which is fo nearly allied both 
 to atbeifm and polytbeifm, has, according to 
 Mr. Paine, in my laft quotation from him, a 
 little of dcifm in it. t J?^ 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 *" Of p ro phecy. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 MR. PAINE's account of prophecy y intended 
 to turn the fubject into ridicule, is, I believe, 
 quite peculiar to himfelf, and by no means 
 correfponds to what may be collected concern- 
 ing it in the fcriptures. 
 
 " All the parts of the Bible," he fays, p. ^8, 
 known by the name of the pro- 
 * are tne works of the Jewiih poets, and 
 " itinerant preachers^ who mixed poetry, anec- 
 " dotes and devotion together. The word," 
 he fays, p. 44. " was originally a term of 
 " fcience, promifcuoufly applied to poetry and 
 * e to mufic, and not reftncted to any fubjecl; 
 <( upon which poetry and mulic might be ex- 
 < ercifed. Deborah, and Barak are called 
 " prophets, not becaufe they predicted any 
 " thing, but becaufe they compofed the poem 
 
 " or
 
 go Letters to a 
 
 " or fong, that bears their name in celebra- 
 " tion of an ad already done. David is ranked 
 " amon g. the prophets, for he was a mutt - 
 " cian, and was alio reputed" to Be, though 
 tf perhaps very erroneoufly, the author of 
 * f the Pfalms. But Abraham, Ifaac, and 
 " Jacob, are not called prophets. It does not 
 " appear, from any account we have, that 
 " they could either fmg, play mufic, or make 
 " poetry. We are told of the greater a^d 
 *' h0^ r prop bet *> m They m[ght as well tell us 
 " of the greater and Icfler God, for there can- 
 " not be degrees in prophecying, confidently 
 " with its modern fenfe. But there are degrees 
 " in J^j^[X>_a.nd therefore the phrafe is re- 
 " concileable to the cafe, when we underftand 
 " by it the greater and leffer poets." 
 
 It is truly curious to obferve, how completely 
 Mr. Paine fuppofes he had obviated every 
 thing that can be advanced by the friends of 
 revelation on the fubjecl of prophecy, by his 
 new definition of the _term. ff It is altoge- 
 " ther unneceflary," he fays, p. 45, *' alter 
 " this, to offer any obfervations upon what 
 ". v thofe men lliled prophets have written. 
 " The axe goes at once to the root, by mew- 
 that the original meaning of the word 
 
 has been millakcn, and confequently, all 
 the inferences that have been drawn from 
 thofe books, the devotional refpect that has 
 
 " been
 
 miojophlcal Unbeliever. 91 
 
 '* been paid to them, and the laboured com- 
 e< mentaries that have been written upon them. 
 " under that miftaken meaning, are not worth 
 " difputing about." 
 
 No doubt, the prophets generally delivered 
 themfelves in elevated language, fuch as is 
 faid to conftitute poetry ; but if Mr. Paine had 
 not forgotten the contents of his Bible, he 
 would have recollected, that the JewiiJ? pro- 
 phets, in the plaimTfr. of all language, predicted 
 many important future events^ fo as to J>e - 
 entitled to the name of prophets in the ftricteft, 
 and what he calls the modern ienfe of the 
 word. Thefe predictions he ought to compare 
 with the events predicted. It is not his arbitra- 
 rily changing the iignification of a word that 
 can avail him any thing. 
 
 Any perfon who only looks into his Bible, 
 muft fmile at Mr. Paine's palpable miftake of 
 the meaning of the term greater and leffer pro- 
 pbets ; for it has no relation whatever" to what 
 they wrote, or to the manner 1 of their writing, 
 but only to the quantity of it. Ifaiah, Jere- 
 miah, and Ezekiel, whole books are compara- 
 tively large, are, on that account, called the 
 greater prophets. Whereas, Hofea, and eleven 
 others, who wrote but little, are therefore 
 called the leffer prophets. 
 
 As Mr. Paine triumphs not a little on this 
 fubject, I mall quote what he farther fays upon 
 
 it.
 
 (C 
 
 9 
 
 92 Letters to a 
 
 it.' " The orieinal meaning of the words pro- 
 
 "* 
 
 " p. bet zn&jirGpbecying, he fays, p. 82, has been 
 " changed, and a prophet, in the fenfe in which 
 ""the word is now ufed, is a creature of mo- 
 " dern invention ; and jt__is- ,owing__to this 
 " cnange in the meaning of the words, that 
 " the flights and the metaphors of jfeg. Jcwifli 
 " poets, and phrafes and expreiTions now 
 " ren3ercJ'obfcur by our nofbein^ acquainted 
 " with the local circumftances to_ which they 
 " 'TTJrpfilrlr'^it: the time they were uie4jL have 
 * ' been erected i " <~o j^rp^hefies, _an d made to 
 " bend to explanations at the will and whim- 
 " fical conceits of feclaries, expounders, an4 
 " commentators. Every thing unintelligible 
 " was ^prophetical, and every thing iniignifacant 
 " was typical. A blunder would have fervejj. 
 
 for a prophecy ; and a diih-clout for a type. 
 
 " If by a prophet, we are to fuppofe a man 
 " to whom the Almighty communicated 
 " fome event that would take place in future, 
 " either there were fach men, or there were 
 " not. If there were, it is confident to b^ 
 
 " lieve that the event fo communicated would 
 
 - ,* 
 
 '" be told in terms that could be underflood, 
 
 " and not related in fuch a loofe and obfcure 
 
 " manner as to be out of the comprehenfion 
 
 " of thole that heard it, and fo equivocal as 
 
 " to fit almofl any circum_ftance_thq.t might 
 
 " happen after wards. It is conceiving very 
 
 " irreverently
 
 Philofophical Unbeliever. 93 
 
 " irreverently of the Almighty, to fuppofo 
 " that he would deal in this jefting manner 
 " with mankind. Yet all the things called 
 " Prophecies, in the book called the Bible, 
 " come under this defcription." 
 
 " But it is with prophecy as it is with .mj- 
 " racle. It would not anfvver the purpofe, 
 " even if it were real. Thofe to whom a 
 " prophecy mould be told, could not tell whe- 
 " ther the man prophefied or lied, or whe- 
 " ther it had been revealed to him, or whe- 
 '* ther he conceited it ; and if the thing that 
 " he prophefied, or pretended to prophecy, 
 " mould happen, or fomething like it, among 
 "...the multitude of things that are daily happen- 
 " ing, nobody could again know whether he 
 " foreknew it, or gueffed at it, or whether it 
 " was accidental. A prophet, therefore, is 
 " a character ufelefs and unnecefTary, and the 
 " fafe fide of the cafe is, to guard again ft being 
 " impofed upon, by not giving credit to fuch 
 " relations." 
 
 By Mr. Paine's own account, he has not 
 read his Bible lately, and probably will never 
 look into it any more. But I appeal to any per- 
 fon who is in the habit of reading it, whether 
 bis account of prophecy, or that which I mall 
 give, be the more juft. ^Prophets, in the fcrip- 
 rure fenfe of the word, were men to whom 
 God communicated whatever he intended to 
 be delivered to others. Some of thefe com- 
 munications
 
 94 Letters to a 
 
 inunicatlons were moral admonition^, but others 
 were diftindt, unequivocal annunciations of 
 future eveftts/ to take place, either very foon , 
 or at diftant periods. Such are the prophecies 
 of Mofe^now in a ftate of fulfilment, concern- 
 ing the future hiftory of the Ifraelitifh nation, 
 their fettlement in the land of Canaan, their 
 expulfion from it, and their difperfion into all 
 parts of the habitable, world, previous to their 
 final refloration to it; thofe of Ifaiah, Jeremiah, 
 E~zekiel, and others, concerning many parti- 
 cular definite eVents, which happened in their 
 own time, as well as the future glorious ftate 
 of their nation, and the peaceful and happy 
 ftate of the world in general ; thofe of Daniel 
 concerning the fucceffion of the four great 
 monarchies, and thofe jof our Saviour concern- 
 ing the deftruction of Terufalem and the Tern- 
 
 O ' 
 
 pie. Let any perfon of common difcernmgnt 
 perufe thefe prophecies, and fay whether they 
 could have been written fo long before the 
 events by gz/c/f or by accident. If not (which 
 fuch a perfon mufl pronounce to be the cafe) 
 the language could only be diffated by that 
 great Being who fees all events in their mofl 
 remote caufes, and therefore are proofs of di - 
 vine communication. 
 
 ^J2-E!i_2l]l book of Daniel, and alfo 
 of the Rcvftsci* are written in fuch a man- 
 
 _ 
 
 ner, that it is probable we fhall not under- 
 
 "fland
 
 Pbilofophtcal Unbeliever. 95 
 
 iland them completely, till we can compare 
 them with the events to which they are to cor- 
 refnond. But it is very poffible we may then 
 be fatisfied, that only he who can fee the end 
 from the beginning, could have defcribed them 
 even in that obfcure manner fo long before- 
 hand ; and the reafon of the obfcurity of thofe 
 particular prophecies, concerning events which 
 are yet to come, is pretty obvious. For as thefe 
 prophecies are now in the hands of thofe who 
 refpect them, it might have been faid that they 
 contributed to their own fulfilment, by the 
 friends of revelation endeavouring to bring 
 about the events predicted. However, though 
 fome intermediate fteps in the great train of 
 events be thus obfcure, both the great outline 
 of the whole, and the cataftrophe, are mod 
 clearly exprefTed. Obfcure as is the language 
 of thefe prophecies, they plainly enough indi- 
 cate a long period of great corruption in chrif- 
 tianity, efpecially by the rife of a perfecuting 
 power within itfelf ; but that this power, toge- 
 ther with all the temporal powers of this 
 world, in league with it, is to be overthrown ; 
 and that this will be a feafon of great calamity, 
 fuch as the world had never experienced before ; 
 that after this, Chrift will come in the clouds 
 of Heaven, when there will be a refurreiftion 
 of the virtuous dead, and a commencement of 
 a glorious and peaceful flate of the world in 
 
 general.
 
 g6 Letters to a 
 
 general. After this will be the refurreclion of 
 all the dead, and the general judgment. Is it 
 conceiving irreverently of the Almighty, ajid 
 fuppofing that he jefts with mankind, when he 
 clearly announces to them events of this great 
 magnitude, in which they are fo nearly in- 
 terefled ? 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 LETTER VIL 
 
 T'/je Conclufion. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 IT is amufing to obferve how differently 
 the fame things imprefs different perfons. Mr. 
 Paine, fpeaking of the Bible in general, fays 
 p. 38, " When we read the obfcene ftories, 
 " the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and 
 *. f torturous executions, the unrelenting vin- 
 " dicftivenefs, with which more than half the 
 (f Bible is filled, it would be more confident 
 " that we called it the word of a demon, than 
 jword_of God. It is a hiftpry of wicked- 
 
 " nefs, 
 6
 
 Phikfophical Unbeliever. 97 
 
 *' ne ^ s > *h at hath ferved to corrupt and 
 ** 'brutalize mankind, and for my own part I 
 " fi n 9 ere ty detcft it, as I dcteft every thing 
 "' that is cruel. We fcarcely meet with any 
 " thing, a few phrafes excepted, but what de- 
 " ferves either our abhorrence or our contempt, 
 " till we come to the mifcellaneous parts of the 
 " Bible." 
 
 The probability is that I am much better ac- 
 quainted with the Bible than Mr. Paine, and 
 I read it daily in the original*, which is certainly 
 fome advantage, and one to which Mr. Paine 
 will not pretend. Now I can truly fay that 
 I read it with incrcafing fatisfaction, and \ 
 hope with much advantage in a moral rcfpecl:. I a 
 do not coniider it as written by divine infpira- 
 tion "; but it confifts of books relating to the 
 moft important of all fubjefts, the hiftorical 
 parts being written by perfons well acquainted 
 with the events which they relate, and jhe 
 prophetical parts by perfons who had commu- 
 nications \vitB God, fo as to deliver the moft 
 folemn admonitions, or the moft important 
 predictions in his name. There are the moll 
 unequivocal marks of the moft exalted 
 
 * It fhould feem as if, for a moment, Mr. Paine had for- 
 gotten that the Bible was not written in Englifh ; fince as 
 a proof, that fome parts of it are " in poetical rneafure," 
 he quotes our common verfion. See the Note, p, 40. 
 
 H and
 
 9 8 Letters to d 
 
 and the j^ureft benevolence, in- the writers of 
 thefe Jbpoks ; fo that the perufal of them cannot 
 fail to warm the heart by exciting the fame ee- 
 
 - -1 Q .-. .... i vQ 
 
 nerous fentiments, with every thing that is 
 truly J r eat. and excellent in man. 
 
 The Bible contains the hiftory of a moft re- 
 markable people, through whom it has pleafcd 
 God to make his principal communications 
 to 55_ankin_d; and being a truer hiftory than 
 any other, it exhibits a faithful account of the 
 vices, as well as the virtues, of the moft dif- 
 tinguimed perfons in that nation, as well as of 
 fome in other nations ; but with the ftrongeft 
 difapprobation of thofe vices, fo that thofe 
 particulars in the narrative are as inftrudtive 
 as any others. 
 
 In the writings of Mofes and the prophets, 
 in the difcourfes of Chrift, and in the epiftles 
 of the apoftles, there is a dignity and an autho- 
 rity to which nothing in the writings of any 
 of the heathens approaches. Even Socrates 
 and Plato, are cold and dry, when compared 
 with them. The writings of the ancient phi- 
 lofophers contain but little of what man is 
 mod interested tq_know. Whereas the fcrip- 
 tvjres leave nothing_unk.nown L that is of 
 much importance for man Jo be_ acquainted 
 with. They give the moil fatisfa&ory view of 
 the whole condud of providence with re- 
 
 fpecl: 
 6
 
 Philcfophical Unbeliever '. 99 
 
 fped ta thi's 'life,, io as to enable men under 
 all events, profperous or adverfe, to live with 
 fa tisfaclion, and to die with confidence and 
 joy, in the firmed belief of a future ftatcjaf 
 retribution._ Whereas all that Mr. Paine fays, 
 p. 1 50, is, " that the power which gave him 
 " exiftence is able to continue it, and that it 
 " appears more probable to him that he mall 
 " continue to exift hereafter, than that he 
 " mould have had exiftence, as he now has, be- 
 " fore that exiftence began," which certainly 
 affords him no real ground of expectation at 
 all. For what was the probability of his re- 
 ceiving exiftence before he had any ? 
 
 Upon the whole, there are, in my opinion, 
 no writings whatever, that are at all compara- 
 be to the fcriptures for their moral tendency, 
 in giving juft views of the attributes and pro- 
 vidence of God, or in -adding to the dignity 
 of man, fitting him for the difcharge of his 
 duty in this life, and making him a proper 
 fubjecl: of another and better ftate_ _of__being, 
 of which it gives him the cleared information 
 and the moft fatisfadory evidence. I own, I 
 am at a lofs for words to exprefs my venera- 
 tion for thofe books for which Mr. Paine ex- 
 prefles the greateft contempt. Let thofe who 
 are beft acquainted with them judge between 
 us. 
 
 Ifhall
 
 loo Letters, 
 
 I fhall be happy if thefe obfervations on 
 this work of Mr. Paine's gives you any fatis- 
 fa&ion, and am, 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your's fincerely, 
 
 % 
 
 J. PRIESTLEY. 
 
 Northumberland in America, 
 Ofltber 27, 2794, 
 
 THE END. 
 
 \
 
 CATALOGUE OF BOOKS, 
 
 WRITTEN BY 
 
 Dr. PRIESfLET. 
 
 AND PRINTED FOR. 
 
 J. JOHNSON, BOOKSELLER, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD, LONDON,
 
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 ginal Experiments, illuftrated with Copper-PlateSj 
 5th Edition, corrected, ll. is. in boards. 
 
 N. B. A continuation of this work, with original Ex- 
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 The continuation will be fold alone, il. is. in boards. 
 
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 3. The Hiftory and Prefent State of Difcoveries relating 
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 and other Branches of Natural Philofophy, connected with the 
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 5. Philofophical Empiricifm : containing Remarks on a 
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 6. Experiments relating to the Decompofition of Dephlo- 
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 10. A Chart of Biography , with a Book containing an Ex- 
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 it, 6th Edition, very much improved, los. 6d. 
 
 N. B. Thefe Chart s, mounted on Canvas and Rollers, to be 
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 of Schools, a new Edition, is. 6d. bound. 
 
 12. The fame Grammar^ with Notes and Obfervations, for 
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 guage, 4th Edition. 
 
 13. Lectures on Hiftory and General Policy ; to which is 
 prefixed, an Effay on a Courfe of Liberal Education, for 
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 8vo. 12S. in boards, or 14*. bound. 
 
 14. Obfervations relating to Education : more efpecially as 
 it refpeits the Mind ; to which is added, an Efl'ay on a Courfe
 
 Bookf written by Dr. Pr/V/%. L 
 
 of Liberal Education for Civil and AdYive Life, 2d Edition, 
 35. 6d. in boards. 43. 6d. bound. 
 
 15. A C^irfc of Leflitres on Oratory and Griticiftn t 410.' 
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 16. An Eflay on the fir ft Principles of Government, and 
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 1*7. Letters to the Right Hon. Mr. Burke on his Reflec- 
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 fewed. 
 
 18. A. Letter to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Firft Lord 
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 Subject of Toleration and Church Ejlabli/kments ; occafioned 
 by his Speech againft the Repeal of the Tcft and Corporation 
 ARs, on Wednefday the 2iftof March, 1787, 2d. Edition is. 
 
 19. A Sermon preached before the Congregations of the 
 CM and New Meetings, at Birmingham, November 5, 1789, 
 recommending the Conduct to be obferved by Diflenters in 
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 20. Familiar Letter^ addrefled to the Inhabitants of the 
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 Mr. Madan. Alfo Letters to the Rev. Edward Burn, in 
 Anfwer to his, on the Infallibility of the ApoftolicTeftimony 
 concerning the perfon of Chrift. And Confideratiohs on the 
 differences of Opinion among Chriftians, in Anfwer to the 
 Rev. Mr. Venn, ad Edition, y>. fewed, 6s. bound. 
 
 21. An Examination of Dr. Reid's Inquiry into the 
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 22. Hartley's Theory of the Human Mind, on the Principle 
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 23. Difquifitions relating to Matter and Spirit. To which 
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 its influence on Chriftianity, efpecially with relpedl: to the 
 Doctrine of the Pre-exiftence of Cnrift. Alfo the Do.5trine 
 ofPhilofophical Neceffity illuftrated, 2d Edition, enlarged and 
 improved: with Remarks on thofe who have controverted the 
 Principles of them, 2 vols. 8s. in boards, ics. 6d. bound. 
 
 24. A Free Difcuffion of the Doflrines of Mitcriatifm and 
 Philosophical Ncct'jjjty, in a Correfpondence between Dr. Price
 
 "Books written by Dr 
 
 and Dr. Prlejlley j to which are added, by Dr. Prie/lley,zn In ' 
 trodufiion explaining the Nature of the Controversy, and 
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 Neceffity, 8vo, 6s. in boards, ys. bound. 
 
 25. A Defence of theDoftrine of NeceJ/ity, in two Letters 
 to the Rev. Mr. John Palmer, 2s. 
 
 26. A Letter to Jacob Bryant, Efq. in Defence of Philo- 
 fophical Neceffity, is. 
 
 27. A Pbilofophical Enquiry concerning Human Liberty, 
 by W. Collins, Efq. with a Preface by Dr. Prieftley, 2s. 6d. 
 
 The three preceding Articles may be properly bound up with tbt 
 fecond ^Www^tf/'Difquin'tions on Matter and Spirit. 
 
 28. Letters to a Philofophical Unbeliever, containing an 
 Examination of the principal Objections to the Doctrines of 
 Natural Religion, and efpecially thofe contained in the writ- 
 ings of M r. Hume. Alfo a State of the Evidence of Revealed 
 Religion, with Animadverfions on the twolaft Chapters of the 
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 of the Roman Empire; and an Anfwer to the Letters of Mr. 
 William Hammon. 2 vols. 8vo. 75. fewed, or bound in one 
 volume, 8s. 
 
 29. Letters to the Philofophers and Politicians of France, on 
 the ubjei of Religion, is, 
 
 30. An Anfwer to Mr. Paine's dgeof Rea/on, being a con- 
 tinuation of the two preceding articles, (firft printed in Ame- 
 rica 1794, and re-printed here, with a preface, by T. Lindfey 
 A,M). 2s. 6d. 
 
 31. A Harmony of the Evangclifls in Greek. To which 
 are prefixed, Critical Differtations in Englifh, 410. 145. in 
 boards, 173. bound. 
 
 32. A Harmony of the Evangelifls in EngHJh, with Notes, 
 and an occafional Paraphrafe for the ufe of the Unlearned. To 
 which are prefixed, Critical DifTertations, and a letter to the 
 Bilhop of Oflbry, 410. i?s. in boards, 155. bound. 
 
 N. B, Thofe who are pojjeffed of the Greek Harmony, may have 
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 The Greek and Englifh Harmony, with the Critical Difler- 
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 33. Iriftitutes of Natural and Revealed Religion, in 2 vols, 
 8vo. 2d Edition, ics. 6d. in boards, I2S. bound. 
 
 The Third Part of this Jf^ork, containing the Doftrines of 
 Revelation, may be had alone, 2s, d. fewed. 
 
 34. An Hijlory of the Corruptions of Chriftianity, with a ge- 
 neral Conclusion, in two Parts, Part I. containing Confide- 
 rations addrefled to Unbelievers, and efpecially to Mr. Gibbon. 
 Part JI. containing Confiderations addrefled to the Advocates 
 lor the prcfent Eftablifhrnent, and efpecially to Bifliop
 
 Books written by Dr. Priejlley. 
 
 9. vols. 8vo. 12s. in boards, or 145. bound. Or, bound uni- 
 formly with the three following Defences of it, in 3 vols. j 1. 45. 
 
 35. A Reply to the Animadverfions on the Hi/lory of the 
 Corruptions of Chrijlianity, in the Monthly Review for June, 
 1783; with Obfervations relating to the Do&rine of the 
 Primitive Church, concerning the Perfon of Cbri/t, 8vo. is. 
 
 36. Remarks on the Monthly Review of the Letters to Dr. 
 Horjley: in which the Rev. Mr. Samuel Eadcock, the writer 
 of that Review, is called upon to defend what he has advanced 
 in it, 6d. 
 
 37. Letters to Dr. Horjley, Archdeacon of St. Alban's, in 
 three Partsj containing farther Evidence that the Primitive 
 Chriftian Church was Unitarian, 75. 6d. fewed. 
 
 N. B. Thefe lajl three Articles together in boards, gs. or IOS. 
 6d. bound. 
 
 38. An HiJIory of Early Opinions concerning Jefus Chrijl^ 
 compiled from Original Writers ; proving that tuc Chriitian 
 Church was atfirft Unitarian, 4 vols. 8vo. il. 43. in boards, 
 or il. 8s. bound. 
 
 39. A General Hi/lory of the ChrijTian Church, to the Fall of 
 the YVeftern Empire, in 2 vols.Svo. 145. in boards, i6s. bound. 
 
 40. Defences of Unitarzanifrri, for theYcar i j#6; contain- 
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 Men, who are in a Courie of Education for the Chriftiau 
 Miniftry, at the Univerfities of Oxford and Cambridge; to 
 Dr. Price ; and to Mr, Parkhurft; on the fubject of the Pef- 
 fon of Chrift, 35. 
 
 41. Defences of Unitarianifm for the Year 1787 i contain- 
 ing Letters to the Rev. Dr. Geddes, to the Rev. Dr. Price, 
 Part II. and to the Candidates for Orders in the Two Uni- 
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 and feveral other Publications, 2s. 6d. 
 
 42. Defences of Unitarianifm for the years 1788 and 1789; 
 containing Letters to the Bifhop of St. David's, to the Rev. 
 Mr. Barnard, the Rev. Dr. Knowles, and the Rev. Mr. Haw- 
 kins, 35. 6J. 
 
 N. B. The three preceding articles together in boards 95. or 
 bound ios. 6d. 
 
 43. A View of the Principles and Candufl of the P rote/1 ant 
 Pijfinters, with RefpecT: to the Civil and Ecclefiaftical Con- 
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 44. A Free Addrefs to Protcjlant Dijfinters, on the Subject 
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 45. An Addrefs to P rot eft ant DiJJenters, on the Subject of 
 giving the Lord's Supper to Children, is. 
 
 46. A Free Addrefi to Prateflant Dijpnters, on the Subject 
 of Church Difcipime; with a preliminary Difcourfe concern-
 
 written by ^D -. Prieflley. 
 
 ing the Spirit of Chriftianity, and the Corruptions of it bv 
 ialfe Notions of Religion, 2s. 6d. fewed. 
 
 47. Letters to the Author of Remarks on fever a! late Pub- 
 lications, relative to the Dijfcntcrs, in a Letter to Dr. Prirftley, IF. 
 
 48.' A Letter to a Layman, on the lubjedr, of Mr. Lindiey's 
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 late Dr. Samuel Clarke, 6d. 
 
 49. Three Letters lo Dr. Newcome, Eifhop of Waterford, 
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 50. Letters to the Jews ; inviting them to an amicable Dif- 
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 51 . Letters to the Members of the New Jeruialem Church, 
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 52. Letters to a Young Man, occafioned by Mr. Wake- 
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 53. Letters to a Young Man, Part II. in Reply to Mr. 
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 54. An Hijlcry of the Sufferings of Lewis de MarcUcs^ and 
 Mr. Jjaac le Ftvre, upon the Revocation of the Edict of 
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 55. Original Letters of the Rev, John Wefley and his 
 Friendr, illuftrative of his eaily HiRory, with other curious 
 papers, communicated by the Lite Rev. S. Badcock ; to 
 which is prefixed an Addrefs to the Methodift?, by Dr. 
 Prieitlc-y, js. 
 
 5<>. Forms of Prayer, and other offices, for the Ufe of Uni- 
 tarian Societies, 8'/o. 35. fewed. 
 
 t^t. Difconrfis on Various Subjcfh, viz. On refigning tht; 
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 Church, with a Preface on the prefc-nt State of thofe who are 
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 58. Difiourfes on the Evidences of Divine Revelation, 8vo. 
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 1/88, I-. 
 
 60. Rffleftions on Death. A Sermon on the Death of the 
 Rev. Robert Robinfon, of Cambridge, is. 
 
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 mi flic n of the Rev. W. Field, of Warwick, with a Charge 
 by the Rev. 'I homas Belfliam, is. id. N. 13. This:.: included 
 into. 58-
 
 Bosks written Ly Dr. Prifjllcy. 
 
 62* The proper Objects of Education in the prefcat State 
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 with a Prayer, by the Rev. Mr. Belfham, is. 
 
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 64. A Particular Attention to the Inftruction of the Young, 
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 66. A Difcourfe on the Evidence of the Refurreftion of 
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 67. A Sermon on the Faft Day, 1793, is. 
 
 68. A Strmon on the Faft Day, 1794; with a Preface, 
 containing the Authors's Reaibns for leaving Englnnd is. 
 
 69. The ufe of Chriftianity, efpecially in difficult times ; 
 a Sermon delivered ai the Gravel Pit, Meeting;, Hackney, 
 March 30 th, i794> being the Author's Fare well Difcourfe to 
 his Congregation, is. 6d. 
 
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 72. A Scripture Cutechif/n^ confifting of a Series ofQuek 
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 73- Dr. Watts's Hiftorical Catechifm, with alterations, 
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 74. "Conftderetwm for the Ufe of Young Men, and the Pa- 
 rents of Young Men, 2d. 
 
 75. A Scrims Addrefi to Mafters of Families, with Forms 
 of Family Prayer, is. 
 
 76. An rfppea/tothe ferious and candid Profefl^>rs of Chrif- 
 tianity, on the follovying fu'ojects, viz, I. The Life ofReafon 
 in Matters of Religion. 2. Tiie Power of Man to do the 
 Will of God. 3. Original Sin. 4. ElecTuon and Repro- 
 bation. 5. The Divinity of Chrift : ani.6, Atonementfor 
 Sin by the Death of Chriit ; a new Edition: to which is 
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 77. A Familiar llluftratioii of certain PaiTagc-s of Scripture, 
 relating to the fame Subjects, 6d. 
 
 78* A General View of the Arguments for the Unity of 
 Go.', and againil the Divinity and Pre-exi{h:r.ce of Cliriii, 
 . from Reafon, from the Scripiures, and from Hiftory, 30'.
 
 Booh uriiten by Dr. Pne/ttey* 
 
 79. A Free Addrefs to Proteftant Diflenters as fuch. By 
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 Tracts, price 55. fewed, or 6s. bound. 
 
 Alfo publijhed under the Direction of Dr. Prieftley. 
 THE THEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY, 
 Confifting of Original EfTays, Hints, Queries, &c. calculated 
 to promote Religious Knowledge, in Six Volumes, 8vo. 
 jl. i6s, in board?, or 2!. 2s, bound. The three lait Vo- 
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 BOOKS written by the Rev. T. L1NDSET, A. M. 
 
 1. An Apology for refigning the Vicarage of Catterick, 
 vo, 1773, 4th Edit. 1782, 35. fewed. 
 
 2. A Sequel to the Apology, 8vo. 1776, 6s.yw/*/. 
 
 3. A Sermon preached in EfTex-ftreet, on opening the 
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 4. Two DifTertations: ift. Oh the Preface of St. John's 
 Gofpel. 2d. On praying to Chrift, 8vo. 1779, 2s. 6d. 
 
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 6. An Hiftorical View of the State of the Unitarian Doc- 
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 7. Vindicirc Prieftleianae : An Addrefs to the Students of 
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 jo. An Examination of Mr. Robinfon's Plea for the Divi- 
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