the Scriptures are not embraced by every man, whatever be the difpofition of his mind. This is a property that no divine production whatever poffeffes; and to require it is equally unreasonable as to infift that for a book to be perfectly legible it must be capable of being read by thofe who fhut their eyes upon it. Mr. Paine holds up the advantages of the book of nature in order to difparage that of Scripture, and informs us that "No deift can doubt "whether the works of nature be God's works." An admirable proof this that we have arrived at The age of reafon! Can no Atheift doubt it? I might as well fay, no Chriftian doubts the truth of the Scriptures: the one proves just as much as the other. A prejudiced mind difcerns nothing of divine beauty either in nature or fcripture; yet each may include the most indubitable evidence of being wrought by the finger of God.

If Christianity can be proved to be a religion that inspires the love of God and man, yea and the only religion in the world that does fo; if it endues the mind of him that embraces it with a principle of juftice, meekness, chastity, and goodness, and even gives a tone to the morals of fociety at large, it will then appear to carry its evidence along with it. The effects which it produces will be its letters of recommendation; written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of ftone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.-Moreover, If Chriftianity can be proved to be in harmony with itself, correfpondent with obfervation and experience, and confiftent with the cleareft dictates of fober reason, it will further appear to carry in it its own evidence: Come through whofe hands it may, it will evince

1

itself to be what it profeffes to be, a religion from God.

I will only add in this place, that the Christianity here defended is not Christianity as it is corrupted by popish fuperftition, lowered by philofophical ingenuity, or as interwoven with national eftablishments, for the accomplishment of fecular purpofes; but as it is taught in the New Testament, and practifed by fincere Chriftians. There is no. doubt but that in many inftances Chriftianity has been adopted by worldly men, even by infidels themselves, for the purposes of promoting their political defigns. Finding the bulk of the people inclined to the chriftian religion under fome particular form, and attached to certain leading perfons amongst them who fuftained the character of teachers; they have considered it as a piece of good policy to give this religion an establishment, and these teachers a fhare in the government. It is thus that religion, to its great difhonour, has been converted into an engine of ftate. The politician may be pleafed with his fuccefs, and the teacher with his honours, and even the people be fo far mifled as to love to have it fo; but the mischief refulting from it to religion is incalculable. Even where fuch eftablishments have arifen from piety, they have not failed to corrupt the minds of Chriftians from the fimplicity which is in Christ. It was by these means that the church at an early period, from being the bride of Chrift, gradually degenerated to a harlot, and in the end became the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. The good that is done in fuch communities is not in confequence of their peculiar ecclefiaftical conftitution, but in fpite of it:

it arifes from the virtue of individuals which operates notwithstanding the difadvantages of their fituation.

These are the things that afford a handle to unbelievers. They feldom chufe to attack Christianity as it is drawn in the facred writings, and exemplified in the lives of real chriftians, who ftand at a distance from worldly parade, political fruggles, or ftate intrigues; but as it is corrupted and abufed by worldly men. Mr. Paine racks his imagination to make out a resemblance betwixt the heathen mythology and Christianity. While he is going over the ground of Christianity as inftituted by Christ and his apoftles, the resemblance is faint indeed. There are only two points in which he even pretends to find an agreement; and these are formed by his misrepresenting the scriptures. The hea then deities were faid to be celeftially begotten; and Christ is called the Son of God.* The heathens had a plurality of deities, even twenty or thirty thousand; and Christianity has reduced them to three! It is easy to fee that this is ground not fuited to Mr. Paine's purpose: he therefore haftens to corrupted Christianity; and here he finds plenty of materials. "The statue of Mary, he says, fucceeded the ftatue "of Diana of Ephefus. The deification of heroes changed into the canonization of faints. The "mythologists had gods for every thing. The "Christian mythologists had faints for every thing. "The Church became as crowded with the one,

as the Pantheon had with the other; and Rome was the place of both."+ Very true, Mr. Paine,

* To give a colour to this statement, he is obliged to affirm that only gentiles believed Jesus to be the Son of God. What a palpable falfehood.

Age of Reafon, Part I. p. 5..

but you are not fo ignorant as to mistake this for Christianity. Had you been born and educated in Italy, or Spain, you might have been excufed in calling this "The Chriftian theory;" but to write in this manner with your advantages is difingenuous. Such conduct would have difgraced any cause but yours. It is capable however of fome improvement. It teaches us to defend nothing but the truth as it is in Jefus. It also affords prefumptive evidence in its favour: for if Christianity itself were false, there is little doubts but that you, or fome of your fellow-labourers, would be able to prove it fo; and this would turn greatly to your account. Your neglecting this, and directing your artillery chiefly against its corruptions and abuses, betrays a confciousness that the thing itself is, if not invulnerable, yet not so easy of attack. If Christianity had really been a relic of heathenism, as you fuggeft, there is little reason to think that you would have so strenuoufly oppofed it.

The Gospel its own Witness:

&c. &c.

PART I.

IN WHICH THE HOLY NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS CONTRASTED WITH

THE IMMORALITY OF DEISM.

THE greatest enemies of Chriftianity would

ftill be thought friendly to morality, and will plead for it as neceffary to the well-being of mankind. However immoral men may be in their practice, and to whatever lengths they may proceed in extenuating particular vices; yet they cannot plead for immorality in the grofs. A fober, upright, humble, chafte, and generous character is allowed on all hands to be preferable to one that is profligate, treacherous, proud, unchafte, or cruel. Such indeed is the fenfe which men poffefs of right and wrong, that whenever they attempt to difparage the former, or vindicate the latter, they are reduced to the neceffity of covering each with a false disguise. They cannot traduce good as good, or justify evil as evil. The love of God must be called fanaticifm, and benevolence to men methodism, or fome fuch opprobrious name, before they can run them down. Theft, cruelty, and murder, on the other hand, muft affume the names of wisdom, and good policy, C