LETTER I.

SIR, I am very sorry that I have any occasion to take up the pen against such an able writer as you are; but having devoted the principal part of my life to the study, practice, and propagation of that religion, which you are pleased to style "fabulous theology," you must not be surprised at my attempting to vindicate it with the zeal and affection of a lover, who has found more real pleasure therein than in all other things.

If in this great, and to me infinitely important and interesting debate, I should gain any advantage over you, who are so far my superior in writing, it will evidently appear to be owing to the goodness of my cause, and the more extensive knowledge of the Bible that I have attained beyond what you possess. If you had known the Scriptures better, I am persuaded that you would never have attempted to represent them in the ridiculous light that you have done.

As your book, called "The Age of Reason," &c. is wrote in a miscellaneous manner, I have chosen the form of letters to communicate my thoughts to you and the public upon the several subjects therein treated of.

In this first letter I shall endeavour to show, that the ideas of the infinite wisdom, power, goodness and mercy of God, which you profess to learn from the great book of the creation, I am able to learn, even from the New Testament which you treat with so much contempt. And I shall also, in some of these letters, prove (I hope to your satisfaction) that there is abundance more said in the Bible respecting the Deity and his works, than you are willing to allow for in order to render that book of very little importance, you affect to represent that there is little or nothing in it respecting those subjects, except in the 19th Psalm and some chapters of the book of Job. But I am apt to think, that you would never have had the tenth part of the knowledge of the Divine perfections that you have, if you had never read the Bible; for those who are without the knowledge of that despised book appear, as far as we can learn, to be almost totally ignorant of the true God, his glorious character, and his amiable perfections. I shall begin with your very extraordinary assertion, given out in these words: "I recollect not a single passage ascribed to the men called Apostles, that conveys any idea of what God is. The only passage that occurs to me, that has any reference to the works of God, by which only his wisdom and power can be known, is related to have been spoken by Jesus Christ, as a remedy against distrustful care: 'Behold the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin.' This however is

far inferior to the allusions in Job, and in the 19th Psalm; but it is familiar in idea, and the modesty of the imagery is correspondent to the modesty of the man.'

How could you have forgotten that most beautiful and sublime passage in Acts xvii. 24-29, delivered by St. Paul to the Athenians: "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands: neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needeth any thing, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things: and hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art or man's device." And in the beginning of his epistle to the Romans, he mentions the works of creation, and observes that God may be known thereby, as follows: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead: so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things," &c. Rom. i. 18-23. It is a well known and melancholy fact, that all the nations who have had only the book of creation to read, have been gross idolators, or stupid Atheists; and generally extremely vicious in their morals: their horrid crimes are mentioned by St. Paul in the subsequent part of this chapter, and he shows that God justly "gave them up to uncleanness, because they changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." Ver. 24, 25.

In the book of the Revelations which you call a book of riddles, there may be found several beautiful expressions relating to God and

His works, as chap. iv. 11: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Chap. xvi. 7. "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Chap. xix. 1. "Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God."

Ver. 5, 6. "Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great, Alleluia; for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth."

The Apostle John in his first epistle, gives us the most beautiful idea of what God is, that can possibly be expressed or conceived. 1 John iv. 8. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

Ver. 16. "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

And again, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Chap. i. 5.

And the apostle James gives us a number of just ideas concerning God and His perfection in his short epistle.

Chap. i. 5. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be giv

en him."

Ver. 13. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man," &c.

Ver. 17. "Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Ver. 20. "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

Ver. 27. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

In fine, this whole epistle of James is one of the most excellent systems of true religion that can be written; such ideas of God, and such choice morals, such principles of genuine liberty, equality, the rights of man, kind ness, liberality, the noblest benevolence, threatenings against tyrants and oppressors and encouragements to those who are patient sufferers, &c. &c. of which this epistle is full, might have secured this part of sacred writ at least from the odium you have attempted to pour upon the volume at large; and especially as in this epistle there is no mention of what you call that gloomy subject of a man dying in agony on a cross. But finding this book in the Bible, you are determined to despise it among the rest; though had it been written by the brightest genius now on earth, it would have been applauded as a master-piece.

But above all, how could you represent my Lord and Master Jesus Christ in such a contemptible point of light, as you have done in the quotation above recited? I will endeavour to clear His character a little in this'

respect, by citing a specimen a little more at large than you have done, of His noble discourses against distrustful care, and of the divine benevolence exercised towards all His works: and though the generality of my readers would only need that I should refer to the passages, yet as you declare that you keep no Bible, I shall transcribe some texts for your conviction and instruction; for if there is any reference to the power, wisdom, and goodness of God in the only passage that occurred to you, as spoken by Jesus Christ, "Behold the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin," what is there in the following discourse? St. Matt. vi. 25-34:

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no (anxious) thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit (or even a hair's breadth) unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore, take no (anxious) thought, saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek ;) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the (present) day is the evil thereof.” And therefore we should not borrow or anticipate the troubles of the following day, for that will always make our load of grief twice as heavy as otherwise it would be.

And again in chap. x. he teaches his disciples the most excellent lessons of contentment, wisdom, innocence, fortitude, resignation, trust in God, patience, resolution, and all the genuine and patriotic virtues that ever adorned the greatest soul of the most renowned heroes. How could you have ever read that chapter without being charmed with it? It is one of the most excellent, animating, and encouraging harangues that ever was made by a general to his soldiers. All low and mean pursuits and passions are here forbidden, such as love of wealth, fame, wordly or sensual pleasure, and that most cowardly passion, the fear of man. He inspires them with that noble contempt of even life itself when it comes in competition with things of vast importance, which all true patriots feel when they boldly meet death for the good of mankind. I can hardly do justice to this most animating discourse, without reciting the whole, which would take up too much

far from overthrowing their testimony in the main, that it would rather tend to confirm it; for it is an observation that will strike all reasonable men, that if the four evangelists were impostors, and had contrived together to forge their gospels, they would not have varied one from another in any circumstance.

Another discourse of the same nature, deJivered before a very large assembly, is recorded by St. Luke, in chap. xii. out of which I shall quote a few passages, for the reason given above.

"And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." Ver. 4-7. “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, nor what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." Ver. 22-31. I should not have recited so great a part of this excellent discourse, being so nearly like that in St. Matthew, vi., did it not evidently appear to be delivered at another time. And perhaps this may obviate another weak objection which you make to the evangelists, because of some small difference in their expressions; for it is very possible, that where there is any considerable difference in their accounts, that they in fact relate different events, or different circumstances of the same event. And thus there is no contradiction at all, but only one mentions something which the other omitted. But make the worst of the affair, and allow for the sake of argument, that there are some few small real differences in their accounts; this would be so

a full proof of their being honest men who had no design to impose upon the world.

I would not wish to weary you with quotations from the New Testament, which you appear so heartily to despise; but there is one passage where Jesus speaks of the boundless goodness of God, and teaches us to imitate him in so beautiful a manner, that it is well worthy of your attention, and at the same time will show what little dependence is to be placed upon you as a writer or teacher of religion, when you so grossly misrepresent the New Testament, as though it scarcely contained a single idea respecting God, his nature, perfections, or works. The passage I allude to is that where our Saviour recommends the noblest and highest virtue, love or benevolence to our enemies, and enforces it from the example of our heavenly Father, in the following words. St. Matt. v. 44–48.

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you: that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. For if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so! Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," that is, by imitating his conduct in this respect.

I believe you are the first writer against the New Testament that ever pretended its writings to be chiefly controversial; they have generally allowed it to contain the noblest and completest system of morals that ever was exhibited to mankind; which must evidently appear to be the case, even to the most superficial readers. I can scarcely find a chapter of controversy in the whole book; but many chapters wholly filled with the choicest morality, as St. Matt. v. vi. vii. Rom. xii. xiii. Ephes. iv. v. vi. Col. iii. iv. 1 Thess. v. Tit. ii. the whole epistle of James, 1 Pet. ii. iii. besides a great proportion in many other chapters.

I shall quote three or four passages as a little specimen, not for your sake only, but to show to all my readers the amazing beauty of the New Testament in this respect.

When our Lord was on earth, he was asked by a lawyer in these words, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." See St. Matt.