reason with any degree of propriety. It is in this

offices and divine miffror were expreffed; he was exhibited as the Saviour of men, under various types and figures, and numerous prophecies were uttered concerning him; particularly, with re fpect to his birth; the nation, tribe and family he was to defcend from; the period in which he hould make his appearance; the reception he hould meet with in the world; fome of the miracles he fhould perform; the fufferings he thou endure; the death he thould die; and alfo his refurrection from the dead and afcenfion into hea ven. Indeed, the jewish difpenfation was only preparatory to the chriftian; the former is the ba fis of the latter, and is infeparably connected

with it.

The divine Saviour of men appeals to the writings of the old testament for the truth of his miffion. "Search the fcriptures, faid he to the Jews, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which teftify of me." John V. 19. "There is one, he adds, that accufeth you, even Mofes, in whoin ye truft. For had ye believed Mofes, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me." And "all things, fays he, must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Mofes, and in the Prophets, and in the Pfalms, concerning me." Luke xxiv. 44:

The apoftles alfo, refer to the old teftament to prove that Chrift was the Saviour promifed to the jewish ration. The Apoftles, we read, mightily convin ed the Jews, the wing by the fcriptures, that Jefus was the Chrift. Acts xviii. 28.

Af

held alone he feeïns capable of gathering laurels.

ter the way which they call herefy, faid Saint Paul, fo worthip I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets. I continue witnefling both to fmall and great, faying none other things than thofe which the prophets and Mofes did fay fhould tone; that Chrift fhould fuffer, and that he fhould be the first that thould rife from the dead.” Ib. xxiv. 14. xxvi. 22, 23. And "thofe things, faid Saint Peter, that God before had fhewed, by the mouth of all the prophets, that Chrift fhould fuffer, he hath fulfilled." Ib. iii. 18.

By attending to the tenor of the facred writ ings, we perceive, through a tract of time not lefs than four thousand years, the rays of divine revelation, first fhining on Adam, but, in fucceffive ages, glowing with greater ardor, and all concent tered in JESUS CHRIST, and perfected by him!

Moft juft, therefore, was the declaration of an apoftle; that "GOD at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in times paft unto the fathers by the prophets, but, that in thefe laft days, he hath fpoken unto us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and by whom he made the worlds." Heb. i. 1, 2. And most true it is, that under the legal difpenfation, the beams of beavenly truth illumed, animated, and confoled the faithful Ifraclites; for “ they all died in the faith, not having received the provifes, but hav ing feen them afar off, were perfuaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they

When he attempts to foar into the fublime regi ons of religion, we foon ceafe to behold Mr. Paine, and he as foon lofes fight of COMMON SENSE!

S Mr. Paine exhibits his deiftical creed, for our acceptance, it may not be improper to bestow on it a little attention.

"I believe," fays he, "in one God and no more; and I hope for happinefs beyond this life."

i

were ftrangers and pilgrims on earth, and therefore fought a better country, even one that is heavenly." Ib. xi. 13, 16.

Thefe things being confidered, we perceive, that chriftianity is of divine origin; that it is altogether unconnected with the mythology of the ancients, and therefore that the affertion of Mr. Paine, that it took its rife from it, is a striking evidence, either of his grofs ignorance of the chriftian religion, or the great impiety of his heart!

So far, indeed, was christianity from deriving Even the leaft aid from the heathen, mythology, it is an indubitable truth, that whatever excellence pertains to any ancient pagan fyftem of religion, it was derived from divine revelation; as is clearly manifeft from hiftory. See weekly mifcellany, vol. I. p. 275 to 294. Ramfay's philofophical principles, vol. I. p. 8 to 111. Jones's difquifitions; p. 71. Rollin's belles lettres, vol. I. p. 334, et feq. iv. p. 148 et feq...

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I believe the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties confift in doing juftice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy."*

This is the whole of Mr. Paine's belief. How concife! But how imperfect! How much inferior to feveral other deiftical creeds; particularly the fyftem of deifm, embraced and published by Lord Herbert, more than an age ago!

Whatever progrefs hath been made in the arts and Sciences, in this age of reafon, it is certain that DEISM remains in STATU QUO, or háth no acceffion of knowledge and excellence to boast of! But Mr. Paine's creed, fuch as it is, fhall now be noticed.t

P. 9.

The name of deift is applied to those whe reject divine revelation. It is faid to have been firft affumed about the middle of the fixteenth century, by fome gentlemen in France and Italy, who were defirous to cover their oppofition to the chriftian religion, by an appellation more ho norable than that of atheists

The firft author that mentions them is Viret, a divine of eminence among the firft reformers; who, in the epistle dedicatory prefixed to the fecond volume of his inftruction chretienne, which was published in 1563, notices fome perfons, at that time, who called theinfelves by a new name, that of deifts salt perdido giherol (1

He believes in one God and no more." The

Thefe, he fays, profeffed to believe in a God, but thewed no regard to Jefus Chrift, and confidered the doctrines of the apoftles and evangelifts, as fables. He adds, that they ridiculed all religion; though fome of them profeffed to believe in the

mortality of the foul; others were of the epicurean opinion, in this point, and also refpecting the providence of God,

Modern deifts are diftinguished by fome of their own, writers, into two claffes, mortal and immortal. (See oracles of reafon, p. 99-) The latter acknowledge a future ftate; the former deny it, or, it leaft, reprefent it as very uncertain.

Lord Edward Herbert, may juftly be regarded as the most eminent of deiftical writers, and, in feveral refpects, fuperior to all who have fucceeded him, and who, in their fentiments, are perpetually at varience with each other.

His first publication in favor of deifm, was in 1624 He was the first that formed deifm into a fyftem, which he reduced to the following heads. 1. That there is one fupreme God.

2. That he is chiefly to be worshiped.

3. That piety and virtue are the principal part of his worthip.

4 That we muft repent of our fins; and, if we do fo, God will pardon them.

15. That there are rewards for good men, and punishments for bad men, in a future ftate.

His lordship obferves, that "all the doctrines