ple that believed," it was the direct reverse. The Jews were the only people who did believe the Gospel, it never having yet been preached or offered to any other nation.

And

Indeed, whoever is the least acquainted with ec-. clesiastical history, and the history of the Jewish nation, must be surprized at the boldness of this adventurous author, in asserting, "that the story of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, was introduced under cover of the heathen mythology, and that the Gentiles only received it;" when it is so apparent, both from sacred and profane history, that the church of Christ consisted of thousands of Jews, before a single Gentile convert was known to the church. when it did first happen, a special revelation from Heaven became necessary, to reconcile the minds of the apostles to it. And, after the calling of the Gentiles, about fourteen years from the crucifixion, we are told, that on the preaching of Paul, “A great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed." About thirty years after the death of our Lord, the doctrines of the Gospel had spread throughout Judea, Gallilee and Samaria; so that, on Paul's arrival at Jerusalem, the apostles inform him, that many thousands, (lite. rally myriads or tens of thousands) were in Jerusalem, who believed.

Thus is the wisdom and foreknowledge of the glorious Redeemer manifest, in his having ordered an exclusive application to the Jews, till, as a nation, they should reject him, not only in fulfilment of ancient prophecy, but in full contradiction to the spirit of infidelity, which he foresaw would arise in these latter days, charging him with introducing the doc

trine of his divinity under cover of the heathen mythology.

The devils themselves will rise in judgment against this pretended philosopher; for although he knows not Jesus, nor who he is, and will not believe in his being the Son of God; those unhappy spirits, even in the days of his flesh, could cry out in the bitter anguish of despair, "We know thee, who thou art, Jesus thou Son of God; art thou come to torment us before the time?"

M

1

THE CHRISTIAN THEORY

MISREPRESENTED, &c.

In the like spirit of misrepresentation, and utter aversion to the pure system of the Gospel, does this writer assert, "That the theory of the Christian church, sprung out of the tail of the heathen mythology. A direct incorporation took place in the first instance, by making the reputed founder, celestially begotten. The trinity of Gods that then followed, was no other than a reduction of the former plurality, which was twenty or thirty thousand. The statue of Mary, succeeded the statue of Diana of Ephesus, &c. &c. The Christian theory is little else, than the idolatry of the ancient mythologists, accommodated to the purposes of power and revenue, and it yet remains to reason and philosophy to abolish the amphibious fraud."

IT is an old observation, take any thing for granted, and any thing will follow. Should not every reader expect, after these round assertions, that some proof of this extraordinary position would have been adduced; especially as the whole system of the Gospel is declared by its advocates, to be a direct attack on every principle and species of idolatry, and wholly designed to establish the worship

of one only living and true God through Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. But this writer appears to have supposed, that the knowledge of the Gospel might be gained by intuition; and of course is wholly unacquainted with the nature of its doctrines, and seems to suppose his readers equally ignorant, or he would have seen the necessity of some kind of proof or argument to support his bold and unsupported charges against the Christian church as founded in the Gospel of the Son of God.

Whatever plausible pretexts he might have had, from a cursory view of the unchristian practices of the church, when degenerated and apostatised under darkness and declension, as foretold by the author of our holy religion and his apostles, that it would be under the reign of Antichrist; yet surely he must have been beside himself to assert, "that the Chris tian Theory is little else than the idolatry of the ancient mythologists, accommodated to particular purposes."

If ever a system of pure doctrine, or holy practice, founded on the belief and worship of one God, has been inculcated and urged on the consciences of men, surely it is to be found in the Christian Theory.— Hear our author himself; "Jesus Christ was a virtuous and amiable man; the morality that he preached and practised, was of the most benevolent kind."

The Decalogue, which is the epitome of all its præcepts, begins by the express commandment, "that thou shalt not have more Gods than one.". And the New Testament, opens with a rebuke, that may well be applied here, " get behind me Satan, for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."