tices and duties, which, though puerile and ridiculous, they have the address to make their flocks consider as indispensably necessary to their salvation. They represent the omission of these pretended duties as a crime infinitely greater than an open violation of the laws of morality and

reason.

Let us not then be surprised that in the most zealous, that is to say, the most superstitious sects, we see mankind perpetually annoyed with priests. Scarce are they born, when under the pretext of washing away original sin, their priests impose on them a mercenary baptism, and pretend to recon. cile them with a God whom they have as yet been unable to offend. By means of a few words and magical ceremonies they are thus snatched from the dominion of Satan. From the tenderest infancy their education is frequently entrusted to priests, whose principal care is to instil into them early the prejudices necessary to the views of the church. Terrors are now introduced into their minds, which increase during the whole of their lives. They are instructed in the fables, absurd doctrines, and incomprehensible mysteries of a marvellous religion; they are formed into superstitious Christians, and rendered incapable of being useful citizens or enlightened men. One thing only is represented to them as necessary, which is to be in all things devoutly submissive to religion. "Be devout," say their teachers, "be blind, despise thy reason, attend to Heaven, and neglect earth, this is all thy God demands to conduct thee to eternal felicity."

Without the consent of his priests, a Christian cannot acquire a knowledge of the mysteries of his religion, from which they assume a right to exclude him entirely. This privation, however, he has no great reason to lament. But the anathemas or excommunications of the priests generally do a real mischief to mankind. These spiritual punishments produce temporal effects, and every citizen who incurs the disgrace of the church, is in danger of that of the government, and becomes odious to his fellow.citizens.

Priests have taken upon themselves the management of marriages. Without their consent, a Christian cannot legally become a father. He must first submit to the capricious for

malities of his religion, without which his children must be excluded from the rank of citizens.

During all his life, the Christian is obliged to assist in the ceremonies of worship under the direction of his priests. When he has performed this important duty, he esteems himself the favourite of God, and persuades himself that he no longer owes any thing to society. Thus frivolous practices take place of morality, which is always rendered subordinate to religion.

When death approaches, the Christian, stretched in agony on his bed, is still assailed in those distressful moments by priests. In some sects, religion seems to have been invented to render the bitter death of man ten thousand times more bitter. A malicious priest comes to the couch of the dying man, and holds before him, arrayed in more than all its terrors, the spectacle of his approaching end. Although this custom is destructive to citizens, it is extremely profitable to the priesthood, who owe much of their riches to legacies procured by it. Morality is not quite so highly advantaged. by it. Experience proves, that most Christians live in se curity, and postpone till death their reconciliation with God. By means of a late repentance, and largesses to the priesthood, their faults are expiated, and they are permitted to hope that Heaven will forget the accumulated crimes of a long and wicked life.

Death itself does not terminate the empire of the priesthood in certain sects, which find means to make money even out of the dead bodies of their followers. These, for a sufficient sum are permitted to be deposited in temples, where they have the privilege of spreading infection and disease. The sacerdotal power extends still further. The prayers of the church are purchased at a dear rate, to deliver the souls of the dead from their pretended torments inflicted in the other world, for their purification. Happy they who are rich in a religion whose priests, being favourites with God, can be hired to prevail on him to remit the punishments which his immutable justice had intended to inflict.

Christianity Unveiled, Chap. xiii.

V.

Books mentioned by the Fathers, and other ancient Writers, said to have been written by Jesus Christ, his Apostles, and other Disciples.

JESUS CHRIST.

A Letter written with his own
hand to Abgarus king of
Edessa.

An Epistle to Peter and
Paul.

The Parables and Sermons of
Christ.

A Hymn which Christ se-
cretly taught his Disciples
and Apostles
A Book of the Magic of
Christ, or the Art whereby
he wrought his Miracles.
A Book of the Nativity of
Jesus, of the Holy Virgin
his Mother, and her Mid-
wife.

A Letter written by Christ,
and dropt down from Hea-
ven in the 6th Century.

The Book of Mary, concern

ing the Miracles of Christ, The Acts of John.

BARTHOLOMEW.

The Gospel of Bartholomew.

PHILIP.

The Gospel of Philip.
Acts of Philip.

THOMAS.

The Gospel of Thomas.
Acts of Thomas.

Book of the Infancy of
Christ.

Revelations of Thomas.
Itinerary of Thomas.

MATTHEW

A Book of the Infancy.
The Liturgy of Matthew.

MARK.

The Liturgy of Mark.
Gospel of the Egyptians.
Passion of Barnabas,

The

Acts of Paul.

Acts of Paul and

A Third Epistle to the Thes-
salonians.

A Third Epistle to the Co-
rinthians.

An Epistle from the Corin-,
thians with Paul's Answer,
The Epistles to and from
Seneca

The Revelation of Paul.
Another Revelation.
The Visions of Paul.

Anabaction of Paul.
The Gospel of Paul.
Preaching of Paul.
Narrative concerning
the charming of Vi-

When we find Christianity at its very commencement, inundated with so many Gospels, Epistles, Revelations, &c. the greater part of which are regarded as authentic by a vast majority of Christians of the present day, by what

1

criterion are we to determine that the books received by protestants are the only works possessing Divine Authority? —The difficulty increases when it is recollected that these books, before the invention of printing, were liable to be altered and interpolated at pleasure. Printing was invented in the year 1450, and first brought to England by William Caxton in 1471. The first translation of the Bible from the Hebrew was by order of Ptolomy Philadelphus, 277 years B. C. The translation called the Septuagent was made by the LXX., or rather by seventy-two persons in seventy-two days. From this the Vulgate or Latin translation was first printed in 1462, and called Jerom's of Prague. The first English translation of the Bible was by order of Henry VIII. Act 27th, 1541. That now in use by James I. 1611, Act 8th.

If the bible be the word of God, it requires not the wretched aid of prosecutions to defend it; and the legisla ture might with as much propriety enact a law to protect the rays of the sun as to protect the bible, if the bible, like the sun, be the work of God.

THE END.

Printed by D. I. EATON, Ave-Maria Lane, Ludgate Street.