A Legacy to the Friends of Free Discussion Part 11

For Jesus to tell his disciples and the Jewish nation what would be the signs of his second coming, before they under-stood what his object was in coming the first time, must appear very strange. From the particular account which Jesus gave of his second coming, the Jews must have understood him to mean, that although he professed to be the true Messiah, yet his stay was but short with them. As yet, his time for operation was not come. The discourses of Jesus to his countrymen, were all calculated to mislead and confound them. In his sermon on the Mount, he claims an authority of his own superior to the law of Moses. Matthew, chapter v., verse 33-"_Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself but shall perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you, swear not at all_" Verse 38-"_Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheeky turn to him the other also._" What could the Jewish rulers think of a man, who, without any ceremony, set up laws in direct opposition to the laws of Moses, when, at other times, he declared himself a follower of Moses, and that he came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it? Such inconsistent teaching as this, will not admit of Infinite Wisdom's being the author.

In Matthew, chapter xiii., 10, it reads-"_And the disciples came and said unto him, Why speaketh thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." Verse 13-"Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand." Verse 14-"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive." Verse 15-"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted and I should heal them_"

Now this mode of treating the Jewish nation is perfectly in character with the plan, in accordance with which, Jesus came to lay down his life for sinners; for had he convinced the Jews that he was the expected restorer of Israel, no Jewish arm would have been raised against him; nor would it have been possible to have prevailed on the national rulers to have attempted his life; since although the priests and Pharisees might, in a moral point of view, have been wicked in the extreme, still their veneration for, and their earnest expectation of the coming of, the Messiah, would have prevented any hostile feelings against "_the anointed of the Lord, the Holy one of Israel._"

But if the preaching of Christ, and his arrangements, were of such a nature that the Jews supposed the whole to be an imposture, then the case took a different turn altogether. Instead of the Jews refusing to receive Jesus as the sent of G.o.d, they put him to death from the hatred which they had towards any one who they supposed had fabricated his authority and office. If the main object of Christ's coming to the Jews was to die for the sins of mankind, both Jew and Gentile, and thus become a willing sacrifice for sin,-if this was the plan of human redemption, it then follows that the Jews did that part which, in the divine arrangement, was allotted for them to do. Then the conduct of Jesus was consistent in keeping them ignorant, so that their part might by them be carried out. If he had convinced them, that he was, in truth, the sent of G.o.d, but that they must hang him on a tree, the plan of human redemption would have failed, for they, immoral as they might be, never would have put him to death.

There could be no other way of bringing about the death of Christ, but by keeping the Jewish nation ignorant that he was the Messiah. The course that was pursued by Jesus, would imply that his orders were to so act among them, that their condemnation would be just for rejecting him; but on no account to perform miracles sufficient to convince them, for in that case the Jews would not have condemned and put him to death as a blasphemer and an impostor. Again, if Jesus came on earth to die, and without shedding his blood there could be "_no remission of sin_" what mockery for him to exclaim "_O Jerusalem! Jerusalem I how oft would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not_!" For if the Jews had sheltered themselves under the wings of Jesus, how was he to die as a sacrifice for sin? But he was not put to death, they knowing him to be the Christ, but on the contrary, they condemned him for pretending to be the very anointed of the Lord. And although the story was propagated that Jesus arose, after his descent from the cross, the Jews as a nation did not give credit to it, nor have they till this day. If, therefore, "_there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved,_" but by believing in Christ and in his dying for the sins of mankind, then the Jews, ever since the death of Christ, and also the present race, are lost and forever shut out from that pardon which was procured by the death of Jesus, which was brought about by the instrumentality of the Jews by the condemnation of the Messiah.

The account of Judas, in what is called betraying his Master, is strange indeed. In speaking of that circ.u.mstance, Jesus says, "_It would have been better for that man if he had never been born_." Now if Jesus came to die, Judas, by informing the authorities where he was to be found, did no more than bring to pa.s.s what was before ordained should take place. Judas, then, was but the instrument to accomplish the plan of human redemption, by informing the Jewish authorities when and where they could secure the object which they sought after. The very idea of betraying Jesus, proves two things:-first, that Jesus was but little known to the Jews, except from report; and, secondly, that although he held often said he came to lay down his life for sinful man, yet he intended to evade death as long as possible. It was owing to this obscure method of teaching, that his disciples, although always with him, could not understand fully what his objects were; and though he had so often told them of "_the kingdom of heaven being at hand,_" they understood him not.

To bring the position of the Jews nearer, at the time of Christ's appearance in Judea, let us suppose ourselves to have been Jews, then living, and expecting and desiring his coming. At length, it is said, "he is arrived." The first inquiry would very naturally be, is he the true Messiah, or is he an impostor? If, then, to our inquiries made to him on that point, we had received in return nothing positive, but the vilest abuse, and threatenings of d.a.m.nation in a future world, could we be expected to view him as the promised deliverer? When the Jews heard him denouncing them as hypocrites, and, at the same time, a.s.suming an authority over Moses, and the laws of Jehovah given by Moses, and calling the Temple (for which they had so high a veneration) a den of thieves, it must have had a tendency to shut up their minds against his divine mission. If Jesus wished the Jews to be convinced of his being the personage whom they had long expected, he should, in the first place, have attended to their inquiry, "_Art thou he which should come, or are we to look for another?_"

This question being settled, by indisputable evidence, Jesus would have had a foundation for correcting what was wrong, and exposing their base conduct. But he began at the wrong-end, by upbraiding them for their evil doings before he had 'convinced them of his being appointed to abrogate, or, in any way, to alter, the law of Moses. We may then safely conclude, if Jesus was divinely commissioned to the Jews, that it was not intended they should believe in him. But who, for a moment, can think, that, if the Almighty Ruler of the Universe had sent him, his mission would have been marked with trickery and deception, and have failed, and the Jews have been left in a state far worse than if he had never been among them? Can we reasonably conclude, that a Being of infinite wisdom and goodness would have sent his Son to the Jewish nation, without giving them any evidence of his being the Messiah, and then have taken advantage of their unbelief to deal out judgments against them?

If Jesus was sent into the world to die, and by dying, became "_a sacrifice for the sins of mankind,_" then the Jews, by putting him to death, brought to maturity what G.o.d had ordained should come to pa.s.s. In that case, then, it is clear, that Jesus was so to act, that the Jews must not be convinced that he was the true and real Messiah, for had they believed in him as the restorer of their race, whom they had long expected, they would not have slain the "_Lord of life and glory_."

Then, how would he have paid the "_ransom for lost sinners_"? But, on the other hand, if Jesus was sent by G.o.d to the Jewish nation, and gifted to perform signs and miracles to convert them, how did it happen that they remained in sin and unbelief;-their whole race, the seed of Abram, remaining in that state until the present time? The Jews have surely been an unfortunate people. To the Jews, then, 1 must say, "I know not which demands the most pity-you, or your G.o.d; for, after all the attempts to subject you to his will, you are a race of outcasts, and have been plundered by all the Christian nations on earth. After all the pains taken by the Lord of Hosts to convert you, every one has failed; but the last failure is the most to be deplored. From the time Jehovah is said to have called Abram, your progenitor, and selected him from the rest of the human race, and promised him and his seed forever, blessings from which the rest of the world were excluded, Jehovah and your generations have ever been on bad terms. You are spoken of in Scripture as a stiff-necked, rebellious people. On the part of G.o.d, he has always appeared as if he was angry with your conduct. Forty years together, he says, he has been _grieved with your disobedience_. To such a height has been his displeasure, that thousands and tens of thousands of your nation have been cut off by the terrible judgments of the Lord. You have been led into captivity and sold as slaves, time after time, and Jehovah has even threatened to destroy your whole race.

"Jehovah, in his anger, has raised heathen kings against you, and the slaughter has been dreadful. But when you have turned to the Lord, and humbled yourselves, he has attended to your cry, and delivered you out of their hands. Jehovah has, at times, inspired prophets who have foretold that you should one day have a personage appear among you, restore you to your former greatness, be to you a G.o.d, and you should be to him a people. This personage is said to have been among you, but _you knew him not_. You, then, from obedience to Jehovah, rejected Jesus as an impostor, and considered him as arrogating to himself Divine honor, and finally put him to death. And, for eighteen hundred years, you have suffered the most cruel treatment from every nation among whom you have dwelt. You have been the most unfortunate people on earth; but you still cling to your prophets, and are looking for the coming of the Messiah.

"And what appears more unfortunate than all your past evils, is, you have put to death, through mistake, your last refuge, the true Messiah.

There are, at the present time, upwards of one hundred millions of Christians who maintain and believe that the same Jesus whom _ye slew and hanged on a tree, is in truth both Lord and Christ,_ the same whom your nation so long and so earnestly looked for. If, then, faith in that Christ whom you rejected, has opened the kingdom of heaven to the Christian world, while your whole race is shut ont, the Christians owe you a debt of everlasting grat.i.tude, for by this sacrifice they are to enter into the Supper of the Lamb, and your unfortunate race have the door closed against them. But do not despair, for the Infidels of the present day are your friends. They will make all right They will, if you attend to them, convince you that your forefathers were imposed on, when in a state of ignorance, by some artful impostor, who persuaded them that the seed of Abram was chosen by G.o.d to the exclusion of all other people and nations.

"In the infancy of your nation, Moses, or some other artful leader, took advantage of your inexperience, and by antedating miracles said to have been performed in behalf of your ancestors by Jehovah, but which never were performed, and which at the time was incapable of refutation, your nation imbibed the reality that the seed of Abram was the _chosen of the Lord_. This conviction for thousands of years has been received, and has been handed down from father to Son till the present time. Yes, ye seed of Abram, (by this name I address you,) by considering yourselves the chosen people of G.o.d, this conviction has been your perpetual curse.

Your faith in the ancient accounts of those miracles and wonders, wrought in your behalf by Moses, has been your fatal delusion. You consider it not possible for your fore-, fathers to have been deceived; for, say you, the miracles and wonders were performed before your whole nation.

"In this consists your error. There is no certainty as to who wrote the history of the wonders, said to have been wrought in your behalf, nor at what time they were first recorded. But the internal evidence of the books ascribed to Moses, fully prove him not to have been the author.

The same evidence also proves that the first five books were not written till after the reign of the first kings of Israel. So that, by antedating the wonders recorded to have taken place in the infancy of your nation, and then by a cunning impostor to have been subsequently presented for the first time to the Jews, giving them an account of those wonders of old, an ignorant nation would be likely to believe them; and in that case a whole people would be converted at once, giving credit to an absurdity producing an influence in the world which has far exceeded any imposture that ever has been Saddled on the human race. The dreadful error into which your forefathers fell, and by handing down to their posterity the foolish story of your being _a chosen people_, the greatest curse which could befal you, you have, without doubt, been the most unfortunate people on earth; for by considering yourselves _G.o.d's chosen people_, you have despised the rest of the human race, and you have in return been persecuted and plundered. You have been treated by all nations as outcasts.

"On the ground-work of your having been chosen by the supposed G.o.d of the universe, the world has a.s.sumed an appearance very unlike to what it would have had, if no such imposition had been practised on your progenitors. Wars innumerable have taken place, and rivers of blood have flowed through the earth, occasioned by theological strife. Religious quarrels, ending in the application of the rack and torture, and persecutions in quick succession, have been the result, and thousand of horrid cruelties have taken place in every age, all in consequence of that curse of all curses, the belief that _G.o.d has a chosen people_.

Although it had doubtless been thought by your nation the highest possible honor to be chosen by the Lord, this has proved your greatest misfortune; for from this source, Christianity has been produced. You may exult in the idea, that you have in your sacred books, the doctrine of but one G.o.d, notwithstanding your religion and its Christian offspring has been more cruel and intolerant than any on earth.

According to your own books, your nation and the G.o.d who chose them, were forever at war; your people continually rebelling and receiving chastis.e.m.e.nt, till, at last, you are to appearance forsaken. But as has been before mentioned, the Infidels are your friends; for, by means of free discussion, and the diffusion of useful knowledge, they will ultimately destroy that intolerant spirit which has been the earth's greatest curse, and you will eventually, with the rest of the human family, open your eyes, and discover the folly and absurdity of believing in a G.o.d "partial, vengeful, and unjust." And then you will be no longer _Jews_, but will become men."

CHAPTER IX.

IN the preceding chapter we have endeavored to ascertain the object of Christ's coming into the world, but without being able to arrive at any positive conclusion. As it respected the Jews, they did, and they had a right to expect, that his, coming would be to them a blessing; and not, by any means, that it would prove disastrous in its consequences. It is, by Christians, contended that the primary object of the Messiah's advent was, to die for sinners; by which death he would make an atonement for the sins of the world. In this view of the case, (and the Scriptures seem to bear it out,) the Jews were altogether deceived, and are therefore objects of pity. The kingdom of heaven being opened to the world at large, to both Jew and Gentile, the Jews were unsuspectingly shut out. That Christ did not intend to convince the Jews that he was the Messiah, seems to be warranted from the manner of his preaching to them; his violence, and the abusive language he used, being calculated to prejudice them against him. And again, if Christ was to become a sacrifice for sin by expiring On the cross, somebody must put him to death, and the Jews are said to have been his executioners. The Jews, therefore, did that which the divine mind intended they should do. But such double-dealing and deception, in order to entrap the Jews, could never have originated with the Great Eternal, the unchangeable ruler of all things.

In reading the history of Jesus, (written n.o.body knows by whom, or whether by his authority or not,) we must judge of him by the account as it stands. It certainly appears strange that we have no intimation that Jesus gave any orders to his Apostles to write, or in any way to transmit to posterity an account of his life or doctrines. And it appears more singular, when we consider in how particular a manner the laws of Moses were written, which, without doubt, is what kept the Jews from being divided into a number of sects. But so neglected were the sayings and doings of Jesus, that, soon after his death, forty or fifty Gospels were abroad; an equal number of sects sprang up, and the various religious dogmas were introduced, which, till the present day, have divided the Christian world, and, at times, have produced wars, persecutions, and blood. On so important a subject as the salvation of the human race, it might reasonably be expected that the founder of Christianity would have left some doc.u.ments to guard against so destructive an evil. This entire neglect, if not positive proof against the divine mission of Jesus, must create doubts leading to the conclusion that the Christian religion is deficient as to the evidence of its divine origin. It appears from the Gospels that Jesus was a moral reformer; that the priests and rulers were proud, haughty, and of wicked dispositions; that the founder of the Christian religion exposed their hypocritical pretensions, and that, by thus exciting their malice, he fell a victim. This has been the fate of hundreds of moral reformers, in different ages and nations.

Christians, of all sects, could they be brought to reason impartially on the mission of Jesus, would have their faith shaken, from the following considerations:-Admitting, as all Christians do, that the Jewish religion is of divine authority, and had for ages been by the Jews considered as such, to set that aside and introduce another, required authority from heaven, but such authority was never given. The bare word of Jesus, that he was the sum and substance of the law of Moses both moral and ceremonial, seems to be insufficient. The Jews, however base or immoral they were, as a nation never showed a want of faithfulness when their religion was a.s.sailed. So that it appears, that to do away with the form of wors.h.i.+p, and introduce a new order of things, required something more than the obscure sayings of Jesus, who was but little known at the time of his death. If, by the coming of Christ, a new dispensation was to supersede the old, then the highest and the most incontrovertible authority should be produced. But this was not the case, for Jesus often charged those whom he had cured of some disease, "to tell no man" how they were made whole: as much as to say, "Keep secret with respect to the person who restored you to your former state." We need not wonder that the Jews rejected Jesus, seeing that he a.s.sumed an authority higher than that of Moses; for, at the giving of the law on the mountain, it was Jehovah himself who spake to them. The Jews, then, considered that the same G.o.d who gave the law, and he alone, must change it, or introduce another, and not a person whose object in coming they could not comprehend, and who taught doctrines, a very great portion of which, were of a threatening and menacing character.

And, finally, so little did Christ's disciples understand of his divine mission, that, when he was betrayed, Peter, the boldest of them all, became alarmed, and denied any knowledge of him. This was very strange in Peter, if it was a fact that he heard Moses and Elias, at a former time, conversing with his Divine Master. But be that as it may, Jesus is reported to have suffered death on the cross, one of his disciples informing against him to the rulers, for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, and another swearing he never knew him. This has often happened, when a bold reformer has been taken into custody; his followers would disown and forsake him; but it is not likely that Peter would thus have acted, had he witnessed the mighty deeds said to have been done by Jesus. I remember hearing an Unitarian minister remark, that "If Moses could return from the dead, how he would be surprised to read what was written of him after his death; and that he would say that the wonderful things reported of him, he knew nothing about." This, no doubt, would be the case with Jesus, as all his mighty works are recorded _of_ him, but none were recorded _by_ him.

As his resurrection was the key-stone of the Christian arch, some observations on that all-important event will be made. Whatever Jesus communicated to his disciples respecting his rising from the dead, during his life, is not recorded; but it appears that his death entirely frustrated their expectations. The resurrection of Jesus presented the most favorable opportunity to dispel all doubts of the Messiahs.h.i.+p of him whom the Jews had put to death as an impostor. It will be in order, then, to observe what steps were taken by Jesus, after his resurrection, to convince the Jews, and the world at large, that his mission was from heaven. This, of all times, was the fittest to convince the Jews of their unfortunate mistake. The short account given in the Gospels, does not afford much light on that subject. But if the Jews, as a nation, had still retained their unbelief, such incredulity must soon have given way by his continuing among them.

If the Jews, from mistaken convictions, did put Jesus to death, it seems but just that they should have had a chance to rectify their unfortunate error. But owing to the short stay of Jesus on earth, after his resurrection, and he being the most of that time in company with his disciples, the Jews had not an opportunity of fully investigating the reality of his death and re-appearance, and his deportment after it was said he was returned to life. The greatest difficulty experienced by Christians in defending the divine authority of the New Testament Dispensation, is, to account for the sudden departure of Jesus, who, according to the Scripture record, was taken up into heaven in a few weeks after his resurrection. To an inquiring mind, there are many objections which deserve notice. The writer does not pretend to say that the thing is impossible, because to deny the possibility of it would be to set limits to the power that governs the universe.

We will examine the account of Jesus's leaving this world so soon, to discover if possible, what end was to be obtained by his sudden departure from the scene of his suffering and degradation. It seems reasonable to suppose that it was of the highest importance for Jesus to stay on earth to establish Christianity on a sure foundation. It is written that he told his disciples that it was for their good that things were so arranged that he should leave them, for if he went away, he would send the comforter to them, who was to be their guide, and to bring to their remembrance the things he had told them; and also that the Holy Ghost, the comforter, would, to make up for his absence, lead them into the way of truth. This is, in substance, what they were to expect. But unfortunately it did not take place, but the reverse; for, from the accounts which have come down to us, a great number of sects sprang up in a few years after Jesus left the world, and numerous gospels were extant, which, for a number of years were quoted by the early Fathers of the Church, and were considered authentic; but were afterwards rejected, and are now bound up together and called "The Rejected Gospels."

In the beginning of the fourth century, the Christian sects were not only numerous, but began to a.s.sume a spirit of intolerance and persecution, and when that monster, Constantine, became a convert to Christianity, religious quarrels were of the most violent character. Not to dwell on the particulars of these religious differences, we may ask, what did they quarrel about? The answer is at hand. They quarrelled about something that Jesus was reported to have said or taught. Their disputes were not of a moral, but of a theological description. In these disputed subjects no standard of reference could be set up. Jesus was at the right hand of his Father, and their differences could not be settled by him. Quarrel after quarrel followed in quick succession; the strong persecuted the weak; and the earth was deluged with blood. Constantine, the Roman Emperor, hoisted the banner of the cross; and after having murdered nearly the whole of his own family, he sought consolation from that religion which says, that "the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin."

The history of Jesus, including his doctrines, and also what the apostles taught concerning him, and the belief in his second coming; the different opinions that have arisen concerning the person of Christ; and also, the various dogmas collected from the writers of the gospels, all taken from what is called divine revelation, have never ceased to generate quarrels among the different churches professing to be Christian. Ever since the commencement of Christianity, there has been little else but religious animosity among the different sects-each of them professing to have the truth, to the exclusion of all the rest; all of them appealing to the same word of G.o.d to support their various dogmas. We may then ask, has that proclamation ever been fulfilled, that was made by _mult.i.tude of the "heavenly host_" namely,-"_Peace on earth and good-will towards men"?_ But no doubt its fulfilment is, in point of truth, equal to its ever having been given; for angels are airy nothings, and have no existence but in the imagination.

From what has been stated, it will be seen that the religious quarrels which have taken place from the commencement of the Christian era, arose from the uncertain standard appealed to by the various sects. They all referred to some particular pa.s.sage or pa.s.sages recorded, either by Christ or his apostles. Every sect had a portion of truth supported by Scripture authority; and it has at times happened, that whole congregations, as well as individuals, have changed their opinions concerning what the Scriptures taught. For instance: a Church, believing that the Scriptures taught the doctrine of the Trinity, have given up that doctrine, and embraced Unitarianism. The Scriptures remained the same; it was their opinions that underwent the change. In fact, every sect has Scripture for its support; so that it is plain to be seen, that the New Testament is not, nor ever can be, a true and certain rule to which a reference can be made, whereby disputes can be ended. The Old Testament was superior in this respect to the New. And now, after eighteen hundred years' fighting; in which time, tens of thousands have been victims, and the earth has been drenched by human blood, nothing is certain as to what Christianity really is. Can it then be possible, that the G.o.d of the Universe would have left that religion (to establish which, his Son expired on the cross,) in such a wretched state of uncertainty, by calling him so early to his holy habitation? Impossible.

If Christ was taken from this earth, he has now a local habitation, and, also, he must be actively employed. Can Christians conceive where he is, and what he is doing? Is it possible he would have remained so long absent, knowing, as he must, that the cause for which he suffered would be so wretchedly carried on? The absence of Christ, if not the entire cause, is one cause of all the religious wars and bloodshed among nations, and, also, of the hostile feelings of one sect against another.

Had he remained on earth, there would have been but "_one Lord, and his name one_." If Jesus died for the salvation of the world, common sense would dictate, that, after his resurrection, he would dwell in that world for whose salvation he came, and not have been taken into heaven before his plan of redemption was arranged; so that, instead of union and harmony prevailing in his absence, by disunion, persecution, and religious warfare, the different churches exhibited a complete confusion of tongues.

If Jesus had remained on earth, all religious persecution would have been prevented; for if his laws and regulations had been written, and to each church a copy had been sent, it would not have been possible for any difference of opinion to have brought on disorder so as materially to have disturbed the peace of his church. And if any dispute had taken place, Jesus, dwelling on any particular spot on earth, his authority could, in such a case, have been appealed to, and the matter would have been peaceably settled. But, after his death and resurrection, there was nothing to which a reference could eb made, but certain Gospels written by unknown persons.

In summing up this matter, the following remarks may safely and truly be made:-In a short time after Jesus arose from the dead, it was declared by his apostles, that he had ascended into heaven, and had left orders for the Gospel, or good news, to be proclaimed throughout the world; and that after remaining with his disciples a few weeks, when on a journey with some of them, a cloud intervened, and they lost sight of him.

Before his death, Jesus had told them to watch for his second coming, for that it would be sudden and unexpected; and he also added, that there were those standing among them that would live to see it, and that he should then appear in glory, attended by angels, judge the world, and reward every man acccording to his deeds. The apostles taught this, doctrine, and the early Christians looked for that event with eager expectation. But a long and dreary night of religious intolerance has nearly pa.s.sed away, and Jesus has not yet arrived; during which night, the world has witnessed scenes of horror unknown to the most savage ages of antiquity.

All this confusion and wretchedness must have been known by Jesus, and also by his Father, at whose right hand it is recorded that he is sitting. Now can Christians conceive where Christ has been, or what he has been doing? Strange, indeed, does it apppear, that, during the disorder and violence in which the Christian Church was involved for ages, when thousands of honest, pious, and sincere Christians were put to death, their Redeemer could sit quietly in heaven and not interfere in their behalf! Perhaps it ought to be more strange, that it was the will of G.o.d that Jesus should ever have left that world which was the scene of his suffering.

Looking at the plan of human redemption, from the time of the birth of Jesus, and the incomplete finish made of it by his being taken up into heaven, leaving his followers ignorant of what he meant during his preaching on earth;-knowing, too, that the various sects have kept the world in an uproar, destroying each other by thousands, and that all these evils have taken place in consequence of Jesus being quietly seated by the right hand of G.o.d,-these considerations, and many others not noticed in this work, convince me, that the mission of Christ was not of Divine authority.

The following remarks will contain, in substance, the strongest objection against the divinity of Christ's mission; and are given by the author as presenting his final conclusions on that subject And here he would ask-If the G.o.d of the Bible is, as Christians believe, the Author of the universe, what are we to understand by the a.s.sertion, "_That Jesus is seated at his right hand?_" G.o.d is a spirit pervading all s.p.a.ce, of whom one of the Scripture writers says, "_In him we live, and move, and have our being._" The same idea was expressed by the Greeks in reference to their supreme G.o.d,-"All things are full of Jupiter." How, then, can it be believed that the unknown power who is the G.o.d of all creation has a local dwelling place?

Jesus, after his resurrection, declared that he had "_flesh and bone._"

How, then, he can be located with an universal spirit, is beyond human conception As Jesus is a being possessed of a tangible form, he must have a place of residence; and it is impossible that he can dwell with _his G.o.d and Father_ in any other than a local habitation. The supposition, then, that the Almighty Ruler of all worlds has a palace on some fixed star, or planet, where Jesus has for eighteen hundred years resided in company with the Infinite Creator, surrounded by angels conversing and singing; the Devil, during the same time, "_going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour_" while Christians were cutting each other's throats in consequence of their disputes about the meaning of what Christ said, or the object of his performances on earth, is very unlikely, to say the least of it.

It seems astonis.h.i.+ng that men, possessed of the n.o.ble faculty of reason, can believe that Jesus is now alive in some unknown world, and in company with the Sovereign Ruler of nature. In conclusion, the author of this work (over whose head seventy-three summers' suns have pa.s.sed,) would say that he does not, _cannot_ believe that the Jesus of the Christians has any existence but in the imagination of his followers.

REMARKS ON THE MORALITY OF NATURE

HAVING concluded my remarks on the Old and New Testaments, I have thought it proper to give a chapter on Morality. I do this to prevent the reader from concluding that, because I am not a believer in the Divine authority of the Old and New Testaments, I disregard all moral obligation, and do not hold myself accountable to G.o.d, Nature, or my fellow beings. Nothing can be further from truth than such a conclusion.

If no such being as G.o.d exists, who will judge every man at the final day of accounts; and if no such judgment will ever take place, admitting all this, even then should I stand in the same relation to my fellow beings in a moral point of view.

Christian preachers, generally, teach their hearers the entire worthlessness of good works, without they are connected with faith in the Gospel. This mode of treating unbelievers has a bad effect on the minds of church members, who, giving full credit to the pastor of the flock, are taught to consider that the person, or persons (however just, humane and virtuous they may be in all their actions,) who do not come up to the standard of their faith, are wicked, and will, at the day of judgment, be condemned, and their sentence will be, "_Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire._" &c. We need not wonder, therefore, at the intolerant spirit which is so active among all professing the Christian name. Notwithstanding the moral precepts taught by Jesus, his followers, at the present day, pay but little regard to them. To believe in the Saviour, and consider him as the endorser of their sins, and presenting their claims at the throne of the Eternal, form an easy way for expiating a life of wickedness and cant. If we compare the moral character of professing Christians with the precepts taught by Jesus, we shall be surprised at the vast discordance between their profession and their practice. We find that, in practice, Christianity is hostile to justice and humanity.

This is easy to be accounted for. It is because the Scriptures represent our most virtuous actions as worthless in the sight of G.o.d, and without faith we are told it is impossible to please him; and this is not all: much depends on what kind of faith it is. The followers of John Calvin think the faith of the disciples of John Wesley but little better than the faith of devils, "_who believe and tremble._" It has been because men have judged by their faith, and not by moral rect.i.tude, that one Christian sect has persecuted even to death, others who have borne the Christian name. It was this spirit of intolerance that propelled John Calvin to cause Servetus to be burnt by a slow fire, not because he was a wicked man, nor was it for want of faith in the Christian religion, but because the faith of Servetus did not agree with the faith of John Calvin. Had moral excellence been the standard of their friends.h.i.+p, and virtue the bond of their union, Servetus would have died in peace, and Calvin would not have been handed down to posterity as a cold-hearted murderer.

It is the common practice of Christians, when in conversation with Infidels, to boast of the purity of Christ's moral precepts; but in all their sayings and doings with Infidels, the want of faith is the unpardonable crime which induces them to fix the badge of infamy on the head of the unbeliever. No doubt cruel Calvin would very good-naturedly shake hands with a brother of his own church and creed, and love him for Christ's sake; but at the same time torment poor Servetus to death, as the enemy of G.o.d, for G.o.d's sake. Oh! ye persecuting Christians! your prayers ought ever to be opposed to a day of judgment, and your constant hope should be, that it will never take place, for "_how can you escape the d.a.m.nation of h.e.l.l?_"

It is the high estimation of faith, enforced by Christ, and also insisted on (as the sure pa.s.sport to glory) by his followers, that compels them to consider virtue as worthless, when it is not in connection with what is called saving faith, which makes it clear to be seen that Christianity in its practice is not favorable to morality; for as the Scriptures truly say that "_no man can serve two masters,_" so faith will be always uppermost, and justice and humanity be placed in the background. On this principle, hard-hearted Calvin acted towards Servetus. Christians are commanded to do good for evil. "_If your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink._" This is pure morality.

Thus we see that morality has no chance of justice when faith is the prosecutor. The moral precepts of the New Testament have never been strong enough to neutralize the violent and intolerant spirit that runs throughout the Scriptures, and which is the very life of the Christian faith. Had Servetus been a criminal of the worst kind, condemned to die by the laws of Geneva, Calvin, no doubt, would have had feelings of pity for him; but his crime came under the dominion of faith, which will not, which cannot admit of one grain of mercy.

On the contrary, Infidel morality has no alloy. It is unadulterated.

Like pure gold, it is current at all times, and in all places. Like the bright orb of day, it s.h.i.+nes by its own native brightness. Its princ.i.p.al attribute is humanity, which, in its exercise, is not confined to creeds, or professions; but like the bountiful hand of nature, it dispenses its blessings even to the unthankful and unworthy. If justice demands its aid, the balance is held even without regard to color or clime. I have often been reminded, that if we did not take the Scriptures for our guide, we should then have no rule to regulate our actions. This remark would be more conclusive, if Christians generally acted up to what they profess; but this is not the case; nor will it ever be, so long as faith is the only sure pa.s.sport to the Christian heaven, for it is a fact that many preachers of the Gospel are the worst characters in society. At the same time that they are preaching up holiness of life, it is discovered that they for years have been living in the indulgence of the most filthy of vices; and thus while they are thundering against the Devil as the enemy of souls, they are only abusing their betters.