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of their mental faculties,) does know much of the proper character of God; much of what is lovely, or of that which is in itself hateful. Each one does know with considerable correctness, that which would please Deity, and that which he must abhor. Here is the man who says reason has taught them this." If so, it has not failed in a single instance! It has happened to be uniform in many millions of cases: surely we might suppose that if reason is so sufficient that it has not failed in one out of twenty millions of cases; then leave it to itself in twenty millions more, and it will succeed in half of them. No; it has not in one. In Asia and in Africa, you may count two hundred millions of instances now alive whose reason has been at work for twenty years, and out of the whole two hundred millions, there is not one who does not either believe that the favour of God may be purchased by self-torture, or human sacrifice; or that sensuality is pleasing worship, or that several of his deities are opposed to each other, may be courted in dif ferent ways, or other sentiments equally absurd and

enormous,

So it was in all past generations; those ancient Greeks had great statesmen, orators, and poets. Succeeding ages have gazed at them: they believe that to stand that only son, that promising boy, on an altar, and whip him until his entrails could be seen through the quivering flesh, would please Diana. Are you admiring the wealth, or the polish and the splendour of the Carthagenians, they believe sincerely, (so sincerely that they would perform it,) that it would please God if one or two hundred of their children at a time, were cast into that red hot metallic statue. Just such things were believed by Romans, Medes, Elamites, and all people where that singular old book did not circulate. Reader, if you

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believe that reason always did teach to avoid these cruel enormities where the Bible was found, but never did happen to instruct better where that page was not, then we have no farther argument with you at the present. If you believe that those low, and unlettered, and most ignorant in Bible regions, who have more correct ideas of God, and of justice, and of loveliness, than have the most scientific in pagan countries, have been thus instructed by reason; then will we cease all further discussion of that particular point with_you.

CHAPTER XXV.

MEN often have an appetite for falsehood so spontaneous, that they will adopt it without inquiry.

A minister once delivered a discourse on the evidences of Christianity, in the city of New-York. After the sermon was ended, and the audience dismissed, he descended from the pulpit, and was met by an intelligent looking man, well clad, whose eye flashed and whose voice trembled with emotion. He seemed angry at the cause which had been advocated, and at the man who had spoken. He avowed, with indignant emphasis, that he had no doubt the Israelites had obtained their religion from the Greeks, and particularly from the philosophy of Plato. The minister replied, "Your position would be worthy of some consideration, were it not for one circumstance which certainly abates its momentum. You say that what the Israelites knew of God, they learned of Plato; but Plato says, that what he (and the Greeks in general)

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knew of the gods, they learned of the Israelites." The ancient Greeks, called the Jews Syrians, because they lived in the land of Syria, and because they called themselves thus. Every male of the nation was ordered to stand, on a given day in each year, and avow his origin by pronouncing publicly, and with a loud voice, “A Syrian ready to perish was my father." The word fables was the epithet by which the ancient Greeks designated all narratives. Plato informs us (see Stackhouse's History of the Bible,) that one of the Syrian narratives from which his countrymen obtained their knowledge, was the fraternity of the human family, and that man was made out of the dust. Whoever will read ancient history, and notice the Greeks during their nocturnal mysteries, whilst youthful virgins, having baskets full of flowers, with serpents in them, calling on the name of our first mother, Eva, Eva, all night, will not be at a loss to know which of the Syrian narratives they had in mind, or what event they commemorated during these ceremonies. The minister's concluding remark to the scoffer above mentioned, was satirical, but certainly not incorrect. "You remind me," said he, "of the boy, who, whilst looking in the glass, loudly averred, that his father's face took after his." An ancient Greek philosopher believed that he had learned certain things of the Syrians. A citizen of New-York is very positive that the Syrians learned them of the philosopher. Which shall we believe? or rather let us ask the more profitable question, Why should that man assume that position with dogmatic confidence, without inquiry and without research? It was for the same reason that ten thousand others in that and other cities, assume ten thousand similar positions, with as little information, and as much assurance. Since the fall of our race, men have had

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an appetite for falsehood, so spontaneous, that they often adopt it without inquiry, (in matters of religion.) It does not seem to man, that he prefers falsehood in points of religious faith. If he were aware of it, this knowledge would become a part of the remedy.

We have now offered a few thoughts on the cause of infidelity. We could, as it were, only pen a few hasty words; endeavouring to offer some of the more simple and obvious reasons, by which we may know that it is caused by a want of knowledge, and by a want of love for the truth. Each of these items assists in promoting the growth of the other. We may resume the subject hereafter, and deyote other chapters to the consideration of the cause of infidelity; but at the present we feel disposed to say something of its cure. The cure of infidelity! What a subject. The cure of infidelity! Can it be cured? Indeed it can. There are difficulties in the way, but all that is arduous, is not impracticable. It may be cured thoroughly. All who have ever taken the remedy, were cured, therefore it is safe to say that it may be cured with certainty. It is known to the world of physicians, that the treatment of those diseases wherein the sick deem themselves entirely whole, are attended with unusual difficulties, because they are not willing to use the remedy. Unbelievers usually think themselves well informed, (particularly those whose minds are well

stored with other knowledge,) when the opposite fact is the truth. Whether this is or is not the cause, something does cause them to be very backward, in the business of research. Their hands hang down, and their nerves are all unstrung as soon as vigorous and industrious research is proposed.

Unbelievers inquire not after a remedy for their disease. If one is proposed, they turn away. If it is urged upon him, and he ever takes it, it is slowly, reluctantly, and perhaps sparingly and imperfectly. There are two remedies, or two modes of cure. Men may take either. One of these remedies is infallible; it succeeds wherever and whenever used. The other is almost universally successful, but under certain circumstances has been known to fail. We will distinguish these two modes of cure by the appellation of the powerful, and the allpowerful remedy. We will leave the second, viz., the all-powerful remedy for the last consideration. Men are more averse to the use of this; they dislike it more than they do the first. The powerful is not so certainly efficacious as the all-powerful; but men may be more readily induced to give it a trial. Therefore we will be gin with it, and endeavour to make it plain, and to guard against obscurity, or that which may cause us to be misapprehended in any particular.