CHAPTER I.

Produced by David Widger.

*A LEGACY TO THE FRIENDS OF FREE DISCUSSION*

_By_

*Benjamin Offen*

_PRINCIPAL HISTORICAL FACTS AND PERSONAGES OF THE BOOKS KNOWN AS THE_

_OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT; WITH REMARKS ON THE MORALITY OF NATURE_

_1846_

CONTENTS

PREFACE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

DETAILED CONTENTS

A LEGACY TO THE FRIENDS OF FREE DISCUSSION

GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE

THE OLD TESTAMENT

CHAPTER I. FROM THE CREATION TO THE DELUGE

CHAPTER II. A REVIEW OF THE DELUGE AND THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES AT

THE TOWER OF BABEL

CHAPTER III. FROM THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES TO THE BIRTH OF MOSES

CHAPTER IV. FROM THE BIRTH OF MOSES TO THE DEATH OF JOSHUA

CHAPTER V. FROM THE DEATH OF JOSHUA TO THE REIGN OF SAUL

CHAPTER VI. THE REIGNS OF SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON

CHAPTER VII. THE REIGN OF JEROBOAM, AND THE SEPARATION OF ISRAEL

FROM JUDAH

CHAPTER VIII. ON DIVINE INSPIRATION

THE NEW TESTAMENT

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER on THE FACTS AND PERSONAGES OF THE NEW

TESTAMENT

CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER. II.

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER IX.

REMARKS ON THE MORALITY OF NATURE

PREFACE

IN the following pages the author has freely discussed the claims of the

books called the Old and New Testaments, to be considered Divine

revelations. He had a _right_ so to do; and in presenting the work to

the public he gives the result of his exercise of such right.

The right of free discussion has been questioned. It would be well for

humanity if this were all; but unhappily, the pages of history are

replete with deeds of persecution and cruelty, committed by men, in the

possession of power, on their less fortunate fellow-men, who have

presumed to exercise the right of free investigation. Cupidity has drawn

a line of demarcation; it has established boundaries for thought; and

miserable has been the fate of the unhappy wretch who, rejoicing in the

dignity of his nature, and anxious to discover the abode of Truth, has

dared to pass the Rubicon.

What is Free Discussion? We answer, it is the exercise of the reasoning

faculties. Without Free Discussion man cannot exist. His physical

existence might indeed remain; but he could no longer be deemed a man;

and would have to take a lower rank in the scale of creation.

Without investigation it is impossible to arrive at Truth; hence the

utility of Free Discussion. This is never denied when science is the

subject; and we have yet to learn why it should be restrained in any

case; and also _how_ and _when_ any set of men became possessed of the

right to restrain the exercise of the reasoning faculties of their

fellow-men.

When men have not been impelled by cupidity to shackle the minds of

their fellow beings, a spirit of uncharitableness has induced them to

pursue the same line of conduct. Whoever has maintained an opinion

contrary to theirs, has been considered as being actuated, not by

mistaken, but, by dishonest motives; and has therefore been deemed a fit

subject for punishment. As this work will probably be read by many

professing Christians we will here give an extract from Dr. Blair's

sermon on _Candor_, which will, probably, make a greater impression than

any thing we could offer on that subject.

"It is one of the misfortunes of our present situation, that some of the

good dispositions of human nature are apt to betray us into frailties

and vices. Thus it often happens, that the laudable attachment which we

contract to the country, or the church, to which we belong, or to some

political denomination under which we class ourselves, both confines our

affections within too narrow a sphere, and gives rise to violent

prejudices against such as come under an opposite description. Not

contented with being in the right ourselves, we must find all others in

the wrong. We claim an exclusive possession of goodness and wisdom: and

from approving warmly of those who join us, we proceed to condemn, with

much acrimony, not only the principles, but the _characters_, of those

from whom we differ. Hence, persons of well disposed minds are too

often, through the strength of partial good affection, involved in the

crime of uncharitable judgment They rashly extend to every individual

the severe opinion which they have unwarrantably conceived of a whole

body. This man is of a party whose principles we reckon slavish; and

therefore his whole sentiments are corrupted. That man belongs to a

religious sect which we are accustomed to deem bigoted; and therefore he

is incapable of any generous or liberal thought Another is connected

with a sect which we have been taught to account relaxed; and therefore

he can have no sanctity.--Are these the judgments of candor and charity?

Is true piety or virtue so very limited in its nature, as to be confined

to such alone as see every thing with our eyes, and follow exactly the

train of our ideas?"

The author disclaims any intention of wounding the feelings of those who

hold opinions different to his own. For the religions hypocrite he has

no bowels of compassion; but the sincere believer in Divine revelation,

whose conduct is regulated by the universally acknowledged roles of

morality, is to him an object of sincere respect and esteem.

Many things connected with what is called Divine revelation, have been

very freely commented on by the author; and sometimes in a style which

the Christian world will probably be disposed to condemn; but it should

be remembered that what appears sacred to one, excites the ridicule of

others. The Pagan venerates his manufactured god; the Christian views it

with contempt and indignation.

The object of the author has been the promotion of Truth and

Benevolence.

Should he fail to produce the effects he has contemplated, he will yet

be able to console himself with the reflection, that he has been

actuated by good intentions. The time has been when the assertion was

frequently made that "hell was paved with good intentions" had the work

appeared at that time, the author would, doubtless, have been destined,

so far as human agency could effect it, to become one of the paving

stones of that remarkable edifice: but a brighter day has dawned upon

the world; Reason is asserting her right to empire; and the cheering

spirit of benevolence is animating the nations of the earth.

The shades of life's evening admonish the author that his sojourn in the

world will very shortly be brought to a close. He is anxious, therefore,

before his departure, to cast in his mite for the eradication of human

suffering, and the promotion of human felicity; and then, in wrapping

himself in the mantle of universal benevolence, to retire from the

transitory scene, in charity with all men.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

THE main object of this book is to show that Jehovah, the God of the

Jews, is not the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, but a fictitious

being, having no real existence whatever. If the above position be

correct, it follows, that the Bible, including the Old and New

Testaments, is not a Divine Revelation. But that the reader may see,

more clearly, upon what uncertain ground divine revelation rests, the

plan pursued in the following chapters will be a review of the _facts_

and _personages_ as recorded in the Old and New Testaments. But the

limits of this work will only admit of a mere scantling of what might be

written on the subject.

In most Christian countries (America excepted,) this work would be

answered by either fine or imprisonment, or probably both. But

fortunately for the cause of truth and free discussion, theological

power here is so happily balanced, that persecution for religious

opinions is impracticable. The period therefore has arrived, in this

country in particular, when reason is free from the former obstacles

that every where crossed its path. Now, then, is the time for us to

examine the religion of our forefathers, and explore the regions of

human credulity. A mixture of pain and pleasure will be the

result:--_pain_, in considering what suffering has befallen the human

family, when the laudable indulgence of imagining and reasoning was

considered rebellion against God; and _pleasure_, to us who, having

escaped those dreadful evils which in former ages spread terror

throughout the world, can lessen the evils that surround us, and augment

to an almost unlimited degree our happiness.

To those who may have the moral courage to read the following pages, I

would say, I have neither a desire to shock their feelings, nor any wish

to change their sentiments in order to gratify my vanity; for had

Christianity been productive of "peace on earth and good will towards

men," I should have been the last to have opposed it. But on the

contrary, the page of religious history is blotted with human gore. The

intolerant spirit that pervades the Old and New Testaments, has so

inoculated its followers of every sect, that while they profess to love

each other for Christ's sake, one sect (the strongest) has put to death

a weaker sect for God's sake. Nothing short of convincing men that the

Bible is not a divine revelation, can or will guarantee posterity

against a recurrence of those scenes of horror, at the very thought of

which, the heart sickens.

From the pulpit, and in religious works, nothing is more common than to

exclaim with horror at the unblushing Infidel. Unblushing Infidel! What

cause have Infidels to blush? The blush, if any, ought to be on the face

of the Christians of every sect. They have never failed to persecute

when in power: they have been guilty of cruelties, at which the savage

cannibal would weep, and this will ever be the case so long as the Bible

is considered as coming from God; because, till all consequence is taken

away from faith, and transferred to moral rectitude, persecution is the

effect of believing that _faith_ is the sure passport to glory, while

_unbelief_ is the broad road to perdition. Men cease to be Christians

when they lose this spirit of intolerance, and become Infidels.

Sects are not alike intolerant; but all are in some degree. The

Calvinists will not permit the Unitarians to preach in their churches.

The Unitarians, or Universalists, will not permit an Infidel lecturer to

speak in their churches,--no, not even on moral subjects. Christians,

then, will always be more or less of a persecuting disposition, and

nothing but giving up the Bible, as a Divine revelation, will destroy

that spirit. To show how a profession of Christianity, unfits men to do

justice to those who differ from them in religion, I will refer to the

treatment of Thomas Paine, author of "Common Sense." His services in the

glorious struggle that "tried men's souls" have been shamefully

forgotten. Yes! the friend of the immortal Washington, who shared in the

toils and dangers with the father of this great republic,--how have

Americans generally treated his name and efforts to erect one of the

most noble monuments of human wisdom--the _independent republic of North

America?_ For all his faithful devotedness to the independence of

America, how is his name and memory spoken of at the present time? From

the pulpit, every kind of falsehood and detraction is poured forth

concerning him.

If he had been, a member of a church, the same fanatical priesthood

would have lauded him to the skies. Such is the nature of religious

bigotry, that the friendship of the ever to be venerated

Washington--even that, cannot shield his name from pulpit calumny.

"Bigotry, she has no head, and cannot think; she has no heart, and

cannot feel."

But the name and services of Thomas Paine, are not, and never will be,

forgotten. Thanks to the Liberals throughout the Union, his birthday is

yearly celebrated in most of the cities and towns in the different

States. A handsome and durable monument has been erected to his memory

at New Rochelle, New York State. The thanks of-the Liberals are due to

Mr. G. Vale, Editor of the _Beacon_, published in New York, for his

untiring perseverance in urging on the completion of a monument will, in

time, command the respect of posterity. Why are the name and services of

Thomas Paine be cautiously omitted by our orators and statesmen, when

speaking of the patriotism of a Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Hancock,

and others? It would offend the church and priesthood, as well as the

whole of the Christian community; because--"_He that believeth not shall

be damned._" This is the brightest gem in the Christian's crown of

glory. If he nurse this intolerant spirit against Infidels, the

Christian considers his "_calling and election sure._"

Sincere believers in Divine revelation are not aware what monsters the

Bible makes of them; but for which they would be humane, compared to

what they are under its influence. I am surprised that they are (the

majority of them) so just, humane, and charitable, when I take into

consideration the doctrines contained (or believed to be) in what is

called the Word of God. In addition to their own evil habits and

disregard for virtue in the common concerns of life, they have a Devil

to tempt them by a thousand ways in which they are ignorant. Again, they

have a Saviour who shed his blood to save them from the just punishment

of their deserts; so that with their own evil deeds, and being urged on

by the Devil, they become monsters in crime. They then go, as the phrase

is, to Christ, be sorry, or profess to be, for what they have done, and

are pardoned, and in the sight of Heaven are considered _superior_ to

the unconverted whom they have injured. Can you, my readers, wonder at

the crimes of God's people? According to this doctrine, a man may steal

a horse and cart, by the use of which, another man earned support for

his family; the thief sells it, and spends the amount, in connexion with

wretches like himself. He then goes to Jesus, repents, is forgiven; and,

to follow the plan throughout--if the man who lost his horse and cart is

an unbeliever, he goes to Hell, while the rogue sits singing and

laughing in Glory!

This book is sent into society from the best of motives; hoping it will

induce Christians to practise moderation, and somewhat abate that

raging, fanatical fever, that has been so fatal to human happiness. If

you take from us the Bible, says the Christian, what will you give in

its stead? We answer, man requires nothing but what God, or Nature, has

given him. All men in common, have reason to consult, by which man will

learn the duty he owes to himself, and also to his fellow beings. The

error lies in being taught, that reason, when in full exercise, will

lead him into error. This has been his misfortune; and his punishment

has followed as a consequence. The Bible contains many good moral

precepts; but these are, by Christians, thought little of, compared with

its doctrines. Faith is all important. By faith, barbarous Calvin caused

Servetus to be burnt by a slow fire; and through faith, St. Austin, that

drunken debauchee, obtained a good report.

The Bible is at war with man's reasoning powers; and, like a land

pirate, has held up false lights, which instead of conducting man to the

haven of happiness and safety, has caused him to make shipwreck on the

rocks and shoals of religious dogmas. Man is lost in no other sense than

that, the loss of his reason. To recover _that_, and bring it into full

exercise, is all the Saviour he needs. His moral path is as clear as

light. God, or Nature, has made it a law of man's existence that he must

love happiness, ease, and enjoyment; and also, that he must hate pain

and trouble in every stage and form. This law is forced upon him

independent of his choice. It is ever present to his senses, till he

ceases to exist, or to be rational. This is man's stock of moral

material furnished by God, or Nature. How clear, then, is his duty! He

has but to follow out this law, by the aid of his reasoning, judging,

and comparing powers. It will never lead him wrong. He requires no

Bible, no Saviour; he is never lost; he has no incomprehensible

doctrines to support or defend. Unlike the sectarian, he feels no

disposition to persecute others who differ from him in matters of faith;

he has no angry God to propel him on to fight for his glory; he can

balance up every night his moral account of the day; and if he has

followed out the law of his nature, by augmenting his own, and also the

happiness of his fellow beings, and lightened the load of human ills

around him, he in truth is the good man, be his faith little or much.

That the following work may forward moral improvement, and encourage

moderation and universal good will among the human family, is the

sincere wish of

THE AUTHOR

DETAILED CONTENTS

OLD TESTAMENT

PREFACE.--Free Discussion; the right to use it in examining the

Scriptures; its certainty in destroying error and establishing

truth--Extract from Dr. Blair's sermon on Candor--Motives of the author

in laying his work before the public.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION.--Object of the book--Intolerance and persecution

of Christian sects--Their abuse of Infidels and calumnious treatment of

Thomas Paine--His name and services appreciated by Liberals--Pernicious

influence of the Bible upon morals--Knowledge of the laws of our

existence the only sure guide to wisdom, happiness, and virtue.

GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE.--Character and situation of the Jews--Their

treatment by Jehovah--Why were they chosen, and did they answer the end

of their choice?--Probable reasoning of the Jewish God--Account of his

visit to Abram and Sarah, and their reception and treatment of him--The

consequences to the Jews of considering themselves the chosen

people--The five books said to have been written by Moses--Treatment of

Hagar and her child--Jehovah and the Jews.

CHAPTER I.--From the Creation to the Deluge.

CHAPTER II.--A Review of the Deluge and the confusion of Tongues at the

Tower of Babel.

CHAPTER III.--From the Confusion of Tongues to the Birth of Moses.

CHAPTER IV.--From the Birth of Moses to the Death of Joshua.

CHAPTER V.--From the Death of Joshua to the Reign of Saul.

CHAPTER VI.--The Reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.

CHAPTER VII.--The Reign of Jeroboam, and the separation of Israel from

Judah.

CHAPTER VIII.--On Divine Inspiration.

NEW TESTAMENT

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.--Jehovah's dealings with the Jews--His failure to

make them a pattern to the rest of the human family--The coming of

Christ--The manner of his introduction--his associates; language; and

conduct--Miracles--The Jews had sufficient reason, for rejecting Jesus

as the Messiah.

CHAPTER I.--Jesus the pretended Saviour of the world, not sent from

God--Moses wrote the most minute things Connected with die system

established by himself, but Jesus left no writings whatever---Vagueness

and want of authenticity of the writings of the Evangelists--General

ignorance among Christians of what is the true Gospel--No proof of the

heavenly origin of Jesus--His baptism by John--His temptation by the

Devil--Its absurdity--Abusive language of Jesus to the Jews--His

unfitness for his mission, and failure to prove himself sent from God.

CHAPTER II.--Casting out Devils--The case of Mary Magdalene--The

doctrine of demoniacal possession, a heathen dogma--Miracles of Jesus no

proof of his Divine origin--Evidence from the New Testament that no

miracles ever took place--Inconsistent conduct and abusive language of

Jesus--The miracle at his baptism--Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus

from the clouds--Folly of miracles and their injurious consequence.

CHAPTER III.--Peter--Disingenuous mode adopted by Jesus to prove his

Messiahship--The introduction of his mission to the Jews--His obscure

doctrines, and disrespectful Language--Survey of his teaching, and mode

of life--Inutility of his object--His betrayal--Judas Iscariot.

CHAPTER IV.--The Almighty Power that governs the universe not the author

of the Christian Religion--Destructive saying of Jesus--The power given

to Peter; its disastrous results--Institution of the

Sacrament--Intolerance and persecution of Sectarianism--Folly of

religious teaching.

CHAPTER V.--Orthodox views of Christianity--Remarks on the bad effects

of believing in the existence of the Devil, and in witchcraft, doctrines

taught in the Bible--Trial and execution of two women for witchcraft in

England, in 1664--Account of the witchcraft that prevailed in England

and Scotland, in the days of Elizabeth--Anecdote of Cromwell's bargain

with the Devil.

CHAPTER VI.--Continuation of remarks upon the supposed influence of

Satanic agency--Dreadful effects of human credulity--Sketch of the life

and tragical fate of Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans--Temptation of

Jesus.

CHAPTER VII.--God and the Devil--Probable origin of the belief in their

existence--Mode of reasoning in ancient times by the

ignorant--Theology--Christian Religion--Account of Witchcraft in Sweden,

in 1670--Reflections.

CHAPTER VIII.--Comprehensive view of the mission of Christ to the Jewish

nation--Plan of redemption--Willingness of the Jews to welcome the long

expected Messiah--The violence and abuse they received from Jesus--Their

condition not improved by his coming--Obscurity of his teaching--The

Jews put him to death because they believed him an impostor--Judas, in

betraying Jesus, was but the instrument to accomplish the plan of human

redemption--Unfortunate condition of the Jews--Reflections upon their

past and present treatment by Christians.

CHAPTER IX.--Object of Christ's coming into the world, uncertain and of

doubtful utility--His obvious omission to convince the Jews that he was

the Messiah, and his neglect to order his apostles to write a history of

his life, show the Christian Religion deficient in the proof of its

Divine origin--Jesus, according to the Gospels, was a moral

reformer--Ignorance of his disciples of his Divine mission, as

manifested by Peter, at the betrayal--The Resurrection of Jesus--Sudden

departure afterward--Religious quarrels--Difficulty of defining

Christianity-Reflections on the want of proof of Christ's Divine

mission, and its insufficiency to reform the world--The Jesus of the New

Testament an imaginary being.

CONCLUSION.--Remarks on the Morality of Nature--Pernicious effect of

religious faith--Its failure to moralize the world--Its intolerance and

persecution--Infidel morality founded in reason and the laws that govern

human beings--Its superiority over faith in promoting good works,

inducing correct conduct, and insuring human happiness and improvement.

A LEGACY TO THE FRIENDS OF FREE DISCUSSION

GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE

BEFORE reviewing the facts and personages, as recorded in the Old and

New Testaments, it will be in order to notice the Jews, as Jehovah's

_chosen race_. The subject will not admit of demonstration; it must be

approached and examined in the same manner as the Alkoran of Mahomet.

In order to get at the truth, so as to arrive at something like

certainty, and as Infinite Wisdom makes the choice, we must inquire--For

what end were they chosen? and did they answer the end of such choice?

If they were really chosen by the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, they

must, however strange they acted as a nation, have fulfilled the purpose

of their choice; because, whatever they did, was known to Jehovah before

the choice was made. How, then, can we reconcile expressions of regret

and disappointment by Jehovah after he had selected them as his own

peculiar people--such as, "_I have nourished and brought up children,

and they have rebelled against me?"_ And again--"_He hated his own

inheritance,_"--and also his stirring up and supporting heathen kings to

subjugate them as slaves. Is this not the language of disappointment and

regret? In fact, no learned divine can get over this striking truth that

the Bible fully holds out in the plainest manner, that Jehovah was

disappointed in his choice of the Jews as his favorite people. Were

they, then, chosen to raise up and support the religion given to them by

God himself? No, impossible! they continually rebelled against Jehovah

and worshipped strange Gods; and even Solomon himself built temples for

idolatry, contrary to express command. Jehovah says of the Jewish

nation--that he did not choose them because they were better than

others, for they were always a stiff-necked people; but because he loved

their fathers. Poor, miserable reasoning, indeed; to choose one of the

most contemptible races of men, because their ancestors, some hundreds

of years before, had superior qualities to their degenerate race.

Again, another reason given why Jehovah continued to protect them, is,

that the promises before made to Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, bound him in

honor so to do. Did not Infinite Wisdom foresee that the seed of Abram

would not follow in the faithful footsteps of their great progenitor? If

this was not foreseen, then we can discover clearly the reason why

Jehovah complains of their rebellious conduct. It will be a vain attempt

in ministers of the gospel, to reconcile those complaints, if Jehovah

had foresight of what the seed of Abram would do. If "_God is the same

yesterday, to-day, and forever,_" how did it happen that he appeared so

regardless of the fate of mankind, as to allow some hundreds of years to

pass away from the time of the confusion of tongues at the tower of

Babel, till his visit to the tent of Abram, during which time, according

to Bible history, Jehovah had no worshippers on earth? The whole of

mankind were left to make the best of their deserted situation; to

worship the Gods of their imagination; and they founded mighty empires,

and became powerful on the earth.

Before the Lord called on Abram and Sarah in their tent, something like

the following mode of reasoning probably took place in the mind of the

Jewish God:--

"I have made a world and peopled it with inhabitants; Adam and Eve

rebelled against me; their descendants followed in the footsteps of

their progenitors; I have destroyed them all (eight only excepted,) from

whom I expected better things. But, alas! they have also sinned against

me; and to such a height of wickedness did they arrive, that they began

to build a tower to reach my holy habitation. I have sent them off in

confusion: and now I have no church, no worshippers,--not even a song of

praise to my name. I possess universal empire, without even one single

subject to obey me. What is to be done? A thought has struck me:--I will

call on honest old Abram."

And here let me remind the reader, that the Bible clearly represents the

Jewish God as being as changeable in his disposition and mode of acting

as mortals. Like man, he is sometimes in a state of inaction, towards

the fate of his offspring: at other times, he arouses from this torpor,

and is the most sensitive and active. Sometimes he appears to repent of

some failure in the calculations he has made concerning his creatures;

attempts to rectify the error, and again blunders. He at one time says:

"_fury is not in me,_" then again he is all fury. No truth is more

striking than this,--that the Jehovah of the Bible is not, cannot be,

the universal governor of the universe, but merely a creature of the

imagination, whose power is confined, having no existence without the

covers of the Bible.

But to return to Abram:--Jehovah either goes to him, or sends to him

delegates, to acquaint him of the choice he is about to make of "_Abram

and his seed forever._" This is but the beginning of a new experiment on

the human race. And here does it not plainly appear, that Jehovah's mode

of acting, in this case, is unworthy of the governor of the world? Does

it not prove his total disregard for the welfare of the rest of mankind?

Good heavens! the believers, one and all, of such absurdities, have ever

been, and are still insane.

These heavenly visiters find Abram and Sarah living comfortably in their

tent, watching flocks and herds. They (the angels) are treated with the

hospitality common in pastoral life. They have their feet washed; they

are invited to dine on the best; the calf is immediately killed; and

Sarah, was not slow on her part, in the cooking department, from which,

one might be induced to think, that over the door of the tent was

written: "Dinners Dressed at the Shortest Notice."--Soon after being

seated, the messengers make known their errand; Abram was much pleased;

Sarah laughed outright. The promise was now ratified that had before

been made to Abram, that _his seed should be as the sand of the sea in

number,_ for that Sarah should have _a son in her old age_. This, to say

the least of it, was good pay for a good dinner.

Here, then, the reader will please to notice, was the final settlement

as it regards the Jews being the chosen people of God. And here the

following ceremony took place:--Three men, angels, or messengers, came

from Heaven; they had their feet washed, agreeably to eastern custom;

they sat down and did eat, and we may suppose did also drink with Abram

and Sarah; one of the three was called the Lord.

I have here strictly adhered to the Bible history of this surprising

account; and if it be not literally true, the choice of the Jews, and

also the whole of the Jewish and Christian theology, falls prostrate.

The account winds up with the departure of the angels to Sodom; where,

after having dined with Abram, they took supper with Lot. The day

following, Sodom was burnt by fire from Heaven; Lot's wife (by way of

making the most of her) was turned into a _pillar of salt_, because she

looked back on her old habitation. What became of the angels, Heaven

only knows!

But to return to the Jews, as a nation. For what purpose were they

chosen? It could not be to establish and support the only true religion

on earth, whereby they became the constant and obedient servants of the

Most High, because they continued to rebel against Jehovah; and in spite

of all his commands to the contrary, to worship other gods, which

conduct provoked the Lord to anger, and the most dreadful punishment

followed for their disobedience. They were not chosen to convert other

nations to the faith and worship of the God of Israel, because they were

ordered to take the property and destroy the inhabitants of towns and

cities, with whom they had not the most distant quarrel. Once

more,--Were they chosen for the purpose that Jehovah should be their

God, and that they should be his people? No, because they, time after

time, rejected his authority as their God, and worshipped strange gods,

unknown to their fathers; for which He sent "prophets and holy men" to

remonstrate with them. But they killed the prophets; and, as a nation,

never were for any length of time converted to, nor obeyed, the _God of

Israel._

It was promised to Abram, "_In thee and in thy seed shall all the

nations of the earth be blessed." When and how_ have the nations ever

been blessed? As for the poor Jews, no curse ever fell so heavy on

mortals as fell on them, in consequence of their considering themselves

God's chosen people, and other nations treating them as such. For

eighteen hundred years, Christians have plundered and murdered them,

because they have faithfully worshipped (since He cast them off) the God

of their fathers, against whom (when under his protection) they

continued to rebel.

The Jews are a strange people. Strange and hard has been their fate; and

it can be easily accounted for, from their being originally cheated into

the fact that they were _God's chosen people_ to the exclusion of the

rest of the human race. Christians ask how it could have been possible

for Moses or any other person to induce them to believe that they were

so chosen, when miracles and wonders were performed in their behalf, if

no such things did in reality take place? The answer is

easy:--Christians suppose that the books of the Old Testament were

written at the time the generation lived, before whose eyes those

wonders were performed. This is a fatal mistake. Those miracles and

wonders, no doubt, were ante-dated, and brought forward to the Jews in

after times, as proofs of what Jehovah had done for their forefathers;

for it clearly appears from the internal evidence of Jewish history,

that the five books said to have been written by Moses, were not known

to the Jews, as a nation, till after the reigns of David, Solomon, and

many others. At what time the five books were first made known to the

descendants of Abram, is not ascertained; but, whenever it was, they

contained the history of the Abrahamic family, including all the

miracles and wonders performed by Jehovah in their behalf.

It is easy to perceive, how the Jews might be brought to believe all

that was written concerning God's choice of them, as his peculiar

people. An ambitious leader and legislator could, without much

difficulty, soon establish them firmly in the conviction that they were

Jehovah's chosen people. It would flatter their vanity; and the

credulity of the human mind is such, even now, that we need not wonder

that the Jews, as a nation, gave credence to the tales of former times

concerning their being the especial favorites of Jehovah. The Jews,

then, no doubt were cheated into the firm conviction (by their early

leaders) that _they_, of all people on earth, were the chosen of Heaven.

This will account for their keeping themselves as a separate people--the

heaviest curse that could befal them, and which remains on them till

this day.

According to the Bible, the dealings of Jehovah towards mankind in

general, and of the Jews in particular, will bear out the following

remarks:--That, after the confusion of tongues at Babel, and the

descendants of Noah were dispersed abroad on the earth, the Bible God

forsook the earth for some hundred years. He had no worshippers on

earth. He then descends and selects one family to be called after his

name. From that moment, Jehovah appears to direct his whole attention to

the family concerns of his new choice. Troubles come on in quick

succession; Abram's domestic jars claim his attention and

superintendence. Sarah and her maid servant quarrel; the maid is turned

out of doors, about a child who claimed Sarah's husband as its father.

The Lord interfered and matters were made up. But soon another

misunderstanding arose between Sarah and Hagar about the child who had

ill-behaved himself towards Abram's wife. Sarah became enraged, and got

the better of the Lord; and Abram and she drove Hagar and her son out of

the house for good and all. The Lord again made the best of the matter

by sending an angel who took charge of Hagar's son; and Abram and Sarah

lived happy, and directed all their attention to little Isaac.

To return to the Jews, as a nation. Did they answer the end for which

they were chosen? Most undoubtedly they did. For, as "known unto the

Lord are all his works from the beginning" whatever his dealings were

towards them, in punishing them for their rebellion and disobedience,

and whatever suffering they endured in consequence of their departure

from his commands, are included in his choice; and are the ends for

which they were chosen. Here, then, we have arrived at the ends for

which they were selected,--he knowing that they would continue to

transgress, and also that such transgression would call forth his anger;

and that punishment would follow from their disobedience. These are the

only ends that we can discover by their being chosen, and these ends

were fully answered.

And as Jehovah is represented as acting the same as men act under

similar circumstances, the following remarks are in accordance with his

dealings with the people of his choice, namely: that after Jehovah had

driven the inhabitants of Babel abroad on the face of the earth, and not

having any church or worshippers in the world, he became weary of this

state of inaction, and, sighing for something to do, he chose the

descendants of Abram for his future operations on the earth. And from

that moment, the Jews required all his attention; his anger was always

raging: he had no repose whatever.

In the course of his watching over them, he occasionally stirred up the

heathen against them, and suffered them to become bondmen and slaves.

Then, again, they had arms put into their hands, and he marched out in

aid of their victories; and then the "Lord of Hosts was his name." Then,

as if he had forgotten the promises made to their forefathers, he

repents of the neglect shown to them; again renews the combat and orders

them to war against nations, and _to spare neither old age nor infancy_.

So that, by turns, hating them and showing them no mercy; then again,

repenting of his severe conduct towards them, proclaiming to the world

that the Lord of Hosts or battle is his name,--the Bible account of

Jehovah confirms us, in concluding, that, he chose the family of Abram

for no other purpose than to disturb and brutalize the rest of the

world.

The Jews, and their God, seem to be objects of pity and contempt. Pity

for the poor Jews, for their unfortunate fate; and as for Jehovah, if

the Bible be true, from the moment he adopted them as his favorites, he

became subject to rage, furious anger, grief, repenting of the choice he

had made; and finally casting them off. These, then, are some of the

glorious ends for which they were chosen. To conclude--Of all the

impositions that ever have been palmed on the inhabitants of the earth,

destructive of "peace on earth and good will towards men" that of the

Jews being God's chosen people, is one of the greatest; the Jehovah of

the Bible, being nothing but an imaginary God, to cheat the World into

the faith of his being the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

CHAPTER I. FROM THE CREATION TO THE DELUGE

FROM what has before been written, the reader is no doubt convinced,

that the writer of this work does not believe the Bible to have any

claim to divine authority; but is entirely, from beginning to end, a

collection of absurd tales, of historic facts, and of personages that

have no foundation in truth, which unfortunately, by being considered of

divine origin, has generated a train of calamities destructive to the

peace and welfare of the human race. And to account for its hav-ing

gained credit, and got such strong foothold in the world, we have only

to consider that _fable_ is the elder sister of history; that nations

have run a long career of incidents, mostly fabulous, before any

appearance of authentic history made its way in the world. What took

place in those days may be considered like things taking place in the

dark.

From such fabulous materials, then, national history always commences.

Not that the writers or authors intend to deceive and impose on

posterity; they write what they believe; what they have been told, and

what is generally credited in those days. Here, then, we discover the

Bible to be of use to us, in showing to what lamentable extent poor

mortals have sincerely erred in following the legendary tales of former

times. And now, that the bandage is removed from our eyes, let us all

use our best exertions to spread knowledge among those, who, with us,

are seeking after truth, but who have till now sought it where it is not

to be found.

The authors of the Bible, no doubt, followed in the same track as those

who are called profane writers. They wrote what had been told them by

their forefathers. Hence the miracles and wonders, credited by them, of

the most extravagant nature, that never did and never could take place;

and unfortunately, for the peace and happiness of mortals, by giving

credit to such things, they, for ages, shut up every avenue that would

otherwise have led them to the temple of truth.

To believe the account of Adam's transgression, in connection with all

the circumstances attending it, to be a matter of fact, appears hardly

possible for any man of sane mind. Yet millions there are, who never

have had a doubt of its being literally true. Whoever first wrote it,

did so from tradition or hearsay, as this is the origin of all national

history. It is not impossible but that every nation of antiquity had a

similar commencement; because, as history did not appear till hundreds

of years after the facts related are said to have taken place, it

follows that hearsay evidence is the _best_ and _only_ evidence that can

be obtained. If this is a correct view of the strange tales related in

the Bible; then, the more strange and impossible the greater glory is

given to God, by swallowing all down, and asking no questions.

The Bible commences, as to persons, with--first, Jehovah, Adam, and Eve,

and, according to the orthodox Christians, the Devil was near at hand.

Here, then, we have before us, according to Bible history, Jehovah, God

of all, about to form or make a world, and put on it both man and beast.

This was done without consulting in any way whatever, with Adam and Eve,

who were to be placed at the head of all creation. Every circumstance

that would take place to Adam and Eve, and their posterity, throughout

all ages, was planned, approved of, and finally settled, in the mind of

Jehovah, before they had life or being.

Here we have a God knowing all that will take place; and arranging

circumstances favorable to its fulfilment. On the other hand, Adam and

Eve were ignorant of the past, the present, and also of the future. Only

notice the infinite difference between the two contracting parties. I

wish the reader to keep this in view, as it respects what is termed the

fall of our first parents. In all ages of the Christian superstition,

the fall of Adam has been urged as a justification of God's quarrel with

the human race.

Let us examine this subject calmly. It is but justice that this should

be done; since from one hundred thousand pulpits in the different

nations of the earth, the priests never fail to praise and thank the

Lord for his goodness to the descendants of Adam. I, on the other hand,

will honestly, though feebly, advocate the cause of poor, _libelled,

condemned, priest-ridden Man_. If, before our first parents had been

called into life, they had been informed on what conditions _they_ and

their _posterity_ were to receive it, together with the final destiny of

ninety out of every hundred of their unfortunate race, they would no

doubt have exclaimed, "For humanity's sake, let us forever sleep in the

womb of chaos!" It is the common practice from the pulpit, as also from

the writings of the orthodox Christians, to libel the human race, by

saying, that man has rebelled against God, and turned from him; when the

truth is, that in all ages and nations, man, has been seeking after the

best God he could find, and God; has always remained the great

_Unknown_, while man, in whatever state we find him, "savage, saint, or

sage," has been endeavoring to find out God.

This has always been his misfortune. By trying to find out the absent

and unknown God, he has, in his imagination, invented and followed a

thousand foolish whims, till, losing all correct ideas of moral

rectitude, he has died of old age without arriving at the knowledge of

_whom or what_ to worship. Whereas, if he had not troubled himself at

all about his maker, and, by the aid of his reasoning powers, had come

to the just conclusion, that as he knew not how, nor where to find God,

it would follow that it was the business of his maker, and not _his_ to

instruct in the right way to worship the true God. This mode of

reasoning will be reprobated by Christians as horrid and wicked; but in

reply, it may be asked, to what amount of knowledge have they arrived by

all their seeking after him?

We now return to the Bible account of Adam and Eve's creation. The

position that justice, strict justice, is due on the part of God towards

his new creation, must never be lost sight of in our investigations. If

any thing like trickery or injustice on his part is recorded, we,

without hesitation, denounce it as a libel on his character, and totally

unworthy of the least credit. In reviewing the Old and New Testament, as

being considered a Divine Revelation, this criterion will be always

referred to; for, if any writings purporting to be of Divine authority,

represent their author to be any thing otherwise than a God impartial

and just, such writings will, by the author of this work, be considered

entirely unworthy of the broad seal of Heaven, and as fully deserving of

being held up to human beings as false, and a flagrant imposition on the

credulity of mankind.

And here the reader is reminded, that we have now before us, in the

creation of man, a scene of the most surprising nature. A God, infinite

in wisdom, unbounded in power, about to bring into existence a race of

beings; he, on his part, possessing all knowledge of the past, the

present, and also of the future; and they, on their part, entirely

passive, not being consulted as to their organization, their wishes, or

the consequences that would result to their progeny. From such a

position, what ought we to expect, in order that the being about to be

made, might have a fair point from which to start in his untried career?

Would we not suppose that every advantage should have been given to the

party who had no voice concerning his future destiny, nor that of his

race? The smallest omission in providing for or securing his first

movements, would be fatal to his happiness, and also that of his race.

That no such precaution, on the part of the God of the Bible, was

pursued towards his new made creatures, will be fully proved by the

examination of the events recorded as having taken place in the Garden

of Eden! Whatever were the passions or the inclinations included in the

physical organization of our first parents, they had not any control

over them whatever, because of the impossibility of their being

consulted in a state of non-existence. Whatever they were then, and,

also, what was to be their future destiny, was known to Jehovah only; to

Adam and Eve, it was all unknown. This, then, was the state of the

pretended Creator and the creatures.

We will pass over the account of the six days' creation, together with

the serpent's deceiving Eve by the aid of what the Christians believe to

be the Devil. It deserves no comment, except, that from the account

given in the Bible, we may infer, that happy would it have been for Adam

if he had remained an old bachelor; for, in that case, Satan perhaps

would neither have scraped acquaintance with the serpent, nor ever

thought of lurking about the garden. But the source of all human

misfortune, according to the Old and New Testaments, is included in

Eve's eating the forbidden fruit. We may ask, why was one tree forbidden

among so many? Certainly as a trap, set to catch the inexperienced,

virtuous, and harmless Eve. What humbug! to make such a fuss about

Adam's being alone, without a help-mate; and: at the very time the rib

operation was going on, Jehovah, stood by, and knew whatever he might

say, that the woman, on leaving her ribship, would damn all that he had

declared to be good. Can we, dare we, charge the Governor of the

Universe with such trickery? It must never be lost sight of, that the

very prohibition of one tree, would be certain, in their state of

ignorance, to produce the consequence that followed: viz., to induce

Eve, from curiosity, to partake of it. Is it any thing short of insanity

to suppose that such dreadful consequences would follow so trifling an

offence?

This forbidden tree had something in it, that, to us, seems very

strange. It was to impart knowledge; and as the fruit was inviting to

the eye, and a desire existing to obtain knowledge, Eve fell a victim to

her unfortunate curiosity. Nor was this all. Until Eve ate thereof, it

appears that the happy couple did not perceive their want of clothing.

Instantly they set to work to repair this first mishap, by sewing leaves

together to make aprons. But in this stage of the business, the Lord

seems to have some compassion left, for he, "_the Lord, made coats of

skins and clothed them_"--poor Adam and Eve being ignorant of the

strength and durability of leaf aprons. We may suppose the Lord as

thinking or saying to Adam,--"Why, this will never do; you must have

something more lasting, or else, by every wind that blows, you will be

no more than a bundle of tattered rags." Soon, therefore, by the Lord's

assistance, poor Adam and Eve jumped into a new suit of clothes! And, to

make sure of man's destruction, by taking that which was forbidden, the

serpent was permitted to point out the advantages that would follow; so

that the appearance of the fruit, and the desire to get knowledge, urged

on by the serpent, together with Eve's ignorance that any thing like

lying existed in the Garden of Eden, the disobedience of our first

parents was, by ninety-nine chances out of a hundred, secured, and the

damnation of their posterity made sure.

Now, to ascribe such conduct to God, such barefaced design to quarrel

with his new creation, is horrid in the extreme, and would disgrace (bad

as it is said he is) the very Devil himself. And if the account is not

true, if the facts, as recorded, did not take place, but are altogether

to be considered as an allegory, then it follows, that human redemption

is an allegory, also; and the whole fabric of the Jewish and Christian

religion falls to the ground.

In dismissing this father of humbugs, (the fall of our first parents,)

which ended in Adam and Eve's expulsion from Paradise, by way of

consolation, we may in justice say, "Farewell, Adam and Eve; you have

had but a rough beginning. God and the Devil have both conspired to make

you unhappy, But never mind, do your best; comfort and console each

other; the whole world is before you. This garden trade has proved a

failure altogether. If you can but procure a spade, a hoe, and shovel,

you will in time get on; and, as your present misfortune originated from

that unforeseen quarrel in the garden, live in peace, and share equally

in your troubles, and also in your prosperity. Things are not so bad,

after all; and if Adam's wound in the side is not yet entirely healed,

it is your duty, Eve, as a good wife, to pay particular attention to it.

It is for your interest, also; for if Jehovah should, be again offended

with you, as in the garden, and take from Adam the opposite rib from

which you sprang, and of it make a second Eve, the serpent would pay

another visit to mar your happiness, and your troubles would have no

end."

What kind of religion there was, if any, in those days, we know not; but

Cain and Abel, Adam's sons, appear to have been worshippers of Jehovah,

notwithstanding the expulsion of their parents from Paradise. We have it

recorded that, in the course of their worship, Cain's offering was of

the "fruits of the earth," and Abel's was "a lamb with the fat thereof."

Cain's offering had no respect paid to it; but, on the other hand,

Abel's offering was respected. The reason why the one was rejected and

the other accepted, we have no means of knowing; at any rate, Jehovah

knew that murder would follow as a consequence. Here, then, we have an

account of the _first religious quarrel_, and the murderous spirit that

was connected with it. And history confirms this truth, that the same

murderous spirit has always, more or less, shown itself in all religious

disputes; but more dreadful and furious in the Jewish and Christian

religions than in any others. From Cain, the first religious murderer,

to the present day, intolerance and blood appear to have stained the

pages of Jewish and Christian history. And now, that those days of

persecution have passed away, let us do all in our power to prevent

their recurrence.

Following the history of the antediluvians, in Genesis, chap. vi., we

are not a little surprised to find a new race of, beings on earth. We

find, that after "_men began to multiply an the face of the earthy and

daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of

men, that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they

chose, and they bare children unto them; the same became mighty men,

which were of old men of renown_." Here we may ask, is it possible to

believe in the truth of this account? But for its being recorded in the

Bible, no person, having one grain of common sense, would for a moment

give it the least credit. But its truth rests on the same authority as

the fall of our first parents, and no doubt is equally true. We are

told, by Christ, that in heaven, they "_neither marry nor are given in

marriage_"; but here it seems that the sons of God were tired of their

restraint, and broke loose, and came a wooing the pretty young girls of

those days: and, from the account, the courtship was short; for they

took to them, wives of all that they chose. Good heavens! how the young

men of those days must have stared to see the young ladies So pliable!

If, in those days, "bustles" were not worn by the girls, the sons of God

soon put them, one and all, in a bustle. Wonder how those gentlemen were

dressed, that the women became so soon captivated! If, in the course of

their negociations, some girl, more thoughtful than the rest, had asked

her strange lover what employment he intended to follow, he would have

been stuck fast to have given an answer. After all, if this account is

to be considered true, heaven is not in so happy a state as is

represented; for the sons of God became uneasy in their confinement, and

preferred a love frolic to Gabriel's evening song. As heaven is

considered to have the most enchanting music, perhaps the new visiters

brought with them their instruments, and began their courtship by a

heavenly jig. It does not appear that Jehovah exhibited any displeasure

on account of the sons of God leaving the blessed abodes and marrying

the daughters of men. For aught we know, it was an experiment to improve

the antediluvian race.

But leaving this point for ministers of the gospel to settle, it seems

as if their progeny were a jolly set of fellows, and became "_men of

renown._" Taking, then, a review of the world from its creation until it

was destroyed by the deluge, we discover, that if the facts recorded are

true, and did really take place, it was one continued chapter of

blunders. First, Adam is made and set to work. It is next discovered

that he requires a partner; but, behold! no materials are left with

which to make one. Adam is then laid up in dock; taken to pieces like an

old steamboat; one of his timbers removed, and a woman appears. Things

go on well, but only for a short time. Eve soon longs for fruit; she

takes it; then, lo, and wonder! she and her husband discover, and for

the first time feel, a sense of decency. They set to work to make

aprons; this is but lost labor. The Lord, it appears by the account, was

not in the garden, but on returning, found his servants partly clothed.

He informs them of their error; sets to work and protects them from wind

and weather. To be sure, they were not turned out naked; the very ground

was cursed for their bad conduct, and thorns and thistles would spring

up to annoy them. Whether the Garden of Eden was given up altogether, or

another gardener employed to keep it, we have no account.

This, at any rate, was paying dear for an apple, or peach. We find,

however, that our first parents did not despair; for they soon raised a

family. If this expulsion did actually take place, to talk of family

troubles is nothing, compared to this unfortunate couple. For one single

fault, to be driven as outcasts from their only known home, to wander

they did not know where, without experience or capital to begin with! Of

all the houseless wanderers, their lot seems to be the most piteous to

behold.

Again, whether "the sons of God" Were permitted to descend and marry the

daughters of men by way of improving the race, we know not. If

improvement was Jehovah's object in this strange union, another failure,

equal to former ones, was the result. The antediluvians, one and all,

were so wicked, that "the Lord repented that he had made man on the

earth; and it grieved him at his heart." One exception only, in the

family of Noah; to whom Jehovah immediately communicated his

determination to _destroy man and beast by a flood_--Noah's family only

excepted.

To conclude this chapter, a few remarks will suffice.--If the foregoing

account of the creation is maintained to be truly the work of Infinite

Wisdom and Power, what a picture presents itself to the mind of a

sensible and reasonable man! Can it be possible for such an one to

believe it? His mind must reject it as the most barefaced falsehood that

ever could be proposed to human credence; as impossible to be true, and

equally impossible to be credited by any person having the least claim

on common sense. And yet, in this crazy world, to give credit to it, is

to be respectable; but to deny its truth, is to be infamous, and an

object of Christian horror, unworthy to live in this world, and sure of

damnation in the next. No man living can get over this certain

conclusion, that if the Governor of the Universe did act towards Adam

and Eve, together with the rest of the antediluvians, as is recorded in

the Bible, he made them for no other apparent end than to quarrel with

them, so as to have a pretence to punish and torment creatures who had

no power to resist. And can such a Being be the object of love and

adoration? The Devil himself is not painted in colors half so black.

But enough has been said on this subject. We turn from it in disgust,

and boldly say to all the world, that no such God ever did, nor does now

exist; nor did the facts recorded in the Bible, of Adam's fall, _ever

take place._

CHAPTER II. A REVIEW OF THE DELUGE AND THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES AT THE

TOWER OF BABEL

TO destroy all mankind by drowning, because of their wickedness, seems

to us a strange reason; for, when we attentively consider it, we are

compelled to conclude that the Jewish God had banished from his moral

government the very appearance of justice. What! no compassion for the

young men and women who had been brought up under circumstances so

unfavorable to virtue, from the bad example of their fathers? What! no

mercy for the thousands of infants? What! no feeling towards the youth,

from manhood through all the gradations down to helpless infancy? None.

We know that it is common for men and women to go crazy. From so strange

a perversion of justice on the part of Jehovah, it would seem that he,

at times, has his crazy fits, also. Destroy the innocent with the

guilty--allowing the innocent no chance of escape! If this were

performed by an earthly monarch, _insanity_ would be the most charitable

allowance to be made for so atrocious an act. But when ascribed to the

all-wise and powerful God, and insisted on as an article of faith, such

doctrines are only fit for madmen to preach and idiots to hear.

Christians little think to what extent they blaspheme the God whom they

profess to adore.

Let us bring this horrid scene nearer to our eyes:--thousands and tens

of thousands of children from six years old and up to the age of

maturity, of both sexes, imploring for mercy, cut off in the midst of

enjoyment, for crimes over which they had no control, and which their

tender age precluded them from committing: yet to them the door of mercy

was forever closed. A raging Almighty God commanding Noah to proceed,

that his vengeance might be satisfied! Only look at such a picture, so

faintly drawn; for if the deluge did really take place, this portrait

bears but a small resemblance to a scene too dreadful for the

contemplation of man, and, Oh! heavens! too unjust and cruel to ascribe

to a God. To drown the whole of the human race by a flood, is one of the

most dreadful visitations of vengeance that cruelty could execute. In

it, we discover nothing to defend. The mind shrinks back with horror at

the bare recital. It is one among hundreds of such acts recorded as

being performed by the Lord.

Turn to what part of the history you will, where the Jewish God is about

to do something, or to interfere in any way in human affairs, the

conduct ascribed to him, either in punishment or granting favor, you

will find to be always contrary to justice and reason. If justice be the

theme, it will end in cruelty. If to show favor, it will be sure to be

ill directed and allied to favoritism. Among men, justice is the

foundation of correct moral principles. On the contrary, the Bible God

acts as if influenced by fury and almighty rage; soon, very soon, angry;

very hard to please; punishing and destroying his creatures, as if pain

were a good instead of an evil, and man died without a groan. It is not

possible to calculate the amount of evil that has taken place on the

earth, in consequence of Christians taking for their example the conduct

of their God. Let us mark the difference between any misfortune that may

befall the human race in the course of events, and the same evil

inflicted by the Lord. In the former case, man will sympathize with his

unfortunate fellow man; in the latter, however, it _appears_ cruel and

unjust. "It is just, yes, and also merciful," says the Christian, "for

God to destroy the innocent descend-, ants of his enemies, because he

has a right to do whatever he pleases with his own."

This mode of reasoning, the believers in the divinity of the Bible

resort to, in order to shield Jehovah from the attacks of Infidels, for

bringing on the deluge; and the same mode is followed throughout, to

justify the Lord in all his warlike movements against the nations doomed

to die by the hands of his chosen people. Can we, then, wonder that both

Jews and Christians, believing in, and worshipping, a God whose acts are

so revolting to every idea of justice and humanity,--can we, ought we,

to be surprised that they have drank so deeply of that spirit of

cruelty, injustice, and intolerance, that is recorded concerning the

dealings of Jehovah with his creatures, in involving in one common ruin

the innocent with the guilty? For it is from the horrible character

given of the Lord, that both Jews and Christians have in all ages drawn

in, as by a kind of inspiration, the same spirit of cruelty and

proscription, in imitation of their God.

It is in vain that Christians assert, that the persecution that has

attended the progress of Christianity, in all ages, is but the abuse of

it No; it has been the _thing itself_. The moral precepts of the New

Testament (and many of them are excellent) have never been strong enough

to deter men from putting each other to death on account of their

difference of faith. Cruel Calvin, with the New Testament before his

eyes, and that saying staring him in the face, "_He that hateth his

brother is a murderer_,"--with this before his eyes, he caused the

unfortunate Servetus to be burnt by a slow fire, so completely had the

doctrines of the Bible destroyed in him all compassion.

To show what baneful influence the doctrines of the Bible have had upon

men eminent for their wisdom, justice, and humanity, the following

authentic account will fully prove:--In the year 1664, two old women

were hanged upon a charge of witchcraft, having been tried by a Jury

before three learned Judges, at the head of whom was Sir Matthew Hale,

who passed the dreadful sentence of the law, as it then stood, which was

put into execution in about two weeks afterwards. A more upright,

honest, wise, and humane Judge never sat in a court of justice; and yet,

behold! he condemned and caused two poor, ignorant, and defenceless old

women to be hanged for a crime they neither did nor could commit The

remarks made to the Jury, by Sir Matthew, in substance were the

following:--"Gentlemen of the Jury, you have nothing to do in inquiring

whether the crime of witchcraft can be committed; the Bible has settled

that subject,--but, whether the evidence you have heard is proof that

the prisoners are guilty of the charges brought against them,"--which

charges were, killing, their neighbors' children by the agency and power

of the Devil, and causing them to vomit pins and nails. Here, then, it

is clear that it was the Word of God, and not Judge Hale, that brought

about the death of those unfortunate women. Had Sir Matthew been an

_Infidel_, the page of history had never been stained by the blood of

two poor helpless beings.

Let not Christians, then, say that persecution and intolerance are the

abuses of Christianity. Its very essence is congenial with blood and

torture in all their horrid forms. The moral precepts of the Gospel

never have nor ever will so far neutralize the doctrines of the Bible,

as to guarantee the human race in trusting power in the hands of the

disciples of Jesus. They always will, according to the New Testament,

prefer the man of orthodox faith, to men in common, however virtuous.

Having shown the injustice and cruelty of drowning all the inhabitants

of the earth,--on account of the wickedness of some who ought to have

been made an example to society at large,--let us inquire, what end was

obtained by so universal a destruction? Have the human race been more

moral, and, on the whole, more virtuous, since the flood than before? If

they have not, (and that they have not, the Bible itself fully proves,)

it then follows, that no moral good resulted from their being destroyed;

and instead of the Lord's anger being softened down, it would rage in

all its former fury. If the Lord really said to Noah, what the Bible

records, "_that it repented him that he had made man on the earthy and

it grieved him at his heart_" it is as much as to say,--"I can bear this

distracted state of mind no longer; I will try you and your family,

Noah, and ease myself of the disappointment I have endured from the

wickedness of my creation; I will have a better race on the earth which

I have made, or man shall cease to exist."

But did a better race succeed? No; for Noah, in time, became

intemperate, and in a fit of intoxication became an object of contempt

to one of his sons, who, so far forgot his duty to his intoxicated

father, that instead of concealing his folly and shame, he exposed it.

When Noah awoke from his slumber, and discovered what had taken place,

he began most heartily to curse his son and his posterity for ages to

come, and also to prophesy evil concerning them, which prophecy,

according to the Bible, the Lord approved of and brought to pass. Here,

again, Jehovah is disappointed; that is, if he expected a moral world

better than the one he had destroyed.

Turning, then, with detestation from an account which represents the

Governor of the Universe as having drowned a world and repented he had

made it, and also of being grieved at heart, we will notice Noah's

preparing the ark and making ready for his singular voyage. Nothing

short of repeated miracles could have completed the embarkation of Noah,

his family, and the living cargo, or freight. A miracle must have been

wrought on all those beasts, whose savage nature had made them a terror

to man, in order that they might become tame, and be conveyed to the

vicinity of the ark. Another miracle must have been in continual

operation on all those who were engaged in procuring the beasts, birds,

and reptiles, to induce them to labor without any remuneration for their

toils, but the certainty of being left to perish by the flood. A

continuation of miracles must follow on, to induce the then population

to stand quiet, up to their necks in water, and not to make an effort to

force their way into the ark before it was closed up; and also to enable

Noah and his family to attend to feeding and keeping clean their

respective cages and dens. The water, also, to drown the world, and

cover the highest hills, must be created for this express purpose, and

then reduced again into its native nothingness. For, from an accurate

calculation, it would require one hundred and eight times as much water

as is now on the face of the earth, to cover the highest mountain,

admitting its height to be no more than twenty thousand feet, and there

are mountains still higher. It would follow, therefore, that after the

flood, one hundred and eight oceans must be annihilated, there not being

room for so much water on the earth.

From what has been said concerning the flood, it is clear that no such

thing really took place, but that the whole is fabulous; because, the

deluge is said to be in consequence of the Lord's being grieved at the

wickedness of the antediluvians. This is no reason why he should destroy

them, even admitting the possibility of the fact. His grief could not be

lessened by so doing, as men since the flood have been equally wicked as

before; and have continued so, down to the present time. If the Lord was

grieved then, and repented at having made man, he is still unhappy and

continues to repent, because the evil that caused him then to grieve and

to repent, is not removed.

The reader is requested not to lose sight of one thing that is equally

glaring both in the Old Testament and the New--that the Jehovah of the

Jews is always blundering and making mistakes; the choice he often makes

does not answer the end purposed, but falls short. Another and another

plan is pursued; still, some striking failures take place. The God of

the Bible is as unlike the Supreme Power that governs the material

universe, as the swarthy African is unlike the fair complexion of the

temperate zone.

As the main object of this work is to prove, as clear as the nature of

argument will admit, that the Jehovah of the Jews is not the Supreme

Ruler of Nature, let us examine their respective characters. The God of

the Jews, in his acts, is governed by no correct principle of justice;

he is changeable, and subject to all the passions that, in turn, agitate

the minds of mortals. How different is the Ruler of the World, of whom

we know nothing, abstracted from the material universe! In the

government of the material world, we discover that "_order is heaven's

first law_"; that a regular arrangement of causes and effects pervade

every department of nature. In it, there is no doing and undoing; no

derangement in the wonderful, adaptation of cause and effect, of

principles and consequences. In the laws that rule the universe, nothing

happens that has the appearance of falling short of ends intended to be

carried out; these laws depend not on the will or conduct of mortals;

but the more we are acquainted with them, the more we are compelled to

admire the wonderful wisdom and harmony of the mighty whole.

Is the kingdom of grace, or, in other words, does the Old and New

Testaments present to us a God any way similar to the power that rules

the world? The God of Nature, an expression used to convey no other

meaning than the power that mingles itself with the mighty whole,--does

this power show any thing like partiality to nations, or to sects and

parties? Do the general laws, by which the world is governed, indicate

any thing in their author of a vindictive or vengeful character. Any

thing like disappointment or regret? Does the prosperity of nations, or

of individuals, depend (abstractly considered) on whether they worship

one, or many Gods, or none at all? On the contrary, the Jehovah of the

Bible is depicted as being more unstable than mortals. Ye Jews and

Christians! in vain do you vindicate the character and conduct of your

God towards the human race, by saying that "he ought to do what he

pleases with his own." The conduct of the most cruel and unjust tyrant

that ever lived can with more truth and propriety be exonerated than

your God; because a tyrant, however wicked and cruel, may have to

contend with those who are capable of doing him an injury, and

self-defence on his part may form some excuse for his actions. A tyrant

may have to come in contact with others, his equals in power and

physical force. But the Christian God is above any personal injury; he

has no rivals; possessing all power, all knowledge, nothing can take

place by him unforeseen. If mortals, by their conduct, call forth his

anger, he chooses to be angry. The human race did not ask for existence;

he alone was the projector. If mortals, in the course of their career

through life, (as foreseen by him) deserve punishment, he felt happy in

punishing them. Ye ministers! prate, then, no longer against the

"*unblushing Infidel*"; for, as you maintain that the God of the Bible

is the author of the universe, we leave you to blush at the horrible

character you portray of him whom you hypocritically call a God of love!

Oh! heavens! what dreadful consequences have resulted from the Jehovah

of the Jews being worshipped as the author of nature! The worshippers of

such a God have in all ages partaken, more or less, of his character for

cruelty, injustice, and intolerance; and under this banner "whole armies

have marched forth to glut the earth with blood."

Viewing, then, the Bible account of the deluge, in which the innocent

were destroyed with the sinner, as but a fabulous tale, had I a voice

loud enough to make all mankind hear, I would boldly and fearlessly

proclaim it a falsehood, disgraceful to God, and too foolish to obtain

credit in the present age.

CHAPTER III. FROM THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES TO THE BIRTH OF MOSES

THE object to be accomplished in this chapter is, to show, from the

Bible history itself, the folly and absurdity of admitting the Jehovah

of the Bible to be the Supreme Ruler of the Universe; for, after

destroying every thing that had life, by the flood, Jehovah, somewhat

like a conquering hero, returns to heaven. The war with the human race

being over, Divine vengeance is satisfied. No religious worship, that we

read of, was then known on the earth. But, behold! a new outbreak

occurs, that requires the immediate interference of the God of Israel.

In Genesis, chapter xi., it is recorded, that the then inhabitants of

the earth began to build a tower, the top of which was to reach the

heavens, that they might make to themselves a great name, and be no more

scattered abroad on the earth. What crime it could be considered by

Jehovah, for men to unite in building a tower so lofty that the top

would reach the heavens, we know not. However ignorant the then

inhabitants of the earth were, the Lord knew that they could not annoy

him by the erection of a tower to any height they might be inclined to

raise it. The writer of the account makes it appear, that Jehovah became

uneasy at the progress the workmen were making, and at last could bear

it no longer; so he came down, as the term is, and confounded their

speech in such a manner that they could not understand each other.

Can it be possible, for men who reflect at all, to believe such glaring

nonsense? The writers of the Bible have not only made a God unjust and

vengeful, but they have put into his head such foolish whims, as, that

after having destroyed a world by a deluge, the innocent with the

guilty, he came down from heaven to scare away carpenters and

bricklayers from their honest labor; and have made him virtually to

say--"Be off! Clear out! I will not permit you to hammer away here!" The

conduct of the Bible God towards the builders of Babel, and, in fact,

the whole of the then human family, seems to be like that of an

unfeeling father, who cares not for his children, and who is also

equally indifferent as to whether the human race worshipped him, or fell

down to worship stocks or stones; for, instead of ordering them to build

an altar to the true and living God, he ordered them off, to wander

abroad on the earth, and do the best they could. And here an opportunity

was lost of insuring their conversion; since, as they were all of one

language and speech, how easy to convert the whole race at once! Now,

here we may discover a _man-made God_. Sometimes he is all jealousy for

his own name--all fury against idolatry; at other times, he seems to

care but little for the happiness of his creatures, or the honor of his

name. After having compelled the builders of Babel to quit their

undertaking, Jehovah returns back to heaven; and from the silence of

Bible history, he does not appear to have superintended human affairs at

all, for hundreds of years after. And now, ye ministers of the Gospel of

grace, what have you to say in vindication of the very existence of such

a God? The origin of your God is of man's creation; he never had a real

existence.

After an absence of many years, having given up, to all appearance, any

interest in human affairs, Jehovah turns his attention to Abram and his

family, and adopts them as his chosen people. And from this account, we

clearly discover the absurdity of believing the God of Abram to be the

universal sovereign; for, from the moment of the adoption of Abram and

his seed forever, from that very moment the family affairs of Abram,

Isaac and Jacob, seem to engross the attention of Jehovah; and, while I

am writing, I blush for shame at the credulity of mankind in professing

to believe such contemptible trash. What can be more weak and ridiculous

than to suppose that the Lord and two angels came to the tent of Abram,

and went through all the ceremonies of a pastoral visit,--such as

washing of feet and taking water until dinner was prepared, and that

while partaking of Abram's hospitality, they inquired for his wife, and

then renewed what before had been promised, namely--that Sarah, Abram's

wife, should have a son in her old age?

One remarkable feature, throughout the whole of the Bible, presents

itself. It is this: that in every movement Jehovah makes among his

favorite people the Jews, and in all the correspondence he holds with

Abram and his seed, every thing is done by way of experiment on that

people; as if Jehovah did not know what would happen until he had gained

information by _actual experiment!_ In the case of the builders of the

Tower of Babel, it is said--"_And the Lord came down to see the city,

and the tower which the children of men builded._" And again--"_Go to,

let us go down, and there confound their language_." And also, in the

case of Sodom, the Lord told Abram concerning the cry of the wickedness

of the inhabitants of Sodom. The Lord said to Abram--"_I will go down

now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of

it, which is come unto me; if not, I will know._"--[Genesis xviii. 21.]

Abram, having heard of the intended destruction of the Sodomites,

remonstrates with Jehovah on the injustice of destroying the innocent

with the guilty. Then follows the pleading of Abram with the Lord, in

favor of Sodom; and from the willingness of the Lord to comply with the

request of Abram,--if the old patriarch had had the moral courage to

have gone on with one more request,--Sodom might have been saved. The

personage who communed with Abram is, by the inspired writer, called the

"_Judge of all the earth_." The same who had that day dined with Abram,

and to whom Abram said, "_Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto

the Lord, which am but dust and ashes_"!

And now, patient reader, what have Christians to believe in reference to

this matter? Why, they must believe that the great immortal God came to

the earth from his Unknown abode, in the likeness of _man_, in company

with two angels; that he called on Abram, who was surrounded by his

flocks and herds, dwelling in a tent, perhaps inferior to our Indian

log-houses; that he, the Judge of all the earth, with two of his angels,

were (according to eastern hospitality) presented with water to drink,

and also, water to wash their feet--a practice most refreshing in a warm

climate. An invitation was given them to dine, which they accepted and

so particular is the narrative, that, what they had for dinner is

mentioned: the calf was instantly slain, and the baking commenced.

And here we may inquire, whether or not this circumstance did really

take place, as it is recorded? If it did, then the believers in the

Bible, as a Divine Revelation, have to believe that the Great God of

all, the Universal Ruler of the Universe, came on earth to the tent of

Abram, in the form of a man, with two of the angelic host; and that they

_then and there_ had their feet washed, and sat down to a dinner of veal

and griddle cakes, and did eat thereof, and drink water. Now, if Moses,

or any other pretended inspired writer, wrote this, I ask, is not the

God of Abram a _man-made God?_ He is said to have feet that required

washing, and an appetite that required food. He had a mouth, teeth, and

also a stomach to receive food; and we may infer that he had hands, for

it is not recorded that Abram cut his victuals, or fed him or the angels

with a spoon.

If the believers of the Bible consider that the foregoing account is

allegorical, and not to be considered as having really taken place, it

then follows that human redemption is allegorical, also; for the promise

made to Abram was, that _In thee and in thy seed shall all the nations

of the earth be blessed_. This promise included the mission of Jesus,

who was to save his people from their sins, and also to _heal the

nations, and to bring in everlasting righteousness_. Christians, then,

if they believe the Bible to be a Divine Revelation, must believe that

the Judge of the whole earth, while at dinner, in promising Abram a son,

included also, in that promise, the mission of Jesus, _the Saviour of

the world._

And here we may notice the views that Abram had of the Supreme Judge of

all. As he appeared to Abram in the form of a man, and as such was

treated by him, Abram brought forth water to wash the feet of the Lord,

and invited him to dine, which he did; which is proof positive that

Abram considered that the Lord was in the habit of taking refreshment,

such as eating and drinking, or he would never have thought of giving

the Lord such an invitation. If this account be true, the New Testament

must be false, when it declares that _no man hath seen God at any time,

and that none can see him and live_. But of Abram it is written, that he

saw the Lord, face to face, and also that they dined together; and, as

if to remove all doubt of its truth, it mentions what they dined on,

namely--veal and cakes. It therefore follows, that the account, as

recorded of the Lord's dining with Abram, must be taken in its plain and

literal sense; because it is connected with the destruction of Sodom and

Gomorrah, and also of Lot's wife being turned _into a pillar of salt_;

which account is referred to as having taken place, by the writers of

the New Testament. After the Lord and the two angels had retired from

dinner, the Lord informed Abram of his errand to the above cities; which

was, to find out whether their ill-fated inhabitants were as wicked as

they had been reported; as he (the Lord) was determined to know. It was

then that Abram began to plead with the Lord, and to show the injustice

of destroying the innocent with the guilty, as from the nature of the

crime for which the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were to be destroyed,

all the women and children were innocent. Abram, therefore, saw

immediately the horrid cruelty and injustice of such destruction as was

about to overtake the unfortunate inhabitants of Sodom. In the

discussion, Abram had the best of the argument, but his efforts were

unavailing. Fire came down from heaven, and they were burnt alive,

innocent and guilty together.

From the account it appears, that after the Lord parted with Abram, he

also took his leave of the angels; and what became of the Lord, the

Bible is silent; but the angels, after having dined with Abram, took

supper with Lot. This Lot seems to be the only man in Sodom that was

worth saving; and he certainly acted very strange: for when his townsmen

insisted on knowing who the angels were, and on what business they came,

Lot offered to turn into the street his two innocent daughters, to be

dealt with according to the wishes of those vile wretches, if they would

but permit him to lodge and entertain the strangers. Certainly, the

morality of the Bible is most sublime, and the ways of the Jewish God

_past finding out!_

The case of Lot's wife is, to all appearance, very strange. Her crime of

looking back, would appear to us much less than that of her husband's in

turning his daughters into the street. The history of Lot winds up with

a strange account, and not very favorable to strict morality,

namely--the project of his daughters in making him drunk, and the

disgusting consequences that followed. Thus, it is clear, that Lot's

wife (bless the good old woman!) was the best, in a moral point of view,

in the whole family; and only for looking back on her beloved home, she

was treated like a dead sow, by being put into pickle. To conclude this

tirade of nonsense and folly, we will add--"_remember Lot's wife_."

It appears from Bible history, that when Abram left his own country, he

was any thing but rich; and as his substance consisted in a few heads of

cattle, a famine soon overtook him as he journeyed, which induced him to

go down into Egypt, the then granary of the earth. To prevent any

unpleasant consequences that might result to Abram, because of the

beauty of Sarah, his wife, she was instructed to call her husband her

brother. It turned out as was expected, for she was recommended to

Pharaoh, and taken into the royal palace. Immediately, presents came

unto Abram in quick succession, consisting of "_sheep and oxen, and he

asses; men-servants and maidservants; and she asses and camels_." But

the Lord, ever watchful over Abram's affairs, troubled Pharaoh and his

house; and when Pharaoh discovered the cause of this evil, he

remonstrated with Abram for his duplicity, and returned his wife

undefiled. So kind, however, was the Lord to Abram, that the presents

were made before the cheat was discovered, and he came out of Egypt a

rich man.

This may be said to be the beginning of Abram's good luck; and we may

suppose that in returning home to their old pasturage, Sarah would laugh

and exclaim--"See what it is to have a handsome wife!" Another famine

will make brother Abram and sister Sarah the richest couple in pastoral

life.

In the course of events, Abram and Sarah had recourse again to the same

trick, on Abimelech, King of Gerar, which had been acted with so much

success in Egypt. Sarah, on account of her beauty, _at ninety years of

age_, was taken by the King; but the Lord, ever the guardian of Sarah's

virtue, came to Abimelech in a dream, and threatened him and all his

house with death, if Sarah was not given up to her lawful husband. The

King remonstrated with the Lord, and justified his conduct by declaring,

that both Abram and Sarah had deceived him; and said--"_In the integrity

of my hearty and innocency of hands, have I done this._" The Lord

replied--"_I know that you did it innocently, for I withheld thee from,

sinning against me; therefore, suffered I thee not to touch her._"

Again, as before, presents of cattle, men-servants, and maid-servants,

with a thousand pieces of silver into the bargain, were given to Abram,

with his wife, who is as chaste as morning dew.

I have dwelt longer on this account than I at first intended, merely to

show the folly in believing that the Almighty Lord of all had any

concern in such contemptible fooleries as are recorded in the family

concerns of Abram. One thing, however, is omitted; and that is, the

quarrel between Sarah and Hagar. The tent or house became too hot to

hold those rival women; at last, Sarah triumphed by turning out Hagar

and her love-begotten child, which demanded the Lord's interference, and

gave poor Abram no small share of trouble.

From the moment that Jehovah adopted the family of Abram, the Bible

account warrants us in supposing that the family concerns of that

patriarch particularly engaged the attention of Jehovah; since, for

every trifling concern that took place, the Lord was applied to in order

to settle the matter. Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau, when about

to become a mother, applied to the Lord for information respecting her

singular situation; and the Lord informed her that she would be the

mother of two celebrated nations, and satisfied her mind as to every

other inquiry she made. And here we may ask, how it was that the Lord,

in those days, was so easy of access? How every gossipping old woman

could lay her case before the Lord, and wait his advice and answer? The

reply is at hand. The whole account of the Lord's saying unto Abram, or

the Lord's saying unto Moses, and again, "_the word of the Lord came

unto Moses, saying,"_ is all humbug: no such word ever came; no such

conversation ever took place.

Whoever wrote the Book of Genesis, has placed Jehovah in an immoral

point of view; as keeping company with unprincipled knaves, and as

acting without any regard to the strict rules of justice and mercy; as

having a system of favoritism, which does not admit of administering

impartial justice. The case of Jacob and Esau is directly opposed to

truth and impartiality. Esau was, in a moral point of view, evidently

the best of the two; but Jacob was Jehovah's choice. Esau, according to

Bible history, was a hardy, industrious, and generous man. Jacob, on the

other hand, was his mother's pet; and the deception which he and his

mother played on old Isaac, who was blind, is in strict accordance with

the conduct of all the Lord's favorites. Jacob, according to Bible

history, was, through his whole life, full of deception and trickery. He

could lie and take a false oath to deceive his blind father; and by

deceit, deprive his brother Esau of his lawful right of inheritance. And

yet the Lord was with him, and connived at all his baseness!

But Jacob, conscious of his wickedness, and justly deserving his

brother's resentment, fled to his uncle for protection. On his way, the

Lord appeared to him in visions; and, notwithstanding his lying and

false swearing to his father, promised him divine assistance. Jacob

still acted in the same crafty manner, even with the Lord himself;

always having his own self-interest in view; for, after the Lord had

said, Genesis xxvii., 15, "_And behold, I am with thee, and will keep

thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into

this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have

spoken to thee of_"--even after this promise from the Lord, in verse 20

it is said--"And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, if God will be with me, and

will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and

raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace,

*then shall the Lord be my God*."

Well done, Jacob! that is making a good Jew bargain. Jehovah and Jacob

both kept their word; for Jacob married his two cousins, the daughters

of his uncle Laban, and staid with him until he, by the help of the

Lord, contrived to jockey old Laban out of the best of his cattle, and

ran away back to his own father's house, taking with him, by stealth,

the gods of Laban his father. Thus did Jacob not only triumph over the

heathen gods, by carrying them off captive, but continued to adhere to

Jehovah, his own God, who did not desert him in his recreant tricks. It

is not to be wondered that the sons of Jacob should be so base in their

actions, after the example of their father; and considering what a mixed

breed they were, having so many mothers. Their conduct towards their

brother Joseph is a sample of their actions; and although Bible history

records the good fortune of Joseph, he, among the rest of his brethren,

acted the tyrant as soon as power would permit him so to do.

This chapter will conclude with a few remarks on the life of Joseph, and

his career in Egypt. The fame and good fortune of Joseph, depended on

his gift of interpreting _dreams_, which finally made him, under

Pharaoh, _Lord of the land_; and according to his predictions, _seven

years of famine were to succeed seven years of plenty_; by which, Joseph

planned the entire subjugation of Egypt. He, by the authority of

Pharaoh, bought up all the grain left of the seven years' plenty; and

when the famine came, the grain was sold to the inhabitants at the price

that Joseph was pleased to put upon it. But the famine continued so long

that all the money was spent. The poor, half-starved people told Joseph

their situation, and offered their cattle in exchange for grain; the

cattle were taken by him; at last, all their cattle disappeared, and the

people continued in want; then, offer was made of their lands, which

Joseph also took; and with their lands, themselves; so the government

took all. But after the famine, Joseph proposed to furnish them with

seed wherewith to sow their fields, on condition that, ever after,

Pharaoh was to have one-fifth of the yearly produce. How kind of Joseph!

Now, if the Bible be true concerning this matter, I ask, could anything

be more unjust and cruel?

CHAPTER IV. FROM THE BIRTH OF MOSES TO THE DEATH OF JOSHUA

THIS chapter will put beyond dispute all connection between the Jehovah

of Moses and the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. Whoever drew the

picture of Jehovah, as it is recorded in the Bible, made him, in every

sense of the word, a mere man; and put him under the same necessity of

re-sorting to means for obtaining information, when the subject of

inquiry is involved in doubt. For instance: Jehovah informs Abram that

the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were reported to be wicked in the

extreme; and that he (the Lord) came down to get information on that

subject. Again, when the builders of Babel were about to commence their

lofty tower, the Lord came down to see what they were doing; and, not

being pleased with their intentions, put a stop to the work, and

performed a miracle, whereby they were driven abroad on the face of the

earth. Besides, the Lord's coming from a certain place to another place

for information, implies that, without such movement, the information

sought for could not be obtained. These instances, and hundreds of

others of the same kind, imply also that the Jewish God had a local

habitation. Again, to say that the Lord came to a place, staid there,

and then returned back again,--these are movements which are common with

men, but cannot be applied to the omnipresent God. The free access that

Moses and the Old Testament prophets had to their God will warrant the

idea that he resided next door to them, and that the Lord was obedient

to their every call.

The children of Israel, after the death of Joseph, began to multiply so

fast that the Egyptians feared for their own safety in the event of a

war with other nations; and in consequence, ordered the mid wives to

destroy all the male children, but to save the females alive. But Moses

was saved, according to the Bible, in consequence of Pharaoh's daughter

discovering him in the river; and when he came to maturity, the Lord

selected him to go to Egypt to demand of Pharaoh, the king, to let the

Israelites go out from that state of bondage in which, for four hundred

years, they had been held.

The departure of Moses from Egypt was not very honorable for a future

ambassador; for before his departure he murdered a man, and buried him.

To escape justice, he then fled to Midian, and became acquainted with a

pagan priest, who took him into his house, and ultimately gave him one

of his daughters in marriage, and he became his father-in-law's

shepherd; and the Lord made himself known to Moses. It was while tending

the flocks that he was chosen go to Egypt to demand the release of his

brethren, then in cruel bondage. After the Lord had given him his

instructions, and, to all appearance, Moses had started on his mission,

a remarkable circumstance took place, that must puzzle Bible

commentators to explain. It is recorded in Exodus iv., 24, "_And it came

to pass, by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him and sought to kill

him._" This meeting appears to have been accidental, for no mention is

made of the business of either of them. Here, again, we observe that the

writer, whoever he was, has spoken of the Lord as a man. It is not

possible for men of sound understandings to conceive of the reality of

the Lord's meeting Moses at an inn, if by the Lord, We understand the

Almighty Power that governs all Worlds.

On the account as it stands recorded, and as Christians take it as

really having happened, the following remarks may reasonably be made,

namely: that after Moses had been ordered to proceed to Egypt on his

important mission, he loitered his time away in a tavern; and that the

Lord surprised him in that place, and showed anger for his contempt of

orders, given to and accepted by him. But the cause of a meeting so

extraordinary, it is difficult to unravel. It is easily conceived why

Moses might visit a tavern; but that the Lord of heaven and earth should

follow a creature into a pot-house, and show signs of anger, and a

quarrel should be the result, is very hard to believe; for it said, the

"_Lord sought to kill him_." Again, if the Lord sought to kill him, it

must be in appearance only, for he could have done it. However, Moses

started off.

The account warrants us in supposing, that Moses had staid in the inn

long enough for his wife to overtake him, and to upbraid him with

neglect. Something is said about his son's being uncircumcised; and

taking a sharp stone, she performed that operation with a very clumsy

instrument; after which, she exclaimed, in an angry tone, "_A bloody

husband thou art, because of the circumcision_;" as if she meant to

say--"Shame on you! to leave it to me to do that which is so revolting

to my feelings!" Moses then departed for Egypt, and obeyed the Lord in

his journey to his brethren.

We can discover neither justice nor humanity in the course that was

taken by the God of Israel, in bringing the Jews out of bondage. On the

contrary, the greatest inhumanity and injustice are discoverable in

every movement that Moses made under the authority of the Lord; which

fully proves, that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness had nothing to do in the

mighty fuss of liberating the seed of Abram from bondage. The plagues

that were inflicted on the inhabitants of Egypt, if true, make the

conduct of Jehovah more vindictive than any thing we have heard of as

proceeding from the Devil himself for the Lord had told Moses

beforehand, that he had hardened Pharaoh's heart that the people might

know the power of the Hebrew God to afflict the nation. It might have

been sport to the man made God of Moses, but not very pleasant and

comfortable to the Egyptians, to be lousy, to be stunk to death with

putrid carcasses, having frogs for bed-mates, when the Lord had hardened

the King's heart. But the worst and most infamous of all the judgments,

was the destruction of the first-born. This act would have disgraced the

very devil: to institute the Feast of the Passover.

We may indulge in a little mirth in reference to the destroying angel

going round the streets, finding out the doors marked with the blood of

your paschal lamb, and taking care not to wring the neck of a little

Hebrew. Wonder if the destroying angel had a lantern? But, perhaps, he

had cat's eyes, and could see as well by night as at noon-day! No

wonder, ye Jews, that the inhabitants of Egypt so willingly gave you

their gold and silver ornaments to get rid of a people so detestable,

and, with them, a more detestable God.

In a short time after the Jews had left the house of bondage, they began

to upbraid Moses that they had changed for the worse; and in the course

of their journeying, they quarrelled with him, and the Lord had

continually to interfere, and to feed them by miracles. At Mount Sinai,

Moses halted; and, according to the command of the Lord, the law was

given to the nation, as recorded in Exodus, chapter xx. And this boasted

law is said to have been given by the Lord, in the hearing of all the

Children of Israel. The first commandment contains a spirit of

intolerance, which, whether he gave it or not, has never failed to

generate in Jews and Christians a spirit of religious persecution which

has deluged the earth with blood.

The ten commandments, given by Moses to the Children of Israel, contain,

in general, good moral precepts, with the exception of the first. The

first begins by the Lord's speaking in a language which all the people

could understand:--"_I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out

of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no

other Gods before me._" This command, which by both Jews and Christians

is considered so just and reasonable, contains in it the germ of

intolerance. Had this command been given immediately after the recorded

fall of Adam, its influence would have had a very different bearing on

the peace and happiness of society, than it had at the time, and has had

ever since it was given. It would have been both just and right in the

Lord of all to demand of his creatures to worship him, and him alone, in

the way and manner he saw fit; since in that case, no evil consequences

could have followed from a command so just and proper, as for the

creature to obey his Creator.

But at the time the Lord gave the first commandment, the whole world

were in the practice of worshipping the gods of their forefathers: the

origin of which worship was then lost, and the worshippers were no doubt

as sincere in their devotion as the most pious Jew or Christian of the

present day. By the publication, then, of the first commandment, at a

time when every nation had its particular god, and the worshippers lived

in peace, the spirit of intolerance and religious persecution being

unknown, the great I am declared a religious war against all the gods,

and their worshippers on the face of the earth. But according to Bible

history, Jehovah permitted his creatures to wander on earth, and

appeared regardless as to what gods were worshipped; and then, after

some thousand years, he all at once began to rage against all the

religious systems then known.

But it was otherwise with what are called heathen nations. Each had its

peculiar god, and also its different forms of worship; and they lived

happily with each other on the score of theology. And here we may

observe, how unfortunate it has been for the human race, that the Lord

did not either give his law sooner, or not at all; for it is plainly to

be seen, that if the first commandment had been given by the Lord before

men had followed other gods, idolatry would have been prevented, and

Jehovah's watchfulness over the worship he had established, would have

been productive of universal happiness. But, on the contrary, the

command being given so long after, and that, too, when religious systems

were flourishing, and temples crowded with devout worshippers, the worst

consequences have followed.

The worshippers of Jehovah, whether Jews or Christians, have, by the

Bible itself, become intolerant and persecuting; and never have they

failed, when power would admit, to destroy the enemies of their God

without mercy: so that the first commandment, by coming too late, has

proved the greatest curse that ever afflicted the human family. And

hence the folly in believing that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness would

permit false religion to progress so long before the true one was made

known to the human race. After the moral law, or the ten commandments,

had been given by the Jewish God, on the mount, amid thunder and

lightning, we have it recorded that Moses was ordered to go up to the

top of the mount, and there, with the Lord, he staid forty days and

nights; during which time Aaron, his brother, remained with the whole of

the Children of Israel in camp, at the foot of Mount Sinai.

And now, candid reader, prepare your mind for an account of what took

place on the mount, between Jehovah and Moses; and when you have read

it, and maturely reflected on what is recorded, then I say, ask yourself

whether there is one word of truth in the account of this strange

interview between Moses and his God? Compare it with any of the

absurdities to be found in the _Koran_ of Mahomet, and discover, if you

can, whether the latter is less true than the former.

The Bible record states, that Moses was ordered to ascend the mount, on

private business with the Lord, and to leave Aaron in charge of his

chosen people till his return. The account clearly states, that Moses

was then and there to receive instruction how to fit up and ornament the

Tabernacle that was to accompany the Children of Israel in their journey

to the promised land. And here we may notice, "_That in six days the

Lord made heaven and earth, and all things therein_"; yet it required

forty days to plan and fit up this moveable church; and before it was

finished, the chosen people, with Aaron at their head, became idolators;

so that before the Lord and Moses (both hard at work) had completed the

church, they lost the congregation. This, to make the best of it, was a

dreadful blunder.

After the forty days had run out, during which time Moses and his God

were hard at work, and Moses had often received the precaution, "_See

that you make all things according to the pattern given on the

mount,_"--all at once, the Lord said to Moses, "Do you know what is

going on below?" Poor Moses, full of thought, and over-joyed at the

prospect of so fine a fit-out, was altogether ignorant of the Lord's

meaning. "Why, Moses, that stubborn race you brought out of Egypt, have

set up strange gods, and have turned their backs on both you and me"! If

this story was strictly true, how Moses must feel on hearing this

unfortunate news! We must suppose he would exclaim and say, "Oh! Lord,

our forty days' labor is all knocked on the head. Is it possible, Oh!

Lord, that they have forgotten what you did for them in Egypt? What a

pity it is, Oh! Lord, that they ever got rid of the lice when they left

the house of bondage, for if they were now tormented by those nibblers,

it would remind them of the lousy miracle you performed for them in the

presence of Pharaoh. Those lice, if not destroyed, would have been 'a

forget-me-not.'" And the Lord said unto Moses, "Now let me alone, that

my wrath may wax hot against this people, for I know that they are a

stiff-necked race. I will destroy them, and from you shall a great

nation spring up." But Moses, not having at this time lost his temper,

said, "Oh! Lord God, now do not destroy them; besides, what will the

Egyptians say? And also remember what you promised to Abram, Isaac, and

Jacob: how you swore that you would give it to Abram and his seed

forever." "Well, Moses, you reason correctly. I own I was rather too

hasty; upon a second thought, I retract; I will take your advice; but go

down and see what you can make of them."

Moses, not well pleased, left the Lord, and went down from the mount;

and when he came to the camp, he lost all patience, and, in a passion,

not knowing what he did, threw down the stones on which were written the

commandments--and written, too, with the finger of God--and they were

broken asunder. No wonder that Moses lost his temper: forty days' labor

lost; having had, during the whole time, nothing to eat; and having lost

his church members before the moveable church was complete! No one can

be surprised that he acted as he did. Moses reasoned so correctly with

the Lord, that he cooled Jehovah down, but was not so fortunate with

himself.

Aaron, finding himself in a dilemma, excused himself by charging the

people with the fault. But Aaron's story was but a lame tale; for, when

the people demanded a god, to whom they might pay divine honors, Aaron

could have told them to have patience, and Moses would return with

proper instructions from their God. But poor, silly Aaron told Moses,

that when he threw the rings and bracelets into the fire, out came the

calf. At any rate, between the Lord, Moses, and Aaron, a sad blunder was

made; and to finish off, Moses commanded the Levites to go sword in hand

and kill every man his brother and neighbor; and three thousand were

slain, who, if things had been conducted properly, might have been

faithful worshippers of Jehovah. Finally, nothing can exceed in folly

this foolish story of Jehovah, Moses, and Aaron, except it be the folly

of believing it to contain one word of truth.

After Moses had slain the people for their idolatry, not having been

reproved by the Lord, he was commanded to prepare two tables of stone,

in place of those that were broken, and the next morning to go up again

to the Lord, on the mount. It is then said that the Lord descended on

the mount to meet Moses; so it appears that the Lord (after the

departure of Moses to the bottom of the mount) departed also, into

heaven or to some unknown place; for it is recorded that he came down

again to meet Moses with the two new tables prepared by him. The whole

account of the Lord's interview with Moses, on the mount, implies that

Jehovah labored, talked, and acted in concert with Moses, as one man

acts with another; and that they remained together forty days and as

many nights. Whether they continued their work through the night, we

have no account; nor whether they needed candles. At all events, if it

be considered literally as a matter of fact, it was a long time for

Moses to be without food or sleep; but as Christians are compelled to

believe it to be matter of fact, we will remark on it as such.

We begin, then, by asking if the Children of Israel were indeed the

Lord's chosen people, how can we account for the neglect in not giving

Aaron proper instruction respecting the business of Moses on the mount,

so as to prevent the people from seeking after other gods? And, also,

how came it to pass that the Lord did not inform Moses sooner of the

people's revolt, so that the three thousand that Moses caused to be

murdered, might have been saved? And lastly, is it consistent with the

attributes of the Governor of the Universe to resolve, in wrath, to do

any thing, and then repent and not perform it?

If nothing had been recorded in the Old Testament of the sayings and

doings of the Jewish God, but that which is related concerning him in

giving the law on Mount Sinai, and of his giving instruction to Moses

how to fit out the Tabernacle, it is of itself sufficient to show the

absurdity of Jehovah's being the God of Nature. To unite in one person

the attributes of the great and all-powerful God, with the contemptible

arrangement of giving patterns for curtains, and a thousand trifling

things of no importance whatever, and to take forty days to garnish his

church, and, while so doing, to let, from sheer neglect, his people lose

sight of Moses, and then to destroy three thousand persons in

consequence of such want of foresight, is too much for credulity to

digest.

When we notice the importance attached to rites and ceremonies the most

unimportant, and then again how lavish the Jewish God is of human life,

and totally regardless of human suffering, we dare not for a moment give

credence to the strange stories and foolish whims of the Bible God, and

palm them upon the all-bountiful Author of Nature. Moses, after coming

down the last time from the mount, begins to prepare for the priesthood,

by saying, that the firstlings of cattle, whether of the ox, or the

sheep which are of the male kind, belong to the Lord; but the firstling

of the ass was to be redeemed by substituting a lamb! But if the owner

had no lamb to offer, the neck of the ass was to be broken; as if the

Lord had said--if you have nothing better to give, I will not accept of

a young jack-ass!

Whoever wrote the Book of Exodus, has made the God of Israel appear like

unto an old clothes-man, giving orders for a thousand ornaments for his

worship, which would disgrace a heathen temple; such as giving orders

for all kinds of brass work; likewise, gold and silver ornaments; all

kinds of oils and spices; particular patterns of cabinet work; what kind

of leather skins, and, also, of what particular color, to grace his

house withal: and even down to the cut and color of the garments: not

forgetting to give instruction concerning the making of breeches for

Aaron and his sons! In the present day, it is no uncommon thing for

ladies to wear the breeches; but in those days, when breeches were cut

by inspiration, it would have been no small crime for a woman to have

stepped into Aaron's inexpressibles, or those of his sons. How is the

dignity of the Governor of the World disgraced, by ascribing to him an

employment fitting only for a pedler in old clothes!

Let' us compare the majestic grandeur of Jupiter, the supreme god of the

Greeks, to the peddling, gossipping concerns that the writers of the Old

Testament have palmed on Jehovah, the God of the Jews! Hear what the

poet says of Jupiter, when challenging all the gods to oppose his

power:--:

"Let down our golden, everlasting chain,

Whose strong embrace holds heaven and earth and main;

Strive all, of mortal or immortal birth,

By this to drag the thunderer down to earth;

Ye strive in vain; if I but lift this hand,

I heave the heaven, the ocean, and the land;

'T is thus I reign, supremely and above;

Such are men and gods compar'd to Jove!"

The contradictions, as recorded in the Bible, concerning Jehovah, are so

barefaced, that it is impossible to reconcile them. It is said in many

parts of the Old, and also in the New Testament, that no man can see God

and live; but we are told that Moses conversed with Jehovah, face to

face, as one conversing with his friend. It is in many places recorded

that God never repents--"_For he (God) cannot lie nor repent_." In many

other places it is recorded that Jehovah has repented and taken a

contrary course in his dealings with the sons of men. I again repeat,

that if no other account had been recorded of the conduct of the Jewish

God, but what we have mentioned, it is impossible to believe Jehovah to

be any thing but a _man-made God._

After the death of Moses, Joshua was appointed as his successor. His

business was to complete what Moses had left undone, in subjugating or

destroying the nations on the other side of Jordan. The first exploit of

Joshua was to send spies to Jericho to examine the strength of the city.

These spies entered the house of Rahab, the harlot, where they were

treated with kindness; it being such a house as would in modern times be

termed a house of _bad fame_. That it was a house of ill-fame, the proof

is positive; because the harlot's father, mother, and all the family,

were saved when Joshua took the city, because Rahab had concealed the

spies: so no doubt remains as to the character of the house, and that it

was entirely under her control and that the whole family were supported

from the wages of prostitution.

Viewing this account as having actually taken place, as Christians must

do, as believers in the Bible, it was a very proper house at which the

spies would resort; for it was a house at which all were welcome; where

all sorts of news could be collected. After the spies had become

somewhat familiar with Mrs. Rahab, they informed her who they were, and

the nature of their errand. All on a sudden, they were about to be

arrested by the city authorities; and when forced to depart, Rahab

extorted a promise from the spies that her whole family should be saved

when Jericho should fall. Such a promise, the spies could not well deny,

after having been so kindly treated. Rahab, consequently, let them out

by a private way; and, on returning to Joshua, they praised the Lord for

having directed them to so hospitable and honorable a mansion as the

house of the virtuous Rahab. This was the Lord's doings, as also the

exploit of the seven rams'-horn trumpets that threw down the walls of

Jericho; and it is marvellous in our eyes--_praised be his name!_

Here, serious reader, pause and wonder how Infinite Wisdom can bring

good out of apparent evil, by taking into his employment murderers,

thieves, and harlots! and also, how such characters have immortalized

their names, when their actions have been connected with faith in the

Jehovah of Israel! For this noble act of betraying the city of Jericho,

and giving the spies comfortable lodging, and no doubt, also, very

agreeable bedmates, Rahab secured the favor of Jehovah, and her name is

recorded in connection with many others of equal virtue; for Paul says,

in Hebrews xi., 31,--"_By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them

that believed not, when she had received the spies in peace._" Nothing

is acceptable to the Lord, without faith,--that faith "which keeps the

souls of sinners as sweet as salt does meat."

After the taking of Jericho and destroying every thing that had life,

(the family of Rahab excepted,) Joshua followed in the same destructive

course as had been commanded by Moses, which command Jehovah gave on the

other side of Jordan. If the warfare pursued by Moses and Joshua did

really take place, and Jehovah gave the orders, it is idle prate to talk

of a God of justice. And when the Lord is made to say that _he (the

Lord) hardened the hearts of those Kings on either side of Jordan_, that

a plausible appearance of justice in their destruction might be made

out,--for Christians to sing of a God of mercy, is horrible indeed.

Whether a God ever commanded or encouraged the Jews in their wars of

extermination, under Moses, Joshua, or any other of their generals, or

not, Christian nations, as well as individuals, have drank deep of the

spirit of religious warfare. A Lord of hosts, a fighting God, has given

a sort of license to mortals to torment each other for his glory.

Every Infidel ought to oppose this spirit, and vindicate the Author of

Nature from the imputation of cruelty and carnage--an imputation that,

is opposed to every idea of justice, and contrary to every thing we can

conceive of the Supreme Ruler of all worlds. And hence, nothing can be

more honorable to a man or woman of good sense and kindness of heart,

than to assert that the God of the Bible is unworthy to be worshipped as

the Governor of the Universe; which in fact is to say, that to all

pretended divine revelations, they are no less than avowed Infidels--a

name that will eventually be as honorable as is now the name of

Christian.

According to Bible history, the nations on the other side of Jordan were

so alarmed at the frightful news they received of the Jewish army, and

the ravages they committed, that five Kings, with their armies, came out

to stop their progress; and in this account, we have the climax of

divine interference on the part of Jehovah. After a desperate effort was

made by the five Kings to stop the progress of Joshua, and after

fighting the whole day, until _towards the going down of the sun_, they

retreated. At that moment Jehovah is said to have given support to his

chosen people, by causing a hail-storm to descend, and more were slain

by the hail than fell by the sword. But when the hail was exhausted,

something more was requisite to be done; Divine aid was still wanting.

Then Joshua, in sight of his army, said, "_Sun stand thou still upon

Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon_," and they obeyed his

command. So that, according to this miracle, the hostile armies were

completely destroyed, and the sun and moon (we suppose) were ordered to

pursue their courses.

And now, reader, to believe this improbable, or rather impossible tale,

and hundreds of others of the same sort, even in our day, will make a

man respectable, and fit to fill any office where intelligence and

honesty are required. But to doubt it, and publicly express the doubt,

will cause him to be considered infamous, and unfit for "public trust or

private care." And this will be the case until men shall be bold enough

to express their honest convictions that it is a libel to charge the

Sovereign Ruler of the Universe with being the direct, or the indirect,

author of the Bible, or having ever chosen the Jews to be his peculiar

people.

But to return to Joshua, who appears to be more highly favored with

miracles than Moses, as the miracle of the sun and moon standing still,

to give time to Joshua to complete his victory over the Kings that came

against him, exceeds every thing of the kind on record. The writer,

whoever he was, that mentions the sun and moon standing still in the

heavens, evidently knew nothing of astronomy; for admitting the truth of

the story, and that the sun and moon appeared to stand fixed in the

heavens, it was in reality the earth that instantly obeyed the command

of Joshua. And another miracle must have followed immediately, to

prevent the dreadful consequences of the earth's ceasing from turning

round on its axis: for we have but to consider the effects of the

earth's instantly ceasing to turn round; the shock would have been so

great that trees and houses and the armies would have been thrown high

in the air, and the battle would have immediately ended, the combatants

being destroyed. But the tale is too foolish to be credited; and it

furnishes another proof that the Jehovah of the Jews is not the Author

of Nature. In this battle, Balaam, the soothsayer, was slain; and before

finishing this chapter, we will give the account as recorded, with some

remarks on that celebrated fortune-teller.

When the Children of Israel had left Egypt, and were marching to the

land of promise, they had to go through different kingdoms and

provinces; and their numbers, connected with the depredations they

committed in the name of Jehovah, caused the inhabitants of those

regions to be greatly alarmed; and understanding that their God fought

for them and that they were about to pass through the land of Moab,

Balak, King of Moab, having learned what had been done by them to the

Amorites, sent to Balaam to consult with him, intending, if possible, to

stop their progress, or at least, to find out what the Jewish God had

destined his people to perform.

In the Book of Numbers, chapter xxii., the account commences. Balaam, it

appears, was then what now would be called a celebrated conjuror, or, as

country people say, a _cunning man_, by which he made a living, and a

good one, too: for, from the Bible story, he appears to be a man well

known by princes, and was attended by two servants as out-riders. Like

our present lawyers, he never gave his services until he had received a

handsome fee; for the King sent off the elders to Balaam, with the

rewards of "_divination in their hand._" Balaam received them, and

invited them to stay with him till the next day, for, (as he told them,)

he would first inquire of the Lord.

It is then recorded, that "_God came unto Balaam, and said, what men are

those with thee?_" This inquiry of the Jewish God appears strange, when

he must have known all about it without asking; but here, as in hundreds

of other passages, the _man-made God_ appears. But, for the information

of the Lord, Balaam gives a suitable answer. The Lord then informs the

fortune-teller that he must not go to Balak, _nor curse them, for they

are blessed_. The elders then returned to the King, to inform him that

Balaam could not come, because the God of Israel had forbid him so to

do. Again, Balak sent others, more honorable than the first, with

promises of riches and honor. The Lord came again to Balaam, and told

him to go with the men to Balak, King of the Moabites, but to mind what

the Lord had said to him. Balaam went off with the princes of Moab; but

the Devil, or something else, got into the jack-ass on which the old

fortune-teller rode, and he became skittish; and although then dumb, he

seemed to say to his master, "I shall go no further." Balaam became

enraged, and laid some heavy stripes on poor jack; but still the animal

refused to go on, until neither the Lord nor jack could bear it any

longer. The beast then broke silence, and reasoned with the old prophet

on his brutality. All of a sudden, Balaam saw an angel with a drawn

sword in his hand, who told him if it had not been for jack's superior

eye-sight, he would have been a dead man. The angel then told Balaam to

go on, but to mind what he did against Israel. What contemptible humbug

is all this! two miracles performed to do nothing! The first, to send an

angel down from nobody knows where; and the second, to make a dumb ass

reprove his owner. And what was Balaam's fault? He was going on as the

Lord commanded; and to complete this solemn farce, an apostle quotes it

as a real fact that actually took place, by saying--"And the dumb ass

spake with man's voice, and forbade the madness of the prophet."

After returning to Balak, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, on

which were to be offered seven bullocks and seven rams: and again, the

Lord came to see the process, and in private conversation with the

fortune-teller, told him that it would not answer; Israel must not be

cursed. This was repeated by Balaam three times; so that twenty-one

bullocks, and as many rams, were offered up to no purpose: and at each

offering, the Lord came down and conversed in private with Balaam. Is it

possible that men possessed of reason can believe that in this account

there is one word of truth, as it respects the Governor of the Universe

having any thing to do with it? If this account, or any one like it, was

recorded in any other book than the Bible, no man of a sound mind would

give the least credit to it. But yet the Christian dares not doubt it;

for even the apostles of Jesus speak of it as a real fact that took

place with the miracles attending it.

To conclude this chapter of absurdities, we beg the reader to bear in

mind--first, that Balaam was not a prophet of Jehovah, but a conjuror;

and if he professed any religion, it was that of heathenism. But he

(Balaam) had heard of the manner of sacrificing to the Jewish God, and

accordingly began by slaying seven bullocks and an equal number of rams;

and while the altars were smoking, (if the Bible be true,) the Lord of

the whole earth left his throne, and came down to see what was going on.

The old fortune-teller was hard at work, and the princes of Moab

standing by to hear the result; when lo, and behold! the Lord descends,

and we may suppose him to say--"Balaam! why, you are cooking for a large

party! Come, Balaam, before you go any further, a word with you, if you

please. Come this way. What does all this mean? We must have some

private talk about this affair." "Why, my Lord, you know my business. I

must do all I can for my employers; I thought that if sacrifice is made,

agreeably to your order of worship, you might be induced to alter your

mind towards your people: for we have heard that at times, when the fit

comes on, you give them a severe thrashing." "Yes, Balaam, there is some

truth in the report; but I tell you, once for all, that if you offer all

the bullocks in the world, and all the rams beside, you cannot, must

not, curse Israel."

No lawyer ever stuck closer to a rich client than did Balaam to the King

of Moab; for again and again did he sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts.

Another trial, on a mountain, was made, and again Jehovah descends and

tells Balaam the same as before. The third and last effort being made,

which would incline us to think that the patience of Heaven must have

been tired out, was enough to make the doorkeeper exclaim, "Here is

Monsieur Tonson come again!" The last descent is made by the Lord, and

the prophet gives in, reluctantly. I challenge any minister of the

gospel to produce a more absurd story, in any system of theology, than

the account of Balaam, his ass, and the Lord of Hosts.

I will not insult the reader by saying, _do not believe it;_ but rather

say, _believe it who can!_

CHAPTER V. FROM THE DEATH OF JOSHUA TO THE REIGN OF SAUL

WE now come to the time when the Israelites were settled in the land of

Canaan, Moses and Joshua being dead. This period of Bible history, from

the death of Joshua to the time of Saul, their first King, is about four

hundred years. And, seeing the miracles and wonders performed in behalf

of God's chosen people, in the times of Moses and Joshua, we might

reasonably expect that the same care would be continued towards them in

succeeding generations. But, on the contrary, during the time the

different Judges presided over them, nothing but disasters and confusion

prevailed; and if their history is to be credited, it must appear as if

Jehovah had nearly given them up as a prey to his and their enemies.

Notwithstanding all that has been said and written about Moses being the

author of the first five Books, including the Jewish worship, with the

laws, ceremonial and moral, it does not appear that the contents of

those Books were known and obeyed by the generations that followed after

his death; for it is recorded in the Book of Judges, ii., 10, that after

the death of Joshua, "_there arose another generation after them; which

knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel_." If

the mighty works had been done in behalf of God's chosen people, which

are recorded, it is impossible to believe that they should have been

forgotten or disregarded. Can we suppose, that, in a few years, the

Declaration of our Independence on the 4th of July, 1776, together with

the name of *Washington*, and the heroism of his brave companions in

arms, can be forgotten? No; it is impossible. It is then clear, that the

Books said to have been written by Moses were not known; or if known,

they were not believed in by the people.

After the land of promise had been divided among the tribes of Israel,

instead of Jehovah's setting up some permanent form of government, and

causing his name to be adored, so as to make his chosen people happy and

prosperous, they were, to all appearance, left in the most confused and

unsettled state: and hence it is often said, "_In those days there was

no King in Israel, and every man did that which was right in his own

eyes._" It is not too much to infer, that for hundreds of years after

the death of Moses and Joshua, the Jewish God, as if he had forgotten

his engagements with Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, concerning their

posterity, became indifferent to their happiness altogether.

We will now refer to their situation. As it respects government, they

had none; it was accidental; and, although it is recorded that their God

fought for them, and caused both sun and moon (as the phrase is) to

stand still, to give them time to destroy their enemies, Jehovah's

conduct was so altered that he seemed to enjoy the troubles of his once

chosen people. With all these facts, Christian ministers prate of an

unchangeable God! We read of Jehovah's stirring up heathen Kings against

his people; and to such a deplorable state were they reduced, that an

old woman was their Chief-Justice, and also General of their army. At

that time, to say the least of it, no nation under heaven was in so

degraded a state. At times, upstart Judges arose; the Lord was with

them; and, for a while, all things appeared prosperous. At their death,

however, the troubles were renewed. Such was their situation at one

time, that they had no weapons of war, nor smiths to repair their

ploughs or harrows. Then they _cried unto the Lord_, and he sanctioned

them in every dishonorable way to out-wit or murder their oppressors.

In such a state of subjugation were the tribes to their foes when Saul

was made King, that only two swords could be found in Israel; and the

"_Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share

and his coulter, and his axe and his mattock._" What folly, then, to

suppose, that after all that had been done for God's favorite people,

they should have been so neglected, and there should be nothing but

slaughter and blood throughout the land of promise! What madness, to

believe that the Author of the Universe should permit such carnage, and

his whole attention seem to be directed to the foolish quarrels of an

unfortunate race, who, by some imposture, had been taught to consider

their nation as his peculiar choice!

And as to their religion, by what is recorded, it seems that their

proneness to worship the gods of their neighbors, is what brought on the

chastisements of Heaven. This is but a poor excuse, and dishonorable to

the God of the Universe, to urge on nations to make war on his people,

because he was displeased with them for worshipping strange gods. It

appears strange, _passing strange_, that Jehovah could not convert his

own people. But only substitute the term _Priest,_ instead of the

_Lord,_ and reject altogether the idea of God's having any thing to do

with their theology, and the matter is plain and clear. Admitting,

however, that the Lord of Hosts had so rebellious a race, and was a

spectator of all their departures from his laws, he must be as great a

sufferer as the Jews, because he was forever punishing; for, if anger is

to a God a punishment equal to what human beings feel under its

influence, then it follows that the God of the Jews is the greatest

sufferer. Oh! ye ministers of grace you have preached up an angry God

until you have brutalized the human race; and your intolerant spirit has

ever been, and will ever continue to be, a _burning coal_ taken from the

altar of an angry, vengeful God, to be rekindled when power is united to

your impositions.

That the reader may form correct ideas of the Lord's fighting for

Israel, and delivering their enemies into their hands, and also of the

Lord's giving the land or towns to his favorite people that they had

taken in war, it should be observed, that it was the manner of

expressing the results of a victory among the Jews, and also with other

nations. They all claimed for themselves the interference of their

respective gods, and to them they gave sacrifice and thanks. As a key,

to understand how God fought for his favorite people, it is recorded in

Judges i., 19, "_And the Lord was with Judah, and he drove out the

inhabitants of the mountain, but could not drive out the inhabitants of

the valley because they had chariots of iron,_" The same idea is to be

carried out in explaining such passages as the following:--"_And the

angel of the Lord appeared to [such an one] in a dream"---"Thus saith

the Lord," &c._

Now, all that can be made of this is, that the person mentioned, dreamed

that he saw an angel, and that he said this or that. Again, it is often

repeated, that _the word of the Lord came unto Moses, saying_. Common

sense will inquire, how came the word? who brought it? Words do not pass

through the air like birds. Suppose it should be reported, that the word

of the President of the United States came to some person in New York,

saying, _do this or that_, or something uncommon and unheard of, and the

inquiry be made, _who_ brought this word, and an answer should be

required? No reasonable one could be given. It must fill the Christian

reader with astonishment to find, that during the time the Judges

presided over Israel, (some hundreds of years,) that neither the name of

Moses nor his laws are ever mentioned. On the contrary, his laws, both

moral and ceremonial, were either suspended or departed from. Neither

the Sabbath nor the Passover was observed, and the moral law said to

have been given by Jehovah, from Mount Sinai, was broken by the worship

of graven images.

If we turn to Judges, chapter xvii., we there find, that after the death

of Samson, who judged Israel twenty years, _a young man (a Jew) stole

from his mother eleven hundred shekels of silver, which she had put by

to make a god for herself and her son's household_,--a worship contrary

to the express command of Jehovah, as given in the second commandment;

and when her son heard his mother curse most bitterly, he returned it to

her. She then loaded him with blessings, and with a part of the silver,

and gave the rest to the founder, or artist, and a graven image was made

and erected as their god, and a priest hired to perform worship. In the

13th verse of the same chapter, her son exults, and says, "Now know I

that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

To conclude this account of worship, the Levite asked counsel of God,

(the image,) and received a gracious answer. This image-worship was the

religion of the Danites until they were carried away captive. This,

then, is proof positive, that the five Books said to have been given by

Moses, were then unknown; and without this admission, it is not possible

to account for the silence regarding Moses and his writings for so many

hundred years. Not only were the five Books of which Moses is the

reputed author, written many hundreds of years after his death, but also

the Book of Judges could not have been written till after Kings bad

reigned in Israel; because, it is often repeated in that Book, "_And

there was no King in Israel, and every man did that which was right in

his own eyes_"; for until the end of the Judges, no King was ever

mentioned, or thought of, among the tribes. It was in consequence of the

injustice of the sons of Samuel, that the seed of Abram demanded a King,

in order to get just judgment; and in his person to secure a leader in

time of war.

The foolish story of Samson, which commences in Judges, chapter xiii.,

deserves no notice, but for its being ascribed to Jehovah, the God of

Israel. The whole silly account, when it is fathered on the God of the

Universe, will not fail to convince every man of a sane mind, how human

beings have been imposed upon, in ascribing to the Sovereign Ruler of

all worlds such contemptible trash. After the Israelites had for forty

years been subjected to the Philistines, Jehovah determined to deliver

his chosen people from bondage, by raising up a man (then unborn) to war

against their enemies. Samson was the person chosen for this business.

The story is as follows:--

The mother of Samson had for years lived with her husband, Manoah, but

remained childless. Her sorrow, on that account, so prevailed with the

Lord, that an angel came down from Jehovah, whom Christians believe to

be the allwise Governor of the Universe, and informed her that she

should have a son that would war against the oppressors of Israel, and

that particular care on her part must be taken during her pregnancy. She

was to drink no wine, nor strong drink, nor eat any thing unclean; and

no hair must on any account be taken from his head. The woman told her

husband the good tidings, and he was over-joyed, and prayed to the Lord

that the angel would again descend. This request was granted, and the

angel repeated to the husband what had been told to his wife. When these

instructions, given by the angel, were ended, out of gratitude to the

heavenly messenger, this joyful pair proposed to dress a kid, and

invited the angel to partake of it This request was not complied with,

but Manoah and his wife were told to sacrifice to the Lord; which they

did, and as the flame ascended, the angel went up with it, after

refusing to make known his name.

In a few months, Sampson was born; and his parents were particular in

observing all things commanded, as it respected the child, until his

arrival to manhood; when, behold! this Samson, the gift of the Lord, who

was to deliver his countrymen out of bondage, from the galling yoke of

the Philistines--this Samson commenced his life by going down to the

Philistines, and taking up with different women. Some he took as wives,

and with others he carried on any thing but a respectable intercourse;

and in all his actions he sought a quarrel with the enemies of Israel.

All unknown to his parents, it is recorded that he possessed strength

superior to human beings, and that this strength resided in the hair of

his head. His enemies discovered this strength, and bribed his wives and

concubines to discover how he could be bound, so that they could destroy

him. After lying, and submitting to be bound, he betrayed the secret to

one of his favorite women. His head was shaved, his eyes put out and he

was cast into prison.

In the course of his revels among his ladies, he was waring continually

with his wives' countrymen; and such was his dexterity, that he caught

three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail, and turned them into the

standing corn and burnt up their harvest. At another time, when pursued

by his enemies, it is recorded that he slew a thousand men with, the

jaw-bone of an ass; and so mighty was his strength, that the gates of a

city were by him carried away with ease, and placed on the top of a

mountain; and so terrific was his strength, that his favorite woman, by

bribery, at last found out that his almost almighty power was in his

hair, which had been from his birth untouched and unshorn; but as soon

as his hair was taken off, Jehovah withdrew his strength, and his foes

bound him with care, put out his eyes, and cast him into prison. At

length, his hair grew again on his head, and his mighty strength

returned. He then prayed to Jehovah to enable him to lift up the mighty

building in which the Lords of the Philistines were; and having

succeeded, down it came with a dreadful crash, and Samson, with all that

were within, perished in the ruins.

Now, this is the man who is recorded to have been raised up to restore

to the seed of Abram their lost power; whose whole life was a scene of

folly and madness. Can any man, in the full exercise of his reason,

believe that the Ruler of all worlds would employ such a contemptible

creature to bring about his plan of redeeming his favorite people from

bondage? Let us take a bird's-eye view of Samson's life; and first, we

will inquire, what end was to be answered by raising up this mighty man?

Secondly, did Samson perform the intention of Jehovah towards his chosen

race?

We proceed to the first inquiry, What end was to be answered by raising

up Samson? His whole life was one continued scene of folly and

licentiousness; shedding of blood was his practice; and the mighty

strength given him by Jehovah, was employed in doing the most wanton

mischief, such as none but a madman would perform. The object of so much

murder and bloodshed, we are informed, was to deliver the Israelites

from Philistine subjugation; in doing which, he fell a victim to his own

folly, in destroying the enemies of the Lord. Can it be possible that

the Ruler of all worlds raised up such a madman to carry out his plans?

If a story of this kind should be recorded in any other book than the

Bible, no credit would be given to it. But when it is recorded as making

a part of God's dealings with his chosen people, it is shocking to all

our ideas of Infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness.

In the second place, What resulted to Israel by the efforts of Samson?

We answer, nothing at all; for in consequence of the wickedness of the

Benjamites, a war soon after commenced between the tribes, in which

thousands and tens of thousands were slain. The history of Samson, then,

is one of those fables with which the Scriptures abound, and which, if

recorded by heathen authors, no one could be found who would believe

them to be any thing but fables. But being a part of the Bible,

Christians attach consequence to them, and father them on the all-wise,

all-powerful God, the Ruler of the Universe.

Finally, to show the folly in believing that Samson was raised up to

redeem the Israelites from serving the Philistines:--by the battle

fought immediately after the death of Samson, the Philistines gained a

complete victory over Israel, routed the whole army, and took the ark of

the Lord prisoner.

It may be of service to the reader to give some account of the ark of

the Lord; and in this, we must be instructed by the Bible account alone.

The ark, it appears, was a chest: or box, in which the following things

were said to be kept: the book of the law, the pot with manna, and

Aaron's rod, by which the wonders were performed in Egypt On the lid or

cover were placed two cherabims with their wings somewhat extended, and

their necks turned downwards to the cover of the ark, called the

mercy-seat. This holy ark was kept in the holy of holies; and when the

priests entered in to perform sacrifice on the mercy-seat, the cloud of

smoke between the cherabims became luminous. This light was considered

by the priest as an acceptance of the offering made by him for the sins

of the people. Hence the phrase of adoration applied to the Jewish God,

"_Oh! thou God that dwelleth between the cherubims!_"

When the Jews were in the battle with the Philistines, and about to be

routed, they brought the ark of the Lord into the camp as a protection

against a defeat, and also to encourage the Israelites to fight most

manfully: the Lord of Hosts being then in the midst of them, they

shouted for joy, as being certain of a victory over their enemies. On

the other side, the Philistines, understanding that the God of the

Hebrews had arrived in their camp, were afraid, and cried out, "_Woe

unto us! who shall deliver us ont of the hand of these mighty Gods?_"

The commanders of the Philistines then encouraged their soldiers to

battle, urging them on, so that the Jews might be vanquished; and they

slew the Israelites with a destructive slaughter, and took the ark of

the Jewish God prisoner, and killed the two sons of Eli, the High-Priest

This dreadful news so overcame the old man, who was ninety-eight years

of age, that he fell out of his chair and broke his neck.

We may now ask, what will Christians say to God's raising up Samson? Did

he deliver the Jews out of their their bondage? But I have wasted too

much time on such a contemptible madman and fool; yet I excuse myself in

this respect by the desire of showing, that, to call Samson a servant of

the Ruler of the Universe, is too contemptible even for ridicule. A few

remarks on the fate of the ark of the Lord, will conclude this chapter.

The foregoing account is recorded in 1 Samuel, chapter iv.

After the dreadful daughter of the Israelites, and the capture of the

ark, the Philistines were afflicted with a complaint that threatened

them with destruction; and after consulting among themselves as to the

cause of their sickness, they concluded that the capture and detention

of the ark was to them more than a counterbalance for the victory gained

over the Jews. They therefore agreed, one and all, to send it back to

its owners. Before sending it back, we may suppose something like the

following conversation took place:--We have defeated the Jews, and slain

thousands of them; and although their God was in the camp of Israel, he

could not save them from the edge of the sword. But, after all, we are

afflicted with a dreadful disorder, which, if it continues, will

exterminate our nation. Our complaint is of that nature, that we shall

drop to pieces in the streets and upon the highways. Our wives, instead

of baking bread, must be continually making poultices, to prevent our

being considered as walking pestilences: the ark must be returned.

Instead of a God for a prisoner, why, we have the Devil in the box. We

must get rid of it; it must be sent back to the Jews. Home it was

carried; and when it had arrived at Beth-shemesh, in the time of

harvest, the reapers, overjoyed to witness the safe return of the ark,

laid down their sickles and ran to look into it. The Jehovah of Israel

destroyed the honest-hearted reapers, to the number of fifty thousand

threescore and ten, for their impudence.

Can a man on earth be found who can believe the foregoing account to be

any thing but fabulous? If this account is matter of fact, what

degrading ideas are connected with the existence of Infinite Wisdom and

Goodness! If there is any thing Divine about this foolish tale, it then

follows, that the Almighty Power that presides over all worlds,--that

astonishing Wisdom which strikes us dumb in contemplating the harmony

and surprising adaptation displayed in the universe,--associated with

such madmen and fools as Samson, and hundreds of others whose freaks are

recorded in the Bible. This is opposed to every idea that we can

possibly have of his greatness. Let those who are but little acquainted

with Astronomy, contemplate the grandeur of the universe, and ask if it

be possible that a Being who arranges all, and who governs all with that

exactness which overwhelms not only the ignorant and untaught man, but

also the most profound and learned of the human race, should thus act?

Mark well the infinite wisdom which is apparent in the vast universe of

which man forms but so small a part! For one moment reflect on boundless

space, filled with millions of millions of suns, around which revolve

innumerable worlds; all of them arranged and upheld by that Power which

Christians believe to be the author of the Bible, either directly or

indirectly. That this being should mix up with the most abandoned

characters on earth, and be forever doing and undoing; forever planning

and failing in his plans; choosing his favorites, and then repenting of

such choice; inheriting all the infirmities of fallible man; sometimes,

tired out with the follies and wickedness of his chosen people, sinking,

as it were, down into a state of inaction; again, rising in vengeance,

destroying even his chosen people without mercy; at times, appearing to

be long-suffering and merciful; at other times, revenging injuries by

destruction and death on a present generation, for the errors of another

generation long since dead and gone, is inconsistent with common sense.

In fact, the Jehovah of the Bible, from the accounts recorded, appears

never to be at ease. Anger, rage, fury, alternately disturb him. The

smallest deviation of his chosen people in the performance of some

trifling ceremony, would at times call down the most horrid

chastisements on both the innocent and the guilty. If the Bible truly

records the movements of Jehovah, he must be the most unhappy Being in

the universe; for it is said that _he is angry every day_. The previous

description of the God of the Bible is but a scantling of what is

written concerning his dealings, even with the seed of Abram.

Ye ministers of the gospel! look at the heavens above, and the earth

beneath! Mark well the unchangeable order which pervades the whole! How

admirably every thing is arranged! how skilfully the means are adapted

to the end intended! No arranging, and then re-arranging: no missing the

mark--no going beyond or wide of the mark. Before you talk of the

"unblushing Infidel," and deal out the vengeance of your Bible God, look

at the order, the grandeur the undisturbed harmony that governs the

whole; and then pause, and ask yourselves, if it be possible for the

Sovereign Ruler of all worlds, to have dictated the Bible, which you so

positively assert is the Word of the only true and living God?

CHAPTER VI. THE REIGNS OF SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON

SAMUEL, the last of the Judges of Israel, when very old, appointed his

sons to judge the people--"But they took bribes and perverted judgment."

The Israelites complained to Samuel of their injustice, and demanded a

King, like other nations. Now, considering the unsettled state of the

Jews for hundreds of years, "when there was no King in Israel, and every

man did that which was right in his own eyes" the request was

reasonable; for they were tired of the unsettled state of their national

affairs. Samuel inquired of the Lord what was to be done? The reply from

the Lord was, that Samuel was to let them have a King, agreeably to

their wishes; at the same time, it displeased Jehovah, who chose Saul

without consulting the people. His choice is recorded to have been

pleasing to the Lord, who gave Saul a good character. This kingly

government seemed fair in the beginning, and we ought to expect it would

have proved a change for the better, as it was by Jehovah's own

appointment At the commencement of Saul's reign, he was ordered to go

and fight against the Amalekites. The order was thus given:--"_Thus

saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel; how

he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt_" This

offence was given some hundred years before, when the Israelites were

passing to the land of promise; when the Amalekites opposed them, and

refused to let them go through their land. To us, this vengeance appears

cruel and unjust. This was visiting the sins of the fathers on the

children with a vengeance. At the present day, no tyrant could be found

that would imitate such base conduct as is fathered on the all-wise,

all-powerful Ruler of the World.

The following statement will serve to make the situation of Saul clearly

understood by the readers of this work, and will show the nature of

Saul's offence for which he and his family were so severely

punished:--Some four or five hundred years before Saul was born, the

Israelites were opposed by the Amalekites passing through their land;

and when Saul was chosen King, by Jehovah, his first campaign was to go

and destroy the then inhabitants of Amalek, for an offence committed by

their forefathers long since dead and gone. Saul was ordered by Jehovah

not to save old or young, but to kill (murder) all, from the suckling to

hoary old age. He fulfilled his orders as he thought, excepting that of

taking their King prisoner, and the best of the cattle to sacrifice to

Jehovah's honor; and for this one act of mercy, Saul was deposed, and

David chosen in his stead. Now, if Jehovah knew that Saul would not obey

the orders given, why was he chosen to be their King at all? And if

Jehovah was disappointed, where was his foreknowledge? Does that Power

and Wisdom that rules the Universe, blunder in this way? What say you,

Christian ministers?

According to what is written, the Jewish God repented that he made this

choice! Did he repent? We are told that when Saul was put down, and

David made King in his stead, that Jehovah could not, like man, repent

in putting down David, though he had done so as it respected Saul. To

father such inconsistency on the Author of Nature, is an outrage on

justice and common sense. Again, to punish with fire and sword a whole

nation, for what their forefathers had done five hundred years before;

and to make the God of the Universe the author of such a command,--if

blasphemy exists against God, this is it to perfection.

From the short reign of Saul, we cannot form a decided opinion as to his

kingly character; but one thing is clear, from the Scriptures, that his

act of mercy towards the King of Amalek, offended Jehovah, and both

himself and family suffered grievously for it; for Samuel told Saul,

that' in consequence of his sparing Agag, the King, his royal authority

was taken from him, and _given to a man better than he_. Well might a

poet, who wrote on this subject about forty years ago, call Samuel an

impostor, and exclaim--:

"From haunts of men be that impostor driven,

Who thinks humanity incenses heaven."

In concluding this account of Saul, we may venture to affirm, that he

was one of the best Kings on record; his only failing appears to have

been his humanity.

We now come to the reign of David, "_he man after God's own heart._" It

appears that his slaying Goliah, first brought him into notice; for

which act David was to be rewarded by having Saul's daughter in

marriage. Before this took place, however, it is recorded, in 1 Samuel

xviii., 10, "_And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit

from God came upon Saul_"; but David could play so well on some kind of

a musical instrument, that his performance drove the Devil out of the

old King. From this account it seems, if the evil spirit means a Devil,

that Jehovah kept Devils ready to start off from heaven to do any dirty

work; a very worthy practice to ascribe to the God of all! It appears

that Saul's troubles, and the evil spirit sent to him from the Lord, had

nearly made him crazy--and well it might: but I have no pity for him,

because there is not one word of truth in the whole silly tale.

David now demands his wife, according to promise; but Saul puts a heavy

tax on his intended son-in-law, before his daughter could be given up.

The demand made by Saul on David, before he was permitted to marry his

daughter, is written in 1 Samuel xviii., 25, an account showing how well

cultivated Kings and Princes were in those days, but too filthy for me

to detail. Notwithstanding Saul was deposed, and David anointed King,

still Saul kept possession of the kingdom, and David was an object of

jealousy. At this time, the Israelites were in an unsettled state; and

David, although a King, had no resources. A part of the people were with

David, but the bulk of the nation adhered to Saul.

Those two Kings, then, both of whom had been chosen by Jehovah, were

still opposing each other. Now, what folly to suppose that either of

them were appointed by the Governor of all the Earth! Even admitting the

historical part to be true, who can believe that Infinite Wisdom had any

part in so unsettled a form of government? it being like unto what

England was at one time of her history, when two parties were contending

for power. What a changeable, unsettled Being do the Scriptures make the

Jewish God! and what folly to believe him to be the Sovereign Ruler of

all! The regularity and order which is every where and at all times

manifest in nature, proclaim to all nations that the Jehovah of the

Bible is not Nature's God.

Although David had been anointed King, to the exclusion of Saul and his

house, still the old King retained his authority, and David was

compelled to be cautious how he proceeded, as Saul was jealous of him as

a rival. Now David had recourse to the following expedient:--"_And he

collected every one that was in distress, and every one that was in

debt, and every one that was discontented, and he became a captain over

them, and there were with him about four hundred men._" David, in one of

his flights from Saul, and being in want of bread, applied to Abimelech,

the priest, for five loaves; and the priest answered David, and said,

"_There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread,

if the young men have at least kept themselves from women._" And David

answered the priest, and said unto him, "_Of a truth, women have been

kept from us about three days, since I came out._" The reader will now

see how David began his reign, as the following incident, will also

fully confirm. The above account may be found in 1 Samuel, chapter xxi.

The following account of the progress of David and his small army, is in

1 Samuel, chapter xxv.:--David fled into the wilderness, and while

there, he heard of a rich man by the name of Nabal, who had, on a

shearing, made a feast for his shearers and friends. David embraced this

opportunity, to levy a tax on Nabal, and sent ten young men to ask for a

part of the good things prepared for the sheep shearing: "_And Nabal

answered David's servants, and said, who is David? and who is the son of

Jesse? there be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from

his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that

I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not

whence they be?_" This answer so enraged David, that he exclaimed, "The

time my army lay in the wilderness, near to the flock of Nabal, we took

nothing from them, and also prevented others from stealing of the flock,

and now I cannot get a dinner for me and my six hundred men." "_And

David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded

on every man his sword: and David also girded on his sword: and there

went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the

stuff._" Now, to use David's own words, he intended to slay every man

living; Nabal, sheep shearers, and all belonging to him. Don't forget

this was the man _after Jehovah's own heart!_

But it happened that Abigail, Nabal's wife, heard of her husband's

refusal to David's demands, and she loaded several asses with all kinds

of the best provisions, and met David as he was advancing to take

vengeance on Nabal. And when David saw her, he said, "_Blessed be the

Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me. For in very

deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth which hath kept me back from

hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted, and come to meet me, surely

there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light, any that

pisseth against the wall_." It is recorded after this, that in about ten

days, "_the Lord smote Nabal that he died._" Christians, perhaps, will

say, it served him right; because he would not give away his dinner to

the Lord's anointed. But to complete this account of David, it is

written that he married Nabal's widow, and then he had sheep, goats, and

all, although he had many wives before; but, being "_a man after Gods

own heart_" we Infidels must be silent.

After the death of Saul, David being in favor with the people, and

strictly adhering to the worship of Jehovah, his reign bid fair to be

happy to himself, and to the nation at large: but he had too many wives,

and consequently his family troubles came on thick and fast. One son

rebelled against him, and flew to arms; and Solomon usurped the throne

after the death of his father, and put to death his elder brother by a

former wife, under a pretence the most frivolous, to secure himself a

safe possession of his usurped power. Another son ravished his

half-sister by another mother; and in return, the ravisher was murdered

by the brother of the violated virgin. In truth, if it is true as

recorded, David's whole life was one continued scene of blood and

slaughter; and on his death-bed he recommended Solomon to murder

others--as his oath prevented him from doing it in his lifetime.

However strictly David obeyed Jehovah, and "turned not aside to worship

other gods," in a moral point of view he was a wicked man. His conduct

for licentiousness was notorious. In addition to the number of wives he

had before the death of Saul, his royal master, Nathan the prophet says

that "Jehovah gave him Saul's wives, besides"; but, not satisfied with

all this, so contemptible was his conduct, he sneaked about to obtain a

sight of an officer's wife while in the bath. Such low, cowardly

curiosity would disgrace the driver of a dung-cart. A lady's bath not to

be held sacred by this filthy, dirty animal, and yet to be called "the

man after God's own heart"! His actions would disgrace the Devil, for

Satan offered no insult to Eve: his worst crime was no more than

saying--"Madam, the fruit is good, do taste, it will do you no harm, and

you will be the wiser; after all."

Never let us forget the artifice the Lord's anointed made use of, in

order to conceal his crime. When Uriah, his officer, came from the army

with news of importance to David, after the seduction of Bathsheba, the

cunning debauchee said, come, Uriah, do not hurry back to the camp; go

home to Bathsheba, your wife; she will be happy to see you: go home, my

faithful servant, and stay with your wife.

But Uriah refused, by saying, the officers and the army are in the open

fields, and I will not go home to take comfort in my own house. So Uriah

slept in the gate with the servants. And when David found that he had

not been home, he made him tarry another day, and that night got him

drunk. In the meantime the King wrote a letter to Joab, the Captain of

the host, and sent it by Uriah, to place him in the front of the battle,

where he would be killed. The unsuspecting Uriah then returned; to his

duty, with his death warrant in his hand; and, according to the orders

given to Joab, the commander of the host of Israel, Uriah was placed in

that part of the engagement where he fell, covered with wounds and

glory.

It will be seen by the orders sent to the Captain, concerning Uriah, by

the King, what cowardly artifice was used to murder his noble officer,

whose wife, unknown to him, had been seduced. David's words are, "_Set

ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him

that he may be smitten and die._" Such an act would disgrace the worst

despot on earth, but it was done by "the man after God's own heart"!

When Nathan was sent by Jehovah to David, to remind him of his

wickedness, it was done, in the way of a parable. David did not at first

discover its application: and it is recorded, that "_David's anger was

greatly kindled against the man, and he said unto Nathan as the Lord

liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die." "Thou art

the man!_" said Nathan; and David exclaimed, "_Oh! Lord, I have

sinned._" In fact, he was found out, but for which he would not have

made this acknowledgment.

After the death of Uriah, David took her (Bathsheba) to wife, and

Jehovah made up the matter with him; first, by destroying the child, the

innocent victim who had no part in the murder; and, secondly, by saving

and pardoning David for crimes of the deepest dye: and, also, the Lord

told him, that because of his wickedness he should have discord in his

family:--"_Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against

thee, out of thine house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes,

and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the

sight of this sun._" To destroy the innocent child, who had no

participation in the crime of the father, is too shocking to be

admitted, when it is recorded as the sentence of the just and impartial

God. I know Christians will reply, that the ways of God are not as our

ways, and that it is wicked in mortals to find fault with what is done

by a Being of infinite power, wisdom, and Goodness. In reply, it is

contended that the conduct pursued on this occasion by Jehovah, is

shocking when ascribed to a God impartial and just, and that it is more

becoming mortals, like ourselves, to reject the whole story as a vile

falsehood, than to father it on that Being, or that Cause, who:

"Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze,

Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees."

To conclude these remarks on David's life and conduct, we ask, which is

the more reasonable supposition, that the whole account, so far as it

implicates a God of Justice, is, from beginning to end untrue? or, that

a Being of unbounded power, wisdom and goodness, should in any way

associate with so abandoned a character as King David? For myself, I

prefer the latter. I have omitted another account in the life of David,

that requires to be noticed. It is recorded in 2 Samuel, chapter xxiv.,

that David ordered the people to be numbered. One account says that

Satan, and another account says that the Lord, moved David to number the

people: no doubt it was done to get the number of the fighting men of

Israel; for doing which, the Lord was angry with David; and three modes

of punishment were submitted for the choice of the King:--"_Seven years'

famine, or to flee three months before his enemies, or to have three

days' pestilence in the land._" The last was chosen, and it is recorded

that seventy thousand men died of the pestilence, as a punishment for

the offence of David. It is a libel on the Supreme Being to charge him

with the authorship of such injustice and cruelty. That thousands of

persons may have been cut off by plague, or pestilence, at times, and in

different nations, is highly probable--but not by a judgment for other

men's sins.

In Homer's Iliad, we have a similar account, written, according to

historians, about nine hundred years before the Christian era. In the

account of the Trojan War, the commander of the Grecian army, in the

sacking of different towns, took many female captives, among whom was

one who was the daughter of the Priest of Apollo, one of the Grecian

gods. The venerable Priest came to the General, clothed in his robes,

bearing the sublime and awe-inspiring ensigns of his god, and demanded

the liberation of his captive daughter. The General insulted the Priest

by a positive refusal to give up his daughter, and he (the Priest)

departed, and offered the following prayer:

"If e'er with wreaths I hung the sacred fane,

Or fed the flame with fat of oxen slain,

God of the silver bow, thy shafts employ,

Avenge my quarrel, and the Greeks destroy."

The second General in command inquired of the Grecian Priest the cause

of such mortality among the soldiers; and the Priest returned the

following answer:--:

"The King of men, the reverend Priest defied,

And, for the King's offence, the people died."

The similarity between the Jehovah of the Jews, and the Apollo of the

Greeks, is very striking. Jehovah slew the Jewish army because David

numbered the people; and the Grecian god slew the soldiers because the

Priest had been insulted. The number is exactly the same, each being

seventy thousand men. The God of the Jews is said to have been the

author of the destruction of the army of the Israelites, and a heathen

god the destroyer of the Greeks. The first is believed to be a part of

Divine Revelation; the last is acknowledged to be but fiction.

From all the accounts recorded respecting David, to me he appears to

have been a wicked man; much worse than Saul, whose worst action seems

to have been his humanity in sparing Agag, whom he took prisoner. I

cannot, therefore, believe, that the Universal Ruler of all Nature

sanctioned his actions, directly or indirectly, any more than he does

now, or ever has done, those of any other legal murderer.

A few remarks more will conclude the life and conduct of David. In 1

Kings, chapter i., it is recorded, that David being old and infirm,

could get no warmth in bed, and a fair young damsel was sought for

throughout the land of Israel, to wait on him by day, and sleep with him

during the night, to keep the old King warm. With her he was much

pleased, but the account states, that "David the King knew her not."

This is a strange tale, for if the sole object was, to get a young woman

to sleep with him, then not the fairest, but the fattest, plumpest girl

to be found throughout the land, would have been the most proper person

for such service; for at that time, David must have had half a score of

wives living. It is therefore clear, that warmth was only a pretence for

selecting a handsome young maiden to comfort the Lord's anointed; and we

may safely infer that David was not cured of his former tricks.

The life and conduct of Solomon must now pass in review. When his father

was on his death-bed, he gave his son Solomon instructions to put to

death several persons who had been the subjects of David, but to whom he

(David) had sworn while living, that he would spare their lives. And

accordingly, Solomon, after the death of his father, put into execution

the orders he had received, and slew the persons mentioned by David; so

that his reign commenced in blood.

And here it is proper to notice, that Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and

the mother of Solomon, in order to disinherit the eldest son of David by

his former wife, prevailed on David to have Solomon anointed King, in

the lifetime of his father. So that Adonijah, the real heir, was set

aside; and the better to secure the throne, Solomon had his half-brother

put to death. The cause of this execution, as is recorded, was because

Adonijah asked leave of Solomon, the King, to marry the damsel who kept

David warm in his old age! Jehovah had chosen a strange family, after

turning out Saul from the-kingdom, and Solomon was too pure to let a

brother live, after being so wicked as to ask permission to marry the

young virgin who had kept the back of his old father warm in a cold

night!

After Solomon had slain those men according to the orders before given

by his father, he added another to the list, viz., Adonijah, his

half-brother. The Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, "Ask what I

shall give thee." Solomon then dreamed that he gave the following reply

to the gracious permission:--_"Give, therefore, thy servant an

understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good

and bad."_ This request is said to have pleased the Lord, who added to

it _"both riches and honor"; "and-Solomon awoke, and behold it was a

dream."_ This account is written in 1 Kings, chapter iii.; and all that

can be made of it is, that Solomon dreamed the Lord told him so, and we

have nothing but his word for it.

The Bible record of Solomon's riches, and, in fact, the whole of his

life, is not entitled to any credit whatever. We may say, however, that

some allowance ought to be made for Solomon on account of the bad

example under which he was brought tip in the family of his father; for

if the Scripture history of the facts concerning Solomon is to be

considered true, then the whole of his reign is the most extraordinary

which ever happened in the world. Beginning with his riches, it exceeds

every thing in ancient or modern times. The feast at the opening of the

Temple was no small matter.

Scripture informs us, that at the dedication of the Temple, Scripture

informs us, that at the dedication of the Temple, the sacrifice offered

up, was twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred and twenty-two

thousand sheep. This, when we consider the smallness of David's domains,

and the general poverty of his family, is incredible; but as every thing

is so wonderful, and the whole of the reign of Solomon is so

extravagant, no dependence whatever is to be placed on any of its

accounts.

As it regards Solomon's household, the provisions named for each day are

the following:--"_Thirty measures of fine flour, threescore measures of

meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred

sheep, besides harts and roebucks, and fallow-deer, and faited fowls."

"And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and

twelve thousand horsemen."_ Now, in so small, and in many parts barren

land, where could they be raised? But Solomon had need of a plentiful

table, for it is recorded that he had seven hundred wives, and three

hundred concubines! If he had wisdom enough to regulate his house so as

to live happy, it must be owned that the Lord had given him more than a

common share; but as none but fools or madmen will believe this account,

we may let it pass without comment.

The most astonishing inconsistency in the reign of Solo-man, is his

continual departure from the worship of Jehovah, who had been his

benefactor, and who had also repeatedly warned him of the consequences

of a departure from the God of his father. If what is recorded of his

riches be true, they were greater than those of any monarch on earth.

The gold he is said to have possessed when he built the Temple, exceeds

all calculation, and is in strict accordance, in point of magnitude,

with his feast at the dedication of the Temple, and with his daily

allowance of food for his household, and also with his seven hundred

wives, and three hundred concubines. But when we consider the poverty of

the Israelites up to the time of his father's reign, and also David's

poverty until the death of Saul, when at times, David had neither food

for himself nor army, neither had he gold nor silver wherewith to

purchase it--it may be asked, how Solomon came into the possession of

such an immense quantity of gold? and also from what vast extent of

country did he procure his horses, when but a few years before, David,

his father; could scarcely afford to keep a jackass? Again, where did he

procure such numerous herds of cattle and flocks of sheep?

But as I have before said, the greatest inconsistency of all is, that

Solomon should worship other gods, contrary to the express command of

Jehovah, who had given him wisdom, riches, and honors. Leaving

Christians, then, to settle with Solomon, how he, with all his wisdom,

could so play the fool and madman in the face of his God, some attention

will be directed to the God of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob. It will be

recollected that Saul, the predecessor of David, had offended Jehovah by

sparing the life of Agag, a captive King. In consequence, it is recorded

that the God of Israel repented that he put Saul on the throne. He then

chose David, and his family, to succeed the house of Saul; and having

made this second choice, he declared he should not repent again.

If this last declaration had been made by man, in his choice, after

having before been mistaken, the following mode of reasoning would aptly

apply; and Jehovah would also thus reason:--"I made choice of Saul to be

King over Israel. I sent him to smite Amalek, and not to spare any soul

alive, old age and infancy not excepted; but Saul did not obey my

orders, but spared the King and brought him a captive, which I did not

expect As I took him from driving mules, and made him a King, he ought

therefore to have obeyed my commands. I dethroned him and his family

forever. I then appointed David, a man after my own heart. In this

choice I was happy. He departed not from my worship or my law, but with

a few exceptions. It is true, David committed adultery and murder, in

the case of Bathsheba and Uriah; but he repented, and I caused the brat

to die out of the way, which made room for Solomon. Now, who could ever

have thought that Solomon would have turned out so bad? Why, the fellow,

in addition to wisdom, riches, and honor, has now seven hundred wives,

and three hundred concubines! and not content with this number, he

marries the daughters of heathens, prostrates himself before their

idols, and builds new temples to their gods; but I promised not to

repent again, yet Solomon must be punished. I will not, therefore,

depose him, but in his son's reign I will divide the kingdom, and give

the greater part of it to one of mean birth. I will not wholly take it

away from the seed of David, because I promised him that he should not

want a man to sit on his throne; but I will, for the wickedness of

Solomon, cause discord among the tribes, that will induce them to fight

against each other. It is not for the thousand women that Solomon had,

which would not fail to create discord and all manner of misery; neither

for putting to death his brother: all that I could have tolerated--but

he changed his religion, and worshipped strange gods; I will rend the

nation asunder, never more to be united. It would have been more to my

honor to have suffered Saul to continue on the throne, for he only

disobeyed my Orders once, but the son of David built temples for

idolatry, and worshipped false gods, setting my authority at defiance.

In his son's reign, therefore, I will bring on trouble in his house,

that all Israel may know how great is the sin of worshipping false gods,

and thus rebelling against the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel."

I will now ask the Christian preachers, whether I dishonor the all-wise

Sovereign of the Universe, in not believing him to be capable of such

tomfoolery as this: in choosing, and again rejecting his former choice:

in blundering, to rectify a former blunder, and falling into one much

greater, to remedy the first: to be doing, and undoing: to have an end

to accomplish, and to make use of means that fail in its accomplishment.

Ye priests! if ye are not blind, look at the heavens above, and also on

the earth beneath, and then ask yourselves, whether the God of all is

the same personage as Jehovah, the God of Israel?

To conclude these remarks respecting the house of David and

Solomon:--Even admitting that such personages had a real existence, I

cannot so dishonor the Supreme Governor of Nature as for a moment to

admit, that he dealt with either David or Solomon any otherwise than he

deals with every human being, and I should stand before my fellow men a

self-convicted hypocrite, were I to affect to believe.

CHAPTER VII. THE REIGN OF JEROBOAM, AND THE SEPARATION OF ISRAEL FROM

JUDAH

REVIEWING the character of the three former Kings, two of whom gave

Jehovah much trouble, and David, the best of them, committed adultery

and murder, we must say, it was an unfortunate beginning of royal

government. After the death of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, began to

reign. The people requested the new made King to ease them somewhat of

the taxes and burdens laid on them by his father, Solomon. Rehoboam

consulted with his father's old servants on that subject, and they

advised him to attend to the wishes of his people; but he, on consulting

with his own particular party, returned the following answer:--"_My

little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins: my father hath

chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions_." This

gives us a sample of Solomon's reign, and also of the course intended to

be pursued by his son.

Rehoboam's answer produced a revolt, and the kingdom became divided. Ten

tribes broke off from Rehoboam, and proclaimed Jeroboam King of Israel,

while Rehoboam retained two tribes: so that the Israelites were divided.

The ten tribes were called the kingdom of Israel, and the other two, the

kingdom of Judah. This is the punishment that the Lord said he would

bring on the nations in consequence of the sins of Solomon. So it was

then, with the Lord's people, as it has ever been in Christian countries

where the aristocracy is every thing, and, the people are considered as

nothing. According to Jewish history, Jehovah and the Kings of his own

choosing quarrelled, and then the people had to suffer in consequence of

disputes in which they had but little or no interest; and one of the

strongest proofs that "the God of the Bible" is not that Being whom we

believe to be the only true God, is, that when the Jehovah of Moses and

the Kings quarrel, the Kings are spared alive, but the innocent people

are in some way or other murdered; thus clearly showing, that Kings are

by Jehovah worth more than those who by honest toil cultivate the earth,

and labor for the benefit of society,--a doctrine directly opposite to

all our ideas of impartial justice.

We now proceed to examine the course pursued by Jeroboam, the fourth

King who was chosen to reign over Israel. We ought to find him fitted

for so important a station; but, on the contrary, we have again to

record another chapter of blunders, far worse than those before

mentioned. Saul, their first King, disobeyed the command in sparing

Agag, the King, after having destroyed every soul that drew breath.

David _followed the Lord with his whole heart_; that is, he never

entered into the temple of idols except to destroy them and their

worshippers; but he was guilty of two crimes, for either of which, had

he been any thing but a King, or Priest, he would have been, by the laws

of his own country, put to death. Solomon's character was marked by

every thing extravagant; but he did not wholly turn from the worship of

Jehovah, only at times, as when he espoused a heathen lady. Then, to

prove his love for his new spouse, he worshipped in the temple of

strange gods, and also built new churches to their honor. This is a

general outline of the three Kings, all of whom were chosen by Jehovah

himself.

Jeroboam was appointed, according to what is recorded, in consequence of

Solomon's idolatry. I then ask, whether it is not reasonable to expect,

that, in the reign of Jeroboam, the worship of the God of Israel would

alone be the religion of the ten tribes who were taken from Solomon

because of his departure at times from the God of Abram, Isaac, and

Jacob? Jeroboam being then, by Jehovah, made King, in preference to all

others, and being raised in the family, of Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and

only as a servant connected with the family, we cannot suspect that ever

a new choice should have been made for the worse. Could this have been

the case if Infinite Wisdom had chosen him? No; it is impossible! No

sooner, however, did Jeroboam obtain the rule over the ten tribes, by

the direct order of Jehovah himself, than he set up a religion directly

opposite to the God who had elevated him to such honor and power.

It is impossible for this account to be true, for two reasons that will

be given. The first is, that Jeroboam must have known the cause why

Solomon's family were excluded from reigning over the whole of the

Jewish nation, namely, because he (Solomon) did at times worship what

were called false gods. Now, Jeroboam well knew this, and also, that the

only way for him to secure his power was, never to depart at any time,

or under any circumstances, from the worship of Jehovah. But, contrary

to this, he commenced his reign by falling back into Egyptian idolatry.

Under pretence of keeping his subjects faithful to his government, by

not permitting them to go up to the Temple, at Jerusalem, Jeroboam set

up two golden calves, one at Dan, and the other at Bethel, and

proclaimed, "_These are thy Gods, O Israel who brought you up out of the

land of Egypt._" Besides, he knew that Jehovah would pardon an

adulterer, or murder, as he had done in the case of David; but on no

account did he ever forgive the sin of idolatry.

There is nothing improbable in admitting that the tribes should split

into two kingdoms, and have different rulers. This has often been the

case; but the only way to account for the conduct of Jeroboam is, by

concluding that he knew, the whole to be a trick, and that neither

Jehovah, nor any other God, had a hand in the putting up or dethroning

of Kings. This being admitted, we can see clearly through the whole

matter. Jeroboam then would, from policy, set up a new religion, or

revive an old one, so as to keep his subjects from mixing with their old

acquaintances of the kingdom of Judah. It is utterly impossible for

Jeroboam to have acted as is recorded, if he in truth believed that the

only true and living God was his benefactor, and had raised him to regal

authority.

The second reason why Infinite Wisdom had nothing to do in the elevation

of Jeroboam, is, because he must have foreseen that Jeroboam would have

made the matter worse, so far as idolatry was concerned; and this will

appear the more striking by the first act of his reign. As soon as

Jeroboam came to the throne, he (contrary to the law of Moses) set up

images, and made priests of the lower orders of the people, and began

himself to worship in the character and office of a priest; for which, a

prophet from Judah is sent (by the God who, it is said, gave Solomon the

kingdom of Israel) to curse the altar at the time Jeroboam was in the

act of sacrificing. Now the conduct of the prophet so sent, will enable

us to see through the whole farce. This is recorded in 1 Kings, chapter

xiii.

The following is in substance the prophet's mission:--This man of God

was sent by Jehovah to cry against and curse the altar at the time

Jeroboam was performing sacrifice; and being at the altar, he ordered

his officers to lay hold of the prophet, at the same time pointing to

him; and instantly the King's arm became useless, and could not be drawn

into its proper place. Jeroboam then cried to the man of God to pray

that his arm might be restored. The man of God besought the Lord, and a

recovery took place. Here, then, was a miracle performed; and Jeroboam,

being grateful, invited the prophet home to reward him by an

entertainment of bread and water; but the man of God refused, by saying,

that he was ordered by the Lord not to eat bread nor to drink water--in

fact, to make no friendship whatever, but to return. Off, therefore, he

went, after he had performed two miracles; one of which was, to cause

Jeroboam to lose the use of his arm; the other, to restore it The

prophet, on his way back, was met by a man who made the same request,

namely, to go home with him, and eat and drink; but the man of God still

refused. The man who thus enticed him, further said, I am also a

prophet, and _"an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying,

bring him back into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.

But he lied unto him."_

The lying prophet was in the service of Jeroboam, King of Israel; but

the man of God, who came to cry against the altar, belonged to the

kingdom of Judah. The man of God, who understood that his first orders

were countermanded, went home with the lying prophet, and did eat and

drink. The reader will now notice the following three verses in 1 Kings

xiii., 20, 21, 22:--"And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that

the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he

cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the

Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and host

not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but

earnest back, and hast eaten bread and drank water in the place of which

the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcass

shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." If men would but

exercise their reason, is it possible for them to believe that the

Sovereign Ruler of all had any concern in so paltry a transaction as

this?

The sum of the whole account may be expressed in a few words. The first

prophet came to Jeroboam, by order of the Lord, to curse the altar. He

then and there performed two miracles, as proof that his commission was

Divine. He then departed. All was so far right; but, on meeting another

prophet, he was told, in so many words, that things were changed, and

that he might do now that which he was ordered not to do when he first

set out. But the old prophet of Jeroboam, we are told, was a liar; and

when they sat at meat, the word of the Lord came to the lying prophet

and gave him orders to condemn the first. So that the Lord first

employed an honest servant, who performed his errand faithfully, and

then took into his service a false prophet and a liar! Believe this who

can!

It is possible that Jeroboam may have been King over Israel: this is not

the point in dispute; but that Infinite Wisdom appointed him, cannot

possibly be true, because he was made King in consequence of Solomon's

idolatry. Solomon did not, by sinning himself, corrupt the whole nation;

but Jeroboam set up false gods, and the people followed his example, so

that the worship of Jehovah, by the ten tribes, was entirely abandoned.

Such blundering cannot be admitted, if the true and living God is to be

considered as the projector. Besides, Jeroboam was not cured of his

error by reformation, although he had been an eye-witness of the

miracles performed on his own person. Enough, then, has been said to

prove, that the whole account of God's making Jeroboam King over Israel,

is without any solid foundation.

We will now turn to the man of God who came to curse the altar, and we

shall be able to discover what we are to understand by the word of the

Lord coming unto this or that man, saying. And here I call on the reader

to keep in mind, that in many places in the Bible, when any thing

unfortunate occurred to Jehovah's chosen people, such as the Lord raised

up such and such enemies, and also that such misfortunes were from the

Lord: also, again, _an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul_;--all

such passages, and many others, mean no more than that the Lord

permitted such events to take place. In this sense, we may say that it

was from the Lord that Andrew Jackson destroyed a great part of the

English army; but no man is foolish enough to suppose that the Lord had

directly any thing to do in the defence of New Orleans. Again, it is

repeated in hundreds of places in the Bible, that _the word of the Lord

came to this or that person, saying._ Now, apply this interpretation to

"the word of the Lord came unto Moses," and all that can be made of it

is, that Moses ascribed every order he gave of his to the people, as

coming from the Lord. It is in several places recorded that the word of

the Lord came to one prophet of Judah, and then this said word was taken

away from the first person, and turned over to another prophet who

belonged to Israel; and in 1 Kings xxii., 24, it is recorded, that one

prophet smote another on the face, and said, "Which way went the Spirit

of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?" Nothing can be more clear, than

that the whole of the Lord's interference is out of the question.

After Israel and Judah were divided, they continued as two separate

governments, with each a King for a leader. Sometimes they fought

against each other, calling in other Kings to assist them; at other

times, they were united and fought together to oppose the common enemy,

their heathen neighbors. In a war with the Syrians, when Jehoshaphat,

King of Judah, and Ahab, King of Israel, united their armies against the

Syrians, and being on the eve of battle, an inquiry was made of the

Lord's prophets, as to what success they would have? Ahab, the King of

Israel, called his prophets, four hundred in number, and, on being

consulted as to the result of a battle, they one and all said, go fight,

for the Lord will deliver your enemies into your hands. Jehoshaphat,

being more cautious, said, is there not another prophet of whom we may

inquire of the Lord? And the King of Israel (Ahab) said, there is; but I

do not like him, because he always foretells something to my

disadvantage. Then Micaiah, a prophet of the kingdom of Judah, was

called, and he foretold that the event of a battle would be favorable to

these kings; but that Ahab would be slain. One of Ahab's prophets then

became enraged, and smote Micaiah on the face, and sneeringly asked him,

"_Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to thee?_"

We have here a sample of the prophets on each side They one and all

appear to be ready to lie, and deceive each other, in the name of the

Lord, and also, to fight for their employers. In this account, it is

also recorded that the God of truth accepted of the services of a lying

spirit, to deceive four hundred prophets, in order to get rid of a

wicked king, the whole account of which is to be found in 1 Kings,

chapter xxii.

After the tribes were separated, it was common for the prophets to

oppose each other. The kings, also, of each nation aided in the

destruction of the prophets, and were worshippers of strange gods. And

yet it is recorded, that Jehovah chose Jeroboam to be king over

Israel,--the very man who introduced the worship of idols, to the entire

exclusion of the worship of the God of Abram! This choice of Jehovah

laid the foundation of scenes of bloodshed too horrid to be ascribed to

the all-wise Author of Nature. It could not have been worse, had the

Devil been the chooser.

For years after the Israelites became two distinct nations, we read of

little else than quarrels and bloodshed; and the prophets of Judah

(called the prophets of Jehovah) were much worse than those called false

prophets. This can be easily accounted for, as the Jewish religion was

then the most intolerant of any on earth. The Kings of Judah gave

orders, in the name of the Lord, to destroy all the heathen, as the

enemies of Jehovah. The prophets followed up the same practice; at the

same time, the prophets of the heathen gods were less cruel, and,

morally speaking, much better men. According to what is recorded,

whenever power was in the hands of the Kings of Judah, or their

prophets, no mercy was shown to the opposite party; and as to prophets,

they seemed to spring up like mushrooms, for it was often inquired by

kings, is there not a man of God here?

A few remarks on the prophets of those times may be here made. Elijah

seems to have had delegated to him almost unlimited power; for lo! he,

under pretence of having orders from Jehovah, anointed kings agreeably

to his pretended orders. He then foretold what the Lord intended should

be done to certain kings and their families. Those kings, then, thus

anointed by the authority of Elijah, received orders to destroy such and

such families; so that after Jehovah had separated the Israelites into

two kingdoms by setting up Jeroboam, nothing but cruelty and murder

followed, in consequence of the Lord's making so bad a choice.

It would, judging from what transpired, have been better not to have

changed the dynasty, but to let Solomon's heirs continued to have

reigned over the whole of the Israetish nation; for in this state of

Jewish history, idolatry, murder, carnage, and every bad passion was let

loose; and the kings of each nation of the Jews, by the direction of

these upstart prophets, showed no mercy to those of their brethren who

had, by the fortune of war, fallen into their power. All this horrid

state of things originated from Jeroboam being made king, and setting up

idolatry throughout the land. Can we then admit, for a moment, that the

Sovereign Ruler of all brought on such a wretched state of things, or

ascribe to him so foolish a choice as the appointment of Jeroboam to be

King of Israel? No! it is utterly impossible.

But to return to the prophets. Elijah and Elisha were, at this time, the

Lord's servants. Elijah was foremost, and Elisha acted as his servant.

The following circumstance brought Elijah into direct conflict with the

kingdom of Israel, and the then called false prophets:--Ahaziah, then

King of Israel and Samaria, met with an accident, and was sick; and he

sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub whether he would recover or not

Now, Elijah was sent, or, he said he was sent, to say to the messenger,

"_Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to

inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?_" The King of Israel then

inquired what sort of a man it was who thus remonstrated with the

messenger? And from the account given, he found it to be Elijah, the

prophet of Judah; consequently a prophet of the Lord. Elijah was sitting

on a hill, and the king sent a captain and fifty men to bring him before

him; and this was the order:--"_Thou man of God, the king hath said,

Come down. And Elijah answered, and said to the captain of fifty, If I

be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee

and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and

his fifty._" And again, another captain and fifty went, and shared the

same fate. Then the third captain and fifty were sent; but the captain

of the last fifty fell on his knees before-the prophet, and begged for

his life, and for the lives of his-men. The Lord then ordered Elijah to

go down with the captain to the king.

Now I ask the reader, if his mind is prepared to, believe that these two

slaughters, consisting of one hundred men, with their two captains, were

brought on them by fire from heaven, as a judgment? What was their

crime? They acted as they were ordered by the king. Here we may discover

the falsity of the statement; for if any punishment was to follow in

sending for the prophet, ought not Ahaziah to have been the victim? This

wanton shedding of blood, by the mere calling down from heaven

judgments, by an old fellow wrapped up in a bear's-skin, and called a

man of God, is too barefaced a lie for the present state of society.

There is not one word of truth in the whole marvellous story. Jehovah's

murdering the people for the vices of their rulers, is anti-republican;

and if men would consult their reason, and employ common sense, the

Christian priesthood would be ashamed to preach of a God of mercy, and,

at the same time, ascribe to him injustice and cruelty.

Elijah and his man Friday, Elisha, appear to be two of the most cruel of

all the band of pretended men of God. They, according to what is

recorded, seem to have had a sort of general license to kill and destroy

every thing that came in their way. All the prophets and worshippers of

the god Baal-zebub, the then worship of the kingdom of Israel and

Samaria, were put to death by the stratagem and order of Elijah; and

after him, Elisha received an affront by being called "_old bald head_"

and for this great offence, the Lord sent two she bears out of the

woods, and devoured forty and two little children! The nonsense of the

Koran cannot come up to this account. During the lives of Elijah and

Elisha, Jehovah could attend to little else than their concerns, for

they were forever praying for something to incommode or destroy human

beings.

What man is there, at the present day, who can believe that the Author

of Nature gave to a mortal, power to withhold the rain or the dews of

heaven from descending on the earth, as is recorded was given to Elijah,

who told Ahab, King of Israel, (1 Kings xvii., 1,) "_As the Lord God of

Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain

these years, but according to my words_"? This miracle is referred to by

a New Testament writer, but it is not the more true on that account. I

have, however, said enough of Elijah, and, as he is about to go up into

heaven, I have no wish to follow him.

I will only mention his ascension. It appears that all the towns and

villages round about had heard, by what means I know not, that Elijah

was soon to be taken up into heaven; for wherever he and Elisha went,

the people said unto Elisha, _know you wot that Elijah is about to be

taken from you?_ and Elisha nodded an assent, and said, "_hold your

peace._" It appears as if Elijah endeavored to evade Elisha's presence

when he would be taken up; but Elisha stuck to him until up he went in a

chariot of fire, with horses of the same; and Elisha saw it, and cried

out, "_My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen

thereof!_" In going up, his mantle fell off, Elisha taking it, and with

it, the prophetic spirit of his master. Elisha then followed on in the

footsteps of his predecessor; and his first act was, to call on his God

to destroy some little children, for the enormous crime of calling so

odd a looking fellow, "_old bald head_" In truth, we discover in most of

the prophets such a spirit of intolerance and rage towards those who

were so unfortunate as to differ from or oppose them, that they ought to

be considered prophets of the Devil, and not servants of him whose

wisdom, power and goodness are stamped on all the works of this mighty

universe.

The prophet Jonah seems to have been a man every way unfit for the

prophetic service; for when ordered to go to Nineveh, to cry against the

wickedness of its inhabitants, he ran away; and, according to the

record, his, disobedience produced a violent storm, and when the sailors

found that he was out of his road to Nineveh, they cast lots to find out

the person who had caused the storm, and the lot fell on Jonah, who

confessed himself to be the guilty person. He then told them to cast him

into the sea, as the only way to save themselves and the ship. It is

written what followed. Another blunder again in the choice of Jonah; and

miracles must be performed to cause this run-away prophet to reach his

destination. He then again made an attempt to preach repentance to the

Ninevites; and they, hearing of the destruction against them, repented,

and this made the prophet stark mad; for his consequence as a prophet

being hurt, he exclaimed, that _he was tired of life_. Poor, paltry

trash for the employment of a God, to reason with and coax a hotheaded

creature like Jonah! but, like all the rest of such tales, there is not

one word of truth in the whole concern.

Before taking leave of the prophets of the Old Testament, a few remarks

may suffice to point out their real character. From the time that

Jehovah adopted the seed of Abram for his chosen people, nothing but

trouble and vexation on his part occurred; and on the part of the

descendants of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, one disaster after another

followed in quick succession. Under whatever form of government they

lived, they strayed from his commands, and in spite of his watchfulness,

his chosen people would worship strange gods, for which offence they

were punished. Heathen kings were stirred up against them, and their

subjugation was the consequence. They then cried unto the Lord, and

matters were made up for a while. The same scenes again took place, and

punishments followed. From the beginning of the Jewish dispensation

until it ended, there was continual quarrelling between Jehovah and his

favorites, and some of those quarrels were so contemptible that they

would disgrace a foolish old man and a peevish wife disputing how the

firebrands should be put together, by an evening fire-side. The

prophets, also, partook of the same spirit; they abused each other, and

sometimes came to blows: they would lie and deceive in the name of the

Lord.

But the worst part of the Jewish dispensation commenced with the reign

of their kings. Saul was first chosen by Jehovah himself; and, admitting

the account to be true, the only crime that is laid to his charge is,

the sparing of Agag, the King of the Amalekites, although he had

destroyed every other being, both old and young. For this one act of

humanity, Saul and his family were rejected by Jahovah. David, his

successor, obeyed the Lord in all things respecting religious worship;

but he committed adultery and murder, thereby forfeiting his life by the

law of Moses. But he was forgiven, and the child, the fruit of his

adulterous intercourse, was, by the Lord of Hosts, destroyed. Solomon,

his son, and the son also of his companion in guilt, was made king.

Solomon worshipped idols at times, throughout his reign, and Jehovah was

angry, and resolved to try another line of kings. Jeroboam was then

anointed king over ten tribes, and the family of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob

were split in twain.

Now, mark! This separation was in consequence of Solomon's idolatry. We

might expect, judging from Jehovah's former disappointment, that

Jeroboam would entirely devote himself and his people to the worship of

the God of Israel. But behold! Jeroboam began with setting up two golden

calves, in direct opposition, to the law of Moses, and also to the

command of Jehovah, who had raised him from a state of servitude to sit

on a throne, savage and only at times departed from the Lord, but

Jeroboam excluded every vestige of the worship of Jehovah from his

kingdom. This, then, is a just statement of the conduct of those kings

selected by the Lord of Hosts, as recorded in the Old Testament And can

it be possible that Infinite Wisdom should have been thus disappointed

by those whom he had chosen? The just conclusion, then, is, that the

Ruler of all worlds had no concern in putting up or pulling down any of

the Kings of Israel or Judah. The history is, from first to last, a

cheat on the human race, and blasphemy against the only true God.

From the time that Jeroboam was made king until the tribes were carried

away into captivity, idolatry was the sin complained of by all the

prophets; it was the constant burden of all their prophecies; and the

prophets, one and all, intermixed with their complaints the prediction

that the Lord had not entirely cast them off, but that the time would

come when he would _raise up unto them a prophet like unto Moses_. Such

predictions, often repeated by all the prophets together with continued

references to their future renovation and restoration, is what caused a

general expectation of some mighty deliverer that would, _in the

fullness of time_, appear among them.

CHAPTER VIII. ON DIVINE INSPIRATION

I INTENDED to conclude the review of the Old Testament by examining the

passages supposed to be prophetical of Jesus Christ, and, as such,

quoted by the writers of the New Testament; but as that has already been

done, in a masterly manner, by Mr. ---------- (Name crossed out by a

former reader. ED) and as his opinion respecting them coincides entirely

with my own, I beg leave to refer my readers to the work of that able

writer on the subject. Professing Christians believe that what are

called the five Books of Moses were given by divine inspiration. I

shall, therefore, in this chapter, consider what is to be understood by

divine inspiration, abstractly considered, and also with reference to

prophecy and miracles. It is contended that Moses wrote the account of

the Creation, and that it is true. If so, then all the particulars of

that remote age must have been given to the writer by nothing short of

Supreme Intelligence. I ask, how was this information communicated? The

Christian answers--by inspiration. This does not solve the difficulty. I

therefore ask, what is inspiration?

Divine inspiration, according to the Christian's idea of it, must have

been the source of prophecy and miracles, and implies infinite knowledge

and power. Now, as Adam could not have given an account of his own

origin, whoever wrote the history of the creation of the world, and of

our first parents, must, if divinely inspired, have had all the

particulars of the past clearly made known to him. We are told, by the

New Testament writers, that "_all Scripture is given by inspiration_";

and again, that "_Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy

Ghost._" Still, divine inspiration remains an inscrutable mystery as to

what it is abstractly considered; and, also, with respect to the manner

in which it is communicated. It seems strange, to say the least, that

divine revelation should be given to the human race by the means of

inspiration, and yet the mode of communication be enveloped in profound

mystery. As divine inspiration and divine revelation are closely

connected, the first being the avenue of conveyance, and the latter

being the subject communicated, I shall define, as clearly as I can,

what constitutes divine revelation; but in order, if possible, to

prevent mistake, I shall first point out what it is not.

The developments and improvements which man effects by the exercise of

his perceptive and reflective faculties, are results which are not

obtained through the medium of divine revelation. From being a savage,

and wandering in a state of destitution in the forests, he has, by the

use of his varied faculties, made advances in civilization and the arts,

which at first sight appear superhuman, but which were, nevertheless,

unaided by divine revelation. Contrasting the present state of the

wonderful and awe-inspiring science of astronomy with that when the best

informed of the human race were but ignorant star-gazers, we can but

feel proud that we are a part of the human family. Again, when we look

back at the period when the frail little bark could not venture out of

sight of land, and then contemplate the improvements in naval

architecture of our present times, which have presented us with that

splendid floating palace, the _Great Britain steamships_ we can but see

that all this has been effected without any assistance from divine

revelation. If, at some future time, by means of improvements in the

telescope, inhabitants should be discovered in the moon, we should not

be indebted for the discovery to divine revelation. But, the discovery

not having been made, should an angel be sent from heaven to make known

the fact, such information would undoubtedly constitute a divine

revelation. So, then, it is dear that whatever improvement man may make,

by the unaided exercise of his faculties, cannot be considered as the

result of divine revelation. Divine revelation is that which man cannot

know, consequently never has known, and never will know by the aid of

his reasoning powers The Old and New Testaments collectively are called

a divine revelation; and that the information these books contain,

respecting man's duty to his Maker, came from the Almighty; Ruler of the

universe, is the Christian's view of the matter.

We will now examine the various inlets, or avenues, by which divine

revelation is said to have been communicated to man. According to the

scriptures, the first in order is that God himself conversed with

men;--secondly, by the medium of angels;--thirdly, by inspired

prophets;--fourthly, by dreams;--fifthly, by visions;--and lastly, by

his son. These are the principal inlets. We will examine these different

modes, and make such remarks as are applicable to each. First, then, as

to the assumption that God himself, conversed with men. It is recorded

that he appeared to and conversed with, our first parents; also with

Noah, Abram, Moses, and even Balaam. The Deity's conversing with Adam

and Eve may be considered as the commencement of divine revelation. With

respect to the truth of these conversations, and the remarkable

appearances connected with them, no positive testimony can be adduced

either for or against; we must therefore take reason for our guide in

the examination. We begin, then, by observing, that if such events did

actually occur, it is clear that God was accessible to man in those

days, and that in a manner very different to what he is in our own

times; and, also, that the unknown and invisible being could be

approached on the most trifling occasions.

No good having ever resulted to man from such visits from the Great

Author of all things, is proof presumptive that they never took place.

So far from any moral good having resulted to Adam and Eve from their

daily intercourse with Jehovah, we find in the case, of Eve, that, being

seduced, either, by the serpent, or her own vicious inclination, she ate

the forbidden fruit The ejectment of our first parents from the garden

of Eden, would seem to warrant us in believing that the Lord watched

over them for evil, and not for good. A pair of human beings brought

into existence without experience of the past, or knowledge of the

future, must stand much in need of instruction from their Creator; and

yet the result of all the recorded intercourse was, they became

disobedient; and were driven out of the garden provided for them by no

less a being than the Author of the universe. Had the Bible-makers

arranged the story so as to have made the conversations and intercourse

result in the continuance of our first parents in the garden, the

account would have borne some resemblance to truth: but to represent it

as having ended in their expulsion, is by far too large a draft upon

human credulity, unless they can believe that God is what Christians

declare the Devil to be.

If the advocates for the authenticity of the Bible contend that the

recorded intercourse between the Lord and our first parents is literally

true, that view of the subject is attended with so many difficulties

that it is almost impossible to give credit to it But if they contend

that it is an allegory, then the probability is that the account of the

creation is altogether a fabulous tradition, consequently not a divine

inspiration. When the Lord is represented as having appeared to Abram,

or any of the renowned men of old, such appearances are not spoken of as

being of uncommon occurrence, nor is any surprise manifested. The Lord

is always represented as having appeared in a human form. Before the

sceptic can believe in the reality of these visitations, he must know

for what end they took place; and, also, why the Lord should in the

olden times be always ready to appear to, and converse with, his

favorites, and in modern times altogether discontinue his visits, as if

there were now nothing on earth worthy of his particular notice.

The Bible informs us that three angels in the form of men appeared to

Abram, and that one of them was called the Lord, the _Judge of all the

earth_. They must have been in the likeness of men: for, they had their

feet washed; they dined with Abram, and the particular kind of food is

mentioned, which in our day would be denominated veal and griddle-cake.

And at this dinner the promise was confirmed that Abram and Sarah should

be blessed with a son in their old age, and that from his descendants

one should arise who should be for the healing of the nations. After

dinner the Lord informed Abram that he had heard that Abram's neighbors

were extremely wicked, and that he and his companions had come to

ascertain if the report were correct, and that the vengeance of Heaven

was about to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah for their crimes. The good old

man plead hard for the inhabitants, saying, "_Far be it from the Lord to

slay the righteous with the wicked,_" and thereby in a slight degree

averted the dreadful doom. The reader can peruse the account (Genesis,

chapter xviii.,) and make his own comments. The writer could as soon

believe that the moon is a large cheese, suspended in the firmament, as

give credit to this contemptible story. If it should be asked, how Moses

obtained his information as to what Abram had for dinner, the answer is,

by inspiration.

We will here notice two remarkable appearances of the Lord: one of them

to Balaam, the other to Moses, A few remarks on each will suffice.

Balaam was a conjuror, and a person of no small consequence in his day.

He was applied to by the princes of Moab to prophesy evil against the

Israelites, That whole nation, under the guidance of Moses, being in the

act of marching through the land of Moab on their route to the land of

promise, and having the character of making too free with other people's

property, the princes of Moab hired Balaam to curse them. We are told

that the heathen prophet judged it best to procure the permission of

Jehovah, the God of the Jews, before he cursed his people. He,

therefore, erected an altar on the top of a hill, and on it sacrificed

seven bullocks and seven sheep. During the sacrifice, the Lord of heaven

and earth came down, and called the prophet aside from the presence of

the princes of Moab, and forbade him to curse his people. The sacrifice

was repeated thrice. On each occasion the Lord appeared to Balaam,

giving him leave to go with the princes, but forbidding him on any

account to curse the Israelites. The remainder of the tale is to be

found in the history of Balaam.

Now, can it be possible, that this account contains a particle of truth?

Can we suppose, that the unknown power, whom man calls God, presented

himself at the altar of a heathen necromancer, and, whispering in his

ear, forbade him to perform his monkey tricks to the detriment of his

chosen people? And that three times he should descend from heaven to

overawe the old trickster, as if he thought him capable of doing harm to

the Israelites? This account is rendered more contemptible by being

referred to by New Testament writers, although the scripture declares in

many places that "no man can see God and live." Christians little think

how largely their credulity is taxed when they are taught to believe

that such accounts were given by divine inspiration.

It is written in the book of Exodus, (chapter xxiv.,) that After the

giving of the moral law on Mount Sinai, the Lord called Moses to the top

of that remarkable place to give him instructions respecting the

tabernacle and its paraphernalia. Moses remained there forty days,

attending to the commands of Jehovah. The Lord, on a sudden, informed

Moses that the Israelites had forsaken him, had set up a golden calf,

and were in the act of worshipping before it and dancing for joy. Moses

was ordered to go down. Before he left the mount, however, the Lord's

anger waxed hot, and he told Moses not to plead for the wicked people.

Jehovah, being about to destroy them, Moses besought him not to cut them

off, and reminded him that, by so doing, the Egyptians would triumph and

say that their God led them into the wilderness to destroy them.

Moses also reminded Jehovah of the promises made to Abram, Isaac, and

Jacob, respecting their posterity; and by the arguments he made use of

in favor of showing mercy to the Jewish people, at length prevailed on

the Lord to suppress his anger. Having descended from the mount, Moses

found the people half-naked, and dancing in a state of joyful excitement

before the Golden Calf. The man who had but just before plead the cause

of his brethren, and thereby prevented Jehovah's destroying the whole of

the seed of Abram, found it less difficult to quiet the fury of an angry

God, than to keep his own temper; for, when he saw their idolatrous

dancing and revelry, he lost all patience, and, throwing down the tables

of stone on which the laws were written, made the inquiry, "_Who is on

the Lord's side?_" The Levites instantly came forward and declared for

the Lord. Moses ordered every man to take his sword and slay his

neighbor and friends who had rebelled against Jehovah,--a shocking

slaughter ensued, for three thousand were slain on that day!

If this account could be credited, it would be truly harrowing to the

reflecting mind. To believers in Christianity, we would say, can you

expect persons who depend on the exercise of their reason for the

discovery of truth and the detection of error, to believe the account of

the transactions of Jehovah and Moses on the mountain? Surely, you

cannot. We give the following reasons why it is out of our power to

believe it:--The narrative represents the Almighty Ruler of the Universe

as possessing the same frailties as his creature, man. The Creator is

forty days contriving (assisted by Moses) ornaments and decorations for

his own worship. Before these were completed, the people, who were to be

the worshippers, deserted their God, and either commenced a new religion

or revived an old one. For a considerable time, Jehovah allows Moses to

remain in ignorance of what is going on at the foot of the mountain;

then, all of a sudden, informs him of it; in a burst of passion tells

him to stand out of his way, so as to be no hindrance to him in pouring

out his wrath; and seems determined to exterminate the whole race.

Moses, less passionate than the Deity, argued strenuously in favor of

his brethren, and pointed out to Jehovah two reasons why he ought to

spare them:--first, that their extermination would break the promise

made to Abram; and secondly, that the Egyptians would exult in the

destruction of their former slaves, Jehovah losing all the honor of

having brought them out of bondage with _a mighty hand and an

outstretched arm_.

Having thus cooled down Divine vengeance, Moses himself became the Jack

Ketch, or executioner of his brethren.

If this account had been found in any book but the Bible, not one person

in a thousand would have believed it. It destroys the attributes of the

God of all worlds, gives the lie to his foreknowledge and immutability,

and then invests him with all the weakness, folly, and mutability of

poor, frail, erring man.

With respect to the dreams and visions, of which we find so many

accounts in the Old and New Testaments, they are spoken of by the

prophets as being the medium of divine inspiration. One of them thus

expresses himself:--"_It shall come to pass in the last days, saith the

Lord, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and

your daughters shall prophesy, your old mm shall dream dreams, your

young men shall see visions._" (Joel, chapter ii.) Now we know that

dreams are not the result of divine inspiration. When we read that an

angel appeared to a man of God, no more can be made of it than

this:--the priest, or pretended prophet, dreamed that an angel appeared

to him, and conversed with him.

I have many times dreamed of seeing my first wife, who died upwards of

forty years ago. If I were to insist that the dream was a reality, it

would be considered by my friends that my mind was disordered; in short,

that I was insane. From dreams, we can obtain no correct ideas of

realities. If persons, who are much subject to dreams, were to imagine

that their dreams pointed to realities, they would be all their lifetime

in pursuit of shadows. Dreams and visions would be very uncertain

channels for the conveyance of divine revelations, for the supposed

angel might be the servant of the Devil instead of a messenger from

heaven.

The writings in the Old Testament which are called prophecies, generally

relate to the Jewish nation. How are we to know that they are

prophecies? In order that there may be no uncertainty with respect to a

prophet's pretensions, he should foretell something to come to pass in

the lifetime of the persons to whom he declares the prophecy, stating

the precise time and place, so that when fulfilled, it should be a

million to one against its being the result of guess-work. It would then

carry with it a convincing proof of being the result of divine

inspiration.

To show the dependence that can be placed on prophecies, we may refer to

the Millerite delusion. The pretensions and extravagances of that sect

were based on the prophecies of Daniel. I have heard many preachers, of

acknowledged learning and talent, attempt to explain Daniel's prophecies

with regard to the time of the second advent; but they generally

differed in their views. About the year 1803, a preacher in London,

(England,) of first rate abilities, told his congregation, a very large

one, to keep, in mind the year 1833, for that he had, after the most

laborious calculations, arrived at the conclusion that about that

period, signs and wonders would indicate the near approach of him who is

to come again in _power and great glory_.

There is no doubt but hundreds of learned men have, since the time that

Jesus is said to have left this world, consumed the "midnight oil" in

their researches to discover the time of the second advent, but to no

purpose. To no purpose, did I say? I mistook. In the case of Miller, it

was to a most unfortunate purpose. Thousands of his followers have been

in a state of partial insanity; many have been absolutely deranged; some

have committed suicide; others sold their lands, abandoned their

occupations, neglected their wives and children, and will never regain

their former happy homes. Can we suppose that the all-wise Ruler of the

Universe would promulgate prophecies so uncertain with respect to their

fulfilment, and so disastrous in the effects arising from their

uncertainty? I repeat, that prophecy, to answer any good purpose, should

be fulfilled in the lifetime of the persons to whom it is addressed;

otherwise, the uncertainty attending it renders it worse than useless.

If Daniel had been divinely inspired to foretell any thing relating to

Christ, common sense suggests that it would have reference to his first

appearance on earth. Instead of this being the burden of his prophecy,

he makes no allusion to his first coming, but, according to Christian

expositors, his dreams and visions refer to the _second_ coming of

Christ, and the final judgment. Father Miller's bubble having burst, his

sincere but deluded followers are in a state of extreme wretchedness;

all of them injured either in mind or circumstances, and most of them in

both. Many of them will doubtless reject religion altogether. So much,

then, for depending on divine inspiration.

The power to perform miracles is included in the idea of divine

inspiration, and implies the possession of a power superior to all human

power. The exhibition of a power by an individual, superior to what the

united exertions of a whole nation could perform, ought to be credited

to the exhibiter as a power _received from on high_,--a conclusion drawn

by Christian commentators, and also by Jesus himself, with respect to

his recorded miracles; for, he says--"_If I had not done among them the

works which no other man did, they would not have had sin; but now_

[they having seen his miracles, and yet rejected him] _their sin

remaineth._"

Miracles are uncertain evidences of divine inspiration. What an ignorant

man might deem to be a miracle, a man of intelligence and education

might know to be the result of combined natural causes. What in one age

has been currently believed to have been the effect of supernatural

agency, a succeeding and more enlightened age has known as the result of

certain operations of nature. Nothing can justly be regarded as a

miracle unless it be, past all dispute, beyond human power to perform.

To suppose that the Deity makes use of means to promote the improvement

of his creatures, which are calculated to mislead them, is to impeach

his wisdom and goodness.

Miracles could not have been evidences of divine interposition to the

Jewish people, at the time of Christ's appearance among them, owing to

the prevailing belief that supernatural beings, called devils, could

perform wonderful things, far above man's power or comprehension; and

that some of them, more powerful than the rest, could invest mortals

with the power of performing-miracles of the same nature as those

ascribed to Jesus Christ.

Most of the religious sects at the present day affect to be influenced

by something almost amounting to divine inspiration--their religion

consisting of feelings, not of action. In the Scriptures we read, "_If

any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his._" I have often

noticed the variety of modes in which the spirit operates on different

sects. The Methodists, while seeking the Lord, as they term it, will

sigh, moan, and howl, and immediately after be in ecstasies bordering on

insanity, and bawl so loud that a passer-by might reasonably conclude

that some dreadful accident had befallen them. Passing to the other

extreme, the Friends, or Quakers, are as dumb as mutes, and will not

allow their speakers to open their lips until impelled to do so by the

spirit. But the Jumpers, in Wales, (Great Britain,) go ahead of all, for

they often perform the journey from their homes to their churches, by

the same kind of evolution as frogs make when on their peregrinations in

search of water. All these monkey tricks are of much easier performance

than feeding the hungry, or clothing the destitute. Can, or, presuming

that they can, will the preachers please inform us, which of these three

modes of spiritual manifestation will be practised in heaven?

In concluding this chapter, I shall make some remarks on the Mormons,

that being one of the last sects, of any importance, which have arisen,

professing the Christian faith. They also profess, or their leaders, at

least, to be specially moved by the Holy Spirit; in other words, that

they are the recipients of divine inspiration. Whatever other

denominations of Christians may think of their claims to supernatural

gifts, they are founded on quite as reasonable grounds as were the

pretensions of the prophets of old, not even excepting Moses, the Jewish

legislator; as a brief history of their rise and progress will prove.

The following account, the writer had from some of the principal

preachers of the Mormon faith:--"About the year 1827, or '28, Joseph

Smith, a young man of obscure parentage, presented to the world a

production which he called the Book of Mormon, or the Golden Bible; and

of which, according to his own account, he became possessed in the

following manner:--When about fifteen years of age, being under

religious impressions, he used to retire to the fields and thickets in

the neighborhood of his home, to exercise himself in prayer. One day,

while thus engaged, an angel appeared to him, and informed him that the

Lord had a great and important work for him to perform, but that the

time had not yet arrived for its consummation. Then, after telling him

that he would be again visited, and urging him to pursue a godly life,

disappeared. A few years after this, the angel re-visited Joseph,

repeating his declaration respecting the contemplated work, and

disappeared as before. At length, on a third appearance, the angel

directed Joseph to go to a certain spot and dig in the earth, telling

him that he would there find something of vast importance. Joseph did as

the angel commanded, and found a number of golden plates, on which were

impressed characters in a language to him altogether unknown. Having

copied a portion of the characters, he sent the copy, by a friend, to a

teacher of the dead languages, in New York, in order to ascertain the

meaning; but his friend returned without having obtained the desired

information. The Holy Spirit then enabled Joseph to translate the

inscriptions, and the translation is, denominated the 'Book of Mormon,'

being named after the person who, fourteen hundred years before, had, by

Divine command, deposited it in the earth." This book can be obtained of

the Mormon preachers.

The progress of the Mormons, or Latter-Day Saints, as they designate

themselves, has been astonishingly rapid, their number being computed at

no less than two hundred thousand, of whom about ten thousand are

congregated in the city of Nauvoo, (or Joseph,) in the State of

Illinois. This portion of the Mormons had previously located themselves

in the State of Missouri, but after suffering great persecution, were

driven out of that State by the inhabitants. They then settled in the

western part of Illinois, and built the city of Nauvoo, and have nearly

completed a splendid temple of unique architecture. They, like the Jews,

believe that they are God's chosen people, and that, as _the earth is

the Lord's_, they shall have the honor of calling together the Jews, the

former chosen people of God, and that all who have not then embraced the

Mormon faith will be speedily cut off. As the Mormons make the Bible the

ground-work of their religious belief, and are sparing in their

allusions to the Book of Mormon, they are likely to become permanently

established, as a portion of the Christian world, and will probably

become not only a very numerous, but also a powerful sect.

But the demon of religious persecution--let me pause for a moment. I

would not knowingly libel any thing, not even religion. Am I not

mistaken? Not in the personage, most certainly, but I may be in error

with respect to his official character. Perhaps I owe an apology to the

religious world. It may be the demon of fraud. At all events, a demon of

some description is hovering over this remarkable people, and

threatening them with vengeance. Their smoking and desolate homesteads

will furnish matter for the future historian, who, with indignation,

will record, that in the nineteenth century, in the favored land of

Illinois, the ennobling principles of liberty could boast of no better

recognition than an empty name. Give ear, ye advocates of liberty in the

down-trodden nations of Europe! A voice would address you from the land

of promise. Ten thousand men, women, and children in the State of

Illinois, can receive no protection from the Genius of Liberty, but in

the coming spring are to be driven from their peaceful happy homes, to

wend their way through a dreary wilderness, and seek a resting place on

the shores of the Pacific Ocean. "Oh! shame! where is thy blush!" Cannot

even tottering age, and helpless infancy, arrest the fell purpose?

The present position of the Mormons, with respect to the rest of the

world, so nearly resembles that of the Jews when they were leaving

Egypt, that it is not unlikely for them to assimilate their movements in

a measure to those of the Israelites, and, believing, as they do, that

they are influenced by the Holy Ghost, their historians some centuries

hence will probably record miracles as having been performed by the

Mormons, similar to what are said to have taken place among the Jews,

when travelling under the guidance of Moses, to the promised land.

Feebleness of body reminds me that Death is shaking his arrow over me,

but surely my mind remains unclouded. Am I really living in the

enlightened nineteenth century? And if so, am I on the free soil of

America, or in barbarous Russia, and a subject of the Emperor Nicholas?

The Mormons are to be driven out of the United States. Why? "Because

they believe themselves to be God's chosen people, and that all other

nations must become subject to them." Indeed! and do not the Jews

entertain the same belief with respect to their nation? Are they to be

driven out along with the Mormons? The Mormons are to be driven out.

Why? "Because they speak in an unknown tongue." But a few years ago, the

disciples of Irving, a celebrated preacher in London, spoke in an

unknown tongue; but so far from their being driven out of the country in

consequence, the ministrations of Irving were attended by the principal

nobility and statesmen of Great Britain. The Mormons are to be driven

out. Why? "Not on account of their religious faith, but because they are

a community of thieves." In the English navy the seamen have a very

contemptuous idea of the marines, and when a very improbable story is

told by any one, they say, "Tell that to the marines," intimating that

_they_ are weak enough to believe any thing.

We are told that a religious community which numbers ten thousand

persons is composed of incorrigible rogues. And yet it is well known

that they are very industrious, have well cultivated farms, have built a

city, and nearly completed a splendid temple. What says the experience

of the world with respect to thieves--that they have been usually found

among the industrious, or the idle? What are we called upon to believe?

That a highly industrious religious sect, numbering ten thousand souls,

manifests such a total disregard of all moral principle that its

existence cannot be allowed in civilized society? Tell it not in Gath!

Oh! no; better tell it to the marines.

I do believe that I am in America, and not in Russia, after all. The

film is departing from my mental vision. An idea strikes me. It is this.

In this country, under certain circumstances, _well_ understood by the

public, bills of _exceptions_ are frequently filed. Aye, now I have it

This is a Republic; and a Republic is a government intended for the

benefit of _all_, with the _exception_ of the Mormons to-day, and of

some other religious sect to-morrow; and so on, as avarice, or bigotry,

or the tyranny of a moneyed aristocracy may dictate, to the end of the

chapter.

The republicans of the State of Illinois have determined that the

Mormons shall not remain among them. "Oh! consistency, thou art indeed a

jewel" For the benefit of persons visiting Illinois, I shall close with

a quotation from the Old Testament, not remarkable, perhaps, for

elegance of diction, but having a claim to attention for its

truthfulness. It is this:---"It is useless to search for a _jewel_ in a

swine's snout."

END OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER on THE FACTS AND PERSONAGES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

TO these persons who can take, without fear, a correct view of Jehovah's

dealings with his chosen people, as recorded in the Old Testament, it

must appear, that the Jews, as a nation, did not, in any way, do honor

to his choice; for, as it regards religion, they neither were at any

length of time faithful to Jehovah, nor did they obey his laws. The

dreadful punishments inflicted on them, together with the teaching of

the Prophets, did not cure them, so as to prevent them from worshipping

other gods.

To men of common sense, it is clear that the Jewish God undertook to

make of the seed of Abram that which never took place. The attempts to

keep them as true worshippers of Jehovah, continually failed; and he, in

the language of regret and complaint, says:--"I have nourished and

brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." And here we may

inquire, how were they brought up? The answer is at hand. They were

taught to consider themselves, as a nation, more valuable than any

people on earth; and this pride caused them to act with hostility in

their intercourse with, the Gentiles, and to rob and murder all nations

less powerful than themselves; for doing which, they had from the Lord a

direct order. To _show mercy_ was forbidden, and they were punished for

so doing. The command was--"_Thou shall do no murder._" This command had

to do with Jews only. To others it was said, "_Spare not a soul alive_."

Again, "_Thou shall not steal,_"--that is, from Jews: from all heathens,

steal all you can. "_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife,_" &c.

Remember!--the wife of a Jew; but when the Lord commands, you must

murder other men's wives, and take their daughters for the most wicked

purposes. This is the manner the seed of Abram were brought up; and, in

these particulars, they seldom disobeyed the Lord.

In this manner the Jews were educated by the Lord of Hosts. Can we then

wonder that they, in a moral point of view, should have been the most

cruel and wicked of any nation on earth? It follows, that they were a

disgrace to that God who selected them as his own; and the Jewish

dispensation ended in a complete failure: so that it is recorded, that

the Lord "_hateth his own inheritance._" Jehovah failed to rear up and

protect a nation who should serve as a pattern to the rest of the human

family. They axe acknowledged, by both God and man, to have been the

worst people on earth.

We are now about to consider another attempt, on the part of the God of

Israel, to recover and convert his disobedient people to the new

covenant, or dispensation, by sending the long-expected Saviour of the

seed of Abram, according to the flesh. Here we ought to expect that a

double degree of caution will be manifest on the part of the Jewish God,

so that no mistake may happen to the Jewish nation in their reception

of, and obedience to, his Son, as an ambassador of peace and

reconciliation; because, if the mission of Jesus was not clearly

understood by the Jews, another scene of trouble, more dreadful than

their former disobedience, would follow as a consequence. We ought to

expect that Christ would be instructed so to present himself to his

brethren, that his person and his plans for their recovery would be

self-evident. No guess-work can be allowed, as it respects the vast

importance of his mission, or the identity of his person. It needs no

argument to show, that, when an end or object is to be fully obtained,

the means must be adapted to answer the end intended, or a failure is

the consequence.

Here we may ask, for what purpose did Christ come to the Jews? Was it to

fulfil the promises made to them by Jehovah, _that he would make a new

covenant with them, and write his laws on their hearts; not according to

the covenant he made with their fathers, when he brought them out of

Egypt, but that he would write his laws on their hearts, and their sins

and iniquities remember no more, and that they should be to him a

people, and that he would be to them a God?_ In fact, we cannot admit of

the possibility of any mistake or failure to happen in Jehovah's plan of

salvation, when we consider that the seed of Abram longed for and

expected the Great Deliverer of Israel. No trickery or deception ought

to be resorted to in a case involving such dreadful consequences. It is

highly dishonorable to the God of the Universe, to admit of any

double-dealing on his part, when his people were prepared to receive the

Messiah.

The situation of the Jews, as a nation, at the time it is said that

Christ made his appearance among them, ought to be kept in view, in

reading this introduction. They expected a king, or a deliverer, to

arrive, agreeably to what they had learned from the Old Testament.

Hence, their inquiry was, "_Art thou he that should come, or do we, or

are we, to look for another?_" As much as to say, we long for his

appearance, but we have had false Christs; and the repeated impositions

practised on our nation makes us cautious as to giving credence to any

pretender, without full proof of his being the true, the very anointed

of God. No inquiry could be more reasonable; for it is clear that the

Jewish nation were open to conviction, and ready to receive with joy the

sent of Jehovah; but repeated deception and disappointment had made them

slow to believe in the pretensions of any that came to them in the name

of the Lord.

We need not be surprised that the seed of Abram should have been so

scrupulous in believing, until they had incontrovertible proof that the

hope of Israel had arrived. They considered that event as the end of all

their troubles; and relying on the promises made, to God's chosen people

by the prophets,--that the "_sun of, righteousness should arise with

healing in his wings_" that his identity would be as clearly known, and

all obscurity entirely removed as to his being the true Christ, the hope

and expectation of Israel. The Jews, as a nation, were not prepared for

any thing short of a full manifestation of Jehovah's promises in the

person of the Messiah, that he would be their "_Prophet, Priest, and

King_" It is not possible to conceive that a single Jew could be found

who would stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. This,

then, was the feeling and expectation of the Jews, at the time it is

recorded that Christ came as the deliverer of Israel. It follows, then,

that the only thing the Jews required, in order to receive and obey

Christ, was, unerring proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah; for

they were earnestly waiting for that glorious event.

We will now inquire, whether or not his introduction to the Jewish

nation was the most probable way to convince them that the long-desired,

the long-expected Redeemer of Israel was come? It must ever be kept in

mind, that the coming of Christ was to the Israelites of vast

importance, when we consider their former troubles, how they had been

forsaken by their God, sold, as it were, into severe bondage, and

scattered over the face of the earth, in consequence of their departure

from the God of their fathers. To all which, it may be added, that they

had been deceived by false Christs: so that, as a nation, they ought to,

and doubtless did, fully expect that the true Messiah, on his arrival,

would convince every real Jew that he was the sent of God, and that the

evidence would be different, in all respects, from what had before

attended impostors and cheats. Of all the embassies ever sent by one

nation to another, none ever equalled in importance the one where the

Son, the only Son of God, was the ambassador.

In the intercourse between nations, and when a minister is sent out from

one nation to another, one thing is always provided for, and on no

account is it ever omitted, namely:--proper credentials are always

prepared and sent by one nation to another, so that the identity of the

ambassador is indisputable. This indispensable qualification appears to

have been omitted in sending Christ to the Jewish nation, and it proved

most unfortunate to those ill-fated people; for it is evident, from

Scripture, that they mistook Jesus for an impostor, since one of the

apostles admits, that if they (the Jews) had known him, "_they would not

have killed the Lord of life and glory_."

Here, then, was the fatal mistake, the unfortunate error; and now we may

ask, for what was Jesus sent? Jehovah knew that they would not receive

him, and that a failure would be the consequence. But if Jehovah did not

know of his rejection, what then are we to say of the attributes of the

God of Israel? Taking either side, involves the greatest absurdity, and

is shocking to every idea we can have of infinite wisdom, power, and

goodness.

If Jesus, on his arrival to the Jews as a nation, intended to prove his

divine mission by the performance of miracles, he appears to have taken

the wrong course to carry conviction to the minds of his fellow

countrymen. Instead of performing signs and wonders before the most

learned of his nation, he associated with the most ignorant classes of

society. These were chiefly fishermen, who could be easily imposed on by

any sleight of hand, performed by a dexterous juggler. It was to the

most learned and competent men of that day to whom his appeals ought to

have been made; but on the contrary, he employed such vulgar abuse

as--"_O, generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of

hell?_" It may safely be inferred, that such abusive language as this

would be considered by the priests and rulers sufficient to stamp its

author as a man of low character and violent temper.

Again, instead of opening his mission with the declaration of Jehovah's

former promises to the Jewish nation, _that the God of their fathers had

sent him to recover the lost sheep of the home of Israel_, he tells them

that the holy temple was then _a den of thieves_; and at another time,

commences with a cord, or rattan, (like a drunken man,) to drive men

from the temple. Is it possible to conceive that such could be the

conduct of him who was proclaimed to be "_Peace on earth and good will

towards men_"?

Again, miracles, as proofs of Christ's divine mission, ought to have

been performed before the most learned and talented men among the Jews.

On the contrary, it was the ignorant and unlettered part of society who

were the witnesses of his mighty deeds; for it is impossible for men who

are unacquainted with the laws and phenomena of nature, to form any

thing like a correct judgment of those laws, so as to know what were

their natural operations, to the exclusion of divine power. So that a

performance of any thing, however wonderful to ignorant and untaught

men, would, to others, who were better acquainted with the laws of the

universe, be no miracle at all.

In conclusion, then, so far as miracles are concerned, a miracle must be

something performed by another, that is impossible to take place without

superhuman aid; and before persons who are so fully acquainted with the

laws of the universe, that imposition would be impossible. Now the Jews,

at the time of the coming of Christ, if he did come at all, had no such

knowledge. In that age, many strange things were believed, that never

had any real existence. For instance, it was fully believed by the Jews,

and nearly throughout the world, that evil spirits or demons took

possession of the bodies of men, and ceased, not to torment them in a

thousand ways; and the casting out of these was considered a miracle.

Jesus is said to have performed many miracles of this kind. Mary

Magdalene had seven of them ejected by the Saviour. So it is recorded.

But now, no man of science gives the least credit to such tales; so that

the fact is, no devils ever were cast out, because none ever entered the

human body. If Jesus, then, pretended to cast out devils, when he knew

there were none possessed of them, how can we exempt him from the charge

of being a deceiver? If, on the other hand, he believed that Mary

Magdalene had seven, and that they left her by his orders, in that case,

what shall we say as to his knowledge?

At the present day, should a person apply for medical aid to cast out a

devil, such person would be considered a lunatic. This is proof positive

that Jesus partook of the superstition of the age in which he lived; and

that his pretensions to cast out devils by the power of God, were

incompatible with his mission as the Son of God, the Redeemer of Israel.

The history of Jesus, as recorded in the four Gospels, fully represents

him as acting like most reformers in all ages and nations, namely, by

abusing men of wealth and power. But, unlike most others, Jesus

represented himself as the only Son of God, by whose authority he

(Jesus) called the priests and the rulers of Israel by names the most

offensive, thereby exciting their opposition to his mode of teaching and

acting. At the same time, the lower grades of society did then, as they

do at the present day. They considered him as a reformer, the friend of

the people, in proportion as he was lavish in his abuse of the most

violent nature.

In concluding this chapter, we may safely infer, that if Jesus was sent

into the world to be put to death as a sacrifice for sin, his manner of

preaching to his countrymen, and his violent abuse and denunciations

against the then rulers of Israel, were calculated to bring about his

tragical end. But, on the contrary, if Jesus came from God, To _restore

the lost sheep of the home of Israel_, as the Jews, one and all,

expected the Messiah would do, it then follows, that the Jews, as a

nation, were deceived, and in putting him to death, they thought him a

blasphemer, having no claim to be considered as the true deliverer of

his nation. If Jesus came from God to the Jews, as their long-expected

Saviour and Deliverer, and every blessing, as it respected them,

depended on their giving him an obedience agreeable to his mission as an

ambassador of peace, to mistake him for an impostor, was a misfortune

more deplorable than all the misfortunes, as a nation, the Jews had ever

experienced from the call of Abram until the time that Christ is said to

have arrived in the land of Judea. If, in reality and truth, he came

from the Jehovah of that people, as they had for ages expected, then,

instead of his collecting together a few fishermen, common sense would

instruct us to suppose, that the Lord's anointed would go direct to the

priests and Jewish, rulers, and accost them in the following way:--"The

long-expected, the long-desired, is now in the midst of you. I am the

true, the very Christ, the anointed of Jehovah, of the seed of Abram. My

beloved mother will lift her hand, and swear on the altar of her God and

my God, the Father of us all, that I am the offspring of God, and that

in the absence of all earthly intercourse, she brought me forth, and

that angels announced her miraculous conception, before I saw the light;

and that I am endowed with power from on high, to do before your longing

eyes miracles and wonders, such as all former pretenders could not

perform. But, as you have before been deceived by impostors who have

forged my name, and assumed my character, believe me not for my word,

but for my works' sake. Mark well my deportment Give credit to my mighty

deeds only when they are openly addressed to your senses, that no doubts

may remain as to the identity of my person, and the high commission of

which I am the bearer; and being fully convinced of my Messiahship, obey

me as the earthly representative of your heavenly Father, while I unfold

the blessings that await you, in the fulfilment of the promises made to

Abram and his seed forever." Instead, however, of thus openly and

frankly making known the object of his message to his nation, Jesus

begins by making use of expressions the most insulting, charging the

priests and rulers with crimes of the basest description, in the worst

language possible; the direct tendency of which was, to arouse their

worst feelings, leaving them in doubt what to think of one who arrogated

to himself authority over the Mosaic law, and whose teaching was so

obscure as not to be understood even by his own disciples. In speaking

of himself and the kingdom he was about to set up, he said that his

death formed a part of the divine arrangement included in his mission;

as much as to say, I must be put to death before my plane can be

developed. At times, in the course of his preaching, Jesus referred to

his future exaltation, as the "Judge of quick and dead." At other times

he represented himself as the only true light that enlightens every man

that cometh into the world; and yet, he courted obscurity in most of his

preaching, so much so, that one of his most intimate friends (Judas) was

bribed to inform the rulers who this extraordinary man was, and where he

could be found.

What would be thought of an ambassador, sent from America to England on

business of the first importance, if, instead of proceeding to the Court

of St. James, at London, he should be found lecturing to fishermen and

people in the lower walks of society, and at the same time, in language

of the most violent kind, abusing the British Government? In fine, such

was the preaching and acting of Jesus during his stay in the land of

Israel, that to me it appears impossible to discover the object or the

utility of his coming. No wonder, therefore, that the Jews rejected him

altogether.

CHAPTER I.

WHATEVER may have been the moral character of the Jews, as a nation, at

the time the reputed Messiah came among them, the priests and the people

not only expected his advent, but they also considered that event as an

end to their then subjugation, and more than a renewal of their former

greatness and glory. And here the reader will perceive that they (the

Jews) had no prejudice against the appearance of such a personage; the

only thing they required was, his certain identity, that they might know

the true Messiah was among them. Nothing could have been more favorable

to his reception than such a universal expectation. This general belief

throughout the nation was on their part equivalent to their saying to

the God of Jacob, "We have long waited, and most ardently desired, the

fulfilment of the promise made to Abram and his seed forever." This

short statement is faithful, and true as to the feelings and

expectations of the whole Jewish nation.

In this stage of our remarks, every thing appears to warrant the

conclusion, that, on the part of the descendants of Abram, no difficulty

stood in the way of their submitting to their expected Lord and Master.

To make him fully known to them, so that no mistake could possibly

happen as to his person and authority, belonged to Jehovah alone; for if

the Messiah promised, seemed in nowise to be represented in the person

of Jesus, then the Jews would have been sure to have rejected him as

another impostor of the same sort as had previously imposed on their

nation. In reviewing, then, the New Testament, the object of the writer

will be to show, that Jesus, the pretended Saviour of the world, was not

sent from God, and consequently, the New Testament is not of Divine

authority.

In the following inquiry, I shall not dispute the existence of Jesus,

_as a man_, living about the time recorded of him, but take for granted

the history of his life, with the exception of his divine mission, as

this method will be better understood by the reader, as excluding

irrelevant matter. In the Gospel history, then, it clearly appears, that

Jesus wrote nothing of his own sayings or doings; it was all done by

others. This omission to give a clear code of morals, adapted to the

Gospel dispensation, and also rules and regulations for this new sect,

will appear strange, when we refer to the formation and regulation of

the Jewish Church. Moses, or whoever was its founder, took great pains

to record the most minute things connected with the Jewish worship;

while, on the contrary, the Christian Church is left in such a state of

uncertainty, that its author wrote not a word himself, nor, for aught we

know, did he give orders to his followers to commit to writing any thing

he did or said, not even of the miracles he so often performed. It must

appear passing strange, that a religion of such vast importance to the

whole human race should be, as it were, left to chance, as to the manner

in which it was to descend to posterity, when compared with the

minuteness of the Mosaic code. Of the four evangelists, no one in

particular had orders to write the life and doings of Christ, so that

the inference is this: that all the history of the life of Jesus,

including his death and resurrection, is but the testimony of others;

consequently, we have no certainty that Christ ever said or did those

things recorded of him. So that it amounts to this--somebody has said

that Jesus performed miracles; and the same may be said of the rest of

his sayings and doings; and we may add, that somebody has written that

he was put to death, and that on the third day he arose from the dead.

It is from such vague and unauthenticated writings, written by nobody

knows who, nor when they made their first appearance, that the

foundation is drawn on which rests the Gospel Dispensation; and as the

different writers have given different accounts of the things said to

have taken place, no reliance can be given to any of the facts recorded

as having actually occurred. The different writers have also given rise

to doctrines so opposite to each other, that every sect can find

Scripture evidence for the support of its respective dogmas. Eighteen

hundred years have then passed away, and we are still ignorant of what

is, and what is not, Gospel.

Is it possible that any thing can be more directly in opposition, than

the Universalists and the different sects that believe in endless

punishment in a future life? Again, can any two things be more opposite

than the doctrines concerning the person of Christ, as held by the

Unitarians and the Trinitarians; and yet, both of these doctrines are

taken from the New Testament, which contains all that is written of him.

And what is still more wonderful, each of these sects are positive with

respect to their own opinions, and are surprised at each other's

ignorance of God's Word; and even at the present day, they only want

full power, and they would soon come to blows. Not only these opinions,

but many more, equally opposed to each other, can be supported by

referring to God's unerring Word. It is a common saying, "the glorious

uncertainty of the law"; I will add, it is the glorious uncertainty of

the _Gospel_ which has made so many priests, and also, it is its

uncertainty which has been in every age of the church the cause of

thousands of honest persons meeting a violent and cruel death, for the

glory of God.

The reader will in the following pages discover, that my main object is

to show that Jesus was no more sent from heaven to save mankind by the

sacrifice of himself for the sins of the world, than others are sent to

build houses or dig canals; and that the plan, as it is called, of human

redemption, has brutalized the human race, and stood in the way of moral

rectitude, and the development of kind and humane feelings. Although

Matthew and Luke have recorded the miraculous conception of Jesus, yet,

as it is omitted by Mark and John, I shall begin my remarks with the

baptism of John. As it respects the heavenly origin of Jesus, he never

mentions it in the course of his ministry, neither does his mother.

Jesus, in speaking of himself, said he was _the son of man_. Now, if

Joseph, or some other man, was not his father, he (Jesus) then went by a

false name; for, in that case, he was but the son of a woman. We will

leave this point of disputation with the Christians, and begin with the

baptism of John.

After Jesus had been baptized by John, it is recorded, that there came a

voice from heaven, saying, "_Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well

pleased._" (Mark i., 11.) "_And immediately the Spirit driveth him into

the wilderness, and he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted

of Satan._" What possible end was to be obtained by this journey into

the wilderness, and what kind of spirit it was that drove him there, we

have no information. At any rate, in a forlorn state, and very hungry,

Satan made his first visit to the Messenger of Peace. Jesus seemed no

way surprised at this Satanic intrusion. They conversed together as old

friends. We may suppose Satan to open the conversation somewhat in the

following manner:--

"Why, Jesus! you seem to be any thing but in comfortable quarters. This

is carrying temperance rather too far; nothing to eat or drink, and

surrounded by wild beasts as hungry as yourself! I have heard that you

represent to your nation that you are sent to them from Jehovah, your

father. Now, if you have any thing to communicate to them of importance,

this secluded spot is very unfavorable to make known your mission. Come,

give over fasting, for _if you are the Son of God, command these stones

that they be made bread?_" This observation, or, as it is called, this

temptation of the Devil, caused Jesus to make this reply:--"_It is

written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that

proceedeth ont of the mouth of God. Then the Devil taketh him up into

the holy city, [or coaxed him to leave the wilderness,] and setteth him

on a pinnacle of the Temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of

God, cast thyself down, for it is written,, he shall give his angels

charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest

at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It

is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the

Devil taketh him up into art exceeding high mountain, and showeth him

all the kingdoms of the worlds and the glory of them; and saith unto

him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall dawn and

worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is

written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou

serve. Then the Devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered

unto him._" (Matthew, chapter iv.)

To those Who are not afraid to examine this strange account, it must

appear unworthy of the least credit. In the first place, as it stands

recorded, the Devil and Jesus act as if they had been old and intimate

acquaintances. This is the first announcement we have that any such

personage as the Devil ever visited this earth, except he is the same

identical being who, upwards of four thousand years before, came to the

garden of Eden and tempted Eve, and was the cause of herself and her

husband's being expelled from that abode of innocence. If it were the

intention of the writers of the life of Jesus, that it should be

understood that the Devil had been resting quietly, and enjoying

himself, and then appeared, ripe for new schemes of mischief, and Satan

reasoning within himself was resolved again to try his hand,--is it

possible, when this account is duly considered, that one person in a

thousand can give credit to such nonsense?

A few remarks on Christ's temptation by the Devil will suffice to show

its absurdity. In the first place, then, can we believe that a being of

Infinite Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, ever has, or does now, keep in

existence a Devil whose whole aim and happiness consist in tempting

God's creatures to rebel against their maker and benefactor; and that

God has given him power and capacity to induce men and women to commit

every sort of crime that disgraces humanity? Besides, so artful is this

Devil that man has but a poor chance to escape his cunning attacks and

devices. We are told that the Lord is angry with the wicked every day;

and yet for all that, he has made a being of immense power who possesses

unbounded malice against both God and man. Would any man, who was in his

right mind, keep in his employ a person who would daily destroy his

property, and breed discord among his steady workmen? None but a madman

could so act; and shall we suppose that the all-wise ruler of the

universe would follow in the path of a man out of his senses?

Again, according to the account in Matthew, the Devil seems full of life

and impudence; while the reputed Saviour appears sheepish and stupid,

and seems willing to follow the Devil about at his bidding! We have no

account as to the form in which the Devil appeared, whether as a rich

man or a loafer; whether fat or lean, and how old he appeared to be;

neither are we informed in what kind of dress he walked through the

street of Jerusalem, whether it was in the costume of the age, or in the

livery of hell. At any rate, Jesus seemed rather scared at the old

serpent. Jesus commenced his mission more like a hermit than as a

messenger of peace; to God's chosen people. In fact, there is, in Jesus,

through his whole life, something so unearthly that his existence as a

man is very doubtful. In the whole account of the temptation of the

Devil, the evidence of its being a mixture of fable and falsehood is,

apparent.

Besides, it is altogether unaccountable how Jesus and the Devil became

so well acquainted with each other; for Jesus was a Jew by nation, and

strictly obeyed the law of Moses; but Moses is completely silent as to

the existence of any such personage as the Devil. At the time when it is

said Jesus came to the Jewish nation, they had, during their captivity,

embraced the theology of their conquerors; and on their return to the

land of their nativity, brought with them the-belief in the existence of

good and bad angels, and also the doctrine of a future state of rewards

and punishments,--dogmas unknown to, and never taught by, Moses. It is

clear, then, that the very existence of a Devil never was a doctrine of

the Old Testament, but on the contrary, it was borrowed from eastern

mythology; and Jesus, finding that the Jews professed to believe it,

fell in with it, as also a heaven and a hell, and a judgment to come,

which doctrines were all of heathen origin. The Old Testament is silent

as to what constitutes orthodox Christianity. Ye Christian ministers!

your heaven and hell, by the teaching of which you gain wealth and live

like princes, is nothing but an echo of by-gone ages, which had its

origin in the imagination of the priesthood of an antiquity anterior to

the existence of Moses or of the Jewish nation!

But to return to the temptation of Jesus by the Devil. And here it may

be asked, how it can now, or ever could, be considered a temptation at

all? If Jesus was what they say he professed to be, _the sent of God_,

he knew well that the Devil had nothing to give him by way of inducement

to distrust his Father's superintendence and care. Jesus might have said

to Satan, "You lying old Devil, you know that you have no kingdom to

bestow; you likewise well know that you have not land enough whereon to

build a hovel, in which to shelter your favorite associates, the swine!"

But, on the contrary, Jesus seems to act with great respect towards the

Devil. He made no objections to follow Satan wherever he chose to lead

him. We are ignorant of the object Jesus had in view by retiring into

the wilderness; and how the Devil came to be acquainted with his

destitute situation, we are also at a loss to conjecture. Likewise, we

have yet to learn whether Satan resided among the Jews, or dwelt in the

regions of the air, as he is called "the Prince and power of the air,

the spirit which works in the hearts of the children of disobedience."

The number of forty years, or days, is repeatedly chosen by the writers

of the Old Testament, in which to perform something wonderful, and of

great importance. Thus, the Jews were forty years going from Egypt to

the land of promise, during which time nearly all that came out of

bondage were destroyed for their disobedience against the God of Abram,

Isaac, and Jacob. Jehovah and Moses were forty days on Mount Sinai,

preparing ornaments for the Jewish worship, during which time Aaron and

the rest of the Israelties returned back to worship the gods of their

former oppressors; so that it appears, before the church of Jehovah in

the wilderness was ready to sing his praise, and thank him for bringing

them out of bondage, both Aaron and the people were singing and dancing

before the golden calves of Egypt! The number forty has been most

unfortunate for Jehovah's plans; for, in addition to repeated failures

connected with the number forty, it is recorded that Jehovah was grieved

forty years for the transgressions of his chosen people; and Jesus,

after forty days' fasting, surrounded by devouring beasts and hungry

vultures, behold! the Devil came skulking along with brazen-faced

impudence, and Jesus, the better to get rid of him, broke up his

solitary abode. Thus, again, the number forty concluded without any

apparent object being effected.

Whoever wrote this account of Christ's temptation, as if it was not

foolish enough, has added, that after the Devil had withdrawn from

making Jesus such tempting offers to enlist into his service, angels

came and ministered unto him. What the nature of the service was, which

they performed, we know not; but one would suppose their first inquiry

ought to have been, whether he did not wish to have his dinner as soon

as possible? The whole of this account is so contemptible, that I shall

not give it any further attention.

If we contrast the submissive conduct and humble deportment of Jesus,

when in conversation with the Devil, with his manner and intercourse

with the rulers and priests of his own nation, he appears, in reference

to the latter, whom we should expect he would have treated with that

respectable language due to their standing in society, and consistent

with his dignity as the Messenger of Peace, to great disadvantage as a

divine teacher: for it must be ever borne in mind, that Jesus must be

considered, according to his own account, superior to all that ever came

before him, and to the imperfections found in men in common, and even in

the prophets of old, so that he must so conduct himself that his sayings

and doings must be capable of standing the most rigid moral scrutiny.

But, instead of his appealing to the Jewish rulers in the most courteous

manner--instead of his plainly stating who he was, and the vast

importance of his coming on earth, he begins by upbraiding them in a way

calculated to disgust them, and thereby frustrate the object of his

mission. He calls them "a generation of vipers" and asks them "how they

can think to escape the damnation of hell?"

Although the chief priest and rulers were over-anxious in their

inquiries as to whom he was, and by what authority he so openly

condemned others, he treated them as unworthy of a civil reply; for, let

the moral conduct of the Jewish priests and rulers be what it might,

admitting it was very bad, nothing could justify him in the use of

insult and the most violent vituperations. What kind of reception would

an ambassador meet with in England, should he, before his' mission was

fully understood by that Court, abuse the rulers of that kingdom, and at

the same time associate with a few obscure individuals as witnesses of

such abuse? Would he be considered a fit person to represent the

authorities who sent him? for, never let us forget, that of all the

missions sent by one nation to another nation for the settlement of any

difficulties that might exist between them, none ever was of such

importance as the one which Jesus was to present to "_the lost sheep of

the house of Israel_." Let us also bear in mind, that the rulers among

the Jews made every inquiry as to whom he was, and the purport of his

coming. Yes, every effort on the part of the Jews was made to draw out

of him from whence he derived his authority: but his answers were any

thing but to the point, for, he said on one occasion, "_An evil and

adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be

given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas,_" and that was no answer

at all.

I am well aware what Christians will say in this case: that his miracles

were sufficient evidence; but all the proof we have that he did perform

miracles, is, somebody has written that he did so. But here I shall

dispute the performance of some of his miracles, from the New Testament

account of them; and, in my next chapter, I shall show that modern

discoveries have proved, beyond dispute, that some of the miracles said

to have been performed by Jesus could not have taken place, for if any

person in the present age, were to pretend that he could perform similar

miracles, he would not only be considered an impostor, but would also be

deemed an ignoramus.