But for the fatisfaction of those who admire the Jewish writings, I will again quote a declaration made by the prophet Ifaiah, as the reprefentative of the God of Ifrael-' Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I, even I, the Lord and befide me there is no Saviour.' ch. xliii, v. 11 and 12. I will not

give my glory unto another. I am he, I am the firft; I also am the laft. Mine hand alfo hath

laid the foundation of the

earth; and my right

hand hath spanned the heavens, &c. Ifaiah ch. xlviii, v. 11, 12 and 13. And in ch. xlv. and xlviii. we have nearly the fame. We have now to fhew the fallacy of the other part of this new doctrine, that Jefus created the world, and all things therein. To oblige the last class of readers, I will begin the refutation by the affiftance of another Jewish author; who, though not fo nobly born, was to the full as political and knowing a character as the other: Moses opens his history with In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. And the

6

earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And 'God faid, let there be light: and there was

light, &c.' We find a fingle fiat fufficed, in every stage of this new and glorious work, till we come to the laft: there indeed God fays- Let ́ us make man in our image, after our likeness, X 4 • &c.

' &c.' This, probably, was addreffed to the an gels, who were fpectators; but whether Mofes varied the mode of expreffion after the manner of eaftern princes, (which I am inclined to think he did) or whether the Almighty really employed the angels in this laft work; is matter of uncertainty. But, for argument fake, we will fuppofe the latter; not as wanting their affiftance, but as a pleasurable amusement for them: we will likewife fuppose that Christ was of this number, and probably had a great share in forming beings with whose race he, in future, would be nearly connected. But in what part of the Scriptures do we find him claiming even this fmall fhare in the creation? Where then does he arrogate the whole? The fourth commandment, being both a Jewish and a Christian proof, may be adduced in fupport of my argument: and what fays the Apostle's Creed?

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker

of Heaven and earth and in Jefus Chrift his Son, &c.' Surely this is orthodox proof: but I have a better. What faid the apoftles, Acts ch. iv, v. 24 to 30— They lift up their voice to

God with one accord, and faid-Lord, thou art God which haft made Heaven and earth, and the fea, and all that in them is the kings of the earth ftood up, and the rulers were gathered ⚫ together against the Lord, and against his Chrift. For of a truth againft thy Holy Child Jefus, whom thou haft anointed, both Herod and Pontius

Pilate,

<

6

Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of

Ifrael were gathered together, for to do whatfoever thy hand and thy counsel determined • before to be done. And now Lord behold their threatning and grant unto thy fervants, that with all boldnefs they may fpeak thy word; by ftretching forth thine hand to heal; and that ⚫ figns and wonders may be done by the name of thy Holy Child Jefus.' I have to observe, that this joint prayer was made after they had received the Holy Ghoft which gave them knowledge of all things, agreeable to the promise made to them by Jefus, as recorded by John, who was a principal in this affair. It is further to be observed, that upon finishing this prayer the place was fhaken where they were affembled together,

and they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft.' If St. John wrote the questionable introduction ta his Gospel, he in this appears a witness against himself but I have ftill a better, even Jefus himfelf. Speaking of the difafters which were to happen in the world previous to the day of judgment, he fays- For in thofe days fhall be affliction, fuch as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created,' Mark ch. xiii, v. 19. I have already (page 211 and 213) fhewn the grounds upon which I found a fufpicion, that the last chapter in St. John's Gofpel is a forgery, The obfervations I have made in these last pages, together with one I am about to make; will shew

the grounds I have for fufpecting that the first fourteen verfes in the faid Gospel were likewise forged. St. John was one of thofe, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghoft, or fpirit of knowledge and truth, given by God himself; lifted up his voice in public, and faid- Thou art God (the Almighty) which haft made Heaven and earth, and the fea, and all that in them is, &c.' Sixty years after this, could the fame faint, influenced in like manner by the Holy Ghost, declare in the most folemn manner- All

things were made by him (Jesus) and without ' him was not any thing made that was made. 'He was in the world, and the world was made

by him? The spirit of knowledge and truth proceeding from God himself, cannot utter contradictions; cannot say and unfay: truth, is uniform, invariable, fixt: If we do not find it fo in the Sacred Histories; it follows that they are forgeries, or that they have been corrupted. The first, I have proved in a variety of cafes; and if the fecond is denied, the third will be granted, as following in courfe. To obtain this conceffion, I have laboured through the four Gofpels, not actuated fo much by a wish to discover errors and imperfections, as by a hope of having them corrected in a revifal or new tranflation by authority. And if I have with too much freedom difclofed their defects; I trust the motive will extenuate the fault, and the confequences obliterate it entirely.

RITES AND CEREMONIES OF THE CHURCH. 315

I will now endeavour to prove the abfolute neceffity that these defirable confequences should ensue, if we mean to preferve, or rather rescue the Christian religion from contempt. Having in pages 249 and 250, premifed, that the corruption of the four Gofpels must have taken place in the firft age of Christianity: and hinted my opinion, that upon thofe corruptions; and the conduct, preachings and writings of St. Paul, are founded the erroneous dogmas of the established church, Catholic and Proteftant, I shall now point out the latter, in the plainest and clearest manner I am capable of: and if in doing this, I likewise fhould err, be affured, O candid reader! that it was not intentionally.

The most early formula of faith, was the Apostle's Creed not that I suppose any was written by the apoftles; but that fome fhort confef, fion of faith was taught and required by them: and there is no doubt but that form has been varied and embellished by ignorant, whimfical, or defigning men. For a proof of this we need go no further than our Prayer Book; in which compare the two Creeds: the firft, called the Apostle's, had it not been improved with the communion of faints, would have been plain and fimple; and therefore the more likely to have been the fame, in fubftance, used by the apoftles. But examine the other, called the Nicene, and you will perceive the embellishments: Jefus is there called One

'Lord,