FIFTEENTH CONFERENCE.

Mofes, Boy, Rulers, and Notaries.

TH

Rulers. HAT venerable name of Rabbi we still hope to prevent your reprobating, and that by our remonstrance you will still perfevere and preferve the facred character of Doctor, and with your noted zeal continue (the remains of an unblemished life) to inculcate Ifrael in the law of our fathers, and fet at nought the chriftian herefy, which has been for eighteen centuries the bane or deftruction of our nation.

Mofes. In what consists the christian heresy?

Rulers. Jefus their Head, being a Jew, foreclosed the law of his fathers, and fet up a novelty unknown to Ifrael. This novelift, tho' of mean parentage, and unlearned, by an unknown influence, over-ruled our doctors and chief men, who, finding their laws and tradition trampled on, themfelves despised, and the whole world in crowds fwarming to his dif courses, the ftupendous and aftonishing miracles which he repeatedly performed, with art magic came to the refolution of bringing him to condign punishment, which they effected in his moft ignominious death, in order to undeceive and convince the deluded populace of their error, in fuppofing him the Meah, that being the time Ifrael expected his glorious manifeftation and their deliverance from the Roman yoke, which they then groaned under.

Boy.

Boy. Was the complaint removed when the Jews effected this bloody tragedy?

Rulers. It was not. For, during a three years miflion, he had fo far inculcated and improved his difciples in his maxims and fecrets, that prefently after his crucifixion, they became a formidable part of the Jewish nation, and then spread themselves among the heathen, as a cancer eating out old opinions and inftilling their new herefy, reftlefs to the last degree (as Alexander) labouring to bring the universe under the chriftian banner. t. And though the whole force of the Roman empire was employed three hundred years to root up this impious fect, yet, we find the emperor Conftantine planting and erecting this very standard † with the highest encomiums in the most respectable place of the capitol; and from thence forward this ugly fign has been revered, to Ifrael's deftruction, as we are witnesses.

Mofes. What cause could influence the world like an impetuous torrent from all parts to run with insatiable and greedy delight, to gaze with unremitted defire on the object of their wishes?

Rulers. This question will not be a difficult query, if we reflect that scarce an hour paffed but fome miracle or cure was effected. The blind received their fight, the deaf heard, the lame walked, the dumb fpoke, thofe poffeffed were healed, the dead raised, and many other wonders too numerous to be dwelt upon, which bring above the common laws of nature, bewitched the giddy multitude and ravished them from the law and commandments. Had the

evil ceafed with Jefus, no doubt a few days would have funk the matter in oblivion; but unluckily the poifon was deeply rooted, fo that to this day the venom cannot be extracted. Peter and his affociates, by ftratagem, a few days after the decease of their Meffiah, pretending they were infpired from above, spoke (though unlettered) every language, fo that the rabble were astonished to hear thefe Galileans fpeak to them in their native tongue. They influenced the unpolished multitude, as their leader had done, curing all difeafes, the very fhadow of Peter, the mob was perfuaded, had this virtue. Those in power arraigned them, and inflicted ftripes to rid them of their madness, which they embraced with joy and firmnefs. They were imprifoned, but when releafed (by no one knows what fpirit) found the more obdurate and impenitent, and daily enlarging, that both Jews and Romans were compelled to ufe every feverity to rid the world of this peft of novelifts or innovators, but to no purpofe; for, as we obferved, three hundred years from the commencement of this fect, the emperor Constantine took the infection from a †. He faid, feen by himself and army at noon-day, far brighter than the fun, with this infcription, By This Conquer; and he being fuccessful against his colleagues (who were heathens) established by edict his novelty, which has cruelly tormented the world, as we know this day. What gives and keeps alive this madness, is the fecret influence they have over the fenfes and laws of nature; for in every age we find thefe workers

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of wonders exhibiting their skill, to the amazement of the low-bred mifcreants: A late one at Rome died a common beggar, by name, Jofeph Labre; he did in a great measure surprise two of us here, Joshua and Nehemia; you were both prefent at Rome when he died, on the 16th of April, 1783, declare what you were eye-witneffes to whilft there, that Rabbi Mofes knowing the feduction that envelop its votaries of the christian herefy may hold fast to the covenant of circumcifion given by Almighty God to our fathers.

Joshua & Nehemiah. Be it known to you, venerable Rabbi, that we were prefent at Rome at the time the beggar, Benedict, Jofeph Labre, deceased, the time juft mentioned, and were eye witneffes of what paffed, which far fuperfeded the laws of nature; to enter into a narrative would be both tedious and irkfome, more efpecially as we can prefent you with an accurate. history a few days fince fent us by our friends in London, printed in English, to which we beg to refer. All we will now therefore mention fhall be; that we were prefent for feveral days, examined the corpfe and found it soft, flexible, found, and uncorrupted, free from any disagreeable fmell or fign of putrification, but perfectly elaftic as the flesh of a person in health. One extraordinary circumftance we will take notice of: When he was to be fhifted he was placed fitting on two benches, one fupported him by the shoulders; the corpfe as one alive stretched out his hand and laid hold of the bench to fupport himself. Some of the company willing to A a 3

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be convinced whether what appeared marvellous might not proceed from a natural cause, or the effect of mere chance; they therefore inclined the body toward the hand that clinched the bench. This experiment they tried : If the hand and fingers had been no more than fimply applied to the bench; if the mufcles had not been in a state of extenfion and real contraction; then when the body was more inclined to the hand that clinched the bench, the hand would naturally follow the motion and inclination of the body, and by its own weight loofen and fall:Instead of which, the hand continued to hold faft, until some one loosened it: this was repeated different times to the fame effect. One of us for a full conviction in a cafe fo extraordinary, defired that the hand fhould be difengaged from the bench, and that the body might be feated in its firft pofition, which was done, and to our great amazement, the corpfe or body fupported itself by clinching the bench as before, reprefenting the action of a living perfon. Some time after his hand was loofed, and all prefent were convinced of the real flexibility of his fingers, and extenfion and play of the muscles, through the length of the hand that grafped the arm, and to the breaft; the fame contractions and play of the muscles were observed as in a perfon alive, who being inclined to fupport his body in that pofture or difpofition, would take hold of what was moft proper as a reft. This man died, Wednesday evening, and the time I now mention was the Sunday evening following. We being refolved to be eye-witneffes, fpent a

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