LETTER III.

TO

DR. ADAM CLARK E.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW.

CHAP. II.

Verse 1, "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the King, behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him.

When we compare the account given of Jesus, according to Matthew, with that according to Luke, one would imagine that they were inspired by different Holy Ghosts or that they were both endeavouring to excel each other, in giving the most romantic history of this individual. In the first place, what wise man would come to inquire of King George, saying where is he that is born King of England, for we have seen his star, and are come to worship him? The cases are similar. And if there were any truth in this account, why should we treat Judicial Astrology as being fallacious? But Luke says that they were shepherds in the country, instead of wise men from the East, who saw a multitude of angels, instead of a star, that spoke of peace on earth, and good-will towards men !3 Now Sir, as you profess to be a teacher sent by God, and whose fame is noised throughout all the country, be pleased to inform me which of these two accounts I am to believe? as it is written that he that believeth not shall be damned. So that without some information I am already damned, not knowing which to be

lieve whether it was a star travelling before a company of men from one place to another, and resting over a manger as though it had been a fire balloon; or whether it were a multitude of angels speaking of peace on earth and good-will towards men: both accounts being so contrary to History, Science, and Reason.

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If we examine history for the character of an angel, (which by-the-bye is only to be found in that history called sacred,) we shall find that all supernatural beings, instead of bringing good tidings of great joy, have been the harbingers of misery and desolation to us poor mortals! And the description given of them in the sacred history, proves them to be a fornicating and most cruel race of monsters.

The first time which we read of one, we find him armed with a flaming sword; standing sentinel over a tree against two poor naked and defenceless mortals, lest, they should pluck its life-preserving fruit, and live for ever! Query: how many poor birds were slain in their attempts to pick from this tree? Or were there no birds, caterpillars, or insects in those days, which might have stolen a bit, and so have become immortal? Perhaps you will say that they were all inspired with good manners by the Holy Ghost, like the wild colt upon which Jesus rode! But I never could learn what became of this strange being with his flaming sword? Is he and the tree there still? If not, when and where did he go with it? as we hear no more of him nor his tree ever after. Surely God did not destroy them with every living substance, when he opened the windows of heaven, and deluged the whole earth!

We next find them picking and choosing wives from among the daughters of men for themselves. Though we have no account of the manner in which the marriage ceremony was performed: or whether they were obliged, like us, to pay a parish priest, for this liberty of rendering obedience to the first command of God? But the priests say, that they were not supernatural beings; they being only called sons of God, to denote

good men; thereby distinguishing the children of Seth, from the children of Cain, who, they suppose, were all bad men, because their father unintentionally slew his brother. I say unintentionally, because it cannot be supposed that Cain could calculate upon the result of a blow given with a stick or a stone upon the body of his brother, (they having no sword nor pistols, nor yet bows and arrows, as we read of, in those days,) he never having before had any experience of such an effect. Yet the priests will not admit of this definition of the sons of God, when applied to Jesus: who was also called the son of God !9 But admitting this explanation to be correct, namely, that they were only good men, how could a good man, merely because he is good, cause a woman to bring forth giants, mighty men, or men of more renown, 10 than a bad man?

Again: whenever an angel was sent to any female, we find that his message was always impertinent and immodest; and delivered in such places and at such times, attended with such circumstances, as to give us strong reasons for suspecting his honour and chastity. As in the case of Hagar, Abraham's maid;11 and his wife Sarai: 12 likewise Samson's mother, 13 and Mary, the betrothed wife of Joseph. 1 4

But how happy we ought to consider ourselves in the present day, who are never troubled with such angelic visits; for whenever these creatures made their appearance to man, we always find that they had some murdering work in hand. Read the account of their visit to Lot,15 and the destruction of Sodom, which immediately followed; when the Lord, to assist them, took the fire and brimstone out of heaven, and flung it down upon the people, 16 overthrowing all the cities, and destroying the inhabitants thereof, with the exception of all the righteous persons that could be found therein: which only consisted of drunken Lot,!(the man who so little regarded chastity as to offer up the bodies of his own two daughters to the lustful desires of a lawless mob!18) his worldly-minded wife, 19 and his two incestous daughters! But if Sodomites arc so obnoxious in

the sight of this Bible God, why does he not pour down fire and brimstone upon them in the present day, instead of suffering them to escape punishment, as is the case with the Right Reverend Father in God, Percy Jocelyn, and many others in England, especially in Turkey, where they are tolerated? Surely this ought not to be winked at!

Behold another angel, standing between the earth and heaven, with a drawn sword in his hand,21 after having slain seventy thousand men! At another time we read of one who slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand, all in one night!22 This one, I suppose, was a captain in the army belonging to the God of battles;23 for Joshua speaks of one of these captains who came to him with a drawn sword in his hand, with a most important message, namely, to bid him pull off his

shoe !24 I wonder who has the honour to be swordcutler to the armies in heaven? As to the one that appeared to Gideon, 25 I cannot discover whether he was only an angel, or the God himself, as both titles are given to him. Yet let him be whoever or whatever you please, I think he came on a very foolish errand, else there is some mistake in the tale; for those Midianites, whom he ordered Gideon to slay,26 were already slain by Moses,2 27 every man, woman, and child, excepting some young virgins, whom the chosen people of God kept for their own private use, although it was in consequence of an intercourse with them that the slaughter was made, 28 and all their land given to the tribe of Reuben.29 How then could those Midianites come up like grass-hoppers for multitude ?30 We also read of another one who was prevented from murdering Balaam, 'through a dumb she-ass speaking with man's voice !3 2 Even the angel that came all the way from Gilgal to Bochim, though he did no harm himself, yet he promised much.33 Thus we find, that whenever an angel makes his appearance, he never speaks of peace on earth and good will towards men, but always the contrary. And lest you should think that these their actions were not sanctioned nor ap