h a new religion, he would undoubtedly have
written the system himself, or procured it to be written in His
lifetime. But there is no publication extant authenticated with his
name. All the books called the New Testament were written after his
death. He was a Jew by birth and profession, and he was the Son of God
in like manner that every other person is; for the Creator is the Father
of All.

The first four books--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--are altogether
anecdotal. They relate events after they had taken place. They tell what
Jesus Christ did and said, and what others did and said to him; and in
several instances they relate the same event differently. Revelation,
therefore, is out of the question with respect to these books. The
presumption, moreover, is that they are written by other persons than
these whose name they bear.

The book of Acts of the Apostles belongs also to the anecdotal part. All
the rest of the New Testament, except the book of enigmas called the
Revelation, are a collection of letters under the name of epistles, and
the forgery of letters under the name of epistles. One thing, however,
is certain, which is that out of the matters contained in these books,
together with the assistance of some old stories, the Church has set up
a system of religion very contradictory to the character of the person
whose name it bears. It has set up a religion of pomp and reverence in
pretended imitation of a person whose life was humility and poverty.

_IV.--MYSTERY, MIRACLE, AND PROPHECY_

I proceed to speak of the three principal means that have been employed
in all ages and perhaps in all countries to impose upon mankind.

These three means are mystery, miracle, and prophecy. The two first are
incompatible with true religion, and the third ought always to be
suspected. With respect to mystery, everything we behold is, in one
sense, a mystery to us. Our own existence is a mystery, the whole
vegetable world is a mystery. We know not how it is that the seed we sow
unfolds and multiplies itself.

The fact, however, as distinct from the operating cause, is not a
mystery, because we see it; and we know also the means we are to use,
which is no other than putting the seed in the ground. We know,
therefore, as much as is necessary for us to know; and that part of the
operation that we do not know, and which if we did we could not perform,
the Creator takes upon Himself and performs it for us.

But though