unto me by
the word of Jehovah, saying; Bring him back with thee into thine
house, that he may eat bread, and drink water. But he lied unto
him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house,
and drink water."

"And. it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of
Jehovah came unto the prophet that brought him back: and he
cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus
saith. Jehovah, forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of
Jehovah, and hast not kept the commandment which Jehovah thy
God commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread
and drunk water in the place, of the which Jehovah did say unto
thee, eat no bread, and drink no water, thy carcase shall not come
unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." 1 Kings, ch. xiii.]

[fn105 after "that" insert "as"]

[fn106 1. If the Christians should do this, the fundamental articles
of their creed, would be, to love the Lord their God with all their
heart, and with all their mind, and soul, and strength, and to love
their neighbours as themselves: for on these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.

2. If the Christians should do this, they would have precisely the
same Scriptures which the apostles and first Christians had, and
which they considered as sufficient. Even Paul himself
pronounces, that the Old Testament was "given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. ch. iii. 16.

3. If the Christians should do this, all the endless and rancourous
disputes about the trinity, incarnation, atonement,
transubstantiation, worship of the Virgin Mary, the saints, their
images and relics, the supremacy of the Pope, et id genus omne,
would be quietly laid upon the shelf, and torment mankind no
more.

4. The hundred sects into which Christians are divided, would
coalesce; for it is the New Testament which keeps them asunder.
So long as that book is believed to contain a Revelation from God,
there can be no peace. For pious and good men who believe that
it is of divine authority, and who are zealously disposed to
discover from its contents "what is the mind of the spirit," must
necessarily be divided in their opinions; BECAUSE the New
Testament is not only inconsistent with the Old, but is also
inconsistent with itself too; and must therefore necessarily crea