ntaining in the 5th. chapter of his work, that it is true
that these quotations cannot be supported as prophecies, but that
they are excusable for the following reasons. The writers of the.
New Testament were Jews; the Jews of their times believed that
every text of Scripture had seventy-two faces, and that each one
regarded the Messiah, and that the resurrection of the dead was
also taught in every chapter of Scripture, though we might not be
able to perceive it, and that the writers of the New Testament had
been brought up in these silly prejudices, and therefore argued on
these principles, i. e. that, notwithstanding their being inspired
men and full of the spirit of the Almighty, they continued in this
respect as silly as ever.

Now if there be a pious and sincere Christian in the world, and
should have this hypothesis laid before him for his acceptance as
the best means of defending the writers of the New Testament,
from the charge of fraud or blundering in their application of the
prophecies, I venture to say that that pious and sincere Christian
would, without hesitation, believe the proposer of such an
hypothesis to be ruining the cause he professed to defend. "What!
he might say, are the quotations in the New Testament from the
Old, indeed founded on folly, and alledged through stupidity?
Have the writers of the New Testament, who are allowed to have
been inspired by the Most High God with a perfect knowledge and
understanding of the Christian religion, who are representing
continually that Jesus Christ was foretold by the prophets, and
that their own minds were opened by the Holy Ghost to
understand the Scriptures, have they indeed though continually
quoting the Old Testament, after all never quoted for us even one
of the predictions on which they say their religion is founded? and
have they spent all the time they devoted to writing for the
salvation of the souls of men, in fooling with the Old Testament in
the manner you aver? 'Tis false! 'Tis monstrous! Either your
hypothesis is a fable, or Christianity, itself is like the dreams of the
Rabbies."[fn68]

When I see such principles, and other like principles avowed in
Mr. Everett's work, I feel myself authorized to propose to him the
following questions, by which I hope he will not consider himself
as put to the torture.

What, Mr. Everett, were your motives for quitting, so abruptly and
unexpectedly, the most respectable society who had done you the
ho