h they pretend have been
accomplished in a manner which permits no doubt. Finally, their fourth
motive for credulity, which is the most important of all, is drawn from
the grandeur and the multitude of the miracles performed, in all ages,
and in every place, in favor of their religion.

But it is easy to refute all these useless reasonings and to show the
falsity of all these evidences. For, firstly, the arguments which our
Christ-worshipers draw from their pretended motives for credulity can
serve to establish and confirm falsehood as well as truth; for we see
that there is no religion, no matter how false it may be, which does not
pretend to have a sound and true doctrine, and which, in its way, does
not condemn all vices and recommend the practice of all virtues; there
is not one which has not had firm and zealous defenders who have
suffered persecution in order to maintain their religion; and, finally,
there is none which does not pretend to have wonders and miracles that
have been performed in their favor. The Mohammedans, the Indians, the
heathen, as well as the Christians, claim miracles in their religions.
If our Christ-worshipers make use of their miracles and their
prophecies, they are found no less in the Pagan religions than in
theirs. Thus the advantage we might draw from all these motives for
credulity, is found about the same in all sorts of religions. This being
established, as the history and practice of all religions demonstrate,
it evidently follows that all these pretended motives for credulity,
upon which our Christ-worshipers place so much value, are found equally
in all religions; and, consequently, can not serve as reliable evidences
of the truth of their religion more than of the truth of any other. The
result is clear.

Secondly. In order to give an idea of the resemblance of the miracles of
Paganism to those of Christianity, could we not say, for example, that
there would be more reason to believe Philostratus in what he recites of
the life of Apollonius than to believe all the evangelists in what they
say of the miracles of Jesus Christ; because we know, at least that
Philostratus was a man of intelligence, eloquence, and fluency; that he
was the secretary of the Empress Julia, wife of the Emperor Severus, and
that he was requested by this empress to write the life and the
wonderful acts of Apollonius? It is evident that Apollonius rendered
himself famous by great and extraordinary deeds, si