Satan to the Philistines,") that I
am not sure, that if I had by me a Hebrew concordance, but I could
point out places, where God himself is represented as saying, that
he would be an adversary or a Satan to bad men and wicked
nations. And though there is in the Old Testament a particular
angel styled, by way of eminence, "The Satan," it is so far from
being evident that he is an evil being, that I would undertake to
give good reasons to prove that this distinguished angel is the real
prototype, from whence the impostor Mahomet took the idea of his
"Azrael," the "Angel of Death;" who, in the Koran, is certainly
represented as being as much the faithful servant of God, as any of
the Angelic Hosts.

In fine, the doctrine of the Old Testament upon this matter may be
thus expressed:--"These be spirits created for vengeance, which
in their fury lay on sore strokes; in the time of destruction, they
pour out their force, sad appease the wrath of him that made them.
They shall rejoice in his (God's) commandment, and they shall be
ready upon earth, when need is: and when their time is come, they
shall not transgress his word." Ecclesiasticus xxxix. 28.

CHAPTER XIV.

A CONSIDERATION OF THE "GIFT OF TONGUES," AND
OTHER MIRACULOUS GIFTS ASCRIBED O THE PRIMITIVE
CHRISTIANS; AND WHETHER RECORDED MIRACLES ARE
INFALLIBLE PROOFS OF THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF
DOCTRINES SAID TO HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BY THEM.

Paul, in his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, speaks to them as
possessing several spiritual gifts, conferred on them by his
ministration; such as the gift of prophecy, discerning of spirits, and
speaking in unknown tongues. He gives them directions about the
proper use of their gifts, and speaks to them as absolutely
possessing those gifts, with the utmost confidence. Dr. Paley, in his
Defence of Christianity, lays great stress upon the manner in which
Paul addresses the Corinthians upon these miraculous powers; and
he considers it as an absolute proof of the truth of Christianity--
because, he says, it is not conceivable that Paul could have had the
boldness and presumption to speak to these men concerning the
use and abuse of these gifts, if they really had them not.

I am ready to confess, that this argument of Dr. Paley puzzled me;
for though I was satisfied that Paul had imposed upon their
credulity many irrelevant passages from the Scriptures as proofs of
Christianity, yet I could not imagine that he could presume so
m