d all may be exhorted."

I presume it will be needless to point out more particularly, the
perfect correspondence between "the spiritual gifts" of the
Corinthians, and those of the Shakers. And I would ask the
venerable Paley, if it were now possible, whether an apostolical
epistle of Ann Lee, William Lee, or Whitaker, (the spiritual
mother and. fathers of the Shakers,) addressed to them, and
seriously giving directions about the use of "their gifts of working
miracles, and speaking with tongues," would be sufficient to prove
that they really had those gifts? And, moreover, (to make the cases
more analogous) suppose that the Shakers from this time become
the dominant sect throughout the religious world, and kept the
upper hand during a series of a thousand or two thousand years,
taking especial care to collect and burn up every writing of their
enemies and opposers. How should we, (supposing ourselves all
the while invisible spectators of the thing), how should we pity our
posterity, who, at the end of that period, should be gravely told by
the learned and mitred advocates of Shakerism, that the miracles of
the founders, and first followers of their religion were certainly
true, for that they were honest and good men, with no motive to
deceive, and had addressed letters to their first converts, wherein
they make express mention of their possessing these gifts; and give
in the simplest and most unassuming manner, directions for using
them. Suppose, then, that our posterity, having been deprived by
the prudential care of the old fathers of the then established church,
of the means of detecting the fallacy which we possess; suppose
that they should believe all this, and devoutly praise God every day
for confirming the doctrines of his servants Lee and Whitaker, "
with signs following"--how should we pity their delusion, and.
what should we think of the unlucky authors of it.

From all this, I think my reader must be sensible how extremely
fallacious are all proofs of doctrines, pretended to be from God,
derived from Miracles said to have been wrought in proof of their
Divine authority.

Miracles are related to have been performed in support of all
religions without exception; even the followers of Mahomet,
though he did not claim the power of working miracles, have said
that he did. And they will tell you, that in proof of his mission, he,
in the presence of hundreds, divided the moon with his finger, and
put half of