een any thing of the kind, it is in the books of
Christians, A fine way, truly, to get instructed in the arguments of
their adversaries! But what can they do? If any one should dare to
publish among us, books, in which be openly favours their opinions, we
punish the author, the editor, the bookseller. This policy is
convenient, and sure always to be in the right. There is a pleasure in
refuting people who dare not open their lips"--(Emilius.) In the same
work he says that "he will never be convinced that the Jews have not
something strong to say, till they shall be permitted to speak for
themselves without fear, and without restraint." It was this hint of
Rousseau which first excited the author's curiosity with regard to the
subject of this book.--E.

* There are a great many persons who conceive that Christianity is
sufficiently proved to be true, if the miracles of Jesus are true, even
without any regard to the prophecies, so often appealed to by him. But
supposing the miracles to be true; yet no miracles can prove that which
is false in itself to be true. If therefore Jesus be not foretold as the
Messiah in the Old Testament, no miracles can prove Jesus to be the
Messiah foretold. Nay, it would be a stronger argument to prove Jesus to
be a false pretender, that he appealed to prophecies as relating to him,
when in fact they had no relation whatever to him; and by that means
imposed upon the ignorant people; than it would be that he came from
God, merely because he worked miracles; for "False Christs and false
prophets may arise, and may show such great signs and wonders as to
deceive, if it were possible, the very elect." Matt. xxiv. 24. Yet no
Christian would allow it to be argued from thence, that those false
Christs were true ones: nor would any one conclude; that a man came from
God, (notwithstanding any miracle he might do) if he appealed to
Scripture for that which is no where in it. In fine, if miracles would
prove the Messiahship of Jesus, so also they would prove the Messiahship
of the false Christs, and false prophets spoken of above. Nay more, they
would demonstrate the Divine mission of Antichrist himself; who,
according to the epistle to the Thessalonians, (2 Thes. ch. ii. 8, 9,10)
and the Revelations, ch. xiii. 13, 14, was to perform "great signs and
wonders," equal to any wrought by Jesus, for the same Greek words are
used to express the wonderful works or "great signs and wonders" of
Antichrist, which