o, as I have done, will undertake to
winnow this grain from its chaff, will find it not to require a moment's
consideration. The parts fall asunder of themselves, as would those of
an image of metal and clay.

There are, I acknowledge, passages not free from objection, which we
may, with probability, ascribe to Jesus himself; but claiming indulgence
from the circumstances under which he acted. His object was the
reformation of some articles in the religion of the Jews, as taught by
Moses. That sect had presented for the object of their worship, a being
of terrific character, cruel, vindictive, capricious, and unjust. Jesus,
taking for his type the best qualities of the human head and heart,
wisdom, justice, goodness, and adding to them power, ascribed all of
these, but in infinite perfection, to the Supreme Being, and formed him
really worthy of their adoration. Moses had either not believed in
a future state of existence, or had not thought it essential to be
explicitly taught to his people. Jesus inculcated that doctrine
with emphasis and precision. Moses had bound the Jews to many idle
ceremonies, mummeries, and observances, of no effect towards producing
the social utilities which constitute the essence of virtue; Jesus
exposed their futility and insignificance. The one instilled into his
people the most anti-social spirit towards other nations; the other
preached philanthropy and universal charity and benevolence. The office
of reformer of the superstitions of a nation, is ever dangerous. Jesus
had to walk on the perilous confines of reason and religion: and a step
to right or left might place him within the gripe of the priests of
the superstition, a blood-thirsty race, as cruel and remorseless as the
being whom they represented as the family God of Abraham, of Isaac,
and of Jacob, and the local God of Israel. They were constantly laying
snares, too, to entangle him in the web of the law. He was
justifiable, therefore, in avoiding these by evasions, by sophisms, by
misconstructions, and misapplications of scraps of the prophets, and
in defending himself with these their own weapons, as sufficient, _ad
homines_, at least. That Jesus did not mean to impose himself on mankind
as the Son of God, physically speaking, I have been convinced by the
writings of men more learned than myself in that lore. But that he might
conscientiously believe himself inspired from above, is very possible.
The whole religion of the Jews,