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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul, by
+Boulanger
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul
+
+Author: Boulanger
+
+Release Date: November 22, 2011 [EBook #38102]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EXAMINATION OF THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL
+
+By Boulanger
+
+Translated From The French Of Boulanger
+
+"Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad."
+
+Acts, chap. 26, ver. 24.
+
+1823
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+EPISTLE DEDICATORY TO M. L. N.
+
+Sir, In our last conversation you appeared to me, very much smitten with
+St. Paul and his works; you recommended me to reperuse his writings;
+assuring me that I should there find arguments well calculated to shake
+incredulity and confirm a Christian in his faith.
+
+Although the actions of this celebrated Apostle, related in the Acts,
+and his doctrine contained in his Epistles, were already perfectly known
+to me, yet to conform myself to your desires, and give you proofs of
+my docility, I have again read those works, and I can assure you that
+I have done it with the greatest attention. You will judge of that
+yourself, by the reflections I send you; they will at least prove to you
+that I have read with attention. A superficial glance is only likely to
+deceive us or leave us in error. The passions and the prejudices of men
+prevent them from examining with candour, and from their indolence they
+are often disgusted with the researches necessary for discovering truth;
+that has also been with so much care veiled from their eyes: but it is
+in vain to cover it, its splendour will sooner or later shine forth;
+the works of enthusiasm or imposture, will always end by betraying
+themselves. As for the rest, read and judge. You will find, I think, at
+least, some reasons for abating a little from that high opinion, that
+prejudice gives us of the Apostle of the Gentiles, and of the religious
+system of the Christians, of which St. Paul was evidently the true
+architect. I am not ignorant that it is very difficult to undo at
+one blow the ideas to which the mind has been so long accustomed;
+but whatever may be your judgment it will not alter the sentiments of
+friendship and attachment which are due to the goodness of your heart.
+
+I am, &c, &c.
+
+
+
+
+CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I. Is the Conversion of St. Paul a proof in favour of the
+Christian Religion?
+
+Many theologians would make us regard the miraculous conversion and
+apostleship of St. Paul as one of the strongest proofs of the truth of
+Christianity. But in viewing the thing closely it appears that this
+conversion, far from proving any thing in favour of this religion,
+invalidates the other proofs of it, in fact, our doctors continually
+assure us that the Christian religion draws its strongest proofs from
+the prophecies of the Old Testament, whilst there is not in fact a
+single one of these prophecies that can be literally applied to the
+Messiah of the Christians. St. Paul himself willing to make use of these
+oracles of the Jewish nation to prove the mission of Christ, is obliged
+to distort them, and to seek in them a mystical, allegorical, and
+figurative sense. On the other side, how can these prophecies made by
+Jews and addressed to Jews, serve as proofs of the doctrine of St.
+Paul, who had evidently formed the design of altering, or even of
+destroying, the Jewish religion, in order to raise a new system on its
+ruins? Such being the state of things, what real connection, or what
+relation, can there be between the religious system of the Jews, and
+that of St. Paul? For this Apostle to have had the right of making use of
+the Jewish prophecies, it would have been necessary that he should have
+remained a Jew; his conversion to Christianity evidently deprived him of
+the privilege of serving himself, by having recourse to the prophecies
+belonging to a religion that he had just abandoned, and the ruin of
+which he meditated. True prophecies can only be found in a divine
+religion, and a religion truly divine, can neither be altered, reformed,
+nor destroyed: God himself, if he is immutable, could not change it.
+
+In fact, might not the Jews have said to St. Paul, "Apostate that you
+are! you believe in our prophecies, and you come to destroy the religion
+founded upon the same prophecies. If you believe in our oracles, you
+are forced to believe that the religion which you have quitted is a true
+religion and divinely inspired. If you say, that God has changed his
+mind, you are impious in pretending that God could change, and was not
+sufficiently wise, to give at once to his people a perfect worship, and
+one which had no need of being reformed. On the other side, do not the
+reiterated promises of the Most High, confirmed by paths to our fathers,
+assure us, that his alliance with us should endure eternally? You are
+then an impostor, and, according to our law, we ought to exterminate
+you; seeing that Moses, our divine legislator, orders us to put to
+death, whoever shall have the temerity to preach to us a new worship,
+even though he should confirm his mission by prodigies. The God that you
+preach is not the God of our fathers: you say that Christ is his son;
+but we know that God has no son. You pretend that this son, whom we have
+put to death as a false prophet, has risen from the dead, but Moses has
+not spoken of the resurrection; thus your new God and your dogmas
+are contrary to our law, and consequently we ought to hold them in
+abhorrence." In short these same Jews might have said to St. Paul: "You
+deceive yourself in saying, that you are the disciple of Jesus, your
+Jesus was a Jew, during the whole of his life he was circumcised, he
+conformed himself to all the legal ordinances; he often protested
+that he came to accomplish, and not to abolish the law; whilst you in
+contempt of the protestations of the Master, whose Apostle you say you
+are, take the liberty of changing this holy law, of decrying it, of
+dispensing with its most essential ordinances."
+
+Moreover the conversion of St. Paul strangely weakens the proof that
+the Christian religion draws from the miracles of Jesus Christ and his
+Apostles. According to the evangelists themselves the Jews were not
+at all convinced by these miracles. The transcendant prodigy of the
+resurrection of Christ, the wonders since wrought by some of his
+adherents did not contribute more to their conversion. St. Paul believed
+nothing of them at first, he was a zealous persecutor of the first
+Christians to such a degree, that, according to the Christians, nothing
+short of a new miracle, performed for him alone, was able to convert
+him; which proves to us that there was, at least, a time when St. Paul
+did not give any credit to the wonders that the partisans of Jesus
+related at Jerusalem.
+
+He needed a particular miracle to believe in those miracles, that we
+are obliged to believe in at the time in which we live, without heaven
+operating any new prodigy to demonstrate to us the truth of them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II. Opinions of the first Christians upon the Acts of the
+Apostles, and upon the Epistles and Person of St. Paul.
+
+It is in the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles of St. Paul, that
+we find the details of his life and the system of his doctrine; but, how
+can we be certain of the authenticity of these works, whilst we see many
+of the first Christians doubt and reject them as apocryphal? We find,
+in fact, that from the earliest period of the church, entire sects of
+Christians, who believed that many of the Epistles published under
+the name of this Apostle, were not really his. The Marcionites were
+confident that the gospels were filled with falshoods, and Marcion,
+their head, pretended that his gospel was the only true one.
+
+The Manicheans, who formed a very numerous sect at the commencement of
+Christianity, rejected as false, all the New Testament, and produced
+other writings, quite different, which they gave as authentic. The
+Corinthians, as well as the Marcionites, did not admit the Acts of the
+Apostles. The Encratites and the Severians did not adopt either the Acts
+or the Epistles of St. Paul. St. John Chrysostom in a homily, which he
+has made upon the Acts, says, that in his time (that is to say, towards
+the end of the fourth century) many men were ignorant not only of the
+name of the author, or of the collector of these Acts, but even did
+not know this work. The Valentinians, as well as many other sects
+of Christians accused our scriptures of being filled with errors,
+imperfections, and contradictions, and of being insufficient without the
+assistance of traditions; this is a fact that is attested to us by St.
+Irenaeus. The Ebionites or Nazarenes, who, as we shall soon see, were the
+first Christians, rejected all the Epistles of St. Paul, and regarded
+him as an impostor and hypocrite.
+
+It will not fail being said to us, that we ought not to rely on
+the testimony of heretics; but I shall reply, that in the matter in
+question, their testimony is of the same weight as that of the orthodox,
+seeing that all the different sects consider themselves as orthodox,
+and have treated their adversaries as heretics. How shall we unravel the
+truth if we do not hear both parties? By what signs shall we know those
+on whom we ought to rely? Shall we cede the cause without examining their
+adversaries, to writers who utter to us falshoods without number, who
+contradict each other, who are never agreed amongst themselves, and
+whose discordant writings are nevertheless produced as proofs of what
+they advance? In any other subject such a conduct would seem to betray a
+partiality or even insincerity: but in religious matters, every thing is
+fair, and there is no necessity of being so nice.
+
+However that may be, it does not follow that because one sect has
+received or rejected a work, that the work itself is either true or
+false; there cannot be otherwise than, a diversity of opinions between
+persons of different parties; their testimony ought to have equal
+weight, until the partisans of one sect, have been convicted of being
+greater cheats and liars, than those of the other. If we pay no regard
+to the authority of heretics, it is because they have not had sufficient
+power to enforce their opinions. It is power or weakness which makes
+orthodoxians or heretics: the last are always those who have not power
+enough to make their opinions current.
+
+What course shall we then pursue to discover on which side is the truth?
+An impartial man will no more expect to find it in one party than in
+another, thus the testimony of the one can have no greater weight than
+that of the other in the eye of an unprejudiced man.
+
+This granted, we cannot rely on the authority of Christian traditions
+which vary in all sects, and we shall be reduced to recur solely
+to reason, especially when we find that the works, which are to-day
+regarded as authentic, have in other times been considered as
+suppositious, or apocryphal, by some very ancient sects of Christians,
+and that the works and writings, then regarded as apocryphal, have since
+been adopted as true.
+
+It appears that in the ancient churches, they read at once the works
+that we now regard as true, and those that now-pass for suppositious,
+in such sort, that there is reason to believe they were then held to
+possess equal claim to authenticity: it is, at least, very, difficult
+to demonstrate the contrary in the present time. Some churches have
+attributed the same authority to false or doubtful writings as to true.
+
+The Roman Church to-day adopts as authentic and divinely inspired many
+books of the Bible, absolutely rejected by the Protestants. How is it
+possible to decide which is the party that deceives itself?
+
+By what right can we then affirm to-day that the works of St. Paul,
+formerly rejected by so many Christian sects, are authentic, that is
+to say, truly belong to this Apostle? On the other hand, how can we
+attribute to divine inspiration writings filled with inconsistencies,
+contradictions, mistakes, and false reasonings, in a word, which bear
+every character of delirium, of ignorance, and of fraud? I acknowledge
+that those who want valid proofs, always do right to affirm the thing,
+with the tone of authority; but this tone proves nothing, and always
+prejudices against those who take it. Nothing is more injurious to the
+interest of truth, than the arrogance of an usurped authority. These
+are, however, the arms that are incessantly opposed to those who doubt
+of religion. It would seem that its defenders have no other arguments
+than their pretences; it is easy to feel that these arguments are every
+thing, but convincing.
+
+The Acts of the Apostles, adopted by the Ebionites or Nazarenes, relate
+amongst other things, that, "Paul was originally a Pagan, that he
+came to Jerusalem where he dwelt for some time; that being desirous of
+marrying the daughter of the High Priest he became a proselyte, and
+was circumcised; but not being able to obtain the woman he desired,
+he quarrelled with the Jews, began to write against the circumcision,
+against the observation of the Sabbath, and against legal ordinances."
+
+We know that the name of Nazarenes was the first which was given to the
+Christians. St. Epiphanius, from whom the preceding passage is taken,
+says, "that they were thus named because of Jesus of Nazareth," of whom
+they were the first disciples. The Jews called them Nazarenes from the
+Hebrew word Nozerim, which signifies one separated or excommunicated;
+again they designated them under the name of Mineans, that is to say,
+heretics. They were also by contempt called Ebionites, which signifies
+poor, mendicant, weak-minded. In fact, the Hebrew Ebion, means poor,
+miserable, and we know, that the first followers of Christ, were every
+thing but opulent or intelligent men.
+
+The first faithful, were Jews converted by Jesus himself, or by the most
+ancient Apostles, such as Peter, James, and John, who as well as their
+master, lived in Judaism. These Apostles, disciples, and new converts,
+differed from the Jews in nothing but the belief in Jesus Christ, whom
+they regarded as the Messiah predicted by the prophets; otherwise
+they believed themselves bound constantly to observe the Mosaic law,
+persuaded that their Messiah was come to accomplish and not to destroy
+this law. In consequence of this, they observed circumcision, the
+abstinence from certain meats, separation from the Gentiles, in a word,
+the Jewish rites and ordinances.
+
+Thus the first Apostles, and their adherents, were only Jews, persuaded
+that the Messiah was already come, and was going soon to commence his
+reign, which made them hated and persecuted as schismatics or heretics
+by their fellow-citizens. St. Jerome informs us, "that even down to his
+time, the Jews used to anathematize the Christians, under the name of
+Nazarenes, three times a day in their synagogues."
+
+All this evidently proves, that the Nazarenes, of Ebionites, were the
+first Christians, taught by the most considerable of the Apostles, and
+that the first Christians were only reformed Jews; this is clearly the
+only idea we can form of Christianity, such as it was taught by Jesus
+Christ himself.
+
+How then comes it that since Jesus, Christianity has been so separated
+from Judaism? a slight attention will prove to us that this is owing to
+St. Paul. Repulsed by the Jews, or perhaps desirous of playing a
+more important part, we see him separate himself from his brethren of
+Jerusalem, and undertake the conversion of the Gentiles, for whom
+the Jews entertained no sentiment but horror. Encouraged by his first
+successes and wishing to extend them, he dispensed the Pagans from the
+painful ceremony of circumcision; he declared that the law of Moses, was
+only a law of servitude, from which Jesus was come to free mankind; he
+pretended that all the old law was merely the emblem and figure of the
+new; he announced himself as the Apostle of the Gentiles, and leaving
+Peter and the other Nazarenes to preach the gospel of circumcision,
+he preached his own gospel, which he himself called the gospel of
+uncircumcision: in a word, he made a divorce with the Jewish laws, to
+which his apostolic brethren believed they ought to hold themselves
+attached, at least, in most respects.
+
+The conduct of Paul, must naturally have displeased his seniors in the
+Apostleship, but fear appears to have deter mined them to cede, at least
+for a time, to our missionary who had already made a considerable party.
+Nevertheless the Acts of the Apostles and the writings of Paul, prove to
+us his quarrels with his brethren, who, according to appearances, never
+viewed with a friendly eye, his enterprizes and innovations. Moreover,
+Eusebius and St. Epiphanius inform us, that our Apostle was regarded as
+an apostate, an impostor, and an enemy by the Ebionites, that is to say,
+by the first faithful. But St. Paul's party having in the end prevailed,
+the Jewish law was entirely banished from Christianity, and the
+Ebionites, or Nazarenes, though of more ancient date and though formed
+by Christ and his first apostles were declared heretics.
+
+It is proper to remark in this place that these Ebionites, or first
+Christians, believed that Jesus was but a man, as much on the side of
+his father as on that of his mother, that is to say, the son of Joseph
+and Mary; but that he was a wise, just, and excellent person, thus
+meriting the appellation of the son of God, because of his holy life and
+good qualities whence we see that the first Christians were as well as
+the first Apostles, true Socinians. But St. Paul to give, without doubt,
+more lustre to his ministry, and his adherents after him, willing to
+extol the holiness of their religion, made a God of Jesus, a dogma which
+it is no more permitted to doubt, especially since the partizans of Paul
+have become more numerous, and stronger than those of St. Peter and the
+other Nazarenes, or Jewish founders of primitive Christianity, which
+thus totally changed its face as to its capital dogmas.
+
+Having thus become masters of the field of battle, Paul, his adherents,
+and the disciples formed in their school, saw themselves in possession
+of the power of regulating belief, of inventing new dogmas, of making
+gospels, and of arranging them in their own manner, of forging to
+themselves titles, and of excommunicating as heretics all those who
+showed themselves unteachable. It is thus that the author of the Acts of
+the Apostles, only speaks, as it were, of his master, of St. Paul, and
+glances very slightly over the Acts of the Apostles of the contrary
+party. The same author (St. Luke) is presumed to have composed his
+gospel from the notes furnished him by St. Paul, though he had neither
+known nor seen Jesus Christ.
+
+Faustus, the Manichean, said on the subject of the gospels, "that
+they had been composed a long time after the Apostles, by some obscure
+individuals, who fearing that faith would not be given to histories of
+facts with which they must have been unacquainted, published under the
+name of the Apostles their own writings, so filled with mistakes and
+discordant relations and opinions, that we can find in them neither
+connection nor agreement with themselves."
+
+A little further on he loudly accuses his adversaries, who had
+the credit of being orthodox, and says to them, "It is thus that
+predecessors have inserted in the writings of our Lord many things
+which, though they bear his name, do not # at all agree with his
+doctrine. That is not surprising since we have often proved that these
+things have not been written by himself nor by his Apostles, but that
+for the greater part they are founded on tales, on vague reports,
+and collected by I know not who, half Jews, but little agreed among
+themselves, who have nevertheless published them under the name of our
+Lord, and thus have attributed to him their own errors and deceptions."
+
+Origeo informs us, that Celsus exclaimed against the licence that the
+Christians of his time, had taken of altering many times imprudently the
+originals of their gospels, in order to be able to deny or to retract
+those things, which embarrassed them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III. Of the Authority of the Councils, of the Fathers of the
+Church, and of Tradition
+
+It is only in the Fathers of the Church, and the Councils, that we can
+find the proofs of the authenticity of the Christian traditions, and
+according to the proofs which remain it appears, that they only approved
+or rejected opinions, as they found them favourable or injurious to the
+interests of the party which they had embraced. Every ecclesiastical
+writer, and every assembly of Bishops, adopted as canonical the writings
+in which they found their own particular dogmas, the others they treated
+as apocryphal or suppositious. A slight acquaintance with the writings
+of the Fathers, will show us that we cannot rely on them for any facts;
+we shall find that their books are filled with negligences, tales,
+impertinences and falsehoods; we shall see them buried in the thickest
+darkness of superstition and prejudice. Every word announces their
+incredulity or their insincerity. St. Clement the Roman, believed the
+fable of the phoenix reviving from its ashes, and cites it as a proof of
+the resurrection.
+
+Papias, who was the master of St. Irenaeus, was, in the opinion of
+Eusebius himself, a man of weak mind, a fabulous author, who had
+contributed to lead many men into error, and amongst others St. Irenaeus
+who was his disciple, whom Eusebius regards as a very credulous man,
+though he was the first ecclesiastical historian of note. It is not
+surprising that those who have followed such guides have fallen into
+error.
+
+On the other side, we should never finish, were we to enter into a
+detail of the excesses committed by the Fathers of the Church and the
+Councils: their history would only serve to prove their ambition their
+pride, their infatuation, their seditious spirit, their cheats, their
+intrigues, and their cruelties in the persecutions which they excited
+against their adversaries. It is nevertheless on the probity and on the
+knowledge of these great personages that we are called to rely! It is
+pretended that it is from them that we hold the pure oracles of truth;
+must we then take lessons of mildness, of charity, of, holiness,
+from the writings of some factious individuals, who were perpetually
+quarrelling and treating their adversaries with the utmost cruelty,
+whose works were filled with gall, whose conduct it is admitted even by
+their own friends and admirers, was almost always unjust, violent, and
+criminal? How can it be expected that we should find any point of unity
+in the canons and decrees of assemblies agitated by intrigue, discord,
+and animosity? How can we regard as saints, and infallible doctors, as
+persons worthy of our confidence, perverse men, continually involved in
+disputations with others, and in contradictions with themselves?
+What guide can we expect to find in turbulent priests whose ambition,
+avarice, and intriguing and persecuting spirit are every where visible?
+It is only necessary to read ecclesiastical history to be convinced that
+the picture which we have drawn of the Councils and Fathers is no ways
+exaggerated.
+
+On the other hand the writers and Councils on whose authority,
+Christians are called upon to found their belief, do, in all their
+traditions, but blindly follow and copy each other; we see them devoid
+of the arts of reasoning, of logic, and of criticism; hence their
+works are found filled with fables, vulgar errors, and forgeries. Is it
+possible to believe the traditions of such a man as St. Jerome, who in
+his life of St. Anthony, assures us that this holy man had a conference
+with satyrs with goats feet? Do we not justly doubt the sincerity of St.
+Augustine, when he says, "that he had seen a nation composed of men,
+who had eyes in the middle of their stomachs?" Are such authors more
+entitled to credit, than those of Robinson Crusoe, and of the Thousand
+and One Nights?
+
+Supposing even that at the commencement of Christianity, there had been
+authentic books in which the actions and the discourses of Jesus Christ
+and his Apostles had been faithfully related, should we be justified
+in supposing that they have been handed down to us such as they were
+originally? Prior to the invention of printing, it was doubtless much
+easier to impose upon the public than it is now, and notwithstanding, we
+see that the _Press_ gives currency to innumerable falsehoods.
+
+The spirit of party causes every thing to be adopted that is useful
+to its own cause. That granted, how easy was it for the heads of the
+Church, who were once the only guardians of the holy books, either from
+pious fraud, or a determined wish to deceive, to insert falsehoods and
+articles of faith, in the books entrusted to their care.
+
+The learned Dodwell admits, that the books which compose the New
+Testament did not appear in public, until at least 100 Years after
+Christ. If this fact be certain, how shall we convince ourselves that
+they existed prior to this time? These books were solely entrusted to
+the care of the ecclesiastical gentry, till the third or fourth
+century, that is to say, to the guardianship of men, whose conduct
+was universally regulated by self interest and party spirit, and who
+possessed neither the probity nor knowledge requisite for discovering
+the truth, or of transmitting it in its original purity. Thus each
+doctor had the power of making such holy books as he pleased, and
+when, under Constantine, the Christians saw themselves supported by the
+Emperor, their chiefs were able to accept, and cause to be accepted as
+authentic, and of rejecting as apocryphal, such books as suited their
+interest, or did not agree with the prevailing doctrine. But were we
+even sure of the authenticity of the books, which the church of this
+day adopts, we are nevertheless, without any other guarantee of the
+authority of the scriptures than the books themselves. Is there a
+history which has the right to prove itself by itself? Can we rely upon
+witnesses who give no other proof of what they advance than their own
+words? Yet the first Christians have rendered themselves famous by their
+deceptions, their factions, and their frauds, which are termed pious
+when they tend to the advantage of religion. Have not these pious
+falsehoods been ascribed to the works of Jesus Christ himself and to the
+Apostles his successors? Have we not, in their manner, sybilline verses,
+which are evidently all Christian prophecies, made afterwards, and often
+copied word for word into the Old and New Testament? If it had pleased
+the Fathers at the council of Nice, to regard these prophecies as
+divinely inspired, what or who should have prevented them from inserting
+them into the canon of the Scriptures? And from that the Christians
+would not have failed to regard them in the present day, as indubitable
+proofs of the truth of their religion.
+
+If the Christians at the commencement of Christianity, gave credit to
+works filled with reveries, such as the Shepherd of Hermas, the Gospel
+of the Infancy, the Letter of Jesus Christ to Algarus, what confidence
+can we have in such of their books as remain? Can we flatter ourselves,
+with having even these such as they were originally written? How can we
+at the present time, distinguish the true from the false, in books, in
+which enthusiasm, roguery and credulity pervade every page.
+
+Since the gospels themselves fail in the proofs necessary to establish
+their authenticity, and the truth of the facts which they relate, I
+do not see that the epistles of St. Paul, or the Acts of the Apostles,
+enjoy in this respect a greater advantage. If the first Christians had
+no difficulty in attributing works to Jesus, would they have been over
+scrupulous, in doing the same to his apostles, or in making for
+them romantic legends, which length of time has caused to pass for
+respectable books? If a body of powerful men, had it in their power to
+command the credulity of the people, and found it their interest, they
+would succeed, at the end of a few centuries, in establishing the belief
+that the adventures of Don Quixote were perfectly true, and that the
+prophecies of Nostradamus were inspirations of the divinity. By means of
+glossaries, commentaries and allegories, we may find and prove whatever
+we desire; however glaring an imposture may be, it may, by the aid of
+time, deception, and force, pass in the end for a truth, which it is not
+permitted to doubt; Determined cheats supported by public authority
+may cause ignorance, which is always credulous to believe whatever
+they choose, especially by persuading it that there is merit in not
+perceiving inconsistencies, contradictions, and palpable absurdities,
+and that there is danger in reasoning.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV. Life of St. Paul, according to the Acts of the Apostles
+
+I have thus far shewn that nothing was more destitute of proof than the
+authenticity of the books which contain the life and writings of St.
+Paul. I have shewn that the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles of
+St. Paul, were rejected by some Christian sects which subsisted from the
+earliest times of the church. It must have been seen that the opinion
+of the authenticity of these books was founded solely on traditions, to
+which it is very difficult to give credit, considering the characters of
+those by whom these traditions have been transmitted, it is however upon
+such suspicious guarantees, that the authority of these works has been
+pretended to be established; it will then be necessary to admit them
+at once and without examination, or else recur to reason in order to
+examine for ourselves, what we ought to think concerning them.
+
+To form our ideas of St. Paul, let us then consult only these works,
+however suspected their origin may appear to us, which contain the
+detail of his life; there are no others to which we can have recourse.
+
+The author of the Acts of the Apostles, whoever he be, relates the
+miraculous conversion of Saul, afterwards called Paul, in the ninth
+chapter. We find him already named in the two preceding chapters, first
+as approving of the death of St. Stephen, the first martyr for the
+Christian religion, and next as persecuting and desolating the church.
+Not contented with tormenting the Christians of Jerusalem, he furnished
+himself with letters from the High Priest which authorised him to seize
+those whom he might find at Damascus; but, while on the road a miracle
+caused him to change all his projects; he is suddenly surrounded by a
+divine light, without seeing any one, he hears the voice of Jesus of
+Nazareth, who demands of him the motives of his persecutions. Saul
+trembling enquired what conduct he ought to pursue. Jesus tells him,
+that at Damascus he would be informed of his intentions. Our persecutor
+on this occasion is struck blind, but his heart is converted, and
+sight is miraculously restored to him by a Christian of Damascus named
+Ananias, who had been, by a particular revelation informed of his
+hostile designs against the church, and of the great designs of God,
+who, of this persecutor, would form a vessel of election, that is to
+say the Apostle of the Gentiles.
+
+Soon after this conversion and cure, Saul is baptized and commences
+preaching Christ in the synagogues, confounding the Jews to such a
+degree that they came to the resolution to take away his life. But the
+new missionary deceived their vigilance by saving himself during the
+night by means of a basket, in which he was lowered, and made his escape
+from Damascus. He returned to Jerusalem where the disciples of Jesus
+were thrown into consternation at his appearance; but Barnabas presented
+him to the Apostles, informed them of his conversion, and enrolled him
+to their college. In consequence he preached the Gospel; this conduct
+soon raised troubles and persecutions against him on the part of the
+Jews, who again formed the design of putting him to death. But he found
+means of escaping from their fury by the assistance of some disciples
+who conducted him to Cesarea, whence they afterward sent him to Tarsus.
+Barnabas came and joined Saul in the latter city, whence he led him to
+Antioch. Here Saul and Barnabas remained during a year, they there made
+a great number of converts; it was there that the proselytes first took
+the name of Christians. To warm the zeal of the new converts, they sent
+for prophets from Jerusalem, one of these named Agabus predicted a great
+famine, which determined the disciples of Antioch to distribute alms
+to their brethren of Judea; Saul and Barnabas were the bearers of these
+marks of generosity, and the Apostles, whom the first faithful made
+the depositaries of their riches, knew, without doubt, the price of the
+acquisition that the sect had made in the person of the new missionary*.
+
+     * Acts of Apostles, chap. 12.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V. St. Paul styles himself the Apostle of the Gentiles--Causes
+of his Success.
+
+All proves to us that Paul and his associate Barnabas found it much
+easier to convert the Gentiles than the Jews, who showed themselves
+almost always rebels to their lessons. The docility of the first, and
+indocility of the latter may be traced to very natural causes; the
+idolators were destitute of instruction, their priests, content with
+exacting from them their offerings and sacrifices, never thought of
+instructing them in their religion; thus our missionaries encountered
+few obstacles in persuading them of the truth of the novelties which
+they came to announce to them. It was not thus with the Jews, who had
+a law, to which they were very strongly attached, since they were
+convinced that it had been dictated by God himself. In consequence our
+preach-. ers could not make themselves listened to, but, in proportion,
+as the doctrine they preached agreed with the notions with which the
+Jews were previously imbued. The Apostles were therefore compelled to
+reason with the Jews, according to their own system, to shew them that
+the Christ whom they announced was the Messiah which they expected from
+their own prophets; in a word, in preaching the Gospel to the Jews, the
+preachers were driven into embarrassing discussions, and perpetually
+exposed to cavils and contradictions which they had no fear of on the
+part of the Gentiles, who received without disputing the novelties which
+they broached to them, and which besides agreed well enough with the
+notions of the pagan mythology, as we have shewn in another work.
+
+On the other side also, the idolators had not the exclusive ideas of
+religion peculiar to the Jews; they were tolerant, they admitted every
+species of worship, and were disposed to pay homage to every God that
+was proposed to them. The Hebrews were not of this disposition, they
+believed themselves alone in the possession of the knowledge of the true
+God, and rejected with horror strange Gods and worships.
+
+These reflections are sufficient to explain to us the reason of the
+great success that the Apostles had in preaching to the Gentiles,
+compared with their endeavours amongst the Jews; they likewise show us
+especially the true motives of Paul's conduct. In fact, repulsed by
+the cavils and opposition of the Jews, we see Paul and Barnabas turn
+themselves to the side of the Pagans, who listened to them with more
+attention and declared to the Jews, that God had forsaken them*.
+
+     * Acts of Apostles, chap. xiii. ver. 45, &c,
+
+The Gentiles were apparently flattered by the preference; numbers of
+them adopted the religion announced to them, which did not hinder the
+Jews from exciting, against our missionaries, the zeal of the female
+devotees whose clamour obliged them to quit Antioch.
+
+From thence our two associates, after having shook the dust of their
+feet against their opposers, repaired to Iconium, where they again met
+with opposition on the part of the Jews who even irritated the Gentiles
+against them, which compelled them to fly to Lystra in Lycaonia. There
+according to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul thought it necessary to
+perform a miracle, well knowing that nothing is more efficacious than a
+prodigy in making an impression on the minds of the vulgar.
+
+He then cured a lame man. This miracle convinced the idolators, who took
+Paul and his comrade for Gods, and under this idea would have offered
+them sacrifices. However this wonder did not produce the same effect
+upon the Jews; these apparently regarded it as a deception, or some
+trick of which they were not the dupes. In fact we see that the Jews,
+who nevertheless yielded to no people in credulity, so far from being
+moved by Paul's miracle, that they stoned him as a malefactor and left
+him for dead. From this unlucky affair he however extricated himself and
+returned to Antioch, whence he set out in order to give an account of
+the success of his mission, from which it appears that he had no reason
+for self congratulation, since, if he made a number of recruits for
+Jesus, he had succeeded at the expence of much personal ill usage.
+
+Nevertheless the Nazarenes, or Ebionites, i. e. the first of the Jews,
+who had embraced the doctrine of the Apostles, were persuaded that the
+religion of Christ was merely a reformed Judaism. Always attached to
+the practices of the Mosaic law, they believed themselves called upon to
+evince their zeal in its favour; in consequence of which they pretended
+that the Gentiles, converted by the Apostles, ought, like themselves,
+to submit to the rite of circumcision. But Paul and Barnabas strongly
+opposed this opinion*; they were well aware that so painful an
+operation, especially after a certain age, would be very likely to
+dishearten the heathen whom they had drawn to their sect. But as
+the affair appeared very important they referred the decision to the
+Apostles who remained at Jerusalem. In consequence Paul and Barnabas,
+and also the partisans of circumcision, repaired, thither, each with the
+view of maintaining their own opinion. The question was argued, and our
+two missionaries convinced the Apostolic College of the necessity of
+freeing the Gentiles from a rite at which they revolted. Thus, according
+to the author of the Acts of the Apostles, (who appears to have been
+devoted to St. Paul's party) it was decided, that the newly converted
+Gentiles should be exempted from a ceremony which, until now, had been
+regarded as highly essential, since it had been ordained by the Divinity
+himself.
+
+     * See Acts of Apostles, chap. xv. ver. 5; see also in the
+     second chapter, of this work what is said of the Nazarenes.
+
+There is reason to believe that the old Apostles did not subscribe
+without great reluctance to a decision which seemed to annul one of the
+capital points of the Mosaic law, and had the appearance of rectifying
+the ordinances, of the Most High. Jesus himself in his infancy underwent
+the ceremony of circumcision; during his life he practised the customs
+prescribed to his nation; he formerly declared that he was come, not to
+destroy, but to accomplish the law of the Jews; and nevertheless we see
+St. Paul and his adherents, of their own authority, annul at one blow a
+ceremony of divine institution, approved of and observed by their master
+and that for political and worldly considerations, which saints ought
+never to regard.
+
+However this may be, by this decision, which Paul extorted from the
+Apostles, it seemed from that time to give the signal of the schism,
+which in the end totally separated the Jews from the Christians.
+Nevertheless we shall soon see Paul, who on this occasion took in
+hand the cause of the Gentiles, prepare (resuming the old errors) and
+circumcise a disciple himself. So true it is, that the greatest saints
+are not always consistent in their opinions, nor uniform in their
+conduct.
+
+The Apostles having shewn so much indulgence in the article of the
+circumcision of the Gentiles, were, however desirous of giving a kind of
+satisfaction to the partisans of Judaism; with this view they prohibited
+the new converts from worshipping idols, from giving themselves up to
+fornication; and ordered them to abstain from things strangled and from
+the blood of animals. By these means they sought to conciliate every
+one; the Gentiles were not circumcised, and submitted themselves, in
+part, to the ordinances of the Jews, who thus saw a deference always
+paid to the law of their fathers, to which they were ever strongly
+attached *.
+
+     * See Acts of Apostles, chap. xv. All seems to prove that
+     the Apostles soon repented of the weakness they had been
+     guilty of in ceding to St. Paul, for we find he formed a
+     separate party, who preached the Gospel in his own manner,
+     that is to say, the Gospel of the uncircumcision.
+
+Furnished with this decision of the council of Jerusalem, in which the
+Apostles declare themselves authorised by the Holy Spirit, Paul and
+Barnabas returned to Antioch, whence they were desirous of visiting
+the towns where they had already preached; but a contest respecting the
+choice of an associate of their labours, made a breach between our two
+missionaries and caused a separation between them. Barnabas accompanied
+by Mark embarked for the Isle of Cyprus, whilst Paul with Silas, his new
+companion, traversed Syria and Cilicia to confirm in the faith those who
+had been recently converted *.
+
+     * It ought here to be remarked, that there exists yet a
+     Gospel of the Nazarenes, the honour of which has been
+     decreed to St. Barnabas, and in which Paul is roughly
+     handled. In fact this Apostle preached, as we have shewn,
+     besides uncircumcision, a doctrine very different from that
+     of the Nazarenes, Ebionites, or first Christians, who,
+     according to St. Irenaeus, St. Epiphanius, and Eusebius,
+     regarded Jesus merely as a man, the son of Joseph and Mary,
+     and who was called the Son of God, only on account of his
+     virtues. This may enable us to guess at the cause of Paul's
+     quarrel with Barnabas, whose Gospel insinuates that Paul was
+     in error in teaching that Jesus was God.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI. Paul preaches in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece
+
+Upon his arrival at Lystra, St. Paul, notwithstanding the indulgence
+of the Council of Jerusalem, thought it good policy to circumcise a
+proselyte named Timothy, who was born of a Gentile father and a Jewish
+mother. The Acts of the Apostles inform us of the motive of this
+circumcision (chap. xvi. ver. 3) it being done "because of the Jews
+which were in those quarters."
+
+Our two Missionaries now travelled over several provinces of Asia Minor,
+such as Phrygia and Galatia, and yet we find that the Holy Ghost forbade
+them to announce the word of God in Asia. We may indeed suppose, that
+in this passage, the "Holy Ghost" is only intended to indicate that our
+missionaries themselves perceived, that it would be dangerous for them
+to preach their doctrine; for in the Holy Scriptures the persons of whom
+it speaks are always supposed to act from divine impulse.
+
+Paul had a vision, which persuaded him to go to Macedonia. Being arrived
+at Phillippi, he preached to the women with such success, that he had
+the happiness of converting a dealer in purple, named Lydia, who, from
+gratitude, invited them pressingly to lodge in her house. They were
+well accommodated no doubt, since devotees take great care of their
+directors; but our holy personages had the misfortune to perform a
+miracle which deranged all their affairs. Paul cast out the evil spirit
+from a damsel, who having a spirit of divination, brought great profit
+to her masters by soothsaying. The cure, or perhaps conversion, of
+this slave, displeased her masters, they carried their complaint to
+the magistrates; the people took a part against our preachers, who were
+beaten with rods and then sent to prison. An earthquake retrieved their
+affairs, they gained over the gaoler whom they converted to the faith.
+In the meantime the magistrates sent him an order to release our
+prisoners. But Paul, bearing in mind the scourging they had received,
+required that the magistrates should come in person and release them,
+asserting that they were Roman citizens: at these words the magistrates
+were intimidated, and came with apologies to set them free, begging them
+to leave their city, which request they complied with, after having
+been to console Lydia the devout, and the brethren, who according to
+appearances did not suffer them to depart empty-handed. This bad success
+did not discourage our missionaries who were aware doubtless, that
+they were inconveniences attached to their profession. They now went to
+Thessalonica, where Paul had the good luck to make some proselytes
+both among Jews and Gentiles; he converted especially, some ladies
+of quality; but the hardened Jews were very much irritated at his
+successes; they endeavoured to apprehend Paul and Silas, but not being
+able to find them, they dragged Jason, their host, and some of the
+brethren, before the magistrates, accusing them of treason, and of
+acknowledging another king besides Caesar.
+
+This uproar obliged our missionaries to decamp during the night from
+Thessalonica, and take the road to Berea, where they were well received
+by the Jews, since Paul succeeded in convincing them that the Gospel
+which he announced was clearly predicted in their own Scriptures: there
+is reason to believe that this was effected by the aid of mystical,
+cabalistical, and allegorical senses, of which he so well knew the use,
+in finding in the Old Testament sufficient to establish whatever he was
+desirous of proving.
+
+He gained in this city a great number of recruits from amongst the Greek
+females of quality, women, according to St. Jerome are best fitted to
+propagate a sect; their levity makes them easily caught by novelties;
+their ignorance renders them credulous; their talkativeness spreads
+the opinions with which they are imbued; and, in short, their obstinacy
+strongly attaches them to the way of thinking they have once adopted. In
+a word we see, that in all times the Christian religion has been under
+the greatest obligations to women; it is to them that innovators ought
+especially to address themselves when they have opinions to establish,
+it is by their aid that fanatics and devout impostors succeed in giving
+importance to their doctrine, and sow the seeds of discord in society.
+It appears that in the time of Paul, women had the right of speaking or
+of prophesying in the church, of this, they have since been deprived,
+and they are only allowed the privilege of bawling in public, in
+favour of the systems of their holy directors, whom they always believe
+infallible, without so much as knowing the state of the question. The
+Quakers are now the only sect which permits women to preach *.
+
+     * There appears some little ambiguity in this paragraph,
+     since if the levity of women renders them so easily
+     susceptible to the embracing new opinions, the obstinacy
+     with which they are charged in adhering to old ones, would
+     seem to neutralize the opposite propensity, and like the
+     infinite attributes of Justice and Mercy in the Christians'
+     God, they would annihilate each other. The fact is, that the
+     ignorant of either sex, are always the most credulous, and
+     their opinions, when imbibed, are seldom to be dignified
+     with any other term than prejudice. Of the great influence
+     of woman in society, no one can doubt, and it is the duty of
+     all who think, and who desire a reformation of the present
+     semi-barbarous state of society, to endeavour to inform and
+     enlighten the female mind; it belongs to man to war against
+     old systems, and errors rendered sacred by their antiquity,
+     and perhaps to lay down some few elementary principles,
+     founded upon a more rational basis, but so long as the
+     infant mind is under the controul of woman, it is to her
+     that we must look to see those principles implanted: it is
+     by the aid of woman that the mass of mankind will (if ever
+     it be done) be transformed from a herd of slaves, to a race
+     of happy and intelligent beings, knowing their rights, and
+     daring to defend them.
+
+The Jews of Thessalonica proceeded to trouble our preachers, in their
+apostolic labours, to such a degree that Paul was under the necessity
+of flying. He, however, took care to leave two missionaries at Berea,
+to watch over the flock which he had gathered. Nevertheless these soon
+received orders to join him at Athens.
+
+In this celebrated city the zeal of our Apostle kindled, he had
+conferences with the philosophers: desirous to learn the nature of the
+discoveries which this man had come to announce to them, they conducted
+him to the Areopagus, there Paul harangued them and spoke to them of
+his God, in a manner something conformable to the notions already
+entertained by some of the Greek philosophers of the Divinity. To
+confirm his discourse he cited to them a passage from the poet Aratus,
+who nevertheless appears to suppose, according to the doctrine of Plato,
+that God is the soul of the world. He inveighed against gods made of
+stone and metal, which did not shock the philosophers, whose ideas were
+more refined than those of the vulgar.
+
+Thus far our orator was attentively heard, but the sages of Athens would
+no longer listen to him, when he began to speak of the last judgment,
+and of the resurrection, which they regarded as an absurd and ridiculous
+notion. Nevertheless the preaching of Paul was not totally useless at
+Athens, the dogma of the resurrection was no obstacle to the conversion
+of Dionysius, the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and some others.
+These were none of them shocked at this doctrine, which was so revolting
+to philosophers, who were accustomed to the study of nature, and who
+refused to adopt, without examination, such marvellous and romantic
+ideas.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII. Preaching of St. Paul at Corinth and Ephesus
+
+After leaving Athens our Apostle came to Corinth. It appears that
+at first he had not much success, for he took to his old trade of
+tent-making. However, he ventured to preach in the synagogue, where the
+Jews were indignant at his discourse: they carried him to the tribunal
+of the proconsul of Achate, who had sufficient prudence to refuse to
+interfere in their contests. The Jews did not imitate his moderation;
+they ill-treated Sostenus, the chief of their synagogue, either for
+having allowed Paul to preach there, or for having been converted by his
+discourse.
+
+Paul, after some days, departed from Corinth, he cut off his hair to
+fulfil a vow he had made, and which apparently obliged him to be present
+at Jerusalem, in order to sacrifice in the temple, according to the law.
+Whence we see that our Apostle had not yet totally abandoned the Jewish
+religion, and that he judged it good policy, occasionally to manoeuvre
+with the Jews. In fact we continually see him sometimes practising, and
+at others decrying, Judaism. From Jerusalem, Paul went to Antioch, where
+he remained some time, but the activity of his mind soon put him in
+motion. After having crossed the high provinces of Asia he came to
+Ephesus, where he found the secret of uniting to his sect the disciples
+of St. John the Baptist, whom he rebaptized, and made them acquainted
+with the Holy Ghost of whom they had no idea. Having now increased his
+party by these new recruits, Paul set about preaching in the synagogue,
+but finding the Jews rather untractable, he withdrew himself, and
+separated his disciples from them. He then commenced teaching in a
+separate school and performing miracles to confirm his discourses; he
+cured the sick, and especially those possessed, in which he succeeded
+much better than those of the Jews, who endeavoured from his example to
+attempt such cures. These miracles converted many persons.
+
+Nevertheless, the preaching of Paul at Ephesus gave rise to an affair,
+which had nearly proved very troublesome. The Goldsmiths of this city
+derived much profit from the manufacture of little silver shrines of
+Diana, the patroness of the Ephesians These artisans were much disturbed
+with the preaching of our apostle, who decried the gods, and might thus
+occasion the ruin of their trade; their clamour alarmed the people, and
+caused a great commotion; the public, as is generally the case, when the
+affair relates to religion, grew very violent, without knowing why. They
+comprehended, in general terms, that their religion and its patroness
+were attacked; and there needed nothing more to inflame their zeal.
+However the town-clerk of the city having explained to them that
+their goddess was in no danger, succeeded in calming the fury of
+the superstitious populace, and thus extricated our apostle from his
+embarassments.
+
+Paul, however, thought proper to quit a city, in which he had run such
+a risk, and again put himself in motion. Arrived at Troas he recommenced
+preaching, when his sermon, being a little too long, sent a young man to
+sleep, who fell from the third story into the street: they took him up
+for dead, when our Apostle having embraced him, assured them that he
+lived, the author of the Acts, takes this fact for a miracle, and tells
+us gravely that Paul raised a dead man on this occasion.
+
+Notwithstanding this pretended miracle, which if it had been true
+ought to have converted the whole town, Paul went directly away, and
+recommenced his travels. At Miletus he took leave of the priests of all
+the adjacent places, after having made them a pathetic exhortation, in
+which he boasts of his humility and disinterestedness, and desires them
+to watch over the flock which he had gathered together by his preaching
+and indefatigable exertions.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII. The Apostle gets into embarrassments at Jerusalem, and is
+sent to Rome
+
+Paul now embarked for Jerusalem; notwithstanding his own presentiments,
+the warnings that were given him, and the prayers of his adherents,
+he was obstinately determined to resort to this city, where the Jews
+irritated by his successes, prepared him an unpleasant reception. He
+was welcomed by the brethren, to whom he related the progress of the
+new sect, but these informed him of the bad designs of the Jews, who
+pretended, and not without reason, that he taught a doctrine contrary
+to that of Moses. To silence these rumours, and to calm the anger of the
+populace, they advised him to fulfil some of the Jewish ceremonies in
+public, and to give to these acts of religion much solemnity.
+
+Paul consented to this counsel, but the Jews of Asia, were not thus
+duped, they knew what to keep to respecting the doctrine which had
+disgusted them; they then excited the Jews of Jerusalem, by saying, that
+he brought the Gentiles into the Temple. All the city was soon in an
+uproar, the devout people seized Paul, drew him out of the Temple, the
+gates of which were closed against this profaner. They were going to
+kill him, had not a tribune rescued him out of their hands, and shut him
+up in a fortress, in the midst of the clamour of an enraged populace,
+which demanded his death.
+
+The Apostle ready to enter his prison, asked of the tribune permission
+to harangue the mob, which was granted after his Conductor was
+probably assured that he was not the brigand who had lately excited an
+insurrection in the country.
+
+In his discourse, which he pronounced in Hebrew, Paul related to the
+people the history of his miraculous conversion, nearly in the manner
+in which it has been narrated. This recital far from softening the Jews,
+made them lose all patience, especially when our Apostle told them he
+was sent to the Gentiles. They then broke silence, crying out, "away
+with such a fellow from the earth, it is not fit that he should live."
+The tribune then shut him up in prison, and commanded that he should be
+scourged, in order to draw from him an acknowledgment of the crime which
+had excited the fury of the Jews. Paul then declared himself a Roman
+citizen, and represented to the centurion charged with the execution
+of these orders, that it was contrary to law, thus to treat a citizen
+without a trial. The centurion informed the tribune, who was fearful of
+having acted with too much precipitation. He was desirous of knowing for
+a certainty of what he was accused by the Jews, and the next morning,
+freeing him from his chains, presented him to the priests and council of
+the nation. Paul then began to harangue the council. He first declared
+that in all he had done, he had followed strictly the dictates of his
+conscience. At these words the High Priest gave him a box on the ear,
+at which Paul being irritated, instead of turning the other cheek,
+according to the precept of Jesus, abused the High Priest, treated him
+as a hypocrite, or whitened wall. But as he perceived that he had given
+offence by his insolence to a man respected by the Jews, he moderated
+himself, and alleged that he was ignorant that it was the High Priest
+whom he had thus addressed in such terms; an ignorance, however, which
+cannot fail to excite surprise, considering that he was a man, who must
+have been informed respecting the place where he was, and the quality of
+those before whom he was speaking. Our orator was more of an adept,
+in managing the opinions of his auditory: aware that the council was
+composed of Sadducees, who denied the doctrine of the resurrection;
+and of Pharisees, who supported it, he knew how to profit by this
+circumstance, by sowing the seed of discord among his judges. In order
+to this he pretended that he was a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee,
+and asserted that they sought his life, because of his hope in the
+resurrection of the dead, This stratagem produced the desired effect,
+the Pharisees declared in his favour, and acknowledged his innocence,
+saying, "We find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel hath
+spoken to this man, let us not fight against God." The tumult increased,
+and the tribune fearing that the orator would be torn in pieces, put him
+under a guard of soldiers, and carried him back to prison.
+
+During the following night, Paul had a vision, in which he thought he
+saw the Lord, who told him to be of good courage; and prophecied that
+he should go to Rome to bear witness. On the other hand forty fanatical
+Jews, made a vow neither to eat nor drink till they had assassinated
+Paul. This resolution had the approbation of the princes and priests,
+who, according to the clerical spirit, found nothing more just than
+assassination in order to get rid of an enemy. The senators also
+consented to this treachery. But Paul's nephew having informed him of
+this plot, he made the tribune acquainted with it, who to secure the
+safety of his prisoner, and to rescue him from the fury of the Jews,
+conducted him under a good escort to Caesarea, and put him under the
+protection of Felix, the governor of that province.
+
+Paul, and his accusers, made their appearance before the pagan governor,
+who, little versed in the theological disputes of the Jews, told them
+that he should decide the affair when he was more fully acquainted with
+the particulars. However some days after, he caused the Apostle to be
+brought before himself, and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess; they
+heard what he had to say to them of faith in Jesus Christ. But when
+Paul, after having preached to them of justice, charity, and repentance,
+spoke of the last judgment, they were afraid, and ordered him to retire,
+postponing the hearing till a future time. Felix hoping to draw some
+money from his prisoner, often sent for him to converse with him. This
+conduct lasted two years, at the end of which period this Governor was
+replaced by Festus.
+
+The Jews proceeded to accuse Paul before the new governor, and demanded
+that he should be sent to Jerusalem. The accused, well knowing that
+the place of this scene would be unfavourable to him, and fearing that
+Festus would yield to the importunities of his enemies, appealed from
+him to Caesar. This appeal suspended all proceedings. However Festus
+having spoken of his prisoner to King Agrippa, who had the curiosity
+to see a man that had made so much noise in Judea. Paul appeared before
+this prince, justified himself from the accusations brought against
+him, and finished by preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This
+doctrine appeared so strange to Festus that he did not doubt a moment of
+his being deranged. However as folly did not seem to him a crime worthy
+of death, he would instantly have acquitted him, had he not made an
+appeal to Caesar. In consequence of this appeal, Paul was put on board a
+ship about to sail for Italy. After many difficulties he was shipwrecked
+on the coast of the isle of Malta, where the author of the Acts, from
+whom we have taken this narrative, does not fail to make him perform
+miracles, a necessary seasoning to legends.
+
+Amongst other wonders which Paul wrought in the isle of Malta, he cured
+himself, in a very natural manner, of the bite of a viper; in fact, it
+appears that he applied fire to it immediately, a simple and well known
+remedy, but which was such a prodigy in the eyes of the poor Maltese,
+that they took him, who was in possession of so fine a secret, for a
+God*. There was apparently nothing more wonderful in the Apostle
+curing the son of his host, whom he found ill of a fever and dysentery;
+disorders which we find yield to very simple remedies. Still this cure
+gained Paul great reputation, they soon brought him a great number of
+sick, who, according to our historian, he did not fail to cure. They
+rendered him great honours, furnished him with the necessary provisions
+for his voyage, and he embarked for Italy.
+
+     * Acts chap. xxviii. ver. 3-6.
+
+Upon his arrival at Rome, Paul was permitted to confer with the
+Christians, and to preach to the Jews, whom he endeavoured to convert to
+the faith of Christ by the law of Moses and the prophets, which he had
+the talent of applying wonderfully to his views: Some smitten with the
+mystical, cabalistical, and allegorical explications, that our Apostle
+gave them, adopted his opinions, while many others resisted his
+arguments.
+
+Indignant against the latter, he told them that their hardness of heart
+had been predicted by Isaiah; he then gave them to understand, that God
+had formed the project of blinding them, in order to have a fair pretext
+for rejecting them, and transferring to the Gentiles, the light and
+salvation of which the Jews had made themselves unworthy, by the
+obstinacy in which it was the will of God that they should persist.
+
+This conduct of the Divinity must doubtless have appeared very strange
+to the Jews. So the Acts inform us, that there arose from these
+preachings of Paul, great contests among them. They turned apparently
+upon predestination and grace; questions upon which Christian
+theologians, have not after eighteen centuries been able to come, either
+to an understanding or agreement.
+
+It appears that notwithstanding the obscurity of his doctrine our
+Apostle succeeded in gaining proselytes to his sect; this obscurity
+itself, has charms for many persons, who believe that a doctrine, is
+so much the more marvellous or divine, as it is above the power of the
+understanding. He preached during two years to the Romans, without any
+person throwing obstacles in his way, and thus laboured to spread this
+religion in the capital of the world.
+
+The Acts of the Apostles, which the church orders us to receive as of
+divine inspiration, informs us nothing more. St Luke to whom this work
+is generally attributed, has transmitted to us, neither the actions,
+miracles nor death of his heroes. We are reduced to seek our information
+thereupon from traditions, which the interests of the clergy would wish
+us to regard, almost as sacred as divine inspirations. According to
+these respectable traditions, our Apostle shed his blood for the faith
+in the propagation of which he had laboured; he was, say they, beheaded
+in the reign of Nero, and in the sixty-sixth year of the Christian era.
+
+After what has been said, we ought naturally to regard St. Paul as
+the true founder of the pontifical see of Rome. Nevertheless certain
+traditions, useful to the Roman Pontiffs, oblige us to believe that it
+was St. Peter, who established his throne in the capital of the world;
+the popes have thought, that their interests required, that they should
+pass for the authorized successors of this Prince of the Apostles, to
+whom Christ himself according to the Gospel, granted immense rights and
+privileges. These traditions then make St. Peter travel to Rome, prior to
+St. Paul, and only regard the latter as the subaltern associate in the
+Apostolic labours of the former.
+
+Nevertheless some critics have ventured to doubt of the reality of St.
+Peter's voyage to Italy, and his foundation of the first see in the
+world, some authors otherwise very orthodox, without regarding the
+interests of the Pope, or respect for the traditions which favour them,
+have treated those pretensions as chimeras: as to the heretics, the
+sworn enemies of the authority of the Roman Pontiff, they have asserted,
+that the voyage of St. Peter to Rome was a fable invented by the
+supporters and partizans, with a design to exalt his authority. Both
+parties found their doubts or assertions upon these grounds. First, That
+the books which the church considers as inspired, make no mention of the
+voyage of Simon Peter, although the circumstance of going to plant the
+faith in the capital of the world, was sufficiently remarkable to claim
+a notice in preference to all the minor cities, which the Acts inform
+us that he visited to preach; in fact, the Holy Ghost, or St. Luke his
+organ, wishing to inform us in this history of the means made use of by
+God, to propagate the Gospel, could not without injustice, omit such a
+signal success, nor fail to give the honour of it to St. Peter, in case
+he had a claim to it.
+
+Secondly, St. Paul who was at Rome at the same time, that Peter was
+supposed to have been there, never once mentions this Prince of the
+Apostles, in the epistles to the faithful at different places, while he
+speaks to them of many other disciples of much less consideration than
+his illustrious colleague: we ought piously to suppose that if St. Peter
+had really established the faith at Rome, the Apostle of the Gentiles
+would have been too equitable to ravish from him the glory, that must
+have accrued to him from so fine a conquest.
+
+Thirdly, Our two Apostles, after the disputes, which they had at Antioch
+would not have been desirous of meeting, or exhibiting in the same
+place. St. Peter would naturally avoid a haughty colleague, who resisted
+him to his face, and who publicly reproved him in a manner sufficiently
+disagreeable. Besides Rome being a pagan city, naturally fell into the
+department of the Apostle of the Gentiles. In short according to the
+Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul was too hasty to agree long with an
+associate greater than himself. His quarrel with Barnabas, for a slight
+difference, proves that Paul was easily irritated.
+
+Fourthly, St. Peter wrote his first epistle from Babylon, and not from
+Rome. It is true that the advocates of this voyage of Peter's, pretend
+that Babylon is the same city as Rome, but this is a geographical error,
+that without a great share of faith can never be admitted for a truth.
+Again, the city of Babylon in Syria, no longer existed in the time of
+Peter, there was then only a Babylon in Egypt; it is only there that we
+can suppose Peter to have written this first epistle.
+
+Fifthly, The traditions which make St. Peter travel to Rome, are filled
+with fables, which make them very suspicious, such as his dispute with
+Simon the magician, who having raised himself into the air, by virtue
+of his art, fell down and broke his limbs by virtue of the Apostles
+prayers. We may also place in the list of fables, the apparition of
+Christ to Peter, when he fled from Rome, and his crucifixion with his
+head downwards. These facts are related neither by inspired authors,
+nor eye witnesses, they are founded on traditions only, that is to say,
+popular rumour, which many persons do not respect so much as the Pope,
+and the clergy seem to desire.
+
+At the risk then of "uncovering Peter to cover Paul" we say that all
+these reasons, seem at least to authorize a doubt respecting the voyage
+of St. Peter to Rome, at any rate the Acts of the Apostles appears to
+insinuate that Paul was the true founder of the see of Rome. He must
+then be regarded as the first Pope. Besides the popes have adopted his
+maxims, and faithfully imitate his policy in many respects; this would
+easily be proved by comparing the almost constant principles of the
+church of Rome, with those of our Apostle, which we shall soon have
+occasion to examine.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX. Reflections on the Life and Character of St. Paul
+
+Such is in a few words the life of St. Paul whom we are justly entitled
+to regard as the principal founder of the Christian Religion. In fact
+it appears that without him, the ignorant and rude disciples of Jesus,
+would never have been able to spread their sect. In order to succeed
+they required a man of greater information and activity, more
+enterprising and enthusiastic, and possessing more dexterity than any of
+those, who composed the apostolic college, before it was joined by Paul.
+In him we see all those qualities united, which made him of all others,
+the most fitted to lay the foundation of a new sect. He knew how to
+profit by the lessons he had received from Gamaliel; from him he had
+acquired a profound knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures, and learnt the
+art of explaining them in an allegorical sense, or, in other words, the
+Cabala by which we may find in these books whatever we desire.
+
+It can hardly be doubted that our Apostle, possessed much energy and
+ambition. We first see him persecuting the disciples of Jesus with
+ardour; and with the view of gaining his ends, and making court to the
+priests, stoop to the trade of informer and spy. Apparently he expected
+by these means to advance himself, but seeing the futility of these
+ambitious hopes, and probably despised and neglected even by those whom
+he had thus zealously served; he changes his batteries, threw himself
+upon the enemies side, and seeing the abilities of those whom he found
+at the head of the new sect, he felt how easily he could eclipse them,
+and constitute himself the chief.
+
+There is reason to believe that these were the true motives of Paul's
+conversion; a mind of his stamp in declaring itself on the side of the
+new sect, at once satisfied its vengeance and ambition. It was then very
+easy for Ananias to make him listen to reason. The apostles were
+not slow in discovering the value of their new acquisition; they
+acknowledged the superiority of such a man; they foresaw the advantages
+the rising sect would derive from his knowledge, his active and
+persevering genius and intrepidity of character. Thus we see the new
+Apostle, from the moment that he was enrolled in the Apostolic College,
+perform the principal part, and throw his coadjutors completely in
+the shade. These contented with preaching at Jerusalem, seldom showed
+themselves at a distance from this city, whilst our hero, continually
+traversed the provinces, made spiritual conquests, and strengthened in a
+hundred places the cause of the disciples of Christ, now become his own.
+In a word Paul now becomes the soul of his sect; his enthusiasm extends
+itself; he braves danger when it is necessary to increase the number
+of his partizans; his ambition is flattered by the empire that he has
+gained; crosses, fatigues, imprisonments, and blows are not capable
+of abating his ardour; determined to succeed at any cost he sacrifices
+every thing to the desire that he has of extending those opinions, which
+give him the power of reigning over the minds of men. He knew well that
+no-empire upon earth is more grateful or stronger than that of opinion.
+
+Nothing appears that ought to induce us to regard the activity,
+obstinate constancy, and courage of Paul as miraculous or supernatural
+effects. We find the same zeal, and frequently the same intrepidity
+and obstinacy in all those strongly animated by ambition or any other
+passion. Obstacles but serve generally to irritate energetic minds, more
+and more, they make a merit of braving dangers; torture, and even death,
+cannot restrain those who are thoroughly enamoured with any object in
+which they have placed their happiness.
+
+St. Paul has been held up to us as a man divested of all personal views.
+His humility, constancy, disinterestedness, and patience, have been
+advanced, as undoubted proofs of his sincerity, and pure zeal for his
+religion. But we say that all these things prove nothing but his violent
+desire for success. The preachers of an infant and oppressed sect,
+destitute of power, must always announce themselves with much
+suppleness, mildness and humility; an ambitious man must in order to
+gain men's hearts, effect much moderation and appear disinterested;
+besides he is sure of losing nothing, when he shall succeed in
+establishing his empire over the mind. Do devotees ever neglect their
+spiritual guides? In short patience and constancy are necessary in all
+enterprises; every man who would crown a great adventure with success,
+ought to avoid hastiness. Nevertheless if we turn to the history of St.
+Paul, we shall see that patience was not always his ruling virtue;
+he very often spoiled his plans by his eagerness, and especially he
+alienated the minds of the Jews, rather than converted them to his
+opinions. He would perhaps have succeeded much better with them, had he
+kept a better government over his impetuous temper, at which it appears
+his coadjutors often revolted. Devotees generally mistake that for
+zeal, which is but a vice in their character, and an imprudence in their
+conduct. The bitter reply that Paul made to the High Priest, proves that
+our Apostle was not excessively enduring, and forgot, at least, on some
+occasions his Christian patience.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X. Of the Enthusiasm of St. Paul
+
+It appears certain that this apostle was filled with enthusiasm and
+zeal. It will perhaps be asked whether we have a right to regard him
+as an impostor? a thousand examples prove to us, that nothing is more
+common, than to witness enthusiasm, zeal and imposture united in the
+same person. The most sincere enthusiast is generally a man whose
+passions are turbulent, and capable of blinding him; he takes his
+passions for divine impulses, be deludes himself, and if we may be
+allowed the expression, gets intoxicated with his own wine. A man who
+at first engages in a particular cause from motives of interest, or
+ambition, very frequently finishes by attaching himself to it with
+sincerity and with strength proportioned to the sacrifices he may have
+made for it. If he succeed in persuading himself, that the cause of his
+passions is the cause of God, he will make no scruple of supporting
+it by all sorts of means, he will sometimes allow the use of artifice,
+deceit, and oblique ways of maintaining the opinions of which he happens
+to be convinced. It is thus we daily see very zealous devotees, employ
+deception, fraud, and sometimes crime, in support of the interests of
+religion, i. e. of the cause they have embraced.
+
+Thus although in the first instance the desire of being revenged on the
+priests, or ambitious views, may have determined St. Paul to join the
+sect of Christians, he might have been able by degrees to attach himself
+strongly to it, to persuade himself that it was preferable to the
+religion of the Jews, and to employ objectionable means, in order to
+make it succeed in the world.
+
+The examination that now remains for us to make of some features in the
+conduct of our apostle, and of some passages in the writings which are
+attributed to him, will serve better than any reasoning to determine the
+judgment, we ought to come to respecting this person. Let us then hear
+what he has to say for himself. This analysis will shew us whether
+Paul was so sincere, disinterested, humble, mild, and upright as his
+partizans, maintain him to have been.
+
+St. Paul in speaking of himself says: "That he knew a man who was caught
+up into the third heaven, and that there he heard unspeakable words,
+which it was not lawful for man to utter*." It appears in the first
+place that no one but a man of a very heated imagination could with
+sincerity pretend to have been caught up into the third Heaven; and no
+one but an impostor, could assert such a fact without being persuaded
+of it. In the second place we may ask of what use could it be to mankind
+that St. Paul should hear in the third heaven, unspeakable words, that
+is to say, such as it was unlawful for man to utter? What should we
+think of a man who should come and assure us, that he possessed a secret
+most important to our happiness, but yet one which he was not permitted
+to divulge? Thus the voyage of St. Paul is either a chimera engendered
+by a sickly brain, or a fable, contrived by a cheat, who sought to make
+himself respected by boasting of the peculiar favours of the almighty.
+This voyage then was perfectly useless, since it was not permitted him
+who made it to relate that which he learnt from it. In short there is
+malice in St. Paul thus irritating the curiosity of his hearers and
+refusing to satisfy it. Under whatever point of view then we behold this
+history or tale of Paul's ravishment into the third heaven, it can be of
+no utility to us, and reflects but little honour upon himself.
+
+     * 2 Corinthians, chap. xii. ver. 2, 3, 4.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI. Of the Disinterestedness of St. Paul
+
+In narrowly examining into the conduct of our Apostle, we shall have
+much difficulty in discovering that disinterestedness with which his
+partizans are so desirous of investing him. We have already exposed the
+natural motives which may have contributed to his conversion. If it be
+true as the Acts of the Apostles, adopted by the Ebionites or Nazarenes,
+asserts, that St. Paul flattered himself with the idea of marrying the
+high priest's daughter, and failed in the project, the disappointment
+might to a man of his passionate and hasty temper, be a motive
+sufficient to determine him to change sides, and from being as we have
+shewn him to have been the spy and satellite of the priests, basely
+seeking to gain their good will, by becoming the agent in their furies
+against the disciples of Jesus; to declare himself in favour of those,
+who were their greatest enemies. It was perhaps the ill success of
+Paul's amours, that determined him to a life of celibacy, and to boast
+of it as meritorious, whilst according to the Jewish law, nothing was
+held in less repute than this state. This holy man would doubtless
+transform into a virtue, a conduct, which in him was nothing but chagrin
+and ill temper. He asserts that it is good for men to abstain from
+women; consequently our clergy have regarded celibacy as a virtue: they
+have fancied themselves obliged to imitate the great St. Paul even in
+his resentments against the sex. They have flattered themselves with
+the idea of being able to resist like him the temptations of the flesh,
+which often torments them; if they have indulgently permitted marriage
+to the profane, it is because Paul has said, it is better to marry than
+to burn. It is notwithstanding probable that the conversion of St. Paul
+was occasioned by other motives than the anecdote related by the Acts
+of the Ebionites, which appears exposed to many objections. In fact,
+according to these Acts, Paul was a pagan born, was made a proselyte,
+and consequently he could not, without having been guilty of great
+folly, pretend to the daughter of a high priest, whose dignity was so
+eminent amongst the Jews. On the other hand according to the writings
+adopted by the Christians of our time, St. Paul was of the tribe of
+Benjamin, and would not have been permitted to marry the daughter of a
+high priest, who must necessarily have been of the tribe of Levi. Again
+Paul was a mechanic, a tent-maker, a situation which must have deprived
+him of all hope of an alliance so illustrious as that of a sovereign
+Pontiff. Thus unless we suppose that love had totally blinded our hero,
+to the obstacles which naturally opposed themselves to his desires,
+there is reason to believe that his conversion, or change of party,
+originated from other motives, than the chagrin of seeing his amours
+frustrated. There is reason to believe that Paul being of a very unquiet
+genius, was tired of his trade: desirous of trying his fortune, and
+living without work, he became the spy of the priests and the informer
+against the Christians. Dissatisfied with the priests, who perhaps had
+not rewarded him to the extent of his expectations, he joined the new
+sect, which assisted by his talents promised good success, or even a
+probability that he might become the head; at least he might fairly
+calculate on an easy and honourable subsistence without being obliged to
+make tents, In fact he saw, that the apostles, who were vulgar men much
+inferior to himself, lived very well at the expence of the new converts,
+who eagerly brought their wealth and laid it at the apostles feet,
+consequently Paul was sensible, how easy it was for him to live in the
+same way, and provide himself a very comfortable birth, in a sect, in
+which he felt himself capable of playing a very important part. His
+ambition must have been more gratified with occupying one of the
+first posts, even amongst beggars, than of cringing in an infamous
+and dishonourable capacity, under avaricious, haughty and disdainful
+priests. Indeed Paul himself tells us that he had relations of
+considerable note among the apostles, who having embraced the faith
+before him, might have laboured with success for the conversion of a man
+so disposed.*
+
+     * Epis, to Romans, chap. xvi. verse 7.
+
+The persecutions that he had excited against the disciples could not
+have put any very serious obstacles in the way of his admission into the
+apostolic college: nothing was required but to explain and agree upon
+facts. The chiefs of the sect were very much flattered at seeing the
+conquest made by their party of an inconvenient adversary, who came of
+his own accord, and offered his services. His conversion, effected by a
+miracle, did honour to his mission, and showed the vulgar the protection
+of heaven, which changed the heart of the most bitter enemy of the
+Christians. As Paul was not ignorant that in this sect great value was
+set upon miracles, visions and revelations, he thought this was the most
+favourable door by which he could enter, and render himself acceptable
+to the Apostles; they received him with open arms well assured of the
+sincerity of a man who after having made such an uproar could not recede
+without making himself equally odious both to Jews and Christians.
+St. Paul amongst other talents which rendered him a fit person to
+propagate the new religion, understood, according to appearances,
+Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, whilst in spite of the gift of tongues, we do
+not find, that the other apostles possessed these advantages. In fact we
+see them remain at Jerusalem, preaching to the Jews only, whilst the new
+apostle extended his spiritual conquests, into the provinces of Asia and
+Greece, where it appears that without him the Gospel would not have been
+preached so soon.
+
+Once connected with the new sect, Paul had doubtless a great interest in
+spreading it, in strengthening his party, and making converts in order
+to gain support, and have the pleasure of reigning over a great number
+of devotees. Thus, under every point of view, we see that our Apostle,
+whether in his conversion, or in his preaching, was every thing but
+negligent of his interest. All missionaries have necessarily ambition;
+they propose to themselves the pleasure of governing minds, and every
+thing proves that Paul was not exempt from a passion inherent in
+all founders of sects. And further having once established his
+ecclesiastical power, we often see him taking care of his temporal
+interests, and making his flock feel how just it is that the priest
+should live by the altar; in a word to occupy himself with the
+emoluments of his preaching. "Let him," says he, "that is taught in the
+word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.*" He speaks
+in the same tone to the Thessalonicans (chap. v. ver. 12.) He likewise
+recommends them an abundant charity.
+
+     * Epis, to Galatians, chap. vi. ver. 6.
+
+It remains to be observed, St. Paul is not like his successors
+ungrateful for the benefits which he has received. He thanks the
+Philippians for having twice assisted him in his need. It appears that
+in his time the Apostles did not possess the divine right that men had
+the goodness to give them: but the clergy have since asserted that they
+hold from God alone, that which they obtained from the generosity of
+princes and people, which evidently frees them from the necessity of
+showing gratitude to any one.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII. Of the imperious Tone and political Views of St. Paul
+
+It appears by the writings attributed to Paul himself that the empire
+which he exercised over the members whom he had added to his sect, was
+not one of mildness. In proof of this, may be cited the manner in which
+this spiritual despot speaks to the faithful of Corinth. "Moreover (says
+he) I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you, I came not
+as yet into Corinth."* Again, "For to this end also did I write, that I
+might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things**". He
+threatens the Corinthians, and says to them, "if I come again I will
+not spare." Again he justifies the tone in which he talks, by saying,
+"Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I
+should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given
+me to edification, and not to destruction."*** It is probably by virtue
+of this right of chastising, here assumed by St. Paul, that the Pontiffs
+and Priests of the Christians have since arrogated to themselves an
+unlimited spiritual power over, the thoughts of their subjects. Their
+empire extended itself by degrees over their persons; Christian priests,
+exceeding the Apostle to whom the Lord had given this power to
+edify, availed themselves of it to destroy those whom they found not
+sufficiently submissive to their decisions. If St. Paul did not exercise
+over his sheep a power so extensive, it is doubtless because he had not,
+like our pastors, princes, magistrates and soldiers under his orders,
+capable of executing his holy will: with his imperious temper we may
+justly conclude that he would have conducted himself much in the same
+manner as some fathers of the church, the Pontiffs of Rome, or the Holy
+Inquisition.
+
+We see also that the Apostle, not satisfied with being sole judge in
+spiritual affairs, was desirous of the power of deciding in civil suits.
+"Dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the
+unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall
+judge the world?****" This passage evidently proves that the Apostle
+in the depth of his policy had already formed the design of making
+the saints, i. e. the clergy, masters of the fortunes as well as the
+consciences of the faithful. In fact, he adds, know ye not that we shall
+judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? We cannot
+sufficiently admire the moderation of the Christian clergy, in not
+having rigorously acted up to the letter of this decisive text, which
+formally gives them the right of judging in all temporal affairs, or the
+concerns of this life. Indeed it appears according to this passage, that
+Christians in their transactions, ought to have no other judges, or even
+sovereigns, than the church. It is from these maxims, that our priests
+have become censors, or a kind of magistrates, who interfere with every
+thing, and set themselves up for the judges of the legitimacy of civil
+acts, of births and marriages, of which they have made themselves
+masters; in a few words, they seize upon man the moment he is born, and
+regulate all his motions until his death. It is from these pretences,
+that the popes have impudently arrogated the power of disposing of
+crowns, of exciting insurrections and wars, and of deciding upon the
+rights of sovereigns and people.
+
+     * 2 Corinthians, chap. i. ver. 23.
+
+     ** 2 Corinthians, chap. ii. ver. 9.
+
+     ***  2 Corinthians, chap. xiii. ver. 2. and 10.
+
+     **** 1 Corinthians, chap. vi. ver. 1. and 2.
+
+It is by no means surprising that the heads of the Christian church,
+have at all times held up St. Paul, as a man divinely inspired; have
+for a distinction entitled him, the Apostle, have inculcated for his
+writings the most profound veneration, and have caused them to be
+considered, as the oracles of the Holy Ghost. This Apostle was evidently
+the architect of the church. We may consider him especially as the
+founder of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. It is to him that are owing the
+prerogatives, privileges, divine rights and pretences of the clergy.
+St. Paul established bishops, assigned them their rights, and in his
+writings laid the foundations of that spiritual power, which has since
+become so formidable to temporal authority. How could the inventor of so
+many useful things, fail to be regarded as the organ of the divinity.
+
+Nevertheless, if we read the gospels with the slightest attention, we
+shall find that Jesus has no where spoken of this hierarchy or power,
+nor of the prerogatives of the clergy; on the contrary, we see him'
+incessantly preaching to his apostles, equality, humility and poverty.
+But in that as in many other instances, our Apostle thought himself
+at liberty to correct the institutions of Christ, who on all occasions
+shewed himself unfavourable to priests. These changes effected by
+Paul are sufficient to make us acquainted with his secret policy. He
+endeavoured apparently to make himself the spiritual and temporal
+head of the churches, which he had by his labours, founded among the
+Gentiles, with whom, as we have shewn, he had more success than amongst
+the Jews. It was to gain them over that he became all things to all
+men, that he dispensed them, as we have said, from the most essential
+ordinances of the Mosaic law. In short he had the secret of insinuating
+himself, into the minds of idolators, whom he sometimes took by surprize
+accommodating himself to their capacities, and giving them as he himself
+has said, sometimes milk, and at others, solid food. As we have already
+sufficiently shewn, Paul after his successes with the Gentiles, gave
+himself little trouble respecting the converted Jews, or with his elder
+brethren in the apostle-ship; and openly declared himself against the
+Mosaic law. As we have seen be went himself to Jerusalem, to solicit a
+decree, to dispense the Gentiles from the rite of circumcision; this he
+had much at heart, feeling how necessary this indulgence was, in order
+to secure his new subjects. Thus it was he who enlarged the breach,
+though small in its origin, which separated the Jews from the
+Christians, or Nazarenes. This conduct naturally displeased the rest of
+the apostles, who appeared, even after the council, always attached
+to the Jewish ordinances, but who on this occasion, found themselves
+compelled to cede to Paul, or at least to temporize with a man who had
+gained an ascendancy over them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII. Of the Humility, of St. Paul
+
+With the ability and ambitious conduct which we have just remarked in
+St. Paul it is difficult to conceive that humility could have been his
+ruling passion. Perusing his writings, we shall without much difficulty
+discover that when he humbles himself it is generally with a view of
+exalting himself in the eyes of his adherents; he does not fail to boast
+of the penalties, sufferings, and labours that he has submitted to
+for love of them, it is upon this, that he founds his claims to their
+respect and gratitude. "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers
+of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God:" further on he adds,
+"for I think that God hath set forth us, the apostles last, as it were
+appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to
+angels, and to men."
+
+St. Paul then reproaches the Corinthians, with their ease, their luxury,
+and their pretences, and compares their happy situation with his own.
+"We are, (says he to them,) fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in
+Christ: we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are
+despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are
+buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place, and labour, working with
+our own hands." He then enumerates the evils he has suffered, and adds
+"I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons to warn
+you." Of what? He explains himself, and says, "For though you have ten
+thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for
+in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." Our humble
+missionary sends them his lieutenant, Timothy, to bring them back to
+their duty, i. e. to the obedience they owed to their spiritual father,
+he threatens them himself, and mildly demands of them, "What will ye?
+Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of
+meekness?"
+
+In all this remarkable tirade there are no traces of that profound
+humility, for which credit has been given to Paul: on the contrary, all
+discovers a domineering spirit, and a desire of exclusive power over
+the faithful whom he had converted. It is generally the proudest men who
+complain the most bitterly of being despised and treated with contempt;
+and, amongst devotees, Pride knows how to cover appearances with the
+garb of humility. However, our Apostle does not give himself the trouble
+to mask his self-love: in fact, when he compares himself to the rest of
+the Apostles, he makes us understand, that though he terms himself the
+last, he has a right to be considered as the first. He says, "For I
+suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." It seems
+that the Corinthians were shocked with the harshness of his tone; for he
+adds, "but though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge: but we have
+been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things." Then feeling
+that they might be disgusted with these imprudent self commendations, he
+says, "Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also."
+
+It is easy to see that our Evangelical Doctors propose to themselves
+Paul's humility as a model for their own. It is doubtless, in imitation
+of this great Saint, that the Pope calls himself the Servant of the
+Servants of God, which does not, however, prevent him from making those
+who refuse to acknowledge his unlimited power, and blindly subscribe to
+his infallible decisions, feel his pastoral rod; but when the rulers of
+the Church make use of this rod, it is only to shew their great zeal for
+the interests of the Lord.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV. Of the Zeal of St. Paul; Reflections on this Christian
+Virtue
+
+That passion which in common life is termed, anger, fury, vengeance or
+delirium, becomes zeal as soon as its object is religion, or the cause
+of God. It is a maxim among Christian devotees, that we cannot love God
+too much, consequently we cannot sin in excess of zeal. According
+to these principles, our doctors in their quarrels, injure, defame,
+calumniate, and asperse, and when they have the power, persecute and
+exterminate each other. Each sect, firmly persuaded that it is in the
+right, and that its peculiar way of thinking is the only one that God
+can approve, thinks itself justified in destroying the opinions of its
+adversaries, which displeasing to itself, must consequently displease
+the divinity. Thus in attentively examining the thing, we find that
+religious zeal is nothing but anger, excited in a bigot by opinions
+adverse to his own, or those of the party he has espoused. In a word,
+zeal is the gall which contradiction secretes in the souls of bigots.
+There can be no doubt, but that St. Paul has left a model of this sort,
+which our evangelical doctors, have in all times faithfully copied. If
+this great Apostle did not go to the extent of persecuting those who
+resisted his arguments, or refused blindly to submit to his supreme
+decisions, it is because he was not sufficiently strong; otherwise
+judging from the warmth of his temperament we may reasonably presume,
+that he would have been easily carried to extremities, well calculated
+to justify the holy passion to which the heads of the church have since
+given themselves up on all occasions, when they have had sufficient
+power to give a lustre to their zeal.
+
+In fact we find, that Paul's self love, did not suffer contradiction
+with too much patience. He delivers over to Satan those who refuse
+to obey him, he pretended that any other Gospel, than his own, was
+abominable. "I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called
+you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." He pretends and
+affirms that he alone taught the true doctrine, and that all others are
+impostors, false prophets, and disturbers; we are obliged to believe on
+his own word that he possesses infallibility.
+
+He goes so far as to say in the heat of his self-love "But though we, or
+an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that which
+we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so
+say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you, than that
+ye have received, let him be accursed."* This language might well appear
+insolent, presumptuous, and even impious to those who have not faith,
+nevertheless it is that which is invariably held by the chiefs of every
+sect; we see them, upon their own authority, continually anathematizing,
+excommunicating, damning and delivering over to the devil, whoever has
+the temerity to understand the Gospel in any other way but their own.
+Every doctor like Paul, declares himself and even believes himself to be
+infallible; nothing in the world, (not even the angels of heaven) could
+make him renounce opinions which his self-love, his obstinacy, and his
+vanity, cause him to behold as the only true.
+
+     * Epistle to Gal. Chap. i. ver. 8 and 9.
+
+The history of Paul, however furnishes us with an embarrassing
+circumstance. Ardent in dispute and obstinately attached to his own
+ideas, we see this infallible Apostle boasted of having resisted Cephas,
+i.e. Peter, to his face, who nevertheless appears to have had titles to
+infallibility, still better established than those of our Apostle; in
+fact if Paul, in order to prove his own infallibility, supports it by
+his visions, inspirations, revelations, and miracles: St. Peter might in
+favour of his own, oppose to him a great number of visions, dreams, and
+prodigies equally authentic with those of his brother. If Paul founded
+the divinity of his mission, and the truth of his particular way of
+thinking on his own testimony, could not St. Peter cite, in support of
+his authority, the testimony of Jesus Christ, who had declared him the
+chief of the apostles, who had established him, as the first shepherd of
+his flock, and the rock on which, he would found his church? Is it not
+upon this authentic evidence, that the Pope, who stiles himself
+the successor of Peter, founds his infallibility, acknowledged and
+maintained by the greater part of the Roman Catholic Clergy? There
+is then reason to be astonished that Paul, with titles not so well
+established, should have dared to resist Peter to his face, or that he
+should have boasted of such resistance; and it is not less surprising
+that the latter should have ceded to his junior in the apostleship,
+having such powerful arguments to support his claim to infallibility.
+
+All may however be explained by the supposition that upon this occasion
+St. Paul showed himself more headstrong than St. Peter, who for the
+sake of peace, yielded to the eagerness of his adversary, and would not
+support his own infallibility at the risk of exciting a schism in the
+rising sect. We have seen in our time pious Jansenists avail themselves
+of St. Paul's example, to resist to the face the infallible decisions of
+the Roman Pontiff; but he, less moderate than his predecessor St. Peter,
+would not cede, but remained obstinate in maintaining his irrefragable
+authority, and by this means produced and fomented divisions, which the
+determined zeal displayed by both parties, has rendered very dangerous.
+The successor of St. Peter anathematizes, and finding himself the
+strongest, persecutes the imitators of St. Paul, for daring to resist
+him: these of course strongly attached to their principles which they
+deem infallible, are obstinate in their resistance, detest the opinions
+of their tyrants, and in spite of charity, very cordially damn those who
+do not think like themselves, whilst these last from attachment to
+the infallibility of the Pope, whom they have on their side, believe
+themselves compelled, in conscience, to make their adversaries submit to
+the most inhuman and unreasonable treatment.
+
+Such are the salutary effects which zeal has produced in the Church of
+Jesus Christ, from the first preaching of the gospel to the present day.
+The zeal of St. Paul not contented with exercising itself against his
+brethren the apostles, shewed itself strongly in all situations. We see
+him excite trouble and clamour in whatever cities he happened to be. We
+generally term a man a public disturber, who troubles the peace of his
+neighbours; but, in religion, a saint is a man who dares to preach his
+own opinions, as those of God himself, at the risk of exciting the most
+disastrous revolutions in society. His self-love becomes legitimate as
+soon as its object is religion; proves to him in the most convincing
+manner that he is always right; that his way of thinking is necessary
+to salvation, and that all considerations ought to give way to such
+an important object. If religious zeal is able one day to procure
+advantages in the other world; it is at least very evident that it
+causes many misfortunes here below. In the eyes of reason it is always
+equally dangerous, even when it is the fruit of the most sincere
+devotion. If the impostor, the ambitious man and the hypocrite, avail
+themselves of it as a cloak to cover all crimes, the sincere bigot
+thinks that zeal justifies the greatest excesses, and often makes a
+merit, and even a duty, of detesting his fellows and troubling society.
+
+It is in fact difficult to reconcile zeal with the spirit of union,
+concord, and peace, that Christianity recommends, or with that charity
+which St. Paul places above all virtues, and without which, he assures
+us that all the others are useless. But did this Apostle himself possess
+much charity, when not satisfied with carrying trouble into every place
+where he preached, he inveighed against those whom he found not disposed
+to believe*?
+
+     * Epistle to Tim. Chap. i. ver. 20.
+
+It is doubtless nothing but a lively faith, which can reconcile the
+violent conduct of this great Apostle, with the charity which he
+incessantly recommends. It appears at least difficult to have a sincere
+regard for men whom zeal obliges us to hate, either as our own enemies,
+or as the enemies of God. The subtle theology of the Christians, can
+alone reconcile these incompatible dispositions.
+
+It is only the ministers of the Church, who have the talent of proving,
+that without a violation of Christian charity, it is lawful to harass,
+persecute, and destroy ones neighbours. They can in fact clearly show
+that we may burn the body of a man, out of tenderness for his soul. They
+think they have a right to excommunicate a man, or anathematize him,
+that is to say, exclude him for ever from spiritual grace, to put him
+in short into the road to damnation, to deliver him to Satan, for the
+destruction of the flesh, in order to save him, according to the spirit.
+This conduct is not the least inconceivable mystery of the Christian
+religion; faith is doubtless necessary to find it either charitable
+or intelligible. How can we conceive, for example, that the desire of
+saving the soul of an heretic, or an impious man, can determine the
+inquisition or Christian magistrates to consign him to the flames, even
+while be persists in those opinions, which they suppose must plunge him
+into hell?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV. Of the Deceptions or Apostacy of St. Paul
+
+By the aid of faith we never find any thing to condemn in the conduct
+of those, whom we have been accustomed to regard as saints; their
+obstinacy, seditious spirit, pride, even their ferocity, are justified,
+by saying that they are animated with a holy zeal. In a word, a saint
+may violate with impunity, the most sacred rules of morality, without
+his bigoted admirers permitting themselves to criticise his conduct.
+Saints have always been in the habit of terming those chastisements,
+which they have drawn upon themselves (oftentimes justly) by their
+unruly passions or indiscreet zeal, persecution. Those whom a devout
+phrensy excites to tumult and disorder are honoured as confessors and
+martyrs, and we find the Jews and Pagans were the most unjust and cruel
+of men, for having treated the Christians, whom they could not consider
+but as disturbers of the public peace, in the same manner as the
+Christians now treat the Jews, heretics, and infidels. Bigots, accustom
+themselves to regard their saints as irreproachable characters, or if
+they cannot justify their conduct, they say that God has permitted them
+to sin, to humiliate them, in order that he might have an opportunity of
+pardoning them. It is thus that every good Christian regards a brigand
+in revolt against his legitimate sovereign, an usurper, a monster of
+cruelty, an infamous adulterer, an assassin, in a word, a David, as a
+great saint; or even by excellence, as the man after God's own heart!
+Faith in the mind of a bigot, is able to reverse, even the most simple
+rules of morality and virtue. Religion encourages the most perverse men
+to give themselves up to the blackest crimes, the most shameful vices,
+and the most shocking irregularities, by setting before them the
+examples of scoundrels, who were nevertheless the friends of God.
+
+It cannot be pretended that St. Paul of whom we are now speaking, was
+guilty of excesses, similar to those committed by the king of the Jews,
+whose whole history is a series of horrors: but without faith it is
+difficult to consider our Apostle as an irreproachable character; though
+the historian, whoever he be, to whom we are indebted for the Acts of
+the Apostles, has designed to hold him up as a model of virtue, we find
+that by a singular oversight he did not seem aware, that he made him
+tell an untruth in public, and in the most solemn manner in presence of
+the Sanhedrim or great council of the Jews. In fact as we have already
+remarked, perceiving that his audience was composed of Sadducees and
+Pharisees, with the view of dividing them and gaining friends, Paul
+cried out that he was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, and that they
+sought to kill him, because of his hope in the resurrection.
+
+In this assertion we may detect two deceptions. In the first place Paul
+was not a Pharisee, at the moment he spoke he was a Christian, he was
+an Apostle, he preached Jesus Christ, he laboured effectually to make
+proselytes to his sect, he had disgusted the Jews in announcing to them
+a new law, contrary to that of Moses, he had procured in the council
+at Jerusalem the abolition of the practice of circumcision so strictly
+ordained by their law. In a word he preached Christianity and not
+Judaism in the same moment that he declared himself a Pharisee. On this
+occasion his conduct was in fact that of an apostate, at least it cannot
+be denied, that he conducted himself as a coward, who did not care to
+acknowledge his real belief in tbe presence of tbe council, and who had
+recourse to an artifice to outwit his Judges. In fact the conduct of
+Paul on this occasion has no resemblance to that of a great number of
+martyrs, who freely acknowledge themselves Christians at the risk of
+their lives, and boldly confessed Jesus Christ, in the presence of
+their persecutors and executioners. The presence of tbe High Priest
+and council so much imposed on St. Paul, that he declared himself a
+Pharisee; fear troubled his memory to such a degree, that he forgot he
+had just acknowledged himself a Christian, and missionary of Jesus to
+tbe Gentiles in the presence of the people collected before tbe gate of
+the fortress, who indignant at his discourse, cried out, "away with such
+a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should live." Nothing
+then but theological subtilty, can clear Paul from deception, apostacy,
+and cowardice on this occasion.
+
+In the second place it was not true, that it was because of the hope
+of another life, and of the resurrection of the dead, that Paul was
+persecuted by the Jews. It was for having preached a new doctrine,
+contrary to the law of Moses; this great legislator has in no part
+taught us what we ought to believe concerning the resurrection of the
+dead or of another life. The Jews without ceasing to be Jews, embraced
+respecting it whatever opinion they pleased, the Sadducees rejected it
+without however being on that account, excluded from the synagogue,
+and without ceasing to observe tbe Judaic law; tbe Pharisee admitted it
+without its appearing to cause a schism between them, ami those who
+did not think, as they did. It is true that Paul had preached the
+resurrection, but it was that of Jesus, on which he endeavoured to
+establish a new sect very different from the Jewish religion. Thus the
+words of St. Paul were merely a subterfuge unworthy of a man, whom grace
+ought to have endued with sufficient courage to maintain before tbe
+council, at the peril of his liberty and his life, the same sentiments
+that he had taught tbe people and preached in all those places where he
+had planted the faith. It was then for having preached Christianity,
+and for having (in spite even of his brethren the apostles) desired in
+favour of the Gentiles the abolition of the Jewish customs, that Paul
+was persecuted, the priests were doubtless irritated against a man who
+sought to abrogate a law and a priesthood which a divine revelation had
+so many times taught them was to endure eternally, whilst the authors of
+the Epistle to the Hebrews formerly assures us that they have been set.
+aside by the Gospel.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI. St. Paul's Hypocrisy
+
+We cannot avoid perceiving still more of the insincerity and profound
+hypocrisy of Paul's conduct at Jerusalem. After having preached in a
+great number of towns in Asia and Greece, a doctrine revolting to the
+feelings of the Jews, and which every where caused disturbances amongst
+them, after having in favour of the Gentiles abolished circumcision so
+particularly ordained by the law of Moses, and deemed so essential to
+the proselytes of the gate; we see this great Apostle, by the advice
+of his brethren, submit himself, during seven days, to the Jewish
+ceremonies; purify himself with affectation. "Then Paul took the men,
+and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into the temple,
+to signify the accomplishing of the days of purification, until that
+an offering should be offered for every one of them*." But the Jews of
+Asia, who knew the real sentiments of our missionary, from having heard
+him preach when amongst them, were not the dupes of his hypocrisy: they
+excited the people "crying out, men of Israel, help: this is the man
+that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the laws of
+this place; and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath
+polluted this holy placet.**" These were the true charges of the Jews
+against Paul, and without denying what we find in the Acts of the
+Apostles, we must acknowledge, that they were well founded.
+
+     * Acts of Apostles, chap. xxi. ver. 6.
+
+     **  Acts of Apostles, chap. xxi. ver. 28.
+
+What should we say in the present day of a bishop, who, whilst
+pretending to be a Christian, should go for a period of seven days into
+a synagogue in London or Amsterdam, to fulfil Jewish ceremonies in the
+sight of the public? We should not fail to regard him as an apostate,
+or a knave, who had sinister intentions at any rate, the most favourable
+construction, we would put upon his motives, would be to suppose him
+a fool. We are however to admire this conduct in Paul, he pretends to
+justify himself by the necessity of becoming all things to all men. It
+is thus we see that hypocrisy, falsehood, and imposture, are legitimate
+means, by which to advance the cause of God and gain souls.
+
+Nevertheless there is every reason to think that St. Paul in acting in
+such a singular manner, had his own interest and safety, more at heart
+than the cause of the divinity. His conduct has been faithfully copied
+by a great number of Christian missionaries, and especially by the
+Jesuits, whom their adversaries often reproach with having frequently
+assimilated the worship of Jesus with that of those idolatrous people,
+whom they were endeavouring to convert.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII. St. Paul accused of Perjury, or the Author of the Acts of
+the Apostles, convicted of Falsehood.
+
+Not contented with pursuing this oblique or hypocritical conduct, we
+again see, our great Apostle, evidently, wilfully guilty of perjury,
+or a false oath. To convince ourselves of this we have only to read the
+commencement of his Epistle to the Galatians; to prove to them, that the
+gospel which he announced to them; was divinely inspired, he says "But
+certify to you brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me, is
+not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
+it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Further on he proves what he
+advances by saying, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
+mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me, that
+I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with
+flesh and blood; neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were
+apostles before me but I went into Arabia, and returned again into
+Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter,
+and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles, saw I none,
+save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which I write unto you
+behold before God I lie not*." But if Paul did not lie, in what he
+related to the Galatians, it is clear that the author of the Acts of the
+Apostles, whom the Christian church regards as an inspired writer
+equally with St. Paul, has lied. In fact in the ninth chapter of the
+Acts, it is said that Paul after his conversion, and after having
+recovered his sight remained some days with the disciples who were at
+Damascus; which proves that he was instructed by men, or that he took
+counsel of flesh and blood. Believing himself sufficiently fortified in
+his theology, by Ananias or others, he began to preach Christ in the
+synagogue, at which conduct the Jews were so shocked that they sought to
+take away his life: but Saul escaped from their fury by means of a
+basket, and without mention made of his journey to Arabia, he directly
+returns to Jerusalem, where the disciples were in the first instance
+fearful of him, but Barnabas, encouraged them, and presented him to the
+apostles, at the same time relating to them his miraculous conversion,
+and his courageous preaching at Damascus. In consequence it is said that
+Paul was added to the number of the faithful. (Acts ix).
+
+     * This passage proves very forcibly that Paul preached a
+     different gospel from that of the other apostles,  i. e.
+     from the Ebionites or Nazarenes.
+
+It is easy to see, how little this recital of the inspired historian
+of the Acts, agrees with that of the inspired Apostle, who wrote to the
+Galatians, and confirmed his narration by an oath. Besides the journey
+of St. Paul to Arabia upon leaving Damascus, and which preceded his
+arrival at Jerusalem by three years, becomes very improbable, as well as
+his stay in this country. In fact the disciples at Jerusalem must have
+been in habits of correspondence with those of Damascus, consequently
+they would thus have heard of an event so interesting to their sect,
+as the conversion of St. Paul and the pains he took to propagate their
+doctrines; thus the presence of our Apostle would not have created any
+uneasiness, and there could have been no need of Barnabas becoming his
+surety. It appears then that the new convert upon leaving Damascus went
+directly to Jerusalem, that he had there an opportunity of conversing
+with the apostles, and that his theology was not intuitive.
+
+But even supposing that the journey and sojourn of three years in
+Arabia, really took place, it would be no less certain that Paul took a
+false oath to the Galatians, or that the author of the Acts is deceived.
+In fact St. Paul writes that at the end of three years he returned to
+Jerusalem to visit Peter, and that he remained fifteen days with him
+without seeing any other of the apostles. This is quite at variance
+with the author of the Acts, who informs us that Paul being come to
+Jerusalem, sought to join himself to the disciples, who were afraid of
+him, not knowing that he was a disciple. Our Saint contradicts all this
+by a different tale which he confirms by an oath.
+
+Moreover by this oath Paul himself contradicts the discourse which the
+author of the Acts, puts into his mouth in the presence of King Agrippa,
+of Queen Berenice, and the governor Festus*.
+
+In relating to them his conversion, he says to them, Whereupon, O King
+Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision; but shewed
+first unto them at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the
+coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and
+turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Thus according to the
+author of the Acts, St. Paul himself acknowledges that he first
+preached at Damascus, then at Jerusalem before addressing himself to the
+Gentiles.
+
+If he had preached during a period of three years in Arabia, he would
+have spoken of the circumstance, of which no mention is made in all the
+Acts of the Apostles, whilst we find there the most minute details of
+the continual journeyings.
+
+We shall just remark here a visible contradiction in the Acts of the
+Apostles; The author of this work in relating the miraculous conversion
+of St. Paul, says that those who accompanied him, were speechless,
+hearing a voice but seeing no man**. However the same author, forgetting
+himself makes Paul say in his discourse to the Jews, "And they that were
+with me saw indeed the light and were afraid, but they heard not the
+voice of him that spake to me***".
+
+It belongs to the impartial reader to judge what degree of confidence is
+due to writers who are so often at variance. In the first instance Paul
+solemnly attests by an oath, the truth of a fact, not only omitted, but
+even formally contradicted by St. Luke, his historian and disciple. In
+the second instance the historian contradicts himself. This ought at
+least to shake the implicit faith, that so many persons put in works
+which possess neither the consistence nor harmony required in ordinary
+writers. As to our doctors they tell us their ways of saving the honour
+of these two inspired ones; whom they have much interest in washing from
+so grave an accusation, and such a taint upon the Christian religion.
+
+     * Acts, xxvi. ver. 29.
+
+     **Acts, ix. ver. 7.
+
+     ***Acts, xxii. ver. 9.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII. Examination of St. Paul's Miracles
+
+Though St. Paul as we have just seen, has himself taken care to shake
+the credit of the author of the Acts of the Apostles, it is nevertheless
+on the word of this writer that Christians think themselves obliged to
+believe in the miracles of our great Apostle. In fact, like all those
+who have endeavoured to establish new sects, our preacher could not
+dispense with performing prodigies: this is the most certain method
+of exciting tbe admiration of the vulgar. Incapable of reasoning, of
+judging of the soundness of a doctrine, and frequently unable in the
+least to comprehend it, miracles always become the most powerful of
+arguments; they are indubitable proofs that he who works them is the
+favourite of the divinity, that consequently he cannot be in the wrong,
+nor capable of a wish to deceive.
+
+Miracles were more especially necessary amongst the Jews; they demanded
+signs from all those who spoke to them in the name of the Lord, and
+there was little difficulty in working them, before an ignorant and
+credulous people, ready to receive as such every thing that was shewn to
+them. In spite of a disposition so favourable to miracle-mongers, we
+do not find that those of Jesus himself and afterwards of his apostles,
+produced on the Jews those effects which we have a right to expect from
+them. We find that at the time they were performed they convinced nobody
+and drew those who worked them, into difficult situations. It was
+not until a long time had elapsed that these prodigies produced their
+effects, and by a miracle that we can never cease to admire, we find,
+that these prodigies, which were discarded by those who saw them, were
+most firmly believed by those who did not see them, and are now ranked
+amongst the strongest evidences of the divinity of tbe Christian
+religion. There are only some reasoners who persist in judging of these
+ancient miracles in the same manner as the contemporaries who did
+not see them, or who, if they did see them, regarded them as so many
+instances of deception and slight of hand, incapable of imposing on
+them. It is only the simplicity, of faith, that is to say, an implicit
+confidence in the assertions of our guides, which can make us see
+miracles, or cause us to believe in those we have not seen. But this
+simple faith is the effect of an especial grace that God grants only to
+those who are poor in spirit, and harshly refuses to those who think and
+reason. As soon as we want confidence in the operators, we see no more
+miracles, or at least we doubt of those that are shewn to us.
+
+It does not appear that St. Paul performed miracles at Jerusalem after
+his conversion; this city was not in his department: it belonged to St.
+Peter and the other Jewish apostles, who, according to the Acts, did not
+cease to work miracles there. Our Apostle of the uncircumcised, or of
+the district in which the Gentiles were converted, having quitted his
+brethren, commenced his course of miracles at Paphos. He was upon the
+point of converting Sergius, proconsul of the province, had not a cursed
+sorcerer of a Jew, named Barjesus, and surnamed Elymas, i.e. magician,
+endeavoured to prevent the magistrate from believing in Jesus Christ.
+Indignant at the obstacle that this man opposed to the divine will,
+instead of converting and convincing him, Paul abused him according
+to the present practice of theologians, and called him a child of the
+devil, and finished with striking him with blindness. If this conduct
+was conducive to the salvation of the proconsul, who according to the
+author of the Acts, having seen this miracle, believed, being astonished
+at the doctrine of the Lord, there are many who will not be so edified,
+at this prodigy, so contrary to Christian charity and mildness. In fact
+would it not have been more kind of St. Paul armed with divine power,
+to have enlightened the eyes of the sorcerer's mind, than to have struck
+those of his body with darkness? But we always see that the miracle
+that the apostles as well as their divine master had most difficulty in
+working was that of convincing those who were not disposed to believe
+every thing.
+
+It appears that on the present occasion, the sorcerer was stronger, in
+point of reasoning, than St. Paul, which put him in a passion. Logic was
+not in fact, the most prominent quality in our Apostle, any more than
+in his brethren and successors. Besides, this holy Missionary was of too
+impetuous a temper to reason with moderation, and argue in a clear and
+precise manner. Thus to terminate the dispute with Elymas, he abused
+him, and perhaps relying on the protection of the proconsul, whom he saw
+wavering in favour of his doctrine, ventured to strike his antagonist,
+which deprived him of his sight for a period, for it is easy to deprive
+a man of the use of his eyes without a miracle*.
+
+     * This, it must in candour be acknowledged, is an inference
+     which the text will not warrant us to draw, and is unworthy
+     Boulanger's pen.    It seems to be compromising the dignity
+     of truth, to impose upon itself the necessity of accounting
+     for all the hocus pocus tricks, or wilful falshoods, which
+     the ignorance, bigotry, and knavery of a deplorable
+     superstition, have handed down through the mist of eighteen
+     centuries.--Translators
+
+We learn that our Apostle and his associate Barnabas, wrought such
+miracles at Iconiura, that all the city was divided, one part being
+in favour of the Jews, and the other for the Apostles. But immediately
+after we are informed, that "when there was an assault made, both of
+the Gentiles and also of the Jews, with their rulers, to use them
+despite-fully, and to stone them, the Apostles were aware of it, and
+fled to Lystra and Derbe."
+
+This conduct of the inhabitants of Iconiura is certainly inconceivable.
+Pagans and Jews unite to ill treat and stone our Apostles, who in spite
+of the divine power which they possess have no other expedient, than to
+seek safety in flight.
+
+In spite of the inutility of his miracles, Paul worked more at Lystra; he
+there cured a lame man, in whom by mere inspection he discovered much
+faith. This gives rise to a suspicion that this might have been a
+miracle concerted between them. He said to him, with a loud voice, stand
+upright on thy feet, and he leaped and walked. The people of Lystra
+were so struck by this prodigy, that they took our two missionaries
+for gods, and would have offered them sacrifices, but Paul and Barnabas
+forbade them with great modesty. This great miracle must have been
+believed, even by the priest of Jupiter, since it is said, that he
+brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have sacrificed with
+them. This circumstance clearly proves that nobody at Lystra doubted the
+truth of this miracle. However some Jews who had arrived from Iconium
+were able to undeceive a whole city, which had seen the miracle of the
+lame man. The poor St. Paul, who had just before been taken for Jupiter,
+was stoned, and dragged out of the city for dead; he revived, however,
+and, in spite of his miracle, he saved himself, with Barnabas by fleeing
+to Derbe.
+
+The miracle wrought by our saint at Philippi in Macedonia, did not meet
+with more success, he there cured a girl, who had a spirit of Python,
+and being by that means possessed of the power of divination, gained
+great profit to her masters. These, far from acknowledging and admiring
+the power of a man who reduced to silence Apollo, one of the
+most powerful gods of paganism, brought Paul and Silas before the
+magistrates, and excited the people against them. It is right to
+remark in this place, that Apollo (i. e. the Devil) who resided in this
+prophetess, laboured to destroy his own empire. In fact having perceived
+Paul and his comrade, the girl followed them, crying, these men are the
+servants of the Most High God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
+And this did she many days. But Paul being grieved, turned and said to
+the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of
+her, and he came out the same hour*.
+
+It is surprising that Paul was grieved at a declaration so favourable
+to his mission, and that he should impose silence on a demon, whose
+testimony was so honourable, and likely to draw adherents! but the
+conduct of saints is always inexplicable.
+
+In these unhappy times in which faith is so cold, no credit is given,
+either to those possessed, or to soothsayers; it is difficult to know
+what the nature of the spirit of Python, which inhabited the Macedonian
+girl could have been**. If we might hazard a conjecture on the subject,
+it might be supposed that our Apostles, to give themselves some relief,
+gained her over, and employed her to play her part, by giving her to
+understand that it would be her interest to attach herself to the new
+sect, rather than work for masters, who, probably, paid her very poorly
+for her services from which they drew all the profit.
+
+     * Acts xvi. 17, 18.
+
+     ** Some critics have been very much embarrassed, to
+     conjecture what the nature of this spirit of Python could
+     have been: several have thought that those who had this
+     spirit, were such as are known to us in the present day by
+     the name of ventriloquists, who have the power of
+     articulating words, more or less distinctly, without any
+     motion of the lips being perceptible. There are such
+     persons, who create much surprise to those unacquainted with
+     this faculty, and we cannot be astonished that the vulgar,
+     who doat upon the marvellous, should attribute this power to
+     supernatural causes.
+
+The magistrates of Philippi on the complaint of those masters, as we
+have seen, caused our exorcists to be flogged, and sent them to prison.
+An earthquake happened very opportunely, the jailor was gained over
+or converted; the magistrates, thinking the Missionaries had been
+sufficiently punished, permitted them to depart; but then, as we have
+seen, they declared themselves Roman citizens, and refused to go, until
+the magistrates, who were now intimidated, consented to make them an
+honourable reparation.
+
+Notwithstanding the miracles wrought by Paul during his mission,
+disagreeable reports every where accompanied him, or followed him, so
+closely in all the cities through which he passed, that neither himself
+nor his comrades could remain long in the same place. They only passed
+through Amphipolis and Apollonia, and repaired to Thessalonica, where,
+in a very short time, the whole city was in an alarm. Jason, their
+host, was, as we have already seen, ill treated on their account, it was
+alleged against our Missionaries, that they overthrew every thing, and
+in preaching another king than Caesar, seemed desirous of plotting a
+conspiracy. In consequence of this, as it was a serious accusation, the
+brethren contrived the escape of Paul and Silas during the night.
+
+Arrived at Berea, our two adventurers, soon excited similar
+disturbances. Paul repaired to Athens, where the philosophers who heard
+him, took him for a talker whose brain was unsound. However in spite of
+his success, which was doubtless very slow, he had the mortification of
+being compelled to labour at his original trade of tent-making, which
+was very hard for a preacher ordained to live by the altar, that is to
+say, one whose trade it was to sell spiritual wares, to those who
+bound themselves to provide him, wherewith to subsist on credit Such is
+clerical traffic. Further, St. Paul takes special care to boast to the
+Corinthians of his great disinterestedness. He makes them understand he
+would not be chargeable upon them; by which he appears to have intended
+some indirect reproaches, calculated to pique their pride and
+excite their generosity, towards the holy man who laboured for their
+salvation*. The Corinthians probably imagined that men who performed
+miracles, had no need of assistance: but our miracle-mongers were under
+the necessity of satisfying their wants by ordinary methods. They were
+like the adepts, who were always in poverty though offering to others
+the secret of making gold.
+
+There is reason to believe that Paul performed great miracles amongst
+the Corinthians, at least he says to them himself "Truly the signs of
+an apostle, were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders
+and in mighty deeds**." However we find that these miracles had not yet
+sufficiently convinced the Corinthians, since Paul says to them "Seek ye
+a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you ward is not weak, but is
+mighty in you***."
+
+     * See 2. Corinthians, chap. xi. ver. 7, 8, 9, 16. Chap. xii.
+     ver. 13, and also 1. Corinthians chap. ix. ver 11,13, 14,
+
+     ** 2 Corinthians xii. 12.
+
+     *** 2 Corinthians xiii. 3.
+
+Respecting the miracles wrought by St. Paul at Corinth, we have only his
+own evidence, and that is sufficient; the author of the Acts though very
+free upon this article does not inform us, that he wrought any in this
+city, this was most likely the case, since he remained there a long
+time, an unusual circumstance, where he condescended to perform
+miracles, which generally compelled him to remove, in consequence of the
+disturbance they excited. He was obliged to quit Ephesus, where we are
+assured, that he performed a great number, and where handkerchiefs,
+linen, &c. which had touched him, cured the sick, and expelled devils.
+He departed from Troas directly after having raised a dead man to life,
+or at least after having asserted that a young man, who was thought so,
+was in reality not so. In short in the isle of Malta he cured himself of
+the bite, either because the reptile had not in fact bitten him, or
+by applying fire to the wound, a remedy which though common, might be
+unknown to the inhabitants of the island, as we have already remarked.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX. Analysis of the writings attributed to St. Paul
+
+After having examined the character of St. Paul by His conduct, it will
+be proper to make some reflections on his writings; they will serve
+to place in a still clearer light, this celebrated man, to whom
+Christianity owes so many obligations. If we confine ourselves to those
+works attributed to him, the Apostle of the Gentiles must have been a
+very extraordinary compound of discordant qualities, which when united
+must have produced an inexplicable whole. He himself informs us, that he
+had within him two men, the new man and the old man; the just man, and
+the sinner. He had two bodies, the one natural and the other spiritual;
+the body of sin and death, and the body of justification and life. He
+had within him, two laws, which regulated his actions, the law of sin,
+and the law of justice, the law of the flesh, and the law of the spirit.
+Never was poor mortal so perplexed and teazed, than was our Apostle
+according to his own account, by these two opposite laws, which he had
+within himself. The carnal man makes him say, (see Romans, chapter vii.
+verse 18, to the end of the chapter.)
+
+In other places the spiritual man, makes him hold another language, he
+assures the Galatians, that he is one with Christ and crucified with him
+(see Galatians. chapter vii. verse 19 and 20.) In another place he says
+to the Romans. "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
+made me free from the law of sin and death." It is clear that this
+duplicity of nature and law in St. Paul as acknowledged by himself
+is calculated to throw us into much embarrassment. In fact how can we
+distinguish in his conduct or discourse, that which springs from the
+old, from that which arises from the new man, or the spirit of life and
+the grace of Christ? Is it very easy at this time, to determine which
+governed St. Paul in those moments in which he spoke, acted, or wrote?
+Perhaps those maxims and dogmas most admired by Christians have been the
+suggestions of the flesh, the fruits of the old man, and that this old
+man often influenced his conduct, which, as we have shewn was not at all
+times free from reproach. In short the acknowledgments are of a nature
+well calculated to plunge the most firm Christians into uncertainties
+from which, without supernatural assistance, they will have great
+difficulty in extricating themselves. These confessions may further
+serve to shew us the inconsistencies, contradictions, absurdities, the
+sophistry and superficial reasoning, and disjointed ideas, which we meet
+with at every page of the writings attributed to St. Paul. It is to
+be presumed, that it is the Holy Ghost, or Christ, who speaks when he
+appears reasonable, it would be blasphemous to say or think, that they
+could talk nonsense: in this case we shall say, that it is St. Paul
+or the flesh, who speaks, when we find him using bad arguments,
+extravagancies, and unintelligible nonsense. We cannot imagine that the
+spirit of God would have made him utter contradictions, or inspired him
+with a language incomprehensible to those whom he designed to enlighten
+and instruct by the mouth of this Apostle. In fact, St. Peter himself
+complains of the obscurities of Paul's epistles, in which, says he, "are
+some things hard to be understood."*
+
+     * 2 Epis. Peter, chap. iii. ver. 16
+
+The distinction which we have just made will enable us to judge of the
+works of St. Paul, and explain the obscurities which we find in them,
+as well as the continual variations, which we must remark in his
+principles. He tells the Galatians that he was angry with Peter, and
+withstood him to his face, and that he was offended, with the other
+apostles, because they temporized and used dissimulation, sometimes
+advocating the usages of the Jews, and at others the customs of the
+Gentiles*.
+
+Elsewhere he says (here see 1 Corinthians, chap. ix. ver. 19 to 22.)
+According to these passages, is it right to temporize, or not? It
+remains for our doctors to decide which of these two principles has been
+divinely inspired to St. Paul, and in which of them we ought to imitate
+this great Saint. Our doctors however are not much in the habit of
+temporizing with their enemies unless they find themselves, too weak to
+cope with them.
+
+Our Apostle declares, formally to the Galatians that circumcision,
+is useless and will avail them nothing, he says the same thing to the
+Corinthians, Yet we find him circumcising his dear Timothy, and he tells
+the Romans that circumcision is useful to those who fulfil the law.
+
+He writes to Timothy, that God is the saviour of all men expecially of
+the faithful, which evidently supposes that the unfaithful, will not
+be excluded from Salvation. He had also said, that God willed that all
+should be saved. But speaking to the Romans, he will not allow that the
+gates of Paradise, shall be opened to all the world**.
+
+     * Galatians chap. ii. ver. 11, &c.
+
+     **  Romans, chap. xi. ver. 7.
+
+We should never finish, were we to relate all the contradictions which
+are to be found in the writings attributed to St. Paul. It is clear
+that if he be really the author of them, he exhibits himself to us, as a
+fanatical writer, whose disordered head prevents him from seeing that
+he is eternally contradicting himself. He says that black is white.
+He follows only the impulses of a heated imagination; he establishes
+principles to destroy them immediately; in a word from his want of
+logic, and the little connexion of his ideas without a most lively faith
+we should suspect, that he was in a continual state of delirium.
+
+It cannot be denied that this great Saint was of a temperament too
+ardent to allow him to reason connectedly, or to speak with coolness.
+The tumultuous ideas which presented themselves in crowds to his
+brain, did not permit him to put them into any thing like an orderly
+arrangement; he incessantly wandered from his subject, so much so that
+an imagination, as warm as his own, is necessary in order to follow
+him in his flights. Perpetually involved in figures, allusions
+and allegories, it is nearly impossible to guess what are his real
+sentiments. According to his doctrine he appears to establish in the
+strongest manner the dreadful doctrine of absolute predestination and
+reprobation. According to him God grants grace to whom he pleases,
+and whom he pleases he hardens. If we demand how this doctrine can
+be reconciled with the goodness and justice of God; or how a God who
+operates in man the will and the deed, can be offended with the wills
+and actions of men? He extricates himself by asking if the vessel shall
+say to him who made it, why hast thou fashioned me thus? Thus St. Paul,
+and after him all Christian doctors, explain the conduct of a God,
+whom they pretend to love, at the same time that they hold him up as
+a tyrant, who is not accountable for his most unjust caprices, and
+despot-like is restrained by no rule!
+
+St. Paul being divinely inspired should have taught us something of the
+nature of the soul, an object which so embarrasses alt philosophers who
+not being illumined from above, have formed ideas upon this subject,
+so much at variance with those of our Christian doctors. But far from
+throwing any light upon this important matter, our Apostle, who appears
+strongly tinctured with the platonic philosophy so universally taught in
+his time, distinguishes the body, soul and spirit, and thus obscures the
+thing still more. But it is the essense of theology to confound
+every thing, and the interest of theologians to plunge mankind into a
+labyrinth, from which nothing but faith can extricate them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX. Of Faith, in what this Virtue consists
+
+Generally speaking it is St. Paul, or the author of the Epistles,
+(wherever he be) that are attributed to him, that ought to be regarded
+as the true founder of Christian theology. The mysterious obscurity
+of his works, the tone of fanaticism which reigns in them, and the
+unintelligible oracles with which they are filled, render them well
+suited to impose on the vulgar, who respect things only in proportion
+as they are impossible to be comprehended. Devout enthusiasm and pious
+melancholy there finds a continual feast for its sickly brain. Oracles
+and enigmas are taken for divine mysteries, which without a strong
+dose of faith we should conclude were the production of delirium or the
+inventions of imposture, which seeks to put reason to flight. Reason had
+no means of examining ideas which are totally unreasonable; thus they
+persuaded men that it was necessary to renounce reason in order
+to become a good Christian. In consequence of this principle, so
+humiliating to mankind and derogatory to the character of a God, the
+author of reason, it was no longer permitted to examine anything;
+man was commanded blindly to subscribe to the most incomprehensible
+reveries, and it was considered meritorious to renounce common sense
+and adopt fables and opinions revolting to every thinking being. Thus
+delirium was changed into wisdom, deception into truth, and frequently
+crime became virtue. They closed the mouths of reasoners by citing the
+language of Paul, who had said "that the foolishness of God is wiser
+than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." According to
+the same Apostle God himself had predicted by the mouth of a prophet,
+the revolution that Christianity was to produce in the minds of mankind.
+"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
+understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe?
+where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
+wisdom of this world, &c.* And he concludes by saying, "But we preach
+Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks
+foolishness."
+
+     * 1 Corinth, chap. i. ver. 19.
+
+However violent Paul's enthusiasm may have been, he well knew how odd
+the doctrine he preached, must appear to reasonable beings. He must have
+been aware, that it overturned all received ideas; that it would not
+bear the test of examination; that it was a difficult enterprise to
+persuade sensible beings that a God could die, that this God had arisen
+again, that an immutable God had changed and annulled the eternal
+alliance he had made with the Jews, and which been so repeatedly
+confirmed with oaths, &c. Thus our Apostle in order to pass such
+improbable opinions, believed it requisite, to substitute folly in the
+place of reason, and to fortify his disciples against the weapons of
+logic. For the evidence which results from the testimony of the senses
+be substituted faith, which according to him is the evidence of things
+not seen, and evidence which can only be founded on the most stupid
+credulity.
+
+Thus this prudent orator took care to guard against the philosophy of
+common sense, and against all science, seeing clearly that they opposed,
+invincible obstacles to the religion that he sought to establish, and of
+which he pretended to be the soul and chief. Hence we find he attached
+the greatest merit to faith, that is to say, to a blind submission to
+his authority; and such an unbounded confidence in himself as prevented
+any doubt of those things, the truth of which he attested.
+
+As science was injurious to the establishment of his empire he decried
+it. "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." By charity, we may
+here understand that affection to a spiritual director which closing
+the eyes against those defects, which in common with other men he may
+possess, convinces us that he is always right, that he is incapable
+of the wish to deceive, and in short, that he ought to be believed in
+preference to the evidence of our senses.
+
+It is thus that this great Apostle laboured incessantly to establish his
+own authority on the ruins of wisdom, reason, and science. However we
+may reply to his doctrine, so useful to those whose interest it is
+to maintain absurd opinions and incredible fables, that God who, is,
+according to them, the author of reason could not have destroyed his own
+work. We shall demand of St. Paul and of those who like him preach
+up implicit faith, if folly is more able than wisdom to attain to the
+knowledge of God? We shall ask of them, if God has given wisdom to men
+on condition of their never using it, and if it is not by the aid of
+human wisdom, that man gains some idea of the divine wisdom? We shall
+ask if God can, without absolutely changing the nature of things, make
+wisdom folly, and folly wisdom? In short we shall ask them, if in order
+to become a Christian it is necessary to renounce common sense, or how
+far our folly must prevail to have a religion?
+
+To all these questions theologians, faithfully treading in the steps
+of St. Paul, will reply, that we must believe, and that as soon as they
+speak, we must submit to their authority. "Faith" says Paul "comes
+by hearing," whence it results that have faith, we must sacrifice our
+reason, to the wills of our spiritual pastors. Charity ought to convince
+us, that these infallible guides, can neither deceive nor desire to lead
+us into error.
+
+According to this firm persuasion we shall never be embarrassed, unless,
+by chance, those pastors should happen to disagree in their opinions.
+This however often occurs in the church, and has done from the
+commencement. In fact we have seen St. Paul himself resist St. Peter to
+his face and differ from him in opinion. Their quarrels like many others
+had fatal results, and produced a true schism between the partizans of
+Peter, and those of Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles.
+
+The latter has acknowledged himself, that there must be heresies in
+a church, perpetually guided by the most high. This prophecy has been
+verified in the Christian religion, which from its foundation has been
+incessantly agitated by quarrels, divisions, animosities, troubles, and
+paroxysms of fury mat would induce a belief, that the gospel was given
+to nations only to excite in them, fermentations unknown to Paganism,
+and show them to what a degree of madness credulity could lead.
+
+The writings of Paul especially have furnished in all ages ample matter,
+for disputes to the Christian doctors. The obscure dogmas they contain,
+have of necessity been diversely understood by profound dreamers, who
+have passed their time in meditation. Each pretended to have discovered
+the true sense of this infallible and divinely inspired doctor. Each
+found in his writings a confirmation of his own sentiments. Works filled
+with contradiction continually gave rise to parties the most opposite to
+each other, and virulently bent upon mutual destruction. The authority
+of St. Paul was opposed to himself, and in the impossibility of deciding
+upon questions totally out of the power of reason to discuss, recourse
+was had to violence, and the strongest always made the weak feel,
+that they alone comprehended the true sense of the great Apostle. They
+disputed continually on predestination, on grace, and on the liberty
+of man; they understood neither themselves nor St. Paul. The most
+headstrong, the most wicked, and the most powerful, enforced their
+opinions as the only ones which the Holy Ghost had dictated.
+
+To conclude, the incredulous, are not those, who alone find the writings
+of Paul obscure and unintelligible, as we have seen in the the case
+of St. Peter already quoted. If this prince of the Apostles founded
+difficulties in the work of St. Paul, what shall we think of the
+presumption of modern commentators when they pretend to explain to us,
+the enigmatical and confused passages that we meet with in the epistles
+of this doctor of the Gentiles.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI. Of the Holy Ghost, and Divine Inspiration
+
+It would however have been wiser in the first instance to examine into
+the degree of confidence due to the real or pretended writings of this
+wonderful man, whose history we have been developing. Before disputing
+it would have been better to have been certain of the authority of an
+Apostle whose works appear to us infallible only on his own word, or on
+that of the written to whom we owe the Acts of the Apostles. In fact we
+are told that St. Paul was inspired by the Holy Ghost. But what is the
+Holy Ghost? How can it inspire a man? What certainty have we that it has
+ever inspired anyone? By what signs shall we distinguish these invisible
+inspirations? As it is upon these inspirations only that the Christian
+religion is established, these questions are well worth the trouble of
+being discussed.
+
+There is no mention made of the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament; there
+is mention made of the spirit of the Lord, which possessed, or resided
+in the prophets, and other holy personages charged with speaking to the
+Jewish people; but in no place of the Old Testament is the Holy Ghost
+announced as a being distinct from the Divinity, it is only in the New
+Testament that we find this metaphysical being deified, or this divine
+breath personified. In fact it is only in the history of Jesus Christ,
+that the Holy Ghost begins to perform, a part; we there find him
+commissioned to overshadow Mary, and produce the savour of the world,
+who was, as we are told, begotten by the operation of the Holy Ghost.
+
+This same Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove upon Jesus Christ
+at the moment of his baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist.
+In the Gospel according to St. John, the author of which appears to have
+drawn his ideas from the platonic philosophy, there is much talk of the
+Holy Ghost which is never defined. Jesus promises to send him to the
+disciples when he himself shall have left them. This spirit is described
+under term of the Paraclete or Comforter. Jesus assures them that he
+proceeded from the father, and that he will send him on the part of the
+father, to bear witness of him Jesus. Further on he promises them, that
+when this spirit shall come, he shall guide them into all truth.
+
+According to the promise of Jesus, this comforter did in fact descend
+upon the Apostles at the feast of Pentecost, see Acts ari. ver. 2, 3,
+13. Many were astonished at the prodigy there related, but it seems not
+to have convinced others, who had probably less faith than the first.
+These sceptics pretended that the inspired Apostles were drunken with
+new wine. But Peter filled with the spirit, made them a long prophetic
+harangue; which, according to the author of the Acts, produced a great
+effect upon many of his hearers, who were converted upon the spot.
+
+In consequence of the descent of the Holy Ghost, the Apostles received
+the power, not only of speaking divers tongues, but likewise of driving
+out devils and performing miracles. However we do not find by their
+history, though written by one favourable to their cause, that the
+Holy Ghost gave them the power to cast out the demon of incredulity,
+especially from tbe minds of the Jews; these resisted constantly the
+Holy Ghost and made those who said they were filled with it, to suffer
+cruel treatment.
+
+Tbe Apostles had not only received the Holy Ghost, but they had also
+received the power of communicating it to others by the imposition of
+hands. It is difficult, without a submissive faith, to conceive a clear
+idea of this invisible communication of tbe Holy Ghost, or the manner
+in which an indivisible spirit, divides itself among so many
+different individuals. However it is not allowed us to doubt that
+this transmission of tbe Holy Ghost has been perpetuated down from the
+Apostles to our time. It is still by imposition of hands that the guides
+of the Christian Church receive the Holy Ghost, and the right to teach.
+If our bishops and and priests who represent in our eyes the Apostles
+and disciples, have not received the gift of tongues and miracles they
+have, at least, received the faculty of pretending, that the Holy Ghost
+does not cease to illuminate them, in their frequently contradictory
+decisions, which ought to be regarded as a great prodigy.
+
+A Christian would run the risk of being damned if he should dare to
+doubt, that the Holy Ghost invisibly presided in the church and will
+reside in the brains of its chiefs until the consummation of all things.
+What can be more calculated to inspire us with regard and respect for
+those, who themselves assure us, that they are the living temples of
+the Holy Ghost. In gratitude for these advantages which the Holy
+Ghost procured to the ministers of the Christian religion, they felt
+themselves bound to deify him. It was tbe least they could do for a
+being from whom their power clearly emanated. In fact if the Holy Ghost,
+charged with inspiring the church had not been a God, the authority of
+the church might have been contested. But it being clearly decided,
+that the Holy Ghost is a God, men are no longer permitted to dispute his
+rights; it only remains to them to subscribe blindly to tbe decisions of
+those whom he has chosen for his organs; to contradict them, would be to
+revolt against God.
+
+We see then how important it was to tbe heads of the church to
+apotheosise the Holy Ghost. It was necessary to make him a God at
+any rate; otherwise the church would not have been infallible, its
+infallibility being founded, solely on the continued inspirations of the
+Holy Ghost; and that he himself should be infallible, it was necessary
+that he should be a God. Thus the church has wisely made the God which
+makes her infallible.
+
+However useful this deification was to the church, it was attended with
+some difficulties. In fact how could they reconcile this new God, this
+Mercury, this messenger of the father and son, with the unity of God?
+To cut short all dispute upon so important a matter, the heads of the
+church decided that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the father and son,
+and yet made but one God with them. They closed the mouths of those
+who cried out against this unintelligible oracle, by saying it was a
+mystery, that man was made to adore and believe, without being able to
+comprehend; they added that the church was infallible had thus decided,
+that being inspired by the Holy Ghost (i.e. by a God) it was impossible
+to avoid believing that she had the right to decide, that the Holy Ghost
+was a God.
+
+This is sufficient to show us upon what the authority of church, and the
+divinity of the Holy Ghost is founded. The church has deified the Holy
+Ghost, and the divinity of the Holy Ghost serves as the basis of
+the authority of the church. We thus see the true foundations of
+Ecclesiastical power; we see the solidity of the titles of the church,
+we see the true origin of the mystery of the trinity, now held in such
+veneration by the faithful. In short we see what we ought to think of
+the inspirations of the Holy Ghost from the time of its origin until
+now.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII. Of the Inspiration of the Prophets of the Old Testament
+
+It does not appear, as we have already observed, that the Jews had
+any precise ideas of the Holy Ghost similar to those of the Christian
+theologians. Moreover there is reason to believe, that the Apostles had
+not yet imagined such subtle notions of it, as the church has invented
+since their time. Amongst the Hebrews, every man who, during his sleep,
+had dreams, every enthusiast who had, or pretended to have visions,
+believed himself inspired by the Lord, or at least gave himself out as
+such. He regarded the fancies of his brain, as warnings from heaven; he
+delivered his pious nonsense as oracles to credulous hearers, who did
+not doubt for an instant, that the unintelligible delirium of these
+harangues, was the effect of some divine illumination from the Almighty.
+As in dreams, madness, in ebriation, in enthusiasm, man does not appear
+master of himself, they believed that what he uttered in these divers
+states must, of necessity, spring, from some supernatural force acting
+in him, without his knowledge, and in spite of himself; the sentences
+and discourse, which issued from his mouth, were regarded as
+inspirations from on high, and received as divine commands. Their
+obscurity only served to excite curiosity, redouble terror, and confuse
+the imagination. It was supposed that God, who spoke by these demoniacs,
+did not choose to express himself in a clearer manner.
+
+These reflections founded upon the nature of credulous, ignorant, and
+superstitious men, may serve to fix our ideas of so many prophets and
+jugglers, that we see play such a prominent part, not only in Jewish
+history, but in all Pagan antiquity, and even among all savage and
+uninformed people that are now scattered over the globe. The trade of
+prophesying, appears to have been very lucrative and respectable amongst
+the Jews, a people degraded by superstition, and whose priests always
+took care to keep them in a state of profound ignorance, and credulity,
+well-suited for the ends of those who sought to direct them after
+their own fancies. Whoever desired to gain the attention of the Jews,
+announced himself as inspired, threatened or promised them in the name
+of the Lord, prophesied to them of evils calculated to intimidate, or
+of happy events which seduced them into belief. To draw the attention of
+the public, and frequently to produce revolutions in the state, it was
+enough for a prophet to say gravely, that the Lord had spoken to him;
+and assure them that heaven had intrusted him with its designs in a
+vision; thus the brains of the Jews were put into a fermentation. The
+Apostles desirous of establishing reform, or exciting a revolution, in
+men's minds, felt the necessity of conforming to the prevailing liste of
+the nation. In consequence they erected themselves into prophets,
+gave themselves out for inspired, spoke in an obscure manner, uttered
+oracles, predicted the end of the world, they preached a messiah, they
+announced a kingdom in which their followers would enjoy a happiness,
+which their subjugated country had long since been deprived of. In short
+to prove the truth of their predictions, and the legitimacy of their
+mission, they performed miracles, i.e. works calculated to astonish so
+credulous a people as the Jews.
+
+The Jews, however, in spite of all their ignorance, did not suffer
+themselves to be convinced by either the harangues and miracles of
+Jesus, nor by the preachings and prodigies of his Apostles. All their
+efforts failed against the hardness of heart of a people so often the
+dupe of the numberless inspired who had so successfully deceived them.
+There is then reason to think that Jesus and his disciples did not
+perform their part well, or else that in their time, the Jews become
+more cautious, had not so much faith as their ancestors had formerly
+exhibited. Indeed we do not find that the first preachers of
+Christianity made much impression upon their fellow citizens; they had
+much more success, and Paul especially amongst idolators, for whom their
+enthusiastic harangues, their preachings, and miracles was a more novel
+spectacle. Amongst the Gentiles preaching was an unknown thing, the
+people was held in disdain by the priests; each formed such ideas of
+religion as he choose, there was no theological system that they were
+compelled to adopt; in short, with the exception of Esculapius, the Gods
+worked but few miracles for their worshippers.
+
+Thus, as we have already observed, circumstances were favourable for the
+mission of our Apostle amongst the Gentiles; they were more disposed
+to listen than the Jews, and to regard him who performed such wonders
+before them, as an extraordinary man favoured by heaven. In fact St.
+Paul gave himself out for such. And how can we doubt the veracity of a
+man who performs miracles? It was then necessary to give him credit;
+and without having seen these miracles we believe the same thing, and
+especially his divine inspiration, upon the authority of the writings,
+attributed to him, and upon the word of him who has transmitted to us
+an account of his actions in the Acts of the Apostles, works which the
+church enjoins us to regard as divinely inspired. It would be, I think,
+useless to make any long reflections on the validity of the titles of
+the church, and the right, that the writings which she has adopted have
+to the claim of divine inspiration. It is enough to remark, that if we
+admit those titles and rights, we have no reason to refuse also to admit
+those of any man, or body of men, which shall give themselves out as
+divinely inspired. If, on the word of Paul, we believe that he was
+inspired, why shall we not have the same deference for the word of
+Mahomet, who pretended to be the sent of the most high? If, after the
+decision of the Christian church, we regard the books contained in
+the New Testament as dictated by the Holy Ghost; what right have we to
+refuse our assent to the decision of the body of Imans and Mollahs,
+that the Koran was revealed by the angel Gabriel to Mahomet? if it be
+permitted to one man, or body of men, to invest themselves with titles,
+and at the same time forbid the titles to be investigated, we shall be
+obliged to admit all the reveries, extravagancies, and fables that we
+see spread over the various countries of the earth. Priests every where
+show us books, which they say were inspired by the divinity, and weak
+and silly people adore and and follow without examination books thus
+announced. All religions in the world are founded upon sacred hooks
+which contain the divine will, and whose truth is proved by miracles.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER. XXIII. Of the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, or
+their Divine Inspiration
+
+If we may believe the author of the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples
+assembled at Jerusalem on the the day of Pentecost, were filled with the
+Holy Ghost. But by what sign shall we be sure that they were filled with
+the Holy Ghost? It is this that they began to speak divers languages.
+But do these various languages prove the presence of the Holy Ghost?
+Could not the disciples of Jesus speak these languages naturally?
+However the Jews who had come from the different provinces of Asia to
+Jerusalem to celebrate the feast all understood Hebrew, since it was
+the language in which their law was written; nothing more then was
+requisite but to speak Hebrew, in order to be understood by all of
+them; we cannot suppose that men assembled at Jerusalem to celebrate the
+Pentecost were Gentiles. That granted of what use was the gift tongues?
+In supposing that among the Jews there were some who only understood
+Greek, which was at that time universal over all Asia, it is very
+possible that without a miracle, some of the disciples or Apostles,
+might know this language by the aid of which they could make themselves
+understood in most of the provinces mentioned in the Acts of the
+Apostles.
+
+There is then reason for believing, that the Apostles and disciples
+were on this occasion desirous of passing for inspired. With this view,
+according to the practice of the diviners and prophets amongst
+the Jews, they made noises contortions, cries, &c, and produced an
+extravagant cacophony, which, many well disposed persons mistook for
+undoubted sign of inspiration, while those who were less credulous took
+them for certain proofs of drunkenness or folly. But St. Peter justified
+them, and showed that what they received to be extravagancies ought to
+be considered as proofs of inspiration. This he confirmed by quoting a
+prophecy of the prophet Joel, (see Acts of Apostles, chap. ii. ver. 17.)
+
+But the question at issue is, whether visions, dreams, extravagancies,
+&c. are signs of divine inspiration. It is true that from the contents
+of the books, which Christians regard as dictated by the Holy Ghost, and
+examining the nonsense and contradictions found in the writings of St.
+Paul, we should be tempted to believe so. If the absence of reason,
+probability, logic, and harmony, is the distinguishing mark of divine
+inspiration, we cannot deny that St. Paul has proved himself, by his
+writings, to have been divinely inspired.
+
+However at this rate nothing can be more easy than to pass; for
+inspired. If madness be a sufficient qualification to cause a man to be
+regarded as one filled with the Holy Ghost, there are many men who have
+just pretensions to this faculty. If we doubt it they have only to
+reply gravely that God hath confounded the wisdom of the wise; that our
+rebellious reason ought to be submissive, that the human mind becomes
+perverted by reasoning. Such is however the language continually
+repeated by the supporters of St. Paul and Christianity. According to
+them, wisdom is folly, reason an uncertain guide, common sense useless,
+and contradictions are impenetrable mysteries, which we must adore
+in silence; and when our mind loses itself in the abyss of folly and
+imposture, they cry out with their great Apostle: "Oh! the depth of the
+riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are
+his ways, and his judgments past finding out!" A lucky quibble of which
+our theologians avail themselves with success, in order to escape from
+the embarrassment into which they are thrown by any reasoning on the
+ways of providence.
+
+It is thus that those who pretend to inspiration have the boldness to
+outrage the Divinity, and make the Holy Ghost the accomplice of their
+blasphemies. When they find it impossible to escape from the labyrinth
+into which impostures and ill-contrived fables have led them, they make
+God responsible for their extravagancies; they pretend that their
+own follies are the effects of divine wisdom, they term their own
+perplexities mysteries; and assent that the author of reason is at the
+same time, the enemy of reason.
+
+Men however are not shocked by these impious propositions. Accustomed
+to regard St. Paul as inspired, it never occurs to them that so great a
+Saint may blaspheme. But what authority have Christians for their high
+opinion of St. Paul? It is the Acts of the Apostles, that is to say upon
+the suspected testimony of a partizan of Paul's sect, who has compiled
+a history of his hero, filled with contradictions, but embellished with
+prodigies and fable, which however serve to establish his romance.
+But what proofs have we of these miracles themselves? We have no
+other evidence than the word of the Romancer himself confirmed by
+the authority of the church, i.e. of a body of men interested in
+establishing the fable.
+
+It is true that we have in addition the testimony of St. Paul himself,
+to whom are attributed the epistles in which are found a great number of
+details of his life. But does this Apostle agree with his historian
+in his own narrative? No, doubtless, they vary materially in many
+circumstances, and frequently contradict each other in the most positive
+manner. Who then shall we find to reconcile them, and show us what we
+ought to think of a history so differently related? The church. But
+what is the church? A body composed of the spiritual guides of the
+Christians. Have these guides been witnesses of the actions and miracles
+so differently related by Paul and his historian? No; they know nothing
+of them but by a tradition, contested even in the times of the first
+Christians, but since confirmed by a revelation of the Holy Ghost, who
+never, according to them, ceases to enlighten his church. How are we
+to know if the church is continually inspired? She herself says so, and
+there is, she says, the greatest danger in doubting this. It would be to
+resist the Holy Ghost who is identified with the church, and who makes
+common cause with her; a crime which will never be forgiven either
+in this world or in the next. Of all sins the most unpardonable is to
+resist the clergy.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV. General reflections on the foundations of Christian Faith,
+and on the Causes of Credulity
+
+These then are the only foundations of faith! Christians are obliged to
+believe that St. Paul was neither an enthusiast nor a cheat, because the
+church has decided that he was divinely inspired: the church has decided
+this important point of belief, according to the Acts of the Apostles
+and epistles, which, as we have shown, were both rejected by many sects
+of the primitive Christians, and which, as we have proved in the course
+of this work, are filled with contradictions and absurdities.
+
+Nevertheless no Christian now dares to doubt of the authenticity of
+these books. These works are regarded as sacred by the universal church,
+by Christians of all sects, who with the exception notwithstanding of
+some considerable and important variations, read them in the same manner
+and entertain for them the same veneration. What can we oppose to this
+unanimity? The example of Mahomet. This prophet who is at this day
+equally revered by all sects of Mussulmen, was at first regarded as an
+impostor at Mecca, whence he was compelled to fly. His Koran now
+become the rule and code of a clergy, supported by princes and powerful
+nations, was at first considered as a tissue of fables compiled by
+imposture. This unanimity of the Mahometans, in acknowledging the
+sanctity of Mahomet, and the divinity of the Koran proves no more in
+their favour, than the agreement of all sects of Christians in admitting
+the Saintship of Paul, and the inspiration of his writings, proves in
+favour of the Apostle and his wonderful epistles.
+
+It is the property of habit to change the appearance of things, men by
+degrees become familiar with that which at first disgusted them; time is
+able to confound truth and falsehood; clearly proved deceptions, finish
+by becoming undoubted facts to the ignorant, the idle, and those either
+too much occupied, or involved in dissipation to examine, and these are
+the majority of mankind. The most palpable imposture when it has existed
+a length of time, acquires a solidity which nothing can shake: that
+which has been believed by many for ages appears to have a real
+foundation, and to have at least a claim to probability. When once time
+has obliterated the traces of imposture, they are difficult to detect,
+and most men find it easier to stick to received opinions than to
+undergo the painful task of examining what they ought to think.
+
+Such are the true causes of the indolence that men generally show,
+as often as they are called upon to give a reason for their religious
+notions, they are contented to follow the current. Besides when
+prejudice is supported by force, and becomes necessary to the interests
+of a powerful body, it is dangerous to combat it, and few men have tbe
+courage to oppose deceptions, approved by the world, and authorised by
+the governing powers.
+
+On the other hand error, when habitual passes for truth, and is equally
+agreeable. We hold fast to our vices and prejudices, the virtues and
+opinions which are opposed to them, appear ridiculous or disagreeable.
+It is this natural disposition of the human, species, which, by little
+and little, imbue nations with the most extravagant opinions, absurd
+fables, and ill-digested systems.
+
+No, artifice was; ever better imagined, nor trick was ever more
+calculated to deceive the vulgar than that of divine inspiration. Upon
+this is founded all the religions in tbe world; it is to this marvellous
+invention that the priests of tbe whole earth are indebted for their
+authority, their riches, and their existence. When a man tells us,
+that he is divinely inspired, it is difficult for most men to ascertain
+whether he lie, or speak the truth. God never contradicts those who
+make him speak, on tbe contrary those impostors who deceive in his
+name generally perform miracles and prodigies, and these miracles and
+prodigies, are to tbe short sighted multitude undoubted signs of divine
+favor.
+
+Shall we then judge those who are inspired by their conduct? They
+generally take care to impose on us by their disinterestedness,
+patience, and mildness of behaviour, and it can hardly be supposed that
+such moderate men could have formed the design of deceiving or gaining
+power. It is only when they have gently insinuated themselves into men's
+minds, that we find ambition, avarice, and passions of the missionary
+develope themselves: it is after having won over the multitude, that
+their empire discovers itself; and they exact with pride, the tribute
+and respect due to the organs of heaven, and the messengers of the most
+high.
+
+These are the means by which Christianity has been established, the
+manoeuvres have been practised by our great Apostle, and all those who
+have assisted in disseminating his doctrine. His own experience
+often made Paul sensible, that his pride and fiery disposition, were
+frequently obstacles to his mission; thus we see him sometimes doa
+violence to his character, take the air of mildness and humility, so
+much better suited, to insinuate into mens good opinions than arrogance
+and pride. He only assumes the tone of tbe master, when he knows his
+ground; then he threatens, thunders, and displays his authority. Does
+a dispute arise between himself and an associate? He resists him to his
+face; he makes the church feel how necessary he is to the cause; and
+avails himself of it, to exhibit his authority, His example has been at
+all times faithfully followed by the heads of the Christian religion.
+Humble, mild, patient, tolerant, and disinterested whenever they have
+been weak, they become haughty, quarrelsome, intolerant, avaricious,
+and rebellious subjects to princes whenever they were certain of their
+empire over the people. It was then that they prescribed laws, crushed
+their enemies, plundered the people, and caused kings to tremble at the
+name of the God whose interpreters they declared themselves to be.
+
+The heads of the Christian religion have at all times made those
+opinions, most comfortable to their own interest pass for divine
+oracles. The Holy Ghost has had no other function, than to serve for a
+cloak to their intrigues, passions, and pretensions. The works of our
+Apostle furnished quarrelsome priests with arguments for injuring
+each other; his disjointed reveries, his obscure mysteries, and his
+ambiguous oracles, were an arsenal whence the most opposite parties
+procured arms to combat incessantly. In short the writings inspired by a
+God who was desirous of instructing mankind, have only served to plunge
+nations in darkness. Guides enlightened by the Holy Ghost saw no clearer
+than the ignorant, into mysteries, they continually presented to them by
+an unintelligible system. These great doctors were agreed upon nothing,
+each one sought to gain adherents whom he excited against the enemies
+of his own opinions, which he regarded as those only approved by heaven.
+Thence arose animosities, hatred, persecutions, and wars, which have
+a thousand times spread trouble and desolation among Christians, blind
+enough to follow men who pretended to be led by the Holy Ghost, while
+it was evident, that the only spirit which inspired them, was that of
+pride, ambition, obstinacy, vengeance, avarice, and rebellion.
+
+
+
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+Let us then be careful, oh! my friends, of allowing ourselves to be
+guided by inspired persons. Deceivers, or enthusiasts, they will only
+lead us into errors destructive of our peace. Let us consult reason, so
+decried by men, whose interest it is to extinguish a light which is able
+to show us the plots of their dark policy, this reason will inform us
+that contradictory works do not merit our belief; that a turbulent,
+ambitious and enthusiastic Apostle, may have been a very useful Saint to
+the church, and a very bad citizen. This reason will convince us, that
+a God filled with wisdom could never inspire men with systems, in which
+folly is the most prominent feature; that a God who is the author of
+reason could never have called for its immolation, before the shrine of
+fable, and pretended mystery incapable of producing any thing but evil
+and dissension upon the earth. Let us be just, benevolent, peaceable,
+let us leave to St. Paul, and to those who take him for a model, their
+lofty ambition, their turbulent fanaticism, their obstinate vanity,
+their persecuting spirit, and above all things their bitter zeal, which
+they term an interest for the salvation of souls. Let us show to all men
+not an evangelic charity which is converted into fury and hatred, but
+a real charity which inspires us with love, peace, indulgence, and
+humanity. May this charity so much boasted of, and so little practised,
+by St. Paul and his successors, be the rule of our conduct, and the
+standard of our judgments on men and their opinions. Examine all
+things, and hold fast that which is good. Let us not be blinded by the
+prejudices, of infancy, of habit, or of authority. Let us not be imposed
+upon by the pompous names of Paul, of Cephas, or of Apollos; but let
+us seek the truth and follow reason, which can never lead astray, nor
+render us troublesome members of society.
+
+FINIS.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Critical Examination of the Life of
+St. Paul, by Boulanger
+
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