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    vsticvil was merely intended as an argument in favour of the Christian doctrine ^ and that the argument itself whs drawn only from , analogy—the words are these— * ' consideration of this subject , in

    my opinion , cannot but afford a strong and satisfactory analogical argument in favour of human resuscitation . " Every man must be aware that this is a subject on which absolute demonstration

    cannot be expected , but that is no reason why it may not be investigated—ami if it can be shewn that Nature presents us with a variety of analogies in favour of the resurrection , can the detail oi those analogies prove otherwise than acceptable to a Being who ever shudders at the idea of ultimate

    annihilation ? If I am right in my conjecture respecting the author of the paper to which I am now directing ray attention , nothing can proceed from his pen that is inconsistent with the character of a scholar and

    a gentleman ; otherwise I- should Lave been induced tq suppose that he had intentionally mistaken my meaning , in order to have an opportunity of controverting argujnents which , he knew he should Lave no difficulty in confuting—

    -* The introduction of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body into ' our public creeds , has certainly a tendency to bring- the Christian doctrines' of the resurreo tiori of the dead , and a future state into disrepute , a , s it unnecessarily invoJves those doctrines in difficulties and absurdities . When men hear jthe resurrection of the body taught in our churches , they take it for granted that this is a doctrine of scripture , and are thus inclined to discard the scriptures altogether . Had it not been for these unscrjptural creeds , the following passage would perhaps , never Jhave disfigured the pages of a late elegant historian . 1 * We are" says he , " sufficiently acquainted with the eminent persons whp flourished in the age of Cicero , and df the first Csesars , with their actions , their characters , and their motives , to be

    assured that their conduct in jthis life was never regulated by any serious conviction of the rewards or punishments of a futurastate . At the bar and in the senate of JRome , the ablest orators were not apprehensive of giving offence tp their bearers * by exposing that doctrine as an idle and extravagant opinion , \ vtyich was rejected with contempt by every ma # of a liberal ^ tucation and understanding /'

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    for , he proceeds on the sttpposi * tion that I had been endeavouring to prove that antichristian doc * trinc the resurrection of the body— -whereas , it must , I think ,

    appear to every one who reads my paper with attention , that I had a very different object in view . The doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh has ever appeared to me so absurd , that I am sure I am one of the most unlikely men in the world to have said a word in

    its defence—a doctrine no where taught in the Christian scriptures ; a doctrine whifch one of the sacred writers strenuously opposes , and which he adduces analogical arguments from one of-the kingdoms of Nature to overthrow ; a

    doctrine , which I believe was never introduced into any creed public * or private ' till the fourth century —that eventful period , when the

    beautiful system of Christianity was first patronized b y the state , and loaded vyith tjiat , m , ass- of absurdities which has induced many liberal but superficial thinkers of

    every country to abandon its mstitutes , * and the man of patient and accurate investigation , almost % o blush to be called a Christian . The doctrines which Jesus the Christ promulgated , were thoeeof

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    tl 9 Mr . Parkes on Matter * and Mind .

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    Gibbon , Vol . I , Qiwrto . Si *»

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1809, page 712, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1707/page/6/