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London , Sir , « 4 pri / 6 , 1820 . IN reading the works of the celer brated philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousse $ u , I have been struck with a
passage , where he describes , in his usual , eloquent manner , the establishment and subsequent corruptions of Christianity . If you should think it worthy of insertion in the Repository , the following translation of it is at your service .
M . W . J . € t After the death of Jesus Christ , twelve poor fishermen and artisans undertook to instruct and convert the world . Their manner was simple ; they preached unaffectedly , yet earnestly ; and of all the miracles with which God honoured their
faith , the most striking was the sanctity of their lives : their disciples followed this example , and the success attendant upon their exertions was truly wonderful . The Pagan priests , alarmed , persuaded their princes that the State was in
danger , because the offerings diminished . Persecutions arose , and the persecutors only accelerated the progress of the religion they wished to stifle . All the Christians hastened to martyrdom all the nations to baptism ; the history of those early times is a continual prodigy .
" The priests of the idols , not satisfied with persecuting the Christians , began to calumniate them . The philosophers , displeased wjth a religion which preached humility , took part with their priests .
The unlearned became Christians , it is true , but the learned derided them , and it 4 s well known * with What cdntetopt St . l % iul hjipself was received by the Athertiaha . Raillery and insult poured down from all sides on the new sect . The
Christians were forced to take up the pen to defend themselves . Justin Martyr was the first who wrote aft apology for hi $ foith . ftfhe Pagans were attacked in their turn ; to attack them was to vanquish them . These first successes encouraged other writers , who , under
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pretence of exposing th £ turfTitude of Paganism , launched into mythology &nd erudition ; they wished to displaf learning and genius ; innumerable books appeared , and the manners of the people declined . " The defenders of Christianity , no longer satisfied with the simpJiqity of the
gospel and the faith of the apostles , always desirous of shewing iacttre : WiSjiom than their predeces $ ors > refined upon all dogmata ; every one maintain ^ his own opinion , no one wais witling Jd yield , like ambition pf b £ ing head : of a sect sltfme forth , and heresies khxilfi ^ lied on all sides .
** Passion and violence soon joined in the dispute . These Christians , once so mild , who had suffered themselves to be led like sheep to the slaughter , became amongst themselves furious persecutors , worse than the Idolaters : all shared in the same excesses , and the party of truth was not supported with more moderation than that of error . Another evil still
more dangerous sprung from the same source ; the introduction of the philosophy of the ancients into the Christian doctrine . By dint of studying the Greek philosophers , the Christian writers thought they discovered in them affinity with Christianity . They dared believe that
religion would become more respectable supported by the authority of philosophy . There was a time when to be orthodox , it was necessary to be a Platonician ; and first Plato , afterwards Aristotle , was near being placed on the altar by the side of Jesus Christ . "
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Mr . Wellbeloved ' s Bible . SUBSCRIBER to Mr . Wellbe-A loved ' s Bible wishes to be informed , whether that gentleman has jjiven up his design in publishing that important work ? Or , if not , whfn is the Second Part to be expected ? And should the work be continued , i 3 it likely that so great a time will elapse between the publishing of each Part ?
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the Other side of the question , and seemed to have borrowed many of thenl frotn the pages of your valuable llepasitory— -in which the above transcript would doubtless be well worthy
of occupying a place , if it were likely to excite in your readers any thing like the degree of interest which the original excited in me . But of this I must , of course , leave you to be the
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4 fi 4 Rousseau on the Establishment tihdCorrupttdnS of Christianity .
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Modern €€ Orthodox" -Notion of Future Punishment . ( Continued from p . 340 . ) FUKTte lR , this supposition , of strictly eternal pttnistiin tot , though in different . degretea / which is the view in which vite are pptf cdtfsidering the subject , necessarily ittcftidefc one or more 6 f the following particulars : — Either that an itp ^ enijeiit t ^ sgressor , as such , cm joqm he VkbttimI *> hf Mak&v iior &M $ uk # ; & tHrft state capable of true htopurtSsa-j * * that
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1820, page 404, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2490/page/24/
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