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    i ^^ fpg E < m }> etftr * ? consequently / ithe cte ^^| Ser ) f I Alexander , which is 'drdwn hy LUciftoi ^ Frea to unfold the real cfcaraeter 0 / J ^ regruiusj , wh 6 is heote represented vft $ his twiii brothet 5 rt and ire ; may ; ii 0 &ee > infer * lu& the / objeofclof

    the GpiftMiiiteitf i *;! fei $ e !^^) ttttufeft for thein ^ mu £ t have been th £ same . ; I Welshewni in , &w last jpublteafSon ^ that Applfcnius , of Tyana , is drawn by Pfr ^ QSj ^ fos in opposition to Christ . Theses W 0 l ^ ara that Proteus was the god ^ yhp announced his miraculous conception * ? Peregrinus , before' he

    mixed ; vyijth / the Christians , assumed the name of this god ; and the object i > f this fissumption was probabl y to hold himself forth as the rival of our Lord * Npw It is a fact capable of being proved by unquestionable evidence , that some of the impostors . who

    cherished the most deadly hatred against the gospel , and lent their talents and influence to the ( lovernment in order to defeat it , nevertheless pretended to be teachers of it , and as such sought

    admission intQ those churches which the apostles had established . This is fljte meaning Of Paul when he says , 2 fC ^ r . xi . | 3 , " That thought ministers o ^ Satw , tliey transform themselves ijnto apostles of Christ . " In the numof

    ber ^ ot thes e was Simon Samaria , who , though a determined enemy of the ., gospgl , and a tool xa the hadd of tkp i ^ m ^^ Oovern xnent , associated > yi $ | l $ m Cbristfeins % , and it was , to Gut p ^ i the mischief \ yhich his pretended conyerpion had caused to the Christian

    name * that seemingl y induced Luke to describe him as having €€ neither part nor Jot in this matter / ' Acts viii . 21 . Simon was a prominent leader among the Gnostics , and we are only to suppose that Peregrin us was of the same

    character , in order to discover the ? rounds of the singular events which lUcian ascribes to him . This m a % nant and unprincipled writer was too sharp 0 ighted not to perceive that this impostor in , W » t cpirjme ^ i ^ BL with the

    Ch ^ Btians , iijrnjshed him with the fairest opportunity for bijp ^ ing the mm 1 Mtf * 1 $ n& iU Fopnd ^ ir s iptp disrepute , ancj thus supporting the sinking e ^ se ; of Paganism . WMh } hb new he ^ ejg ^ ted the leading ^ rquipptc ^^ p ^^ 0 KiB ^^^ Wfy ? m& dfitiih of Ph ^^^ lj ^ ^ 64 | fied' ; . ^ f ^ , fta ^ Itt ^ i ^ flJ ^ he aapribq ? vtliWvlo ^^^ g ^ v ^ .,.. Bjr

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    this bare ^ facedjilap ^ fice , i ? ere ^ lmi ^ is Represented as n another ftmndte of Christianity , brirathier , he ii identified \ vitji Christ himself , so ; that the lea ^ ng facts which prove the divine mission of the latter ; are left to enforce on the in

    r ^ eider rthe same ^ conclusion favour of the former . > n : ! ; I wUli s ' elect onfe or two paragraphs which prove the tfcuth of this representation ; . this being done , we shall be able to discover the real nature and purport of this treatise , as well as the extent of the naischief which it was

    intended to do , and actually has done to the Christian religion . The , identity of . Perfegrinus wiiii the Lord Jesus is placed beyond-doubt 4 > y the following passage : € C About this time it was that he , ( Peregrinus ) learned the wonderful

    plutosophy of the Christians , being lhtimately acquainted with many of their priests and scribes . In a very short time he convinced them that they were all boys to him , became their prophet , their leader , chief president , and , in short , all in all to them . He explained some of their books , he illustrated

    others , and many he wrote himself . They also regarded him as a god > received him as a lawgiver , and adopted his name as their patron ( i * e ^ called themselves b y his name ) . Accordingly , they Still worship that Magician , a man crucified in Palestine for having introduced this new mystery into the wx > rld ; " Luc . Opera , Vol . Ill / Ed .

    Hem . p . 333 , , § .-ll . — . «« Peregriiirtis received much mofcey from them ( viz . the Christians ) on account of his bonds , which he improved into a considerable fund . For these infatuated men have persuaded themselves that they are altogether immortal , and will be for

    ever ; they despise death , therefore , and offer up their lives a voluntary sacrifice , which their chief law-giver induced them to do as being all brethren one to another . Hating quitted , the Grecian gods they . worship . this their crucified prophet , and live in obedience

    to his l ^ vvsj accordingly they look with contempt on aUiiwartaly things * and hold : < & ! &y titling in common , a maxim whicfc th ^ y . h ^ ad ^ teA without any accurate ; gml ^ &liti ^^ In the ^ e t > vo passages ; 'V ^ ^ ' m ^^ of . ^ pii ^ i ^ ti ^^^^^^^^^ IS would' necesstirily c ^ nclude ^ H ^ in ' te ^ be

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    $ 44 J ? r ^^^^^ n ^ hevC ^ rk ^^ cf . ChrixCtraVestied by I ^ cian ^

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1820, page 644, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2494/page/16/