“Our doctrine is proved,” replied the first standard, “by numerous facts, by a multitude of miracles, by resurrections of the dead, by rivers dried up, by mountains removed—­”

“And we also have numberless miracles,” cried all the others, and each began to recount the most incredible things.

“Their miracles,” said the first standard, “are imaginary, or the fictions of the evil spirit, who has deluded them.”

“They are yours,” said the others, “that are imaginary;” and each group, speaking of itself, cried out: 

“None but ours are true, all the others are false.”

The legislator then asked:  “Have you living witnesses of the facts?”

“No,” replied they all; “the facts are ancient, the witnesses are dead, but their writings remain.”

“Be it so,” replied the legislator; “but if they contradict each other, who shall reconcile them?”

“Just judge!” cried one of the standards, “the proof that our witnesses have seen the truth is, that they died to confirm it; and our faith is sealed by the blood of martyrs.”

“And ours too,” said the other standards; “we have thousands of martyrs who have died in the most excruciating torments, without ever denying the truth.”

Then the Christians of every sect, the Mussulmans, the Indians, the Japanese, recited endless legends of confessors, martyrs, penitents, etc.

And one of these parties, having denied the martyrology of the others:  “Well,” said they, “we will then die ourselves to prove the truth of our belief.”

And instantly a crowd of men, of every religion and of every sect, presented themselves to suffer the torments of death.  Many even began to tear their arms, and to beat their heads and breasts, without discovering any symptom of pain.

But the legislator, preventing them—­“O men!” said he, “hear my words with patience.  If you die to prove that two and two make four, will your death add any thing to this truth?”

“No!” answered all.

“And if you die to prove that they make five, will that make them five?”

Again they all answered, “No.”

“What, then, is your persuasion to prove, if it changes not the existence of things?  Truth is one—­your persuasions are various; many of you, therefore, are in error.  Now, if man, as is evident, can persuade himself of error, what is the persuasion of man to prove?

“If error has its martyrs, what is the sure criterion of truth?

“If the evil spirit works miracles, what is the distinctive character of God?

“Besides, why resort forever to incomplete and insufficient miracles?  Instead of changing the course of nature, why not rather change opinions?  Why murder and terrify men, instead of instructing and correcting them?

“O credulous, but opinionated mortals! none of us know what was done yesterday, what is doing to-day even under our eyes; and we swear to what was done two thousand years ago!