And that the founder of the Christian religion was not always in one coherent consistent mind, I think will appear plain to every intelligent physician who reads his discourses; especially those in the gospel of John.  They are a mixture of something that looks like sublimity, strangely disfigured by wild, and incoherent words.  So unintelligible indeed, that even the profoundest of Christian divines have never been able to fathom all their mysteries.  To prove that I do not say these things rashly, wickedly, or out of any malignity towards the character of Jesus, which I really respect and venerate, I will establish my assertions by examples.  For instance—­

—­Many instances might be adduced of conduct directly subversive of the very design, to promote which, he said that he was sent into the world.  For example, he said that he came to preach glad tidings to the poor, and uninformed; and yet he declares to his disciples, that ho spake to this very multitude of poor and ignorant people in parables, lest they might understand him, and be converted from their sins, and God should heal, or pardon them.  In the 26th chapter of Matthew, Jesus says to his disciples, in the garden at Gethsemane, these strange words, " Sleep on now, and take your rest—­Arise! let us be going,” The commentators endeavour to get rid of the strange contradictoriness of these words, by turning the command into the future; and rendering the Greek word translated “now” thus—­“for the rest of your time,” or “for the future.”  And that he asked them “whether they slept for the future”? which appears to be just as rational as to have asked, “how they do to-morrow"?!!

Jo. viii. 51, “Verily, verily.(said Jesus) I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death “Reader, what dost thou think of this saying?  Has believing in the Christian religion, at all prevented men from dying as in afore time?  And should we be at all astonished at what the Jews said to him, when they heard this assertion—­“Then said the Jews unto him.  Now we know that thou hast a demon [i. e. art mad.] Abraham is dead, and the Prophets, and thou sayest if a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death?” So said the Jews, and if in our times, a man was to make a similar assertion, should we not say the same?

Many instances might also be given of strange and inconsequent reasoning; but I shall only adduce the following.  He reproaches the Pharisees, Luke xi. 47, 48, for building and adorning the sepulchres of the Prophets, whom their wicked fathers slew; and says to them, “Your fathers slew them, and ye build their sepulchres,” and he adds, “that thus they showed that they approved the deeds of their fathers!” Surely this is absurd!  Did the Athenians by setting up a statue to Socrates after his unjust death, show to the world that they “approved” the deed of them who slew him? did it not show the direct contrary? and was it not intended as a testimony of their regret, and repentance?