“You may see weavers, tailors, and fullers, illiterate and rustic men, not daring to utter a word before persons of age, experience, and respectability; but when they get hold of boys privately, and silly women, they recount wonderful things; that they must not mind their fathers, or their tutors, but obey them; as their fathers, or guardians are quite ignorant, and in the dark; but themselves alone have the true wisdom.  And if the children obey them, they pronounce them happy, and direct them to leave their fathers, and tutors, and go with the women, and their play-fellows, into the chambers of the females, or into a tailor’s, or fuller’s shop, that they may learn perfection.”

Celsus compares a Christian teacher to a quack—­“who promises to heal the sick, on condition that they keep from intelligent practitioners, lest his ignorance be detected.”

“If one sort of them introduces one doctrine, another another, and all join in saying, ‘Believe if you would be saved, or depart:’  what are they to do, who desire really to be saved?  Are they to determine by the throw of a die, where they are to turn themselves, or which of these demanders of implicit faith they are to believe.”

Omitting what Celsus says reproachfully of the moral characters of the Apostles, and the first teachers of Christianity, for which we certainly shall not take his word; it is easy to perceive from the above quotations, that they had more success among simple, and credulous people, than among the intelligent, and well-informed.  Their introductory lesson to their pupils, was, “Believe, but do not examine;” and their succeeding instructions seem to have been a continued repetition, and practice of the dogma of implicit faith*.

CHAPTER X.

MISCELLANEOUS

In Matthew, ch. v.  Jesus says, “ye have heard that it was said, that shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.’” But this is no where said in the Law, or the Prophets; but, on the contrary, we read directly the reverse.  For it is written, Ex. xxiii.  “If thou find the ox of thine enemy or his ass going astray, thou shalt certainly bring him back to him.”  “If thou meet the ass of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help him.”  Again, Levit. xix.  “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; rebuke thy neighbour, nor suffer sin upon him.  Thou shalt not revenge, nor keep anger, (or bear any grudge,) against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; I am the Lord.”  So also in Prov. xxxiv. " When thine enemy falleth, do not triumph, and when he stumbleth, let not thine heart exult.”  So also in ch. xxv.  “If thy enemy hunger, give him food; if he thirst, give him to drink.”  These precepts are to the purpose, and are practicable; but this command of Jesus, " Love your enemies,” if by loving he means, “do them good,” it is commanded in the