Though these notions are sufficiently strange, yet they are not so very remarkable as the one I am about to consider.  It is a singular, and a demonstrable fact, that the fundamental scheme of Christianity was derived from the religion of the ancient Persians, The whole of the New Testament scheme is built upon the hypothesis, that there is a powerful and malignant being, called the Devil and Satan, the chief of unknown myriads of other evil spirits; that he is, by the sufferance of God, the Prince of this world, and is the Author of sin, woe and death; the Tempter, the Tormentor of men, and the Tyrant of the Earth; that the Son of God, to deliver mankind from the vassalage of this monster, descended from heaven, and purchased their ransom of the Tyrant, at the price of his blood; for observe, my reader, that the idea of the death of Jesus being an atonement to God for the sins of men, is a modern notion; for the Primitive Christians, all of them, considered the death of Jesus as a ransom paid to the Devil, as may be proved from Origen and other Fathers.  That the New Testament represents this character as the sovereign of this world, may be proved by the following passages:—­“All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, (said the Tempter to Jesus, when he showed him all the kingdoms of the earth,) for it is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it.”  Luke iv., Jesus calls him “the Prince of this world;” John xii., and elsewhere.  In his commission to Paul, he calls embracing his religion, “turning from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan to God.”—.  Acts xxvi. 18.  Accordingly we find, that to become a Christian was considered as being freed from the tyranny of Satan.  “God hath given life to you, (says Paul) who were dead in offences, and sins; in which ye formerly walked, according to the course (or constitution) of this world, according to the Prince of the Power of the air.”—­ Ephesians ii., 1.  And again:—­“If our gospel be covered, (or hid) it is covered among those that are lost, among those unbelievers, whose minds the God of this world hath blinded, to the end that the glorious gospel of Christ should not enlighten them.”—­2 Cor. iv. 4.  John says in his Epistle, that “the whole world lieth in the power of the wicked one;” and Jesus in the gospels compares him to “a strong man armed, keeping his goods;” and himself to one stronger than he, who strippeth him of the arms in which he trusted, and spoileth his goods.  “For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.”—­1 John iii. 8.  And it is said, “that he came to send forth the captive into liberty, and to heal those who were oppressed of the Devil.”  Men are also said to have been “taken captive of the Devil, to fulfil his will.”—­2 Timothy ii. 26.  And we find that the Christians attributed all their sufferings to the opposition of this Being.  “Put on (says Paul) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against