evil ceased with Jefus, no doubt a few days would have funk the matter in oblivion; but unluckily the poifon was deeply rooted, fo that to this day the venom cannot be extracted. Peter and his affociates, by ftratagem, a few days after the decease of their Meffiah, pretending they were inspired from above, spoke (though unlettered) every language, fo that the rabble were astonished to hear thefe Galileans speak to them in their native tongue. They influenced the unpolished multitude, as their leader had done, curing all diseases, the very fhadow of Peter, the mob was perfuaded, had this virtue. Those in power arraigned them, and inflicted ftripes to rid them of their madness, which they embraced with joy and firmnefs. They were imprisoned, but when released (by no one knows what fpirit) found the more obdurate and impenitent, and daily enlarging, that both Jews and Romans were compelled to use every feverity to rid the world of this peft of novelifts or innovators, but to no purpofe; for, as we observed, three hundred years from the commencement of this fect, the emperor Conftantine took the infection from a †.” He said, feen by himself and army at noon-day, far. brighter than the fun, with this infcription, By This Conquer; and he being fuccessful against his colleagues (who were heathens) established by edict his novelty, which has cruelly tormented the world, as we know this day. What gives and keeps alive this madnefs, is the fecret influence they have over the fenfes and laws of nature; for in every age we find these workers

of

of wonders exhibiting their skill, to the amazement of the low-bred mifcreants: A late one at Rome died a common beggar, by name, Jofeph Labre; he did in a great measure furprise two of us here, Joshua and Nehemia; you were both prefent at Rome when he died, on the 16th of April, 1783, declare what you were eye-witnes fes to whilft there, that Rabbi Mofes knowing the feduction that envelop its votaries of the christian herefy may hold faft to the covenant of circumcifion given by Almighty God to our fathers.

Joshua & Nehemiah. Be it known to you, venerable Rabbi, that we were prefent at Rome at the time the beggar, Benedict, Jofeph Labre, deceased, the time juft mentioned, and were eye witneffes of what paffed, which far fuperfeded the laws of nature; to enter into a narrative would be both tedious and irkfome, more efpecially as we can prefent you with an accurate history a few days fince fent us by our friends in London, printed in English, to which we beg to refer. All we will now therefore mention fhall be; that we were prefent for feveral days, examined the corpfe and found it foft, flexible, found, and uncorrupted, free from any disagreeable fmell or fign of putrification, but perfectly elaftic as the flesh of a perfon in health. One extraordinary circumftance we will take notice of: When he was to be fhifted he was placed fitting on two benches, one fupported him by the shoulders; the corpfe as one alive ftretched out his hand and laid hold of the bench to fupport himself. Some of the company willing to A a 3

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be convinced whether what appeared marvellous might not proceed from a natural caufe, or the effect of mere chance; they therefore inclined the body toward the hand that clinched the bench. This experiment they tried: If the hand and fingers had been no more than fimply applied to the bench; if the muscles had not been in a state of extension and real contraction; then when the body was more inclined to the hand that clinched the bench, the hand would naturally follow the motion and inclination of the body, and by its own weight loofen and fall;— Instead of which, the hand continued to hold faft, until fome one loosened it: this was repeated different times to the fame effect. One of us for a full conviction in a cafe fo extraordinary, defired that the hand should be difengaged from the bench, and that the body might be feated in its firft pofition, which was done, and to our great amazement, the corpfe or body fupported itself by clinching the bench as before, representing the action of a living perfon, Some time after his hand was loofed, and all present were convinced of the real flexibility of his fingers, and extenfion and play of the mufcles, through the length of the hand that grafped the arm, and to the breaft; the fame contractions and play of the muscles were observed as in a perfon alive, who being inclined to fupport his body in that posture or disposition, would take hold of what was moft proper as a reft. This man died, Wednesday evening, and the time I now mention was the Sunday evening following. We being refolved to be eye-witneffes, spent a

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large part of each day, for a month after his death, near his perfon, which was not only dif ficult but dangerous, occafioned by the concourse of people from all parts, to receive their cures, and fome to return thanks for being healed; from which fucceffion of miracles turned forth fuch a prodigious ftorm of feduction that all the world feemed in a ftupor. Silly people, crying out without ceafing, that the dead. beggar attefted his power with God. This called to our mind the feduction of Ifrael, we mean that part that fell from the covenant of our fathers and joined in league with their leader, Jefus, whom they ftiled Chrift, purely through a reprobate fpirit thirsting for novelty, and fu pernatural knowledge not lawful, or conformable to the ftate of man.

Aaron & Eleazar. What you advance of the fupernatural powers, appertain, and is promised to none but our Meffiah and covenant; all pretenders are excluded. The 35th chapter of the prophet Ifaiah gives us this affurance: "The wilderness and the folitary place fhall be glad for them; and the defart fhall rejoice, and bloffom as the rofe. It fhall bloffom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and finging: the glory of Lebanon fhall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a feeble heart, be strong; fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a récompence; he will come and fave you. A a 4

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Then the eyes of the blind fhall be opened, and the ears of the deaf fhall be unftopped. Then fhall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb, fing; for in the wilderness fhall waters break out, and streams in the defart. And the parched ground fhall become a pool, and the thirsty land fprings of water, in the ha-bitation of dragons, where each lay fhall be grafs with reeds and rufhes. And an highway fhall be there, and a way, and it fhall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for thofe : the way-faring men, though fools fhall not err therein. No lion fhall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it fhall not be found there; but the redeemed fhall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with fongs, and everlafting joy upon their heads: they fhall obtain joy and gladness; and forrow and fighing fhall flee away." This, with the other prophecies and promifes of fcripture, would have been fulfilled according to the time marked out by Almighty God, which was when Jefus and feveral other invaders appeared at the epoch that the chriftian herefy fixes its date or æra. All other pretenders were crushed in their infancy, but the chriftian chief by his inimitable magic has laid Ifrael under infernal fetters which we still wear.

Joshua & Nehemiah. If Ifrael embarrass herfelf by claiming fupernatural agency, or power of miracles, and other fpiritual invafions on nature, as a divine quality promifed, and by *which their Meffiah and new law or covenantfhall