STUDY VIII. 167 



a tedious detail of minute circumftances, relating 

 to events of little importance, (hould not have 

 reverted a thoufand and a thoufand times, to a 

 birth fo deeply interefting to his Nation, confi- 

 dering that it's very deftiny was involved in that 

 event, and that even the deftrudtion of Jerufalem 

 was only one of the confequences of the death of 

 Jesus Christ ? He, on the contrary, perverts 

 the meaning of the prophecies which announce 

 Him, applying them to Fefpajian and to littis ; for 

 he, as w^ll as the other Jews, ex peeled a Mefliah 

 triumphant. Befides, had Jofephiis believed in 

 Christ, would he not have embraced his Reli- 

 gion ? 



For a fimilar reafon, is it credible that Pliny 

 fhould commence his Natural Hiftory with de- 

 nying the exiftence of GOD, and afterwards fill 

 every page of it, with expatiating on the wifdom, 

 the goodnefs, the providence, the majefty of Na- 

 ture ; on the prefages and pre-monitions, fent ex- 

 prefsly from the Gods; and even on the miracles 

 divinely operated through the medium of dreams? 



Certain favage tribes have likewife been ad- 

 duced as affording examples of atheifm, and every 

 fequeftered corner of the Globe has been for this 

 purpofe explored. But obfcure remote tribes 

 were no more intended to ferve as an example to 



M 4 the 



