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Truth is truth wherever it comes from. No imper- 
fections of humanity can discredit a noble cause ; 
and it would be madness to reject Christianity, for 
instance, either because Peter denied Christ, or 
Judas betrayed him. 
“It will be hard to meet with a more edifying or 
more consolatory lecture on religion than the death- 
bed of Julia. Her character is evidently intended 
as a model in this respect. By that then we should 
judge of its author, and not by fretful doubts and 
petulant expressions, the sad fruits of unjust perse- 
cution, and of good intentions misconstrued. 
“Nor would it be difficult to produce, from the 
works of Rousseau, a vast majority of passages di- 
rectly in support of Christianity itself, compared 
with what are supposed hostile to it. It is noto- 
rious that he incurred the ridicule of Voltaire, for 
exalting the character and death of Jesus above 
that of Socrates. ‘But he was insidious, and he 
disbelieved miracles, say his opponents. If he 
believed Christianity without the assistance of mi- 
racles to support his faith, is it a proof of his infi- 
delity? If he was insidious, that is his own concern. 
I have nothing to do with hidden meanings or 
mystical explanations of any book, certainly not of 
the writings of so ingenuous and perspicuous an 
author as Rousseau. Unfortunately for him, the 
whole tenour of those writings has been too hostile 
to the prevailing opinions, or at least to the darling 
interests of those in authority among whom he 
lived; for Scribes and Pharisees are never wanting 
to depress every attempt at improving or instruct- 
