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BOOK IV.
CHAPTER I.
1. Having shewn that the Hindoos and Persians had certain of the leading articles of what is usually called the Christian religion, some thousands of years, probably, before the time assigned to Jesus,—the actual history of the birth and life of the Second Person of the Trinity, or of the Saviour of the Romish or modern Christian religion, will now be given; from which it will be evident to the reader whence most of the corruptions in the histories of the gospel of Jesus have been derived.
When a person takes a view of the whole of what has constituted the Christian system, at any period of the time during which it has existed, if he mean to form a correct idea of it, he must not confine his observation to any one or two of the divisions of which it consists at the time of his survey, but he must take, as it were, a bird’s eye view of it. He must bring all its numerous subdivisions within the field of his telescopic vision. No doubt each of them will dispute the propriety of this, because there is not one of them, however small and contemptible it may be, which will not maintain that it is the sole and true religion, all the others being merely heresies or corruptions. To this, however, the philosopher, inquiring only for the truth, will pay no attention: each is an integral part, and the union of the whole forms the religion of that day; though it is very possible that it may differ essentially from that taught by Jesus, or from the religion of the present day.
If a person be disposed to dispute the doctrine here laid down, I would beg to ask him what he would do if he undertook to make a survey of the religion of India. Would he consider only the religion of the followers of Vishnu; or of that of the followers of Cali; or of that of the followers of Buddha? No: he would consider each of these as parts of the grand whole; all derived from one common source; and reason upon them accordingly. In the same manner he will consider the sects of Christians, when he takes a philosophical view of the religion. In carrying this intention into effect, I shall, of course, often have occasion to notice the writings of Christians of former times, but which are now little known. Of this kind are what are called the Apocryphal Gospels. This being the correct mode of viewing the religion, it seems evident that if a general corruption have pervaded all its sects, we must not expect to find the cause or origin of this cor-
