astrological one, has here retrenched several details; but he has preserved a circumstance which forms a new link between his and the Egyptian version, when he makes God cursing the serpent, to say, 'I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: her offspring shall bruise thy head.' This offspring is the infant, that in the old celestial spheres, the virgin (Isis, Eve,) carried in her arms, and whose any history misunderstood, is become so celebrated in the world."

1

The constant resemblances which are found to exist then, between the Jewish dogmas, and the Chaldean cosmogonies, more particularly embodied in the book of Genesis, and the priority of the Chaldean cosmogonies being clearly established, the genuineness of the reputed prophecies, which are perverted from their original meaning, becomes in consequence, annihilated; and just criticism on their real and definite meanings, reduces their pretended importance, to absolute nonentity, by their being associated or identified with the astrological and mythological dogmas; which dogmas, as we have clearly demonstrated,

1 Gen. iii, 15. The Vulgate says, she (the woman) shall bruise; but the Hebrew text has the masculine gender, he, referring to the offspring (Zara).

form the basis of every system of theology, that has existed, or does exist in the world.

1

Previously to a further examination of the prophecies adduced by the Author of the Remarks, more particularly that of Daniel, respecting the coming of a Messiah or Prince, we return to the following statement, viz. "there is some difficulty in ascertaining whether Volney was a Deist, or an Atheist." That Volney's writings do not inculcate atheism, may be clearly seen from the Catechism of the "Law of Nature, or Principles of Morality, deduced from the physical constitution of mankind and the universe." After a recapitulation of the characters of the Law of Nature, it is stated, that "because it unites in itself all the attributes of perfection and of truth, there has always existed in the human heart, an involuntary and secret inclination to regard it as, in a peculiar sense, the true religion; the only one adapted to the nature of man, and the only one worthy of God, from whom it

emanates.

2

Q. If, as you assert, it emanates immediately from God, does it teach us his existence?

A. Yes; very positively; for every man, who observes with attention the astonishing scene of the universe, the more he meditates on the 1 Remarks, chap. vi. 2 Chapter ii.

properties and attributes of each existence, and on the admirable order and harmony of their motions, the more will he be convinced that there is a supreme agent, a universal and identical mover, designed by the name God: and it is so true, that the law of nature is sufficient to raise us to the knowledge of God, that whatever men have pretended to know of him by other means has been constantly found to be ridiculous and absurd; and they have been obliged to return to the unchangeable notions of natural reason.

Q. It is not true then, that the followers of the law of nations, are atheists?

A. No; it is not true. On the contrary, they have stronger and more noble ideas of the Divinity than the greater part of mankind; for they do not defile it by the addition of the weaknesses and passions of human nature.

Q. What is the worship which they render him?

A. A worship which consists entirely in action; in the observation and practice of all the rules which the supreme wisdom has imposed upon the motions of each being; eternal and unalterable rules, which maintain the order and harmony of the universe, and which considered in relation to man, compose the law of nature." These quotations directly refute the charge of Atheism.

We have seen, it is presumed, as far as we have proceeded, that our Critic's assumptions, that he is exclusively arguing on the right side of the question; or that the basis of his doctrinal and theological discussions is that of truth, as founded on the presumed authenticity of the scriptural writings; and that these writings have indisputable claims to inspiration; these assumptions, we repeat, we have seen to be purely gratuitous, and they have been demonstrated to be destitute of a real foundation in truth; and the assumed dogmas, or rather the majority of these, deduced from the Hebrew Scriptures, are therefore found to be directly opposed to historical testimony, as well as to nature and reason.

CHAPTER VI.

CONTINUATION OF THE REMARKS ON THE REPUTED PROPHECIES CONTAINED IN THE JEWISH WRITINGS AS APPLICABLE TO A SPIRITUAL MESSIAH, AND MORE PARTICULARLY ON THOSE OF ISAIAH AND DANIEL; PROOFS ADDUCED ILLUSTRATIVE of the SPURIOUS ORIGIN OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL; AND THE CONSEQUENT MISAPPLICATION OF THE PROPHECIES QUOTED FROM IT.

In an enumeration of the prophecies contained in the Hebrew writings relative to the coming of a Messiah, the Author of the Remarks says, "Can the Prince of Peace, in Isaiah ix, or the rod from the stem of Jesse, described in Isaiah xi, be a prophetic description of a political king of the Jews?'" In the thirteenth section, twentysecond chapter of the Ruins, relative to Christianity it is stated, respecting the predictions found in the Hebrew books," From the time