there are yet in that country, more than even Seven million who have not bowed the knee, to the new formed idol, DEISM) it is rational to conclude, from our connection with that republic, and fimilarity of political opinions, attempts will be made, by fome of its citizens, to diffeminate among us their deistical principles.

Mr. Paine, now an inhabitant of France, has already made his appearance here as a champion of infidelity; and,with almost unparralleled effrontry, taken upon him to calumniate and blafpheme the chriftian religion; and it is not unreasonable to imagine, that he will be fucceeded by other deiftical authors, equally modeft and fagacious; equally capable of infulfing virtue and common fenfe, and of retailing ftale invectives against christianity, under the femblance of arguments of REASON!

The defign of this publication, is not only to refute Mr. Paine's objections against christianity, but to be a general defence of divine revelation, againft the attacks of deifts of every description; and, therefore, in this performance, the principal objections which deifts have made to chriftianity, are confuted; numerous arguments are advanced

Chriftianity, however, cannot be eradicated; neither by the mistaken acts of benevolence, of its friends; nor by the deeds of violence, of its enemies,can it be deftroyed! "The gates of hell fhall not prevail againft it !" Matt. xvi. 18.

cent. IV. part I. chap I. f. X. XXIII. chap. II. I VIII.

in its favor; and alfo, the most important doctrines of the gospel, are illuftrated and estab lifhed.

The author regrets, that fome person of superior abilities had not appeared to execute this office;* and laments, that through various incidents, (especially indifpofition) that the press might not be retarded in its operations,it was neceffary, feveral of the following fheets should be printed, almost as foon as compofed.†

* When the propofals were iffued to publish this work, the author was not informed of the intention of any American to answer Mr. Paine's pamphlet; nor had the writer the knowledge of any reply to " The Age of reafon," except the. "Examination" of it, by Mr. Wakefield, whose performance was printed in London, and hath been reprinted in New York.

This publication, the author is forry to remark, he read with difapprobation; Mr. Wakefield having, in a great meafure, betrayed the cause he undertook to advocate. As this gentleman hath embraced the errors of the Socinians, he, in feveral important particulars, (to fanction. his own unfcriptural tenets) endeavors to give validity to Mr. Paine's objections. The writer regards it as a melancholy truth, that Mr. Wakefield's fyftem of religion, is but little fuperior to fome schemes of deifm.

But a few pages only of this performance were written, when it was put to prefs.

This circumftance, it is hoped, will occafion the learned and judicious reader, to behold with a more favorable eye, fuch imperfections as he may perceive in this publication.

TO SUBSCRIBERS.

ITh

was propofed, that to The Deift Unmasked, there thould be annexed, remarks on Lequinio's prejudices deftroyed; a fhort method with the deifts; a fermon on II. Pet. i. 16; an addrefs to deifts; and alfo, an addrefs to the profelfors of chriftianity in these states.

But as The Deift Unmasked hath been very confiderably extended beyond the limits originally contemplated, it hath been thought adviseable, to omit all the pieces intended to have been added to it, except the short method with the deifts, and to have the performance thus enlarged, neatly bound and lettered, in two volumes.

In this form it is now offered, at the price of three fourths of a dollar, each volume. If any fubfcriber, however, fhall not approve of this alteration, and enlargement of the publication, he is at liberty to regard his fubfcription to be of no cofficacy.

Newark, State of New-Jersey, May 3, 1795.

SINCE writing the above, the author, in

fome degree, perceives his conjecture already verified, that Mr. Paine would be fucceeded by other

deistical writers from France. Mr. Boulanger,* as a fecond GOLIAH from that country, has lately arrived here, and raifes his impious voice to revile and blafpheme the nature and revelation of the living GOD, and to propagate his licentious fyftem of infidelity! A fyftem that wholly rejects the doctrine of the immortality of the foul, or a future ftate; that teaches that men can only fin by injuring each other; that their conduct, how. ever impious, cannot offend GOD, and declares i that the whole duty of men confifts in their being good members of civil fociety; and advises, that they fhall be made fo, either by the allurements› of temporary rewards; or the infliction of tempo-. rary punishments.†

-This admirable fyftem of DEISM, fo grateful to libertines, differs but little from that of Thomas Paine, except that he profeffes to believe he fhall exift hereafter; but merely, it is probable,.

*The author of a pamphlet, entitled “chriftianity unveiled."

Mr. Boulanger appears to be the entire politician, though, in reality, an extremely weak one; his views are wholly confined to this world; he ridicules piety, and treats with contempt, the idea of future rewards and punishments.

But when libertine POLITICIANS quit their Sphere, and, like the ancient pagans, take upon them to form Gods and religions, it is not furpri fing that the work of their hands, fhould be “altogether like unto themselves!"

because at the time he published his creed, the national convention of France, had refcinded their decree, that the foul perishes with the body, and declared it to be immortal!

It is reasonable to conclude, that Mr. Boulanger's pamphlet was written before that of Mr. Paine, as the scheme of religion of the former, does not perfectly agree with that, at prefent, embraced by the national convention of France. But however this may be, it is certain, that the CLAMOUR made by one of thefe perfons against christianity, is but little elfe than the ECHOE of the other; and, therefore, in refuting the pamphlet of one of them, the other alfo, in fubftance, hath been refuted.*

Had Mr. Boulanger duly regarded the fact, (which is fully established in this performance) that divine revelation commenced antecedent to the existence of paganifm, or that the mythology of the ancients is but a grofs corruption of revealed religion; and had he alfo, duly understood, and attended only to the real genius and defign of christianity (which are exhibited in this publication) as contained in the scriptures, and not to its

*Notwithstanding the pretenfions of fome modern deifts to philofophy, it is certain that their faculties have been extremely fterile with refpect to the invention of new objections to chriftianity; even Lord Bolingbroke quoted deiftical objections against the truth, from the twentieth hand! See a treatife of Sir John Hill, entitled Thoughts concerning God and Nature, p. 565.