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wholly within themselves, no juft excufe can be offered in their behalf.

It is not eafy, fays Celfus, for a man to know the origin of evil, except he is a philofopher. But it is fufficient to inform the commonalty of mankind, tha God is not the author of evil, which is attached only to matter, and thereby becomes the lot of mortal and corruptible beings; and therefore, as thefe beings have turned, and will always turn in the fame circle, it is neceffary, according to the regular and unchangeable order of revolutions, that that which has been, that which is, and that which will be, should be always the fame thing,

We shall be led very foon to discover the origin from which our modern Materialifts have drawn all their principal arguments. Our author would from hence infinuate, that a philofopher may eafily discover the origin of evil, which will be extremely difficult to any other man. The Materialifts have likewife adopted the fame opinion, and, with our author, fuppofe that they are the only perfons who are capable of forming a juft idea of this matter: but they muft not take it amifs, if I tell them, that if they adhere ftrictly to their principles of philofophy, they will find themselves more bewildered and in the dark, respecting this fubject, than were the ancient Scythians, whofe knowledge of thofe matters they hold in fuch contempt. It is impoffible for any human being to know perfectly the nature and origin of evil, how it is formed, and how it is

destroyed,

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destroyed, except the Supreme Being reveals it to him. It is undoubtedly a great evil not to know God, and still a greater not to know how to adore him, agreeable to the rules of true piety. According to our author's own ideas, there were great numbers of the ancient philofophers who knew not God; and this was the reason why they fell into fuch a variety of different fects and opinions. No person can know the origin of evil who knows not God, and who is not informed of the nature of the devil and of his angels, of what they were before they became the enemies of the human race, and for what caufe the latter followed the former in his revolt. To know the origin of evil, we should know exactly what are thefe demons: We fhould know that they are not the work of God, as demons, but they are fo only as being free agents, and as being intelligent creatures: We should know how they arrived to this point, that their freedom and intelligence gave them the nature of demons: And if there is any question which merits a ferious examination, and which is difficult to be comprehended by man in his present state, it is that which regards the origin of evil, notwithstanding what our author and his followers may fay to the contrary. I agree with our author, that evil does not come from God; but must totally differ from him, in thinking that evil is attached to matter, because it is from the active and intelligent principle that is within us, that we must fearch

after

our vices, and discover the

after the caufe of all fource of all our real evils.

The second part of our author's propofition, namely, that all things turn in the fame circle, and that, according to the unchangeable order of things, what was, is, and will always be the fame, cannot be true; for if that had been the cafe, we fhould be no longer free agents. If it was abfolutely fixed that, in this circle, where all mortal and corruptible beings turn, that which has been, that which is, and that which will be, will always continue the fame, according to the unchangeable order of its revolutions, the Supreme Being could never juftly charge us with having merited either punishment or reward. However, our author has not carried this point so far as did the Stoicians, who declared, that not only mortal and corruptible beings, but also immortal beings, and even the gods themselves, by turning in this unchangeable order of the revolutions, and by undergoing the different purifications by fire, through which the whole universe, at different periods, must pass, would continue for ever the fame, from the beginning to the end. It is true, fome of this fect of philofophers endeavoured to foften, in a certain degree, the abfurdity of this propofition, by obferving, that the perfons who came into the world, in the course of one revolution, resembled those of the preceding revolutions in fome particulars only; fo that it will not be Celfus himself, who will come again into the world, but a man

who

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who resembles Celfus; who will attempt to reafon without facts, who will call truth falsehood, and the groffeft calumny wit and humour. The Stoicians of our days are fo ftedfaft in this opinion, that notwithstanding the difference of climate, the difference of education, and the great change in the manners and cuftoms of the age, they see the spirit of our author revived in Voltaire.

The ancient Celfus proceeds to inform us, That the empire of the world was never given to man ; but that all things formed and destroyed themselves for the common good of the universe; and changed themselves the one into the other, according to the revolutions be◄ fore mentioned.

I have already proved, that the idea which our author had of the revolutions before mentioned, was abfurd in itself. When God created the heavens and the earth, he certainly did not create any thing which was not highly finished, and in the greatest perfection; yet nevertheless, as he created great numbers of free and intelligent beings, it appears, that he was obliged to use a means ta correct thofe particulars who fell into vice; and even to purge the whole earth, when it became corrupted thereby. But this did not arife from any imperfection in the original creation; it was the effect of the freedom and intelligence which his created beings enjoyed. And as a prudent husbandman occupies himself in different manners to cultivate the earth, and to gather the fruits thereof,

thereof, according to the different feafons of the year, fo does God dispose of a number of centuries, as of fo many years or days, doing in each what is neceffary for the well-governing of the universe; for as it is he alone who knows what is neceffary for this great purpofe, it is he alone who is capable of applying fuch timely fuccours.

Again, Celfus proceeds to afk the Chriftians, Whether it is not ridiculous to fuppafe, that a man, who was irritated against the Jews, fhould have totally deftroyed them, both great and fmall, and have taken their capital, and reduced it to afbes; and all this as the effect of the wrath, the fury, and the threatenings of the great God of whom you speak, becaufe that this nation ill-treated his Son, whom he fent into the world for the benefit of mankind?

But if the Jews, notwithstanding they were informed that Jefus was the Chrift, of whofe coming their prophets had foretold, and notwithstanding they had seen him do fuch mighty works as were never before done by mortal man, not only put him to the most ignominious death, although the Roman governor, his judge, repeatedly declared that he found no fault in him, and requested that his blood should be on them, and on their children, but also, after they were informed by their own fervants, that he was rifen again from the dead, perfecuted and put to death great numbers of his disciples, who were equally innocent, with refpect to the crimes with which they were charged, with their Mafter: I fay, if thofe hardened obftinate wretches

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