. Religion, Your reason is now mature enough to examine this object.
In the first place, divest yourself of all bias in favor of novelty and
singularity of opinion. Indulge them in any other subject rather than
that of religion. It is too important, and the consequences of error may
be too serious. On the other hand, shake off all the fears and servile
prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason
firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion.
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded
fear. You will naturally examine, first, the religion of your own
country. Read the Bible, then, as you would read Livy or Tacitus. The
facts which are within the ordinary course of nature, you will believe
on the authority of the writer, as you do those of the same kind in Livy
and Tacitus. The testimony of the writer weighs in their favor, in one
scale, and their not being against the laws of nature, does not weigh
against them. But those facts in the Bible, which contradict the laws of
nature, must be examined with more care, and under a variety of faces.
Here you must recur to the pretensions of the writer to inspiration from
God. Examine upon what evidence his pretensions are founded, and
whether that evidence is so strong, as that its falsehood would be more
improbable than a change of the laws of nature, in the case he relates.
For example, in the book of Joshua we are told the sun stood still
several hours. Were we to read that fact in Livy or Tacitus, we should
class it with their showers of blood, speaking of statues, beasts, &c.
But it is said, that the writer of that book was inspired. Examine,
therefore, candidly, what evidence there is of his having been inspired.
The pretension is entitled to your inquiry, because millions believe it.
On the other hand, you are astronomer enough to know, how contrary it
is to the law of nature, that a body revolving on its axis, as the earth
does, should have stopped, should not, by that sudden stoppage, have
prostrated animals, trees, buildings, and should after a certain
time have resumed its revolution, and that without a second general
prostration. Is this arrest of the earth's motion, or the evidence which
affirms it, most within the law of probabilities? You will next read the
New Testament. It is the history of a personage called Jesus.