Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-10-14
FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.
EUSEBTUS, No. VH.

having been interrupted, and thinking that
it was then too long to add to it. I intend
ed to have mentioned the great number of
witnesses who had written Doiumes, in at.
testation of what they had seen and heard,
Prospecting the truth of the Christian Rcli-
igon, and many others who handed down by
tradition, an account of facts, which they
related concerning CHRIST, its great au..
thor, and who sealed fkcir testimony with
their blood. But, as 1 have not leisure to
do this, must be satisfied with merely re-
ferring my readers to the authors who will
fully prove what have stated. And they
are DR.. Cavein, the lives of the fathers, DIR.
Barrow, in his Sermons. DIR Whitby on the
New Testament, Lord Lyttleton OH the con-
version of St. Paul, Gilbert West on the Re-
surrection, and Paley's Evidence of the
Christian Religion. would wish my read
|ers also, would turn TO ssLARDNER's 7eS-
timouics," which will shew the authority OH
which these writer's ground their quotations.
But if any candid man Will read Eusebius,
Theodoret, Zozomen, Socrates, Ireneus, A
thanasius, St. Cyprian, Tertuliian and Orr
,gen. l will not ask them to read St. Chry-
session., St. Jerome, Sc. SC. sc. All these
books are translated into English or French.
and may be read in less time than the com.
mon novels and newspapers are; say, if
any candid man, will read these books, he
will be convinced that the witnesses of the
Christian Religion, were very numerous,
and of uudoubted authority. No one who
considers the high power and great learn
ing which was opposed to Christianity, can
possibly believe, that hadit been the work
OF an imposture, it would have made it's way
through the world as it has.
But that it has not as vet been completely
established, even in fourth part of the
earth, is owing to the influence and malevo-
lence of the Devil; a Being, whose exist
ence, power and character, it has become
necessary to make known to mankind, and
that could not be done but by Divine Re.
violation.
This Being who is called Diabolos, & Di-
abolus in Greek and Latin, which signifies
an GccHser or sidaderer, because lie origi-
nally accused or siandered Con in Paradise,
as averse to the increase of mans know
ledge and happiness And he is called the
accuser of our brethren, :.wilo accussth
them before our God. day and night" Rev
XII, 9 & 10. BY this word, Diabolos obi
abolusI the LNX-constantly render the
Hebrew, Satan, when meaning the Devil,
and by {" Satan is meant an adversary, the
prince of the fallen angels g foe to God and
man."
The ALMIsR71 Creator of all things, ha
wing created innumerable Spiritual Beings
of various orders, powers, and intellectual
J faculties, and connected them as it were by
links in chain, and next TO these as ga
little lower than the Angels his creature
man." so as to have chain of different or
ders of Beings from ar Archangeito a Nus
Gle. And having left these Angelic Beings,
as he has done man, free agents-hence,
some remained pure and holy, others be-
came exceedingly depraved and wicked,
and the most powerful of them, the most
abandoned of all. This MALEvoLENT Be-
ing was therefore permitted, by the Al
MIGHTY benevolent God, to run on his ca
! reer of mischief and wickedness, till COP
| should have displayed TO Men and Angels,
the infinite, astonishing mercy, and long suf-
fering of the great Creator. BY his means
the mercy of Christ, our Redeemer, became
necessary, and by this and Christ's dispen-
sation, God will be justified in all his
ways, and every mouth will be stopped. !"
| This Being, the OeUi{, is called the hrince
offhe fio7ver of the air. He is permitted,
after corrupting nations, to chastise them
with storms, pestilences, sc. sc. He is
the instigator of depraved men, to every
crime they commit, and our indictments,
in criminal cases, properly state "hat The
| "fTisoHer not hGUiHg the FEAR of Con be-
store his eyes, but moVed and seduced by
"the instigation Of the Devil, committed
"the crime for which he stands ind cted."
He is the author of all the Internal murders,
wars, &c. &c. that are ever heard of, and
indeed, without surprising the existence of
such a Being, it is impossible to conceive
i how they could exist. But God has mer.
cifully limited his powers, by Jesus Christ,
and confined him TO a narrower sphere of
dominion. Before the revelation of Christ
and his death, he seemed to be the God Of
this qVorid, he ruled it by his magic and o.
racles, and by long train Of monstrous i'm
positions on mankind, of various Gods and
GoddeSses, and impious, obscene, religious
ceremonies. This Being is represented TO
us in the Bible, Gospel and Revelations, as
a formidable enemy TO man, who has "to
war against him, and shiritual fo7vers in
thigh places, against whose attacks, the
shield of the gospel, the helmet of righte-
BUSINESS, and the whole armor of God are ne
lcessary."
Now, as in proportion, tho knowledge OF
procuring future happiness, and of avoiding
Iinnumerabie present evils can be Of fmfOrf-
ance TO mankind, 50 must be the ReVeiafion
made by Jesus Christ, concerning himself
and Con ALMIGHTY, the great, first cause
and concerning the Wortd Of SPIRITS, No
man, therefore, can say, that this ReUeia
fioU. md wha fevcr re- Iatpe IN ~ IN fhe RTar n