for historic references, I there found, again, falsehoods unalloyed with other material, and these untruths were of the most notorious kind, and of the most malignant texture. I was indeed discouraged, as these facts thus influenced me; and, since the controversy has been settled in my mind, I have made certain discoveries, which I think it would not be amiss to mention, and here is the proper place for their introduction.

CHAPTER LV.

COUNTERFEITS-CONTINUED.

I asked a man, on the bank of the Illinois river, (a swearing, Sabbath-hating man from New England,) something concerning his observance of Bible precepts. He raised his broad face with a satisfied grin, and asked me which Bible. He stated that the Mormons had a Bible, and that being a poor illiterate man, he was unable to decide which was the word of God. The exultation within him, seemed to say, "I have at last found out how to cast away that thirty years of preaching which I was compelled to hear in the land of the pilgrims." The following are some of the facts which I was able to see plainly before me at that time.

1st. This man is very capable, when it is necessary to distinguish between a valuable horse and one that is inferior. He can tell a dollar of real silver, from one of copper only plated with silver, as speedily as many a chemist.

2d. He is a better judge of a good or a bad bargain,

than many of the most able arithmeticians of the nation. It would be easier to cheat many a profound ma thematician, than to overreach him. He has laboured to qualify himself in many things, and has succeeded so far that his knowledge, in these matters, surpasses that of millions of his race.

3d. He has not striven to acquaint himself with the Bible; for, although reared in a land of Bibles and of schools, he is not able to tell the most common incidents on the holy page. Of the chronology of Scriptural events, he is perfectly ignorant. He does not know whether Abraham or Cyrus of Persia, lived first. You might tell him that Pilate and Cæsar were Israelites, and he would know no better.

4th. If he had put forth one half of the vigorous research after Bible knowledge, which he has expended after skill in gainful pursuits, he would not have been ignorant; yet his ignorance is now his excuse why he is unable to judge concerning revelation.

If we were to receive a kind letter from some powerful earthly monarch, some splendid king, making us many very rich offers, and proposing to us honour and wealth, telling the terms over and over that we might not mistake, it would be expected of us, that we should inform ourselves perfectly, as to who brought it, its contents, its authenticity, &c. If we were to have it a

full

year, and never read it at all, it would be deemed strange indeed.

5th. Most unbelievers, like this man, do not know one-fortieth part of the great King's letter, nor onefortieth part of the evidence of its genuineness, nor onefortieth part of its beauties, its grandeur, its proposals, promises, or threatenings; whilst one half the time they

waste in wickedness, or, at least, in nonsense and frivolity, would be enough to furnish them with that knowledge, the want of which aids in their ruin.

Finally. The decisive characteristics, and distinguishing marks between the true and the false religions in the world, are more numerous and more notorious than are the marks between counterfeit coin and pure gold or silver; yet men become judges in the last case, and remain uninformed in the other.

If a young man were to hold up an article formed of brass, but made to resemble gold, and were to exclaim, "I can see but little difference between this and gold; I do not know that there is any. This seems as bright, and as smooth, and as beautiful as any I have seen;" his friends would tell him that there was a difference between pure and pretended gold; that they were to be distinguished by the sight, and by the ring, and by trial or chemical tests. They would tell him that unless he would inform himself in this matter, he must suffer; but that by noting two or three signs scrupulously, he might decide without danger.

A FEW SIGNS IN RELIGION.

1. True miracles are usually performed in the presence of enemies and haters of the religion about to be introduced; whilst false miracles are only pretended to be done in the company of the friends of the system upheld.

2. True miracles are performed year after year, so as to call the attention of all, and before the eyes of vast crowds of opposers, whilst the opposite of this belongs to pretension.

3. True miracles reach all the diseases to which the human frame is liable, (not touching those only which frequently disappear of themselves and suddenly,) and also extend to every variety of influence upon all visible matter, whilst counterfeit marvels command alone those things which often, with a spontaneous impulse, transpire of themselves. The same difference exists that there is between commanding fire to devour fifty men, or the sun to stand still, or the man born blind to see at once, or the lame one instantly to leap, and the art of charming the headache into ease, the agitated nerves into tranquillity, or commanding the internal and visible disorder to disappear.

4. A system of truth sent from heaven, always forbids what man is much inclined to love: forbids sen. sual indulgence, fraud, wickedness, injustice, impurity, revenge, hatred, feasting, revelry, &c., and all that man by nature is prone to reach after. The Koran allows of many wives, of revenge, and unending or extermi. nating war. The pagan creeds enjoin or permit glut tony, intoxication, and sensuality of every kind, to any possible extent.

5. God's revelation orders the doing of that which men do not love, (a wicked man would rather go through days of painful toil than to hold prayer in his own house, or to spend one hour in heart devotion.) It requires a change of soul, and promises a paradise of holiness. The false volumes, claiming to be from heaven, ask for no regeneration or holiness of heart, and promise a futu. rity of carnal indulgence and satiated appetites.

6. A true prophet is not applauded by a majority of the wicked, or by the mass of the depraved. He is generally disliked by those farthest from God, and

spoken evil of by those who sink deepest in sin. He is often not only reviled, but put to death if the laws permit; but the false prophet is neither stoned nor sawn asunder. He is often extolled greatly by the most dissolute, and is at least tolerated or praised to some extent by the leaders in depravity or the officers of sin.

Amidst the many marks or viedent distinctions between true and false religion, we have not room here to notice more than one, and this may only be named and not dwelt upon at large. This last one is the test. In detecting false gold or marking pure, the chemical test deceives no one. The trial of the pure religion never fails those who test it by actual experiment. No other evidence is wanting; but it is hard to prevail on those who hate it to make this trial-to obey its precepts,

CHAPTER LVI.

FURTHER INQUIRY.

After laying down the book called Volney's Ruins, more doubtful of the strength of my own army than I had ever been, I asked after Paine's Age of Reason, having heard of its making much noise and stir in the world. I read it through and laid it aside, and I must not detain the reader by giving a protracted history of its contents

The reader will scarcely believe me, or he will esteem me as having deserted the infidel ranks before I read it, if I tell him fully the impression it made on me. If the reader has pursued a course of ancient history, or will go