Produced by David Widger CHRISTIAN MYSTERY A CHINESE TALE, FOUND IN THE PORTFOLIO OF A PORTUGUESE FRIAR. Hear, O prodigy! O Tenderness! O Mystery!--He has just drowned the Fathers;--and now he will die for the Children! Voltaire. LONDON: PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY R. CARLILE, 55, FLEET STREET. 1819. CHRISTIAN MYSTERY Commercial affaire had engaged me to make a sea voyage. I had got far from the shores of my native country, when a dreadful tempest threw me on an unknown coast; however, I fell into the hands of a very humane people, and soon found they had brought the arts to great perfection, that they practised many virtues, and appeared to me in a state as enlightened as humanity could attain. My admiration of them equalled my gratitude, but, alas! it is but too true, that man always discovers by some failing the weakness of his being. These people shewed as much friendship towards me as I could possibly do to them; their mildness and civility entirely gained my affection. They said to me one day, "Of what religion are you?" The question surprised me; I asked them if there were two religions, at which they smiled, and I saw they were astonished at my ignorance. "My friend," said one of them, "give thanks to God for having conducted you amongst us to be instructed in our holy religion. You do not know then that God has made himself a man?" I assured them it was the first time I had heard of it, and asked them why he had become a man? Know, continued they, that the first man eat an apple which God had forbidden him, in consequence of which all his posterity were condemned to eternal punishment. At another time men became so criminal that the Almighty repented of having created them, and drowned them all with the exception of eight persons. The posterity of these became no better, God continued to be displeased, and as it was necessary to reconcile him to mankind, God the Son became a man to appease God the Father. This divine family astonished me a little. And the daughter of God, said I, what is become of her? They answered gravely, God has no daughter. Oh! he has but a Son: but how do you know the sex of this Son? They answered, God is incorporeal, he has no sex. I insisted--how could God the Father produce God the Son? He begot him. God has a sex then,--he must also have a wife. They smiled at me again. But when did the Father beget this Son? From all eternity. My friends, there is an apparent contradiction, it is not possible for the Son who was begotten to be as old as the Father. Has the Father then any other children? No; but there is a third person who proceeds from the Father and the Son. I suppose he was begotten also? No; certainly not: pray take care what you say, or you will be guilty of heresy. I replied, I did not understand them.