Besides the writings of the Egyptian Essenes or monks, it is known that Alexandria abounded with every sort of sectarian rubbish, in the various forms of acts, gospels, epistles, &c.; so that the compilers of the New Testament had an ample supply of matter, out of which to choose what should be the new will of Jehovah. Such pieces as had been written by monks, and by their plastic spirituality, could easily be moulded so as to represent the interests of the priests, and increase their power and importance, very naturally slid in to form part of "God's last Will;" while those which exposed the tricks and knavery of priests, like the story of Bel and the Dragon, in the Old Testament, were rejected as apocryphal.* But as the chosen books were written by unknown or obscure persons of no notoriety, their names were erased, and those of reputed apostles substituted, in order to confer respectability. And whenever it was found that this "New Testament" did not at all points suit the interests of its priesthood, or the views of political rulers in league with them, the necessary alterations were made, and all sorts of pious frauds and forgeries were not only common, but justified by many of the fathers. This was a charge constantly brought against those trimmers by their opponents, whose writings they destroyed to the utmost of their power; but it is proved by a record in the Cronicon of Muis, an African bishop, and the same is also mentioned by Scaliger, that a general alteration of the four gospels took place in the sixth century, by order of the Emperor Anastasius, who decreed:--"That the holy gospels, as written, Idiotis Evangelistis, _are to be corrected and amended_."** * It may be said that the Christian compilers would be willing to expose the tricks of the Pagan priests; but the esprit du corps is sacred. Priests will not betray that fundamental deceitfulness that is common to the whole profession, and inseparable from all supernatural pretensions. ** Dr. Mill also vouches for the truth of this record, and says that Messala was consul at the time. The great father, Origen, in his commentary on Matthew's gospel, speaking of the phrase, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," which some thought to be spurious, he says: "If, indeed, there was no disagreement in other copies, it would be irreligious to suspect that expression was interpolated and not pronounced by our Savior. But now, alas! what with the blunders of transcribers--what with the impious temerity of correcting the text--what with the licentiousness of others, who interpolate or expunge just what they please, it is plain the copies do strangely disagree."