[ CHAPTER 1 ] - ( CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY ) { PT. 7 }


 [ CHAPTER  1 ] - ( CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY ) - { PT.  7 } - Anthony Collins and Matthew Tindal denounced Christianity as priestcarft. William Whiston pronounced the miracles of the Bible to be big deceptions. Thomas woolston declared them to be allegories. Arianism and Socinianism were openly taught by Samuel Clarke and Joseph Priestly and became fashionable among the intellectual part of the community. Of the utter inability of the pulpit to stem the progress of all this flood of evil, one single fact will give us some idea. The celebrated lawyer William Blackstone had the curiosity early in the reign of George III to go from church to church and hear evry clergyman of note in London. He said that he did not hear a single sermon that had more Christianity in it than the writings of Cicero, and that it would have been impossible for him to know, based upon what he heard, whether the preacher were a follower of Confucius, of Mohammed, or of Christ! Sadly, evidence about this painful subject is only too abundant.            ________________________________________________________  

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