idea of the Jewish faith, and the reasons for our perfeverance therein, notwithstanding all our fufferings: firmly relying on the promises of God to redeem us, when we have fully repented of all our fins. The foregoing reasons have been the cause of retarding the prefent publication; but which, I hope, will not be the case in our future correspondence.

I am, Sir,

With all due respect,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

DAVID LEVI.

London, Oct. 14th 1788.

LETTER

LETTER I.

The divinity of Christ and his pre-existent state, proved to be taught in the Gospels; and conSequently, whoever does not believe the fame is not intitled to the appellation of a Chriftian. Hence alfo the charges exhibited by Dr. Prieftley against Mr. Levi, of his want of candour, ignorance of the New Teftament, &c. are fhewn not to be well founded.

DEAR SIR,

Ν

IN your firft Letter to the Jews, (Part II.) you are pleased to charge me with ignorance of profane literature and want of candour; thefe are your words, (page 1,) "I fhould have been more happy "if he (Mr. Levi you mean) had been better acquainted with profane literature as it is commonly, though improperly called, and if he had "fhewn a little more candour." And page 3, you obferve," It is neceffary alfo to the proper "difcuffion of the evidences of Christianity, that "the Jews fhould be well acquainted with the "New Teftament, which Mr. Levi is not."

'

1

These charges had they been well founded, would have been of great weight, and have proved me to be utterly unfit for the task that I have undertaken; more efpecially the laft: for I am clearly of opinion, that no one ought to enter into a difcuffion of the evidences of Christianity, that is not well acquainted with the New Testament: though I cannot perceive the neceffity of fo great an acquaintance with profane literature* : for I am fully perfuaded that Scripture, is the best interpreter of Scripture. I fhall, however, confider all your charges feparately. And firft of my want of candour,

You obferve (page 2,) in fupport of your charge, that I afferted, page 9, of my answer to your first letters, that you are not intitled to the appellation of a Christian. "This is

a heavy charge, and which as a lover of truth, I am bound to recall as hafty and ill founded; or defend it as juft. The latter, is what I choose, though had you been candid enough to have quoted men intire, it would have saved me great part of the trouble: for I afferted (page 8,) that you obferved, (firft Letters p the Jews, page 41,) that the miraculous con

* I mean between Jews and Chriftians: but as to the difputes, among Chriftians themselves, concerning the UNITY and TRINITY; and when they firft began to pay divine honours to Jefus ; to pray to him, &c. &c. it may perhaps be of fome fervice, in order to fhew the great learning, and abilities of the different writers.

ception

ception of Jefus does not appear to you to be fufficiently authenticated, and that the original Gofpel of St. Matthew did not contain it. And that you "do not believe in the miraculous conception of Jefus; and that you are of opinion that he was the legitimate fon of Jofeph*." I then proceeded to obferve, (page 9,) "After fuch affertions as these, how you can be intitled to the appellation of a Chriftian in the ftrict fenfe of the word, is to me really incomprehenfible."

This, Sir, is what I afferted, and for which I truft, I have fufficient authority; for your doctrine is fo oppofite to what I always underftood to be true Christianity, as taught in the Gofpels, (to the history of which you refer us,) that I think it is almoft impoffible for the perfon that embraces it, to be denominated a Chriftian. For in the first place, the Gospel of St. Matthew and St. Luke, as at prefent received by Christians of all denominations, affert the miraculous conception of Jefus, and consequently his pre-existent ftate this, according to your doctrine is false; as you firmly deny both the miraculous conception of Christ, and his pre-existent state: and therefore with one stroke of your pen, pronounce the two first chapters of the prefent editions of Matthew to be fpurious. And, as to Luke, you obferve, (Letters to the Jews, Part II. page 10.) "I have "fhewn that it abounds with the moft manifeft "improbabilities." Now Sir, what can a Jew

* First Letters to the Jews, page 41.