weak and peccable] I am well pleased. And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the holy mount." Let the reader observe the following prediction, How applicable to the doctrine we oppose! Chap. ii: "But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." Would not one suppose that the apostle was describing the present times here? For, ver. 20: "If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, [that is, the knowledge of a mere man!] they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."

Chapter iii; "This second epistle, beloved, I write unto you, that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour, [that is, the apostles of a mere man!] knowing that there shall come, in the last days, scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" that is, the coming of a mere man. "But the Lord [viz. the same mere man!] is not slack concerning his promise, [to fulfil it,] but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord [that is, the day of a mere man!] will come, as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise. Nevertheless we, according to promise, [the promise of the same mere man !] look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may he found of him [that is, found of a mere man!] in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the long suffering of our Lord [viz. the long suffering of a mere man!] is salvation. And grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, [that is, in the knowledge of a mere man!] To him, [that is, to a mere man!] be glory, both now and for ever!"

Methinks, reverend sir, were there no other arguments to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ is more than a mere man, these doxologies are sufficient to evince it. For if it be not idolatry to ascribe glory to a mere man or mere creature, I confess I know not what is. Leaving you to adore with me the wisdom and goodness of God, in furnishing us with so many and such incontestable proofs of the falsity of a doctrine, which, of all others, is the most inimical to our peace and our best interests, in time and in eternity, I remain, reverend sir, yours, &c.

LETTER IX.

REV. SIR, We come now to the Epistles of St. John. I think Dr. Priestley has not pronounced him to be an "inconclusive reasoner." But if, as he supposes, that apostle considered our Lord as a mere man, he is certainly as much entitled to that character as St. Paul himself.

He begins his first epistle, by terming the Lord Jesus the "word of life," the "life," and the "eternal life," appellations which certainly but ill agree with the character of a mere man. He informs us that he was "with the Father from the beginning," though it was only in these latter ages that he was "manifested" in the flesh to us, and assures us, notwithstanding he was now returned to the Father from whom he came, and was no longer visible among his disciples as formerly, yet that they had still fellowship with him as well as with the infinite and eternal Father. That which was from the beginning," says he, "which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life: for the life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us: that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Now, is it of a mere man that all this is spoken? Is a mere man the word of life, the life, the eternal life? Was a mere man with the Father before his manifestation in the flesh? Yea, from the beginning? Can a mere man, while with God, in the third heaven, be nevertheless present with men on earth, so that his true followers may have union and communion with him? And can the blood of a mere man, as he affirms, verse 7, "cleanse from all sin?" Or can a mere man be a "propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world ?" Chap. ii, 2. Surely, to suppose these things is most ridiculous.

In the following verses he repeatedly calls the commandments of God his [Christ's] commandments, and the word of God his word; and, verse 12, assures the children of God, that their sins are forgiven for "his name's sake;" that is, as Dr. Priestley will have it, for the name's sake of a mere man! And, verse 22, associating him with the eternal Father, he testifies that "he is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son: [that is, according to the doctor's hypothesis, that denieth the eternal God and a mere man!] Whosoever," proceeds he, "denieth the Son, [denieth a mere man!] the same hath not the Father. If that which ye have heard from the beginning remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and the Father, [that is, in a mere man, and in the eternal God!] These things have I written unto you, concerning them that seduce you. And now, little children, abide in him, [the same mere man!] that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him [a mere man !] at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him;" viz. of a mere man!

It appears from the last words, that, according to St. John, on the Socinian principles, a mere man is the author of our regeneration! We are born of the spirit of a mere man! An extraordinary doctrine indeed! And yet not more extraordinary than the doctrine taught us by the same apostle, in the following chapter, concerning Christ's being "manifested to take away our sins," and to "destroy the works of the devil;" a doctrine which never can be reconciled with the notion of Christ's mere humanity, on the principles of common sense. For as the expression, "He was manifested," plainly implies that he existed before such manifesta

tion, so the declaration of the end for which he was manifested bespeaks him more, I will not say, than a mere man, but more than a mere creature. For how can a mere man, or mere creature, take away our sins, or destroy the devil's works?

But let us pass on to the famous passage, in which this apostle professedly characterizes the "spirit of truth," and the spirit of error, and let us see how it reads, if understood according to the Socinian doctrine. Chapter iv, 1: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world: hereby know we the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ [the same mere man!] is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ [that is, that a mere man!] is come in the flesh, is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already it is in the world." Now, what a strange and uncouth phraseology is this, which, on the doctor's principles, the apostle uses! Whoever, speaking of the birth of a mere man, said he came in the flesh? Certainly, such a form of expression is unexampled in any author, ancient or modern, sacred or profane. The reason is plain: a mere man must come in the flesh, if he come at all: he cannot come, or be born into the world otherwise. It is therefore unnecessary, and indeed ridiculous to mention that circumstance. It is just as if one were to say, “A man came clothed with skin, or with a head upon his body,"

But to use such a phraseology concerning a being that might come otherwise, concerning an angel, for instance, or a departed spirit, would be at least good sense. To say that Gabriel came in the flesh, or that Elijah, or Moses rose again, and came in the flesh, however the assertion might offend our faith by its falsehood, it would not shock our common sense by its absurdity: it would be only like saying, A man came clothed in scarlet, which was a circumstance that might properly be mentioned, as he might have come clothed in raiment of another colour. Just so the apostle's relating and solemnly testifying that Christ came in the flesh, as it was a fact true in itself, so it was very necessary it should be mentioned, it being very possible, nay, and likely, that he should come otherwise, even without flesh, in the Spirit, in his spiritual and Divine nature, as indeed he had come from the beginning; whether to the patriarchs, in the early ages of the world, or to his Church in the wilderness, and to his prophets in after times.

But, says the doctor, (History of Corruptions, p. 142,) "This doctrine has staggered many, when they reflect coolly upon the subject, to think that so exalted a Being as this, an unique in the creation, [an only one,] a Being, next in dignity and intelligence to God himself, [he should rather say, one with God,] possessed of powers absolutely incomprehensible by us, should inhabit this particular spot of the universe, in preference to any other in the whole extent of, perhaps, boundless creation." It is worthy of observation, here, that the very doctrine which staggers the doctor and his friends, and seems so perfectly incredible to them, is the grand subject of all St. John's writings, and furnishes him (as it does the other apostles) with matter for the highest admiration and praise! "In this, says he, chap. iv, 9, was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten ['an unique in the

creation,' an only one, as Dr. Priestley terms him] into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins! Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. We have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world!"

Though, as the doctor expresses it, (ibid.) "he existed before all creatures, yea, from eternity, by an eternal derivation from his eternal Father," though "he was the immediate Maker of the world, and of all things visible and invisible, and appeared in a Divine character to the patriarchs and prophets;" yet, that he was born of the Virgin Mary, and made man, is a doctrine which is now and has been in every age, since Christianity was first established in the world, the grand foundation, as well as object of the faith of the people of God, the source of their love, and matter of their wonder and praise. That the Logos, the Wisdom, and Word, "which was in the beginning with God and was God; that Wisdom and Word, by which all things were made, hath been made flesh, and hath dwelt among us," while men beheld his glory, the glory of the "only begotten of the Father," full of grace and truth: that when he was rich, for our sakes he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich: that when in the form of God, and," as the apostle declares, “equal with God," as being his very Word and Wisdom, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men: that, when he was "found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself still farther, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross:" this great mystery of godliness, while it hath filled them with wonder and amazement, at the condescension and love of this Divine and adorable Saviour, hath convinced them that, mean and worthless as they are, when compared with creatures of a more exalted rank, they are, however, not overlooked by their Maker, amidst the immensity of his nobler works; on the contrary, they see that they stand high in his esteem, and are the objects of his peculiar love and tender compassions.

What God may, or may not have done, for other creatures, in other worlds, they know not, and therefore pretend not to say; but they do not think their ignorance in this point can justify their disbelieving a fact sufficiently authenticated, and in consequence thereof, their ungratefully rejecting what, they have good proof, God, in infinite goodness, hath done for themselves, though they may not be able to assign a reason for his preferring of them to others, should there be a preference in the case. They consider that other beings, existing in other worlds, either may not have fallen as they had done, and, therefore, may not have needed to be visited in a similar manner by a Divine Redeemer; or, if they have, that some circumstances in their case might render their defection more inexcusable, and that therefore the Divine wisdom might not see fit to afford them the help he hath afforded man, formed out of the dust of the earth, weak and frail, even in his best estate, and seduced by the subtlety and fraud of his more powerful and crafty adversary.

Be this as it will, their firm belief of a mystery they cannot fathom, that "God has been manifest in the flesh;" that "to them a child has been born, to them a son has been given, whose name is Wonderful,

Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, God with us;" their conviction of this, I say, while it lays a foundation for the most absolute confidence in, and entire dependence upon their God and Saviour for whatever they want for time and eternity, binds their hearts to him, as by a thousand ties, and becomes a most powerful and perpetual obligation to love and obedience. This "love of Christ constraineth them, while they thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they who live, [viz. who live through his death,] should not henceforth live unto themselves, but to him that died for them and rose again." In the meantime, that the "Father sent the Son, his living Word and Wisdom, to be the Saviour of the world;" that "he so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," is matter of equal praise, and equally excites their admiration, and provokes their gratitude. And while with St. Pau) they render thanks unto God for his unspeakable gift, they see every reason to conclude, with the same inspired apostle, that "he who hath not withheld his own Son, but hath freely delivered him up unto death for us all, will, with him also, freely give us all things!" Thus the doctrine of the incarnation of the Divine Word, though a subject of cavil to the reasoning pride of vain and all-assuming philosophy, is a firm ground of confidence, and perpetual source of consolation to the humble and devout follower of Jesus, the little child, to whom it hath pleased our heavenly Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, to reveal those things, which he hath hid from the wise and prudent!

But, says the doctor, (ibid.) "It cannot but be thought a little extraordinary, that there should be no trace of the apostles having ever regarded their Master in this high light. For, being Jews, they would certainly consider him, at first, as a man, like themselves, since no Jew ever expected any other for their Messiah. Indeed, it can never be thought that Peter and others would have made so free with our Lord, as they sometimes did, if they had considered him as their Maker." In answer to this, I would observe, what sort of a Messiah the Jews expected may be gathered, not only from the Scriptures of the prophets, which gave birth to that expectation, but from the ancient Chaldee, or Jewish paraphrase on those Scriptures, which expresses their faith, at the very time when the Messiah was expected. Not to refer to any other passage, their comment on Isaiah ix, 6, is sufficient to put this matter beyond dispute, and is as follows:-"The prophet saith to the house of David, that a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and he hath taken the law upon himself, that he might keep it; and his name shall be called God, before the face (or from the face) of the admirable counsel; the man that abideth for ever; the Messiah, whose peace shall be multiplied upon us in his days."

As to the apostles, whether there be " any trace of their having ever regarded their Master in this high light," the present quotations from their writings show. And as to St. Peter, in particular, once a Jew, and no doubt well acquainted with the notions of his countrymen, respecting the person and office of the Messiah, he hath spoken for himself already. In what light he might view his Master, when he first became his disciple, I will not say; but that he considered him as more than a man,