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Herein also is adorable, the wisdom, the goodness, the condescension of Jesus; that he who could have healed sick Lazarus, or raised him when dead, without opening his lips, or rising from his seat, went from the place of his retirement beyond Jordan into Judea, where they had lately sought his life: because his raising up Lazarus at Bethany, the place where he had died, and was well known, in all those circumstances, and before so many persons as he afterwards did, in person, would be a means of convincing men of the truth of his mission, and of drawing men of that and future ages to the belief of his doctrine, which is so suited to prepare them for eternal life.

There is likewise somewhat very remarkable in the manner of performing this miracle. The great works which our Lord did are in themselves a proof, that he was espoused by God. He accordingly made frequent and public appeals to his works, as certain proofs and evidences, that God was with him. But he did not ordinarily, at the time of doing these works, formally and expressly address himself to God. But now being about to perform in the sight of mortal men so extraordinary and affecting a thing, as the raising up from the grave a man that had been buried four days, he lifts up his eyes to heaven, and adores the Father in an act of praise and thanksgiving; acknowledging the power of doing the works he had already done, and of that he was then going to perform, to have been given him by the Father. "Then took they away the stone from the place, where the dead was laid. And Jesus lift up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people ple which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." That is, the works I do, declare that thou art with me; but that the people may have the fuller assurance that thou concurrest with me, and that the words I speak are not mine but thine; before I do this great and awful work in their sight, I publicly praise and thank thee. In this way (of an immediate appeal to God) the fullest proof possible was given, that his authority was from the Father, and all objections were answered. See John xiv. 8-11. xvi. 28-30.

Other things might be observed here, but I shall take notice of but one particular more. "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth." Sure the majesty of the voice well became the work. Herein is some resemblance of that loud command, at the sound of which shall be broken all the bars of hell and the

grave, and their doors fly open, and the dead of all orders and of all times shall awake and come forth; some to honour, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. There is a peculiar propriety and decency in this loud and majestic voice, as it had been immediately preceded by an humble and thankful acknowledgment of the Father, who is over all.

A LETTER

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1730,

CONCERNING THE QUESTION, WHETHER THE LOGOS SUPPLIED
THE PLACE OF A HUMAN SOUL IN THE PERSON
OF JESUS CHRIST.

TO WHICH ARE NOW ADDED,

TWO POSTSCRIPTS:

THE FIRST CONTAINING AN EXPLICATION OF THOSE WORDS, the
SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AS USED IN

THE SCRIPTURES; THE SECOND, CONTAINING REMARKS
UPON THE THIRD PART OF THE LATE BISHOP OF
CLOGHER'S VINDICATION OF THE HISTORIES

OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. John v. 39.

Ergo nec Parentum, nec Majorum Error sequendus est : sed Auctoritas Scripturarum, et Dei docentis Imperium. Hieron. in Jer. cap. ix. ver. 12—14.

THE PREFACE.

THOUGH the names in this letter are fictitious, (as they always were, and the same that appear now,) it is a part of a real correspondence. Papinian, who was a man of a mature age, of great eminence, and a diligent reader of the sacred scriptures, has long since accomplished his course in this world. Philalethes is still living. The letter sent to Papinian was never returned, but Philalethes kept a copy of it. Though written almost thirty years ago, it has hitherto lain concealed in the writer's cabinet. Nor has it, till very lately, been shown to more than two persons, one of whom is deceased. Whether this will be reckoned full proof, that the writer is not forward to engage in religious disputes, I cannot say. This however is certain: he would

have great reason to think himself happy, if, with the assistance of others, without noise and disturbance, in the way of free, calm, and peaceable debate, he could clear up a controverted point of religion, to general satisfaction.

If any should ask, why is this letter published now? I would answer in the words of Solomon: "There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak." But whether the present season has been fitly chosen, the event under the conduct of Divine Providence will best show.

The reader is desired to take notice, that whatever he sees at the bottom of the pages, is additional. There are also some additions in the letter itself, especially near the end, where more texts are explained than were in the original letter.

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For better understanding the argument, it may be needful to observe, for the sake of some, that by divers ancient writers we are assured, it was the opinion of Arius and his followers, That our Saviour took Hesh of Mary, but not a soul: that Christ had flesh only, as a covering for his Deity and that the Word in him was the same as the 'soul in us: and that the Word, or the Deity in Christ, 'was liable to sufferings in the body.'

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Mr. Whiston, in his Historical Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Clarke, giving an account of the act in the divinity schools at Cambridge, in the year 1709, when Mr. Clarke, then rector of St. James's, received the doctor's degree, says, at p. 20, 21, In the course of this act, where I was present, Professor James digressed from one of the doctor's questions, and pressed him hard to condemn one of the ⚫ opinions, which I had just then published in my Sermons and Essays. Which book he held in his hand, when he was in the chair. I suppose, it might be this: that our Saviour had no human soul, but that the Divine Logos or Word supplied its place. However, Dr. Clarke, who, I believe, had not particularly examined that point, did 'prudently avoid either the approbation or condemnation

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σαρκα μόνον τον Σωτηρα απο Μαριας ειληφέναι, διαβεβαιωμενοι, kai 8xi Yʊxní. Epiph. de Arianis in Indic. T. I. p. 606.

Αλλα και αρνενται ψυχην αυτον ανθρωπινην ειληφεναι. Id. H. 69, n. 19, p. 743. A. Conf. n. 48-51.

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Αρειος δε σαρκα μονην προς αποκρυφην της θεότητος ομολογει αντι δε το εσωθεν εν ἡμιν ανθρωπε, τετ' επι της ψυχης, τον λογον εν τη σαρκι λεγει γεγονEva, K. X. Athan. Contr. Apollin. 1. 2, n. 3. p. 942. C.

In eo autem quod Christum sine animâ solam carnem suscepisse arbitrantur, minus noti sunt-sed hoc verum esse, et Epiphanius non tacuit, et ego ex eorum quibusdam scriptis et collocutionibus certissime inveni. August. de Hær. c. 49.

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' of it. Yet have I reason to believe, he long afterwards came into it, upon a further examination: though, I think, 'he ever avoided, according to his usual caution, to de'clare publicly that his approbation, even upon the most pressing applications; which is one great instance of that impenetrable secrecy, which Dr. Sykes justly notes to ' have been in him, upon many occasions.'

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So Mr. Whiston. Who clearly declares his own opinion. Who likewise supposeth, that the same was for some while received by Dr. Clarke. But he seems not to have had any certain evidence of it. For, as he acknowledges, Dr. Clarke never publicly declared his approbation of it.' Nevertheless it may not be disagreeable to see here what Dr. Clarke himself says in his Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity, part I. ch. iii. numb. 998. p. 197. Matt. iv. 1. "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness." From this, and many other of the following texts, it seems, that the Logos, the Divine Nature of Christ, did so far Kevwσaι eavtov, diminish itself, as St. Paul expresses it, Philip. ii. 7, that, during the time of his incarnation, he was 'all along under the conduct of the Holy Spirit.'

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And Part II. sect. xxviii. p. 301. The Holy Spirit is described in the New Testament, as the immediate author and worker of all miracles, even of those done by our • Lord himself: and as the conductor of Christ in all the 'actions of his life, during his state of humiliation here on ' earth.'

Before I finish this preface, I must make some citations from Dr. Robert Clayton, late Lord Bishop of Clogher; who in the third part of his Vindication of the Histories of the Old and New Testament, has expressed himself after this manner. Letter v. p. 80, 81, or p. 443. "He who

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had glory with the Father, before the world was, emptied himself," or divested himself of that glory, in order to re'deem mankind, and descended from heaven, and “ took 6 upon him the form of a servant, and was made man." That is, he, who was a glorified pre-existent spirit in the 'presence of God, submitted to descend from heaven, and to have himself conveyed by the wonderful power of Almighty God, into the womb of a virgin. Where being 'clothed with flesh, and ripening by degrees to manhood, he was at length brought forth into the world, in the same 'apparent state and condition with other human infants.' Again Letter vii. p. 132, 133. or 482, 483.

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cordingly this exalted spirit was by the wonderful power of God, as before related, conveyed into the womb of the

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