blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.t

The Socinians are also so called. The term is very comprehensive, and is applicable to a great variety of persons, who, notwithstanding, agree in this common principle, that there is no distinction in the divine nature:* Those who are commonly called Socinians claim an exclusive right to this title, as holding the unity of God in the strictest sense, to the exclusion of Jesus Christ, and of every other person whatever, from being named or compared with the supreme Father, as equal to him, or any thing but dependent on him, who is the

The capital article in the religious system of this denomination is, that Christ was a mere man. But they consider him as the great instrument in the bands of God of reversing all the effects of the fall; as the object of all the prophecies from Moses to his own time; as the great bond of union to virtuous and good men, who, as christians, make one body in a peculiar sense; as introduced into the world without a human father; as having communications with

* Mosheim, vol. v. p. 58.

[Mr. Evans however allows that "they have no exclusive claim to it,as the Arians, if not the Trinitarians, are equally strenuous for the divine Unity." Sketch, p. 65, eighth edition.]

Dr. Priestley, in his history of the early opinions concerning Christ, calls in question the doctrine of Christ's miraculous conception. He disputes the authenticity of the introductory chapters to Matthew and Luke, because Mark and John do not give the least hint of a miraculous conception; and yet if any part of the history required to be authenticated, it was this. He thinks it is probable that the gospel of St. Matthew was written in hebrew; and as the two first chapters were not in the Ebionite copies of the gospel, he takes it for granted they were not written by Matthew, but prefixed to his gospel afterwards. He supposes that Marcion's copy of Luke's gospel, which begins at the third chapter, was genuine, But admitting that the introductory chapters of Matthew and Luke were written by them, this learned divine supposes that the evidence of the gospel history is exactly similar to that of any other credible history depending upon human testimony; and that the scriptures were written without any particular inspiration, by men who wrote according to the best of their knowledge, and who from their circumstances could not be mistaken with respect to the greater facts of which they were proper witnesses; but, like other men, subject to prejudice, might be liable to adopt a hasty and ill grounded opinion concerning things which did not come within the compass of their knowledge. Dr. Priestley says, that though there are but few who disbelieve the miraculous conception, he supposes there have always been some, and those men of learning and character among christians; and that to his certain knowledge the number of such is increasing, and several of them think it a matter of great importance that a doctrine which they regard as a discredit to the christian scheme should be exploded.

This learned divine will not admit that Christ was either infallible or im peccable. Those passages of scripture which declare" he knew no sin," &c. he supposes to have the same meaning with 1 Jolu iii. 9.

*They suppose that to be a christian implies nothing more than the belief that Christ and his apostles, as well as all preceding prophets, were commissioned by God to teach what they declare they received from him, the most important article of which is the doctrine of a resurrection to immortal life,

never claimed any honour nor respect on his own account, nor as due to himself as a person only inferior to the most high God; but such as belonged only to a prophet, an extraordinary messenger of God, to listen to the message and truths which he delivered from him. He in the most decisive terms declares thre Lord God to be one person; and simply, exclusive of all others, to be the sole object of worship. He always prayed to the one God as his God and Father. He always spoke of himself as receiving his doctrine and power from him, and again and again disclaimed having any power of his own. John v. 19: Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do notbing of himself. John xiv. 10: The words which I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. He directed men to worship the Father; and never let fall the least intimation that himself or any other person whomsoever was the object of worship. (See Luke xi. 1, 2. Matt. iv. 10.) He says in John xvi. 23, And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say

unto

Christ cannot be that God to whom prayer is to be offered, because he is the high priest of that God to make intercession for us. (Acts vii. 25.) And if Christ be not the object. of prayer, he cannot be either God or the maker and governor of the world under God. The apostles to the latest period of their writings speak the same language, representing the Father as the only true God, and Christ as a man, the servant of God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him all the power of which he is possessed, as a reward for his obedience. In Acts ii. 22, the apostle Peter calls Christ a man approved of God, &c.; and in Acts xvii. the apostle calls him the man whom God has ordained. 1 Tim. ii. 5: There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Had the apostle Paul considered Christ as being any thing more than a man with respect to his nature, he could never have argued with the least propriety or effect, that as by man came death, so by man came also the resurrection of the dead: for it might have been replied, that by man came death; but not by man, but by God, or the Creator of shall the world under God, came the resurrection from the dead. The apostles directed

you, whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

*Priestley's Eccles. Hist. vol. i. p. 143. History of Early Opinions, vol. i. pp. 10-51, vol. iii. pp. 7-27. vol. iv. p. 67. Corruptions of Christianity, vol. i. p. 135. Disquisitions, vol. i. p. 376. Institutes, vol. ii. p. 281. Appeal, pp. 19-47, Theological Repository, vol, iv. pp. 20—-* 436. Lindsey's View of the Unitarian Doctrine, &c., p. 355. Vindicia Priestleianæ, pp. 223-227, Apology, p. 186. Anwer to Robinson's Plea.

to this earth from a state of pre-existent dignity; that he was in the beginning with God, and that by him God made the world; and that by a humiliation of himself which has no parallel, and by which he has exhibited an example of benevolence that passes knowledge, he took on him flesh and blood, and passed through human life, enduring all its sorrows, in order to bless and save a sinful race. By delivering himself up to death, he acquired the power of delivering us from death. By offering himself a sacrifice on the cross, he vindicated the honour of those laws which sinners had broken, and rendered the exercise of favour to them consistent with the holiness and wisdom of God's government; and by his resurrection from the dead, he proved the efficacy and acceptableness of his sacrifice. Christ not only declared, but obtained the availableness of repentance to pardon; and became by his interposition not only the conveyer, but the author and means of our future immortality.* This was a service so great, that no

meaner agent could be equal to it, and in consequence of it offers of full favour are made to all. No human being will be excluded from salvation, except through his own fault; and every truly virtuous man from the beginning to the end of time, let his country or religion be what it will, is made sure of being raised from death and being made happy for ever. In all this the supreme Deity is to considered as the first cause, and Christ as his gift to fallen man, and as acting under that eternal and self-existent Being, compared with whom no other being is either great or good, and of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things.

Our learned author argues in this manner to prove the pre-existence of Christ. The history of our Saviour, as given in the new testament, and the events of his life and ministry, answer best to the opinion of the superiority of his nature. Of this kind are his introduction into the world by a miraculous conception; the annunciations from heaven at his baptism and transfi

✦ Our learned author considers the destruction of being as the main circumstance in the punishment of the wicked.

Previous to this our author brings arguments to prove that there is one supreme God, and one object of religious worship. These are omitted, as the principal texts which are made use of to prove the inferiority of Christ to God the Father, are inserted in the Arian plan. The arguments here brought are only such as distinguish this denomination from the Socinians.