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matters of the deepest concern*. The Favourers of this Doctrine (which has been the Nurse of Ignorance and Idolatry), in regard to their own Modesty, should not vilify Reason, and insidiously attempt to court her assistance at the same. time. However, such incivilities are common, and we find them recommended by the combined Examples of some of the Friends, and some of the Adversaries of Christianity.

"The ingenious and unaccountable Author, Bayle, had frequent quarrels "with Reason, which at last ran so high, "that he gave her a Bill of Divorce, and

* Nobis curiositate non opus est post Jesum Christum, neo inquisitione post Evangelium: cum credimus, nihil desideramus ultra credere.-Tertull. de Præscript. Hæret. § 8. Which is thus rendered in Middleton (Inquiry, p. 226), "the true disciples of Christ, have nothing more "to do with curiosity or inquiry, but when they are "once become believers, their sole business is to believe "on." We may here, as on some other occasions, admire the Zeal of the Fathers, without implicitly submitting to their Opinions.

"turned her out of doors, with, Res tuas "tibi habeto. And yet, when he had dis"carded her, he would reason against "her. That is,

Nec tecum possum vivere, nec sine te:

"An absurdity which sticks, like the shirt "of Hercules, to all those, of all deno"minations, who argue against Reason, "as against a false and fallacious guide." Jortin's Rem. on Eccles. Hist., vol. i, p. 135, 136, edit. 1751.

At least it would become such Persons to discover to us how we are to learn the true Sense of the Scriptures, or of any other writings, and to Practise the Duties urged in the former, without a Free use of that very Endowment which they so frequently decry*. To have an humble

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* "Religion itself, and the Scriptures, are addressed "to us as Reasonable Beings; and would be of no more 66 use to us than they are to Horses and Mules, if we were "to give up Reason.”—Philalethes: see his Attempt to Explain certain Passages of Scripture, Dedicated to the late Bishop of Carlisle, p. 41.

opinion of the extent of our rational powers is Wisdom; but this Wisdom is certainly not gained without a due exertion of those powers. It is not Ignorance, but sound Knowledge that is the parent of genuine Humility; of which our divine Master himself is a proper Example.

It is humbly hoped, that this piece contains, so far as the subject reaches, a just exposition and Defence of genuine Christianity, on its own grounds; although, it is very possible, some may invidiously, or too hastily, imagine it is calculated to undermine those inestimable doctrines. To such it is recommended to dismiss their prejudices and their suspicions for a moment, that the Mind may be free, and enabled to reflect calmly on what is advanced herein. They may be assured that the author has the real interest of the Christian Cause as much at heart as they can possibly have themselves. Far from being inclined to Infidelity, he (borrowing the sentiment of a much wiser man) being convinced, "by the most strong and plain

"historical evidence, of the certainty of "those Facts which establish the truth of Christianity, and animated by the un

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speakable value of the prospects it opens "to us; he would very thankfully be à "Christian of almost any Sect whatever, " rather than no Christian at all*.". It is agreed, however, that it is needful, for security, to be a true, a sincere, and a rational Christian.

THE passages in Scripture which seem to cloud the divine Unity, and to favour the received opinions of the distinct deity of the holy Spirit, and also the equal Godhead of our Saviour, are, comparatively, remarkably few: and even of these several are highly figurative, and require much explication; some are improperly trans

* See Dr. Priestley's Letters to Dr. Price, p. 52, 1787.

+ Happily for the Public, and for every serious Christian in particular, many of those abstruse texts have been explained by the late learned Dr. S. Clarke, Dr. Lardner, and since by Dr. Priestley, Mr. Lindsey, by a Writer who names himself Philalethes, by Mr. Wm. Christie, and some others, with great clearness and ability.

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lated, and others are at length found to be Interpolations*. At any rate, it surely appears to be extremely dangerous and presumptuous to allow those few obscure and indeterminate passages, to outweigh the plain and general testimony of the sacred Writings, which, in so many instances, proclaim the absolute Unity of the ALMIGHTY, in the most distinct and positive terms; making it the very basis of our Religion; and refering us directly to HIM as the Holy Object of our reverential fear, and the exhaustless source of every permanent Blessing.

How far, therefore, the adoption of

*Those learned Men who affect to doubt whether the Interpolations (particularly 1 John v, 7), mentioned by Unitarians (and others), have been actually made in the sacred writings, had better take the pains themselves to examine the most authentic and ancient MSS., and produce from them, if they can, the passages in Question, before they offer any unjust insinuations to the World.

It seems to be but a poor refuge, after all, to lay hold of a few Controverted passages, which, if understood according to the Opinion stiled Orthodox, would meet with little countenance from the rest of the Bible.

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