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them, and rose again." All mankind, therefore, being redeemed by his death, are, according to this doctrine, under an indispensable obligation of living in obedience to the will, and of being devoted to the glory, of one mere man. Nay, and the apostles themselves were but "ambassadors for Christ," that is, ambassadors for a mere man : as though God," adds he, "did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead," the stead of a mere man, "be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him," though but one mere man, a sin offering for us" many millions of mere men, "that we might be the righteousness of God," might be justified and made righteous by God, "in him." 2 Cor. v. 20, 21. How all true believers should be justified and made righteous through one mere man, is surely, to say the least, not easy to conceive.

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Proceed we to the eighth chapter: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." Will Dr. Priestley, or any Socinian, inform us when and how Christ was rich, on their hypothesis, and when and in what sense he became poor? And will he tell us how, on the supposition of his being a mere man, he can act the part of a spiritual husband to all the faithful in every nation and age, guiding, protecting, and comforting them, nay, and supplying all their wants? "I have espoused you," many millions as ye are, "to one husband," says the apostle, "that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ." 2 Cor. xi. 2. The apostle goes on: "But I fear lest your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preach another Jesus," another mere man, "whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another Spirit" from that mere man "which ye have not received, ye might well bear with him." 2 Cor. xi. 3, 4.

Above all, I would recommend the paragraph that follows to the consideration of those who view Christ as a mere man, and therefore judge that it would be idolatry to worship him. Speaking of his thorn in the flesh, he says, "For this thing I besought the Lord," that is, I besought a mere man, (see verse 9,) "thrice, that it might

depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace," though I am but a mere man, "is sufficient for thee: for my strength," mere man as I am, "is made perfect "—is perfectly displayed-" in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ," the power of a mere man, "may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches," &c., "for Christ's sake," that is, for the sake of a mere man: "for when I am weak, then," through the help of this mere man, "I am strong." 2 Cor. xii. 7—10. This surely is ridiculous in the extreme. And verses 3, 5, 14 of chapter xiii. are little better: "Ye seek a proof of Christ," a mere man, "speaking in me." "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith. Know ye not, that Christ," a mere man, "is in you, except ye be reprobates?" "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," that is, the grace of a mere man, "and the love of God," the supreme Being, "and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost," that is, the fellowship of a power or property of God, "be with you all. Amen."

Leaving you to wonder, rev. sir, how any man of sense can patronize and attempt to reconcile with the scriptures a doctrine which, when brought to that touchstone, appears to be so absurd and ridiculous, I subscribe myself,

LETTER III.

Yours, &c.

REV. SIR,

In the two former letters, we reviewed a variety of passages occurring in the epistle to the Romans, and the two epis tles to the Corinthians, which, on the supposition that the author of those epistles held the doctrine of Christ's mere humanity, manifestly appear to have been written without regard to common sense. I proceed now to lay

before

you a

few texts of a similar nature from the lesser epistles of the same apostle. And several, not a little remarkable in this view, occur in the very beginning of

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the first of these epistles. According to Dr. Priestley's hypothesis, they must be read as follows:-"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ," a mere man, "and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) grace to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ," from the eternal God and a mere man,- -“who,” though no more than a man, gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us," many myriads as we are, "from this present evil world. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ," the grace of a mere man, unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ," the gospel of a mere man. "Do I now persuade" or solicit the favour of man? "or do I seek to For if I yet pleased men, I should not" "be the servant of Christ," a mere man.

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please men?

"But

please or I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ," a mere man. Gal. i. 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10—12.

Now, sir, is not all this very extraordinary? An apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by a mere man! If I pleased, or were the servant of, men, I should not be the servant of a mere man! The gospel which I preached is not after man, but after a mere man! Is not this excellent sense, worthy of the learning of the disciple of Gamaliel, and of the inspiration of the apostle of God? The apostle proceeds: "When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son," that is, to reveal a mere man, "" in me, that I might preach him," the same mere man, "among the heathen," (as the grand foundation of their confidence and hope, 1 Corinthians iii. 11, Ephesians i. 12, 13; the object of their love, 1 Corinthians xvi. ; and spring of the obedience, 2 Corinthians v. 14,) "immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." Galatians i. 15, 16.

I shall take no notice of what the apostle has delivered with great clearness in the next chapter, respecting justi

fication by faith in this mere man, as the Socinians think him, though absolutely irreconcilable with their doctrine; but what he has occasionally remarked respecting the union which he had with Christ, and which indeed all that are justified have with him, must not be passed over, as being perfectly unintelligible on their hypothesis. We read: "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ "-a “mere man," says Dr. Priestley-"liveth in me: and the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God," that is, by faith in a mere man, "who hath loved me, and given himself for me.” Galatians ii. 20. Will Dr. Priestley inform us how Christ, if a mere man, could live in the apostle? And will he tell us how he could "redeem all" that believe in him, whether Jews or gentiles, "from the curse of the law, (see Gal. iii. 13,) that the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through him, and mankind. might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith?" John vii. 37, 38.

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There are many other passages in this epistle equally absurd on the Socinian principles. As: "Ye received me as an angel of God, even as," a mere man, "Jesus Christ. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ," a mere man, be formed in you." Gal. iv. 14, 19. "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith' a mere man, 66 Christ, hath made us free." Gal. v. 1. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ,” that is, the law of a mere man. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," the cross of the same mere man, "by whom," a mere man though he be, "the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in the same mere man, "Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. From henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus," namely, the marks of the sufferings I have endured for the sake of a mere man. "Brethren, the grace of" this mere man, "the Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit." Galatians vi. 2, 14-18.

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You see, rev. sir, that this epistle to the Galatians, be

side the many passages which are similar to those found in the preceding epistles, has several of a peculiar nature, in which the Lord Jesus is set in opposition to men; and to be made an apostle by him, to receive the gospel from him, and seeking to please him, are opposed to the being made an apostle by man, receiving the gospel from man, and seeking to please man. Now, in these instances, Dr. Priestley will find it hard work indeed to vindicate, on his hypothesis, the common sense of the apostle. Examine we now the epistle to the Ephesians. This also furnishes us with many instances of the apostle's writing without common sense, on the supposition of his being an unitarian. Passing over the inscription and benediction, which are similar to those in the other epistles; he speaks of the Father as blessing us, namely, all the faithful, “ with all spiritual blessings in him, choosing us in him to be holy, predestinating us to the adoption of children, making us accepted, and giving us redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." And then he proceeds as follows: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ," that is, in a mere man, "both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him,” mere man though he be; "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, according to the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ," that is, who trusted in a mere man, “in whom ye also trusted," and were so far from being condemned or blamed by God for so doing, that, "after ye believed in him, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance." This mere man "the Father hath set at his own right hand, in heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him," namely, of the mere man, "that filleth all in all." Ephes. i. 3-7, 10-14, 20-23. Is there any reason or sense in any part of this paragraph? How can a mere

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