man be the head of the church universal, not only guiding and governing, but vitally influencing all true believers, in all nations and ages? And how could a mere man bring Jews and gentiles nigh to each other by his blood, as the apostle observes in the next chapter, or be their "peace, making in himself one new man?" And having formed them into one body, how could he reconcile both unto God by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby? or come from heaven, even while he remained there, and preach peace to the gentiles who were afar off, and to the Jews that were nigh, granting unto both access through himself, a mere man, by one Spirit unto the Father? "Unto me, Another remarkable passage we meet with: who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," that is, the unsearchable riches of a mere man; "and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ," namely, by a mere man, who had no existence till all things had been created at least four thousand years. Ephes. iii. 8, 9. Such are the absurdities which the Socinian doctrine fathers upon the disciple of Gamaliel, and of the Lord Jesus; nay, and what is worse, makes him utter these absurdities to God upon his knees, in the most solemn acts of devotion! For instance: "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom," though a mere man, the whole family of heaven and earth is named, that Christ," mere man as he is, may dwell in your hearts by faith; that, being rooted and grounded in love, ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which," though it be but the love of a mere man, "passeth know ledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephes. iii. 14, 15, 17—19. How a mere man should dwell in our hearts, how his love should pass knowledge, and how the knowledge of it, in that degree which is attainable, should be a mean of filling us with VOL. VII. 66 U all the fulness of God, is surely, to say the least, not to be conceived. Another remarkable instance of the absurdity of supposing the apostle to have held the doctrine of Christ's mere humanity occurs in the next chapter: "Unto every one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ," that is, the gift of a mere man. "Wherefore he saith, When he," this mere man, "ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it," what does it imply, "but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" Will the Socinians inform us how a mere man, who had no existence till born in Bethlehem, and who of consequence had never been in heaven, could descend from thence? "He that descended," I say, "is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he," a mere man, “might fill all things. And he,” a mere man, gave apostles, and prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying the body of Christ," the body of a mere man, "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God," the faith and knowledge of a mere man, "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That we may grow up into him in all things, who," though a mere man, "is the head, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Ephesians iv. 7—13, 15, 16. 66 Pass we on to the fifth chapter, where we meet with more instances, and equally striking: "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and," though a mere man, "hath given himself for us," one mere man to ransom millions! 66 an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ," a mere man, 66 shall give thee light;" for though a mere man, he can hear and answer prayer, and give the light of life to ́as many as apply to him. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord," a mere man. "For the hus band is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he," a mere man, "is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and," though a mere man, "hath given himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, and present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord," namely, a mere man, the church; for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bone." Ephesians v. 2, 14, 22-30. The next chapter abounds with instances of a similar kind: " Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, in singleness of heart, as unto Christ," a mere man; "not with eye-service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ," a mere man, 66 doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord," a mere man, "and not to men. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord," this same mere man, "whether he be bond or free. And ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also," a mere man, “is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord," a mere man, "and in the power of his might. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," the supreme God and a mere man. "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ," the mere man I so often name, "in sincerity." Ephesians vi. 5-10, 23, 24. Wishing, rev. sir, that, should Dr. Priestley think it worth his while to show us how the sundry passages quoted in this letter from the epistles to the Galatians and Ephesians might, consistently with common sense, be written by one who held the doctrine of Christ's mere humanity, he may not forget to tell us how his unwearied endeavours to degrade the Lord Jesus are consistent with loving him in sincerity, I subscribe myself, &c. LETTER IV. REV. SIR, THOUGH I made no particular remark upon it, yet I hope, in looking over the last letter, it would not escape your notice, that in the epistle to the Ephesians also, as well as in that to the Galatians, the apostle repeatedly opposes the Lord Jesus Christ to men. "Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ." "With good will doing service, as to the Lord," namely, Christ, "and not to men." Now, on the Socinian principles, this is saying, not as men-pleasers, but as manpleasers, doing service as to a man, and not to men. The epistle to the Philippians comes next in course, and contains a similar doctrine as to the point in question, with the epistles already considered. Indeed, the apostle is consistent with himself in all his epistles, and, according to the doctor's hypothesis, consistent in inconsistency. Here, as before, he styles himself, not indeed an apostle, but a “servant of Jesus Christ;" and represents Timothy as being joined with himself in this state of servitude to a mere man; and from this mere man, as well as from the almighty God, he begs grace and peace for the saints at Philippi, as he had done for the churches to which the preceding epistles are addressed. And then he writes, "I would that you should observe, brethren, that my bonds in Christ," my bonds endured for a mere man, are manifest in all the palace; and some preach Christ," preach a mere man, even of envy and strife, and some also of good will. The one preach Christ," the same mere man, "of contention, but the other of love. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ," the mere man, "is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and I will rejoice. For I 66 66 know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ," that is, the supply of the Spirit of a mere man, "according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ," a mere man, "shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or death. For to me to live is Christ;" that is, a mere man is the supreme end of my life, and I value my life only as it is capable of being referred to the purposes of his honour ; "and to die is gain. And what I shall choose I wot not: for I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and be with Christ," the mere man I speak of, "which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you; that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ," the same mere man, “by my coming to you again. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ," namely, the gospel of a mere man, "in nothing terrified by your adversaries; for to you it is given in behalf of Christ," in behalf of a mere man, "not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake," for the sake of the same mere man. Philip. i. 12-29. A strange doctrine this indeed! But to proceed: we read, "If there be any consolation in Christ," that is, on the principles I oppose, in a mere man, “if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, fulfil ye my joy; and let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who," though but a mere man, that had no existence till born in Bethlehem, in the days of Augustus Cæsar, yet, "being," (Uπαρxwv, subsisting,) "in the form of God," that is, say the Socinians, being endowed, like Moses and others, with the power of working miracles, "thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" a mere man thought it not robbery to be equal with God; or, as the doctor's party, contrary to the natural and proper import of the words, wish to translate it, did not assume an equality with God; that is, a mere man manifested great humility in not assuming an equality with God. The apostle goes on," But emptied |