66 man among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. The next day John seeth Jesus coming, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God," that is, behold a mere man, "who taketh away the sins of the world;" for, though a mere man, he taketh away, or makes atonement for, the sins of all men. "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is preferred before me: for," though a mere man, "he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he," a mere man, "should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he," namely, the mere man, that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God," that is, says Dr. Priestley, a mere man. John i. 15, 19, 23, 26, 27, 29-31, 33, 34. 66 Again: "I am not the Christ, but I am sent before him. He," the mere man, "that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He," the mere man," that cometh from above," though a mere man, "is above all he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he," the same mere man, that cometh from heaven is above all." John iii. 28-31. Will Dr. Priestley tell us how it could be said Christ came from heaven, any more than John the baptist, on his principles? "The Father," addeth he, "loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands. He that believeth on the Son," that is, on a mere man, "hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son," namely, this mere man, “shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Verses 35, 36. The other evangelists agree with St. John respecting the testimony of the baptist. Thus: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he," a mere man, as say the disciples of Socinus, "that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he," though a mere man, "shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. iii. 11, 12. Such is the testimony which, according to the evangelists, John the baptist bore of Christ; a testimony which they must have judged to be of deep importance, and therefore have recorded it with great care, as being a full and perfect confirmation of the views they entertained themselves, and laboured to give others, of Jesus of Nazareth. But methinks every reasonable and unprejudiced man must allow that it is a testimony which, if supposed to be borne of a mere man, is most ridiculous, nay, and absolutely false. For, if Jesus Christ be a mere man, of no higher origin than John, inasmuch as he was born some months after him, it is not true that he was before him much less is it true, that whereas John was from beneath, he was "from above;" and that whereas John was of "the earth," he was "from heaven." According to Dr. Priestley's hypothesis, they were equally from beneath, equally from the earth; and, however Christ might be preferred before John, yet the reason of that preference could not be that which John assigns, namely, that Christ was before him, for in reality he was before Christ. As to the rest of his testimony, I make no remark upon it it is obvious to the most inattentive observer, that it is impossible it should agree with a mere man, who, how much soever he might be honoured or exalted, could never, with any propriety, be said to be "above all," to have "all things delivered into his hands," or to be "the bridegroom" of the church, the owner and possessor of the bride, by believing in whom she obtained everlasting life; and much less could he be able to "baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire," to separate, with infinite discernment, between the precious and the vile, and "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." I should now proceed to the testimony borne by Christ himself, but, having already drawn this letter out to a sufficient length, I break off here, and subscribe myself, Rev. sir, Yours, &c. LETTER XI. REV. SIR, ACCORDING to the testimony of the evangelists, when Jesus was transfigured on the holy mount, there came a voice from the excellent glory, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him." In obedience to the divine command, let us now attend, while this beloved Son of the Father bears record of himself, that we may learn from his own lips to form a right judgment of his person, much dispute and altercation. suaded that he is a mere man. able to determine whether the doctor's opinion be according to truth, let us bring it to the surest of all tests,—the test of the doctrine taught by Christ himself. The doctor, I think, will not deny that he is "the amen, the faithful and true witness; of consequence, an opinion which made the subject of so Dr. Priestley is fully perIn order that we may be cannot bear the test of his doctrine is not of God. Let us see therefore whether the testimony which he bears of himself be consistent with common sense, on the Socinian principles. "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art "—a mere man? No. Thou art" the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these." John i. 47–50 "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. He spake of the temple of his body." John ii. 19, 21. And is he who spake this a mere man? Can a mere man raise his own body from death, especially if, according to Dr. Priestley, he have no soul, but the whole of him be dead and insensible? He Again : "No man hath ascended up into heaven, but he," the mere man, says Dr. Priestley, "that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, who," though a mere man, and now upon earth, "is in heaven. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son," that is, if we believe the Socinians, a mere man, of no higher origin than others, "that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son," a mere man, "into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him," that is, through one mere man, "might be saved. that believeth on him," a mere man, "is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." John iii. 13, 16—18. I make no reflections on these solemn declarations of our Lord. Every reader must consider them as being both false and absurd, on the supposition of his being a mere man. Again: "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him," that is, according to Dr. Priestley, thou wouldest have prayed to a mere man, and he," a mere man though he be, "would have given thee living water." John iv. 10. And who that reads these words can doubt whether Jesus Christ encouraged prayer to be addressed to him? Again : "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I," a mere man, "shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto life eternal." Verse 14. Here again, if Jesus Christ be a mere man, he manifestly encourages idolatry. This he does also chapter vii. 37-39: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink: he that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive." 66 66 But what shall we say to the following words? In what light do they appear, if they be considered as proceeding out of the mouth of a mere man? My Father," the eternal God, "worketh hitherto, and I," a mere man, "work. Verily I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for whatsoever things he," the infinite Jehovah, "doeth, these also doeth the Son," a mere man, "likewise. For the Father," the eternal God, "loveth the Son," a mere man, "and showeth him," though but a man, "all things that himself doeth; and will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raised up the dead and quickened them, even so the Son," a mere man, quickeneth whom he will. For the Father," the great God, "judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son," a mere man, "that all men should honour the Son," that is, should honour a mere man, even as they bonour" the infinite Jehovah, namely, "the Father! He that honoureth not the Son," this mere man, "honoureth not the Father who sent him! Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God," namely, the voice of a mere man ;" and they that hear shall live. For as the Father," the everlasting Jehovah, "hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son," that is, to a mere man, "to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man," that is, because he, a mere man, is a mere man! A strange reason truly. Our Lord goes on, "Marvel not at this: the hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice," the voice, says Dr. Priestley, of a mere man, “and shall come forth." John v. 17, 19-23, 25-29. Methinks, every reasonable man that considers this extraordinary passage must allow that if the Lord Jesus be a mere man, (I speak it with reverence,) he never can be acquitted of the crime which the Jews laid to his charge, |