of an helpless infant, till by degrees he became rational, &c. &c.

This doctrine, which has no countenance in the fcriptures, but in a very few paffages, of plainly wrong interpretation, Dr. Priestley has proved not to have been known in the chriftian church, till about the time of Arius; and has likewife fhewn that the doctrine of the platonic fathers concerning Chrift, which probably first began with Juftin Martyr, or about his time, and has been mistaken for it, was quite another thing: Chrift, according to them, not being a fuperangelic fpirit, animating a human body, but the logos, the wifdom or reason of the divine being, his attribute, which thefe philofophers made a perfon of, and which, according to them, bore the fame relation to the Father, that the platonic vs, which was their fecond principle, bore to the first principle, ufually called ayates; or rather were the fame with them.

This

they held to be intimately united to Jefus Christ, who was still a man, in their system, with a body and foul like the rest of us. (b) I must

(b) In the first fection of the conclusion of The history of the early opinions conterning Jefus Chrift, vol. iv. p. 273,

you,

I must own, that this wild, abftracted perversion of the true fcripture-doctrine concerning Chrift is to me lefs exceptionable, and lefs repugnant to reason, than the arian doctrine concerning him; which is a heap of incongruous, ftaggering improbabilities, from beginning to end: whether you fuppofe the great preexiftent spirit, which was shut up in a human body of flesh and blood for 30 years, to have been the first and principal of created beings, and the fubordinate creator of all things; or, one of an inferior clafs, with inferior powers.

2. The diftinction of the opinion of the early writers from that of the common people was never before obferved by any one; and being a thing wholly unknown to the first Socinians, they were exceedingly embaraffed in the defence of their fentiments, in point of antiquity. But we here fee the feeming gap and chafm filled up, and that the doctrine of the apoftles concerning their divine

you have a clear and distinct account of the fucceffive gradations of this platonic doctrine, till it ended in making Chrift the most high God.

divine mafter being altogether one of the human race, was alfo the doctrine of all thofe that were immediately taught by and fucceeded them, a few fpeculative men excepted, who would be wife above what was written,

3. The variety of curious knowlege of facts and opinions, contained in this work; the illuftrations of the oriental philofophy; and the doctrine of Platonifm in particular never fo well exhibited before, must be pleafing and inftructive to all, who wish to know the history of the human mind, an interesting history affuredly: fo that throwing even the queftion of religion afide, it is a valuable acceffion to the literary world, but connected with that important object, it is above all price.

In a work of fuch compass and extent as this hiftory of early opinions concerning Jefus Chrift, in which you have the words of the original writers themfelves, it was fcarce to be expected that no mistakes would be committed. The author forefaw it to be unavoidable, and defired all allowance to be made, and to be told his faults, and he would

would gladly correct them.

They have

however turned out much fewer than could have been imagined, and none of them in the least affecting his main propofitions and conclufions, though he has been told of them in an unhandfome way. But in whatever way it may come, it will be acceptable to him to hear of any errors or overfights, be they of greater or smaller confequence. With respect to the unworthy infinuations of fome men, all that know any thing of Dr. Priestley, believe and are persuaded, that he would as foon be guilty of robbing on the highway, as of defignedly mifquoting or mifinterpreting any paffage in an antient writer to deceive others, and ferve the purpofe of a private party or opinion. For he has no interest in view, but that of truth, nor any defires but to have that in the best way promoted and established.

FINI S.

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