CHAPTER VII.

Of the Prophecies of the Old Teftament which are

fuppofed to prove the Divinity of Jefus.

Neither the Miracles nor the Difcourfes of Jefus any

Proofs that he is God.

CHAPTER IX.

No Divine Attributes given to Jefus Christ either in

the Old or New Tament.

CHAPTER X.

None of the incommunicable Names of God given to

Jefus Chrift either in the Old or New Teftament.

CHAPTER XI.

Page

78

Of Mr. Hawker's Arguments in Proof of the Deity

of Jefus Chrift, from his having taken away Sin by the

Sacrifice of Himself, from the laft Scenes of his Hiftory,

and from his being appointed by God to raise the Dead

and to judge the World.

CHAPTER XII:

Of the Teftimony of the Apostles to the Character of

their Mafter.

90

97

103

120

135

CHAPTER

CHAPTER XIII.

Of the Arguments from Scripture against the Doctrine

of our Lord's Deity.

CHAPTER XIV.

Of the Evidence which points out fefus Chrift to have

been fimply One of the Human Race.

CHAPTER XV:

Of the Importance of Christianity on Unitarian

Principles.

Page

158

171

184

ERRAT A.

Page 19. 1. 8. and in fome other places, for fynonomous, read fynonymous.

49.

51.

75

6. for a mortal man read mortal men. 15. for allowing, read allow.

69. note, l. 15, read, obferves upon a fimilar occafion. 8. blot out, The divine immutability therefore may fill remain unimpeached; and read only, The identity of perfon therefore may fill be preferved, &c.

144

191

17. for are we not, read we are not.

15. for condufive, read conducive.

A

DEFENCE

OF

UNITARIANISM.

CHAPTER I.

Of the Holy Scriptures confidered as a Rule of Faith.

I

Am equally willing with Mr. Hawker, that the doctrine, for which he contends, fhall be decided by the fcriptures. And it is with pleafure I take the opportunity of making this declaration; fince, in general, the Unitarians are reprefented as thinking lightly of the fcriptures, and as rejecting the doctrines of revelation, merely because they are, in fome refpects, above their comprehenfion. But thefe reprefentations are falfe. We admit, on the contrary, that the fcriptures are competent to determine upon every point of religious controversy, and are willing to fubmit to their decifion.

But when I fay that, with refpect to the doctrines of chriftianity, we are willing to abide by the declarations of the fcriptures, it is neceffary I fhould explain my meaning. With Mr. Hawker and

other Trinitarians we acknowledge the authenticity of the books of the Old and New Teftament; but we do not fuppofe, that our english translation of them is free from errors. It is allowed by all parties, that they were tranflated by men equally fallible with ourselves. It is a natural fuppofition, therefore, that they have not always given us their true meaning; but that in fome inftances they may have been mifled by ignorance, and in others by prejudice. This we are perfuaded is the cafe, becaufe many errors, which, in their circumstances, it was impoffible for them to avoid, have fince been difcovered.

Neither do we suppose, that the Greek, from which our tranflation of the books of the New Teftament is taken, is an exact copy of them, as they were at firft written by the evangelifts and apoftles. Thefe books were compofed long before the art of printing was known, and the original copies are now loft. In tranfcribing thefe copies, many mistakes might be made. Some letters and words might be left out, and others might be mifplaced; in confequence of which, particular paffages might be made to convey a meaning different

from